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Old 07-29-2006, 01:06 AM   #181
Deiter Leafblade
Emerald Dragon
 

Join Date: October 1, 2001
Location: Somewhere
Age: 36
Posts: 934
Altair was impressed at the speech Robyn gave. Why someone such as her was willing to take up the ruling of the city was beyond him. She was Alesbridge's guiding light for now, and he wondered what would happen if that light was stolen. Watching her walk away, he took in every detail of her. The color of her hair and eyes, they way she moved when she walked, and any other physical trait he felt was important to remember. He found it interesting her hands showed the signs of calluses from weapons. She wasn't someone to take lightly he decided.

Back at his perch, Altair continued to watch the guard shifts until nighttime approached. Slinking to the ground below, he quietly made his way to the back of the manor. Stone inlaying the building stuck out enough for him to grasp and start to climb. Minutes ticked by as he tried to continue his way up while being as quiet as possible and not falling to his death. Halfway up, the stone he had just recently grasped started to crumble. Cursing to himself, he foolishly lunged upward to grab onto the next stone. Altair hung there as his feet were thrashing about, trying to find a solid surface since the stone below had crumbled.

There was a window next to him with a ledge he could attempt for, but he knew it lead to a bedroom from his earlier observations. Altair wanted to climb higher and enter through the upper floors, but realized it was either enter through this window or fall to his death. Scowling to himself, he pushed himself off the stone and gripped onto the ledge. Pulling himself up, he peered through the window and noticed no one was inside, which he found odd at this hour. Reaching inside one of his various pouches, he pulled out a small lock pick and knife. With enough leverage from the knife and the pick to work on the lock, Altair managed to open the window. Closing it behind him, he quickly scanned the bedroom. The room was richly furnished and he vaguely wondered if this was Robyn's.

Opening a drawer, he began to look for any valuables or items of importance. His search didn't last for long when the sound of footsteps reached his ears. Swiftly shutting the drawer, Altair used the windowsill to jump up to the ceiling rafters. Hidden in the shadows and holding his breath, he wondered if the owner of the room was turning in for the night or if it was simply a servant passing by.
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Old 07-29-2006, 02:04 AM   #182
mistral4543
Ma'at - Goddess of Truth & Justice
 

Join Date: September 5, 2001
Location: House of Freelight
Age: 47
Posts: 3,159
It had been a long day, indeed, one which tested her to her limits and from which she emerged if not a victor, at least not a loser.

Apart from her mother's interrogation, which had given no small amount of discomfort, the rest of the day had passed quite smoothly. Her intentions, she had clearly conveyed to Rehan and Esaha and whether they had chosen to leave or stay on their own accord, she would find out by the morrow. There was enough to think and worry about, without considering how their adventure would turn out...

As she swung round the corner and walked towards the northern wing of the manor, she stiffened.

Was it her imagination, or had she heard the sound of a drawer being shoved hastily into a dresser?

Swiftly, she drew her longsword and turned the doorknob with her free hand, making sure that not a single sound emitted from the manoeuvre. In she crept into the guest bedroom, her well-trained eyes scanning the dark surroundings (for the moon was lazy tonight and chose to hide behind the comfort of drifting clouds).

Step by step, she moved towards the dresser, her ears and eyes straining as hard as they could.

One adventure after another in the space of a day... when would she ever get some rest?
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Old 07-29-2006, 02:17 AM   #183
Deiter Leafblade
Emerald Dragon
 

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Location: Somewhere
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Posts: 934
Pressing himself tightly against the wall, he watched Robyn below scanning her room. Damnit Altair, you're getting sloppy. Blue eyes silently watched for several moments. He hadn't been hired to kill her, and her death would gain him nothing.

Her sword was proof enough that she was no lofty noblewoman. Altair wondered briefly on how much of a challenge she would be to overtake. He couldn't deny the thought of kidnapping her was tempting. The furnishings in her room were evidence enough on the possible wealth the manor held. She was his prey he decided. He would capture her at the right moment, but for now, he continued his game of leaving her in doubt of if someone actually had been in her room.
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Old 07-29-2006, 02:24 AM   #184
mistral4543
Ma'at - Goddess of Truth & Justice
 

Join Date: September 5, 2001
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Age: 47
Posts: 3,159
Her forehead creased as she completed the search, and a frown appeared on her lips. Without some light, it was impossible to trace footsteps or examine closer any signs of disturbances. In the meantime... if the prowler were still around, she, Robyn Mehlingard would be incapacitated.

In her earlier years, she would have squealed with delight at this prospect. But now, with the burden of Alesbridge and her father weighing heavily against her shoulders and conscience, this moment was decidedly distasteful.

Inhaling deeply, she made her way towards the window, her left hand continuing to hold the hilt tightly while her right hand reached out for each of the two window-bars in turn, seeking to shut the windows firmly.
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Old 07-29-2006, 02:42 AM   #185
Deiter Leafblade
Emerald Dragon
 

Join Date: October 1, 2001
Location: Somewhere
Age: 36
Posts: 934
A grin was forming in the darkness as the thief silently pulled out a knife. Her back was turned to him now and one of her hands was occupied. Jumping from the rafters, he landed behind her with a soft thud. She had managed to turn around in time as he held his knife up to her throat and gripped her left wrist tightly.

"I would suggest you stay quiet and not move."

Their faces were mere inches apart now as he studied her. The thief was alert for any sign of agreement to what he asked or attempts to fight back. Once his mind was set on a course of action he stuck with it. He would take Robyn whether she went willingly or not.
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Old 07-29-2006, 02:53 AM   #186
mistral4543
Ma'at - Goddess of Truth & Justice
 

Join Date: September 5, 2001
Location: House of Freelight
Age: 47
Posts: 3,159
You utter moron! Her eyes blazed in the darkness, more at herself than the intruder who had bested her. If only she had looked up, instead of around... he had his weaknesses, as he had demonstrated earlier, and she could only be passive at the moment to look for further signs of these.

Blinking her agreement, she let herself go limp so that his grip would not hurt her so and perhaps her weight would burden him if he intended to haul her away.

The most important thing, of course, is to stay calm. The thought alone pervaded her mind. And so, one by one - Alesbridge, her father, her mother - emptied themselves and she focused on the present crisis.
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Old 07-29-2006, 03:50 AM   #187
Deiter Leafblade
Emerald Dragon
 

Join Date: October 1, 2001
Location: Somewhere
Age: 36
Posts: 934
Removing her sword, he pressed her up against the window so he could pull a thin black rope out of a pouch. Altair quickly tied her wrists together behind her back and gagged her with a cloth. It was apparent she was going to be acting difficult and force him to carry her out.

Peering out into the hallway proved to be in his favor. Silence greeted him and he sighed in relief. Holding Robyn tightly to him so she wouldn't fall, he began the long trek out of the manor.

Occasionally they would pass a guard or a late night servant. Altair would have to quickly enter another room or hide behind a various decoration or suit of armor. Timing the run down the stairs was the worst of it. He would sit at the top and watch carefully to make sure they wouldn't run into any late night strollers. By the time they made it to ground level his shoulder was beginning to turn numb. They had no time for him to switch the shoulder he was carrying her with though. Two minutes earlier had almost led to a nasty run in with a guard. Only the shadows of the manor saved Altair from detection.

The inside structure of the manor caused faint flashbacks of his own past inside one to emerge. He was never allowed to play with the other children of the city, and would often be out in the garden to get away from the cold confinement. His parents couldn't stop their son from becoming friends with the servant’s children though, and they would often take him through their own entries and exits. One in particular was a young girl whose father was the gardener of the manor. Altair and his friend would always sneak off through the gardener's door to play in the gardens that existed on the other side.

I wonder if you have such a door? He directed his thoughts at Robyn. The young woman appeared furious and he couldn't blame her. Her father was badly injured, she was now forced to run the city on her own, and now a thief was abducting her. Altair simply shook his head, feeling glad he would never have to deal with any of that. He left the life of nobility a long time ago.

Ignoring the rest of his memories, he made his way down a side hallway that led to the gardens. He was thankful he took the time to survey the area this morning now. The fact windows along the hallway showed the garden helped as well. Seconds later he came to a door that he assumed the gardener was acquainted with. Making sure the hallway was still clear; he sat Robyn down against the door.

Rolling his shoulder proved to help some of the tension and soreness he was feeling, but he opted for carrying her the rest of the way in a different fashion. Lifting her back up, he held her as a young groom would for his bride. The irony of it all made him grin. Here he was, holding this young woman tightly to him in such a way that if circumstances were different would look romantic.

The garden was quickly covered and they soon left the area of the manor. Altair was feeling quite proud of himself that he managed to successfully kidnap Robyn. Lowering her down against a tree, he removed the cloth from her mouth but left the ropes where they were.

"I apologize that I stole you away from your home. I'm in need of money and I'm sure your family will pay a great deal for your safe return."

You wouldn't need money if you stayed with your family. You could be living the high life right now. Altair ignored the small voice and sat down across from Robyn so he could watch her. She was entangled in nobility, and yet had her own sense of freedom. His curiosity spiked up as he wondered about her.
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Old 07-29-2006, 08:41 AM   #188
mistral4543
Ma'at - Goddess of Truth & Justice
 

Join Date: September 5, 2001
Location: House of Freelight
Age: 47
Posts: 3,159
What she would have most liked to do, of course, was to spit at that hateful face of his. Not that she could see it in the dimness, of course, but one just generally had to aim in the right direction for that sort of thing.

But of course, she could not. Not only due to her upbringing, but also because she could not tell whether this was a psychopath who might completely change his mind about the money if she pushed him too far. The family wealth matters little to me. For she would gladly have traded her privileged life for a simple one where she could indulge in the sort of adventures bards sang so beautifully about. Yet... he must not get to Mama... she must not locate Papa, not in his present state.

Squinting at the faceless figure ahead of her, she pronounced her next words deliberately.

"Why are you talking to me right now, if all you want is for my family to pay your ransom?" Incredulity was creeping into her voice, against her will. "Or are you expecting me to go back there and raid the manor for you?" Which sounded even more ridiculous.

Despite her circumstances, she could not help wondering if this was his first attempt at kidnapping and whether he knew exactly what he wanted at this moment.
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Old 07-29-2006, 04:49 PM   #189
Deiter Leafblade
Emerald Dragon
 

Join Date: October 1, 2001
Location: Somewhere
Age: 36
Posts: 934
Altair remained calm as he listened to her ranting. Once she was finished he stood up and moved right in front of her, gripping her face with one hand. The moonlight finally revealed his face to her as he leaned in. "You should take care of what you say to me. I believe you're in no position to throw your weight around."

Replacing the cloth in her mouth, Altair lifted her back up and continued his way through the forest. He shrugged off the stories of some monster being in these woods, and used the scare it gave the people to his advantage. No one would come charging through here to look for her. He could feel Robyn grown tense against him once she realized where she was.

"Don't tell me you believe in ghost stories too?" He said quietly at feeling her distress. Then again, he remembered her speech and how her and Rehan went through the forest. They had returned alive though. Whatever was out here, if there even was anything couldn't be all that bad.

Altair soon found out how very wrong he was.

Yellow eyes followed the young pair as they made their way deeper into the forest. Foolish humans, they never learned to stay away from their mistress's woods.

A low growl could be heard behind Altair. The thief stiffened at the noise. A muffled scream could be heard from Robyn. She was slung over his shoulder and saw whatever it was behind him. Damn, maybe I should have listened to her... Holding on tightly to Robyn, the thief ran through the forest as fast as he could. The weight of her slowed him down, and he seriously wondered why he didn't just throw her to the beast as a distraction. Oddly enough he felt a certain responsibility for the young woman. She was his captive and he felt he had to protect her until his ransom was completed.

The beast was gaining on him in the darkness. It roared in fury at the intruders, wanting to tear them apart. The thief was not aware of the root in his path up ahead. Branches clasped the moonlight to themselves, leaving very little to the ground below. An unnatural grin appeared on the tiger's face as he watched the man trip on the root and crash to the ground. He was unable to regain his balance due to the young woman he carried.

Altair only had time to roll over as the tiger pounced on him. The weight of the beast knocked the breath out of him and left him gasping for air. Get your weapon, Altair! Don't let this overgrown cat kill you... What would Berad say? Using his left arm as a shield against the claws, he grasped the dagger at his belt and plunged it into the tiger's side. Roaring in pain, it clawed at the man's arm even more, feeling the warm blood as cloth and leather were stripped away. Grimacing in pain, he pulled out another dagger from his belt and thrust it into the animal's neck.

Backing away, the tiger shifted targets and went for the female lying on ground. She was bound and it knew would make a much easier target. Not her... You're not taking her... Gritting his teeth and staggering up; he quickly pulled out two throwing knives from his boots. He threw it at the tiger and watched in satisfaction as it buried itself into the beast's shoulder. Growling, it turned away from Robyn and charged at Altair. Determined to rip him into pieces. "Damn beast..." He said quietly as he threw his last throwing knife. The blade sunk into the animal's eye and left a sickening crunch. Crashing to the ground, the tiger looked at Altair pitifully as it died. Removing his weapons from the animal, he wiped it clean on the fur and put them back on his belt and inside his boots.

Clutching his arm to his chest, he made his way over to Robyn. She appeared to be ok, but extremely shaken up. Without a word he wrapped his uninjured arm around her and helped her to her feet. He hoped she would be more cooperative now and walk.


[ 07-29-2006, 05:15 PM: Message edited by: Deiter Leafblade ]
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Old 07-29-2006, 07:30 PM   #190
mistral4543
Ma'at - Goddess of Truth & Justice
 

Join Date: September 5, 2001
Location: House of Freelight
Age: 47
Posts: 3,159
Her head was racing against her heart, what with the life-threatening encounter just a few split seconds ago. Why had he saved her, though? Puzzlement ate at her as she took the opportunity to scrutinise his appearance. A pair of lively blue eyes, wisps of black hair framing his oval face and a mouth which could not decide whether to smile or not (and even then, the smile would have been unnatural). Hints of a beard and mustache upon the face which showed an awkward expression. A bushy pony tail peeked out from his neck, due to the shorter length of his hair. As she drew her head back slightly and her eyes roamed over the human canvass before her, she hazarded that he was in his early twenties.

Of course, the next logical step would be make some form of judgement on this oddball. After all, it was not everyday that a kidnapper would endanger his life to rescue his hostage. What could he possibly have hoped to gain from this? Perhaps he's not so bad as he appears. But almost simultaneously, another thought stained her impression of him.

Does he expect a greater reward for this?

She did not want to believe this second option, but it was a possibility she could not deny. Shelving it for now, she got to her feet.

"Where are you headed?" Suspicion and awareness of the danger before them kept her mentally alert now, with only remnants of discomposure lingering upon her dirt-streaked face.

"If we hang around here any longer, we're dead."


[ 07-29-2006, 07:33 PM: Message edited by: mistral4543 ]
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