Elements Collide

[Mullen]

When Thaos had been ordered by an envoy of the royal family to lead a small clutch of rangers and wait in the wilderness, so close to the realm of Water, he had not questioned it. It had been a strange directive, taking him and a host of capable men away from other important duties for weeks on end, but long ago he had been taught a valuable lesson: some things were better left unknown. A lot of the time that included the reasons for a mission. Knowing the why of it did not help the cause. Do as you were told, and do it well. Consequences be damned.


He sat in the middle of their small camp bringing his short dagger in careful, precise movements along his whetstone. Being prepared for anything was a must on long stakeouts like this. The sweet, rustic smell of their campfire filled his nostrils and reminded him of countless nights just like this. The familiar smell of cooking venison reached his nostrils next and caused his stomach to rumble - dinner time. He had been trying to divine what they were waiting here for, a host of options dancing through his head. Finally, he got his answer.


The earth itself cried out to him. The awakening of a new adept, and one outside of the usual lines, only a few hours prior. Finally the awareness of it had reached him. Not a family that he knew or associated with - there were always subtle cues, almost like a family signature or crest, when one of their ilk awakened. This was a first of their line that somehow carried the weight of thousands of elementalists. The levity of the event was not lost on him. It had been millenia since the gods had first divided the land, if fables and tatters of history were to be believed. That meant generation upon generation, for hundreds upon hundreds of years, without a single adept in their family.


That, mixed with the clear elemental history of their line, was simply unheard of.


Even the most lowly of common families could boast a few adepts in their line. This was an oddity, and Thaos could not help but grin to himself. The subtle twitch at the corner of his lips caught him off guard. This was exciting.


He whipped his head up and surveyed the camp, noting that the other men he was with had not moved a muscle. They had missed it. It had been like a whisper on the ground, such a sudden tremble, there and then gone in an instant before it could get any breath. If you knew what to listen for it that whisper was like a chorus of bells. Thaos realized all at once why he had been chosen for this. Once again patience and deferring to his betters had been the right coarse. He brought two fingers deftly to his lips and whistled, snapping all of their attention to him.


"Dinner will have to wait. We're moving" The hungry bellies of the camp gave a collected sigh, but did not protest. With practiced motions the fire was doused, the tents were broken down, and the supplies were all packed in minutes. It impressed Thaos as much now as it always had, even as he had practiced it himself, how quickly rangers could be on the move.


The source of the signal was close now, and moving their way. He drew his cloak tighter around himself, drew his hood over his head, and secured his mantle. The dagger he had been sharpening still had a place in his hand, and he sheathed it on his hip.


The crew of men made their way through the dense forest quickly, following in Thaos' footsteps. Every footfall made no sound, instantly muffled as their feet connected with the earth they trounced upon. In an hour they paused. Caravan ahead. Soldiers.


Thaos pointed to two men who closed their eyes and focused, cracking the road and creating a small chasm. The caravan would be forced to stop, and then... then the rangers could take the time to assess this. It did not have to come to bloodshed, their nations were allies. Allies through convenience, but allies none the less. That just meant if it came to blows, they would have to leave no survivors. Thaos took a deep breath, calming his nerves, and exhaled slowly. His eyes were glued to the lights in the distance as the caravan approached.

 

[amlia]

"Already?", "Where-", "-ust be wrong". The voices from the benches were hushed, though Anica managed to pick up on a few of the words. She was right when she assumed that they weren't to be stopped. According to more of the soldier's grumbles they were supposed to be moving for at least another day. She wasn't entirely sure on where this caravan was headed, but she planned to ride along until she grew tired of it.


Perhaps the Earth realm? That could be where she wanted to go. There were a few moments where she was planning it out. Blend into that realm. This idea was perfect up until she reminded herself that Water and Earth were allies, and if Earth were somehow caught housing someone like her it could ruin the alliance. Especially if her father reacted to her flee as she expected he might.


She was jostled when the soldier next to her stood, ducking down until he got to the entrance to the caravan. Grumbles could be heard as he passed, "Just want to eat. Get some sleep. Go home." Snickers could be heard from the few who found his impatience amusing, and he was joined by a second soldier before dropping to the ground outside and circling around the wagon.


"Who goes there?" He was more patient, the second man. Kinder it seemed, as well. Seeing the figures ahead, the second soldier took the lantern from the driver and held it forward in an attempt to see through the shadows.

 

[Mullen]

As the caravan came to a stop, Thaos finally closed his eyes. They had been locked on the procession, studying it intensely, looking for any signs of escape or who these people were. More importantly, if they were protecting his prize or simply moving it in blissful ignorance.


A procession of soldiers. By the looks of them, hailing from the capital city of the water realm. Heading this way to reinforce an outpost, or something of that nature - certainly not an invasion force. At the worst, exploratory, like himself. Either way, tracking troop movements was the kind of mission that was his bread and butter: a likely addendum to any report he would be giving to his superiors.


But now he focused on the energy of that recently awakened adept. The information he could glean from her awakening... It was in anger, frustration. A hasty reaction. None of these were in line with the temper of the element of earth. But they were in line with youth - likely a teenager, on the cusp of adulthood. That narrowed it down slightly, maybe enough. His eyes snapped open as he heard a man address him. He held his hand out, motioning for his men to hold their position.


"I am Thaos De Terrene. Captain of the ranger company Fists of Stone, serving at the pleasure of crowned king Dain, sovereign of earth and most favored of Dagan's children." The words came as a practiced cadence, moving from Thaos' lips without second thought. 'De Terrene' was a title he used in situations like this. "We are seeking a fugitive from the king's justice. A young," he paused a moment, making a snap decision, barely perceptible as he spoke. "Girl. She would stick out like a sore thumb among you. Likely joined your caravan in the capital. Does anyone fit that description?"


He hoped his guess had been correct.

 

[amlia]

A girl? A girl with them would normally be unheard of. The water realm was proud to say that they don't involve their women in works like this. The strongest and most capable of men were chosen for the jobs.


A low chuckle came from the first man, who nudged the second when they thought about the idea. They would have noticed, wouldn't they? Just to satisfy the men, the two of them went to the caravan to make sure. They did a poor job, however, because they didn't bother casting the light of the lantern far enough into the wagon to reach the girl.


Anica sat in continued silence, her cloak working to her advantage and seeming to allow her to blend with the shadows. The others around her would on occasion try and get her to engage in conversation, but each time her face was covered with the hood and she seemed to have been asleep. Now she was wide awake. She was aware of every movement. Each breath and voice. Someone knew about her escaping, and it couldn't be good. Either they were strangers or they were of her father's men. Either were bad news for her.


"We don't have your lover," One of the men shouted from inside the caravan, pulling from the others a few snickers. Clearly some were frustrated and wanted to continue. The girl begged in silence to continue as well. She needed out. She needed to be on her own here.

 

[Mullen]

Thaos rolled his eyes at the sly comment. Perhaps he had guessed wrong on the gender. "Cute," he said softly as he stepped closer to the caravan. "You won't mind if I look for myself, will you?" He turned sideways towards the men behind him, motioning them to move closer.


"Now, now, I know what you'll say," Thaos cooed, moving a few more steps closer. "We had no right to stop you. I am sure you want to continue on your way just as much as we want to go home. We have a mission my friend, same as you. And we cannot return home without our fugitive." He clapped the closest soldier on the shoulder gently and stared into his eyes, smiling warmly. He knew where to head, and he continued towards where he knew their target was. It called to him, a steady heartbeat, tiny ripples of energy.


There was a tension in the air, but he still hoped to avoid bloodshed. Open fighting between their nations was too bold... at least, too bold right now. With every step he took towards his target he knew he was toeing closer and closer to the line of these soldier's patience. They had likely never seen a ranger company in action, which made him almost feel sorry for them. They would not even realize the mistake they had made before the skirmish would be over. These men - trained soldiers all. But they all relied on the ground below them more than they consciously realized. Walked on earth. They relied on it for their footing, to support their weight, all of the staples of open combat. The element that these rangers controlled.


He came behind the wagon he knew his target was within and peered inside, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the gentle torch light. He brought one hand to his dagger under his cloak, the motion completely concealed.

 

[amlia]

The driver watched it all play out. He wasn't new to any of this. An old man, he had been stopped so many times before. Suspicions on their business, thieves, Guards, wanderers. The elemental had seen it all, handled it all, and wasn't worried in the slightest bit. Nor did he care.


The two soldiers stood in the way of Thaos, intent on being professional and showing that they weren't there to be walked on. Though after their thought, they knew they only looked more suspicious this way. Each of them, along with the others, believed that this was nonsense. It had to be, didn't it? Sarcastically, the two stepped aside and seemed to escort the ranger to the caravan.


In the wagon the impatient soldiers grew restless and annoyed with the whole fiasco. Several sat at the edge of their seat, half curious and half to take action when needed. In the back sat the girl, seemingly blended with the shadows. Maybe.. hopefully the ranger would pass without seeing her. She was positive they could be searching for her. They called her a fugitive. How would anyone this far out already know of her disappearance.


"We can't offer any help." One of the men said. He was the one known to have a nasty temper, but the longest lasting patience of the lot. He was a good man. "You see we're a few men, allies if I'm guessing correctly, passing through to take care of some business here." The man stood, not threateningly but to represent the lot. "Now, if you don't mind, we can assure you we don't carry who you are looking for and we'd like to be on our way."

 

[Mullen]

"That's understandable that you can't help," Thaos said in a low tone, a hint of irritation in his voice. He raised his hand slowly, pointing to where he knew Anica was hiding in the wagon. "But I can assure you that the fugitive we're searching for is right there." Two rangers on either side of him hopped into the wagon, making their way towards her hiding spot.


He lowered his hands, watching. Keeping himself aware of the entire situation, how all of the men moved. Nothing overtly threatening, and that was a boon. "When she is safely in our custody," he continued, doubling down on his guess at their target's gender, while staring at the man who stood. "We will gladly repair your path and send you on your way." The way he spoke was subtle: they would continue forward at his pleasure only and no sooner. When he was finally satisfied, then and only then would the path be open to them. That satisfaction came quickly, if fleeting, as the rangers entered the wagon.


One of the two rangers came upon Anica, cowering in the dark corner, and knelt down to her level. He spoke in hushed tones so only she could hear. "This is on you, my lady. You can come with us quietly and these men you're treveling with will keep their lives. But a single complaint, any fighting back, and I can't promise anything." He was more brazen than Thaos had been, quite clearly why he was not the leader. Too brash and not diplomatic at all, wearing his intentions on his sleeve. "On your feet," he growled, standing up straight himself and waiting for her to follow.

 

[amlia]

They weren't guessing she was in there. They knew. Somehow they knew. It had to be her fathers men. But if they were her fathers men, then why were the soldiers giving them trouble? No. The man called them allies. The entire situation left Anica panicked. She felt trapped.


When the Rangers advanced to the caravan and climbed in, every body moved to tense. To be alert and ready to protect their brothers at a split second.


When the man lowered himself to face the girl at eye level it was the first time anyone payed any attention to the hooded figure. The closest ones grew uncomfortable, now recognizing the few strands of hair now fallen from the hood.


Anica now sat straight up and no longer slouched into the corner. When the stranger spoke she raised her eyes for the first time. When the threat was made she glued her gaze on him. She was a runaway, yes, but these were still her people. She was still going to stick up for them while still standing her ground. A scoff came from her when the ranger ordered her to her feet, and the man next to her sat forward to try and get a look at the female. To try and confirm his suspicions.


The soldier stiffened and sat forward again, as if unsure of what to do. If the men let these Rangers take her then they would be under punishment from the king. Others had seen the look the man gave and took the action, "The girl is ours." The first man spoke, clearly unsure yet of who exactly the 'fugitive' was just yet, "Clearly, if she is here then she is to stay."

 

[Mullen]

Thaos shook his head slowly and hopped into the wagon to join his two men. "'By any means necessary', that was what my king had ordered when he sent me on this mission." Him moving into the wagon had apparently signaled something. The full force of his men started to move in from the tree line. "By any means necessary..." As he repeated the phrase he sighed softly. "You would protect a fugitive?"


He finished speaking and raised his arms in a flourish. The cracking and crumbling of earth filled the air as the wagon was surrounded in a wall of rock, crushing at its edges and making the wood creak with strain. All light was snuffed out as the soft light of the moon and stars was cut off from its interior. The wagin had been turned into a conpletely enclosed bunker of stone. The two rangers with him had instantly gone to work, using that cover of darkness to spring forth a net of roots and vines, immobilizing the soldiers in the cart.


Soft sounds of combat filtered through from the outside, muffled by the thick layer of rock. Thaos brought forth a torch and lit it, surveying the immobilized soldiers. No fatal wounds, yet, but in the dark his men had been sloppy: occasional vines had been thrust through a leg or arm. He shrugged, unphased.


Thaos turned his attention to the girl. "You should have just let us take her."

 

[amlia]

His king. How in the world did they know? Her mind raced, and her eyes snapped over toward the entering man, soon obscured completely by darkness. Soon she was on her feet, alarmed by the sudden change in her surroundings. Her hood was down by the time the torch was lit, only getting in the way.


The men went still while the earth seemed to swallow the wagon whole, but when the torch was lit and the girls face became visible several moved as if to stand and fight off the Rangers. She shouldn't have been there and now they knew it. How could she have come this far without their noticing.


Anica had kept the three strangers at a distace upon standing and held a hand out in the darkness to ensure that they stayed away, She spoke for the first time. Anything to keep harm from them. If anything, her father would send people for her. "If you back off, I'll come."

 

[Mullen]

Thaos shook his head slowly, continuing to stare at her. "At this point, do you think you have much of a choice to come with us?" The noise from outside had quieted down now. Whatever skirmish had taken place apparently had ended. "You had the choice to come out of hiding. You had the choice to come with us willingly. You also, apparently, had the choice to force my hand. What you fail to understand is that I wanted to avoid this, but you left me no other option. I've had enough of your choices, girl. Now you will be subject to mine."


The rangers on either side of her moved to grasp her between them. Thaos waved his hand, opening up the entrance to the wagon through the solid rock. The stone split and cracked, freeing an opening and allowing more of the night's dim light to pierce the wagon's interior. Thaos hopped out and waited.


This would have to be covered up. Make it look like a bandit attack, maybe. He stopped focusing on their prey and now put his thoughts on how to preserve their nation's alliance after an attack like this. Maybe it could not be preserved? His orders rang through his mind like a bell, again he focused on the 'by any means necessary'. Did the king know it would come to this?

 

[amlia]

The girl eyed him for a moment, ignoring the staring from the others. She was supposed to be powerful, and she was supposed to be brave and confident. She wasn't as powerful as they thought, however. She couldn't bring forth massive floods. Nor could she even make a ripple in the water. What she could do frightened her, and therefore she was in no way confident enough to test her newfound abilities now. The creaking of the wood told her it wasn't safe.


Anica narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her, but said nothing. She seemed emotionless. Talking her way out of it now would seem pathetic and dangerous. She had too much dignity to beg, and too much pride to show her fear. Some moved to protest when the rangers took hold of the girl, but ended up knowing better. Any more trouble and there will be blood, they were sure of it. Whether it be theirs or hers, they weren't sure and no one wanted to find out.


She pulled her arms from their grasps when they had met the ground only to be grabbed again. She huffed and lifted her chin a small bit, ignoring he eyes of the soldiers. Confusion was clear as well as the slightest hint of frustration. They didn't know why she was there, and they couldn't do much to stop anything. It was a lose-lose situation.


She refused to speak to the rangers in advance, already tuning out any of their voices. Until she could speak to Thaos, the one who seemed to be in charge alone, she would walk in silence.

 

[Mullen]

Thaos left with his two men following behind, and Anica in tow. They rejoined the rest of the company and stood at the forest's edge, looking back at the caravan. There was no more avoiding it now. He had to make a decision on what to do with the soldiers.


The bandit attack he had been considering did not fit the bill. It would require killing every soldier to the last man so that there would be no one left to tell the truth. If that was going to be the case, he may as well have left no evidence at all. He nodded slowly to himself at that realization, grim as it was. This was war, more or less, and he was under orders. That helped him stomach a share of the guilt, but he pushed even the small lump of guilt that had gathered in his gut aside. There was no room for feelings in this. They were soldiers, fulfilling their duty. They had tried to be helpful, in their way. They had seemed like decent men. None of that mattered.


"Bury the whole scene," he said in a monotone. "We'll travel a few miles and set up camp." He turned away as the sounds of earth and stone being molded once again filled the air. He saw a chasm ripped open in the ground to swallow the caravan before turning away, the two rangers following him with Anica. She did not have to watch this.


He closed his eyes, seeing through the earth what was happening to the soldiers. He ensured that the chasm that swallowed them did not crush them - enough air left in it for a few days, maybe. If they had to will to live, they had the chance to. Assuming they had supplies they could likely survive for rescue, or escape themselves, and at that point he and the other rangers would be long gone. Leave the aftermath to the diplomats.

 

[amlia]

"Bury the whole scene." Those were the words that managed to sneak through her makeshift wall in her mind. A small squeak of protest had been stifled, but her jaw clenched and she did not turn to watch. She did not look at the man in charge. She didn't even flinch when she heard the split in the earth swallowed the wagon. She simply walked, leaving her emotions hidden inside. She seethed, struggling to swallow the anger and the guilt inside of her. Struggling to resist the urge to use any ounce of power in her to fight the rangers and make an attempt at running. She underestimated the men, and because of that the others suffered.


Anica stayed calm and quiet, walking with the strangers. Inside she was quite the opposite, however. Was her father worried? Did he know she was gone? Did he care? She was a coward, of course. She ran from her problems, hid, and got herself into the mess. The soldiers were most likely left to either starve to death or come close to it. And it had all been her doing.


In the dark she hadn't seen the path in front of her, half because it was difficult and half because her mind was elsewhere. There was a small pit in the makeshift path, to which her foot had caught itself in momentarily. She stumbled, but soon regained her proper footing and walked peacefully again. Were they close? They had to be.

 

[Mullen]

After walking for nearly an hour, Thaos came upon a suitable campsite in the middle of the woods. He turned to the two rangers with Anica. "You two go on a hunt. We never got to have our dinner before, and I'm betting our 'fugitive' here hasn't had hers either." They released her and went off silently, quickly disappearing into the dark and the underbrush.


Thaos sat on a fallen tree, thankful for the moment away from his men and the relative peace this campsite promised. "Remember," he said to the night, not truly addressing Anica - more intoning to the wilderness. "That entire mess was avoidable." He pushed the hood from his head, letting it fall to his back and revealing the medium length raven hair that crowned his head. He undid his mantle next, loosening its grip around his neck enough that he felt more at ease.


"It would probably serve your interest to stay by my side," he said, truly addressing Anica now. "I wouldn't trust my men around you alone. And don't run. If you think you're a captive now, you haven't yet discovered what kind of freedom you still have to lose."

 

[amlia]

The walk was silent, and after quite a while of thinking she soon managed to calm her nerves. There was nothing she could do at this point to try and fix the problems. She knew better to run and she knew she couldn't do anything to fix the past.


When they came to the clearing and she was released, she took a few free steps away from each of the men. She rubbed over where their hands had gripped her arms lightly, and by the time she looked back up the men were gone. Anica ignored the comment about it being avoidable, circling the clearing for a moment before stopping to brush her foot over the ground near a large tree. She had heard every word, and figured it was smarter to trust the man. The others seemed to be rather.. brutal.


Her spot was set quite a few feet away from Thaos. Far enough to keep a safe distance, but close enough to where she most likely couldn't be bothered. Her dark eyes trailed over him for the first time, taking in what details she could in the dark. For the second time she spoke, though her voice was still cold; Giving no satisfaction by showing any emotion, "Who are you?"

 

[Mullen]

Her question was expected, and Thaos crossed his arms as he responded. "That question has quite a few answers to it. Did you mean my name? My title? Where I'm from?" He looked in her direction, staring back at her in the darkness. It dulled her features, made them more reserved and harder to distinguish the smaller details. "Does any of that really matter to you right now?"


He sighed and turned to look at the forest, waiting for the rest of his group to catch up. "What I am is more important to you right now than who I am. And there's no sense hiding it. You've probably got a very good guess," he said, picking up a stick gingerly and pointing it in her direction. "But, to distill any doubt, I'm a ranger captain from the earth realm. Are you familiar with the rangers?" They were a well known group, but that did not mean that their fame extended past their home realm.


Few in the earth realm had not heard of the rangers; spies and special operatives who often spent months or years living in the wilds, practicing their control of the earth and plying it for the crown. They were usually solitary, but in extreme circumstances, like this, they would band together under a leader. Task forces like that were usually given a name, such as the 'Fists of Stone' Thaos was currently leading.


He paused, dipping the stick and poking idly at the ground. For what she had been through this day, she deserved more though. He could not give her comfort, but at the very least he did not have to be dismissive or cruel. "If my name still matters to you, it's Thaos." He did not bother to ask hers: keeping distance would make this easier for him. He left out his surname... she would not recognize it, and he did not see the point.

 

[amlia]

She said it mainly to break the silence, but now that he pointed out the different forms of the question she was left curious. It was something she couldn't help. Curiosity came with her blood. Her family and her realm as a whole. Many times the people of the realm were referred to as cats. Their curiosity and their alert, yet quiet personalities were much like the feline's.


When the man specified what he was her eyebrow quirked up the slightest bit. A ranger? She had heard of them before; the few trained man of the Earth realm. They had only been mentioned a few times near her, so she knew very little. She knew that this particular group of men were under the King's rule, and she pieced together that their actions were based off that. Mostly.


"Thaos." She repeated quietly, ignoring the stick being pointed at her. She didn't tell him her name. She wasn't sure if he'd recognize it, and she wasn't sure if it would be good or bad if he did. "Anica." She spoke her name anyways, figuring it might only be fair that she did. It would be rude otherwise, and at this point her goal was to be the complete opposite. Untucking the last of her hair from her cloak, she situated herself so that she soon sat comfortably. Her legs were crossed in front of her, and she fussed with the strip of bark she had previously ripped from the tree at her back.

 

[Mullen]

'Anica', the name was familiar in the sense of a legend. All of that understanding that Thaos had been grasping for hours ago now came flooding to him in a wave so fierce it threatened to crush him. Being so close to the border between their realms, why there was no limit to what the group was allowed to do to accomplish their mission, why there had been no specific details...


They had just kidnapped a royal. A royal who had been recently awakened to control of the earth. He wished that she had left herself anonymous.


He regretted taking his hood down, as he thought of how his face must have looked. He composed himself, quietly, and as he took a moment to himself in silence. "Anica," he repeated in much the same manner that she had. "Well, Anica, I have a question for you. My men and I, we were drawn to you," he said, giving the other rangers more credit than they deserved. "And that usually means that you have control of earth. Would you know anything about that?"


He hoped that her awakening had been a silent one, but he already knew better from that first hint of energy he had received. Anger, frustration. She had done something overt, it was not mundane, and now she had been among soldiers who seemingly had no idea who she was or that she was with them. If they had known that a member of the royal family was among them, they would have had their weapons drawn as soon as Thaos set upon them. She had ran away. Before he let his thoughts spiral further down that rabbit hole, he waited for her response.

 

[amlia]

She saw the slightest movement out of the corner of her eye, and understood now that the man did recognize the name. She wasn't sure just yet, however, if she regretted it or not. Either it makes things worse, or gives her an advantage. Her eyes casted over his way while he made his attempt to compose himself.


She wasn't amused, nor was she afraid. She was still piecing it all together herself. She wasn't supposed to have these abilities. She was a descendent of Thalassa. Not Dagan. How in the world did she end up with this? Anica eyed him for a moment, unsure if she trusted the man enough to speak more of the truth. "I knew." She kept her answer vague. It was clear she was aware of it. She was running, as he had probably figured out by now.


The girl didn't trust the others. If Thaos didn't trust them, then she had absolutely no reason to. Pushing her dark hair out of her eyes, she glanced off toward the darkness. They had left a while ago, and must be heading back sometime soon. That was all the reason she had to drop the subject and try to avoid it.

 

[Mullen]

The rest of the rangers arrived at the chosen campsite, filtering in one by one after taking the time to carefully cover up the scene where the wagon had been buried. Without a word they started to set up their own tents, making the camp with the same speed and gusto that they had broken it hours before. This time, however, they were not just motivated by Thaos: they were motivated by hunger and their own need to rest.


Thaos continued to sit on the log with Anica, watching the process as the camp unfolded before them. He was not willing to give up on her awakening, not just yet, given how odd the circumstances of it had been. Never before, to his knowledge, had one of the gods graced their favor on another's child. Was this a blessing, really, or a disease? Was it the sign of something more dire happening in the aether?


"So, you knew," he said as he continued to watch the camp. "Would you care to expand on that? What happened?"

 

[amlia]

Her eyes traveled over the different men while they each worked on their tents. Her lips no longer moved and she no longer made a sound. She watched the rangers, sure, but didn't truly see them. She wanted to be in two places at once. She wanted to be back home, watching what went down when her Father found her gone. Found the damage. Would he regret it, or would he relieved? Surely her mother would be upset by it. She wondered if word had somehow gotten out about the happening with the wagon.


She didn't fear the men, knowing that they were here because they were drawn to her. They knew of these abilities. Their King knew, and she wasn't ordered to be killed. The men were finishing their camp when her eyes finally focused and flicked shut for a split second. The corner of her lips quirked up in amusement when she heard him question it.


"That'll be something I'll answer when a know a little more than your name and the fact that you're just a ranger." Anica's eyes flickered his way, intending to prove to the man that she wasn't just willing to talk. Especially to someone who just did such a thing to her people.

 

[Mullen]

"All I know..." he closed his eyes and extended his hand towards Anica, making a show of 'divining' the information. Useless motions to him, but it tended to ease people's worries and mistrust of elemental abilities if it did not seem as natural to him as breathing. To expend additional effort needlessly for their benefit. She was no common person though. Magic had been running thick through her family's veins for generations, and that meant she did not fear or misunderstand its power, but it was just what he was used to when dealing with others. "Is it was very recent, today most likely, and it was in anger. Caused you to run away, too. Did you hurt someone?" He did not truly expect her to answer, but saw no harm in raising the question.


Thaos hopped off of the log as the hunters returned with two fresh kills, a young deer slung over each of their shoulders. "Hopefully you like meat," he said coyly to Anica as he finally got to making his own tent. A circle of men had started a cooking fire, its light dancing through the camp as Thaos worked and the two men started to prepare their deer for the upcoming meal. A few quick cuts in slow, steady motions and a quick rip was all it took to flay the animals and start to remove their furs.


When his tent was made he looked to Anica, and motioned towards it. "All yours. Feel free to rest when you're tired." He left her there on the log now, joining the rest of his men by the fire. It had grown already, new kindling added and two spits hastily constructed. There was nowhere that she could run that they would not find her, not here in the wilderness. For now, at least, he made good on his word of her still having freedom. It was a muted version of it, but freedom in the camp was maybe enough.

 

[amlia]

The way Thaos seemed to know all this didnt cause the girl to grow uncomfortable, but rather relieved. He knew the answer already, meaning she didn't have to go through the trouble of finding the words herself. She was contemplating answering the question when the others returned.


She stayed perched up on the log to think it over. She didn't harm anyone. Not that she knew of. That offered some ease to her worries and caused her to untense just the slightest bit. Seeing that the tent was made and offered to her, Anica eyed the man for some time before finally moving from her position. She entered the tent, making sure that as she passed Thaos she made audible a "Thank you."


Upon entering the tent she peeled away the cloak, leaving her in simple clothing. Nothing extroidary, but enough. Her dark hair fell to her back, contrasting with the off-white colored shirt. She placed herself near the back and centered centered herself, far enough back into the tent so that the shadows concealed her but close enough so that she could watch the fire.

 

[Mullen]

She had not discredited anything he had said, which meant his assumption on her runaway status had hit the mark. He needed to know more though... Even if nothing from that wagon was ever found, this did not look good for their nation's alliance. An odd thing to be worried about, given that they were now traveling with a member of the royal family that they had essentially kidnapped. If she had been awakened in a loud way, a noticeable way...


Without knowing what she had done or seeing her wield the power with their own eyes, there would be none who would believe she had power over earth. That meant whatever she had done would be noticed alongside her absence. That led to an easy assumption: she had been forcefully attacked and taken from the capital. The evidence would point that way, and it would be half true. That line of logic was not comforting in the slightest.


He kept his distance from the other men, listening to their stories and their banter but never getting involved himself. He did not share much with these men other than their mission, and once it was over they would be strangers as much as they had been before. As the first bits of meat had finished cooking he drew his knife and cut a flank, tossing it to a tin plate with a loud thump. He picked up the plate and brought it back to his tent, offering it to Anica. "Have you had venison before? Not exactly a refined meat."