Snippet #1711934

Rania watched as the last body gave way to gravity's relentless call, falling to the ground with her blade sticking up from it.
Adrenaline was fading fast, reality was kicking in, and like always it was a little less than a comforting thing.
She'd never actually seen a bandit, outside of Parliament anyway, and they were always cleaned up and shackled.
She couldn't understand how this happened, the king himself ordered constant guard patrols along all major roads in Kaelath, and most minor roads as well.
They were supposed to be safe, they were supposed to be protecting these people, Kaelath.

"It's the war, isn't? He pulled every damned guard or solider he could to the front lines simply to assail Prilacia forces? All bet all important trade and Royal passage roads are more heavily secure than ever though.."
She groaned aloud in frustration, on one hand she could understand the tactical move, on the other she couldn't understand how he left his country weak and defenseless especially in the middle of this warlord crisis.
She was mostly lost in thought at this point, standing still as stone in front of a corpse and still bleeding freely from her hand.

"Part of me always thought Royals bled blue..I'll be damned. You ought'a get that cut there looked at Princess."
The sudden voice startled her, jarred her from her thoughts and brought her back to reality once more, and though it took a second to actually process the words, once she did she couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Well, I don't know. I'm not a royal anymore, remember? Though I have a feeling the royal family may indeed bleed green.."

The man raised an eyebrow at her. "Green? Why green?"

Rania squatted down beside the corpse before answering, her hands rifling through all the Ex-Bandit's pockets. "Oh, I don't really know..But for some of them, like the woman who was my Aunt, green just seems more appropriate...Like slime, you know?...Here." She tossed a small coin bag over her shoulder and in the Caravaner's general direction.

The man, thoroughly confused be her actions, but rather pleased by the contents of the bag was a bit suspicious. "What's this for then?"

"Weeelll.." Rania's long, slender fingers wrapped around the hilt of her sword, her only real possession, and with a firm tug pulled it loose from the corpse with a small spurt of blood. "For allowing me to ride with you all..And in hopes of a little work on your part." She said as she stood. "I'm not exactly the strongest woman in the world, you can keep whatever other money is on the lot if you'd do me the favour of lifting these fellow up and propping them up by the trees that line this little road, while I go gather their blades."

"Lifting them up...? A most unusual request, but nevertheless, money is money and he complied even though his better senses told him he'd regret it later.

A good deal of shock and fifteen minutes later he did indeed regret it.
"Was that necessarily, or should I be worried about you..."

At the moment, Rania looked like a bit of a macabre angel.
She was covered in blood head to toe, even her silky blonde hair was coated in red. Yet she seemed rather please with herself as she wiped her hands on her coat.
"It sends a message." She said while stepping away from the impaled corpse of her last dead-victim. She'd run 'em all through with their respective blades, effectively pinning them up on the trees that lined the little road.
To her it was a clear warning for, and to bandits. Any traveler that saw it would probably realize bandit activities were in this area, and any bandit who saw it would realize his life was soon to end.

"Oh, yes...Quite the message..."Beware all ye' travelers, for beyond these trees a very dangerous and rather crazy woman does reside.." I'd say that'll turn most men a'running back to big cities. The one's that aren't dumb enough to turn around and look at their wives a bit to suspiciously at first.."