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Post by Daenary's Shar on Sept 19, 2011 23:19:11 GMT
*Daenary's shook her head faintly as she continued to move through the woods. Had any observed her they would believe her movements were random and without good cause. Yet even Leytan's companion could not prevent nature. He could disguise but not fully hide the weight of his body upon the soft snow. Though the signs would fade and disappear at times as if he had jumped.
Daenary's acted quite differently. Randomly one hand would rise up into a snow laden tree and pull on a branch. Releasing it suddenly she would cause the snow to fall around her, disrupting and covering any tracks she left close to the tree. Sometimes she would do that to several trees in a small gathering so it would be difficult to keep track of which direction she had eventually gone.
For a long time neither of them seemed to keep a genuine track of the other. The pair seemingly following the others shows but after some time she heard a sudden cry from the woods. The sound a attention drawing bird call, warning others where the man had been seen. He had laid a blow upon those not involved and of course now they were not showing the same seeming respect they had before.*
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*As Wren stepped into a clearing a small woman stepped from the shadows of the woods. Her hand rose to her lips, positioned as if to silence him while her other hand seemed to be pressed against her thigh. Was she wounded? She had dark brown hair that hung just below her jaw line and was obviously not the princess but was she simply a unlucky wanderer.
Seconds later her hand disappeared into the thin material of a cloak along her thigh when her hand moved again, it moved rapidly and he would briefly glimmer a rapidly moving kunai making it's way seemingly towards him. The blade was only a few inches long and seemed wider in the middle yet as it moved it did not rotate like a star weapon but flew like a dart or arrow. Whether he moved or not it would miss him and strike the tree purposefully behind him. The woman had not harmed him yet but it was clear now, that it was not only the Royal princess that sought his blood.*
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Post by Vyrrian Wren on Mar 18, 2012 23:55:24 GMT
Wren instinctively twisted to his left to avoid the weapon's flight. The blade struck the tree, loosening a small flurry of snow which cascaded to the ground softly in its wake.
The assassin raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, have we met? Or is this some obscure Winterian greeting they neglected to tell me about at the orientation?"
A twirl of his fingers bought his own dagger into sight. "Because I'm all for embracing foreign customs..."
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Post by Daenary's Shar on Mar 19, 2012 21:42:24 GMT
Daenary's followed the cries that sounded clear to her. The tone slightly too high to be of the animals they had been mi miked from. Trained and brought up by the calls of the wild animals upon two legs she found Wren narrowly avoiding the seeming dart that had been aimed towards him but missed. Hidden behind a tree, her foot steps silent even in the snow she observed the actions between the two.
Her gaze drifted to the man's hand as the blade became revealed. A small frown caused her brow to furrow momentarily before her lips briefly up turned into a faint but brief smile. He had more than he should of course. Her gaze drifted to the dark haired female as she remained silent. Keeping herself unseen and unheard as much as possible. Her curiosity piqued more than her desire to draw Wren's blood.
The dark haired female gave him a small, almost courteous smile. As if she were doing him a favour rather than silently threatening him. Her hand raised up again as she shifted her weight, as if one foot was weaker than the other. Perhaps it had become twisted or was simply naturally weaker on her right side. Her gaze did not leave him as he fingered the blade. Finally the silence was broken. The woman's voice filling the little clearing briefly.
'Be wary of the path you travel stranger. Not all upon it are as welcoming as those you have seen so far.'
As Daenary's heard the words, the voice unfamiliar her brow furrowed slightly as she moved towards the female, weaving cautiously around the trees and within the darker shadows. Her body gliding towards the female stranger . The game and test suddenly being twisted by her arrival.
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Post by Vyrrian Wren on Apr 26, 2012 0:48:45 GMT
"This is obviously some local usage of the concept of welcome I was previously unaware of," said Wren. His eyes flickered over the woman in his customary perusal of tells and possible traits to exploit, picking up on the way she shifted on her right foot. An advantage of no more than a few seconds worth, in all likelihood. Still, potentially useful. "Care to elaborate?"
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Post by Daenary's Shar on May 13, 2012 19:54:19 GMT
The dark haired female merely tilted her head to the side as if she was mildly puzzled by his question. Her gaze sweeping downwards along his form. Taking in his stance, his blade and the way his facial expressions looked to her. "I am sure if you have had the pleasure...." She let the word roll off of her tongue with the clear and distinct sound of distate. "of gracing the presence of the Crown Princess Shar you will already have some understanding of how welcoming this part of the world can be. I am sure you will learn much more in your time here...but perhaps you should rapidly decide whether your value of worth can be increased by showing a little intiative and observing."
Danary's heard the conversation with silent determination and curiosity as the woman spoke. Obviously the female had some detail of what happened within the Princess's home but her knowledge was also vague. Seemingly she was aware she was addressing someone that could have a quarrel with her but was not truly aware of the details of Leytan's companion. She gently edged her feet silently to the broad tree that the female had her back against. It prevented an attack from beyond and she had clearly expected some trouble. Yet this woman's offer could prove to be too much of a temptation to the man who had no loyalty to any.
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Post by Young Grimwold on Jun 16, 2012 13:00:14 GMT
[ModNote: I think it's your turn, Wren. This tweet from earlier in June suggests that you are aware that you have been away from the Knightmare writing desk and intend to return to it, though your forum activity has not reflected that. If you don't have the enthusiasm to maintain a presence on Surrounds then I would ask you, please, to remove your character from play in your very next post in any way you see fit. I'm sorry that this forum cannot hold your interest like other websites, I really am, because it is poorer for your absence.]
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Post by Vyrrian Wren on Jan 10, 2013 20:00:43 GMT
Perfect, thought Wren, someone else who couldn't wait to critique his powers of observation. Not for the first time he felt like he was being deliberately goaded into acting impulsively and lash out in frustrated anger. And he wasn't going to lie, it was looking awfully tempting right now.
No. This wasn't the time for a last stand. He had to keep moving. Right now, making use of the environment in conjunction with what he had acquired so far was his only way of surviving a confrontation with the crown princess, and until he happened upon the ideal place to bring himself up to some manner of level footing, he was vulnerable. Although his curiosity was piqued. Why had she thrown her weapon, intending as she had done to miss?
Out of the corner of his eye, he took a moment to inspect the kunai that had been cast so deliberately into the tree.
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Post by Daenary's Shar on May 20, 2013 23:03:38 GMT
Daenary's listened for a response the male but she heard nothing, though that did not mean he had not been cautious enough to respond silently with a nod or shake of his head. She continued to listen as she moved around the tree. Keeping to the females back with the tree preventing her to be seen. If Wren looked carefully enough perhaps he would see the slight movements f the branches to the females right. A soft hand lifting a branch up by only a half inch. As if the wind had picked it up though there had been none to still the air let alone branches.
The dark haired female pushed herself away from the tree slightly with her foot. "You are already aware I am sure that the Crown Princess is highly unlikely to keep any potential promise she mad to you. If your a wise man you will be aware you prove to be too much of a risk. Hard to control, I wager unpredictable or she would not be seeking you as she is."
Daenary's only just managed to hold her breath in as a laugh threatened to escape. The woman may have know the reason they were all here...but she had no genuine clue of Daenary's genuine reasons. It seems some staff could of been slightly open mouthed...but none she trusted had revealed anything.
She finally stepped out from the shadows of the tree lifting up her bow and capturing a arrow fron her back as she aimed it at Wren. One eyebrow cocked slightly almost in mock betrayal.
"It would appear you have far more allies than I had considered to be possible. Care to introduce me to your friend...?"
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Post by Vyrrian Wren on Aug 12, 2013 20:53:43 GMT
Well, this wasn't good. Options were rapidly running out in Wren's mind. The Crown Princess had him at a clear disadvantage. Any move on his part which could be interpreted as a threat would immediately be fatal, so catching her off guard with an arrow trained on him would not end well. Some kind of misdirection, then?
"No ally of mine, Highness. I assumed her to be one of your ensemble. Laying some kind of trail to follow, maybe?"
It was a shot in the dark. Let's see where it hit...
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Post by Daenary's Shar on Apr 26, 2014 21:35:58 GMT
Daenary's stared at him for several moments before she finally but only fleetingly turned her gaze to the female in the woods. It appeared that strangers and travelers were crawling all over the woods now. Her aim though still remained on Wren as her cold gaze moved over the woman to try and place her by hair colour, tongue or eyes but truly there seemed to be no trace of a certain part of Winteria on the woman. She had to decide what she was going to do and who out of the pair she trusted the more. That had to be Wren unfortunate as it was. She had to trust that he would dislike informing Leytan his sister died while he simply stood by and watched.
"Oh she is not of mine. Perhaps one of your company then? There does seem to be quite a vast degree of wandering here. Shame they do not wander in pairs." Her words were clear though sounded a little confusing. She hoped though that he worked out that wandering in pairs meant working and she was referring to them rather than the stranger and himself.
At the last word her aim shifted from Wren to the woman and the arrow was let fly within seconds. It caught the woman just by the side of her neck, the cloak caught caught in the tip which embedded itself in the tree behind her so that she was forced to try and unclasp it to be able to flee.
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Post by Vyrrian Wren on May 5, 2014 11:45:18 GMT
Wren felt a surge of relief at seeing the arrow no longer trained on him, which quickly gave way to the realisation of an opportunity. At this exact moment, the Crown Princess was unarmed. It would take approximately three seconds to notch an arrow into her bow, and a further two to train it on him. It would be a simple matter of a forward dash while her attention was on the female stranger followed by a horizontal slice with his dagger to slice the bowstring in two. He could bring this to an end right now.
But that left the stranger. She was clearly a factor that the Crown Princess had unaccounted for. There was a very real possibility that she intended for some fatal harm to befall her and, as much as it pained him to admit, allowing her to be killed would be as much of a death sentence as failing to survive this obscene hunt of hers. Plus, the meaning behind her words were not lost upon him. They suggested that if ever there was going to be a safe moment to turn his back on her today, it would be this moment...
"Unpredictable I may be", he spoke to the stranger as he crept forward, knees bent with his dagger primed, "but reliably so, I like to think. Pray keep your hands motionless. I am more than willing to kill this day if it is the only method of ensuring my survival, and yours is a position that does not lend itself to impulsive actions."
It was Wren's intent to approach and search the stranger, to liberate her of all obvious weaponry that may present some danger to either himself or the Crown Princess. He kept his weapon primed as he stepped forward, ready to respond at the first sign of any offensive movement...
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Post by Daenary's Shar on May 12, 2014 19:28:37 GMT
The woman had expected every possible out come but she had not expected the damned Princess to appear at that moment. She could tolerate refusal and being sent on her way but not many of the cold land forgave and let a transgression go without punishment. She flinched as the arrow seemed destined to end her fate and it was several seconds before she realized she was pinned rather than harmed. It also appeared the blatant foes of before were more than willing to unite even if only briefly. She did not try and unfasten the clasp but simply appeared to hold her hands up in surrender as the male drew near.She could see the Princess reach over her shoulder and retrieve another arrow.
Daenary's took a small step backwards as Wren move closer so that should the woman try and catch Wren by surprise she would not survive the attack.
"So easily friends are made in such a short time. You do know though once your business with me is done, she shall turn on you as quickly as the scorpion did the frog?" Daenary's did not bother to argue her point. She knew it was true though still her genuine intentions had not yet become obvious clearly and while he believed she meant him serious harm it was for the better. She was also quite certain that Wren himself would just as rapidly resume their former status without so much as a blink of an eye.
The woman had several weapons upon her form, a silver blade at her waist just took out of sight behind the folds of her cloak, a sheathed dirk along the inside of her boot and small collection of throwing stars just tucked in a pair of wrist devices.
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Post by Vyrrian Wren on May 19, 2014 21:51:17 GMT
"I do not doubt it," shrugged Wren as he set about relieving her of each of the weapons concealed about her person, slowly and methodically, keeping his own knife in close proximity to her throat. "Personally I do not think she is in any rush to throw her life away, a far more realistic outcome compliments of your generously received armaments. For now, you would do well to tend to your own business with her."
He made a show of removing the left wrist device and the throwing stars contained therein. Six apiece, making for a total of 12 between the two. When he felt alongside the left, he extracted the appropriate amount of the deadly barbs, but left the device attached, ensuring that his back was to the Crown Princess thus obscuring her view of the two.
"One left," he hissed under his breath. "Aim well."
He walked backwards away from the prisoner, his liberation of her weaponry complete. There was a feeling coursing through him now, a familiar and wonderful feeling. For the first time in a long time, Vyrrian Wren had a Plan.
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Post by Daenary's Shar on Jul 11, 2014 20:21:03 GMT
((OOC: My apologies for this reply taking so long. Life has been hectic and not been the most conductive to my muse whom has been very fickle of late. ))
Daenary's watched without truly being able to see what was being removed though she could hear some movement, the softest sound of metal catching metal as Wren went about removing the weaponry the woman had on her person.
The woman simply dipped her gaze twice as she heard Wren's whisper about aiming well before her gaze settled over his shoulder and on the second arrow that was already trained on her. "Those beyond your borders seek to know what plots you weave or they are going to once they are aware of the visitors you have received of later. " She spoke clearly and coolly and Daenary's wagered that the woman had not yet had time in being able to inform those that had hired her the more recent developments. Daenary's quickly had to calculate what the female could of seen. The tiger, her brother, possibly the females and certainly Wren. That was a little too much information for her liking to be leaking to anyone. In particular the details of her brothers arrival. The problem with using coin for a price was that the spy often sold the information over and over again until it no longer was a secret.
Daenary's seemed to relax slightly as she moved closer to the female as she considered her variety of options before a grin touched her lips casually. "I am sure they would certainly appreciate such detailed information if you can get it to them though I am curious..which of my borders do you speak of?"
Daenary's appeared to have completely forgotten about Wren as settled in the snow just before him.
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Post by Vyrrian Wren on Nov 3, 2014 19:35:20 GMT
In that moment, all attention seemed to be focused elsewhere. The Crown Princess and the formerly-armed interloper were locked in an increasingly tense battle of words, and Wren had a sneaking suspicion as to how it would conclude. While the two continued their back and forth, the Assassin considered his options, and laid out the plan he was preparing in his mind.
Right now, his top priority was his continued survival. Normally his instinct would be to run for the hills as fast as all buggery, but he knew that such a tactic was useless. This terrain was unknown to him, the arctic climate making tracking difficult, and swift progress moreso. He knew no one, could rely on no-one, save for the Atlantean and his associates back at the Palace (an option unavailable to him in his current position). No. Retreat would bring only his death.
So. Attack, then? Equally futile. His armaments had been taken for him, save for the one small dagger he was able to conceal undiscovered about his person. While his training as an Assassin had taught him to exploit all tools available to him as a weapon, he knew that he would not last for a moment in a direct encounter with the Crown Princess. Given time, he would have liked to have made use of the surrounding environment further, but such avenues were now closed off to him. Hindsight was a wonderful thing, he concluded, not for the first time...
Her words insinuated that it would be in their interests to work together against this stranger. Was he therefore to conclude that this whole exercise was a test of some description? Some secret trial of character? To what end? Speculation was pointless. Such ends were futile if he was unable to prove himself worthy of them.
Which led him to the here and now. His trap was primed, the players reading from their script with an outcome all too certain. And he was faced with an opportunity that was too good to pass up. Although fatigued and on edge, some things could still come naturally to an Assassin with but a moment's deliberation.
Vyrrian Wren closed his eyes, breathed, and ceased to exist in the eyes of the world.
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