PM to join [Kabrin Road] Wolves at the Wagon (Aren)

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow 75th Day of Winter 514 AV A baccus was not pleased with her today. Having just packed the better part of a deer carcass on his back to the walled city to sell the meat to local butcher, the Bloodbane was tossing his head about and stamping impatiently at the frozen ground. Dino Alban hadn't been in, or had otherwise been occupied, Saraphina hadn't really asked, but one of his son's had seen the Kelvic coming. With her mount loaded down with meat, skinned and ready to be properly processed, it hadn't taken long to unload her surly horse. A fair price had been bartered, the Alban's always appreciated the fresh meat she brought in on a regular basis's and she in turn liked the fact that the humans didn't try to cheat her hard work. But Abaccus was always left in an uncooperative mood after bringing a load into the city. Clearly her high maintenance Bloodbane thought himself better than being used as a pack mule. Not trusting the sorrel stallions current mood, she choose to walk on foot for a ways, leading Abaccus behind her. The North Kabrin Road was well travelled. Wagon wheel tracks, horse prints and human footprints had worn down the snow, leaving a hard pack but rather slippery surface. Saraphina's natural feline grace made traversing the hazard easier, but her horse was stepping much more cautiously. It made the Kelvic think that perhaps she should consider having metal horseshoes put on her stallions hooves to help his gait. A...hot, moist snort blew across her shoulder, ruffling her hair and sending a puff of white steam into the air. She stoically ignored her irritated horse, shifting a hand to her belt to readjusted the two knife sheathed at her hips. Two sharp daggers, each used for a different purpose. One was a skinning knife while the other was used for quartering hunches of meat into more workable parts. Abaccus was starting to get a bit too spoiled with his more relaxed life in her campsite. When she'd been in Zeltiva, the Bloodbane had been used quite frequently for travel and patrols. Now that she'd switch to a freelance hunter, she only really used Abaccus when they travelled to the city and he was usually hauling her kills on his back. Still, the two did still get along well and she was happy to share bits of her prey with the aggressive horse. A hard nudge finally made her pause and turn to look at the dark sorrel. Wide spread black eyes regarded her stoically, flaring nostrils filled the air with clouds of moist white mist and one front hoof pawed at the ground. Saraphina did not falter, she held the dominate Bloodbane's eyes with a steely resolve, unblinking and unmoving. Finally, after Abaccus had tossed his head, shimmed his rear end and gashed his teeth, the stallion lowered his head. Nudging softly at her hands in apologise for acting up, the red head lifted her fingers and scratched her mount behind the ears. He leaned into her affectionate touch with a soft groan and she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips, "You certainly keep me on my toes Abaccus. I know you hate hauling loads to the city, but this is what we need to do now to bring in some money. You like the apples I got for you right? I can get those without Mizas, so your going to have to put your pride aside once and a while. Alright?" Her mount's ears flicked back and forth as she spoke. Sometimes, Saraphina swore her horse understood her...then there were other times she thought he acted up just because he felt like it. W ith a relative peace established between horse and keeper, Saraphina walked to the side of her mount. Tightening the saddle girth to secure the leather seat, she lowered the stirrup down. Sliding the reins around Abaccus's neck, she lifted a foot and placed it in the foothold. Heaving up, she slung her leg over the sorrels broad back, slipping her other foot into the opposite stirrup. Her horse walked forward as she positioned herself, making it harder to mount up, but to her relief, he didn't bolt or buck as she'd half expected him to. The leather of the saddle still had a lingering odor of raw meat from where she'd strapped the carcass to it. That couldn't be helped, maybe she'd purchase a proper pack harness next time. Gently touching her toes to the Bloodbane's flank, she headed up the North Road. She hadn't traveled more that a few chimes when a deep creaking whine split the air. Abaccus perked up and shifted beneath her, lifting his head and loosing a high pitched whinny. The call was answered back by several other horses. Saraphina could see in the distance a small train of movement, a twisting line of dark brown, rectangular shapes. A caravan, likely coming in from North Syliras....possible even Taldrea. Excitement filled her as she got closer. The horses pulling the wagons looked to be Avanthalian Sleigh Horses, large, hardy mounts easily capable of navigating the deep snow of her homeland. So the train was from the winter country. Now she wanted to talk with them, see if anything new had occurred, get some gossip from the northern province. T igthening her hold on Abaccus's reins, just in case he decided to be a jerk towards the other horses. Pulling over to the side of the road, she looked for the wagon master. The leader in charge of guiding the caravan through the wilds and bringing it to the city. A middle aged man dressed in warm furs and carrying a long sword sheathed at his waist looked over at her and held up a hand in a wave. Taking the invitation, Saraphina steered Abaccus alongside the wagon so she could talk to the dark haired human, "Hello traveller. Where are your hailing from?" The caravan leader looked over the red haired Kelvic with an appraising look and answered after a few moments, "We're from the Spires, been travelling for a long while. How much further to the Fortress City, my men are in need of a rest." Saraphina grinned brightly at the news. So they were from Taldrea, in fact they were close to Avanthal. What fortune for her. "Not far, maybe another few bells of travel. Might I join your train for a bit? I am from Avanthal and haven't heard news from the area for some time. It would be nice to talk with someone who's been there recently." The aged man smiled and nodded. Happy with the choice, she let Abaccus fall in step with the harnessed Sleigh Horse, chatting happily with the Taldrea traders.

[Aren]

How many hours had he been standing on this freezing stretch of road now? Three? Four? All of them!? The cold was truly a bitter foe, and the Akalak cursed the day he and Seros made peace. Mental discipline was a cornerstone of keeping one's Other in check. It wasn't a choice, but a necessity. Allowing oneself to become lax in that department opened the door to disaster and tragedy. What happened, however, when that burden was lifted? The cold you once staved off with nothing but gloomy stoicism became a biting, chilling pain in the ass. That's what. Furthermore, his usual attire, designed more to prevent the hindering of movement, and less the onset of frostbite, did not help matters any. Lax discipline or no, spending so much time in the cold in what he wore was bound to be brutal. "Where the hell is that caravan? He said eight bell, ninth at the most! When I get my hands on that little bastard I'm going to wring his scrawny neck..." Aren found himself shouting his inner thoughts out loud, as if vocalizing them would somehow materialize the object of his rage before his very eyes. Fortunately, a few strings of obscure and almost incomprehensible Eypharian curses (the meaning of which he himself did not even know) later, at long last the Akalak spotted what he assumed to be the caravan in question approaching. "By Wyzar's freezing balls, finally." Raising an arm to wave at the approaching cohort -an act the cutting shill immediately made him regret- Aren was trying to make certain the group did not (understandably) confuse the large, well-armed individual for a threat the likes of a bandit or highwayman. It would have been unfortunate; after all, if the man who was supposed to be protecting them received an unceremonious arrow to the head from the very people he had been tasked with guarding during this leg of the journey. Luckily, the group seemed to be expecting some sort of escort, and did not seem inappropriately nervous to see a complete, somewhat dangerous looking stranger on the road. “Woooooh, girl. Easy…” As the lead rider of the caravan came to a halt, so too did the entire procession quickly follow his lead, “What can I do for you, friend?” The man did not seem overly unfriendly, but his look and tone betrayed a sense of inherent caution any experienced traveler would recognize in another. “I’m your escort to Syliras. That asshole Scraggy sent me to wait for you here… hours ago,” Aren quickly explained, knowing that an unsatisfactory explanation was likely to warrant blood. The rider eyed him up and down, eyeing his supposed escort with the hyper critical gaze of a man who’s met his fair share of disreputable individuals. After a few moments, the tension in the air seemed to break as he accepted Aren’s identity, “Sounds like ol’ Scraggy.” Breathing a sigh of relief, the Akalak had been keenly aware of what might have happened had this encounter gone a different way. At best, he wouldn't have been allowed to join the group as they made their way towards Syliras, and this would have almost certainly meant a forfeiture of his wages. “We got a couple of extra mares if you need to get off your feet friend, although…” Eyeing Aren’s bulk, the rider suddenly realized the offer might be a tad cruel towards the mares in question, “…I can’t rightly say how long they’ll hold you.” Although he nodded in appreciation for the concern, Aren waved the offer off, “I’m used to walking… besides, me and horses don’t exactly see eye to eye. Especially when I’m riding them,” He explained, although the rider’s thoughts already seemed in sync with his own, voicing similar concerns. Before he turned and took his place at the head of the caravan, which was naturally the best place from which to scout and react to danger, the Akalak's eyes couldn't help but be briefly drawn to one of the members of the group. Her striking features and burning crimson hair stood out amongst the dreary landscape like a vibrant rose in an otherwise dead garden. Although a sense of professionalism prevented his gaze from lingering on the young woman overlong, Aren only unwillingly removed it from one of the few pleasing sights he had seen this whole miserable winter. "Seems even this cold can't dampen a pure blooded Akalak's fire, huh?" Seros volunteered, both with pride, and with the intent of provoking a reaction from his brother. Aren did not feel like giving him any such satisfaction, but he knew the quickened pace of his heart betrayed him.

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow T he conversation with the caravan leader flowed easily as they traveled. Saraphina exchanged her name and learned that the dark haired human was nicknamed 'Grounder'. Why that was, even he didn't know, but the name had stuck and that was what she addressed him by. The chill of winter made her bundle a bit tighter into her black wool cloak, though she was far less bothered by it than most. Both because of her Kelvic bloodline and her childhood in Avanthal. The bite of winter didn't hit her as hard as others. Grounder kept up a steady stream of noise, telling the ginger of some of the happens of Taldera. The cold season had been particular harsh and food shortages were getting to be a problem. Saraphina frowned a bit at that, worrying for her Mother, but there was little she could do aside from trust those close to her to take care of her. Maybe she would send a letter back with Grounder if he intended to return to the Spires. That way, at least she could have some contact with her parent. A s the train moved further along, Saraphina's eye fell onto a figure standing in the middle of the road. An arm was raised and waved at the group and the Kelvic imidiatly stiffened in suspisiousn. Golden eyes darted to the trees as though expecting black fletched arrows to sudden fly towards the group. She supposed it was her mercenary training from Zeltiva kicking in. A lone traveller on a road made for a good distraction for an ambush from the forest. But no movement was seen, the woods were quite....almost too silent. Saraphina shrugged off the sense of unease and turned to view the man standing in the caravan's path. Once she drew closer, her eyes blinked rapidly, as though the movement might change the picture that she saw in front of her. Grounder and the gigantic man were exchanging words, but Saraphina heard none of it. The...man?....was BLUE!! A light sapphire shade complete with burning gold eyes and cropped hair. Well muscled and clearly able to handle himself, he was perhaps one of the strangest people she'd ever seen. I t took several moments for her brain to catch up to what her eyes were seeing. By that time, the strangers sun touched eyes had passed over her in an appreciative gaze before the caravan's wheels creaked and things were moving again. Shaking off her shock, Saraphina pulled Abaccus to a stop. Clearly Grounder thought him safe enough to keep with the train, so she figured it would be alright to approach him. Now that the stun had worn off, a massive surge of curiosity took hold of the young Kelvic. She just HAD to know more about this blue skinned giant of a bipedal. Clearly he wasn't human, but she had no clue what he might be. A shifter race like the Iyvess maybe? Or maybe some other type of human she'd never heard of. Dismounting as quickly as she could, Saraphina weaved between the wagons till she could see the towering form of Aren. His height was surprising to the Kelvic, normally she was taller or as tall as most men. But compared to this one, she was positively dwarfed. And it was an odd feeling. Leading her mount alongside him, but taking care to stay a respectable distance away, words blurted out of her mouth before she could stop them, "What are you? Why are you blue? Is that normal or do you change colors?" She gave only a passing thought that her bluntness and disregard for normal social niceties might be considered rude or might even anger the Akalak. The Kelvic was fascinated by this new discovery and she was itching to learn more.

[Aren]

The cold felt stifling. The wind cut into his bones like vicious razors and somehow the dreariness of the landscape made the biting chill feel even worse. It was one of the few times that Aren, a wanderer and adventurer by nature, felt the burning urge to return home. Not because it was any warmer there, but because thoughts of home tended to have that effect during times of misery. Unpleasant though the circumstances might be, the Akalak fought to ignore the cold as best he could, and concentrate on the task before him. The protection of travelers might not have seemed like the most glamorous of professions, but any avoidable loss of life on his watch would be a personal stain on his conscience. He might have been a warrior; war his trade, and death the currency exchanged, but sometimes life was the desired end result. Gloomy weather often inescapably led to gloomy thoughts however, as he was all too well aware, but before the Akalak's mind could wander too far down a somber path he felt his ears assaulted by questions. Despite his efforts, so engrossed was the towering blue warrior in the melancholy provoked by the bleak weather, that he nearly had not noticed the approach of the comely lass he had earlier stolen a glance at. The verbal barrage caught him off guard for a second, as most people possessed a sense of propriety that prevented them from asking any and every question that popped into their head. Aren soon spotted the likely cause of this however, as he began to notice more of the girl's features. Elongated canines, long fingernails more reminiscent of claws than actual nails, and decidedly inhuman eyes that betrayed a somewhat bestial nature. These seemed like the tell tale signs of a Kelvic, but his knowledge of them was second hand at best, complete rumor at worst. For all Aren knew, she could have been something else entirely. "Where I'm from, it's considered polite to introduce yourself before bombarding someone with such intimate and personal questions." The blue skinned giant teased, feigning mock insult before promptly turning his face to reveal a mischievous grin. Truth be told, Aren did not mind the questions at all, and it was certainly against his nature not to graciously accept the attentions of an attractive woman. "MY name is Aren... Aren Anazasz." The childish smile on this tall, azure colored mountain seemed almost out of place, but it did not hold even a hint of an ulterior motive, as so many do. It was earnest and warm and genuine, without reservation.

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow S araphina blinked rather owlishly at the giants response to her verbal assault. Having to tilt her head upwards just to see Aren's face made it a bit harder to distain his expression, but his scent didn't betray any hints of anger or irritation. She took that as a good sign. And the flash of white teeth behind cyan lips was a starchily opposite reaction for one who was annoyed at another. The Kelvic didn't offer an apology to the Akalak, but did return the grin with a smile of her own. Extending out her hand, she responded happily, "Saraphina Skyglow. Nice to meet you Aren. I've never met anyone who looked like you before...you're huge. I bet you can fight good as well." The ginger thought a bit about Aren's comment. Yes, it probably was inappropriate to blurt out her thoughts without introductions, but her curiosity simply couldn't be steamed at times. It overflowed like a riverbank in a flood, bursting the dams her Mother tried so hard to build up. She just had to know more about this weird, blue man. P erhaps if she offered something of herself to Aren, he might be more willing to share some information. It worked with humans sometimes. Though Saraphina had no idea if this massive man was human or something else. For Morwen's sake, he looked like he could wrestle with a Talderan Snow Bear and still had energy left for a bar room brawl. If she wasn't so driven by her need to learn and experience more, caution would have been better in approaching Aren. But Saraphina had a habit of forgetting to approach situations with care from time to time. Often that landed her in a heap of trouble, but she'd always managed to crawl away from them. Here was hoping her luck would hold out if this monster of a blue skinned bear decided to take offense to her inquiries. "I'm a Kelvic from Avanthal and I've been living around Syliras for a bit. I didn't get to see much of the world up north so...." Saraphina offered a guiltless shrug as an explanation before continuing, "I get curious....too much so sometimes, my Mother used to say. That's not paint on your skin is it? I met a Eypharian who liked to paint her face. It was a bit odd, but she was nice I guess." T he weapon strapped to Aren's back was weird looking to the Kelvic as well. Everything about the Akalak was just so...interesting. The Scythe wasn't anything she was familiar with, having not been around any farms where threshing was common. Still, it looked deadly and powerful. Even though she was almost completely consumed with the burning need to just know more, her natural animal instincts did ring in the back of her mind to be aware. Dangers came in many forms, in many faces and could strike without warning. As much as she wanted to know about Aren, she was still a predator at heart. And she recognised power and dominance when she saw it. There was something off about the Akalak's scent. Something subtle and faint, almost undetectable. Even her instincts weren't having much luck pinning down what it was. It was almost like...two different scents of two different people blending together, flowing in a twisting harmony. But her young mind wasn't able to understand what her senses were detecting, and truthfully, right now she was far more interested in the conversation than what her subtle, shadowy baser reflex's were trying to puzzle out. OOCRead this thread to learn more about Saraphina's experience with what she thinks are Eypharians if you like. Priorities

[Aren]

Aren happily took her hand in his, the warmth of it making him realize just how cold his own skin must feel to her."It is my very good pleasure to meet you, Miss Skyglow," He replied, unconsciously falling into overly formal greeting; remnants of his mother's upbringing he had never managed to shake off. Withdrawing from that pleasant heat only hesitantly, Saraphina's words provoked the Akalak's hand to instinctively transition to caress the scythe at his back, "That's why they hired me to watch over your caravan. If anybody gets any bright ideas about trying to mess with it... I'm here to dissuade them from their foolish path, hopefully BEFORE I have to chop a couple of them into pieces. Aren spoke very matter-of-factly. He knew that sometimes the look of an imposing foe was enough to dissuade the taking of an unwise engagement, but he also knew that stupidity and desperation often meant that the only thing that mattered was how skillfully you could separate men's heads from their bodies. "Avanthal? Sounds cold..." Aren shivered at the mere mention of a place more northern, and thus likely colder than his current residence. Promptly shaking the unpleasant feeling off, the Akalak smiled at Saraphina's "revelation" that she might have been possessed of an unhealthy amount of curiosity. "Curious? You? I don't believe it..." The giant teased, but warm, sun colored eyes and a foolish smirk betrayed the intent of his remark. "Ah, my skin. Well, you see-" Before he could finish his sentence however, Saraphina had mentioned that she had met an Eypharian who painted her skin, and THIS is what she found odd about them, "Wait, her skin? Not the six arms? 'Cause that's what always got to me." "A truly remarkable specimen, this one is," Seros quipped, his mocking and demeaning tone rang out as plain as day in Aren's mind. "Quiet," Aren demanded, and but he could feel Seros' self satisfied mug staring back at him, and this time the darker Other decided this was a good topic to latch on to. "Yeah, she's pretty, but she doesn't exactly have too much going on up-" Before he could finish the sentence though, his brother's reply forced his compliance, "Continue speaking, if you want to get us both killed." Aren certainly was one for idle threats, but Seros immediately recognized his brother's words not as a threat, but a warning. His senses were all briefly focused on one spot to the side of the road, in the manner a warrior focuses his senses on the enemy before him. It might have seemed to his new acquaintance that he was lost in thought or perhaps simply not paying attention, but something just barely within Aren's field of vision had drawn his gaze, just for a moment. He had been switching to his infravision sporadically as the cold environs made warm blooded creatures easier to spot, but the Akalak couldn't tell if what he had seen had just been a rabbit darting through the trees, a specter the mind-numbing chill had made him imagine, or perhaps something all-together more sinister. All he knew was that his instincts told him to be on his guard. "Miss Skyglow... I am hoping a Kelvic's senses might be better than my own. If I am not incorrect, I would request you direct them over yonder." Aren shot the girl a glance, not daring to point to or otherwise lack subtlety in drawing her attention to the problem, lest said problem be intelligent enough to recognize too obvious a gesture. "Slowly now. Wouldn't want to give the game away," He whispered, his right hand simultaneously, and almost imperceptibly, inching towards the strap on his chest which held his scythe in place.

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow A ren seemed to have quite a good sense of humor. It made Saraphina feel more comfortable in his presence knowing that this hulk of a man could jest and joke happily. She grinned back at the Akalak, bouncing on the balls of her feet as her excitement of this fascinating discovery filled her with boundless energy, "Its not my caravan, I just stopped to talk with them and get some new gossip of the happenings in Taldera. My Mother is still living up there, so I wanted to make sure nothing serious has happened recently." She walked happily beside Aren, leading Abaccus, who was acting surprisingly docile considering he was near other horses. Maybe the mounts strapped to the wagons were female or gelded, that might make the stallion less inclined to be aggressive. Or maybe he was content with the fact that he'd irritated her earlier and had decided to behave for a while. Aren's puzzlement at her statement on Eypharian made her eyebrows pinch together and she tilted her head in confusion, "Six...arms. She didn't have six arms, she was human. So...Eypharian's have six arms? Is that even possible?" B eing young and unexposed to most things in the world, Saraphina relied on her exposure to things to supplement her knowledge. Books could provide a useful learning tool, she knew that. But her Kelvic nature made it hard for her to focus on such things for long periods of time without a force to keep her on track. So most of what she knew, she'd learned or deducted from others she'd met or rumors she'd heard about. The gap of knowledge that most human's learned from their parents or from their studies often made her appear dull and stupid, when truthfully, all it was just a lack of knowing. Saraphina was a wildling, a hunter and inhabitant of the forests. She simple didn't know about other cultures or civilizations. Which is why she often bluntly asked about things she didn't know about, to expand her knowledge. S uch was her interest in what Aren was saying that her natural senses of keeping an eye on her surroundings was muted. The Akalak seemed to be a wealth of knowledge and she craved to learn as much as she could. But the glowing yellow eyes of the scythe wielder darted towards the surrounding trees and his voice lowered menacingly as he asked for her to direct her attention elsewhere. Immediately going on guard, she flicked her golden orbs towards the treeline. Stretching out her senses as far as she could while still maintaining a casual appearance was difficult, but she managed not to look suspicious. Carefully turning her head, she sniffed the air and tilted her head to allow sounds to more easily reach her ears. A flash of silvery color and a trickle of wind blowing past had her hackles raising in defense. To those watching her, they would see her hand grip the larger dagger at her wasit, drawing it out and her flaming red hair seem to puff up a bit, much like the hair on a cat back would when they were startled or angry. One word hissed passed fanged teeth, dripping with venom and hate, for she had detected the presence of her natural enemy. An age old conflict that continued on to the present day. "WOLVES!!" A lmost as soon as the warning had left her lips, the ravenous pack descended from the darkening forest. Forthing, saliva covering teeth were displayed, yellow eyes flashed with desperation and hunger and howls filled the air as five bounding canine predators launched towards the caravan. The pack was small and clearly quite sickly. Each wolf looked thin and scraggly, their fur was matted and dirty and ribs could be seen through their fur. It was hunger and survival that drove them to attack a human guarded train, they were desperate for food. Saraphina understood the dogs reasons for attacking, but she still had a hard time trying to feel mercy for them. As a feline predator, wolves, dogs and all their kin were her natural enemy. Cats and dogs had fought and conflicted with each other since the dawn of time. And as this pack seemed to think the caravan was fair game, she saw no reason to hold back. After all, less predators in the forest meant more game for her. It was part of the natural cycle of nature, the laws that she'd lived by all her life. Two of the starving dogs raced towards the lead pack horse, jaws open wide to close over the tethered mounts legs. The largest wolf, a midnight black canine that was likely the alpha male, circled around the caravan but didn't attack outright. Grounder gave a cry and leapt off the wagon, drawing his long sword and swinging at the two wolves trying to harm his horse. One large, dark brown wolf made a beeline for Aren, eyes rolling in his skull at it leaped into the air to try and drive the Akalak to the ground. S araphina found herself confronted by a skinny but clearly determine female wolf, who growled and snarled in the canine language. She smelled the cat on her and her own instincts demanded she killed the intruder. Saraphina dropped Abaccus's reins, trusting her mount to find a safe place till the fight was over. It wasn't the first fight her Bloodbane had been in. Quickly drawing her second dagger, Saraphina darted to the side and slashed the sharp blade towards the wolves muzzle. The cream colored canine jumped back and snapped at the air before lunging forward. The Kelvic switched her grip on the dagger to a reverse hold so the blade was flush along her forearm. As the wolf jumped towards her, she dodged to the side and slashed the blade along the predators flank. The sharp steel sliced through fur and flesh with ease, drawing blood to the surface and making the wolf yowl in pain. Alas, it wasn't a mortal wound and the cream dog whirl about to face Saraphina again.

[Aren]

Aren had become too focused on the possibility of an ambush to pay attention to much of the remainder of the conversation with his lovely new acquaintance. He made out a word here or there, but it was nothing coherent. Caravan, Human, Eypharian; terms devoid of context which subsequently had no meaning to him. Once he had suggested to Saraphina that she attempt to discern whether his suspicions were baseless or not, however, his attention rapidly focused almost entirely on her. Aren wanted to be ready to notice the instant her muscles prepared to tense. The moment her skin flushed. That split second where her senses would confirm what he suspected, before her mind was even aware of it. He was simply not going to wait for a verbal cue to inform him that they were under attack. It felt as if whole lifetimes passed him by as he waited for the Kelvic girl's attempt to ascertain the validity of his suspicions. All manner of thoughts seemed to creep up on him during this time. They always did, didn't they? In that moment before you knew whether or not you were about to be in a fight for your life. Doubts: can her senses even be trusted? Nostalgia: I wonder what they're doing right now? Regrets: why didn't I take a piss while I had the chance? And then of course, there was the fear. The Akalak may have been a reasonably grizzled warrior, but only fools and madmen didn't experience fear on the battlefield. An arrow you didn't see coming could end your life in a heartbeat, and there was really nothing you could do about it. Once the fighting started it became easier to push that aside, to do what you were trained to do. In that lull between calm and chaos, however; that was the moment were people's nerves failed them most often. At least, so had been his experience. Time suddenly seemed to speed up again as Aren finally noticed the signs he had been waiting on for what seemed like an eternity. His attention immediately shifting away from Saraphina, his vice-like left hand was instantly recoiling towards his back even before his right had finished loosing the strap on his chest. The ice cold haft of the weapon only momentarily bothering him, the towering blue warrior's scythe had been in his hands almost before the girl had even finished her prophetic warning. It was only scant seconds after Saraphina's shout that the wolves in question abandoned their ambush and sprung into action. They looked just as ill-fed as they did desperate, and that was a dangerous combination. "Neither fear nor losses will make them retreat. You're probably going to have to put them all out of their misery," Seros offered his analysis, though he knew it unnecessary. Looking at these wretched creatures, anyone would be hard pressed to disagree. These wolves gave the all too certain impression that they were either going to drag a body or two back into those woods, or they were likely going to die in the attempt. Though he didn't have time to worry about his new Kelvic friend, Aren spared her a glance, and was glad to see that she looked like she could handle herself. This was no fragile waif, he thought, as he spotted the dagger she confidently gripped in her hand. His attention promptly returned to his own concerns, however, as the Akalak braced himself for what looked to be an inevitable encounter with a hungry looking member of the pack. His legs wide, Aren's stance gave the impression of being solid and disinclined to movement; the experienced warrior looked like he was preparing himself to allow the wolf it's attack uninterrupted, knowing that even starving animals possessed the instinct that warned them of danger. If he tried anything too fancy looking, the mangy beast might decide that there was easier prey to be had amidst the fracas. He did not want to have to give chase to this damn dog, but rather to kill him as swiftly as possible and move on. This meant taking a much riskier course of action, but the man did not think he could afford caution whilst lives depended on his actions. Though a bead of sweat trailed down his brow, the mercenary did not stir until the wolf had amassed enough momentum that it was left with no choice but to make the Akalak his final target. His weapon rose higher and higher the closer the animal drew, his grip instinctively tightening, until the moment the scythe-wielder's golden eyes saw the creature's front paws separate from the ground. An instant later, his weapon came crashing down in an arc of gleaming steel. The force of the blow pushed the poor animal down into the frozen muck from which it sprung, a solitary whimper indicating that it's death had at least been mercifully quick. Though the length of Aren's scythe had kept it from ever actually drawing close enough to bloody it's fur with the flesh of it's prey, said prey nonetheless breathed a sigh of relief that the risky gamble had paid off. Having forgone any chance at defense in favor of expediency, he knew that if he mistimed his attack even slightly, the result could have just as easily been reversed. Although the Akalak's sorrowful gaze was momentarily drawn to the corpse of the poor beast at his feet whose only crime was being hungry, he knew he could not let the sentiment prevent him from doing what had to be done. His head twisting back to allow a look towards the wagons, the azure mercenary realized that he needed to prevent panicked merchants and travelers from stupidly fleeing into the forest in abject terror, "Do NOT run! They'll pick stragglers off like children!" Aren shouted, the muscles of his throat struggling to produce the necessary amplitude to cut through the din of howls and frenzied cries which reverberated through the air. For a moment, the unassailed Akalak also allowed himself a brief look at the fiery-haired girl who had probably saved a couple of lives with her timely warning. If she needed assistance, he was now in a position to render it.

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow H er successful strike against the lunging wolf had gained her precious seconds. Though Saraphina was more familiar with unarmed combat than weapon training, she reflected back on a lesson with a Myrian women in Zeltiva and used it to her advantage. Moving with the fluidity of quicksilver, she flipped her grip on her dagger again and thrust the blade between the canines ribs while simultaneously and rather clumsily jamming the second dagger blindly into the wolf's flank. A pained howl was followed by a paddling of bluntly clawed feet as it tried to escape. The wolf twisted and reared, jaws snapping at her arm and grazing flesh. Saraphina was forced back, ripping her blades free. The spurt of blood and limping form of the wolf made the Kelvic believe that it wouldn't be much of a threat for too much longer. It was badly wounded, particularly since it now sported a sucking chest wound. The cream wolf limped away, drawing in shallow desperate breaths before it collapsed in the white snow. A pool of crimson formed around its still breathing form and the ginger felt a pang of regret. It wasn't the wolves fault that they were so hungry they'd been forced to attack a human caravan to survive. But still, she had to choose whose side she was on...and right now her life was as much at risk as the wild dogs. A ren's powerful, authority filled voiced echoed across the wind. Members of the caravan that had seemed ready to panic and run rallied, grabbing for what few weapons they had to keep the wolves at bay. Saraphina saw the one that had been attacking the Akalak dead on the ground, his scythe's blade dripping with ruby liquid. She was impressed with his skill, though judging from his build, he should damn well know how to handle himself. Golden eyes darted about and she saw Grounder struggling against the two dogs that worked together to try and take down the harnessed Sleigh Horse. Saraphina raced forward over the hard packed snow. Coming close to one of the wolves, she drew her leg back and drove the ball of her foot into the canine's gut, aiming for its liver. She grinned when her kick connected, driving the scraggly mutt back from the caravan leader. The wolf spun to face her, teeth bared and snapping at the air. T he large black male wolf made his move, darting towards the white mount with jaws open wide to close around its neck. Saraphina had only a few moments to spot the wolf's intended target, having her hands full with the rabid canine currently circling around her. Grounder had managed to drive back the second one, but they were going to lose a horse if the alpha wasn't stopped and fast. Keeping her eye on her own opponent, the Kelvic bellowed to the blue skinned man,"AREN!! Get the black one! Its the Alpha, if he falls the others might back off!" She knew it was highly unlikely anything save for death would drive off these desperate creatures, but it was worth a try anyway. The dog sprinted forward suddenly, aiming low for her legs. Saraphina tried to dodge to the side, but her foot slipped on a patch of ice. The wolf's teeth closed onto her leg and started to clamp down hard. She lifted her leg and rammed her heel into the dog's eye to get him to release her. It yelped in pain and backed away, giving her a few moments to scrabble to her feet and position her daggers in an offensive stance to prepare for the next attack.

[Aren]

Breathing a sigh of relief, Aren realized that Sara was fine. More than fine; she seemed to have dispatched her own mutt with relatively little difficulty and then gone on to help someone else with theirs. "You were saying?" The Akalak admonished his Other for coming to a hasty conclusion about the girl. Seros, however, seemed unfazed by his brother's admiration for the fiery Kelvic. "It's amusing how often people confuse stupidity and luck for bravery and skill. Take you for instance..." He replied, letting his acerbic wit do his fighting for him. Aren had to admit that he had simply walked into that one, but unfortunately, he didn't have time for verbal jousting with Seros. Soon enough, almost as if on cue, his attention was drawn elsewhere. A shout from the red-headed, golden eyed Kelvic in question drew Aren's notice towards the blacked furred monstrosity dashing towards the caravan. "Alpha?" He whispered, as his eyes fell upon the beast and his feet simultaneously started to move. The towering blue skinned warrior knew he was simply too big and too heavy to be able to compete with the sheer speed a wolf could produce, though. Even if he dropped his scythe, Aren knew he would not be able to reach the wolf before it's jaws fell upon something. Even so, he discarded the weapon without a moment's hesitation, knowing he was going to need both hands free for what he was about to attempt. As he ran, the Akalak's hands began to emanate the substance known as Res. With every step he took, the ball he was amassing on the palm of his left hand grew larger and larger, but the relatively inexperienced Reimancer did not know if it was going to be enough to accomplish what it needed to. This was a spell he had created and practiced, but never under these circumstances; never on the move, never with time such a critical element. Eventually, however, there would come the point where he had no choice. He would have to cast it with whatever he had, and let the dice fall where they may. When the wolf was so close to the caravan that the exact contents of it's stomach could likely be discerned from it's breath, Aren realized he could wait no longer. Jutting his palm forward, the luminescent ball of ether-stuff shot out towards it's intended target like a cannon. "Take this, you ugly son-of-a-bitch!" He shouted, the exuberance and stress of the moment provoking the unusual outburst. Half-way to it's destination, the sphere seemed to generate what appeared to be a vortex of air around itself, liking it's appearance to a diminutive floating cyclone. As he looked on with bated breath, the warrior-turned-mage prayed that his aim had been true. Hopefully, the power of the spell would also be adequate. After all, if the only thing it did was tickle the Alpha, that would have just been so terribly embarrassing. Not to mention unfortunate for whomever Aren just so happened to have failed.