(Untitled)
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
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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.
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"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.)
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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.
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"Okay."
It may be a trick of the light, but --
Does X's expression match Alanna's?
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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."
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Thus far there is nothing of particular note.
"It will be easier to travel when there is no fog."
Beat.
"We will get back."
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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.
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"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.
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"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."
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"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?"
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"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.
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"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.
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William swallows hard and nods his understanding.
He's a good man. Competent. But they all know what's at stake here. A quick, hopefully reassuring smile and Alanna starts off at a jog. X, she knows, will be right beside her.
It doesn't take her long to mutter, "Time to move off the road."
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It's not scent that she turns to this time -- their enemies have not passed this way. But hearing -- sound travels. And their mages were probably not concentrating on disguising the sound of the troops' heartbeats.
Or their breath.
Or the sound of their feet as they shift position.
Even one of these will be enough.
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"George will get them out, if it comes to that."
It's not clear if she meant to say that aloud.
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This is followed by a long moment or two of silence.
"And Raph."
She does not have much practice at comforting people.
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