To find a ram [Ankou, Namgil]

[Alysia]

For the fourteenth time in the past hour, Alysia sighed. Every time she'd pick up the blood trail, she'd lose it! Did that silly ram just spurt blood and then stop bleeding off and on every few hours! Slightly frustrated with her luck, Alysia sat upon an old log and contemplated her situation.

A few days prior, Alysia had received word of something strange happening at the Seelie court. Deciding to check it out, she went back to the court and discovered that a ram had been killed with an ivory arrow. It wasn't the actually killing of the ram that sent warning bells off in her head. It was the meaning behind it. The ram itself is symbolic of the renewal of life and in some area's of the human world it symbolizes determination, initiative...and leadership. Ivory has a smaller but important meaning in that it symbolizes greed and the destruction of man. Alysia had too few clues to really make any accurate conclusion, but she could tell that someone was obviously sending a message to the Seelie court. That meant she needed to get to the bottom of this and that's how she came to be in the Mists.

Alysia looked down at her apparel and growled at the leaves and dust that covered her. She brushed the dirt off of her tight dark green trousers and fixed her brown thigh high medieval style boots. Standing up she straightened up her green button up dress shirt and adjusted the smokey grey furred cloak that hung loosely around her frame. Picking the the leaves out of her dark gold hair her furious tri colored green, azure, and gold eyes examined her apparel once again. Happy with it apparently, she calmed the spark of anger running through her veins and she shook her head in exasperation. Before she had come to the courts she had been gifted at tracking any other living creature. She was one with the forest and completely unstoppable once she was on the trail. However that was for a living creature. This was different, she was trying to track an old trail of a dead creature. That made things much more difficult for her.

So deep in thought was Alysia, she jumped when her mantel landed on her back after leaping from the treetops above. Sighing at the mirth her mantel exuded, Alysia adjusted her mantels grip on her back and sighed in relief as her spidery fingers were no longer yanking on her hair.

"You know Mabu...you could at least warn me before leaping on poor unsuspecting me! What if I thought you were a attacker and attacked you!" Alysia admonished playfully to her red-bellied lemur friend. Mabu made a sound that sounded between a bullfrog and a pig as she quipped back. Smiling softly at her beloved mantel, she set off again into the dimly lit forest.

After about an hour of traveling, tracking what little blood she could find, Alysia came to a halt at the familiar feeling of someone nearby. With a slight widening of her eyes, a large smile, and a glance at the clearing to note all of the nearby rocks and twigs she could trip on, Alysia put on her 'Dumb Facade' and awaited her visitor. Wringing her hands for effect, she looked around the clearing as if she was lost and nearly smiled at her act.

[Ankou]

[/i] fae, right? And not some mortal creature that has no use here, right?" He practically itched for someone to mutilate, behead, but he'd stopped long ago. If she was a human, though, and was going to die anyways...[/ul]

[Alysia]

Alysia nearly sighed out loud as the newcomer saw through her 'disguise' and just as quickly as she put the facade up, she dropped it. Spinning around in the general direction the voice was speaking to her from, she placed her hands upon her hips. A flame of anger in her eyes at his, in her mind, implying insult.

"I mean no offense sir, but are you sure you need not glasses? I assure you I am no mortal, nor have I any tainted blood. I am full sidhe." Mabu used her tail to touch her arm in a calming manner. She smiled gratefully at her mantel and she didn't even need words to understand her meaning. There was no use in snapping at the newcomer because she was already frustrated. Shaking her head in disgust at her frustrated anger, she quickly calmed herself and smiled in the general direction she detected the newcomers presence at. There was no need to make an enemy all because she was grumpy.

"I am sorry, please forgive my rudeness. I shouldn't have snapped at you." Alysia was normally a happy and nice woman, but ever since this whole ram fiasco, she'd been just a little on the frustrated side. She wasn't completely angry, per say, just irritated. If she was truly angry, even a troll would run in fright of her. Careful to keep from laughing at the mental image that drudged up, her mantels head came to rest on her shoulder and Alysia ran her fingers through Mabu's reddish fur.

"You know, it is easier to talk face to face. Could you possibly show yourself? I feel as if I'm talking to myself." Alysia would wait for introductions for when and if he decided to show himself. All this cloak and dagger talk made her feel as if she were talking to a tree. Of course that really wouldn't be too much of a surprise here in Alanor. Strange things seem to happen as a normal occurrence here...of course if it was a normal occurrence here then it really wasn't all that strange, eh?

[Skylla]

Alysia had not found the creature that murdered the ram or the end of the bloody trail before she encountered Ankou. The trail had dried and for the most part had nearly disappeared. The hunter was likely long gone.

There was a rustling in the trees and several small animals scurried away, four birds flying away from the sanctuary of their nests. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as it was likely the presence of the two sidhe that frightened the woodland creatures.

[Namgil]

The flight of one poor, unsuspecting bird would be cut devastatingly short. The bald eagle, previously content on simply drifting lazily above the mists, folded its enormous wingspan and dropped directly on the creature as it flapped to gain altitude. It was like a hammer, armed with wicked-sharp claws slamming into the frail-boned avian without reservation. Despite the brutality of the attack, the death was not immediate. The bald eagle’s claws closed completely around the bodice of the bird, smashing its wings against its breast and rendering it useless for flight. Large wings once again lashed out, expanding fully to stop the creature’s descent, a few large flaps initiated to bring about the original soaring height. The attack had been silent and now the death was even more so, as Namgil’s claws ever so slowly squeezed the life out of the fragile bird, his sharpened claws digging into the flesh and drawing blood. Hollow bones cracked alongside feathers and once Namgil was quite sure the birds’ body was beyond repair he dropped it, his eyes following its descent until it vanished beneath the tree tops.

The savage attack had been unwarranted, completed on a whim of the master behind the claws. Namgil thought nothing of his deed, the bird instantly forgotten the moment it hit the ground, his eyes now zeroed in on the Faerie below him. Nothing escaped his eyes. Ankou’s hiding spot, the fact that the two were Sidhe, even their court affiliation were noted via his keen gaze and as boredom struck the male once more, Namgil began to drift downwards towards the clearing afforded them.

It was quite possible that the Faerie had witnessed the previous spectacle. Though the killing had been silent, Namgil was a flashy creature, his bright plumage quite visible to the naked eye. Plus, the absolute ruthless nature in which the prey had been dealt with, that remorseless manner in which he had sentenced another creature to death was so distinctly faerie that there would be no doubt in their minds the true nature of his form.

Namgil’s wings flared as he approached the ground, his practically melting and molding into a more recognizable faerie shape mere moments before he landed. Boot-clad feet touched the earth with an unthought-of lightness, instantly treading forward towards the Sidhe woman without hesitation. A brilliant smile encased his maw, more feral than faerie and quite possibly more hair-raising than welcoming.

He was dressed in his normal attire- a black on white suit, early 1900’s western styled with the top few buttons of his shirt left unlatched to reveal a gorgeously tanned neckline. Black leather gloves encompassed his normally ring-endowed hands, removing the majority of his flesh from view. Namgil’s Sidhe glow wafted over him, a biting aura more felt than seen, a darkness that seemed to seep invisibly from every poor. It gave off a sense of foreboding, a feeling that could trigger innate fears and conjure nightmares from the recesses of other Fae minds.

The Sidhe came to a stop quite close to Alysia, invading her private space as most Sidhe were inclined to do, his dead black eyes surveying her in a rather callous manner. He tilted his head ever so slightly as he brought his eyes to her mantel and then dropped his gaze to meet hers. His voice slithered from his maw like poison riding on his breath, ice cold, ”It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a fine example of Sidhe flesh. Your name?” There was a callous note to his voice, one that suggested he truly didn’t care for her title. Still, despite how utterly goosebump-inducing Namgil was, there was an ever-present allure to him; that bad-boy flare that burned brightly.

[Alysia]

Alysia glanced at the birds and sighed. Now everyone in a couple mile radius would know where she was. She turned back to the hidden figure somewhere in front of her, she was about to ask him again to show himself, but the slight scent of blood wafted to her. It wasn't the blood of the ram, that trail was fixing to probably go cold if she didn't hurry. No, this scent was more fresh and was not from any large prey or predators. Just as she was scanning the clearing, she watched silently as an eagle turned man land into the clearing.

As the man quickly walked her way, he smiled a feral smile and his his aura washed over her. Steeling herself, she fought the shiver that threatened to crawl down her spine. This man reminded her of that...what was that fairytale called? Little Red Riding Hood and this man made her feel like Little red riding hood meeting the wolf for the first time. She stood her ground as the man stood mere inches from her and she looked up at his taller form, her eyes carefully watching him. Pursing her lips in silent contemplation at his question, she noted that this man's voice was definitely different from the one she heard only a couple of minutes ago. Deciding there wasn't much harm in telling him her name, despite how callous he sounded. Smiling one of her more alluring smiles, two could play this game.

"I go by Alysia now," Alysia tilted her head with a slight narrowing of her eyes, the bright gold of her tri colored orbs almost seemed to glow," Pardon me, but might I ask you your name?" Alysia felt Mabu's tail touch her arm comfortingly. Mabu felt his dark aura as well. Mabu was just reminding her to be careful. She could easily guess that he was from the Unseelie court due to his transforming act, but other than that she had no clue about this man. She was very well playing with fire. Alysia decided she would see where this would lead. Maybe she could gain a few companions in her search...no matter how unsettling and she just hoped she didn't get burned.

[Ankou]

((Wheeee I had no idea what to do for the last part.
So it sucks.))

[Alysia]

Alysia backed up from her closeness to Namgil so she could get a look at her other guest. She noted his strange...mannerisms and took in his appearance. She really couldn't tell much from his features due to the mask he wore and he really wore nothing else too identifying, well except for the scythe. Looking for his mantel, she noticed he had no mantel in site so she was guessing unseelie as well. Even though his mantel could be hidden, she had her bets on the him being unseelie since not only did he just scream "UNSEELIE," but he seemed to know...Namgil she believed he said his name was. Both were strange in their own right. One she wasn't sure if he was on the bright end of the rainbow or just fell from it and landed on his head and the other one looked like he shoved all the pretty colors of his rainbow to somewhere where the sun doesn't shine. Talk about luck.

Now that she knew who her guests were in general, she'd like to know why they were in the middle of the mists. She knew why she was here, the ram. Sighing at the thought of the ram, she squared her shoulders and smiled her welcoming smile at the two men. Maybe she could get all her answers soon without any conflict.

"Well it's nice to meet you two. If you two men don't mind me asking, why would two outstanding guys such as yourselves be doing in the middle of these drab mists?" Alysia leaned against a nearby tree, her arms crossed, her stance unthreatening, and that ever present smile on her face. Mabu climbed into the tree and watched from above. Alysia may have seemed relaxed and completely harmless, but in truth she was tense and watchful. Until she knew their motives, she would carefully watch them. No matter how much or how little she acted it, she was not a fool.

"I mean it's not a place people usually like to wander aimlessly." Alysia looked at them from under her dark golden lashes. She rarely did things like act girly in front of others, but she did not want them misunderstanding an innocent action for something agressive. She was no stranger to battle, but that did not mean she would seek it unnecessarily.

[Skylla]

As Namgil dropped the bird more pronounced rustling sounded from where it had before. A frenzy of rustling was the best way to describe it. But after a few moments it stopped, silence creeping back over the forest, save for the voices of the faerie.

[Namgil]

Though Ankou seemed to know Namgil, Namgil could not recall the other’s face. It wasn’t that they hadn’t met before (as they probably had) it was more that Namgil was never one to dwell on details, especially if they concerned someone or something he had no real vested interest in. Still, the fact that Ankou knew Namgil’s name was enough to warrant some degree of intrigue from the dark-coated Sidhe and so he turned his attention to the other Unseelie male, one eyebrow raised. For a moment he didn’t care to speak- Alysia had that covered. Instead he simply peered at Ankou, the sides of his lips upturned into what could have easily been misconstrued as the beginning of a smile.

While the other Unseelie male took quite a long time to appraise both Namgil’s and Alysia’s flesh, Namgil partook in no such activity. Ankou’s body was assessed and discarded. Namgil would never care to take someone of Ankou’s...demeanor… to bed. While he liked his women immoral and dark, whorish in nature and freaks in the bedroom, Namgil’s taste for men was more refined. He was attracted to those painted in purer shades, a taste that had gotten him into much trouble back on Earth.

As the screams of his past flickered delightfully in his ears, Namgil’s upturned lips developed into a wicked smile as he lifted his chin, his hair falling back to further reveal his eyes, ”Hunting.” He offered up calmly as a response to Alysia’s question. His voice was as cold as the crystals that formed as breath escaped his open lips. The male adjusted his position to lean up against the tree next to Alysia, continuing to invade her private space with much disregard. By now she could probably feel his breath on her flesh, though he had yet to actually touch her. Unlike Ankou, Namgil had no qualms about rape- he had committed the act thousands of times. However, like he had said, this was a hunt. Namgil found his hunts to be quite a bit more…entertaining… if the prey could be captured without bloodshed.

The rustling did not go unnoticed to Namgil, but he paid it no heed. Even if it was not an animal as he wrote it off to be, he wasn’t particularly concerned about whatever was hiding. If his companions chose to investigate it, so be it.

[Alysia]

(OOC: It came to my attention that was playing out of turn embarrassingly. I would like to apologize and if I do that again just pm me. Anyway I'm going to write a passive post and then make sure I follow in our respective order for now on of me, Ankou, and then Namgil. I'll be more careful for now on! Again I'm very sorry for that and just send me a pm if I make a mistake again.)

Looking in the general direction of the rustling, Alysia narrowed her eyes and tensed. First the birds and now this...something was off and she needed to get to the bottom of this before it came back to bite her. Taking comfort of the feel of her throwing knives sheaved along her lower back, hidden behind the furred cloak she wore, she kept her senses on high alert. She could be wrong, but she had a feeling something was very off. Her instincts were rarely wrong.

Alysia glanced out the corner of her eye at the man next to her. He was close enough to where she could feel his breath dance across her skin. She was not a spineless woman that would cower at every turn and corner. She enjoyed challenges and she instinctively took this as a passive challenge. She would not let him have any power over her. At least not without a fight. Looking at the man next to her, she stared directly into his eyes and made sure that it conveyed to him in that challenging stare that she was no cowering woman. On that note, she looked Ankou in the eyes and let him know the same thing and that she had not forgotten him. She knew that these men were dangerous, she would not forget that anytime soon...but she was dangerous too and would not let them suspect any less of that now or in the future.

[Skylla]

OOC: With Verbyl's departure I will continue with the narration.

IC: Ankou, either uninterested with the conversation or disturbed by the rustling in the brush, departs.

As the two remaining faerie stood face to face, trading glowering looks, they failed to notice a small clump of ruffled feathers. Blood dotted the feathers as well as the earth around it in small amounts.

[Namgil]

Namgil had not been so presumptuous to assume that Alysia was a woman who would readily cower from his steady gaze. Had she been, Namgil would have lost interest in her by now. Instead, her firm gaze brought forth a chuckle from his lips. It was a breathy laugh, lacking any sort of joviality and lasting no more than a few seconds. If anything it was a mocking acceptance of her challenge.

Shifting his weight from the tree, Namgil took a few languid steps away from the Sidhe woman. He then proceeded to rotate sharply on his heels in a military fashion, though there was an inherent laziness to his movement. The Unseelie man was not a creature of speed in action- he had all the time in the world and he took clear advantage of that. Though there were times that he could move with purpose, namely in battle and when he wanted his hands on something at that moment, Namgil maintained an apathetic stance throughout the majority of his actions, especially when he lacked interest in his surroundings and companions.

In fact, he had hardly even noticed Ankou’s departure and now, as he faced Alysia, fixating his black, dead-looking eyes on her shining visage, Namgil’s mind completely erased the previous notion of Ankou’s existence. Alysia was the only thing that mattered at the moment. Namgil mulled over making her his plaything. His hand of power was quite useful during times like these- times when he was alone with his perceived victim. However, as he saw her tense and look in the direction of the rustling, Namgil offered up a small smirk, ”My, aren’t we tense?” He tilted his head slightly as he peered at her, much like a bird would eye potential prey.

Without any further hesitation, Namgil started forward towards her, his steps powerful, long, and with purpose. For a moment it looked as if he were about to bear down on her, yet with a slight shift in direction he eased past her and started into the wooded area in the opposite direction of the rustling. He didn’t spare a glance back at her, though his message was clear. She could choose to follow him or stay with whatever lurked in the area.

[Alysia]

Alysia noted Ankou's departure and smiled her daring smile at Namgil as she watched him take a few steps away before turning abruptly back towards her. A slight shiver went down her spine as his black eyes gazed upon her. She wasn't sure what to make of this man. One minute he seemed that if the world blew up in his face, he'd laugh without a care. Then another minute she'd feel like she was his prey and he was observing her every move. Sometimes it felt like both...however she would not let this deter her from this challenge or this self employed mission.

Upon hearing his seemingly mocking question, she narrowed her eyes and tilted her head studying him. As he suddenly started treading her way, she tensed unsure of his intent and then he suddenly shifted in his direction and walked straight past her tense form. She decided then and there that she would assume nothing about this man until she knew what his aim was. What made him tick.

She watched his form walk off in the opposite direction of the rustling and huffed. She guessed following this man would be better than being caught by whatever was rustling the bushes. Quickly catching up to his taller form, she stared ahead into the dark forest and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Hunting eh? I was doing a bit of hunting myself...say did you happen to notice anyone or anything strange?" She figured she mind as well ask. After all, the reason she was in these mists was because of the ram.

[Skylla]

The rustling calms as they faerie depart.

OOC: You may continue with your thread, but there is no longer anything noteworthy in this area.