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Post by Analisia Moonbright on Dec 17, 2010 8:44:21 GMT -5
Analisia smiled with delight as the other two said that they were willing to accept her help. Then again, it didn't seem as if they had much of a choice. There were already three theives down, and they probably wouldn't get back up with the damage they had taken. So that left the odds greatly evened. Or perhaps better than evened. Shaking back her long hair to keep it out of her face, Analisia charged the next opponent, blocking the swing of his sword by crossing her daggers, then twisting to break the hold and get behind the attacker.
Analisia looked over to check on the kid, he seemed to be doing fine blocking the man coming after him. Throwing a small smile his way, she continued her little dance with this last opponent.
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Post by Markus Selder on Dec 17, 2010 21:06:37 GMT -5
Markus, not as strong or experienced as the two other travelers who could leap and slash with grace and ease, was stuck backing up, trying to dodge more than block because his opponent had the advantage in muscle. He checked over his shoulder for any trees, and found that rather than a tree, he was dangerously close to bumping into Travis’ horse. The creature seemed a bit spooked, but stood its ground. No one really seemed interested in robbing a horse; Mark was a bit jealous.
He remembered the battle a split second later, with just enough time to dodge aside a strike that would have dug deep into his shoulder and instead grazed his arm, drawing blood and leaving a memento sure to last a week or so, but nothing incapacitating. Nevertheless, Mark yelped, hopped back, and tripped over the ranger’s horse.
That proved to be the last straw for the poor horse; with a great whinny, it reared up onto its hind legs and lashed out, kicking the bandit with its hooves and knocking the man unconscious, before stomping its feet, seemingly torn between staying with Travis and dashing off down the road.
“Shhh!” Mark whispered to it, jumping up and ignoring the scratch on his arm. “Don’t run! Don’t run! You’re a good horse!” He managed to catch the reins without being trampled, and stroked its mane, giving it a chance to settle. Nervously, he glanced back to Travis and the woman. They both appeared to be doing well. Travis had dropped another man, and the stranger held her own well.
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Post by Travis Huntman on Dec 18, 2010 21:15:58 GMT -5
The highwayman was a skilled swordsman but was no match for the ranger. Travis kicked him in his shin, then knocked him out with the end of his hilt. His horse finally got startled in the mist of battle, but Markus was able to calm him down. With only one thief remaining, Travis decided to be a gentleman and help the woman.
However when he joined in, he realized the woman was Analisia. Theis made the woodsman evermore glad; the two finally crossed paths again, fighting side by side.
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Post by Analisia Moonbright on Dec 19, 2010 0:03:38 GMT -5
Analisia looked over at Travis, recognition finally lighting up her eyes. She was surprised that she hadm't realized it was him earlier... Then again, she had been fighting off the highwaymen. She waved him off with one of her daggers. "Tis my fight and I intend to see it through." She says while delivering a roundhouse kick to her opponent's chest. As he doubled over in pain she smashed her dagger into the soft spot at the base of his neck and skull. The blade meeting spine with a sickening crunch. She looks back up at Travis and smiles.
"Hello again, and hello to you too, little sir. Pleasure to see you both on the road." She laughs and kicks the highwayman, removing her blade with a sharp tug. Yet again there was that sound of steel on bone, though it was a little less loud this time. "Told you that I could handle my blades." She says to Travis, then looks at the other man. "What are you doing out on the road without knowing how to fight or having a proper escort? It isn't safe to travel much anymore, especially for younglings."
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Post by Markus Selder on Dec 19, 2010 16:08:47 GMT -5
The horse calmed, Markus turned back to watch Travis and the woman just in time to watch the dagger sink into the highwayman’s neck and crack the spine. Mark looked away so quickly he heard his neck crick.
He didn’t even look to her when she spoke; she still stood by the corpse and he heard a soft thump like kicking a sack of meat, then a horribly slimey ’shluuuuk’ type noise that he assumed involved the dagger, the corpse, and more blood than he would care to see. (Markus was suddenly very, very thankful that he had given up on being a healer.)
“I had an escort,” he explains, watching the horses’ hair like the whispering strands held some sort of answer to the universe. “Up to where the town was in sight. Then I joined Sir Huntman, and here I am. And survival isn’t all about...” He swallowed; it felt like eating a wad of cotton. “...all about...that.” He waved an arm towards where he thought there might have been a corpse or too, but he didn’t dare look. Instead, he just sighed, leaning his head against the horse; thankfully, the horse didn’t mind. “...I’m more responsible than I look. Really.”
Still staring in whatever direction didn’t have anything dead nearby, Mark changed the subject. The ‘again’ tacked to the woman’s greeting seemed a good topic. “So, you two have met before?” he asked, risking a glance back towards the duo and immediately regretting it when the bandit with the cracked spine reached his peripheral vision.
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Post by Travis Huntman on Dec 19, 2010 16:44:55 GMT -5
"Of course," smirked the ranger, "your skill with the blade is as deadly as your looks."
With the final enemy disposed of, Travis made a dead/alive count of the gang they just fought. Of the six they just encounter, they were able to nonlethaly take out four of them. The ranger figured he should tie them up, hoping the sheriff would pick up the criminals when he got into town.
Travis went to his horse, opened up the patch hanging from the saddle, and got out some rope. The woodsman patted his horse's head, "Good job, Keith. Now continue to be a good horse." He gathered the knocked out criminals and started to rope them together.
While tying up the criminals, he went to answer the young traveler's question, "You could say that. We met while back at Cados. I guess fate has a strange way of bringing us togther." He gave a chuckle as he tighten up a knot.
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Post by Analisia Moonbright on Dec 19, 2010 17:00:18 GMT -5
Analisia snorted as he spoke to her. Leaning down to clean her blade on her freshest kill. She looked over at the young man, smiling softly. "No, survival isnt about killing. It is about knowing when to kill and when to run. As for us knowing each other, yeah, we ran into each other awhile back." She picked up one of the dead bandits, before remembering that Travis still didn't know what she was, instantly she sagged a bit, pretending to struggle with the dead weight.
Finally, she disposed of the body on the side of the road, covering him up with some brush. Turning back to the others, she gave them both a small smile. "Rude to leave carrion on the road isn't it?" She grabs the feet of the next corpse and starts to drag it, the muscles in her shoulder's flexing. "So what do you plan on doing with the other men? Take them to be hung?" Analisia shook her head, she didn't understand why humans had an obsession with hanging wrongdoers. It was an inhumane way to kill.
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Post by Markus Selder on Dec 19, 2010 17:23:08 GMT -5
That made sense. Mark could remember his mother telling him years and years ago (back when he was about twelve, and people just thought he looked young for his age) that big cities like Cados were full of murderers and thieves. It was why he rarely, if ever, visited Cados. Travis and the woman made perfect examples. “Yes, well,” Mark said. “I’m not sure that last man deserved to be on the ‘when to kill’ list.”
Mark stuck by the horse, Keith. It sounded like Travis and his lady-friend were busy picking up the mess. Well, that was one benefit of having the two around. (It would’ve been a much better benefit, however, if they hadn’t been the murderers in the first place.) Fortunately, it sounded like the woman was dragging the corpses aside to clean the road. Mark turned a little more outward, but tried to keep his focus on Travis and the unconscious fellows rather than on the stranger and the pools of blood.
And as if things couldn’t get any worse, the violent miss had to bring the topic back to death. Hanging, to be specific. Where criminals lined up at the gallows, had a rope looped about their throats, the floor removed from their feet so they were left to dangle, eyes bulging, strangled to their last breath–
Mark buried his face in Keith’s hair and thanked God that the horse stood still. “Do they really have to be hanged?” he complained, voice muffled. “Isn’t prison enough? They’re only highwaymen, two are already d...dead.”
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Post by Travis Huntman on Dec 19, 2010 21:54:11 GMT -5
The ranger finished up tying the last knot and proceed to help Analisia with the dead body. Travis grabbed the corpse underneth the armpits. Somehow along in the aftermath of the battle, Ana and Markus have gotten into a discussion about killing and the death penalty. It wasn't something that the bounty hunter didn't like to talk about, since it centered around politics, but he had his own views on it.
"Well, if you want to think about it this way, hanging by the galllows was at least a much more humane death than some of the other options," replied Travis, "If performed correctly, the drop should automatically dislocate the neck, killing the criminal instantly. At least it's cleaner than decapitation, and well, far less painful than being burned at the stake." He then glanced over at Markus, who seemed quite disgusted at killing someone. "Though, maybe they'll get prison. I'm not a fan of locking away criminals and making them do nothing to society, I guess as long they are committed to hard labor. However, they were contended upon killing us and robbing from our corpses. Even if they were just 'highwaymen,' they were still dangerous men, not to us, but any other traveler. Whatever punishment they recieve, I believe it's justifible."
Even though he hated death and hated killing, Travis knew it was one of things that exist in this word.
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Post by Analisia Moonbright on Dec 19, 2010 22:00:27 GMT -5
Analisia shook her head. "A quick kill is the best. Out of the six of them I pity the two dead the least." Letting Travis help her with the body was almost painful, she hated people helping with things that were easy. "I believe that they should be given an honorable death, no matter their crime." As they set the body down she leaned down and covered him with dirt and brush. Let the animals deal with these two, they were no longer her problem.
Standing up, she looked over at the small boy. "So what is your name young sir? My own is Analisia. And I am sure that we both know Travis over here." Smiling she jerks her head toward the Ranger and starts to brush off the blood and dust from her traveling dress. Her knives, now clean, disappeared amongst her clothing.
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Post by Markus Selder on Dec 19, 2010 22:36:35 GMT -5
‘If performed correctly.’ ‘If performed correctly.’ Markus shook his head, brushing the horse’s hair with his nose. If they got it right, it was instantaneous, but if the bribes weren’t enough or the executioner was inexperienced, the procedure became a lengthy, hellish nightmare. ‘Justified’ and ‘honorable’ were just words to the man whose last breaths were choked out garbling squelched by a rough rope.
Ignoring the subject, Markus more than happily moved on to introductions. He tilted his head, pulling one eye away from Keith to watch the woman, Miss Analasia. She and Travis had just saved his life, but if she wasn’t going to give her last name, he would follow suit. “...’m Markus,” he mumbled, glancing between her and Travis. “It’s...” No, actually, it hadn’t been a pleasure to meet her. He scratched that phrase from his mind and started again: “Thank you for your...for your help.”
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Post by Travis Huntman on Dec 19, 2010 22:57:56 GMT -5
Upon disposing the last body, Travis dusted off his hand. Markus seemed nervous when introducing himself to Ana. Then again, the ranger could understand why. If he was nine and raided by a bunch of highwaymen, then saved by a six foot tall woman, who brutally kills two people, then yes, it's quite understandable. Not saying her actions were wrong, but it's understandable.
"So Ana, are planning to stick with us to Riyer? We could use your company."
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Post by Analisia Moonbright on Dec 19, 2010 23:06:55 GMT -5
"That depends, is my company welcome?"She smiles at both of them. Then walks over to Markus, making sure that she was downwind from the horse. It wouldn't be a good thing if the horse picked up her scent and freaked. "I guess I could. I have no where else to go at the moment." She bows slightly to Markus, then smiles as she stands back up.
"So why is it that you both are going to Riyer? Any particular reason? Or just traveling for enjoyment?"
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Post by Markus Selder on Dec 19, 2010 23:15:49 GMT -5
Analasia, despite being a brutal swords-woman, seemed to be quite polite. Markus reluctantly pulled away from the horse to return her bow. To do otherwise, no matter how old she was compared to his actual age, would’ve been rude. “Quite welcome,” he said, trying to calm his reservations. The men she’d killed were criminals, he reminded himself. It was merely self-defense.
“I’m going to Riyer for a change of scenery. I travel a lot,” Mark told her. “And Travis...” He glanced back at the ranger, assuming the man would want to give his own explanation.
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Post by Travis Huntman on Dec 19, 2010 23:34:52 GMT -5
"Like I said, a little of both," answered Travis with a smile, "though I am searching for a woman; dark skin, blonde hair, deadly with a pair of daggers like you. Any chance you came across a such person?"
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