“You shouldn’t snap at me like I’m a dog.” Amari warned, not appreciating the gesture. Who the hell did this woman think she was? Just last night she was a blithering mess, barely able to get a handle of her own emotions. Now she was snappin her fingers at Amari. The redheaded assassin sighed as she ran her hands through her hair. She didn’t sleep well the night before, if at all, and was irritable to say the least.

“Let’s just get this over and done with, I want a long, hot bath.”

“I'm sure you'll be able to go as long as you want,” Samantha replied softly. She seemed to be more enamored with the trail and following it, the words more distant.

The two continued through the forest, and it wasn’t before long that sounds of muttering and snapping twigs were head up ahead. It seemed that both Amari and Samantha had a strong idea on who it was, it was their target, Amari had forgotten the fugitives name, but found herself uncaring to learn it. must be pretty fuckin’ full of herself to be making such a racket, did she really think she wouldn’t be followed? Or that she’d have gotten away? Amari supposed that it could have been possible if Samantha were alone. She felt the girl was…. Somewhat capable, but her emotions were all over the place, whilst Amari didn’t like the idea of a ‘keeper’ she could understand why they had implemented such a thing.

The two slowed down as they closed in on their target, Amari signalled for Samantha to shift toward the left blocking off the woman. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, though her clothes looked as if the forest had snagged them more than once, holes that would need patching showing in more than one place.

There was a burst of crackling energy as the four tell tale tentacles erupted from Amaris back, the immediate area began to decay and hiss, this caught the attention of the blonde haired girl. Her eyes widened as she saw Amari. “Who the fuck are you?” She drew up to her full height, but seemed unarmed, “You don’t look like you’re with the cult….”

“I’m not, but I’m hired by them.”

“Do you have ANY idea what they’re-” Her frantic screeches were cut off as one of the red tentacles whipped out and wrapped itself around the girl's throat. She gripped helplessly at the ethereal tendrils before falling to her knees, tears stinging her eyes. “Now… I can’t recall...was I supposed to bring you in alive, or dead?” Amari’s eyes rose to Samantha who was now behind their target. “Samantha?”

“Good morning Miss Ryos,” Samantha replied with fake cheer, “I had a little bird tell me you were an Ixian Spy, and that you left the Mansion to tell someone things. Now, I want to bring you in alive, but well you know how the Dark Family gets. You have a choice, you can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Personally I got some worked up frustration to get through, so I'm praying to the Dark Mother you choose the hard way. What did you find out that meant you had to run back to Lady Orlouge?”

The woman choked out a garbled reply, to which Samantha sighed and looked at Amari. She shrugged and spoke, “I should at least see what she knows, then we can finish this up.”

Amari loosened the hold her ethereal tendrils had on the blonde haired woman, they surrounded her, keeping her in close check. She knew that if she moved, she’d be burnt just like the angry scarring around her neck suggested.

Amari had her own questions running around in her head, first - Samantha was treating the dark mother like some sort of deity? It was completely absurd, she disliked that but kept that to herself. THe next thing was the mention of the Ixian Knights, people Amari had run ins with.People who had helped her and were kind to her, but also…. People who were a direct enemy of the Crimson Hand. Amari kept silent, acting as the stoic guard to ensure the waif would not escape whilst Samantha did her thing. Whatever it was.