RP:The Herd is on the Move - Part 1

Part of the The White Hunt Arc

Synopsis: Aira finds Orikahn on the edge of a stand of trees in northern frostmaw. The Prime hunter, who is still keeping his vigil near the herd, does not notice her, so Aira playfully fires an arrow beside him, distracting Kahn from his watch. Antics ensue, then halt abruptly as disaster strikes and the herd begins to stampede. The two are quickly engulfed. Seeking shelter in the trees does not work well, and when Orikahn's tree is felled the two must then resort to other daring means, lest they be trampled to death.

Path Leading North

Orikahn sits just beyond the thin line of trees, tending a tiny fire. He is clad in cloak and armor, as is his usual in the arctic. The herd of frostmares still remains, and their noisy whinnies, grunts, and neighs fill the air. They are restless. Kahn looks restless, too. His bow is strung and knocked, and his breath comes in slow, deliberate puffs. More than once does he glance behind himself, out to the west, as though expecting something to be there. The snows of the tundra have been tromped to a pitted sheet of ice, and the sparse vegetation here has been completely devoured. Even trees have had their lowest branches stripped bare.

As per usual, Aira found herself nestled high within the tree branches, slightly hindered by the icy sheet laid upon the bark. She was sliding from tree to tree, quiver and bow rested on her back. As she reached the treeline, she saw a small fire and the familiar form of the feline tending to it. He seemed anxious, constantly glancing off into the west with bow and arrow at the ready. She leaned against the trunk of the tree nonchalantly, arms crossed over her chest and just watched for a while. Not wanting to startle Orikahn and get shot...again, the runaway pulls the bow from her back and grasps an arrow. She tied it in and sighted letting it fly so it just landed to his left. Opting to practice her skills, Aira used this chance to scoot around the trunk and hide herself from view. At least the opportunity would give her a chance to see if she was adept at tree scouting.

Orikahn hears the arrow land beside him with an icy "tchik!" as it vanishes into the snow. He doesn't have much time to act. The hunter considers himself lucky enough that the first arrow had missed to begin with. With alarming speed (especially for something his size!) does Kahn kick off and begin galloping close along the treeline. His eyes dart to the side as he sprints, looking through the trees for any sign of his would-be assassin. Curse this cold! The jungle cat's ears would have frozen off long ago without his hood, but the insulation does a great deal to inhibit his otherwise keen hearing. Instead, he must rely primarily on sight and scent. Scent, aha! Perhaps he'll be able to get downwind of his attacker. Breaking through the trees, the running cat moves to circle around, hoping to catch a whiff of this mystery assailant. Aira winced slightly at Orikahn's reaction. Perhaps the high elf didn't think this plan through enough and she quickly moved along the trees to follow the feline. Despite the ice, Aira is able to move silently among the branches. As Orikahn began to circle, Aira quickly slipped her bow across her body and started inching her way down. When she had reached a low enough branch she jumped, landing with a crunch and she remained in a crouched position, staring up at the feline with apologetic copper eyes. "I just practicing stealth skill?" She offered as means of an explanation before standing upright.

Orikahn pounds deep in the snow with each sprinting step, relying on the metal edges of his sabatons for continued traction amid the snow and frost. His faceless visor sweeps the wilds, searching for any clue, looking for the faintest hint of a target. Why hadn't a second arrow flown? Perhaps they know, he thinks to himself, that their best shot has been spent. Perhaps they've found a way to flee? Dissatisfied with this possibility, the cat sticks to the plan, taking a measured breath in, through his nose and across his tongue, dissecting the air. Wait. "Aira?" And speak of the devil. Orikahn looks up just in time to see the young elf descend and leap from the tree. He has to backpedal to stop himself in time, sending up a spray of snow and frost again that dusts over his cloak and armor, raising a temporarily blinding cloud. When it settles, Orikahn is nowhere to be seen. There is a second of silence, and it seems as though Aira might be alone with the trees and a conspicuous pile of snow. "Graah!" Orikahn pops out of the snow pile, gauntleted fingers curled and upraised. He points accusingly at her. "Stealthy indeed! You're lucky I recognized you before-" Just then, a fresh heap of snow tumbles out of the tree in one huge lump (knocked loose by the elf's climbing, no doubt), and buries the cat afresh.

Aira blinked curiously as the cloud settled and Orikahn was nowhere to be seen. She turned her head this way and that wondering if he weren't trying to get her back. After a few quiet moments, the runaway jumped back in surprise as Orikahn rose from the snow, pointing an accusatory finger at her. She put on her best innocent smile, holding up her hands defensively. His sentence is cut short though, as snow tumbled from the tree in which the elf had been perched. All innocence lost, Aira quickly covers her mouth in an attempt to stifle the giggles that she began to produce as he was buried once again. Her attempts prove unsuccessful as she ended up breaking down in a fit of laughter, bent at the middle, hand clenching a stitch in her side. This was a very different Aira, from the lone huntress and manic ghost seer. No this was simply a young, pretty elf who had not had much to laugh about in her life. Surprisingly, it did much to change her appearance, face beaming and eyes shining brightly. "You were saying, kitty?" She managed to squeak out between fits of laughter

Orikahn pops out of the snow for the second time, and he huffs. Looking a little stung with defeat, the cat gathers what pride he can and knocks off the snow from his arms and shoulders. Each strike sends up a crisp white puff of snow and bangs with the sound of armor against armor. "Should've turned you into leather backpack," the cat growls regretfully, and gives his head a shake, knocking the side of his hood as more slow falls out. "Don't worry," the cat continues shaking the snow out from his cloak and from the joints of his armor, "your skin's safe, but don't think I won't get you back for all that. But I'm glad you're here." He looks around himself. "The wolves are up to something. I've seen them moving around the area. They're interested in the herd, it looks like. You haven't seen anything have you?" He lifts up his visor and looks cross-eyed at a lump of snow on his nose. "Hmmph."

Aira managed to eventually control her laughter, in part because of the stung look upon Orikahn’s face. Still, the smile stayed put on her face even as he mentioned turning her into a leather backpack. “What did I do?” Aira feigned ignorance and innocence. At the mention of the wolves, the runaway turned her back to the feline and gazed into the woods, bobbing her head in agreement. “I have been in woods for a couple days now and I see them more often, coming closer to gates and city.” She turned around to face Orikahn once again but began to shake with silent giggles as he hmmph’ed at the clump of snow on his nose. Aira reached out and gently brushed it away with slender fingers. “I still not see shadow girl lately. I have to go back to ruins.”

Orikahn doesn't bother thanking Aira when she brushes the snow off, but the look he sends her is somewhat less than menacing, at least. He nods and pulls his visor back down. "I was afraid of that. The wolves, I mean. Now," Kahn tilts his head side to side, "going back to the ruins isn't excellent news either. I don't suppose you've had a chance to find the high priestess, either, have you?" Orikahn hadn't seen her himself, and his tone is less than hopeful. Nearby, another large lump of snow falls down out of a tree. Aira hadn't been climbing in that one. Orikahn narrows his eyes to study it. "I'm sure we'll be able... to..." The cat trails off. There's other snow falling from the trees, all around them in fact, and out to the northeast, there is a growing roar like a rolling peal of thunder that shakes the air around them and ground beneath them. Orikahn looks toward the sound. Out, on the far edge of the open tundra, there is a growing cloud of white rising up from the ground, lit blue from below. He gasps. At the edge of the treeline, the first few frostmares begin sprinting through the trees. These are the first. Behind them is a rolling sea of blue flame and hooves, rushing southward in a terrible stampede that is sure to swallow the hunters in no time.

Aira blew out a sigh as Orikahn covered his face once again and ran a hand through her hair working out the tangles with her slender fingers. At the mention of returning to the ruins not being a good idea, she simply shrugged her shoulders. “She no come to me, so I have to go to her.” When he asked about the priestess she shook her head slowly. The runaway is about to answer when the sound of snow falling from a tree catches her attention, turning her head to face the source of the noise, another one falls, and then another, and Aira is whipping her head around trying to find the source. She followed Orikhan’s gaze upon hearing him gasp and sees the first frostmares begin to make their way towards them. Almond-shaped eyes widen in horror as the start of a stampede makes it way towards the pair and she takes a few step backwards, seemingly frozen in shock at the sight before her.

Orikahn throws a hurried look around himself. The tundra is mostly featureless, giving hardly anywhere to flee from the crushing hooves. Outrunning the horses is out of the question. The massive feline flexes at the knees and leaps up onto the nearest tree, dropping his bow on the ground so he can clutch the trunk with his arms and knees. In no time, the cat has shimmied up the trunk, and not a moment too soon, as the stampede is quickly growing thicker around them. His head snaps around as he scoots onto a bough, eyes searching for Aira amid the chaos. Has she found her way out of danger? The tree gives a lurch as a passing frostmare knocks against it; Kahn would feel more secure if these trunks were a little thicker. For now, until he can gain his bearings, the massive cat focuses on keeping a tight grip. The roar by now is deafening, and each passing mane of blue flame carries a frigid gust with it. If anyone were unlucky enough to find said flame brushing against exposed flesh, they would be in real danger of catching frostbite. The same flames surround the wild beast's hooves, compounding the danger.

Aira was frozen, unable to move, as if the impending stampede had her trapped. It isn’t until Orikahn’s bow falls to the ground that she breaks out of it, looking up as the feline shimmied up a tree. The high elf physically shook her head in an attempt to get moving, lurching forward a few paces to grab a hold of the feline’s bow and tossing it over her head with hers. As it was much larger than hers it proved cumbersome, slowing down her pace as she weaved about in an attempt to get away and find a suitable tree. She spotted one in the near distance and beelined for it. She was almost upon the trunk when she is thrown sideways, having collided with one of the frostmares, it’s blue flame licking at a bare spot in her arm. She yelped in pain, the cold so intense that it felt like she brushed up against fire. She was on the ground and more of the beasts were coming, leaping over her, one getting caught on her stomach and stumbling. Aira was about to panic when she saw a break in the frostmares and quickly dragged herself up, clutching at the trunk of the nearest tree and finding a knot to step up on. Slowly she pulled herself up high enough to slink onto one of the branches; however, the bough swayed dangerously. Gasping for breath, Aira sat, straddling the branch as she pulled up her shirt where the perfect outline of a hoof was beginning to bruise on her stomach. Next for inspection was her arm which was bright red, tender to the touch. She leaned her head back against the trunk and let out a low groan.

Orikahn spots Aira emerging from the chaos, and he cups his hand to his mouth to shout something over to her. The thundering of the stampede drowns it out, and the keen ear might pick up a new sound amid the chaos; the yips of baying wolves. Between the charging steeds, leaping flashes of white can be spotted, nipping at the frostmare's flanks and spurring them onward. One such startled horse startles, losing its footing for a moment and slamming into Orikahn's tree, shaking it again. Between his armor and his natural bulk, the hunter must weigh over five hundred pounds, and when the tree bends it splinters, cracking like a gunshot and leaning at a precarious angle. The cat looks for the next nearest tree and begins searching for his footing; it seems like he's willing to risk a leap. Just as he's crouching for the spring, the ground lurches again, and the tree gives another pop, bending lower still and throwing the feline off balance. He barely has time to grab onto the trunk again as it begins slowly giving way, lowering him toward the rushing, roiling flood of animals.

After a few moments of repreeve, Aira lifted her head to scout the trees and find Orikahn. She eventually spotted him, saw him cup his mouth and seemingly shout something. She furrowed her brows and shook her head indicating that she couldn’t hear him. Suddenly, she noticed the mare that slammed into his tree and the subsequent gunshot sound that caused his bough to break. Aira was on her feet once again, ignoring the pain in her stomach and arm. She quickly skimmed the trees and began her movements. She wasn’t lying when she said she was stealthy, thanks to her sylvan grace, hopping from tree to tree, landing with a light touch until she is at the tree next to Orikahn’s. She dropped down to the lowest branch she could and called out to the feline. “What can I do? How can I help?” The laughter had left her face, her metallic eyes wide with worry.

Orikahn clambers around the regrettably thin trunk as best he can, but it's no good. "A rope!" The cat shouts again, and this time Aira is close enough to hear him. The tree has bent far enough now that passing frostmare's snag it's branches, jerking the already unsteady trunk and pulling it farther over than before. In a bold gambit, Orikahn steadies himself on the every-tilting trunk, as as it turns more sideways than upright, he balances on the topside, climbing higher in an attempt to delay the inevitable, walking up the trunk toward the thickest branches and soon losing himself in the thickest foliage. With a roaring crash, the tree crashes into the herd. There is a moment of thrashing, and then, like a parting wave, the galloping mares part around the boughs and branches of the fallen pine.

Aira had heard Orikahn that time and quickly pulled a bag from her hip. She had had it enchanted so that it held more than it seemed it would be able to. She was pawing quickly through the contents when a deafening crash reached her tapered ears. Aira looked up in time to see the crashing of the pine to the ground. “Orikahn!” the high elf yelled as the wild frostmares part around the debris of the fallen tree. The runaway didn’t even think twice about jumping from her perch onto the ground below, stumbling slightly as she landed on a fallen branch. She quickly caught her balance as copper eyes scan the ground and she calls out a again, “Orikahn!” The rushing of the stampede lifting up her hard in a gust of wind.

Orikahn emerges from the boughs, pulling himself up out of the foliage with a roar. All around the two, the frostmares are rushing by, a wall of hair, hooves and flame. He spots Aira and looks around himself in surprise. "Maybe we can wait it out here." The cat shouts. Here, in the relative safety of the fallen tree, the two of them might be okay, mightn't they? Taking a moment to ground himself and gather his bearings, the cat grips an upturned bough and surveys his surroundings. Just as he is about to cup his hand to his mouth and shout again, a wolf scrambles up over the lower boughs of the tree, looking somewhat panicked and seeking shelter here much as the two hunters have. It spots Orikahn and bristles, bearing its fangs. "Look out, Aira." The hunter points at the wolf instead, just in time for it to leap through the air like a white, fanged missile and strike at the hunter. Kahn had evidently been expecting this, and catches the creature by the snout, wrenching it around by the head to throw it back into the stampeding herd. "Maybe we can't stay here." As if to accentuate his point, a passing frostmare clips his side, nearly throwing him off balance. Lucky thing a cat always lands on its feet.

Aira breathed a sigh of relief as Orikahn emerged from the boughs. The high elf’s head moved quickly watching the stampede, her platinum locks whipping about her face and chest. She heard a warning call from the feline and quickly turned to face Orikahn just in time to see him catch the rogue wolf by the snout and throw him back into the blur of beasts. Aira had to admit, his strength was impressive. She quickly stepped over the fallen debris as the feline is clipped by a passing frostmare. “Where we going to go?” Aira yelled as she reached his side, copper eyes glancing up at the trees once again. “We try trees again?” She looked up the hunter, metallic eyes roaming over his form, wondering if his size would hinder the jumping from tree to tree.

Orikahn wobbles as more passing frostmares knock into the fallen tree in their mad rush southward, and he must throw out his arms for balance. "You'll have to trust me!" The cat shouts to his fellow hunter, and he emphatically holds out his hand for Aira to grab. With his other hand, he plucks a scull off his garland and crushes it. There is a flash of brilliant green light, followed by cackling and copious green smoke. Aira's seen this all before, but instead of infecting Kahn, the grasping tendrils snag a frostmare, flying up through its nostrils. The frostmare leaps out of the stampede's ranks and into the boughs of the tree. Orikahn, having expected this, hoists himself up onto the possessed steed and, assuming Aira has chosen to trust him, yanks her up onto to the back on the same horse. "Hold tight!" The feline urges her, even as the green flames whip around him, apparently deprived of the supernatural cold exhibited by the blue counterpart of its fellows.

Trust. It was a particularly hard concept for Aira who had been betrayed by those in her life she would have assumed to be there for her. The runaway's thoughts on her past are quickly thrown from her mind as she stumbled due to a wild frostmare crashing into the fallen tree. Trust. If she couldn't trust Orikahn, her lead hunter, than who could she trust in? Aira reached forward, placing her slender hand in the feline's, watching cautiously as he retrieved a skull and crushed it as the familiar green smoke appeared. The high elf hesitated slightly; the last time she had witnessed this she had been shot with an arrow. But suddenly the tendrils lick at a passing by frostmare which is pulled from the stampede and lands upon their boughs. With a small yelp Aira is tugged by Orikhan, hoisted onto the beast's back behind the feline. She doesn't need to be told twice as she grips onto the feline tightly, clinging and waiting for the inevitable.