Midnight Forests

[MsDevin92]

Sequoia let herself be pulled along behind Tassa, her pigtails swinging side-to-side as she ran. Aspen, Nyaid, and Lily bounded along behind her.
That dot of light was the Queen's friend? She must've been a powerful spellcaster...
Just then, the toe of her boot hit a loose rock, and she stumbled, feeling the ends of her hair slip loose from their band.
She jerked back from Tassa. Her hands shook as they hastily flew to the strands, tucking them back in place.
Her heart hammered wildly. Tassa...had she seen?  

[Lady_Conspiracy]

Tassa shook her head and helped the girl up, "We need to be fast, Sheroka and her allies, must have seen the explosion. Keely will be in worse danger then she was before." Holding onto Sequoia's hand she moved quickly but steadily so as to help the girl if she tripped. I pray to the moon Goddess that she will be safe... Please Sha hear me out, please pull through the pain. I'm nearly there with a healer.

Closing her eyes, Tassa stopped they were close now, only a short distance away. She could hear Keely, almost sense her ignorance... There was another force all the same...

"Sequoia..." Tassa said quietly letting go. "Get on my back when I change, Keely is not safe... When we reach her, you will instruct her to do the same. She will recognize the lioness form and will not need the story." Her eyes were pained as she recited this, and quickly she let the change take her into her sleeker, much more powerful lioness form.  

[MsDevin92]

Sequoia nodded. Surely this wouldn't be too hard- Nneka carried her through the forest often.
She couldn't help feeling a little uneasy, however. She was still shaken from her encounter with Rasconsa, and judging by how worried Tassa seemed, Sheroka was- if it was imaginable- even worse.  

[Lady_Conspiracy]

Tassa annoyed with simply waiting for Sequoia to clamber onto her back, knocked the girls knees out with a simple push and onto her back before leaping full tilt towards Keely. She couldn't wait anymore, her friends were close and worry filled her with a dire need. If Keely was there, she would protect her. Hold on tight... She pushed the thought to Sequoia by giving a simple growl.

Speeding up tremendously. Tassa ran on, at most times not touching the ground until she burst into the clearing Keely had made for herself and gave a low growl, coming up to her friend and trusting Sequoia to do the right thing.  

[MsDevin92]

Sequoia looked away uncomfortably as Tassa shot off.
It was all happening so fast. She felt like she had been ripped away from everything she knew, and Tassa- did the Queen simply see her as a healer, a mere asset to her endeavors?
She shook the thoughts away, instead readying herself in case of attack as Tassa ran on.
At least she could think of home...  

[Rai Kashino]

Sheroka called her beastly minyans into her chambers."Find out where that light is coming from!"She ordered,"And bring whoever it is...to me her eyes widened.

"Yes my Queen."the minyans answered in unison bowing first before they exited her chambers.

She laid out on her bed in her usual see through garments,she thought of what she should do to Sha next for this rebellion against her.
"I need to teach that stupid Kappa a lesson..."she snarled but hten smiled snakely,"...And I think I know just how to do it."

Meanwhile her minyans,there were six of them,left the mountains and entered the forestry surrounding the mountain following the beams of white light. And since they could now see,it was going to be quite easy for them to locate the source.  

[Woods18]

Rasconsa had followed the scent trail back to the Centaur village. "So this is where they little Sequoia brought you, your majesty..." He closed his eyes, taking a long sniff of the air. "But your not here anymore.. I guess I'll just have to ask around as to your whereabouts." He started to slowly circle the village, trying to get a lay of the land before entering.

Rasconsa smiled to himself, the Centaurs, although strong, weren't a match for his fighting abilities and they would surely know that. Fear, the air that surrounded Rasconsa was normally rank with it, and he always made use of it against his opponents.  

[MsDevin92]

Fiyo and Tristram trotted back towards the village, shaking their heads.
"What happened to those two?" Fiyo whispered.
"I have no idea," Tristram replied solemnly, still feeling nauseous from the sight of the mangled, bloody centaur corpses, "but idea or not, Nneka has to be warned. We can get her to double patrols until we know it's s-"
Fiyo gasped.
An unfamiliar figure stood with its back turned to them, looking down upon the village.
"You there!"  

[Lady_Conspiracy]

Tassa shook herself as she reached Keely. She needed Sequoia for many things other then healing, it would also give the girl experience in the world... and would protect her from Rascona, as a sort of repayment for the help she gave to Tassa and her cats. She hoped Sequoia would understand her rush, but she had left her friends for a long time, and they would be in more trouble now then they were before.

Looking around and seeing no one, Tassa leaned and let Sequoia slip gently from her back before changing. "Turn off the light Keely!" She hissed angrily. "Turn off the light and listen to me! This is Sequoia, she will be instructing you..." She trailed off, sensing people coming. "HIDE!" She hissed at the others, pushing the two away. Tassa stepped forwards and drew her whip in one hand, and her sword in the other, Half beast, half woman. "Come out and stop hiding!" She snarled at the noise.  

[Woods18]

Straightening slowly he turned to the two centaurs, hidding his dagger in the back of his belt as he did so, smiling friendly as he moved toward them. "Hello there, friends" he choked out the last word with some effort. "Is that the Centaur village? As you can see.." he pointed to his shoulder smiling "Im in need of a healer".

All the time he talked he looked the two creatures over. With only the on weapon, he'd be hard pushed to kill them both before one of them let up the alarm, and this wasnt an option this close to the village.

"As it happens i think someone i know was here not too long ago.. Tassa Van Valiant? Maybe you know her? or where she is?" He forced himself to smile again, keeping up the masquerade.  

[MsDevin92]

Fiyo opened her mouth, but Tristram spoke before she could.
"Pardon us a moment," he said, drawing her back. But he did not turn around, keeping his eyes trained on the stranger.
"That's him," he whispered.
"Who?"
"The White Wolf- the one who attacked Sequoia and the Werecat Queen."
Fiyo's heart nearly stopped beating. "Wh-"
"He's got the same scars as the one the queen inflicted upon the wolf," he continued. "And nobody else around these parts has met a werecat before."
Fiyo swallowed back a wave of fear. "What do we do?"  

[Woods18]

"Is there a problem" Rasconsa said trying to seem as friendly as possible, as he reached behind his back and took hold of the dagger. He would have to pick his target carefully, he only had the one shot... He'd have to deal with the second one the natural way, with his teeth and claws.

He started to move towards the pair, he could see the male was watching him and knew that he would soon be on to him, if he wasnt already..  

[Precious_Jade]

Keely gasped at the familiar voice,"TASSA?!!"she flew to other and grappled her with hugs."Tassa! tassa! tassa!"she squeaked," I tried to find you but I got lost and so I had to..."She was cut off by Tassa's hissing about the light she had summoned,"Oh,oh,oh,oh,oh that welllll..hehehe...sorry-- it was so dark up here..."She clapped her hands once," Sumtra."She whispered and it became dark again.


Keely glanced at the centaur,she was big and tall compared to the tiny elf."Hiyas!"she waved," I'm Keely!"She smiled big before tassa drew her sword and whip and commanded whatever it was up ahead to show it's face."....Tassa...what is it....."she crept up behind the lioness and held onto her clothing watching intently.  

[MsDevin92]

my_ hair_ is_ red!

"Is there a problem" Rasconsa said trying to seem as friendly as possible, as he reached behind his back and took hold of the dagger. He would have to pick his target carefully, he only had the one shot... He'd have to deal with the second one the natural way, with his teeth and claws.

He started to move towards the pair, he could see the male was watching him and knew that he would soon be on to him, if he wasnt already..

Tristram pawed the ground uncertainly. The wolf's artificial kindness was truly stomach-twisting, and he feared his patience wouldn't last long.
"Fiyo," he managed shakily, "go fetch Nneka."
"What?"
Their best bet was to try and negotiate with the wolf.
"Go," he repeated. "I'll stay here."
Fiyo glanced worriedly at Rasconsa, then turned and galloped off.
"Our leader will be here momentarily," Tristram said, backing a pace away. "I simply ask another moment of your time."  

[Rai Kashino]

Sheroka's beasts steadied up the mountain. They kept their eyes open,they didn't see the dot of light that had led them so easily to the target anymore.The boars looked at each other then back up ahead as they trekked around the rigid mountains.