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Laleh
05-19-15, 06:15 PM
Day 50
Laleh was huddled up in the tree tops. The wind had picked up, its breath able to shake the bones of the trees. The rain was hammering down, its thunderous melody enough to make one think it was a subtle earthquake. Little sound could be heard over the showering water, only the howling of the wind and the rustling of the leaves.

Soaked, her body quivering as goosebumps romped across her skin. Her companion Snaggs was playing a game of hide and seek in her hair, occasionally nibbling on her fingers before darting back for cover. He eventually came out from his shelter to nuzzle up against her jaw, growling faintly.

Laleh pulled the cloak over her and Snaggs before letting out a heavy sigh. She whispered quietly in draconic, "Si jinthil svadrav wux used ekess dartak ve..."
Her fingers traced over his scales, eyes fixated down to her satchel, “I wonder how I’ll find you.” Laleh’s voice trailed off as she reluctantly pulled a small red book from her satchel. Her fingers traced the engravings on the cover. It was worn, leather torn at the corners, the pages mangled. Before her attention was entirely lost to this book Snaggs had managed to climb up her hair, resting at the side of her face. He gnarled nudging against her cheek multiple times. Smirking, her index finger rubbed under his chin, “Gethrisj nakta warm Snaggs, si mi kruth.” With that, Snaggs climbed down to her lap, curling up in a ball like a cat would and shutting his eyes.

Her mind, gaze...had gone back to the book. She opened it to the spot that she had torn the page from a few days ago. A pencil rolled down to the bottom, her fingers picking it up carefully. As quickly as she picked it up, Laleh began to scratch the lead onto the paper, her mind now lost to the blank pages....

~Another few days has passed since I have been in this forest, my thoughts escape me. It’s been difficult to find a decent meal, granted, Snaggs has been able to help me track rabbits here and there. There are many eyes here; their bellies empty, longing to feast upon my flesh. I keep us on the move, constantly on watch and without a decent nights sleep. I feel all of this is a waste of time...that I’m on a wild goose chase to no where. Before I left Raiaera I stumbled upon a man my last night in the tavern. His breath still lingers in my nostrils, the odor of mead and tobacco mixed with what I could only imagine to be liver. He sought me out that night, his eyes watched my every move. Damn that man, I would have had another pouch of gold coins to myself if it weren’t for him grabbing my wrist and taking me out on the dance floor.~

Laleh paused from writing, her left hand caressed her right wrist. As the branches shook, moonlight had escaped, lighting up the area that Laleh was resting in. Her wrist was purple, a clear marking of fingers wrapped around it. She wrinkled her nose in disgust as she spat down to the ground before returning her gaze to the pages, writing once again...

~He wouldn’t let me go, bastard... Should have slit his throat then and there. He kept his face covered with a mask, only thing I could see were those eyes...those piercing yellow eyes. Every time he stared at me, it was like he was looking through me. He knew things I couldn’t explain. We danced for hours, no words exchanged, but every time I tried to part away he pulled me in closer and just when I thought I had enough...He whispered to me, told me I could find my father, all I had to do was one simple favor and the information I needed would be mine.

I....was more stunned than anything, he knew who I was and just like that I was his puppet, his shadow, blindly agreeing to his proposal. Eventually we left, I followed like a lost puppy, simply listening to him tell me about this old cave somewhere in the red forest that held something dear to him, a silly candle. That’s all he asked for in exchange for information regarding my family. He told me that once I came upon this underground cave, there would be blue flowers growing just at the opening, that’s how I would know it was the right place. He warned me that there would be traps, possibly strangers seeking the same item I was and that these strangers would kill me at first sight. All I could do was nod....

My mind raced, my guard was down, I had never been that vulnerable. And as my mind continued to drift he had just as quickly disarmed me, throwing me up against the alley wall, a dagger against my throat... “You need not know my name for now Miss Valame, find this candle for me and I’ll make sure you get the information you need. If you survive, I’ll find you pet...” With that he vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving a friendly slit against my throat. I didn’t even defend myself, I didn’t strike a blow at him, how foolish I was for following a stranger... Yet here I am obtaining a candle for a man with no name, but clearly knows mine.

My father always said to never lose hope...
But what is hope when you must put your faith into another’s hands?~

She shook her head, ripping out this page just as she did the first one. The wind was dying down, rain drops had ceased. Laleh bit her lower lip as she looked under her cloak to Snaggs, who had been sleeping peacefully. Smiling she rubbed his belly gently, “Snaggs, rocen svern, yth rigluin ekess gethrisj.” Shaking his head Snaggs crawled down to the tree branch, poking his head out slowly to check for rain. He hopped up and down seeing that there were no more droplets and scampered out prancing upon the branch, before looking back to his owner.

Laleh giggled softly before placing the crumpled up journal entry in front of the dragon, “Valignat nomeno ir filki hefoc wer annyo.” Snaggs nodded before taking in a deep breath and blowing out a fireball just large enough to consume it, the embers devouring the paper. Laleh nodded as she jumped down from the trees, then whistled up to Snaggs, “Yth re shafaer wer move tenamalo.” Snaggs spread out his wings and jumped down, almost like an army man using a parachute. He landed softly on Laleh’s shoulder, his small claws clinging on as she swung her cloak over her head, pulling the cowl down to cover her eyes before darting off deeper into the woods.

Laleh
05-22-15, 12:31 AM
Day 52

Hot breath pursued every inch of skin, teeth grazed the base of her throat. Nails scratched down her collar bone, blood dripped down her cheek, its crimson color painting her skin. Her breathing was slow but she did not tremble. Laleh was pinned against a tree, her head hanging forward, hair covering most of her face. Snaggs stayed hidden at the back of her neck. He was nipping frantically at her skin, attempting to wake his master.

Two beasts had Laleh immobilized against the bark, they were growling at each other, fighting on which would get the first bite. Snaggs was still struggling, with little luck. Soon, they would both be nothing more than pounds of flesh thrown across the muddy forest. Taking in a few deep breathes, Snaggs coughed up small balls of fire. The flames sizzled as soon as they hit her skin, the smell of burnt hair filled the air around Snaggs. He closed his eyes, displeased with the stench, but continued to puff out these tiny sparks of flame.

It only took a minute, her hands that dangled freely twitched, eyes slowly opened... Before Laleh had much time to react the beasts had noticed her subtle movements. They growled in exasperation, quickly throwing her across the dirt floor and darting backwards, one at either side. Coughing, Laleh pushed her torso up, arms shaking, vision foggy... She rubbed her eyes with her left hand, "What the hell?"

Standing at each side stood two panther like beasts. Their skin was rough, leather in appearance. Laleh eyed each one carefully, or as well as one could by squinting. Four....no....six legs, that's what Laleh would count. Two large black fangs rested as their canines as well as countless other black pearls that rested inside their jaws. Emerald eyes, focused upon her small frame. They circled her, each ready to pounce in an instant.

Snaggs was growling low, next to her ear. Laleh dropped her hands back to her hips, carefully grabbing the handles of her daggers. "Bastards...." With little time to waste Laleh vault jumped next to the beast at her right, her daggers drawn. She ran quickly by its ribs dragging iron through the flesh. Two deep cuts began to pour liquid, a smirk growing across her face.

"Come, catch me...."
Both cats lunged for Laleh, there claws ready to pierce her flesh. She moved with the grace of a ballerina, quickly jumping up to the branch above her head. She hoisted her legs in between her arms, crossing them tightly as she dangled herself upside down. Her teeth clenched on to the two daggers she had drawn out earlier, her hands now carrying two smaller daggers in each.

One beast howled, it was now dragging it's bloody face across the ground, both paws flailing in the air. Laleh had managed to aim well enough for two throwing knives to dig into each eye. Distracted by her accomplishment, the other panther like creature was in the tree Laleh was hanging from. Crouched, its slender body slithered across the branch, Laleh never saw it coming. Claws extended out grasping around her ankle, the beasts tongue licking the blood that oozed down her calf muscle. She screamed in pain, attempting to do a sit up in the process. Laleh took one of her knives and jabbed it through the cats foot, the tip of the dagger grazing her already open wound.

They both fell... Laleh was slowly rushing to get off her back side, the last of the four throwing knives just out of her reach... Before her hand could grip the handle, her fingers were crushed under a heavy boot.... Another scream leaving her mouth..

"So you're the little brat hurting my pets?"
Someone spoke above Laleh, deep, a man's voice....
Again, she blacked out, Snaggs low growls being the last thing she heard.

Laleh
05-23-15, 09:49 PM
Day 55

Stars painted the sky, there were no clouds, nothing but camp fire smoke covering the air. The flames lit up the area, a stick was being shoved against the wood causing a crackling sound. The two beasts that Laleh had fought off were resting near the fire, they were scarred up badly but still breathing. A man was standing near them, examining one of the throwing knives the elf has sliced up his pets with.

Laleh was off to the side, laying down. She had many open wounds, dried blood crusted around them. Her hands were bound behind her back, each leg had rope tied around her ankles, the ends leading up to the cats paws. Her breathing had picked up slightly as she rolled back and forth. Her ears twitched to the sounds of the campfire. Slowly, her eyelids parted from one another, crystal blue coloring shining due to the flames.

The man chuckled, a smirk creeping upon his face, "Little elf finally decides to grace us with her presence." The man hacked up spit and aimed it at Laleh's face. Moist, it dripped down her cheek and with little time to react she was picked up by her throat, slammed against the tree. "Does the mutt have a name? Surely I should get to know the little shit that almost killed my cats.". She gave no answer as she grunted, a sharp pain climbed up her spine. Laleh opened her eyes fully, the man was only inches from her face, the cats were snarling as they sat near the man.

He was much taller than her, short slicked back greasey ginger hair, and dark blue eyes glaring at her own. He was dressed in leather, a rather large sword strapped to his back, a shorter blade at his hip. A large smack sound echoed through the forest, followed by a scream, "Answer me wench!" Laleh winced in pain, her ears lowered at the sound of his voice. He shook his head and dropped her to the ground, "Figures a rat like you has nothing to say. I should have just killed you. I thought you would at least amuse me..."

The cats nipped at the air near her face, they were growling softly waiting for a command. Laleh dug her nails at the rope around her wrists, then looked down to her feet. She had no weapons, her clothing was torn, it was when she realized Snaggs was not on her shoulders that she began to worry. Her eyes darted quickly around the camp, she had to get free, had to find Snaggs. "I'm....not..a...toy. You...should let...me go....If you...want to live." Breathing heavily, she was shocked at the amount of effort it took to say what little she did. A loud laugh came out as he turned quickly, kneeling down, the man wrapped his large hand around her neck, "There we go, there is still some fight in you. Don't worry, I'll let you go after I get what I need."

Laleh sighed, "I'm no ones bait. Again, I will stress how important it is for you to let me go."
Her eyes darted over to the fire, she concentrated on the shadows that were dancing around them. Soon... she told herself, her gaze fixated, she was waiting...

Laleh
06-02-15, 08:12 PM
Day 55 continued...


The longer she stared, the more violent the shadows moved. A few minutes had passed before her eyes finally went back to the man, scanning down to his hip where the blade rested. He had been talking the entire time pacing between the camp fire and her body. She had paid no attention to his words. His cats where still nipping at the air and snarling, their ears perked, they were ready to pounce at any second. The man wasn’t expecting a thing, the beasts didn’t act unless told, this was her moment.

She looked down to her feet, her shadow had grown in size, stretching out towards the man. He was oblivious, more interested in listening to the sound of his own voice. His pets only had eyes for Laleh’s skin, their mouths dripping with saliva as they emitted a small clicking sound. Laleh continued to focus on the knife, everything depended on her cutting herself free.

The shadow had crept up the man’s leg, slowly, a serpent eagerly going after a mouse. Small child like fingers grasped around the dagger, unsheathing it carefully. He was still distracted, his eyes glancing up to the sky, hands waving in the air while speaking. Her shadow crept around, pausing behind rocks with the dagger in hand. Slowly but surely it made it’s way back to Laleh’s hands. Her attention returned to the man, her hands did the work of cutting the rope free.

Sid...that was his name, although it was unknown to the mutt he captured. He cracked his knuckles several times, his mind racing with ways to kill her. Not yet, wait for the pretty to be of use...yes...I’ll have her go to the entrance, use her body as a shield. Then that candle...it WILL be mine. That man warned me there would be someone else wanting this candle, some petite brat who would get in my way. He grinded his teeth, then brushed his hair away from his eyes. Sid stomped over, grabbing Laleh by her hair, he lifted her up just so the tips of her toes were grazing the dirt, “Let’s go elf, you best walk yourself or I’ll have my cats gnaw your feet off.”

She looked at him with disgust, brow raised. As soon as he let her go, Laleh dropped to her knees. The man had already started walking picking up bags as he went, the cats following. As they moved Laleh rose to her feet so that she wasn’t smearing her face across the dirt floor. A cheshire grin grew across her lips as she dangled the dagger from her hands, pretending to still be bound.

It wouldn’t be her turn to die...

Laleh
01-21-16, 11:46 AM
Day 55

The hunt never ends, the thrill for blood, the tightened grip around a handle of a blade to give one that rush. Laleh felt all of that and it would be what she recalled most. While the man marched in front of her, each of his beasts had taken a spot close to Laleh. Her ankles still bound, weapons securely fastened onto the brute. While she was concentrating on ways to escape, her eyes trickled down to the pant legs of the man. There she noticed a small tail drooped out from a pocket, waving back and forth frantically. ”Si vucata wux ornla qe trelk.” She whispered softly. Snaggs, poked his head out, his color now as black as the shadows surrounding them. He scanned the area carefully before dropping down to Sid’s boots, then to the ground. Snaggs darted under bushes, making rustling sounds as he quickly passed through each one.

Soon after the first noise echoed the cats would pause, their ears twitching every which way. Sid turned his attention to his beasts, “What the hell is it now?” The animals placed their front quarters against the base of different trees snarling towards the top. Sid shoulder checked the elf as he walked by, now standing in front clearly distracted, “I’m sick and tired of your games elf woman! I don’t know how you’re doing it…” In the time it took Sid to rant, Laleh plopped down onto her rear end, making quick work of the ropes. When Sid had turned around, Laleh had scrambled to her feet to make a run for it. ”Kill her! I’m done with the games!” Both felines darted out after her, their master staying behind as he pulled two short blades from the straps at his sides.

Snaggs was in the top branches, keeping up with Laleh as she ran, the cats close behind. With every pounce Laleh would dash behind a tree, trying to avoid the claws extending for her. She knew she would need a minute to collect herself long enough to use the shadows but in order to stop she had to level the playing field. Her heart was beating like a hammer, breathes heavy as she ducked behind another tree. Soon enough one paw reached around, swiping right above her head as Laleh dropped below it. She swept around to the right, driving the one dagger she did have into the cats throat. Laleh pulled the dagger out quickly and rolled to the side before starting on her run again. A howling sound came from the beast’s mouth as it slammed its head against the ground. Laleh took one last glance behind, seeing the body flail about before she was leveled down to the ground.

The dagger bounced out of her hand, just out of reach. The second feline dripping froth on top of her face, ” Snaggs, wer beetnekil!” She stretched her arm out as far as possible, reaching towards the blade while using the other arm to push against the chest of the feline. Claws soon tore into her arm, deep flesh wounds. Laleh screamed out in agony, Snaggs had dropped down from the branches above to the dagger. He nudged it to her hand as quickly as possible. As soon as her fingers gripped the handle Snaggs shot two small balls of fire at the cats snout before darting off under a bush. The small amount of fire that Snaggs spat out wasn’t enough to do any damage, but just enough to cause a distraction. Laleh took the dagger and pierced it deep into the top of the chest. She aimed at a downward angle on the left side, pulled the dagger out, and stabbed again. The blade eventually snapped in half but that didn’t stop Laleh. She took the handle and started beating the side of the beast’s skull, until eventually the cat collapsed on top of her body.

They lay there perfectly still while the dragon had poked his head out from the bushes. Snaggs crept over to the feline’s body searching until he found his owners hand. He nudged her hand then nibbled on her index finger. The body of the beast began to move. Snaggs backed away slowly but paused as he saw Laleh’s hand pushing the body off to the side. Scooting her body across the dirt, she ended up at the base of a tree, using it to prop herself up. ”I’m okay…I’m-okay…” Laleh was whispering with labored breathe as her friend crawled up onto her lap. ”I-I just…need-a…moment.” Her head hit the back of the trunk as she sunk her body down. Blood was trickling down her left arm. Her gaze was foggy, head throbbing.

Laleh lay still, breathing heavily as her eyes closed, but the moment of silence was just that… A moment…

”Come out to play puppet! We aren’t finished yet! ”