(no subject)

[the_lioness]

The road to Fief Mandash skirted the cliffs and crossed rough terrain. With that in mind, Alanna kept a careful but steady pace until the extra light from the full moon no longer offset the danger of pressing forward. She called for a halt, and they made camp until dawn.

At daybreak, the company set off again. When the ground permitted, Alanna spurred them to a fast trot or even a canter. The war horses quickly picked up on the urgency of their riders and settled in to their task.

They rested and ate mid-morning. No one seemed to care for much conversation.

It was nearly noon by the time they reached the path to the keep. Stopped in the crossroads, Alanna turned Darkmoon in a circle and glanced at the woods on all sides. Some ran near one side of the house, she remembered.

"Laura and I will scout ahead," she told the men. "Wait for us here."

~ ~ ~

This close to the sea, the forest floor is coated with old, damp leaves and patches of moss, which suits Alanna well. Had this been Trebond, the snap of dry twigs might already have given them away.

She crouches, eyes tracking right until they land on the keep. Still half a mile away, it's just visible through the trees and undergrowth. There's no sign of life.

"There it is," she says under her breath.

Comments

[cutting_edgex23]

"Closer will help."

Beat.

"For you."

X's head is up, nostrils flaring as she scents the air.

"They do not come out this far. Not often."

Sometimes, but not often. And not lately.

[the_lioness]

A small branch Alanna had been holding back with her shoulder works its way free and lightly smacks the side of her neck. Cursing quietly, she drops her gauntlet in her lap and gets a better grip on the foliage.

"You can tell that from a sniff."

In regards to anyone else it would be less of a statement, more of a question.

The corner of her mouth tilts up in a predatory sort of smile.

[cutting_edgex23]

X nods once, body held perfectly still.

It makes it easier to hear.

"I do not think it is a bad avenue of approach. But a distraction will help."

For one.

There are other options.

[the_lioness]

Lots of options. The trick, Alanna thinks, is choosing the one with the smallest chance of casualties.

Therefore, sending the cavalry riding hellbent into the courtyard whilst they slip around the back to release the family, which is the first option that comes to mind, is probably out.

Besides, she's ready for a fight.

"Magic," she suggests. "They might even have their own. Have you ever faced an ogre?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"No."

Beat.

"But I have fought Sentinels. They are giant robots."

With lasers.

"You can tell if they have magic?"

[the_lioness]

"Yes." If the ogres attack them with it, she'll definitely know; but that thought prompts her to flick her eyes sideways and add, "Once we are closer."

Alanna lifts the emberstone from the tangle of necklaces around her neck (two leather ties, one silver) and shows it to X.

"This tells me when magic is being used."

[cutting_edgex23]

X spares a half-second to look at it, gaze flicking up to Alanna's face.

"And you will tell me. If it is."

It's half a question, but only half.

And X does seem poised to move closer. If Alanna is good at being quiet, it will not take long.

[the_lioness]

"I promise I will," is her serious reply.

Alanna is quite good at being quiet, a skill she will exhibit shortly. But first:

"I'll tell the men to ride in once we draw them out," she proposes, holding up a hand to indicate not yet. "Cover our flank. How does that sound?"

Her other hand guides the branches back into place, one by one.

[cutting_edgex23]

X looks a little hesitant -- just a little.

Introducing the men to this scenario will help Alanna, but it will mean more people for X to protect.

Her expression flickers, mission priorities edited in an eyeblink.

Then she nods.

"Okay."

It will have to do.

[the_lioness]

Sending her friend a smirk, Alanna begins backing out of their vantage point.

"You can't have them all to yourself," she jokes.

It's close to a quarter of an hour before she returns, not silently, but quiet enough not to alert anyone at the keep; something tells her sneaking up on X would be a bad idea, if it's even possible. She has an extra sword strapped to her back, as well as a strung bow and quiver of arrows.

"Any change?" she asks under her breath.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Movement," X says.

"On the rampart. It did not last long."

She was paying careful attention. And still is, even as she slips out of her current position, moving at an angle.

Just for a few steps.

Then she looks over at Alanna.

"We are advancing now?"

[the_lioness]

Alanna's eyes immediately dart to the ramparts, watching for any additional movement, before she answers with a nod.

"The men await my signal," she whispers, slipping forward and to X's left. Positioned thus, they are poised to approach the meadow surrounding the keep from the southwest. Downwind.

Feeling what Adam tells her is adrenaline pumping through her veins, Alanna works hard to keep quiet. It is a point of pride.

At one point she catches X's eye and gestures: follow the treeline until we get a better view of the courtyard.

[cutting_edgex23]

X does not acknowledge the command, just shifts position as indicated, moving smooth and silent across the ground.

She makes it look easy.

There's a moment she stops, going very still, listening intently --

But it passes.

They are okay. For now.

[the_lioness]

This time, Alanna doesn't wait for daybreak to continue their journey. After seeing to the survivors, the ogre and the fief the night before, they'd ridden hard and rested for a few hours, but she's up and saddling Darkmoon well before first light. Her Gift will serve to light their way if need be. With fewer men (half had remained at Mandash), they should reach the Swoop by midday.

The more she thinks about what the ogre said the more she thinks someone knew exactly how to lure her away from the others. The queen, their families: Alanna's gut tells her they are in danger.

Face grim, she slows Darkmoon to a walk after an hour's worth of speed and negotiates a tricky turn in the track. The early morning fog isn't helping.

[cutting_edgex23]

X reins Mithros in as well, flicking a quick glance at Alanna. The rest of her attention remains focused on her surroundings. She is not a horsewoman, and Mithros seems to know what he is doing. That is good enough for her.

"You have sent out scouts? To report back?"

It might be efficient, even with the fog.

(There may be a flickering moment where X thinks about what would be possible if the X-men were here. It fades quickly.)

[the_lioness]

"William! Bax! Scout the road ahead."

They nod and ride off, and the soft sound of horse hooves kicking up dirt soon fades into the mist. Alanna turns to X and says, solemnly, "Yes."

A hint of a smile flickers across her face.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Oh," X says, after a moment of silence.

"Okay."

It may be a trick of the light, but --

Does X's expression match Alanna's?

[the_lioness]

Very possibly, or why else would Alanna quietly snicker upon seeing it?

Tapping her heels against Darkmoon's sides, she turns back to the path. William and Bax will continue on if they do not see anything worthy of a report, at least for awhile. As they ride the mist rolls over the cliffs or dissipates entirely, scattered by the rising sun.

"We're further along than I would have thought," she says eventually, reaching up to snag a leaf off a low hanging branch. She studies it, then sniffs. "Though Goddess knows we covered a lot of ground last night."

[cutting_edgex23]

X's own nostrils flare slightly, taking in the surrounding scents.

Thus far there is nothing of particular note.

"It will be easier to travel when there is no fog."

Beat.

"We will get back."

[the_lioness]

Alanna nods and gives Darkmoon his head when he shakes it and dances sideways, picking up on her tension.

Okay, where are William and Bax?

The silence turns heavy, magnifying even the smallest sounds: Darkmoon's snort, Mithros working his bit, her standard flapping about in a swift and sudden sea breeze. Or maybe it's just her imagination.

A quarter of an hour later, the sound of hooves striking the earth at a much faster pace than theirs reaches her ears; probably after it reaches X's. Alanna draws her sword and turns Darkmoon slightly to the left, preparing.

Just in case.

But it's her men, faces drawn and shoulders held stiff with anxiety.

[cutting_edgex23]

X frowns, Mithros shifting forward a few steps in response to her sudden, rigid tension.

"Something is wrong."

But the scouts are not hurt.

It would be a more useful piece of information if their expressions did not suggest that it is entirely irrelevant.

[the_lioness]

It's William who reaches them first. Bax looks more shaken and stays a few paces behind, letting his horse do the work of following. Alanna doesn't have time to ask after him, ask what's made him so pale.

"Lioness," William begins, as if needing the familiarity of her title on his tongue to steady his nerves or allow him time to catch his breath. "We rode quite a ways, not seeing anything, but then we heard movement on the track ahead. Near where it gets hilly and starts sloping down toward the village. Leaving our mounts we moved into the forest and crept up a hill we thought would offer a good vantage point. It did. The road. The woods. It's all-"

Impatient, Alanna frowns. "Yes?"

"Occupied."

[cutting_edgex23]

X's response is prompt.

"How many?"

Who is less relevant to her. At least in this moment.

She flicks a quick glance at Alanna.

"You will need a count?"

[the_lioness]

"An estimation?" asks Alanna, with a nod.

"Hundreds," answers William.

She jerks her chin at Bax: a silent question. "Magic," William continues. He's moderately Gifted and speaks confidently about what happened to his fellow scout. "A perimeter sensor, most likely. A simple enough spell, but it extended a good distance and on that level? They must have mages. Bax caught a heavy flash."

Alanna's eye twitches. Clicking her tongue, she brings Darkmoon up beside Bax and takes his hand, murmuring a healing spell. Bax begins to blink after a moment, and shudders.

"Then they know we're here," she says to no one in particular. "X? I want a closer look." And a better count, as her friend suggested. She dismounts, hands William her reins.

[cutting_edgex23]

X slips off her own horse almost as soon as her name is spoken, moving up to stand at Alanna's shoulder. Her gaze is focused outward, senses alert.

"You will notice the perimeter sensors?"

Her gaze does not quite flick down to the emberstone at Alanna's neck, but it is what X is thinking of.

Her own sense of magic is --

She does not really have one.