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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 11, 2012 15:37:39 GMT -5
Arania lands hard on the ground, her momentum propelling her over logs and rocks and sticks, cutting and bruising her everywhere. When she finally stops rolling, what is only a five second event felt like a lifetime. She hears the sounds of a mighty struggle on the carriage, but it continues going too fast for her to catch up to even if she was perfectly healthy. Ahead, she can faintly see two torches turning around on the narrow trail, but the darkness should give her some form of concealment; the starlight not piercing through the tree canopy at all.
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Post by Arania Stark on Oct 11, 2012 16:11:28 GMT -5
She didn't move for a moment, hardly believing she had managed to get away. She feared for Amelia, knowing thing would go doubly bad for her now that Arania had escaped. She counted herself lucky for having no broken bones, though she could feel several bruises blossoming everywhere. She laced the top of her bodice, tightly, still feeling his hands on her.
She noticed the torches flickering...And went the opposite direction, stumbling to her feet and running along that path. After a few paces she thought the better of this and ducked a little way into the brush, where she could follow the path but not be seen so clearly if anyone should happen along. Se tried to move as quietly as possible.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 11, 2012 16:15:29 GMT -5
The two horsemen approach on her quickly enough, but they can't see well at all into the woods, and thusly dismount to hunt her down. They are only perhaps thirty meters from her, and she can see their outlines along the trail, see their gleaming daggers and crossbows.
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Post by Arania Stark on Oct 11, 2012 16:37:53 GMT -5
She covered her mouth to stop from breathing too loudly and moved deeper into the brush. She thanked the gods she had worn a dark-colored gown, anything to help her blend in to the night. She went away from the path, hoping against hope not to be caught. She knew it would be worse now that she had run.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 11, 2012 16:42:31 GMT -5
She makes it a good distance, but her pursuers aren't quitting. They split up and begin searching the forest. In the dim light, seeing both of them becomes impossible.
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Post by Arania Stark on Oct 11, 2012 16:51:07 GMT -5
It took all her resolve to hold onto those last vestiges of calm and to keep moving, swiftly and fairly quietly. She was determined to evade them. Surely she would come across someone to aid her? But she knew that was highly unlikely; these woods were deep and the night was quiet.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 11, 2012 17:03:11 GMT -5
She walks another few minutes, until the brush keeps both of the men from her sight. She slowly and carefully makes her way through before finally skimming a small clearing. One of the outlaws is directly in front of her, not more than fifteen feet. He turns about and even in the darkness she can tell he gets a smile on his face. "Hello, m'lady."
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Post by Arania Stark on Oct 11, 2012 17:54:42 GMT -5
Seven hells, she was caught! She turned tail and darted away, not going back the way she had come, but away from that direction and the clearing. She didn't care about making noise now, she just ran as fast as she could, jumping over stray roots and branches that lay in her way.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 11, 2012 18:05:35 GMT -5
She makes it a ways before she trips and falls, and then the speedier (pants vs dress) outlaw is on her. "Time to bleed, cunt," he manages, before he suddenly keels over, a crossbow quarrel sticking out his chest. Trotting up behind him is the aggravated-looking form of Catherine Mallister.
"You two REALLY should have invited me."
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Post by Arania Stark on Oct 11, 2012 18:12:13 GMT -5
Arania let herself cry now, hot tears of relief dripping down her face. She got to her feet again. "Catherine, there's still another one! And Ami...oh, gods, Ami went for his sword! I don't know if she's alright! what will we do?" She hissed these things to Catherine in a stage whisper, interrupted by sniffles. She looked about, hoping to see the light of her pursuer, so Catherine could shoot him and be rid of the bastard.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 11, 2012 18:15:25 GMT -5
Catherine tosses her the man's dagger and takes his crossbow for herself. "Oh, joy...I'm not sure I can do too much if he sees us coming. That was like the fourth time I've shot one of these." She shrugged at the rest of her words. "Find her. Kill that cocksucker."
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Post by Arania Stark on Oct 11, 2012 18:19:28 GMT -5
Arania was glad to be armed again, even with a puny dagger. "Impressive shot, then," she said by way of compliment. She wiped her eyes on a cleanish bit of her skirt. "Go after her? Are you crazy? What if there's a ton of them? We can't catch up to the carriage anyway! I..." she looked ashamed. "I know we should, but I'm scared. What if they killed her and then just kill us, too?"
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 11, 2012 18:29:31 GMT -5
"I could have said that about you." Catherine cocks the crossbow, and has another dagger stuck to her belt. "I didn't then. But, yea, if there's a bunch we'll beat feet. My horse won't fit both of us, and he won't listen to anyone but me. My father made sure of that."
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Post by Arania Stark on Oct 11, 2012 19:31:00 GMT -5
She had no choice but to stick to Catherine's side. "How did you manage to find me, anyhow? What if the revenge had gone as planned?"
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 11, 2012 19:38:41 GMT -5
"It couldn't have; those sons of bitches had laid a trap. When they took you, they sent runners off to tell everyone that the Ironborn had kidnapped you, to draw everyone into some sort of battle. I loosened a wheel on the carriage and hid until I thought it was safe...I never thought you'd all get so far ahead of me before it feel off." The two notice two horses thundering by, a hundred meters to their left. "That's from the town's direction! They might be help!"
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