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This is a private rp between Lunadriel and Juliette06

Pollux scans the area, sword at the ready. He looks at Ayaz, with eyes he feels have a mutual understanding. If things got bad, he would protect them all, even with his life. An angeni with an absolutely pure heart. Even though he didn't know Ayaz, he felt like they might have some similarities.

Darkmane bobs along after her friends for the day, locking her muscles as she walks, to keep them from shaking. Is she afraid? Absolutely. If she thinks about it too long, her teeth will begin to chatter. Inhale, then exhale, she tells herself as she steadies her breathing. There is no fun in running away before they even get there! Though she might. The excitement is about to make her burst! Shifty eyes look at Ayaz, and his skull mask. Creepy! she thinks, and grins wide. This is already a fun trip!

Darkmane squeals as she's spoken to. The hairs on her tail increase in volume, poofing out from the mild startle. Already so jumpy and easily startled! "Oop, sorry!" she says as she laughs at herself for being so easily spooked. Eyes widen at the mention of a walker. Pursing her lips together, she puffs out a breath. "I definitely do NOT want to get eaten. but maybe just see one, from very, very far away." she grins at Fritzwallace. "I've not seen one, but I might today! Ahahaha! Phew." she exclaims with another laugh at herself. The thought increases her breathing. A thud in her ears that isn't the sound of the many hooves along the trail.

Holding her breath, she listens to Ayaz as he notes they are close. Something in her feeling as if they were the only ones around, and everything else in the land fades away.

Sindi looks up to Ayaz and nods at his observation. Ready to do all she can. Small in size, but stout in heart. When others underestimate her, it helps to work to her advantage. Reaching over, she unsnaps one of her axes, ready to grab it, should the need arise. "Everyone deserves protection. If it wasn't for family being mentioned, I think I would deny this job. Unless, our travelers decided to go anyways." she sighs. Putting herself in harms way isn't ideal, but sitting in doing nothing, would be against her nature. "Let's hope we all walk away from this, and it's just a story we can share over drinks. You can flank the left, I'll flank the right, if we get caught in a fight." she said, without asking. She already knew Pollux would do as needed, and hit where he could benefit them most.

Pollux falls to the back of the procession, ready to guard the rear. His senses honed as sharp as his blade. Danger would not catch him by surprise.

Adding someone new to the party, is always a gamble. As Ayaz's words cut the air, beckoning focus, and silence, she knew they had chosen well in hiring him. She gives him a short nod, confirming her obeisance. Sindi shifts gears, crouching to the ground with her head lowered, ready to bolt towards a threat. Ahead in the distance, she sees ears as they peak over the hill. Without looking behind her, she hooks her chin back at Pollux. Then she's off! With a speed that keeps up with those larger than her, and rivals others, she whips through the grass and up the side of the hill to the right. This is it!! Breathing deep, she paces her breathing to steady her racing heart.

Pollux pulls through the group, and into the front. The threat targeted up ahead, so being in the head of the group, now more important. Reaching to his side, he pulls his sword from his side, nestled in his mouth. Barely a sound is made as it slides from it's sheath. Both wings reach out, herding the two defenseless ones in the group, urging them to nestle in behind him. With this life, I will protect you. he vows to himself. The truth of these words, giving him courage. Pollux would gladly lay down his life to protect the innocent, but would do all in his power to assure everyone survived. He watched Ayaz and Sindi, guarding them with his eyes. Should they show any sign of danger, he would be at their side as well.

Darkmane panics. Oh spirits! What was she thinking by coming here!! The charcoal tipped black tail of hers, poofs to twice it's volume. Every muscle in her body, quivers, shakes with fear. Without permission, or even a glance to let him know her intentions, she pushes her way under Fritzwallace....then covers herself with her tail. A shaking, hiding, ball of fur. She wills herself to hide, out in the open, like this will keep her alive.

Sindi didn't even have time to process that a possible threat, might find them to be a threat. She saw long slender ears like that of a rabbit, and didn't hesitate! Closing the distance, but leaving enough room between him and her, she stopped, crouching, ready to move. She observed that his color was not white, but in fact, a dapple brown. Her eyes narrow, still uncertain, even with his greeting. She looks over to Ayaz, wondering what his observation is. Yes, it had flowers too, but that could also be part of the deception. Yet, there is also a familiar with this stranger. Signaling over to Ayaz, she does a quick dip to the familiar. A shifter wouldn't have a pet. They'd eat it for sure! Nodding at Ayaz, she relaxes a bit, and whistles over to Pollux, twice. Letting him know to stay on guard, just in case.

"Pardon our intrusion, traveler. Might I ask, what are you doing here?" she doesn't answer his questions, but asks her own instead. She wished she had a better nose, so she could smell if he had blood on him. Taking a slow step, she rounds over down the hill, closer to Ayaz, and the party, but still at a healthy distance.

Over in the trees, blending into the shadows, Acanthia watches the show. Breathing slowly, so as to not make a sound. What exactly were they doing to that Soquili? For a moment, it appeared as if they would attack. Not that they seemed the dangerous types, but there was a formation that spoke of one who had been in fights before. Interesting. None of them had noticed her, which made her feel good. While not dangerous in her new shifter body, she enjoyed the perks it gave her. She continued to watch them, listening to their conversation.

Darkmane continues to hide under Fritz. She doesn't hear carnage happening, but is still scared out of her mind!

Pollux doesn't lower his sword, and listens as Sindi addresses the stranger. Her fighting style is one of move first, ask questions later. Quick to take the lead, so she can use the element of surprise. Then wait for others to fall in beside her. His own mate is an usdia, so he never once, judged her for her size. Pollux knows how strong they can be.

Sindi narrowed her eyes. At first she didn't think that a shifter would have a familiar, but what if that was the shifter? They didn't appear threatening, but that didn't mean she trusted them. "Hmm." she raises an eyebrow. "Let you pass? We could say the same about our party. It seems we have a mutual desire." Well, they had came here, prepared, ready to fend off evil, and now what? They didn't show themselves to be evil, yet. "Have you heard of a white rabbit in these parts?" she asked, trying a probing question about the shifter.

Pollux felt the observation of Ayaz, that something was off. His keen senses, told him this stranger was no threat. Hopefully that didn't come back against him. So why were the hairs on his neck still raising? Could they be so good at acting, that the evade his sense of judgement, yet his natural instinct told him he was wrong? Gazing towards the forest, he saw nothing. Mumbling around his sword, he answered Fritz with a cold, serious air to his voice. "Don't...run into the woods." that felt like a very, very bad idea.

Darkmane wishes she could burrow into the ground, instead of running. All her family were stellar runners, but not her!!

Acanthia might not smell of blood, but she did have the stench of bones, and poison's on her. Bones she collected, but didn't kill herself. She felt it wouldn't be long before the two larger males, picked up on her presence. They senses something in the air, likely her. Giving a shrug, she pads out of the treeline, as a bored cat might. Already shifted into her black bobcat form. She waltzes up to the party, coming up behind the side where the larger bird with the skull mask was. Big boy. She liked him. Grinning, then giving a yawn, she calls out. "I see you and your...merry crew, are terrorizing this innocent? Might I ask why? Not that it's my business. But well, I'm bored, so I'm making it my business, temporarily." Curiosity killed the cat as they say, but she didn't think this is her day to die.

Acanthia should of known. Should have! She waltzed with the darker side of things for so long. Her own father, a shifter after all. One moment, she was padding along in the grass, without a care, the next, she was tumbling through the grass, with feather and claw on her. Feral noises came from her mouth, as she hissed and groaned. This is bullshit! Completely uncalled for! Tumbling, she digs in her own claws, and pushes off the stallion. Bearing teeth, and growling at him. "Listen you big dumb bird! I'd kindly like you to flit off before I have to wreck you." she warns, as her tail poofs out to a small tree at her rump. A scratch or two on her body, she continues to growl, next time, he would not catch her unawares. If she had to, she was going to take down at least one of these jerks. "Don't you even think of it!" she roars at the tiny purple Soquili as it comes towards her as well. "I'm not above hurting you even though that was NOT my intent! I will absolutely thrash you for ******** sake!" she says with intense anger, spittle flying out of her mouth. "I was coming to tell you, THAT isn't a shifter, you morons!"

The proverbial elephant in the air, causing her to sigh. "Yes! Yes! I am...for spirits sake." she says, realizing that she is the threat, unintending to be or not. She sighs. "Don't you all know by now that not all shifters want to eat you. UGH." disgust dripping from her, as she hisses again. Blood tricking from her front leg, where claw or teeth, or something had pierced her flesh. Likely, the big bird, which, she no longer liked him!! NOT cool.

"Oh shii...!" Sindi's eyes go wide as Ayaz darts off without a word. She isn't one to swear often, but sometimes, it slipped out. "AYAZ!" she exclaims back at him, panic in her voice. She grabs her axe and aims, waiting for an opening. There's too much going on with the two tumbling in the grass, until the ebony bobcat breaks away and hisses. Sindi launches her axe into the grass in front of the cat. A warning. She gives it a half smirk as it hisses at the axe, then her. Glancing back at the other stranger, she see's that Pollux has taken up to guarding the rabbit, and their travelers. Huh. Guess it isn't a shifter after all. She trusted Pollux's judgement over this obvious threat... She unsnaps her other axe, and furrows her brows at the pissy kitty. "If you hurt any of us, we will hurt you." she says with a small jerk of her head to the side. "Instead, you leave the direction you came, and we will go where we please, in another direction.." she says with a firm tone. Negotiation with a shifter, without even batting an eye. "You might take down one or a few of us, but we will not go down without a very intense fight, with weapons, claws, and anything else we can scar that pretty fur of yours with." she nods to the bleeding wound on her arm. "You'll want to treat that soon, you are making a bloody mess of yourself." she glowers at the cat. "So what'll it be?" She looks to Ayaz, with that intense, hot glare. She was not kidding at all. This cat had the audacity to be angry, after just coming up on them like it's okay. That made her angry. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Anger didn't do well in battle.

Darkmane is about to pass out from all the yelling, then she hears the stranger announce they are a shifter. She can't help but lift her tail, and glance over at it. She swallows, and near chokes at the adrenaline that is coursing through her veins. Okay, perhaps this level of thrill seeking is a little too much for her. She wants to go home, and to be with her mate. Tears stream from her eyes, as she begins to cry, imagining that this fool hardy mission might be her last moments.

Pollux stands in front of the rabbits, and his party. Sword pointed in the direction of the shifter. He will apologize to the two rabbits, should the opportunity arise. Now, there was a bigger issue to focus on.

"Tsk." she clicks her teeth at Ayaz. She'd remember this...if she ever met them again. Acanthia doesn't hesitate, or continue with the scolding. She hisses and spits, takes a few steps backwards, then bolts back into the woods with a loud meowr. Not sure this is a story she would tell her father! She might get a light scolding for her carelessness at putting herself in danger, even if she is a shifter![/green]

Pollux turns to the two rabbits, seethes his sword, then gives the deepest bow of his head, with one leg tucking under. "Please forgive us for our hasty judgement. There is a rabbit shifter in this area. I would ask that you tread carefully. Fritz! Darkmane! I will escort you all back. I would feel bad if I let you run off as you are so planning from the look of things." he says, giving them both the dad eye. After they had come this far, and they were about to run. He walks them all towards the trail, back where they came from, and forward for the rabbits. He herds them all, waiting to see if the rabbits would follow. Sindi and Ayaz would come as soon as they were done collecting themselves.

Sindi feels a weight on her shoulders, as the shifter runs from them. Proud, that they averted the crisis. "Shall we?" she says to Ayaz, as she turns to the group. She picks up her axe, flips it, and pokes the large stripped male with the wood end. Then she slides it back in it's sheath. "You did not hesitate!" she grins at him. "Is it bad I enjoyed watching you tumble with that shifter and ruff her up a little?" She chuckles and shakes her head.

She is sure to talk about the experience to Ayaz, the whole way back!

They all make it back without any actual dangers coming to pass. A sour first experience for the poor new comers, and a lesson learned to not thrill seek to a deadly amount for Darkmane! Acanthia learned to tread carefully now that she's a shifter. What other lessons were learned from everyone else? Either way, today would make for some great stories to tell, for all around!!

Fin~