Taralie Zenta's Story

"I suppose we're heading west. Back the way we came."

Kane conveyed to Ralie, meaning the route he and Rhys had taken to intruded on the pair's camp. He let the woman decide anything more. Obviously they still had a wait to go before they could properly trust each other. He really couldn't fathom how their minds would work. Either that or he was overly optimistic and didn't mesh. He was good at holding his stride when things went belly up. Unfortunately that didn't translate completely to dealing with woman he had only just met. He waited patiently for them to pack and he moved to talked to Rhys out of immediate earshot. His initial excitement was wearing off a little.

"Do you have any problems traveling with them Rhys? You didn't really say much. No hard feelings about that wound right?"

He personally hoped that Rhys didn't have any problems. Rhys probably got along better with people then Tyron did himself so he wasn't worried about a difference in opinion. They had traveled together long enough to understand each other. Kane be more optimistic but his friend was better with people. Kane had to remind himself that. Their first few years he tried to cut himself off and it was only thanks to Rhys friendly persistence that he actually let them become close. Via and Jester had their input too, ever friendly and the biggest bond between the two Wargs for a time. If it was the same time then the biggest problem here was that Ralie had already shown how incredibly protective she was and she was not a Warg. She had very little reason to accept them for her own sake, only Kitty's.

Ralie didn't say anything more to Kane's suggestion. Instead, she just started to walk. She let everyone else fall into some formation behind her, although she motioned for Kitty to stay beside her. It was purely out of habit that she wanted her sister close. If only close enough to keep her in her peripheral vision. She didn't believe that the men were a threat to them any longer, but that didn't mean she trusted them. She would never trust them.

"You made the best breakfasts for me in bed, Ralie..." She paused, then laughed, "Still do!"

Ralie smiled over at her sister, "What are big sister's for if not for making breakfast?" she responded gently bumping Kitty with her hip.

She heard Kane murmur something to Rhys and strained her ears to hear, but she couldn't. Stupid, average, human hearing. Her face contorted into a sneer but she rolled her eyes and cracked each side of her neck.

"Kitty, are you sure that you... are comfortable with them being here?" Ralie knew that it was a futile question, and that her sister was more than comfortable with their presence among them. She just needed Kitty to remind her out-loud why Ralie was letting them stay.

She heard Jester giggle and he trotted up to walk beside her. She looked questioningly down at the hyena, and he met her gaze, his doggy grin in place, panting happily. She couldn't help but smile. She was really growing to like this exotic creature. He was... fun, and he reminded her what happy looked like.

Rhys

"Do you have any problems traveling with them Rhys? You didn't really say much. No hard feelings about that wound right?"

Rhys turned to his friend, "A little extra company is nice, besides, the older one is nice to look at,"he responded with a grin and a shrug, "And no hard feelings at all from my end,"There was no reason for him to be upset. Well, perhaps there were some men that would be pissed that a girl had hurt them so badly, but he didn't really care.

He looked down to Jester, "How about you boy, any thoughts?" the hyena cackled and then after playfully nipping his hand, he trotted forward to walk beside Ralie.

She smiled down at the hyena and he laughed a little, "You know what, Kane? I think that the only reason that Ralie tolerates us is because of Jester," Rhys said, shaking his head with a smirk.

At Ralie's question, Kitty just gave a shrug. "I'm okay with it. I really do think we're safer with them around... but you know, I've never been the better judge of character." She trailed off as she looked to the woods, admiring the way the forest sang around her. It was so beautiful there, as compared to the badlands. So full of life! She giggled as Blue took off after a young squirrel. She gently reached over to take Ralie's hand into her own, so that Ralie could lead her body while her mind went elsewhere. The girls did this a lot, when Kitty felt the need to connect with Blue and leave the world of humans behind. She slowly closed her eyes, and when she opened them again; the world was alive around her.

A few miles off she could smell a deer in heat, she could just barely hear it's bleating call for a mate. Then, Blue's (her) attention was grabbed by the sudden, quick, movement of the rodent she was chasing. It's fluffy tail was so inviting, she couldn't help but dart after it. On four legs, she covered the ground with ease. To her dismay, her journey ended with the clever animal leaping away into a tree, where she could not reach.

She opened her eyes, reconnecting to herself and sighing happily at the sight of Blue trying desperately to claw his way up the trunk of the tree. "C'mon, Blue," she called, laughing a little, "let it live to fight another day." Blue glanced at her from the tree, head dipped slightly to one side as if to ask if she really wanted him to let it live. She pat her side gently, signaling for him to join her again. Blue glanced back up into the tree one last time, longingly searching for his prey. It wasn't until an acorn fell from the leafy canopy that Blue retreated in fear back to Kitty's side. He glared up at her, tail still tucked as she laughed at him. What was she laughing for, anyway? The squirrel nearly killed him! That acorn could have poked his eye out! Kitty didn't seem overly concerned. In protest of her mistreatment, Blue trotted ahead of the group.

"Blue, come back here! You don't have to be such a-- BLUE!" Her previous sentence was cut short, as she watched in horror the scene before her. Blue had trotted up the path about ten feet ahead of them, and as he passed a tree stump on their left, a trap was set off. A net seemingly from nowhere snapped up around him and sent him flying into the air, high above their heads. As this was happening, a round of preset arrows shot across the path and upwards towards the net. Luckily, because Blue was a puppy, his small frame was missed by the arrows that impaled the tress around him. Her stomach nearly released her previous meal. Her first instinct was to run to him, but she found herself rooted in place by her sister. There was no telling where other traps might be. Was there a hunter near by?

"We have to get him down! Blue! Blue, are you alright?!" Tears swelled in her eyes, and her voice choked. Aside from her sister, Blue was everything to her. Suddenly she couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't be of any help at all. All she could think about was her sweet wolf pup, and worry drained the color from her face. How would they get him down? Was he hurt, had he been hit? "Someone do something," she finally managed to gasp, holding desperately onto her necklace, eyes glued to her captured other half.

Rhys

Rhys was enjoying watching Blue prance around and chase a squirrel, when Kitty reached for her sister's hand he figured that she decided to meld with the pup, experiencing his wonder and joy. That was his favorite part about melding with Jester when he was a puppy. There was an edge of child-like wonder that was a sweet release from the pressures of the world around him. It was as if the hyena could feel Rhys thinking about him, and he turned, leaving Ralie and choosing to walk by Rhys instead. Instinctively, Rhys placed a hand on the hyena. It was weird, but it had always given Rhys a level of comfort when he touched the hyena.

"Blue, come back here! You don't have to be such a-- BLUE!"

Kitty's shriek pulled his attention away from Jester as he saw Blue get swooped into a net. Well, a net's not too bad. he thought to himself and then the arrows released. His stomach dropped and he praised whatever Gods there may be that Blue was still so young and small. The arrows just missed him, but it seemed as though the group of humans had paused. Stunned, not only by the random trap, but also by Blue's narrow escape from demise. It wasn't until Kitty gasped, "Someone do something,"that Rhys woke up and sprang into action. He opened his mind, observing the area and sensed a few more well placed traps. Whoever did this knew exactly how to hide it. He danced around them and grasping a blade between his teeth, began to scale the tree that Blue was trapped in. As soon as he reached the pup he was relieved to see that he was alive, if terrified.

"Hang in there little buddy, I'll have you out in a gif," he whispered the pup with a smile, trying to calm his squirming form.

He heard Jester whimpering and cackling about something, and assumed that it was for Blue. Rhys cut a hole in the net and scooped the small animal into his arms, before gingerly climbing down. He managed to avoid the traps again when he hit the forest floor. Kitty, still seemingly paralyzed stood stationary, and Rhys walked to her, gingerly depositing the pup into her arms.

He grinned at them reuniting, but a realization punched him in the gut. Traps meant Hunters, and these one's were pretty freshly laid down.

"Guys... I'm not sure this forest is as safe as we want it to be."

"I'll agree with you there. They're both something to look at that's better than your mug. When is the last time you saw a woman?" He nudged his friend with a smirk. Neither of them had for a long time, until now. "Well Jester is far more charming than either of us. I have no problem with that." He kept the conversation up, because despite them being out of the way he could still hear what was being discussed by the sisters. He tried not to actually pay attention to what they were saying, that wouldn't be a good impression to leave if he eavesdropped.

The rest of the time he spent in silence, watching their route with care. He allowed himself to smile a little at Blue's antics, Via had that amount of energy. She was just as curious when she was younger and not as irritating. She also had wings so she wouldn't get herself in trouble she couldn't really escape from.

"Blue, come back here! You don't have to be such a-- BLUE!"

Kane's entire body tenses as he saw in high definition Blue's journey in the net. His breath catches only to release in a massive sigh when the Wolf pup emerged unharmed from the barrage of arrows. He lurched into action as soon as Rhys did, glancing back to check on Kitty. Here face was white and filled with terror clutching her necklace in such a way he though she would break it. I almost made him blanch himself. The thought of Via, Rhys or Jester being so near to death rushed through his mind. He knew how she must be feeling, at least a bit.

While Rhys scaled the tree to cut away the net and rescue the pup Kane moved himself into a more threatening position. Firstly pacing towards the now sprung trap. He crouched next to and gingerly brushed whatever was left concealing it. It was actually a set of balanced triggers and in fact a very complicated mechanism leading to the device the fired the arrows. He cursed himself for not spotting it, despite the fact it was actually out of vision behind a stump. Certain that this device posed no more threat he turned his attention back to the surroundings. The way he crouched shifted slightly as he focused, more hunched. Sleeker and almost like a stalking beast. His eyes darting from side to side, shifting through the environment searching for something out of place.

I took him but a moment to spot a series of traps. All hidden as well as the first one. This place was akin to a minefield. A few of them were more complex but there was perhaps the more obvious one sitting in the open concealed by leaves. From how it looked the heavy iron bear trap was a distraction. Something obvious to lull the prey into a sense of security, there was no doubt the prey was humans. Nothing he saw here was designed to catch deer or squirrels. He stood and fished out a large stick from where it had fallen nearby. Glancing back to Rhys now dropping back to the ground he moved tenderly forwards heading for the distraction first. With the stick he shoved down on the pressure plate the the vicious jaws snapped shut. They sliced throught the brunch, crunching and crushing it. He could feel the sensation as it run through the brunch and it made his teeth grit and his body shudder.

"Guys... I'm not sure this forest is as safe as we want it to be."

"Yes." Kane replied as he turned back look back at Rhys and the others, Blue was safe and Kitty was at least reuninted with him after such a shock. Tyron sniffed the air to confirm and relayed the details back to the other three.
"The scent seems about a day old, perhaps they set the traps last night. As far as I can tell there was four of them, unless one was rather pungent. They have a dog with them too."
He moved over to another trap, this one was similar the one that caught Blue. A very low lying trip line connect to yet another firing box. cautiously he used stick to snap the wire. Immediately after the flurry of arrows filled the air, some disappearing off into the brush while some thudded into a trunk.
"As dangerous as this place is we need to disable these traps. We don't want anyone stumbling into them. We've already set one off."