OoC: Okay, this battle is for anyone who wants to join. If you haven’t noticed, I’ll be using
Cila Marid for this little battle. ^_^
BiC:
The small village was quiet and still as the hours of night hung over it. Lanterns lit every porch of the wooden houses and buildings to give some direction to anyone that might be wandering around at this late hour. The only place that had movement was the tavern which sounded the noise of merrily drunken people. Cila, however, didn’t care to go near that building. She had other matters to attend to. The dark dragoon walked briskly through the residential dirt streets until she came to a house that had two lanterns adorning its step. An ordinary rock was set on the corner of the porch to hold down a folded piece of paper. It was that which the mercenary took for herself. While a letter system of hiring was rather cumbersome than just meeting the client, she found it easier. With her leathery, black wings, most people either run from the sight of her or take up arms. Moving her black hair out of her eyes, Cila unfolded the letter.
The earl is taking the west road tonight to avoid the people. Horseback with four guards. Should be carrying the mark in a pouch on his right hip. Drop off at tavern once recovered.
The note was short, sweet, and to the point. She had been asked to recover a small gem which the resident earl had supposedly stolen from the blacksmith in another local village. While she didn’t usually take jobs like this, it was only one the dragoon had received in quite some time. Ripping the note into pieces, she thought about the validity of this job. Some people proclaimed to have been robbed while they, in reality, want to do the robbing but are to cowardly to do so.
It’s not my problem, she reminded herself. Cila was just being asked to claim this gem. Whatever the client’s plan for it was none of her business. Spreading her black wings, she lifted into the air and, once out of the range of the lantern light, cast her shadow spell. Now she would only be a shadow against the night, virtually impossible to see. Gaining her bearings, she set off towards the western road of the forest.
The trees of the forest spread out their sharp branches like boney hands. Fall had almost stripped them of the leaves with only a few trees still clinging onto the warm, golden clothing. This was a blessing as fully leafed trees were only an obstruction to overhead observing. However, it didn’t take long for Cila to find the earl and his guards. They stuck out like a sore thumb. One guard in the front held a torch for light while another did the same in the back. The dragoon chuckled, [i]If you want to avoid people, don’t make yourself a beacon in the middle of the night. They probably could’ve seen just fine in the bright moon and starlight that lit up the otherwise dark sky.
Dismissing her shadow spell, the winged dragoon perched in a tree a bit behind the entourage. See knew that if they turned around, they would start shouting things about demons. But that was alright. It was probably better if they didn’t recognize her as a dragoon. Unsheathing her dagger, the mercenary swooped out of the tree and knocked the back left guard of his horse and then scared the front guard’s horse so badly it started galloping away from the group. The other three animals reared in surprise and, while the earl was getting his to calm down, landed softly on the horse’s rump and put her dagger at his throat. “If you want your earl to live, I suggest staying still,” she warmed calmly.
When the guards started drawing their swords, the rich man commanded, “Listen to her!” Then he addressed Cila, “What do you want, demon?”
“I have heard that have something that doesn’t belong to you,” she whispered into his ear and spied the pouch on his right hip, “And I’ve been sent to retrieve it.”
“I am a rich man already. Why would I steal from some lowly peasant,” he spat at her.
“Well, the fact that you know it was a peasant already raises suspicion,” she commented, “Besides, people who have everything always seem to have an urge to have more. It is strange.” The dragoon took the small bag from his belt, “This is all I need so, if you don’t mind, I’ll be leaving.” Unfolding her wings, Cila pushed off the horse and into the air.
“Stop her! Stop the demon!” the earl commanded as the dragoon flew away. The two remaining guards chased after her, keeping up fairly well with their mounts.
She sighed,
Persistence. Attaching the pouch to her own belt, the woman turned and fired a glob of darkness into one of the guard’s eyes. Blinded, his horse reared without guidance and threw him off. She dived at the second guard and knocked him off his horse. The dragoon landed daintily and with an even voice stated, “If you want to live, go away.” However, the crunch of a twig caught her attention and she brandished her dagger to whoever was there.