Prince of vengeance

[caligari]

With the soft sound of chirping birds did his men announce the approaching bloodbath, Rikard would've found it funny if he wasn't so focused on his "job". Kat rushed ahead of him only to stop dead in her tracks and look back at him with eyes almost as eager as his. He nodded and headed up to a tree barely a meter from the forest edge. It was the best spot for them to be; Rikard could hide by the tree since he had to stand up for he used the longbow, while with the crossbow, Katalena could choose a nearby location from the nearby rocks or shrubs.
Rikard waited for her to take her position and whispered "wait until after I fired, ignore everything but your mark.". After that he took out an arrow and knocked his bow as he saw the cart come closer. It was heavily guarded, but they alway were; five riders surrounded it, two by the back, one on each side and the officer in front. Along with them were the cart driver and a guard next to him with a crossbow.

The cart rode within easy shooting distance, but Rikard waited. His men began knocking their arrows, but still Rikard waited. It was only until they could all see the soldiers' eyes clearly that in one smooth move Rikard drew his bow and released the moment the arrow could not be pulled back any further. Without much sound the arrow flew forth and burried itself within the officer's neck. Rikard's men would let their arrows fly right after him, they always did...

 

[Namora]

When the man nodded she claimed the bolts and walked over with him to the thinning treeline, her eyes on the road and the area around them, looking for the best place to slip behind and watch the caravan pass by. She chose a place little more than a foot away from Rikard, with the cover of a tree and a decent sized shrub. She knelt to load the crossbow and when it was ready she stood, leaning against the tree, Rikards hushed voice came shortly afterward, "Wait until after I fired, ignore everything but your mark."
She nodded once to show she understood, she peered around the tree keeping her attention between Rikard and the cart. As it moved steadily towards them she saw that there were too many for her to be able to arm her ranged weapon continuously. Crossbows took longer to reload than longbows, and in that time she could have a man just waiting for her to poke her head back up. As the cart began to ass the group she became almost nervous, and when her target yawned she raised her weapon, certain Rikard would make his move soon if not then.

A few short moments gave Kat the time she needed to fix her stance and put her elbows exactly where he'd showed her. From the corner of her eyes Rikard drew back the arrow and let it fly, she pulled the trigger along with the rest of the men present but dropped the crossbow the moment the bolt flew, arrows flew, Kats lodged itself in through her targets ear. His body slumped forward and the man beside him raised his loaded piece and shot at her, his reaction time was admirable but the quick bolt only grazed her cheek as she peeked from behind her tree. The guards who weren't hit in the first wave raised up a cry of alarm and sought out their attackers. Kat meanwhile could hear the crossbowman loading his piece again. Instead of doing the same she drew a small blade, turning on her heel and whipping the throwing knife toward him. He barely got the chance to look up again when the knife dove into his jugular. He went down drowning in his own blood.

Now, with the cart at a halt the rest of the guards were like fruit on low hanging branches, easy and rather disappointingly unrewarding...​

 

[caligari]

One by one the men fell, even Kat hit her target to Rikard's surprise. It was lacking overall for his taste, too easy and not close enough, but at least it took his edge off. Rikard always felt an odd sense of calm after a kill, as though all his thoughts and mind suddenly were quiet for a moment, however brief. He patted Katalena on the shoulder "You did good, especially for someone who isn't used to taking orders from me." with a quick jump and a slide down the muddy forest edge, Rikard reached the horses and the cart and, of course, the bodies. He didn't need to order his men to do anything or they were already stipping the dead soldiers of their boots, swords, money and anything else that could be of value. By the time they would be done, not much would remain besides the bodies. Truly when the loyalists would call them vultures they weren't far off.

Rikard moved the the horse of the cart and calmed it down, not that it was startled of the battle, war horses are made accustomed to that, but because he would now receive a new rider. When he did he noticed a survivor among the bodies; one of the guards had actually made it out. "Well, well, well..." he moved over to the soldier trying to crawl away. He wasn't running anytime soon, the lone survivor had an arrow straight through his knee. With a firm kick, Rikard rolled him on his back and placed his foot on the lad's chest. "Look at this lucky bastard."

while Rikard was busy with the soldier his men were already ready to head out. "Go on ahead," he ordered before turning to Katalena. "What do you wanna do? Go on ahead or help me with this guy. Who knows, if you pay attention, you might learn a second skill today."

 

[Namora]

As the massacre came to a steady end Kat moved her hands away from her depleted set of knives, from her perch she could see the bodies bleeding out, pools of bright crimson began to stain the road and Rikards men along both sides of the road began creeping down and looting the corpses. Kat picked up the once used crossbow and a hand touch her shoulder. She glanced back over from the rough fingers clamped on her shoulder to Rikards face, "You did good, especially for someone who isn't used to taking orders from me." The compliment made her nod and give him a weak smile, then he was gone down the slick slope, Katalena followed momentarily, the trip down was smooth enough.


She clutched a thick branch above her head and used it to swing herself onto the road avoiding a boulder in her path. Kat went directly up to those who had been kissed by her blades, yanking them ungracefully from skulls and throats alike and cleaning them off on the old clothes of the fallen.
The looting went on around her, and after a moment of hesitation she did her part in stripping the bodies and handing over all she found of value to some of the men, she returned the crossbow along with them before standing off to the side and watching the men pack up the goods and steady their horses.
"Well, well, well..." Kat raised an eyebrow and moved around to look at the other side of the cart.


She caught a glimpse of Rikard kicking a body onto its back, only then did she see the young fellow move, "Look at this lucky bastard."
She smiled, "I can hardly call ending up in your hands lucky."
A call came over to them and Rikard ordered the rest of them to head back, she thought that included her and began to walk on but as Rikard turned to her and spoke she stopped, "What do you wanna do? Go on ahead or help me with this guy. Who knows, if you pay attention, you might learn a second skill today."
She stood quietly for a moment, watching the cart and horses. Her curiosity got the best of her and she turned back to him, "Why the hell not, I've always wanted to know just how you work your magic"
And with that she moved back towards him, eyeing the injured boy under his foot with cool, pitiless eyes.​

 

[caligari]

"Why the hell not, I've always wanted to know just how you work your magic"
With a grin and a murderous glare in his eyes he turned to Katalena and said "Good, I might be able to use a hand." before completely changing his expression to that of a caring man, not unlike a charming healer or comforting monk and turning to the boy. He kneeled down by his leg and examined the wound. "We'll need to treat this, infection might take it completely if we don't clean and close it properly."
"What do you care," The soldier responded "You just killed all my comrades."
"aye, we did, but your comrades were fit, able and armed. You are not. I'm not one to kill beaten dogs." He pulled the man over his shoulder and made him lean on his shoulder instead of on his bad leg while moving toward the forest. "Come on, if I'm going to treat you I might as well take you somewhere private and out of sight." Right before they entered the edge of the forest, Rikard turned back to Katalena, still with the odd, trustworthy expression on his face. "Are you coming?"
Once in the forest it didn't take long for Rikard to lead them to a small clearing with not much to set it appart other than a broad stump of an oak and a young, but firm, oak tree growing near it. The rebel spymaster bound the young soldier with some rope he always carried for such occasions to the bark of the tree before kneeling back down nest to the leg. "Mylady," he said, preferring not to use names in these situations "could you be so kind as to start a fire and heat up a dagger for me? Also some water would be appreciated."

 

[Namora]

He turned to her with a smirk and a glint in his eyes, "Good, I might be able to use a hand."
Then, just like that the expression melted away like snow in a heavy spring rainfall, replaced by a kindness in his eyes that took her by surprise, she couldn't remember a time that she hadn't seen even a trace of malice in his eyes, it was almost alarming. Her own eyes always held a darkness to them, and no matter how she tried she could never rid herself of it. The man before her seemed to lose the strength she knew he had, and he knelt before the boy to look at his injury, "We'll need to treat this, infection might take it completely if we don't clean and close it properly."

She almost lost it right then and there to the laughter that was threatening to overwhelm her, but instead she turned her head away as if checking the road. His voice was so soft and tender, it was almost sickening how convincing he was. He was quite the actor, she would give him that. If she didn't know him for what he truly was even she might have been taking in by his act.
"What do you care," The boy soldier shot back at him "You just killed all my comrades."​

"Aye, we did, but your comrades were fit, able and armed. You are not. I'm not one to kill beaten dogs."​

The look of insolence in the boys eyes was one she could understand, he shot her an odd look as Rikard helped him to his feet and began helping him into the cover of the trees.

It was the same with all who saw her in armor for the first time, she was used to it. As they reached the edge of the trees Rikard glanced back at her with the eyes of a stranger, "Are you coming?"
She nodded quietly and followed the two men into the canopy of trees, they walked in silence, coming to a small clearing where he set the boy down and bound him to the young tree growing near by, he turned to her, "Mylady,"
She raised an eyebrow, but picked up the hint, "Could you be so kind as to start a fire and heat up a dagger for me? Also some water would be appreciated."

She nodded, "Of course, Ser"
She turned and went about collecting small sticks, dried leaves and moss, setting up a little pyre nearby and carving up some of the smaller pieces into kindling. Flint and steel got the spark going and she fed the little blaze until she could put a log to keep it going, she left one of her knives in the flames and then hurried to find a pail and fill it. The task sent her back to hardrock, and on the way she had to throw on the dress she'd hidden in the bushes. She returned to them mildly out of breath and set the bucket before him, "I hope this is satisfactory."
She said with a forced sweetness to her tone. She moved to the fire and knelt there, picking up the blade cautiously to see the metal red and glowing. "Are you ready for it?" She questioned, glancing over at the weakened boy and wondering just where he was going with this act.​

 

[caligari]

"Of course, Ser"
Rikard chuckled a bit at being called "ser", it wasn't something he heard all that often. While Katalena was busy with the fire, he bound a tourniquet around the young soldier's leg in order to at least slow down the bleeding. And then they waited, the soldier tried to ask a question now and then, but Rikard refused to answer. Eventually Katalena returned and in a dress no less.
"I like you better in armor" Rikard said before he took the bucket and began cleaning the wound a bit.
Soon after Kat sat down beside them with the glowing dagger and asked "Are you ready for it?". The soldier nodded and Rikard placed a stick in his mouth. "You'll thank me later."
The boy screamed muffled obsanities and shrieks of pain as the wound was burned shut and the air filled with the sickly sweet scent of flesh. Once done, he pulled Katalena aside and out of earshot of the boy. He grabbed her by the chin and stared deep into her eyes. "You've never tortured someone before have you?" he whispered ever so softly, his voice again filled with all the malice and cruelty people know of him.[BCOLOR=#000000] "No, that's too slow for you, too... indirect." [/BCOLOR]He paused, but kept staring; intensely, silently, never blinking... "Perfect, you'll do the physical torture." from one his pouches he pulled out a wrapping of tools; odd things really, curved blades, hooks, pliers, corkscrews, teethed blades, small saws,... "Whenever I tell you to, you can do something with these. Be creative, but be restrained. Too much pain and he'll die, too little and he'll never break. Are you up for it?"​

 

[Namora]

As Rikard castrated the wound shut Kat stood off to the side, watching as she leaned against a tree, as expected the boy screamed as well as he could with a stick clamped between his teeth. When Rikard finally stepped back the boys forehead was drenched in a layer of sweat, his breath seemed almost pained and his hands shook. The two of them left him there, and Kat followed silently as the man led her away by the arm, moving into the trees that outlined the clearing. When they were out of the weak soldiers sight her turned to her and seized her chin, forcing her to turn and look up at him, "You've never tortured someone before have you?"
He seemed to hiss in a low soft voice, the the rough edge to his tone she knew so well surfacing again, she held his gaze for a moment then tried to look away, but his grip remained steady and her chin stayed clutched tightly between callused fingers. She forced her eyes back up, there was no need to reply, he already knew, "No--" He answered for her, "--that's too slow for you, too... indirect."
He was met with silence, and though no words were spoken the air was heavy between them. His eyes screamed excitement and intensity, a great piece of her felt giddy as well. It began to show with the faintest trace of a smirk on her lips, "Perfect, you'll do the physical torture."
He let her go and she rubbed her jaw where his fingers had left red pained marks, Rikard reached into one of his many little pockets to pull out a screwed up little collection of tools to use on their little friend. He offered them to her and she stared at them for a heartbeat before looking back up at him,
"Whenever I tell you to, you can do something with these. Be creative, but be restrained. Too much pain and he'll die, too little and he'll never break. Are you up for it?"
Her fingers reached forward and took the torture tools, "Up for this level of cruelty? I'd say so, but there's only one way to find out"
She turned to moved back into the clearing but stopped suddenly as she felt the loose fabric billow around her legs. She groaned inwardly, it was a pain wearing a dress, honestly she would like nothing better than to walk around in armor with knives on display but that would bring too much attention to her, she looked over at him, "Just give me a minute to change, it would be bad if I got blood on my oh-so pretty gown"
The sarcasm in her voice was obvious enough, she turned back and pulled at the little leather string that bound her front, with it loose the dress slid off her shoulders and to the ground. Her armor rested beneath, black as night, "Alright, lets have some fun"​