Strange Happenings in the Forest

[Arthas Orion]

Arthas skulked through the forest, a walking ball of nervous energy. His ears pricked at every noise, his sword arm flexed rythmically over the hilt of his sword while his other hand realeased a steady, controlled stream of fire magic that caused the air around it to shimmer mirage-like.

Eyes scanning the land in front of him, and expecting an ambush around every tree, the warrior crept doggedly onward. He was following reports of bizarre events in the forest. The moment he had heard "bizarre events" an image of Gabriel flashed in his mind. But even as he searched, he knew all too well that he was vulnerable, just a lone human in a tattered cloak susceptible to attack at any moment. So, try as he did to keep himself in check, he felt an edge of anxiety at the utter quiet of the forest which connected his battle senses to hair-trigger reflexes.

[Kiera]

Kiera smiled as Arisha tossed her head and snorted,

"steady there girl! I dont want dumping out here thank you very much these boots werent made for walking!" The horse stepped forward carrying her mistress the rest of the way from the depths of the forest, frowning Kiera noticed a strange sensation on her skin, a prickling almost, someone was using magic. Pushing the horse forward she sat low on arishas back.

"Hello?" she called out unsure of who or what would answer her.

[Arthas Orion]

Arthas pressed himself flat against a tree, more from panic than caution. Slowly he peered around his cover, but saw only the hindquarters of a horse and a brief glimpse of the rider before springing to action. Drawing his sword and summoning a ball of fiery energy, he emerged from hiding and faced the Queen.

"Turn." He commanded, pointing his sword and raising his fireball in the rider's direction. He set himself up in his classic stance and steeled his expression, looking for all the world like the kind of warrior he admired even though inside he felt like anything but.

[Vahlis (MMV)]

As dawn broke...

Strange noises found their ways to the ears of the Beguiler...
Jumping down from the tree that was to be his temporary shelter, V prepared himself for a little "Site seeing" of the new area that he now occupied...

Being new to the area, Vahlis found himself quite amazed at what was now in front of him...
"A forest... hmm... it seems to be almost inviting me... I guess it'll give me a chance to survey the land" thinking to himself, and with that, his mind was made up.
He continued onward towards the forest at a slow pace, trying to catch all of the details of the land that he had stumbled upon.

****
sorry guys duty calls.
my apologies all. sergeant wants me to train some so i got no time at all
take care guys.

[Kiera]

Kiera reigned in her horse and smiled down at the would be warrior in front of her not in the slightest bit fazed,

"Good morning!" she nodded before sliding down from her saddle the horse nickered nervouslya nd pawed at the ground.

"Hush beautiful!" Kiera laid a comforting hand on the gleaming hide of the majestic looking animal. She turned back to the warrior in front of her,

"Put that darn thing away before you do yourself an injury!" Kiera could hear footsteps and was sensing the pressence of another in the forest her head tilted as the footfalls could be heard quite clearly.

[Arthas Orion]

Arthas bristled, shocked at having been shrugged off so abruptly. He took a step forward, and in a manner of moments his face turned red with anger, and then clouded over in confusion, and then brightened as recognition took him.

"Kiera?" Relieved, he dispelled his magic and withdrew his blade. "You scared me; I thought you were an enemy." He took a few steps forward. Despite his best efforts, it was still obvious as he approached that he was a bundle of nerves. Several times he tripped over nothing, and always he was looking out for hidden assassins. "So," he said conversationally, "What are you doing out here?

[Kiera]

Kiera smiled and leant against her horses side as she surveyed one of her remaining friends from the days when she had no one to depend on bar the few she loved and held dear to her heart,

"I was trying to find the entrance to Tristam, It is Byrans birthday," Kieras half brother who had stepped into her shoes as the King when she had been imprisoned by Tullaris had been buried in a memorial in the Tristam where he had died at the hands of the same Dark Elf that still haunted Kiera regularly and thoughts of his ever returning cast a dark shadow over the brightness in Chepi. She hadnt returned to the graveside in the many years since his passing and finally the guilt of abandoning him had become to much and today she felt she must seek him out.

"What about you old friend? you seem rather tense!" Kieras head tilted to one side as she regarded the knight before her,

[Arthas Orion]

"I was looking around... for Gabriel." He explained. As he spoke, he seemed to relax visibly. He noted to himself that he always seemed to calm down around Kiera. Maybe it was because he knew firsthand what the Queen was capable of, or maybe it was something he couldn't quite place, some quiet projection of genial calm that seemed to pervade her every action. As he gazed idly at her, he released all of his pent-up anxiety in a profound sigh.

It was then that he realized how long things had been silent. "Oh, um... Ahem..." he bobbed his head demurely as he fought the color rising to his cheeks, "My apologies; I kind of let my thoughts wander for a moment." He thought to change the subject. "You're by yourself? Things aren't exactly safe in this forest right now, if any of the rumors are true."

[Kiera]

Kiera smiled as her horse free to roam as always wandered off after spotting a squirrel her nose quivering with excitement, looking back at Arthas she pulled a thoughtful face,

"Gabriel huh i didnt realise he was around and about again? as for being alone, you know I never pay heed to rumors withiut solid proof behind them, until such time as someone triues to take my head from my shoulders then i shall continue to roam my kingdom as I always do" she grinned a playful gleam in her eye

"Perhaps that is just what we need, things have been far to quiet lately, the kingdom is becoming complacent!" she shook her head before turning and taking a seat in a low branch of the tree beside her so low it was only three feet from the ground.

"How is it that you hear of these rumours yet I as leader of this realm know nothing?!"

[Arthas Orion]

Arthas's expression darkened for the briefest of moments, then switched to a genial smile and a sigh. "I swear, Kiera, you have nothing if not confidence," he drawled, avoiding the question posed at him. "You'd best be careful saying those things, m'lady. You may just get the calamity you're looking for."

He kicked absently at a stone. "It has been quiet lately, though. That usually means something really bad is about to happen."

[Kiera]

Kiera laughed the sound rising gaily in the air,

"Confident maybe, stupid I am not, i think perhaps you know more than you are letting on about rumors of calamity?" she sighed fixing her friend with a level gaze,

"Arthas we have coped before and we shall cope again already once my people have showed me my confidence in them is justified and I do not intend to worry them further for he time being, let them enjoy the peace until that time that we know it is indeed about to be broken!"

[Gabriel]

Gabriel stopped in mid-stride and lifted his nose to the air. A pair of familliar scents wafted to him, scents that made his hackles stand on end. Turning his ears, he could hear conversation, only just bordering on coherence. It was a simple matter for him to match the scents and the voices to faces, an act that only infuriated him further. Before he knew what he was doing, he was padding forward, his wolf paws making as little noise as possible and his rucksack bouncing cumbersomely on his back.

Soon he was within sight of the pair. Caution taking over once again, he crouched down into the foliage and watched them cautiously.