#Reth'lazar Songblade
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The Owl and the Raven
Part 2
"I go by Reth." He said, offering no further details.
The huntress tilted her head to one side before looking at the satyr, then back to the man called Reth, "You are not one of Salis' hunting trainees... what is your mission?"
He tilted his head slightly, as if confused by her question. "I do not know any such person." Then he nudged the stirring leader, who groaned from his injuries. "My mission? Who needs a mission to hunt these abominations?" Then he blinked at her. "And what is your mission, you sound quite official."
Arrianna looked the man up and down before retraining her bow on the satyr instead, pausing only long enough to pull down her mask so that more than just her amber eyes was visible, "I am Nightstorm, huntress aspirant under Salis Ashenbow's cadre." She looked about at the various crystals, then back to Reth, "The satyr here have been performing Fel magick and it was my mission to collect at least one of these crystals so that we could discover their intents."
He lowered his hands. "Well then, feel free to take your fill. I have no interest in demonic jewelry." The smoldering satyr was groaning and gripping at Reth's boots, like he was struggling to pull himself up. Reth kicked his hand away. "If you don't mind, I'm going to have a conversation with our friend here about where his comrades are hiding. And he's going to be very helpful if he knows what's good for him."
Arrianna's grip on her bow loosened, the string coming to rest back in its ready position as she looked between the elf and his prisoner. She glanced about at the crystals she'd been tasked with collecting, then back to the satyr again. If she had the information from the leader of the satyr about the rest of the vile creatures... Salis would be sure to not only reward her but she also could show her parents that she didn't need to be a druid or priestess to be successful. With several long moments taken to get to this train of thought, she looked back at Reth, voice still stern, "You mind sharing? That information would be invaluable to our people, after all."
Reth the hunter arched an eyebrow as he stared at her, the satyr still uselessly clawing at the ground. "Are you asking to interrogate a prisoner together? Strange idea for a first courting." He said with a chuckle. "What do I get in return for sharing this information?"
Arrianna recoiled slightly, the look on her face clearly one of frustration at his mention of courting, "Excuse me? First courting? You're a bold one..." She pursed her lips together in thought before answering, "What would you want from someone like me... and don't think about cracking wise." Her bow was now back in its sling, but her polearm was at her side, the blade so sharp it looked like it could shave the hide off the satyr before them in a scant second.
He held his hands up apologetically. "Relax, huntress, I was only jesting." He pushed the satyr with his foot, rolling the creature onto its back. "Since I assume you wish to know the information to hunt the satyrs yourself, how about you agree to leave any valuable items they may possess to me." There was a small sound of his stomach growling. Spending so much time in solitude, honing his skills and hunting demons was not precisely a lucrative career decision.
Arrianna looked the man over again, catching the sound of his stomach in her sensitive ears. She frowned, looking back to the satyr before nodding, "Of course... assuming the items are not helpful to my superiors, they are yours." She turned her attention to the satyr, baring her fangs at the creature as he stirred. "Looks like this one is about ready."
Reth planted his foot on the demon's chest, none too gently. "You heard the lady, demon. Speak. Tell us where your disgusting comrades are." The demon managed to raise and turn his head slightly, the better for him to fire a glob of fel-glowing spit onto Reth's boots. "So rude... suppose I shouldn't be surprised." He drew one of his blades and held the tip down against the satyr's throat. "Lets try that again... with a little more civility." The demon unleashed a stream of demonic, what could only be insults.
Arrianna watched the exchange in silence. With a quiet inhale, she grabbed her polearm and brought it to the satyr's foul hide, making a two-inch cut on his arm, drawing blood and a sharp hiss from between his teeth. But she seemed unfazed by his reaction, saying only, "I'd suggest you answer his question, foul beast... and every time you don't, I'll add another cut... a single one won't kill you, but you won't last past the thousandth."
The hunter glanced up at her with a bit of surprise at her ruthlessness. Reth pressed his foot down harder. "It seems my new friend here is even less in the mood for impoliteness.” The satyr swore again and began to speak, entirely in demonic. And though his words were unintelligible, he turned a charred arm and pointed northwest, seemingly in the direction of the woods at the western base of the mountain. "That wasn't so hard was it?" He removed his blade and his foot and turned to the woman. "Any other questions?"
Arrianna thought about it for several moments before shaking her head, "No... no, I think not." She tied her polearm to her back before moving to tuck the glowing crystals in the vicinity into a leather satchel.
The satyr had a momentary look of relief. A look that was short-lived. Reth nodded and looked down at the demon. "Thank you." His sword sliced through the air and cut across the demon's flesh, trachea, and arteries. Blood flowed from the wound and pooled around his body as jerky thrashes overtook him for a moment. Then his strength gave out and he fell still. "Been hunting this one for three days,” Reth mused.
Arrianna's face held an impressed expression, and she looked him over again as she tied the satchel to her waist, "Only three days? I wasn't even sent here for him... just the lesser satyr. Salis will be quite impressed that we got to one of the leaders." She tilted her head again, looking Reth over in confusion, "How is it you don't have a superior officer to report to?"
He arched a brow again, equally confused and amused by her question. "Because some of us have no interest in following along like a child. I'm quite fine pursuing my own goals, on my own schedule." He paused for a moment, blinking. "And what's this about 'we'? Did we become partners at some point?"
The huntress made a scoffing noise at him, hands landing on her hips, "I'm sorry, did I confuse us as being of the same people? Can't imagine why I would've done that." She stared at him for several long seconds and retorted, "And using 'we' is just a... a habit, I suppose..." She frowned, looking the man over again, taking in the full sight of his form wrapped in worn leather armor.
He sheathed his blades at his belt and moved to spy around one of the tents at the rest of the camp. The satyrs seemed to have assumed he'd escaped into the woods as the camp was mostly empty save a few sentries left behind. "Yes, well, my 'people' aren't really my people. So you might say I'm better off on my own. Now, WE should probably make ourselves scarce before they come back even angrier."
Arrianna blinked as he started looking about the rest of the camp, and gave a nod, following after him quietly, "Yes, you're probably right."
Reth glanced over his shoulder as she followed him, then quickly stood and made his way out of the camp, heading west.
She had little trouble keeping up with him, pausing only to grab more crystals on their path - she knew the fewer the satyr had, the more advantage her people could get over them, however small that might be. But as they walked, her mind was on something else... something he'd said. "Thank you." she offered simply as they made their way west.
The hunter looked over his shoulder as she spoke, making their way around the shore of the lake. He looked mystified. "For what?"
"For sharing... you didn't have to do that."
He shrugged, as if it didn't seem like a big deal to him. "Uhm... you're welcome. It’s just information, as long as you're not going to get in my way, I don't see the problem... and I'd prefer if you not tell any one of your... superiors about me."
Arrianna frowned more, tugging her hood from her head so she could shake out her short silvery-white hair. Her golden eyes shone back at him confusedly, "What exactly is your issue with our people?"
He cleared his throat as they walked through the forest paths, toward the northern woods. "Those people have an issue with me. They think me corrupted simply because I refuse to hide timidly in the trees. Fine with me, I can get more done without 'orders'."
Arrianna tilted her head to the side, brow furrowed deeply on her visage, "Why would anyone think you corrupted? You are as talented a hunter as any of the rest of us... perhaps more, considering how quickly you located the leader of that group of satyr." She sounded genuinely confused as to why anyone would feel alienated against him. She thought about it further, remembering the look in his silver eyes and suddenly wondering where she'd seen that look before.
He remained silent for a moment, a bit longer than he usually took to answer. "Because they seem to think that hiding like frightened children is preferable to employing ALL possible weapons in order to drive the terrors from our home. Stormrage was right to turn the demons' power against them... and they call him Betrayer."
At this Arrianna blinked in surprise, staring at the hunter's back as they stopped in their walking. "... you... I know where I've seen you... I saw several of you whispering amongst yourselves some weeks ago... something about the Stormrage brother... the one who traded away his sight." She frowned again, jogging to stand before him and look at him more fully, her tone both stern and reassuring, "There's nothing wrong with seeking to destroy our enemies, you know." Her piercing amber gaze was unwavering as she looked back at him, her youth betrayed with her face fully visible - she could not be much more than three hundred years old, barely past her Coming of Age. Her facial tattoo still looked fresh on her face, framing her eyes like the feathers of an owl.
He glared at her from beneath his mask and hood, and after a moment finally pulled both free to reveal his smooth face and mane of messy, shoulder length black hair. "Yes. And a waste of time. Some of the more... zealous followers seem to believe they can break Illidan from his prison... a fool's errand. I would rather seek out his source of power directly." He paused in his explanation as he looked over the girl, apparently younger than him by a small amount. "You would think that would be true, but apparently leaving ourselves vulnerable is a fine price to pay to remain 'honorable'... which I'm sure the thousands who've died appreciate."
Arrianna looked taken aback at the hunter's brazenness. And at his overall physical wildness. But seemed ensnared by his sharp mercurial gaze. It took a few times of her mouth opening and closing before she said, "That... that's exactly right! Where our elders continue to try to stick to outdated traditions... where someone like me should be dressed in a priestess' garb and singing prayers to the White Lady, or at the very least training under her father to follow in the footsteps of Cenarius' teachings, to be of any value to society... why must we hide and remain passive in our pursuit of safety and happiness in life?!" She looked him over again, a slight hint of color painting her purple cheeks. "You... you said your name was Reth?"
He nodded along, seemingly impressed with how agreeable she was. "Reth'lazar. The whole thing is a bit much. Reth is fine." He cleared his throat again. "Nice to meet someone who seems to see some sense. Besides, I don't think you'd look as good in a priestess’ robes." Then he raised his eyes as if he were trying to look at himself. "Not that I can talk much."
Arrianna smirked at his comment, shaking her head. "No, that's... I think you look just fine." Even as she said it, she averted her amber gaze to one side awkwardly, glancing back up the path they'd been walking. She looked back at him curiously, hand motioning toward Hyjal, "Where, eh... where do you call home? Near the base?"
He ran his fingers through his wild hair, as if somewhat surprised at the compliment. "Thanks. And... not exactly. I live wherever I find a piece of cover to sleep beneath."
The huntress took a turn to run her gloved hand through her own hair, glancing up the path, "Well, Reth'lazar... I still need to turn these crystals in to my superior... are you hungry?"
"Reth, please. Ahem... I suppose a meal wouldn't go amiss."
Anna smirked again, nodding, "Well then... my name is Arrianna. Arrianna Nightstorm. And I'm inviting you to dinner. As thanks." She looked back up the path, "The glade a little further north is where I call home... and anyone who helps hunt the satyrs is welcome."
He nodded with a slight grin. "So long as you don't plan to try and recruit me, I'll be glad to accept."
"Psh." She chuckled and shook her head, "I'm not an officer, I'm just an aspirant... a trainee. I'm a nobody."
He moved to follow her this time. "I don't think that's likely."
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The Owl and the Raven
Part 3
"I'm just an aspirant... a trainee. I'm a nobody."
"I don't think that's likely."
Even as his comment brought a slight blush to her cheeks, she led them through the forest until they reached one of the many Kaldorei villages that skirted the base of Hyjal. She did not say what it was called, but then again, it did not matter. As they arrived on the outskirts, she looked back at him curiously, "I just need to drop these crystals off with the Huntress and then we can get some food."
He moved slowly as they approached, looking somewhat apprehensive about entering anything resembling civilization but he deferred. "And did you have a plan for what to eat, or shall I make a hunt?"
Arrianna blinked in confusion. "A hunt?" She looked back to her village, then back to him, "There's food here, we don't have to hunt - at least not every day - in order to eat." She smiled to him gently, an expression free of judgement, and motioned him to follow, "Come on. Tell me what you like to eat while we walk so we can decide what to have."
He shrugged and followed along. He didn't come this far north, so he at least wasn't likely to be known. His hand rested on the hilt of one of his blades as they entered the town's outskirts.
As they approached another Kaldorei in purple armor, Anna saluted the woman, speaking softly and handing over the satchel. The woman opened it briefly, looking impressed. After counting something for several moments, she passed Anna a leather pouch that jingled significantly. It was tucked into a pocket before she turned back to Reth to hear his answer to her question:
"So?... what do you like to eat?"
He looked as though it was a question he had not often been asked. "Venison, usually. But when you live in the woods you eat whatever you can hunt or trap. Rabbit, bear." He shrugged.
Anna tilted her head as she listened, nodding. She motioned to the mountain, "There's a river that flows down from the snowcaps of Hyjal - it's big enough that a number of fish swim up its rapids throughout the year. A cadre of fishermen go once every few weeks to round up enough for the village. Their security detail often includes a few trainees like myself. So I'm certainly no stranger to hunting and living in the wilds..." She led them toward one of the larger open buildings, walking inside to reveal a farmer's market of sorts. The options were far from a city market's variety, but it was more than enough for a village to be able to get by. "But you said you live like that constantly?"
Once again he shrugged as a means of confirmation. "I have been made well aware that I am not warmly welcome in the settlements further south." But far from sounding bitter or distressed by it, he seemed to prefer it. "Fine with me. I have no problem living off the land, unwasteful."
Arrianna gave a nod, motioning to the limited supply before them, "That is why this village is so small - we know how much food we will use, and none of this goes to waste. Plus it keeps the trade between each other evenly spread. Everyone here has a duty, and everyone here earns their fill." She offered him another kind smile, motioning to the fruit and meats, "Do you wish to pick, or should I surprise you? I warn you... I'm not as adept at cooking as some of the other women in this village."
He chuckled slightly. "Pick whatever you wish, I'm happy to cook whatever you procure." He was a survivalist, and quite adept at making fire, cooking what he killed. "Though I admit I'm more used to a campfire than a stove."
Arrianna smirked back at him, turning to pick a few choice pieces of fish and sunfruit, as well as some fresh greens and berries for a salad. "I can assure you, that can be arranged." Once she had her things chosen, she carried the little wicker basket she'd grabbed at the entrance to a Kaldorei man wearing simple dirt-stained linens. She smiled at him and let him tally out her choices.
"A bit more than usual, Miss Nightstorm?" But when he saw she was accompanied by someone, he blinked in surprise and then nodded, "Certainly not an overestimation. Enjoy your evening."
Anna smiled back to the man, passing over a handful of coins, "Thank you, Desaan." Pausing for a moment more, she passed him two more coins and motioned to a pair of corked glass bottles by the door. He nodded to her again and moved to add them to her basket. When she turned her amber gaze back to Reth'lazar, she was smiling brightly, "Shall we?"
He watched her go about her choices with an air of slight bemusement. He clearly was more accustomed to hunting his every meal than this bizarre ritual. But he made no disparaging comment, and simply followed along as she made her purchase and exited. "Quite presumptuous to go for a drink so early, isn't it?" He teased as he followed along to wherever she intended them to eat.
Anna chuckled softly, a deep sound, as she led them back across the little village until they reached the smallest house on its far edge. She opened the door and motioned him inside after her. It was incredibly modest - a bed and a dresser, and a small space to sit by the window. There weren't many candles in the place, but the light that filtered in from the moon and the stars outside was more than enough to allow them to see their way around. In the center of the room was a small woven rug with an unsightly lump beneath its center. After Anna placed the basket on the simple wooden trunk at the end of her bed, she knelt by the rug before moving it away: it apparently covered a small fire pit, which explained why the center of her ceiling has a hole in it that let a slight breeze waft through the little house. She motioned for him to sit with her, "Is this too fancy for you?"
He looked rather impressed by its simplicity, both the house and the cooking implements. "I can always appreciate practicality." He answered simply. He knelt down to extract his own flint from his bag and showed his expertise with the tool. It took only a few brief stikes to get the first sparks ignited in the tinder. A few short breaths and the fire picked up potency, soon flaring to life. "I would hazard you know a thing or two about surviving without the comforts of home."
Anna nodded in the affirmative, "Indeed I do." She watched him build the fire, rising to move back to the wooden trunk by her bed. She grabbed the basket, moving to the little cabinet tucked into a corner. From inside, she grabbed a sanded wooden slab and a pair of wooden plates, and a large wooden bowl. She brought the slab and a hunting knife before her as she sat and started laying the fish out on the slab, nudging it toward Reth, "I have some spices, if you need them... though I imagine some of the women around here would not qualify salt as 'some spices'. Heheh."
"You're saying you're not very domestic? I'm stunned." He offered a chuckle as he reached into the still-infant fire and extracted a couple smaller sticks. He took the fish from the basket and carefully threaded the sticks through the mouths, before planting them in the fire to cook as the flames danced higher to lick along the flesh. "Surprised you even have a house with a solid roof... er, not that I'm one to really talk."
Anna shrugged passively, frowning a little as she tore and mixed the greens she'd picked into the bowl, adding the berries and mixing with her hands. "It's not technically mine... but it at least got me out of my parents' home."
He blinked, though not the most social of creatures, he seemed to realize he'd struck some sort of nerve. "Apologies. I did not mean to offend."
She blinked at his apology, lifting her berry-stained gloves to shake her hands at him back and forth, "Oh, no! Not offended." She frowned again and heaved a gentle sigh, "My lifestyle is not the way my parents had wished it, and choosing to stay with them during my training... it would've driven me crazier than a Wildkin corrupted by the Fel." She moved to place the salad between them - ready to share when the fish was done, before rising and moving to sit on the windowsill so she could remove some of her armor. Her gloves and shoulder pauldrons as well as her boots and leather vest all came off, leaving her in her leather pants and a worn top that had definitely seen better days. As she rejoined him, she sighed again, "I mentioned the priestesses and the druids before... my parents are so... so cookie-cutter perfect that it's maddening." Anna sat in thought, tracing a hand on her facial tattoo. "The owl is a great hunter... I suppose I just want to prove to them that it's just as important as being a custodian of Nature... or a sister of Elune."
Reth kept his attention on the fire as it cooked through the fish. He nodded along with her tale. "Everyone has to find their own way, by choice or circumstance." He shifted the sticks to make sure there was an even burn. "I lost everything I'd known when the
Well collapsed and I had to find a way to survive. Its no different, in the end. Life can change in a second, so I'd just as soon take what I can when I can... And maybe get a little vengeance along the way."
She kept her gaze trained a bit shyly on the fire as she listened. "Do... do you remember where you were when... when it...?" Though her words trailed off, the query in her statement was unmistakable.
He thought about it for a moment, as if he hadn't thought about it for some time. "I was miles from home, hunting the largest buck I'd ever seen. I returned home to find... well, I didn't return home. It was gone."
She nodded slowly, amber eyes flicking his way a few times. "I'm sorry."
He shrugged. "It was so long ago. My peace is made. If you dwell on the shot you missed, you'll miss the next one too. That's a bad analogy... I've never used a bow."
At this, Arrianna smirked. "Wise words from a true hunter." She looked to the fish hungrily, moving to dole out the salad onto their plates for the fish to be laid over. At his second comment, she shook her head, "You can aim a shot with more than just a bow."
Once their plates were ready for the main course, she moved to sit a little closer, grabbing the pair of corked glass bottles. They weren't incredibly large, and the glass was dark and frosted over. She worked the corks out with a bit of elbow grease before scooting one toward him, "You said you seek vengeance... vengeance against whom?"
He made a swift movement to extract a knife from his belt and sent it spinning up into the air. He snatched it back by the blade just an instant before it hit the ground. "The demons who tore our world apart. I said I'd made peace, not that I'd forgiven." He smirked as he lifted the fish from the fire and prodded their skin with his hand. Satisfied they were ready, he passed them off. "A true hunter never lets his prey escape. Or hers... I suppose."
The little addition to his comment was small, but more than enough to paint her cheeks a deep shade of purple. She smiled, helping him to separate the fish from their bones and laying the cooked pieces of meat over their salads. Once they were ready, she lifted her own glass bottle as if to clink it to his, "Here's to hunting, then?"
He raised his bottle somewhat awkwardly, quite unfamiliar with such trappings, but he tapped his bottle to hers and nodded. "So then, what are you hunting?"
She chuckled, taking a swig from her bottle. When she lowered it again, she had a small thin white line running along her upper lip - the bottles were full of milk, it seemed. She licked her lips, looking back to the fire, "Well, I can tell you what I -haven't- been hunting... much to the chagrin of my mother." She sulked her head down, as if what she was speaking of was both frustrating and depressing.
He chuckled under his breath, noticing the milk and took a sip himself. "And what would that be?" He asked in a tone that suggested he had an inkling of the answer.
Anna let out a frustrated groan, grabbing a handful of salad and fish and eating it like the heathen her mother had made her out to be, not more than once, "A damned lifemate... why should I traipse around in a girlie dress with my hair in a fancy gathered braid in the back while I pick flowers, hoping that one of the big strong soldiers or druids or whatever ask my parents for the chance to court me?" She said the entirety of this around her mouthful of fish and salad, swallowing roughly before looking to Reth, "Is that whole helpless damsel thing really that arousing?"
He shrugged as he chewed through his own fish. "For some I suppose. On the other hand, a woman who doesn't need to be hand-held..." He trailed off without fully completing the thought, though the appeal was apparent. "But then I'm the farthest thing from any kind of expert on the subject."
Arrianna shook her head gently, "I'll never understand the appeal of being a housewife... my mother always said she was honored to make a home for her family, but..." at the mere thought of it, she wrinkled her nose, "I don't know."
"To each their own I suppose... Not sure raising a child in the woods would be a fun experience."
Anna gave a quiet nod, enjoying more of her salad before looking to Reth curiously, "Is it good? I tend to balance my meals as much as possible - eating healthy is how we build our strength."
He had made his way through most of the food. "Its quite good. A nice change of pace from mushrooms and berries and dried venison." He said with a wink.
Arrianna smiled, nodding, "I'm glad. I don't have many friends. Honestly never thought I'd need any. But company is a nice change of pace." She offered him a bright smile, looking truly relaxed. "And if I'm to call you Reth... then you can call me Anna."
He offered a hand out, a somewhat facetious gesture of politeness. "It's a pleasure to meet you Anna. I hope to kill many satyrs with you."
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