Desperate Times

[Amun-Lothain]

Dasim looked up and smiled as Leon joined them. He returned the man's nod, but merely listened as he spoke. After Leon had finished he stood, refilled his cup and poured another, walking over and handing it to Leon. "I have been a priest my whole life, and still the words of the gods make little sense to me." He took a drink and smiled, "For instance, priests are not supposed to partake of alcohol, something else that never made sense to me. They wish us to to find things out for ourselves. Or, they have a very, very strange sense of humor."

Dasim turned to Leon. "Either way, you did what you believed to be right. As did Aranel and Nikoli. As did we all. You did not drag us here, as you say. None of us would be here, none of us would have done the things we have done if we did not wish to. God or no god, I am standing here now because I believe it is right."

Dasim nodded to himself. In truth, he was surprised to hear himself speak so calmly. He was far from home, on a quest he still didn't understand, amongst some of the strangest folk he had ever met. Perhaps there was just too much to even bother worrying over, he thought.

"You have lead us this far against impossible odds, Brettonian. Surely your Lady can ask no more."

At the very least, their last battle had bought them time, time they could use to discover what exactly Emma's power was.

[Mel'Reyna]

As Illidan turned to walk away in search of more stones for the cairn, Mel grabbed him by the hand before he got out of reach, squeezing slightly as he pivoted back around to face her. The look in her eyes finally changed from guilt and self-doubt to one of gratitude as she started to appreciate how lucky she was to have such good companions that would still have faith in her after what had happened. In fact she considered them as more than companions by now, they were her friends, and the only real ones she'd had in a very long time.

-"Thank you for everything you've said, Illidan. It really means a lot to me that you would still trust me, and I won't make any of you regret it ever again."

After the two stared at each other for a couple of seconds, Mel suddenly threw her arms around the elf, embracing him firmly as she rested her head against his shoulder, looking almost like a child who'd just found her mother after having gotten lost.

[Illidan Hellforge]

Illidan's stopped moving as he felt Mel grab his hand, surprised by the sudden contact. As he turned to see the cause of it he saw her eyes, glistering with grattitude, the feelings of guilt seemed vanished. He found he was dumbstruck as he listened to her, his normally talkative nature lacked the ability to utter a single word in this emotional situation, forcing him to stare blankly at her for a moment.

The moment was broken however as he felt her warm embrace, his eyes widening considerably. He then smiled a real smile filled joy, something he hadn't done in a long while. The last one to give him such a true and meaningful hug was his mother back in Naggaroth, right before she sent him away to escape from Maelkith's assassins and was slaughtered by them moments later. He stroked her hair and finally found the words he was looking for.

"I haven't regretted my trust in you so far and I don't think I ever will. he spoke softly, however a certain strength seemed to have returned to his voice that had left him after the battle against Izlude.

As he then looked at her again he smiled, he couldn't see her face but her eyes made him assume she was smiling as well. They then continued building the cairn in silence, it felt a lot less dreadful than the silent work with the grave however. The work was very peaceful and calming, truly a proper way of saying the last farewell where no words fitted. After it was done he finally noticed his shoulder wound again, a small sacrifice that was nothing compared to the deeds some of the others have made and the price it cost them.

"I guess I'll have to bandage this before I do anything else in this soggy weather, could you help me perhaps?"

As Dasim was most likely busy with Leon Illidan decided not to disturb him with his own trouble, he had the materials and with Mel's help it would surely be properly cleaned and bandaged, ruling out the option of an infection.

As Mel nodded they went to one of the abandoned houses, not wishing to disturb Dasim in his healing. He held his teeth stiff together as he folded his left arm out of his shirt so that his shoulder could be tended without trouble, certainly not a pleasant thing to do with a wounded shoulder.

As Mel then approached to tend the wound she noticed the large scar going from his throat to his left shoulder, and surprised she slowly ran her finger across the scar. Seeing this as a question, Illidan spoke.

"A price I paid for my freedom, done by one of Malekith's assassins. Like a tattoo this is a reminder, a mark; showing me how lucky I am to be alive and to remind me to never give up. I can’t let those down that sacrificed so much for me after all."

Mel then continued tending the wound in silence and Illidan was content with that, there are no real comforting words to such a history after all. She cleaned the wound with utmost care; Illidan hardly felt a sting as she was working. As the tight bandage was well in place Illidan turned and smiled to her.

"Thanks a lot, it feels much better now." Illidan said with a smile.

The two then went back outside into drizzle and started on the mass grave for the people of Perrache, time was of the essence as they didn't want Emma to see the bloated corpses. They filled the days carrying cairn stones and digging the grave until it was big enough for everyone in Perrache, working till sunset with only a few breaks. Illidan then carried the bodies together with Mel using a bed sheet, she was human after all and it would be foolish to risk an infection from a decaying corpse. After that was done they filled the grave and built the cairn, a stone for every person that had perished.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the two had finished the last finishing touches the drizzle stopped and the sun started breaking through the clouds, Illidan chuckled. After finally completing the work outside the weather decided to turn good, fate sure was taunting them. Illidan then put a hand on Mel's shoulder.

"Thanks for the company; I don't think I could've done this without your help. I think we deserve a nice drink." He said with a smile and the two walked towards the house which was now Leon's hospital.

As they entered they both were frozen in place, looking in awe at the knight that had risen again. With a smile towards Dasim, grateful and praising of the Arabyan's abilities, he approached Leon.

"Good to see you're standing again Leon, how are you feeling?" Illidan said.

He was covered in dirt and wet from the rain but right now Illidan felt good, really good. With the knight back up they could soon continue bringing the girl and the knight himself to the safety of castle deLonse.

[Prince_Asuryan]

Nahaz turned to the knight.

"We should take the fight to the vampire. I do not know what he has planned for the girl, but I do not believe that the walls of a castle will protect her from a vampire. We should strike now, while it is weak."

The assassin turned to the rest of the group. "You can accompany Leon to the castle. I will slay this beast for what it has done."

[Draknir Reaverblade]

Wolfram rose and slammed his pint to the table. He swept his beard with his hand and walked to Leon.

"I am with Nahaz here. You see, if a Vampire or some creature of equal strength really wants to take a little girl out of a castle, there is nothing that stops him from raising an army out of dry bones and rotten flesh and conquering the whole castle. The dead have time to wait. No castle will stand against a neverending siege."

Wolf took one of his numerous gun belts and wrapped it around his hips.

"I think the Vampire threat should be taken out. If you give me Bretonnian symbols and some stakes, I will give you the vampire's head on a platter."

He glanced at Emma, sighing.

"Of course we can't risk losing her. I don't know if this is a wise idea or not, but one option would be to split up, some of us would go to track down the weakened bloodsucker and some to take Emma to the DeLonse castle... I don't know. At least Nahaz seems to be willing to be the hunter instead of the prey."

[Illidan Hellforge]

As Illidan heard the others he shook his head and sighed.

"The vampire was nearly too powerful for our combined forces and even then I would hardly call it a victory as we lost two members to a single vampire. Splitting up would make us weaker, and it would mean sure death against his power. No matter how skilled you both are, alone you stand no chance against Izlude. And as he said, he is not the only one after us." he spoke softly, his intent being to advice them and not to patronize them.

"For one, if Izlude is that powerful, we can only imagine how strong the vampire is that turned him. What if that vampire uses the former knight as a pawn? That would mean we wouldn't have a single chance against the puppeteer's might.

What we need now is allies. I have no doubt that the deLonse family has powerful allies who would be more than willing to aid in protecting Emma. Perhaps we'll even have to go Imperial lands, to the college of light or the priests of Sigmar or Morr. Any help would be a welcome sight right now, for I fear our futures would be grim if we have to face the prime evils of this world by ourselves." He said, and glancing at Emma he wondered what the future would bring.

He certainly had no doubts in his own abilities and would die for them without thinking twice about it. However, he also had no illusions about the enemy's power; in this fight between light and dark Izlude is but a pawn and the masters have yet to show their face. Knowing this wasn't a time to be clouded by negative emotions and feelings Illidan would do his best to be a strength and a guidance for Leon as well as he could. If Leon would decide to chase Izlude, however foolish it seemed to track someone long gone, he would join him and protect both Leon and the girl against whatever force they would have to face.

[Draknir Reaverblade]

"Illidan does speak wisely... I might have to agree with you. Allies. That sounds like the best thing that could happen to us in a while" Wolf mused, scratching his shaggy beard.

Wolf hadn't been thinking about the possible arch-enemy, the one pulling Izlude's strings and masterminding the Emma conspiracy. Wolf realized it now; it would be foolish to go after Izlude.

"And indeed... if Izlude is just a pawn... the world is going to hell in a handbasket, and we are the only ones between Emma and the Vampires... We are going to need help."

[Sir Cyris deLonse]

Leon listened intently to the words of his companions, finding strength in their resoluteness. Leon stood from his chair, placing a hand on Dasim’s shoulder as he strode to the window which looked out upon the empty town of Perrache. The knight was amazed at the assassin’s tenacity, Nahaz wanted to hunt Izlude and make him pay for his evils and the Bretonnian in Leon wanted the same; to exact righteous vengeance, honouring the sacrifices of his fallen friends but it was a heavy heart that he realized he could not. The group seemed to understand that as well.

“You have a brave heart and great skill Nahaz, but I will not let you go to your death, Izlude was almost too much for our whole group, alone you would be outmatched and I doubt even your skill would allow you to sneak up on such a creature. No, we must not pursue my grandfather for as we are now we cannot defeat him and whether we wish it or not, I have a feeling he will find us in time.”

Leon placed his hand on his chin, deep in thought; the waxing flame of his heart would not find kindling in further death. It was then that he heard the words of Illidan and the agreement of Wolfram. “Yes, allies. It would be a great thing to have. Our best bet to find them is in my family’s castle. My father is a powerful man; he will have the resources to see to Emma’s safety.” He turned to Wolfram. “He has faced the army you speak of; the armies of the undead and he has emerged victorious and I have survived because of his skill. It is decided then; we will leave for Castle deLonse at once. There must be some horses nearby we can take. It will be a long journey and far from safe but I think... we will have grown used to that by now.”

The questing knight left the room and began making ready for the journey, garbing himself once more in the armour he had worn since he had left on this perilous journey. As he heaved the chainmail over his body and donned his knightly armour he felt a measure of his spirit return; perhaps all was not lost. If it took ten years to discover the exact nature of Emma’s power and her destiny, then he would wait as long as was required.

As he strapped his sheath to his back a faint sound was heard in the distance, a vibration, a trembling of the earth. Leon dashed to the window and saw upon the horizon a fearful sight. The noise was the sound of horsemen and at first the Bretonnian thought a company of knights of the realm were approaching but as they grew closer he saw that their banners were of no province he recognized, which bore a strange curved symbol upon them. Leon couldn’t make them out exactly, but they large, muscle bound men clad in simple armour and materials. There looked to be nearly four dozen of the warriors – far more than Leon’s group of companions could handle – and they would be here soon.

The questing knight worried about his friends, sure that they would have heard the approaching sound by now. He hoped none of them were foolish enough to give away their presence to these strangers, whoever they were.

The thunder of their hooves grew louder and louder until they finally arrived in the empty streets of Perrache, the rider at the head of the column signalled for a stop and they did so quickly. A few began conversing quietly amongst themselves and all the while Leon hid himself in silence. He very quietly edged back into the room with his companions as his mind raced to decide their next move.

[Draknir Reaverblade]

When Wolf heard the distant horsemen, he hurried to a window and peeked out very carefully. He sneaked back to the others and turned to Leon.

"Can't you recognise their banner? My guess would be Tilean mercenaries. It can't be Marauders this south without a campaign being going on, and that's just too big group for a scouting mission anyway." Wolfram hissed.

He paused for a while, scratching his beard.

"Anyway, I don't expect them to be particularly friendly, whoever they may be."

Wolf pulled on his gun belts and his heavy leather coat. He took a pair of pistols in his hands, and made sure that they were loaded. Just in case. Then he holstered the guns with a skillful and definitely unnecessary swing and hid them under the thick leather coat.

"Any idea what we're going to do about 'em?"

[Prince_Asuryan]

Turning to Leon, Nahaz smiled wryly. 'If that is what you think is best knight. I will follow you.'

---------------------

The thundering hooves caused Nahaz to whirl around to face the threat. As he turned to leave to see who was approaching the town, he turned and winked at Wolfram - 'Kill the leader. The the rest of them'

He vanished into the empty streets.

OOC: Nahaz will use 'Hide in shadows' to scout out the approaching cavalry.

[Illidan Hellforge]

Perhaps the Lady has sent horses. Illidan thought to himself, but he quickly dismissed this thought as nothing had been a given on this quest so far. They didn't seem like marauders or anything but they could still be hostile so Illidan was wary, his hands at the hilts of his blade.

As he heard Wolf whisper he made eye contact.

"We wait and listen, I'll try to eavesdrop on their conversation." Illidan whispered and with that he carefully moved towards the window and as he stood there he remained completely still, his ears focusing on the group.

Illidan uses Higher Awareness to eavesdrop on the group and he also uses Cultural Knowledge for the possible language they're speaking.

[Amun-Lothain]

Dasim was relieved when Leon decided not to persue Izlude. A vampire could hide easily, heal quickly, and he could have allies of his own.

He couldn't get a good look at the horsemen, and if they were marauders from the north he wouldn't be able to recognize or understand them anyway, he had never been much further north than this.

With a nod to the others, Dasim quickly made his way to the back rooms to gather his supplies in case they needed to move quickly and to check on Emma to be sure she was safe.

[Sir Cyris deLonse]

Nahaz uses Hide in Shadows and succeeds! He sees that these are tough, fighting men. The numerous scars on their muscle bound bodies and their worn weapons are indicators of that. Their hair is unkempt and their faces rough. They have the look of the men of the north, their banner is of no design ever seen in Tilea.

Illidan uses Higher Awareness and succeeds, he then uses Cultural Awareness and succeeds!

Leon’s body tensed. Not wanting his small band of weary warriors to be forced into a fight they could not win and the knight’s heart skipped a beat as the shadowy form of Nahaz slipped out into the town, he had faith in the assassin’s skill but Leon couldn’t stop his hand from landing cautiously on his sword’s hilt. The knight looked to his friends and spoke in hushed tones.

“Whatever we do, Wolfram, we must not let them know we're here. Dasim, grab Emma; she can't make a sound. I want everyone to begin making their way out the back door of this inn; we have nothing to gain from fighting these men, whoever they are. We will find horses and leave at once.”

Dasim entered the room where Emma was sleeping and found her huddled in the corner, still clothed in the simple yet elegant robes the Wood Elves had garbed her in, the girl’s knees held close to her body and her head hidden away from the world. She lifted her head slowly and saw the reassuring figure of the desert man. The Arabyan walked calmly towards her and knelt beside her; she looked into his eyes and spoke in a whisper.

“I’m so scared...” Was all Emma could muster.

As they began to move the knight saw that Illidan remained, obviously as eager as Nahaz to decipher the identities of these strange men, his elven ears trying to hear the words of the warriors but it is a difficult task for even his keen senses, only able to pick up snippets of useful information from the leaders as the other men made pointless conversation.

“... this town is empty, Gorath? There isn’t a...”

“Hmph. You sound ...”

“...she meant to be here?”

“.. what we were told...”

“Lord Khaiver ... pleased if we return without ... others have taken her?... if they kill her?”

“...couldn’t kill her even if they wanted to. Come, we head west!” The leader shouted to his men.

And with that, the men fell silent and were quickly on the move, beginning to file through the village and towards its western exit. Leon looked to his companions, thankful for the noise of the galloping horses which would drown out any sound the companions made in their escape.

“Now!” Leon ordered, quickly moving to the rear of the old inn and towards the stable. In his mind he hoped that Illidan had been able to hear what those strange men had been saying because Leon’s ears weren’t able to discern anything of use. The Bretonnian saw the inn’s stable and housed within it were four horses that looked healthy enough, they would serve the companion’s purpose well. Pressing his body up against the wall, he waited just outside for the rest of his allies, thanking the Lady that the strange warriors seemed to be moving on.

[Illidan Hellforge]

As Illidan approached the knight he could see Leon was eager to know what he had found out. With a quick nod he confirmed he had heard them and as everyone was listening he spoke.

"These horsemen have come from Northern lands I believe. Either that, or they are naturals with their tongue. I've been around there a couple of times and learned scraps of their language, this is what I could make out." He said.

He then repeated the conversation he heard, sounding much like some quick scribbled notes by a busy and absent mind. He kept clear pauses between the two different persons as he did so. After he was finished he paused for a moment and then he spoke again.

"The rest are blanks for us to fill in, I couldn't understand those bits. This is what I interpret out of it." he said.

He then repeated the conversation, but it sounded more fluently this time, with only one odd pause in the middle.

“It seems this town is empty, Gorath? There isn’t a living soul.”

“Hmph. You sound surprised.”

“Was she meant to be here?”

“That is what we were told...”

“Lord Khaiver wouldn’t be pleased if we return without her. What if others have taken her? What if they kill her?”

“They couldn’t kill her even if they wanted to. Come, we head west!”

Illidan let the words sink in before continuing.

"Unfortunately I cannot make out of this if they are friend or foe from us, but we do know there are more people after the girl than just the vampire, and we have their names. Perhaps house deLonse or its allies might know something about this Lord Khaiver." He continued and nodded.

"One thing is sure though, this Lord Khaiver is a powerful man if he has influence all the way here from the North." He then added as an afterthought.

He looked at the party, wondering if anyone had different ideas about the blanks in the conversation, and if Leon himself might be familiar with these names. Powerful forces were at work here, and Illidan feared that the trouble ahead would be far worse from the one they had faced. He hid his fear from the rest however, Leon had enough trouble on his mind and more than enough to think about. Illidan had to stand as a pillar of confidence for the young knight, to guide him in the coming struggle.

[Amun-Lothain]

Dasim frowned as he walked quickly down the hall of the inn. Could the gods not allow them a moment for rest? As he entered Emma's room and found her huddled in the corner, he quickly put on a smile as he knelt beside her. "Scared? Child, you have lived with the fey creatures of the forest, faced a vampire, and you travel with some of the strangest people I have ever met. What could possibly scare you?" He noticed the girl was still wearing the clothing given to her by the elves, so he took his spare robe and wrapped it around the child. He chuckled lightly, "There, no one will be looking for an Arabyan, eh? Now, I must ask you to be brave once more, Emma. We are leaving, but we must go quickly and quietly." Saying this, he gently picked her up and made his way swiftly through the inn. He kept low and followed the others to the stable, quietly chanting a prayer.

[Prince_Asuryan]

Sneaking around the empty streets, Nahaz tailed the horsemen for as long as he dared. As they began to leave the main streets, and head towards the open grasslands, Nahaz broke off his hunt, and silently returned to the group.

'Come, we must go while they are not this way' He looked around, not seeing other movement. 'Lord Khaiver does not sound like a friend. There will be more in the darkness. We must make haste to a major population area. Where is the nearest, knight?'

[Draknir Reaverblade]

Wolf gazed around and hurried towards the stables, his hands almost twitching from the urge to grab his guns.

"Northmen then... I'm curious whether these northerners are on the same side with the undead. I hope not. Norsemen can be reasoned with, but not Chaos or the Undead."

Wolf scratched his beard. If this Lord Khaiver was somehow involved in Chaos worship, they would definitely need help. He turned to Leon.

"Where exactly are we heading now?"

[Sir Cyris deLonse]

Leon was relieved to hear the sound of dashing horses grow more and more distant before it was clear the strange warriors were finally gone. The knight moved hastily towards the stable, his mind racing with a whole new series of questions that were in dire need of answering. He turned back to face his friends, all bearing similar concerned expressions upon their faces, the knight’s heart was set at ease to see Dasim carrying Emma, Leon was beginning to see a trust forming between those two.

“Indeed, Illidan. I am amazed that this Lord Khaiver could have northmen this far into Bretonnia unscathed. It is unsettling. Like you say Wolfram, adding warriors of the Dark Gods to our list of foes will only complicate things even more deeply. If they are from the north, then chances are then they bear us little but ill will. Let’s hope the Lady sees fit to uncover more of this mystery before our next meeting with them.”

The Bretonnian looked to Nahaz. “I think so as well, friend. But my course of action is to head for the coast.” With that, Leon opened the double doors to the stable, inside were four horses – none of them with the proud bearing of a purebred Bretonnian warhorse but they looked to be swift beasts, which would serve their purpose more in their situation.

Leon uses Horse Master to try and calm the steeds and help them understand their new purpose and succeeds!

The Bretonnian, having been raised around horses since his earliest memory, had no trouble goading the four creatures into servitude. He quickly saddled the steeds and brought them before his companions.

“Our destination is Bordeleaux. From there we will catch a ship back to L’Anguille and finally to Castle deLonse. I am reluctant to return to Brionne, if our enemies have been trailing us then it his likely they may have agents there. Let us not retrace our steps. Mount up, my friends! Dasim, Emma shall ride with you.” The knight said as he effortlessly positioned himself atop his grey horse.

The thought struck the Bretonnian after a moment. “I assume you all can ride...?”

[Illidan Hellforge]

"I have ridden before, but I am far from an expert. Still.." Illidan said and paused, looking at one of the horses in front of him. It was light grey with black manes and dark grey speckles across its body, having the build of a sturdy baggage horse that had most likely been used to carry a lot of crops of the villagers; not too fast then but not slowed or otherwise troubled by weight. Looking at the majestic being in his eyes he smiled softly as he stroked his manes, the horse seemingly content with that.

"Still, I think we'll get along just fine." He said with a slight nod to Leon and a smile on his face.

As he seated himself in the saddle he gently padded the horse in his side with his right hand while steering with his left, and the animal slowly turned. Still getting used to controlling the beast's speed he walked towards Mel, silently thanking that this was an obedient and willing horse.

"Can I offer you a ride Mel?" he said in a friendly manner, sounding rather cheery as he was glad to be on the move again.

The horse was sturdy, and certainly able to carry the elf and the woman without trouble. And besides from that fact he preferred the company of her over Wolfram or Nahaz; she had been very kind to him the past days here while Leon was out cold, perhaps one of the few he could call really good friends here in Old World. He just hoped the horse would be able to handle this unusual luggage on his back in the form of the people and that he would keep his obedient nature throughout the journey.

[Amun-Lothain]

Dasim listened to the others as he joined them in the stables. He walked to one of the horses, patting its neck and speaking softly in his native tongue. They were much larger than the horses his people rode in the desert lands. He lifted Emma onto the horse before swinging himself into the saddle. He smiled at Leon's question. "The horses here are a bit more like cows, but yes I know how to ride."

He had heard some of his companions speaking of a Lord Khaiver and dark gods. "What manner of men are these who worship dark gods?" He asked no one in particular, "I have never seen such people before."

[Draknir Reaverblade]

"The ride to L'Anguille is still fresh in my mind... so, yes, I can ride. Horses don't seem to like me very much but neither do I like them, so bring it on."

Wolf patted the horse next to him with a somewhat malicious grin on his scarred face.

"Hmm, I know that Bordeleaux is quite known for it's wines. *ahem* However, it is indeed a good idea not to trace our path. And going through larger cities is preferred, because we are much harder to find in them."

Wolram then turned to Dasim, after hearing the priest asking. His face turned hard as rock. The look in his eyes was pure wrath.

"The men who worship the dark gods are evil. Their goal is to bring about Chaos, and they are considered sinners and heretics by all religions I know of. Their life is one of war, blood, destruction and death. They're the worst kind of men on earth. Mutated in body and mind."

The ex-witch hunter stroked his pistol, gazing to the ground so that the brim of his hat covered his face.

"No rest for the wicked."

[Mel'Reyna]

Mel followed the others quietly, and although she'd had a bit of time to rest physically, her mind was still exhausted by everything that had happened to them so far on their journey. Besides, her companions seemed to know more about the horsemen that had passed than she did, as well as about how it would be best to return Emma to safety. Geography wasn't exactly her strong suite by any means. She silently kept an eye on the small girl, trying to ensure her safety above all else, even though she knew that Dasim was an excellent guardian for her, as he'd certainly proved so far.

As she watched the child, she thought that she heard a slight cracking sound very close to her, which she simply attributed to the floor making noise or something. Before she could look into it any further, it was time to leave, so she followed her new friends to the stables, where there were a few horses that they could use. Mel half-expected Illidan to offer her a ride, which he did in fact do, and she happily accepted, taking his hand and allowing him to help her hop on behind the elf.

[Amun-Lothain]

Dasim arched a brow, surprised at Wolfram's response. "Indeed. I am glad we did not try to reason with them then. You have fought them before?"

[Draknir Reaverblade]

"I have fought their cultists. They infiltrate the population, they look and act like normal people, but then they have these... sabbaths and secret conclaves to honour their heathen gods. Under that skin of a human they're all rotten and black and evil inside."

Wolf sighed.

"Shall we go on now? There is a possibility of someone knowing that we're here."

[Illidan Hellforge]

As one hand helped Mel up Illidan's other hand patted the horse to keep him calm. Once they were on the move the horses would most likely be obedient in their task, but he feared their response to an attack. The horses were a sure blessing as of now but the group also relied on them, if their opponents would manage to take them away it would leave them fairly vulnerable. They had to move on either way, they remained in one place for long enough and they couldn't afford to waste more time.

"I agree, haste is of the essence. The forces of evil do not sleep, and if Chaos manages to catch our scent we'll have a lot more to worry about." The elf stated and he moved the horse a few steps forward until he was next to Leon.

"Let us ride young knight, there is a long journey ahead of us. May your Lady be kind to us all." Illidan said with a slight smile on his face, placing a hand on his shoulder as he nodded.