child of chaos (pony and kolath)

A young woman stood at the top of hill looking at the sky as the sun began to rise, in her hand the reins of a beautiful black Arabian. Her long curly dark brown almost black hair rustling in the light wind as the morning light hit it a slight hint of red appeared. It contrasted against her fair skin, her lips stood out they were the color of raspberries right when ready for picking. Her eyes had a dark blue line around the edge then a gray color like smoke towards the center and just around the pupil they turned a greenish yellow like grass during autumn. She was thin but well curved. She wore a black cloak over a pair of brown faded breeches, white tunic, and dark brown vest over it. She wore well worn knee high boots. Her left had wore a black leather glove on it and her short sword resting on her left hip.

Anona was looking across the land like it was new unexplored territory that she would have to fight her way through, she sighed heavily and stroked her horses nose it was always so soft there. She started walking making her way down the hill knowing that she only had but one clue she had heard of such murders of a man leaving rose on womans chest for 3 nights before killing her by draining her of every last drop of life by the throat her only hope was that by traveling to the city where the tale had originated from. She hoped to find some kind of a clue there to tell her where this strange killer had come from. she hoped by starting at his beginning she might find the one who sent him for she knew there was some one bigger behind him only guiding the killer to do his bidding. So each day she traveled seeking these clues.

Three men, in black hooded cloaks that seemed to absorb any light that came in contact with it, stood around a fourth man. This man was the only one not in black; he wore a dark green cloak the hood thrown back, a yew long bow was strapped to his back alongside a quiver of arrows. His boots were soft leather perfect for moving silently in the woods, his gloves were dyed the same dark green as his cloak both designed to disguise the movements they had to make. The rest of his clothes were just a simple; a pair of leather breeches, and a leather jerkin over a soft white cotton shirt, the entire outfit was to declare him nothing more than a simple huntsmen.

Fryan’s copper red hair danced slowly in the gentle breeze as he knelt before the assembled company. “Fryan adept of the order, do you accept this mission that we lay before you?” A slight head nod was all that was shown in acknowledgement. “Then we hereby strip you of all rank and title in the order and remove any sense of identity you have so that you might act as needed without repercussions from the order. Now leave.” Fryan stood and pulling his hood up over his face so only his bright emerald green eyes could be seen from under the shadow it cast and slipped into the woods.

Anona was walking when suddenly she thought she heard some movement in the trees surrounding her, she stopped resting her hand lightly on her blade, she looked around she did not trust the sounds she stood still just listening and waiting for them to make the first move she always found that to work best for her. She had met many enemy's along the trip but this was a large group they were well prepared for her. Her eyes slowly started to turn completely black starting along the eyelid working their way inward, she was ready. But she wasn't sure she had enough strength and energy to take on the entire group. She had not rested well lately and she had not been eating as well either. She needed to draw on her powers to be able to even stand a chance right now, but drawing from her powers too much would drain her too quickly and make her collapse.

Fryan waited in the cover of the trees some distance from the road. He wanted to be sure that if her powers happened to locate him as he was coming it wouldn’t seem like he had been planted. He heard the cry from the men, and knew that the attack had begun. Slowly he made his way toward the road as though he was nothing more than a hunter coming from the woods. It wasn’t till he was close enough to hear the sounds of battle that he moved quicker. Reaching the side of the forest he paused seeing the ten men attacking a single girl, he waited that extra moment to think it over and the drew his bow.

Stringing it on the fly he rushed down the hill toward the battle, pulling two arrows from the quiver he stripped off the feathers on one side of each and laying them on the bow quickly pulled and released. The missing feathers made them fly off at slight angles striking deep into the backs of two of his…no he mustn’t think of them as his comrades anymore they were merely people attack a unarmed girl. He notched another arrow drawing bead on another of the attacker the arrow catching him just before he struck at the girls back.

Anona drew her blade and swung it cutting one of her attackers in half another was coming up behind her and swung her foot up and around kicking him so hard in the head his head spun breaking his neck instantly she was breathing heavily from anger and annoyance. She saw the last attacker running away she threw her sword into his back. She stood there and when she turned seeing some one else she was ready for attack her eyes were glowing around the edges letting out an orange light. As she prepared to attack if he made even an attempt against her. "are you next?" she snarled her voice was deeper than normal because of the partial shift.

He stood still staring at her for a moment, despite knowing what he did about her the sight of her breathing heavily, her chest heaving, it was quite pleasant with how well endowed she was. Pulling his eyes from her bosom he held his bow up in one hand in a non-threatening way, “I dare say not, I merely saw that you were beset by these rouges and I thought you might need assistance…it would seem I was wrong.”

"who are you? and what are you doing in these woods?" Anona asked softly she slowly let it recede as she relaxed, she was getting sleepy she needed to be able to recover she had been moving too much and fighting too much to have time for much rest. "I didn't need assistance but thank you for your concern" she said softly she grabbed her horse and started to leave but suddenly started getting light headed she had been runnign herself too hard for that kind of action. She needed a good nights rest. Unfortunately she had little choice as to weather this stranger was to be trusted since she had run herself too low already.

Fryan sighed softly, as she just kept on going after asking for his name without offering hers. “I’m Fryan Cobblebay and I’m a trapper, huntsmen and all around forest nut.” The sarcasm was dripping from his lips as he spoke very much exasperated at this girl who hadn’t offered so much as a thank you even if she didn’t need the help it was still rude not to thank the one who helped. “I will remember that you don’t need assistance the next time I see you surrounded and outnumbered good day.” He began to brush past her knowing that he needed this chance to get on her good side but also knowing that if he seemed to friendly she would start to suspect him. As he walked past her he saw that look on her face as she started to get light headed and stopped suddenly his arm slipping around her shoulders to provide her support so she didn’t fall over. “Easy now…you seem to have over done yourself, though I’m not surprised cutting a man in two and breaking another’s neck with a single blow…not easy work how did you do it?”

"there is more to me than you realise, Thank you for helping though I did not need it, I am sorry my traveling has brought down my manners." Anona said softly she looked up at him then passed out slumping into him her strengths also lead to her weaknesses. She had not had time to recharge lately with little to no sleep and little time for food and water. As she slept she twitched and criinged as she dreamed of the things she had seen in the past month or so.

Fryan was about to let go of her when he felt her slummed back against his arm. He held her picking her up carrying her bridal style over to the edge of the woods and laying her on a soft patch of grass. “I guess you must have really over done it…wish I knew how.” He stood and went to collect her horse and bring him over as well. His part was playing a innocent bystander so even when she seemed to be asleep he had to maintain the façade. He tacked the horse taking the bags and saddle from its back and then the bridal and bit from its mouth. “There now girl just res and enjoy so fresh grass why I see to your mistress.” He opened a saddle bag finding her blanket and then draping it over her bundling his cloak into a pillow and placing it behind her head. Checking her quickly for injuries he was satisfied that she was unharmed and merely drained her strength. After he was done seeing to her comfort her quickly gathered dry wood and made a fire and then went to find a stream for water for both them and the horse.

Anona slept deeply she woke up a few hours later and jumped slightly she looked over at the stranger nervously and held her head "uh... what happened?" she asked softly. She looked around all her belongings were still there and her clothes were still on. "and who are you?" asked lookign at him her eyes were cold and emotionless right now. She trusted no one despite her current situation. She didn't know him he could do anything. She watched him with caution getting into her bag and pullign out some jerky.

He turned to look at her as she stirred from her deep sleep. He had some water boiling for a stew and had captured a rabbit which he was currently skinning. “Well what happened was you passed out, normally I would be flattered a woman fainting at the sight of me but I doubt that is what made it happen.” He tossed the carcass to the woods adding the now chopped meat to the stew. “As to who I am I already told you, I am Fryan humble woodsmen. And you my lady?”

Anona eyed him cautiously "My name is Anona I am merely a traveler" she said softly she pulled her covers up more tightly around her, she quickly got up "I must keep moving" she said getting up she didn't feel comfortable with him "and by the way I'm not the type to faint over anything" she said simply. She was very cold when it came to most people she trusted few and she let few get close to her. She had not been very social the past few months so her skills had lowered considerably.

He smiled at the irony of what she said, in truth they all were merely travelers the only question was their destination. However he thought it best not to wax philosophic as it didn’t fit the disguise that he had taken on. Standing her brought her a bowl of stew holding it out under her nose, “Are you sure you need to be going? Before dinner?” he smiled shrugging and then going and sitting back at the fire, “Its not wise to turn down food that is freely offered.”

"I don't eat much anymore I cant even sit long enough to cook anything I can manage to catch, wait why are you offering that food is hard to find this time of year few people share what little they have. What is it you want from me?" she said eyeing him carefully she didn't trust him and the nicer eh was the less she trusted him. Few people showed this kindness without wanting something in return. "perhaps I should move faster now."

He sighed shaking his head, “That’s a rather pessimistic view of things. First off you don’t have to wait for it to cook it is already cooked, and second why not? There is more then I can eat here and if I don’t eat it now it will go bad. The forest freely let me take what I needed from it I see no reason to be stingy when it has given me enough for both.” He looked over his shoulder at her shaking his head, “What is it that you are running from that has you so scared that when a person tires to be nice you assume they want something?”

"if you knew the kind of hell I've been through you would understand. I suppose I will eat some " she said softly taking some and eating it slowly. "it is very good thank you" she said softly. "sorry I don't spend much time with other people. so my manners aren't as good as they used to be" she said softly. SHe felt kind of bad but not really she had good reason for her behavior.

He nodded pulling his own bowl out and filling it eating something watching her eat a little and shaking his head. “Despite what we have all been through just by being alive. If we lose the common courtesies we become little better then the animals.” He took a swig from his water skin and then held it out to her smiling. “Perhaps the burdens you bare are more then one person should have to, care to share?”

"I would rather not share my burdens those that I dare share with end up dead" she said softly pulling out her own water skin. "no matter how hard I try to protect them they still end up dead." she said simply she kept most things to herself. "but sometimes you have to become a sort of animal in order to get by and survive, what you saw earlier is what happens to me frequently so I have little choice any more. Things are by far more complicated than you realise. I'm just trying to get by and I can't seem to escape." she said softly. "when I was a child I remember how none of these problems seemed to exist in a way I miss that"

He nodded having to nod in a bit of agreement. “I must say I can understand that I have been through some things that it was better off that no one help me on.” He paused, “Yet they never went away till someone did.” He filled his bowl again holding his hand out to her, “More?”

"It is best not to spend time around me any one that they can use to hurt me they will." she whispered softly and trailed off towards the end "I should get going thank you for the meal" she said softly and started getting up. She loaded up her horse and mounted it " goodluck to you" she said and was getting ready to leave.

He looked back over his shoulder as she started to try and leave. “Now wait a bit.” He kicked some dirt unto the fire to dampen it. “There is no need to run off like that besides I suspect that you are heading into town and if you don’t mind I would like to join you.” He quickly started to break down this camp packing things up as fast as he could knowing he needed to be with her because if he wasn’t when she reached the town the order would take it as a sign that he had failed and that meant…he pushed that thought to the side and hurried through finishing.

Anona looked at him and shook her head "only a fool wants to travel with me that or some one that welcomes death either way it is still not something wise. My last companion was murdered in front of my eyes she was my best friend since we were young" she said softly she looked down as if struggling to burry the memory and hide the pain it had caused her. "but if it is your wish it is not my choice to make we are free to our own decisions." she said softly and started on her way.

He pushed the last item into his pack before turning to follow her. There was a moment of guilt as she mentioned her friend. He had been near by when that battle had taken place. It had been awhile ago but he could still remember the scream that she had let out when her friend had been cut down. Closing his eyes for a moment her banished that sound from his mind, because it had been the first and only time he had ever questioned if what he was doing was right.

"few understand what I am going through so I won't bother trying to explain it to you or anyone for that matter." she said softly. She had always felt a sort of emptiness inside. She had never met anyone like her, she'd never really known her parents , and now to add to it she had some one that was hunting her wanting to use her for something she did not yet know or understand. She sighed heavily "so what makes you choose me to travel with?" she asked softly.