Xia smiled slightly. "I could make as many as you like." She said, as she walked over to her bag. "I brought almost everything I need to make more bolts, except for the steal I would need, and since it's a specialized bolt, I could see about manufacturing a bolt entirely from warpstone, if need be." She looked back at Riastrad. "I'm sure more than one bolt would weaken him more so."

Desharin looked over at the normally-sedate woodland in which the elves lived.
"The people need to hear that they are safe in their homes. Coming from you, an assurance would do great things."

Riastrad smirked.
"We could be a great team - you'd need a pretty sharp bolt though. I found out where he's gonna be in a few days time, and I think I have a contact who can get us the warpstone we need."

The woman chuckled a little.
"What kind of person would you want to be asking?"

Lavina followed Desharin gaze over to the woodlands and sighed remembering what took place
"I guess after going through what they did they are probably living in fear right now"
she pushed herself off her seat
"That would explain the reaction to the elf earlier"
she walked over to the edge of the balcony
"Ill fix the damage and speak to the people and reassure them that they are now safe"
she looked over at Desharin
"Thank you for all that you have done for me and my father"
she walked past her stopping at the door for a moment she smiled then looked back at Desharin
"Its a wonder my father hasn't asked you to marry him, you would make a wonderful part of our family"
she gave her a sincere smile before leaving the room. She grabbed her staff and silk cloak before heading towards the woodlands




H raised her brow
"If I had it my way I would prefer no one asking"
she took a sip of her drink

Xia nodded her head. "Let's do it." She said, as she began to put some of her things back in her bag.

Desharin looked after her as she left.
"If only," she said softly, then left herself to tend to her duties.

Some elves noticed Lavina's movement and moved around her, asking what she was doing.

"And why would that be?" the woman asked H, her intents inscrutable.

Riastrad got up. "First things first though - what did you have for breakfast?"

Xia turned and looked at Riastrad. "Bacon and eggs." She replied.

Lavina looked at the elves that were questioning her
"I am going to repair the damage that was done to our home, the humans will not be bothering us anymore"
she paused a moment a sad expression on her face
"To form an alliance with the humans, I will most likely be marrying the human kings younger son to keep that alliance and protect all of you"
she looked up all of them noticing their expressions.
"It is a sacrifice I am willing to do in order to keep you all safe, and to keep what we all know and love safe as well"
she smiled a fake smile but only she knew it was fake
"Please return to your home and live in peace. I will for-warn you there will be some human contact, but they wont be here for you, they will be coming for me. So please do not be alarmed if you see humans within our grounds. Now return to your homes, be with your families and let me handle what needs to be done"
she gave them a bow and headed towards what needed repaired. She lifted her staff and several vines started to form patching the hole in the wall, grass started to grow along with flowers of every kind. it was going to take some work for her to do all the repairs that was needed. she continued focusing....

H set her drink down
"I have my reasons and thats all you need to know"

The elves parted, some looking relieved, others still unsure.
There was a woosh of air, and Memoire was standing behind her. "Miss me?"

"Great idea," Riastrad smiled. "I'm famished. Can't go bounty hunting on an empty stomach!"

"But what if I could help you with your reasons, H? Like, say, finding the man who killed your master...?" the woman said, with the air of someone who knows more than you do.

Lavina jumped causing several vines to go spiraling out of control. She acted quickly by stopping them and guiding them back to where she wanted them. she stopped for a moment and turned to face Memoire
"You startled me"
she said placing her hand over her heart feeling her heart beating rapidly
"Hello by the way. How are you?"



H knocked over her drink by accident and stood up quickly to wipe the spill off of her
"what do you mean, do you know who killed him?"

Memoire shrugged.
"My personal status is irrelevant. You'll be pleased to know that the plan concerning your liberation from marital doom is progressing nicely, with very few possible dangers."
He looked at the tangled web of roots she had been manipulating, and raised an eyebrow.
"Redecorating, are we?"

The woman sounded dismissive now. "Alas, I forgot, you'd rather no-one talked to you, I best be on my way..." She started moving away from the table.

Lavina smiled
"thats wonderful news"
she looked over at the tangled vines and started working on them again
"Repairing from the previous attack"
she said with sadness in her eyes
"we lost a lot of our people that day, if this keeps up there wont be many of us left"
she looked back at her village
"they are scared and I can only to so much in providing them reassurance, Another attack like this one will most likely wipe us all out"
she looked up at Memoire
"I must do whatever it takes to protect them"
she started focusing on her work fixing up the wall and recreating what was destroyed, leaving little extras as remembrance of those who were killed


H reached her hand out and grabbed the woman by the shoulder
"No wait, please don't leave. I am the woman you asked of"
H sat back down hoping the woman will do the same
"please tell me what you know"

Memoire bowed his head.
"If I told you I was sorry for the part I played that day, including your capture, would you believe me?"

The woman lowered her hood to reveal a middle-aged beautiful face, with eyes that could switch from sweet to cruel in a heartbeat.
"Now, why on earth would I do that?" she asked innocently.

MateusseDarkslight wrote:

"Great idea," Riastrad smiled. "I'm famished. Can't go bounty hunting on an empty stomach!"

Xia raised her brow slightly. "I could have brought something up for you." She said, as she folded her arms slightly, then paused before she could say anything else. "No...wait...it's probably better if you go down. If I brought something up, that waitress would have found some way to put her nose in something that's not there." The expression drained from her face, and was replaced by a mildly annoyed expression.

Lavina looked over at him
"You weren't the one who murdered all these elves"
she looked back at her repairs finishing up the last of it then relaxed her arms.
"I believe you"
she suddenly started to sway losing her balance

"Ill give you anything you want, please"
she called for a waitress to bring them another drink then looked back at the woman
"I must find out who killed my master"

Memoire caught her in his arms, steadying her.
"You alright, Lavina?"

Riastrad laughed.
"Alright, be ready to leave when I get back then!" he said over his shoulder as he left to get breakfast.

The woman smiled.
"Anything?"

Lavina looked up at him
"Yeah I think I just over did it a bit"
she leaned on her staff
"I've never had to do this much work, but all those repairs needed done and I'm just not used to doing so much in one task."
she sighed
"I guess I still have a lot to learn before I can rule"
she smiled
"I'll be fine just need to find a place to rest a bit"

H raised a brow but then decided
"anything"

Memoire smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry. You're a fast learner, and the world's a good teacher."
He moved her under the shade of a nearby tree, to rest.
"You're doing great. Don't worry."

The woman sat down at the table.
"How about a trade, then? I give you what you want to know after you perform a few... deeds for me. You don't know how powerful you are, do you...?"

Xia nodded her head, as she continued to meticulously re-pack her bag, since she had knocked it over, spilling some of its contacts on the floor. She sighed softly, and she re-packed her bag, then she would wait until Riastrad returned so they could leave.

Lavina smiled
"thank you"
she took a few minutes to relax
"shouldn't you be going back or do you plan on staying for a little while"
she looked up at him


H didn't respond to her question
"what deeds is it you need done?"

"Well," Memoire looked uneasy, "I'm actually here to summon you back. There's a function that all prospective royal family members are obliged to attend, and for the moment this includes you."

Riastrad reentered, looking healthy and licking his chops.
"You have good taste. Bitchy waitress though."
He looked at her on the bed. "Just a warning, this could get very VERY dangerous. I ain't gonna be mad if you back out. It ain't no place for good people."

"Oh, I don't know. I'll think of a few things, no doubt. But instead of payment for hiring you, I have a few... titbits. For example, your down payment - your master was killed from behind with a curved knife, the kind typically employed by Preiturne Assassins."
She stood up. "So, are you coming, or not?"

Xia sat up on the bed. "I'm going." She stated firmly. "I'm not blind to the dangers; but I'm still going." She swung her feet off the bed, and stood up. "Where are we going first?" She asked.

Lavina was quiet for a moment
"I see, would I be able to inform my father before I leave?"
she looked over at the tree they lived in
"I took over his duties today so that he could get some rest, he isnt doing so well but to ease his worries about me being gone I would like to inform him as to why I must leave"
she looked back at Memoire
"what is this function about?"

H raised a brow
"where exactly are we going?"
she stood up
"as for my master he was poisoned are you sure you arent talking about someone else?"

Memoire sighed.
"In truth, I would much rather prefer you weren't there because..."
He shuddered.
"...it's an execution ceremony."

The woman laughed.
"Do you have so little faith in your master that you think he would fall to something as susceptible as poison? No, they tried poisoning him but the moment they realized he had antidotes stored, they struck. Let me show you such a blade."
She withdrew a long mystic-looking curved dagger which shone in the light.
She plunged it into the table, and when she withdrew it, the mark she had made sealed itself up, as though it had never been there. "Internal damage is still done," she explained. "You found your master with poison in his stomach, but no visible wounds - so they covered their tracks splendidly - unless you know their tricks."

Riastrad smirked.
"We're off to commit a burglary. Interested?"

Xia picked up her bag and crossbow, and tilted her head slightly. "Let's go." She said with a slight smile. "What are we stealing?"

"a what?"
Lavina moved her hand up to her mouth as if she was shocked
"D-did you say.....execution?"
she took a moment to compose herself
"Why is it and why is it being done?"
she shook her head
"I-I don't think I want to witness something like that"
she looked at the repairs she made
"I have seen enough deaths to last me a lifetime"


H just stood there speechless
"How could he have let his guard down for that to happen he was always on guard for one thing or another. For this to happen to him it would have had to be by someone who gained his trust. Even after he raised me as a little girl he never fully trusted me let alone someone else"