"I remember you threatening the poor girl," Willow said with an easy smile, a bit of teasing tugging at one of the corners of her mouth, "Yet, I do not remember begging you to take her on," She said raising an eyebrow in response. "Strange, isn't it? Either way, she is with us, and will be with us unless she decides otherwise, which I doubt will be anytime in her near future. She seems attached," She said, nodding.
Then she chuckled at Nahv's response, explaining it was just a misunderstanding in his words. "No harm done, Mister Nahv, everything is clear now. However, perhaps in the future you will choose your words more carefully to avoid any unfortunate implications?" She said, that familiar chiding tone making a reappearance. Oddly enough, it was the same tone she'd used with Raze on a few occasions. Upon Nahv's inquiry about herself Willow shook her head and simply smiled. She'd not been fiesty nor possessed and spunk since she was a young girl. She was a hellion back in those days, far more so than she was currently. She could only wonder what he would have said had he met that Willow.
"I suppose introductions were placed by the wayside in lieu of attempting to kill each other. Once more I apologize for that. My name is Willow, and I am an Elementalist," She said, and afterward made a show of curtsying. With her part of the introduction done, she spoke again, "And I believe must apologize again, for I believe it is time for me to take my leave for tonight. I am tired after such an eventful day, and if I'm to be any use tomorrow, I must get my rest. Raze. Mister Nahv. I bid you both good night," And with that, she left to find her own bedroll, and to rest her aching bones.
Willow picked her way back through the forest, returning to where they had fought the other mercenaries the day before. They had questions that needed answers, and Willow knew of such a individual that could shed some light on a few of their mysteries. Upon reaching the place of battle, Willow winced at the sight of the devastation. At her very heart, she was of the peaceful sort, and would never begin a fight of her own volition. It was only when her hand was forced that she fought-- and had she allowed the mage to slip away the day before, then no doubt she would have caused them trouble later in the battle.
Striding to where she'd left the mage, she dared not peer at the corpses the rest of her companions saw fit to leave littered around the area. She could not fault their methods, they only did what they were taught, and she'd be foolish and selfish if she attempted to force her morals on another. Everyone had a choice, no matter what, and she would not deny them the choice. However, if that choice involved harming her friends, then it was hers to see to it that they were stopped as she had done to the mage.
She stopped in front of the mage in exactly the same way she'd left her, within the inescapable caress of a strong oak. The woman was asleep, and bruises were beginning to form on her wrists and mouth-- a sure sign that she had been struggling against her bonds. Sighing, Willow took a step toward the tree and tapped the piece of bark that wrapped around her mouth, willing it to recede and allow unimpeded conversation. Willow gave an even look to the woman, silent at first, but soon spoke as her bauble hovered into her hand.
"Water?"
The woman gave a cold glare at the other mage who stood in front of her. Scoffing at the offer, she twisted her head off to the side as best she could despite being confined very well, "Come to finish the job?" she hissed between clenched teeth. Her gaze shifted over the woman's face before quickly flicking to the rest of the group. Her eyes narrowed to thin slits as she waited.
Behind Willow, Shyc stood with his arms crossed over his chest having followed after the woman. He had certainly wanted to know what this mage woman was going to say. Maybe it had something to do with their task to spy on the Kingdom of Duun, or more specifically it's King. Wouldn't that make it easy? He grinned a bit as he scratched at his cheek absentmindedly.
A look of disappointment crossed her face, but Willow allowed the bauble to resume it's flight anyway. "No, I have not." Willow said simply, tilting her head to the side. Why would she come all the way back, much less offer the woman water if she was just going to finish the job. If Willow was a lesser person, then it would have been far easier to just leave her there and push any memory of her out of her mind. But she wasn't about to point out the logical fallacies and continued to speak. "I was hoping to maybe set you free, after a few questions if you wouldn't mind?" Willow said, her mouth a steady line as she spoke. "Questions such as who you are and why are you here?"
She looked back over to the mage woman, a slight bit of astonishment on her face before she covered it swiftly with a cruel grin, "Set me free? Well, aren't you just all sorts of naive. It's a wonder you've made it this far in a world like this one," she shot back. Her clipped voice and cold tone caused Shyc to frown and tighten his fingers into fists. He didn't appreciate the way this woman was speaking to Willow. Then again, it wasn't really the first time they'd encountered such a person, so he bit his tongue lest he get them in more trouble and no where with this woman.
It was around this time that the figure of the hybrid appeared just behind Shyc and Willow, his expression more or less just blank as was common. Unlike Shyc, who was 'courteous' enough to remain quiet despite the insult to the most respected member of the group they had, Razeluxe was not so mature about the matter. "If you want, you can simply just die when we're done with you." To say he 'spat' this would be both correct and incorrect. The venom in his tone was nowhere to be found, but the meaning itself was still there. "You've been given the opportunity to survive an encounter your friends did not. I suggest you take it."
Her eyebrows knit together as she shifted her head enough to glance over at the elf that addressed her. A dryness coated the back of her throat. His threat didn't go unheard. She ground her teeth a bit as she thought through her options. There was virtually no getting out of the tree that she'd been sucked into by the mage woman's power, and refusing to cooperate wasn't going to end well either. The woman gave a soft growl, "We were sent here to look for someone. When we found her, we were to distract anyone that was with her. Draw the attention and allow our other member to take this woman," she grinned a bit, "I'm sure she's enjoying her time well spent with the King of Duun right now."
"What the hell does that mean!?" Shyc snapped, moving forward from his spot. He couldn't quite keep quiet now, "What woman? What do you want with her?"
"Just some bitch that was described to us, idiot kid. Who knows what that man wants with her. We just do as we're told and get paid for it," she snapped back.
Shyc reached down for his swords, his intention rather clear as he stepped forward, starting to draw the weapon.
He was met with only a firm hand and gentle words. "Calm yourself, Shyc. They are merely words, and nothing more. Do not allow them to stoke your anger," Though the tone she spoke with was a tired inclination, and she was acutely aware that she may have been the only one with her senses about her. What did this woman really expect to gain in speaking to her captors like that-- Captors that expressed their desire to free her for only the information she had.
"Foolish woman," Willow said, rubbing her head as she did. "You are mistaken if you believe Sakura is currently with the King of Duun. She is still safely with us, and that is where she will remain." Her tone darkened as she reached the end of her sentence, but the meaning was clear. If she still possess any notions of attacking them again, then she would be dealt with once more. Willow leaned forward and spoke again, the darkness in her tone still lingering. "I would watch my words far more carefully. You forget. Your life is in our hands."
Things... began clicking with Razeluxe. Things he desperately hoping were not true now had more viability than before, and in honesty, this terrified him. He hoped that everything about Sakura was just coincidence, that nothing about her was special besides the fact she was a noble, but as the evidence was piling up in the form of attacks on their group and Nahv's instant attraction to her, things no longer looked that way. He was denying it, truly. If he had the will, he'd have made the connection much sooner. What a fool he was.
"It seems as though you have this under control." Razeluxe turned towards their camp and started off. "I'll leave the rest to you, then." and with that, he left to go see Sakura, who had some explaining to do. The warrior did not pause to greet anybody, had he passed them by on his way to the tent he had lent her during the stay.
Her eyes were wide the girl was still with them?! she thought frantically. Her heart rate elevated as she eyed them all, impossible! That Shade... failed? Once she'd composed herself, she glowered at them, "Doesn't matter. I doubt even you all would stand a chance against a Shade. He'll be coming for her and this time, you won't win. That I can promise you," she hissed, "Now free me, damnit! I want to be rid of this god forsaken forest!".
Willow replied with an empty smile and a sluggish nod, "Thank you for the warning," She said, but the words rang hollow. This woman wore on her nerves and her sharp tongue dulled her senses. Though she would not say it, she would be glad to be rid of the woman too, so with a certain amount of haste, Willow commanded the branches of vines of the tree to untangle themselves from the mage, and allowed her to go free. "Before you make your escape, I do suggest that we not run into one another again," She said with a shake of her head. Next time she may leave the bark wrapped around her mouth indefinitely.