No Rhyme Or Reason (M) (Tayssi)

[ℓonesomє]

Kyras made his way along an old game trail, worn by the various animals that had once traveled it. Shiemi trotted ahead, weaving back and forth tightly with her nose nearly pressed to the dusty path as she tracked some unfortunate rabbit. Upon Kyras's back was Kaeli, a bow slung across her back and a quiver of arrows within easy reach on her hip. She had abandoned her old black cloak for this. There wasn't any need to be too obvious about what she was. So she had braided her hair at the temples and pulled it back as some of the elves did. Her ears were hidden, so with a little luck, any person she stumbled upon would just assume she was a traveling elf. Her daggers were safely hidden in one of the saddle bags, within easy reach if she had the time. Kyras snorted, pawing gently at Shiemi's rump to tell her to get moving. The wolfdog had stopped, and was staring straight ahead, her hackles starting to rise. Kaeli slowly strung her bow, putting it out infront of her. She gently spurred Kyras forward, forcing Shiemi out of the way. The foilage parted, revealing a small herd of deer. Kaeli groaned in exasperation, scattering the deer and making her companions turn to look at her. "We need to work on your signals, Shi. I was hoping for that rogue." Shiemi whined and wagged her tail in apology, licking Kaeli's hand when she ran it through her coarse fur. "The rogue, Shi. Humanish, maybe? I need the rogue!" Kaeli told her slowly, rolling her eyes at the wolfdogs pup like behavior. "What about you Kyras? You know where it is?" The stallion snorted in response, and moved forward.

The roaring of a river caught Kaeli's attention, her eyes brightening with excitment. Slipping her bow back into place, Kaeli urged Kyras into a trot. The dull trail eventually gave out to lush green grass. Rapids littered the center of the river, leaving parts of the edges calm and indisturbed. Kaeli swung off of her mount, leaving him to graze. Not only would this be a good resting spot, the man she was looking for could possibly pass through. Retrieving one of her daggers from the saddle bag, Kaeli made her way to the river. Water lapped at the tips of her boots. Kyras joined her, quenching his thirst noisily. Laughing and gently scratching behind the stallion's ear, she filled a canteen, stood, and scaled a tree, leaving her companions on the ground to try and look insuspiscous. She stared up at the sky for a moment. The clouds were rosy, signaling that nighttime was falling fast. Kaeli settled inbetween a fork in the branches, having no intention to sleep. Muttering softly to herself, she carefully searched the trees from which she came, waiting for something or someone to happen. Kyras roamed around, the only animal in the clearing after Shiemi disappeared into the trees to scout around.

(Really sucky first post. Please excuse the shortness)

[Tayssi]

Rhys glanced either way as he poked his head from the ally way before he skipped backwards and glanced over at the demon fire bird which perched itself on a box. His bright blue eyes stared at the rogue before he scoffed at him and looked away for a moment before flapping his wings, once, twice and then tucking them to his sides as he settled on the man’s shoulder. The man chuckled and gently gripped the bird’s horn upon his head and shook it slightly, which earned him a hiss. Rhys shook his head and stepped to the edge of the ally. His hand tingled momentarily before a little string of flames curled around his hand and through his fingers. A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he threw the flames onto a nearby fence. People came rushing out of homes and shops to try and help to put out the flames and Rhys took his chance in the commotion. He snuck through a door into a store and he rushed through the isles, packing non-perishable foods and a few pieces of packed meat into a bag. He filled his water container and packed a couple bandages and other essential items before he ran from the store and out of the town.

Rhys sighed as he slowed when he reached the tree line. Glancing back at the town as they had put out the fire and tried to find the source of what had sparked it. The rogue chuckled to himself, his long fingers tapping on his belt, which made the chains clink together from the movement. His silvery white hair shone in the sun before he vanished into the trees. He ran a hand through his hair and then ran his fingers over his plaits. He then stretched out his hand in front him and the air became denser and a sphere of air turned and spun around fiercely just above his palm. Rhys watched the wind danced. His silver eyes watched it for a long while before he clenched his hand and the wind vanished. The man shook his head before he turned to look at the bird upon his shoulder. “Where should we go now, Ly?” he asked him. He clicked his beak in response and shook his feathers before he finally said, “To a river, I’m thirsty,” Rhys chuckled and nodded shortly. “Alright then, to a river we go,” the man said lightly with a chuckle. Rhys started moving, listening out for the sound of water.

He located the direction of the water and he turned on his heels and walked towards it. The bird fluffed out his feathers and shook himself out. The silver haired man found the river and he walked over to it, crouching down and dipping his hands in, cupping them and splashing his face before he repeated the movement and instead, drank the cool water. The fire bird jumped from his shoulder and dipped his beak into the water before throwing it back and swallowing. Rhys shook his head and his eyes flicked over to the stallion as he stood and Ly flew back to his shoulder. He noticed the recent tracks of the wolfdog and his silver eyes soon found human tracks. “You didn’t do a very good job hiding yourself,” he remarked, looking up at woman. Ly chirped and looked at the stallion before looking at Rhys and laughing, “You’re caught,” he said and laughed at the man again.

[ℓonesomє]

Kaeli rubbed her temples, watching the sun slowly start to disappear behind one of the mountain peaks. Her dark brown eyes flicked back and forth ver the horizon, searching for any signs of disturbance and slowly drifted her gaze back down to the forest, looking as far into the trees as she could. Kyras looked up at her for a moment, curious to as why she didn't hide herself as well as she usually did. Shaking her head softly, Kaeli shifted into a sittng position, moving a little higher up and smiling mischieviously. She plucked a leaf from the branch, and let it slowly flutter down until it came to a rest inbetween Kyras's ears. The stallion snorted, and nearly reared as he danced around in a small circle to try and see what had touched him. Kaeli couldn't contain her giggling, and the horse stopped when he realized what it had been, and cast an accusing glare up at the girl. She waved down at him, smiling like an imp. With the fun over for the moment, Kaeli moved back down to her spot, still chuckling softly. Kyras stomped one of his front hooves, looking at her indignantly. "Okay, okay, fine. I'm sorry I dropped a leaf on your head. Don't have a baby, Kyras. It was only a leaf." His ears flicked, and the stallion nodded, showing that her apology had been accepted. Shaking her head, Kaeli leaned back on the branch, eyes half closed. Shiemi or Kyras would warn her if anyone came near.

Before Kaeli had even realized she had fallen asleep, she felt Kyras nudging her from her light slumber and sat upright, looking around with caution. "Someone coming?" She whispered, rubbing one of his ears gently. He jerked away in a nod, and trotted back to the center of the clearing, returning to his grazing. Kaeli whistled to Shiemi, telling her to stay close by. The minutes dragged on, but eventually, someone did appear. And Kaeli couldn't believe her luck. Her hand shifted to the dagger, watching the rogue's every move, wondering if he had already seen her. She tried to appear relaxed, mostly for her sake. The little bird he had with him momentarily caught her attention, but she forced her eyes back to the man. If only she didn't have to return him alive. That would make this both easier and more enjoyable for her. Drumming her fingers again the bark, Kaeli impatiently waited, waited for the right moment to strike. She wasn't entirely sure what plan she should follow, whether to be direct or try to trick him. Going with the latter, Kaeli calmed herself, knowing that she had Shiemi just in case things went wrong.

"You didn't do a very good job at hiding yourself." Kaeli looked over as the man spoke, and raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps I wasn't trying to hide?" She retorted, trying not to glare at him. Kaeli jumped down from her perch when he spoke next, straightening herself and rolling her eyes. "What do you have to catch me with? I have the horse." She crossed her arms over her chest, an awaiting gleam in her eye. Kaeli was confident. Shiemi was undoubtedly moving into the trees behind him, and Kyras had joined Kaeli's side. He nibbled at her hair, tossing his head when she put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Changing her grip on the dagger she held, Kaeli stepped forward, the stallion matching her stride until she stopped several meters away from the rogue. "I think you're the one that's caught." A confident smirk accompanied the words. Two glowing green orbs that were Shiemi's eyes appeared in the forest behind him, and Kaeli laughed. This would be too easy.

[Tayssi]

Rhys raised a single brow at her words and he looked at Ly, who stared at the stallion. Flexing his fingers, he took a deep breath, his chest expanding as he did so and rocked back on his heels with a soft growling sigh. He watched as she left the tree and spoke. “Doesn’t matter,” he said, speaking about the horse. She’d have to be quick enough to get on the stallion and make him move before he got over there in only a couple of steps. The woman placed a hand on the stallion’s shoulder and her put a hand in his hair and ruffling it slightly and glanced away with a sigh. His silver gaze returned to the woman a moment later and he smirked as she came closer. She had absolutely no idea. On all the wanted posters, none said he possessed magic. Sure, because he always hid when he used it. Barely ever used it on people, if at all. He cocked his head to the side and squared his shoulders as she spoke, saying he was the one who was caught. He shook his head and looked at Ly, who’s feathers were puffed and clicking his beak. Their eyes met momentarily and Rhys smirked before he looked back at the woman.

“I doubt that,” he remarked and he held out his hand and Ly crawled down his arm, resting on his hand, his long tail hanging in the air. Without the woman being able to see him use it, Rhys lit the bird of fire. Being a fire bird, they’d just assume he’d done it himself. If they knew what he was. However, Ly was too lazy to ever light himself, so Rhys would do it for him. The took off with only a few flaps of his overly long wings and he flew around the stallion and woman before he moved behind the man, keeping the wolfdog away from the man. Rhys chuckled and stared at the woman. “I’m not an idiot. I knew she was there the whole time. Though, let me ask you one question. Is there any reason you want to hand me in? Is there a certain reason you need the money that comes with handing me in? You do know how long it is to get there, right? It takes ages to get there,” he said and glanced back at Ly who screeched at the canine, swooping at it, the flames almost catching the animal’s fur before the bird moved back to simply keep it away from Rhys.

(sorry it's so short. Mind blank )

[ℓonesomє]

Kaeli snorted in amusement, smiling and looking up at the darkening sky as she shook her head. Pushing her nearly white hair away from her face, the woman sighed in mock frustration and continued to watch the rogue and his little firebird. Kyras nuzzled her shoulder, nearly knocking her over in the process. "Do you mind? If you want to be useful, take Shiemi and get out of here." Kaeli whispered, still keeping a careful eye on the man while pushing on Kyras's neck to try and get him to obey, but the stubborn horse pushed back, almost stumbling into her when she pulled her hand away. Biting the inside of her cheek, Kaeli furrowed her brows when the two exchanged glances, his expression confident when his eyes returned to her. "I doubt that." The woman tilted her head at his words, slightly confused by both that and his actions. "You do, huh?"

Kyras jumped back when the bird lit, his ears pinned flat against his skull. Kaeli just watched with what could be labeled as fascination in her eyes. The stallion turned in a circle with the bird, backing into Kaeli as he watched the animal closely. Stepping forward a bit to avoid falling, she snapped her fingers, demanding Kyras's attention. He swung around in a circle, forcing Kaeli to duck in order to not be whacked with his big head. When her mount finally decided to settle down, Kaeli nodded. "I'm well aware you aren't an idiot. Has it ever occured to you though, that we might not be trying to be secretive? If I wanted to be stealthy I wouldn't of brought this big oaf with me." She retorted coldy, nodding towards Kyras. The rest of his sentence struck her harder than it should've, bringing back memories she didn't care to remember. Averting her glare to the ground, Kaeli nodded. "Yes, there is a reason. But just FWI, I don't really care about the money. And I've made the journey before. It doesn't really bother me." Closing her eyes for a long moment, Kaeli opened them when she looked back up at the rogue. "But yes, you would've been caught, had you not been hiding behind your little pet. Before you accuse me of being a hypocrite, no, the dog is only there to make sure you don't come back the way you came, and so no one interferes. I fight all my targets myself. What's the fun in having someone help you?" Kaeli asked, resting a hand on her hip as she awaited his answer.('Tis fine. Posts can be hard to make during conversations like this. Mine isn't anybetter)

[Tayssi]

Rhys ran a hand over his left arm and groaned softly. He chuckled when the stallion refused to move, liking the stallion more than one usually would in only a matter of minutes. He watched the horse and woman as the stallion freaked about Ly. He fought against the tug of a smile on his lips and pressed them into a tight line. Yep, he definitely liked the ‘big oaf’ as she called him. “It could just be that you’re a very sloppy.. Hm, what are you? An assassin?,” he said with a light chuckle, “how am I supposed to know? I don’t know you, I have no idea what you’re like,” he grinned at the woman and skipped backwards a few steps, putting some distance between them. So she had a reason as to why she wanted to hand him in. Wonder what is was… “Maybe she had a sick family? Nah, doubt it. Not quite desperate enough..” he wondered aloud, watching the woman. Rhys looked back at the bird and wolfdog, cocking his head to the side slightly. He was doing a good job keeping her away from him. Pressing his fingers on his left hand into his hips, he looked back at the woman.

“The same goes for you, actually. You wouldn’t be using your wolfdog to keep me from leaving. So technically, it’s back to square one. We’re both using something to keep something where it is,” Rhys said, stretching his hands high above his head with a yawn. “By the way, what’s his name?” he asked, lowering his hands and pointing to the stallion with a smile, “I like him,” he chuckled softly, his fingers playing with his hair at the end of his plaits. “He’s Ly,” he said, gesturing to the bird. “I’m a demon fire bird,” the bird said with a chirp before focusing back on the canine. Blinking slightly at the bird’s words. He generally didn’t speak towards strangers. Rhys shook his head and focused on the stallion before he said, “and also, if you give me a good reason, I’ll go with you willingly so you can hand me in. But you will also have to let me ride him at some point,” he smiled brightly and gestured towards the stallion. Sure, if he decided to go along with her, he’d find a mount of his own. Even as a rogue, he was a man of his word, should he make a promise.

(I know what you mean haha)

[ℓonesomє]

Kaeli huffed, returning her dagger to the saddle bag. With that bird around, there would be no fighting yet. "I wouldn't call it sloppy, really. It's a technique. If I wanted sloppy, I would follow his plans." Kyras perked up when she gestured to him, nuzzling her cheek and nipping at her shirt when she pushed his nose away gently. Grinding her teeth together, Kaeli considered his question for a moment. "I guess. I had a different option but it wasn't nearly as exciting. But my targets don't usually talk so much, and I'm starting to regret my choice." She leaned a bit to the side, watching Shiemi ducking away and snarling at the fire bird. "It's nothing to do with my family. If you had anything to do with them I would of made an attempt to kill you by now." Kaeli muttered, rolling her eyes as she returned to her original position.

She felt her temper spark when he yawned, but took a deep breath, and looked back at Kyras. "Why the hell should I tell you?" Kaeli snapped, clenching her hands into fists and trying to ignore the stallion constantly nudging her shoulder. "Kyras," She groaned, leaning back on the horse, "The stallion is Kyras, and of course you like him, you two have a lot in common already." Kaeli watched the bird as it was introduced, nodding gently. The girl actually burst out laughing at his offer, startling Kyras and causing Shiemi to stop snapping at the bird for several seconds. "How stupid do you think I am? I know I'm not playing my cards very well here, but do you honestly expect me to believe you? Let alone trust you to touch my horse." The last bit was added seriously, with a small glare followed up by a few more childish giggles. "Call your chickadee off the dog, and maybe I'll feel a little more generous. You already made a point." Her mind wandered back to the reason he had talked about, and shook her head. "Can't think of a reason, other than the one where I could just ask you nicely." Kaeli batted her eyes in a mock form of innocence.

Kyras moved from behind his rider, leaving her to fall flat on her arse as he moved closer to investigate the rogue. "Little traitor." Kaeli muttered, resting her forehead in her hands as the stallion edged closer. He tentatively sniffed the man, his deep brown eyes still glued to the bird he called Ly. Kyras tilted his head, nudging the man's chest in a small attempt to push him backwards. "Kyras." Kaeli warned, looking up at the turn. "In my defense, having a bird that is on fire is not fair!" She grinned mischeviously, obviously joking with the rogue.

[Tayssi]

Rhys listened to the woman as she spoke, chuckling when she said she was starting to regret going after him. “I’m a very lovable guy once you get to know me,” he remarked with an innocent grin. He raised an eyebrow as she said that he’d be dead by now if he had tried to touch her family. He cocked his head to the side with a sigh. So she was protective over her family. Not a bad trait but it made him wonder for some reason. When she told him the stallion’s name, he smirked and watched him with a look of almost awe. He really was a magnificent creature. He was kind of jealous that the woman had such a gorgeous horse and all he had was a tiny, annoying fire bird. Shaking his head, he stepped to the side and looked around into the trees. “I am a man of my word, despite my being a rogue,” he told her lightly. He scratched his side softly with a sigh, knowing she probably didn’t and would never believe him. “And it’s not like I would ever harm an animal or take it from its friend and master,” Rhys explained, his silver eyes watching her.

Her childish giggling surprised him, but he didn’t say anything about it. When she commented about the bird, he glanced back at Ly for a moment before she said the only thing she had was to ask nicely. “Not really good enough, sorry,” he said. When Kyras moved towards him, Rhys planted himself to the ground, keeping still as to not scare the stallion. When he came up and sniffed him, Rhys smiled and took a step back in surprise as he nudged him. He glanced back at the woman as she spoke and he reached up and stroked the stallion’s neck gently. Rhys smiled widely at the horse as he ran his hand over the smooth coat. He glanced back at the bird and said, “Ly, that’s enough. Cease the fire,” he said. The bird hissed, but the fire died down, however it stayed where it was, kept the canine where it was. “And in my defense, it’s not fair to have two animals with you. Three against 2 is barely fair,” he said and looked back at Kyras “I touched him,” Rhys remarked to the woman with a humourus chuckle.

[ℓonesomє]

"I'm sure you are." Kaeli responded with a roll of her eyes. She jumped to her feet, thinking about her next response as her horse investigated the rogue. "Why am I having a hard time believing you?" Kaeli asked, glancing around her while she waited for her traitorous horse to return to her side. She adjusted her bow on her back, rolling one of her shoulders to try and loosen it up a bit. Biting her tongue to keep back an unecessary insult, Kaeli blinked slowly, much like a cat as he spoke. "Then neither of us get what we want." A flash of movement caught her eye, and she saw Shiemi turn tail, obviously tired of watching and waiting. She resisted the urge to call Kyras back to her side, and only did so to avoid looking like a child. Her dark brown eyes rested on the ground, her plan having been torn apart long ago. "So why haven't you run yet, anyway? I know I'm not that intimidating or anything but normally rogues don't hang around for very long.." Kaeli asked, pushing her hair away from her face again.

"My dog just abandoned me and Kyras seems to like you too much, so technically, it's just me now." She looked around, searching for signs of Shiemi but found none. Kyras tugged at the man's hair, snorting happily as he heard his name spoken by Kaeli. "His choice, not mine. If I had my way, we would be out of here by now and on our way to your future captors." She replied, muttering quietly to herself as Kyras continued his search. "Careful if you have any food on you, he'll take it no matter what it is." Stepping back a few yards, Kaeli leaned on the tree she had once perched in, crossing one knee over the other and settling her arms over her chest. "You know, not that I don't love having your company around here," Kaeli said, words dripping with sarcasm, "But why are you still here?"

(I'm too tired to make a good post or highlight their speech. I'll be better in the morning, I promise.)

[Tayssi]

Rhys chuckled lightly, rocking back on his heels, his fingers tangling themselves in the stallion’s mane with a soft smile. He bowed his head slightly, his silver hair falling over his eyes. He looked at the stallion from under his lashes. He glanced past the stallion, to the woman and he grinned softly as she asked him why he hadn’t ran. “Because you are just oh so entertaining,” he replied with a laugh, “no, probably more to the fact that I like Kyras,” he smiled and ran a hand through his hair. “Also, if I really wanted to, I’m sorry if this makes you angry, but I could easily get away,” he commented with a shake of his head. Glancing at Ly, he watched as the dog turned tail and ran and he couldn’t help but chuckle. The bird flew into a tree, hiding amongst the leaves and watching them. When she said that he was just her because the dog had left and Kyras liked him too much, Rhys smiled. He couldn’t help but laugh as the stallion tugged at his hair and he stroked the stallion’s velvet nose gently. He untangled his fingers from his mane with a grin, letting it slip to pat his neck as the woman spoke.

He chuckled at her words and cocked his head to the side. He grabbed his bag and reached into it and pulled out some dried apple. “Probably not what you’d prefer, but it’s something, at least,” Rhys said, holding it out to the stallion. Once he had taken it, he reached in, ripping the packaging on some meat and threw it into the air, making sure he was slow enough not to frighten Kyras. Ly swooped from the tree with a chirp and caught it in his talons, tearing into it with his talons. Rhys shook his head at the bird’s savage eating habit and he crouched down, rinsing his hands in the water before grabbing some more dried apple and giving it to the stallion. “You’re lucky I like this stuff and I bring a lot of it with me,” he said with a chuckle. When she spoke again, he looked across at her and shrugged. “Well, blame it on the stallion. I’m just too attached,” he said honestly, reaching over and giving a quick hug to the stallion before giving him some more dried apple. He smirked at her and asked, “do you think he has a sibling?” he asked with a chuckle and then got a bit more serious. A bit. “I can leave, if you want. Or, you can put up with my talkative attitude and take me and get the money you plan to use for something. Trust me, unless you bore me, I won’t be leaving you,” he said with a light chuckle.

He glanced at Ly, who was in the tree and dropped some meat on the woman’s shoulder. He dropped down, landing on her shoulder, picking up the piece and throwing his head back and swallow it whole. He clicked his beak and looked at the woman, “he’s abandoned me,” Ly whimpered softly, looking back at the stallion and man.

(it's all good my muse is a little dead tnight, too )

[ℓonesomє]

Kaeli shook her head, sighing softly as the rogue spoke. "Are you trying to insult me?" She asked, shifting her weight and narrowing her eyes into a glare. "Yes, yes. Kyras likes anybody and everybody. Don't feel too special now." The girl pulled her hair away from her face, huffing as she tilted her head to the side and tied it into a loose braid, securing it with a string of leather from her leather overshirt. "It doesn't make me as angry as it does frustrated. To be honest, I haven't been this frustrated since I was breaking him." Kaeli pointed at Kyras, the affectionate look in her eyes as she looked at the stallion betraying her. "Then go. I don't need you rubbing it in my face that I failed, alright? There are plenty of other targets out there, and most of them won't make me feel so... insignificant? Weak? I'm not sure." She remarked coldy, brown eyes focused on the forest behind him. Kaeli hadn't felt like that in a long time. She wasn't used to things like this. It hadn't happened since she first started, and it made her feel like a child all over again. Had she really failed? It was because of that little bird. Kaeli wasn't willing to get her companions burned just to catch an over talkative rogue.

Kyras greedily accepted the apple, caring less if it was dried or not. He turned his head to look back at Kaeli, scenting the bitter smell of anger wafting from her in waves. Nickering gently to her, he turned back to the man, accepting the second apple. He watched the little bird fly over, catching something and retreating to eat it somewhere. Refusing to reply to him, Kaeli looked away, focusing her glare on the river, glancing over at her horse every now and then to see if he was going to come back to her anytime soon. When he asked about siblings, Kaeli shook her head once more. "His sire and dam were killed in a raid before we could breed them again." Her voice cracked a bit at the memory, and she looked back at him. A rustling in the bushes behind her caught her attention, and she heard the familiar growl of Shiemi as she darted by. "Do what you like." Kaeli clenched her teeth together, wondering how hard it would be to take him all the way there.

Something hit her shoulder, startling her slightly. Kaeli directed her gaze upwards, seeing the fire bird right before he landed on her shoulder. She tensed, listening to Ly speak and nodded gently. "My horse abandoned me too." She replied, and continued on, a little quieter so only the bird could hear her. "Land right between the bastard's ears, and he'll be out of there before you can say his name." Kaeli offered a small smile, referring to Kyras. "I give you full permission."

[Tayssi]

“You didn’t fail,” Rhys said with a slight smirk, “you just didn’t try very hard to succeed,” he raised an eyebrow and watched the woman carefully. “And I have no problem with going along with you,” he grinned at her and rubbing the stallion’s neck affectionately. Okay, so even if Ly was small and annoying, he did have his uses and he definitely kept him company. He could use an attitude adjustment, however. It peeved him off from time to time. He was much like a child, always talking back to him. But then again, he was a child. In his species, anyway. No where near immortal, but the demon fire birds could never burn to death and they could live to be up to 200 years old. There were only 3 elders, two being 280 and 1 being 350. An overly long time for their species to live. Groaning at his thoughts, Rhys shook his head and focused on the stallion before she spoke about his parents. “That’s a shame,” he remarked, looking at the stallion a little more closely before telling him he had no more dried apple. Smirking at the stallion’s almost sad look, he reached over and ruffled his forelock with a chuckle.

He heard the wolfdog in the bushes behind them, however he decided to ignore her for now. He would deal with her should she try to harm him or Ly. He glanced past the stallion, narrowing his eyes as he saw he bird perched on the woman’s shoulder and conversing with eachother. He cocked his head to the side, before he looked back at the stallion with a light grin. What he wouldn’t do to have a horse such as him. He had a personality that Rhys loved. Much like his own. Okay, so that was conceded and a bit self-absorbed, but oh well, he liked his personality.

Ly looked at the woman, his head lowering slightly as she lowered her voice so only he could hear. He nodded slowly and his feathers shivered slightly before he took off silently, staying out of the horse’s vision and then lowering himself between the stallion’s ears quickly. Rhys blinked in surprise and Ly smirked at the man. The sun caught his brilliant orange feathers, seeming to ake them glow for a moment.

(Sorry, that had nothing to with my muse, just couldn't think of what to post haha )

[ℓonesomє]

Kaeli tried not to snap at him, but failed miserably. "It's a failure to me, alright? I've never really had to try very hard, it's always been too easy and you destroyed any plan I came up with with Ly. I'm not putting my animals in danger because of this," She snapped, slamming her fist into the tree as she leaned forward slightly, obviously tired of him. "Besides," She added, a little less venom in her voice this time. "You talk too much. My temper goes to hell when people talk too much." Kaeli recrossed her arms, averting her glare, slightly ashamed of her lapse in control. "It is. But there were some like him, the foals that lived. Locked up tight where we need to go, though. Can't have anybody interfering with the royal bloodline, now can we, Kyras?" He looked back at her, tilting his head slightly before going back to pestering the man.

Holding back a smile as Ly took flight, Kaeli watched him land, perfectly between Kyras's ears. The stallion half reared back, spinning around in tight circles to try and see what had landed on his head. He nearly stepped on Kaeli, and would have if she hadn't rolled out of the way in time. When he was sure the bird was off, Kyras cast a suspiscous glare at his master, wondering if she had anything to do with it. "Well, you asked for it!" She chuckled. "I could've of asked him to bite you." Her liking for the bird was growing quickly. Focusing her attention back on the rogue, Kaeli decided to ask him once more. "But why would you willingly go along? There are death sentences for some of the things you did, and if not, it means a while in prison. As long as I have my weapons, I honestly am not that worried about money. Explain to me why you'd be so willing to give yourself up for no reason. And why I should believe you."

After recovering from the the bird incident, Kyras returned to the man's side, punishing Kaeli for sicking the bird on him. He nipped at his pants, searching for more of those apples he had been given. "If you're going to join his side, Kyras, at least let me have my saddle bags back?" Kaeli asked sarcastically, looking back to see Shiemi coming up beside her. Extending a hand to run it through her coarse fur, the woman looked back at the two, awaiting an answer as she stroked the wolfdog.

(It's fine. Mine is no better.)

[Tayssi]

Rhys blinked in surprise at the woman’s outburst and he raised his hands in a defensive manner. “Alright, alright, I get it. Having a flaming ball of feathers does put me at an advantage, I’ll admit, but still. It’s either use him or more than likely get injured. I prefer to keep myself safe, sorry,” He said and sighed. “I do not want to die just yet. I’m waaay too young for that,” he chuckled as he glanced over at her, falling silent as she spoke about some foals. He looked at Kyras with a small smile before looking back at her. Then she mentioned the royal bloodline and he paused, thinking for a moment. “But wasn’t the true royal family killed a couple years ago? Why would they keep them there when everyone in the family is dead? There isn’t really any reason to keep them, is there? The new family who took over have their own horses they breed,” he said, looking at the stallion with a confused expression before he ran a hand through his forelock. He didn’t understand. Didn’t they usually get rid of or sell the royal bloodline horses when a new family stepped in? That’s what he had heard, from someone a long time ago.

Rhys’s silver eyes widened as Ly landed between the stallion’s ears and he took a cautious step back as the stallion spun around. Ly took flight and flew over to Rhys, landing on his shoulder. The man glared at the bird before groaning, “why, Ly?” he asked. “Because you abandoned me and he abandoned her. Just fair,” he huffed, fluffing out his feathers in victory. Rhys cast a sideways glance at the woman as she spoke and he shrugged. “Well, because, 1) it’s easy enough to get out if they decide to execute me, 2) I am now going there anyway so I can get myself a horse like Kyras, 3) I’ve got nothing better to do, 4) I think it could be fun and there are other reasons which I care not to count. You can take me up on my offer and get some money when you get there, because, earlier you had said there are reasons you need the money, so there is no use saying having your weapons is the only thing you need. Or, I’ll just go on my own and more than likely get caught by guards and get handed in without anyone getting a penny,” he said, looking over at her with a wide smile. “2 people is better than 1.”

Rhys smiled at the stallion as he came back over to him and Ly huffed in annoyance as the man focused his attention on the stallion instead of him. He took off with a defeated sigh, landing on a low hanging branch near the woman. Rhys looked at the wolfdog and smiled. “And what’s her name?” he asked, watching the canine for a moment.

[ℓonesomє]

Kaeli rolled her eyes again. "All she is useful for is guarding. I can't get her to attack a human and seriously injure them. She could lick you to death, but the only threat here WAS me." Shiemi licked the woman's cheek as an example, pushing up against her to try and see if she could get any food out of the deal. "You're also waaay to young to be a rogue, aren't you?" Kaeli glanced at the wolfdog, closing her eyes as Shiemi bombarded her face with licks. Pushing her away as the rogue started speaking again, Kaeli turned her attention to him, wondering how to explain it without giving away too much information. "Yes. They were killed. But the Radells had some of the best Black Forest Chestnuts horses around, and the survivng daughter gave all of the horses to them to avoid selling them to people who wouldn't take as good of care of them. The new family had horses of their own, but none like the Radells." It was the truth, afterall. It actually surprised her how she hadn't lied to the man yet.

"You do have a point." She admitted, nodding curtly. "But first, we have to get one of the horses from the local market here, because there is no way I am walking." Kaeli stood, chuckling at the fire bird. "I prefer the company of myself, thank you very much. But since we'd be killing two birds with one stone, I'll try to put up with you." Looking down at Shiemi, Kaeli considered the wolf dog for a moment. "Shiemi." She answered, rubbing the top of the her head for a moment longer before turning back to the man. "If you can stay here, I can take Kyras and be back here within the hour with another horse. But if you don't mind, Shiemi will stay. People aren't too fond of her, for some reason." Kaeli glanced at the wolfdog, tilting her head, smiling, and shaking her head. "Nothing scary about her." Said sarcastically, of course.

She started to walk forward, but stopped suddenly, something occuring to her quickly, but she brushed it off and kept moving forward. Kyras recognized the demanding look in her eyes, and obediently stepped forward and allowed her to grab his reins. Shiemi bounded up to her, whining happily. Making a noise of sadness, Kaeli shook her head, bending down to scratch behind the wolf dog's ears. "You gotta stay here and guard him. He might hurt himself." She told Shiemi softly, smiling as she nearly strutted over to the man and sat by feet, looking straight up at him without blinking for as long as she could. Kaeli hoisted herself into the saddle, now looking down at him and smirking softly. "I'll bring you something special." Her words were directed towards Ly, and she winked at the fire bird, before turning, ready to depart. "Need anything?" She asked him, absentmindedly running a hand over her braid as it started to come loose.

[Tayssi]

Rhys raised an eyebrow at the woman’s words and simply shrugged as she spoke of the canine. A grin tugged at the corners of his lips as she commented about him being too young. “Aw, thank you, but many could also say you’re too young to be an assassin,” he said with a chuckle. His fingers played with the stallion’s mane before moving to run his hand over his velvet muzzle, smiling as he tried to lip at his fingers. He glanced back at her as she spoke of the horses. He sighed and thought for a moment. “I guess she had the right motives, however, did she ever think that those horses might’ve been happier with a commoner? They may not get the care the royal family could give them, but commoners love their animals. I bet that the new royals barely spend any time with those horses,” he said but then sighed and shrugged, “but I could be wrong, but from what I’ve witnessed, horses are a lot happier with someone who constantly spends time with them and uses them for something, than spending all day in a stall or a paddock.. I just hope that they are happy enough,” he rubbed his shoulder gently, watching her.

He nodded slowly as she said she’d have to go to the markets and get another horse. He chuckled and looked at the wolfdog as she told him her name. “Shiemi,” he repeated with a smile. When she said he’d take Kyras, Rhys frowned slightly but didn’t say anything. She told him that Shiemi would stay and the man grinned lightly. “Nothing scary at all,” he said with a light laugh. He watched as she came over to the stallion and then grabbed the stallion’s reins. Rhys took a step back with a light smile, watching them. When the wolf dog came to his side by the woman’s orders, he knelt down and ran a hand through her course fur. Grinning, he glanced over at Ly as the woman spoke to him. Ly grinned, clicking his beak lightly in response, fluffing out his feathers in appreciation. When she asked if Rhys needed anything, he thought for a moment before smiling. “Do you think you could get some dried apple pieces for me?” he asked with a light chuckle. His silver eyes watched her as she ra a hand over her braid and his grinned lightly, looking down at the canine.

(Sorry >.< )

[ℓonesomє]

Kaeli turned Kyras in a tight circle, calming him as he started to become too antsy. "I'm too young for a lot of things, but I still have done them anyway," The stallion pawed at the dirt impatiently, stopping when she pulled the reins slightly. "The royal family had plenty of children to spend time with the horses!" Kaeli retorted, placing a hand on her waist as she started to glare at him again, but quickly realized her mistake and added, "From what I've heard. And there is plenty of space for them to roam as well." Wincing slightly, Kaeli sat up a little straighter, loosening her grip on the reins a bit. "Those horses are plenty happy. I have seen those grounds in person. There will be no displeasure for those animals. The Royals are not everything the rumors make u-, them out to be." Kaeli cursed in her head. She couldn't make mistakes like that. She resisted the urge to smile as Shiemi's tail started to wag when he began stroking her. "Certainly. Be back in a bit." Kaeli dipped her head to the rogue, and considered her next move for a moment. "I'm Kaeli, by the way."

Spurring Kyras into a canter, the two disappeared quickly into the forest and things darkened quickly. He whinnied, happy to running again. She ducked low in the saddle, avoiding the branches that threatened to whip her in the face. Kyras went on his own, knowing the darkened path and got them to the village outskirts quickly. Even in the evening hours, people were still bustling about, herding children inside or browsing the merchant stalls before they closed up for the night. Kaeli hopped off her stallion, leading him to a promising looking food merchant and smiling when he had just the things she was looking for. Purchasing several bags of different types of dried apples, and a bit of very lightly seasoned dried meat, Kaeli put them in Kyras's saddle bags, and headed off to find the most important thing: A horse.

She went from person to person, inspecting the horses they had for sale carefully before moving on when she found none of them to meet her standards. Just when Kaeli started to lose hope, on her last lap of the streets, she spotted a horse, one who had been hidden by all the others. An Arabian mare, with a coat color she couldn't quite dechiper. She talked to the man who owned the horse, haggled until she had enough left to buy tack for the mare. Leading the mare from the dusty corral, Kaeli led her back to Kyras, making quick introductions and mounting her stallion once the two seemed acquainted. Taking off at a fast trot, the trio quickly left the village, hurrying back to the rogue and Shiemi.

At the end of her hour, Kaeli returned, leading the arabian mare slowly towards the man. Shiemi ducked her head, showing that she was of no threat. Sighing with relief, she dismounted, retrieving the apples from the saddle bags and tossing them to the rogue. Removing a piece of the meat, she wiggled it tantalizingly towards Ly, tossing it up in the air and hoping he would catch it in time. "No name, not sure what her temperment is, but she was broken. Besides, I have a good feeling about her." Kyras nipped at the new mare's mane, whinnying now and then, with a reply from her even less often.

[Tayssi]

Rhys blinked in surprise at her defensiveness towards the royals, however he didn’t pay any attention to it. Though he did notice her slip, but he didn’t connect as to what it may mean. He glanced up at her and the stallion and nodded when she introduced herself. He knew some wanted posters about him didn’t have his name, so he said, “Rhys,” he gave a light smile and watched as Kaeli urged Kyras into a canter and they left. Stretching, he sat down on the dirt, running a hand through Shiemi’s fur with a smile. “Hey girl,” he said lightly and looked over at Ly who chirped softly, singing a song to himself. Chuckling, Rhys laid back on the dirt, letting himself fall into a light sleep as he put his hands behind his head.

His eyes snapped open as he heard two horses moving side by side towards them. He pushed himself to his feet, brushing off the dirt and patting Shiemi again. Easily catching the dried apples, he put them in his bag and he looked at the Arabian mare. She was a stunning little thing. Walking over to her, he held out his hand for her to smell him before he ran his fingers through her dark mane. Ly saw them coming and he watched Kaeli, head lowered to chest height, wings half spread and waiting for whatever she had gotten him. When she threw something into the air, he took off, folding his wings to his side and catching it in his talons before his wings snapped open and he flew back to the tree, snapping up the meat. He tore of a strip and swallowed it before he looked at her, saying, “thank you,” and devouring the rest of it gleefully. Rhys just chuckled and looked at the bird before he looked at the woman and the two horses. When she spoke about the mare, Rhys watched the Arab, his silver eyes studying her. He walked to her side, running a hand down her legs and flank. His eyes flicked back at Kaeli and he nodded slightly.

“She seems good. But, we’ll find out once I start riding her,” Rhys said gently with slight nod. “I think the name Aaralyn suits her well,” he said. The mare rose her head and mouthed at his hair before nipping at it with a snort. Rhys chuckled softly before he looked at Ly, who had flown down to land on his shoulder. Reaching up, he scratched under the bird’s chin, which earned him a light chirp. Rhys looked over at Shiemi for a moment with a smiled before he ran a hand over Kyras’ neck before he took the mare’s reins from Kaeli and taking her a few steps away and then moving to her side and watching how she moved. Glancing over at Kaeli he grinned, “you’ve got an eye for horses, alright,” he commented with a chuckle.

[ℓonesomє]

Kaeli grinned at Ly, nodding her head curtly in place of a 'You're welcome.' Eyes flicking back and forth between the two horses, Kaeli removed Kyras's bridle, watching for a moment as he opened and closed his mouth, getting used to the feeling of not having a bit. "You better get some rest, Kyras." He stepped closer to her, nibbling at the leather that kept her braid in place, and with a quick tug, he had taken it from her and started to prance around Kaeli in, nickering softly and daring her to try and come retrieve it. Cocking a brow, the woman shook her head, acting uninterested. Kyras inched closer to her, holding the strip of leather within arm's reach, looking at her expectantly. Without warning, Kaeli shot forward, snatching the leather from him and swinging around, grabbing the horn of the saddle, keeping him from bouncing away from her. She looked back at Rhys, suddenly remembering that both him and the mare were there. "Who needs a human companion when you have a horse?" Kaeli chuckled, looking over as Shiemi whined, stomping her paw into the soft soil. "And a wolfdog." Laughing, Kaeli started to unbuckle the straps on Kyras's saddle, sliding it off his back and onto the ground. She knelt down, taking two brushes from one of the saddle bags, tossing one of them to Rhys and returned to her horse with the other.

"I agree." Kaeli replied, looking over the the tall horse to try and see the mare. Aaralyn did suit her. "I promise you will get a chance to ride Kyras, though." She ran the brush over his hair, removing the dirt that had collected from the day. Muttering something softly to herself, Kaeli moved around the other side. Kyras craned his head around, nibbling at her pants as she groomed him. Once she finished, she set the brush on his back, and started going through the tangles in his mane with her fingers, then his tail. "What if you can't escape from them?" She asked Rhys, looking back at him and tilting her head. "There's a lot of guards there. You can't walk one hundred yards without seeing one on every corner. The stables are even worse." Kaeli focused her attention back on Kyras. Even she had had a hard time getting out of that place.

"And with your face on every other wall, it'll just make it even more difficult." Kaeli continued, putting the brush back into the bag and hung her bow up on a low hanging, shorter branch, putting the quiver in a secure fork between two other branches. Rubbing her shoulder, she looked up at Rhys, awaiting his answer.

(Worst post ever. My apologies)

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