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"I have no idea, but I can go check it out if you want." he said to Maddy. He walks around the wagon to the front to see what was happening up front.

Luke was not really near the front. He was riding a horse near the middle back of the group. He had eventually gotten used to riding the horse, and he seemed to like riding one. He pet the horse's neck. He had gotten closer to the front and said, "Be careful Barry!" Barry yelled back to him, "I will!" Barry ran up to the front, and then asked Gwen, "Why did we stop?" He was panting a little, but not much.

*Tani saw Barry run down the line towards the front of the caravan. Suddenly she heard a tree branch crack and she looked towards it with her hand on her sword. She saw nothing. Nothing accept the infinitely expanding forest. Tani looked next to her and saw Eric. She quietly began to speak.* Do you ever feel like they are watching you?

*Maddy looked around at the forest next to and behind her. The tree's trunks were thicker then her wagons wheel and the trees themselves touched the skies. She looked at them and longs so much that she too could touch the skies. She then heard a bird chirp and looked towards it. It looked strange. Slightly larger than a normal bird and it watched Maddy. Suddenly, a slightly larger one dived in and grabbed it in its talons and ate it, causing Maddy to look away.*

Eric had been lost in thought. He knew only what had been ordered to him, to assist in evacuating the city. So, it was hard to keep his naturally drifting mind on anything but the motions of walking forward. The tree branch had brought him back down to Earth, and he registered Tani's question after a minute. He took his time answering. That question had a complicated answer. "Well, depends on who you're talking about, miss. Sometimes it feels like everyone's watching me. I just try not to keep my mind on it too much, tune it out."

---

*Tani shook her head* No, not people. *Tani pointed ahead at a tree that looked as though it had an angry face* The tree's. *The wind began to blow through the leaves and she heard as the leaves began to almost whisper with the wind*

Eric turned his head and watched in the direction she was pointing. Now that he was really paying attention to the trees, he could see the eerie aura around them. Like they were watching him angrily. He had almost been able to pretend it wasn't true, but now he couldn't take his eyes off them. His shoulders tensed slightly as the wind blew through. Couldn't have those kinds of thoughts. So close to panicking. He whispered hoarsely, "I suppose they do give you that sense," before coughing, quickly trying to change the subject. "So, I've heard that things between you and Maddy have been rather difficult. Perhaps it would be easier if you were to talk about it? I've an open ear to listen, always."

---

Blossom stroked Star's head as they passed some trees that looked almost sad. "The faces do make them seem a bit more human don't they?"

(in case anyone asks, Katniss is Star's daughter and I've reduced her to an NCP role. As for Emi, Blossom's adopted daughter, she won't make an appearance as she went to a different town to start her own life path.)

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*The moment Tani heard Maddy's name, her demeanor changed. She suddenly felt her blood run cold. She heard a horse running in their direction however and Tani looked to see Irida riding back.* There's Irida!

Eric looked back as well, the sound scaring him a little. Even though he was quite familiar with horses, they still seemed to startle him from behind. Still, the sensation passed quickly, and he sighed under his breath. "Well, it appears she's come to join us then," he said lightly, though under his breath, he muttered, "I wonder why..."

---

Eric looked back as well, the sound scaring him a little. Even though he was quite familiar with horses, they still seemed to startle him from behind. Still, the sensation passed quickly, and he sighed under his breath. "Well, it appears she's come to join us then," he said lightly.

---

"Don't worry about it" Gwen tells Barry. "We just want to ensure that the path ahead is safe." There was no use in lying. "Get back on your wagon Barry, Irida will probably be back soon, regardless of what the news is, we'll have to be continue forward." She looks up when she hears Tani's shout. She visibly relaxes when she notices that Irida didn't seem worried. Actually... Now that she thought about it, Irida's face was mostly unreadable.

Irida rode back towards the caravan and waved it on. "Proceed with caution!" she told one of the other riders who in turn passed the word along to the others. The caravan began to move forward, towards the smoke to see a destroyed town. The bodies of soldiers and villagers alike layed scattered all around. All of the soldiers, however, wore similar armor to Irida's.

*Tani looked at the burning village. She slightlybegan to wander throughout it and saw a half charred toy animal. She picked it up and brought it closer to herself, realizing tge horrible things that may have happened to the toys owner. Tani went outside and went up to Irida.* Was this a village of yours?

Irida doesn't respond right away. Her head was bowed as if she were silently paying her respects for her fallen men and women. "Yes" she responds. "Telmar is not the only kingdom we vowed to protect. There are a few neighboring villages within the vicinity of my Kingdom. We help protect all of them." She raises her head up to glance at Tani, there was rage boiling in her gaze. "It appears that the Mountain Men found them"

Lea looked at Irida. "Mountain Men? Who are they?"

---

*Maddy felt the caravan began to move and let out a wigh of relief. But then she hear a low growl coming from the trees. She then saw a pair of glowing red eyes in the forest running steaight towards them. Suddenly, a Marchhound and its rider pounced from the darkness and it began to tear into Irida's men*

*Tani watched Irida as her eyes constricted. An arrow flew thorough one of her men, causing Tani to draw her sword*

Leaf ducked and Star loaded an arrow, using the side of the wagon for cover. "Tani! Maddy! Can you see them?"

Blossom pulled out her sling shot and loaded a golf ball-sized rock in the sling. "Leaf! Get the med kit ready!"

---

"Mountain men are what your people call the Cloaks" Irida replies, her voice was tight and she was determined to stare daggers into the path in front of her. It was obvious she was more affected by the village than she was letting on.

Suddenly, her gaze is snatched to something behind her, she was alerted by a growl. She turns her horse around just in time to see a Marchhound leap at her men. Their deaths were quick, but nothing short of cruel, any normal person would turn away. But Irida was far from normal. "Mountain Beasts!" She calls out in warning in case any of her men had missed the obvious. "Protect the citizens and kill that Beast!" She orders.

Gwen is the first of the two to attack. She raises her bow up and attempts to shoot the rider off the Hound. But she just barley misses. Once again, she curses herself for skipping her self training sessions. "Eric! I'm sure you're a better shot than me! Shoot the rider!" Gwen calls while throwing her bow at him. There were a three arrows strung to the sides.

Gwen and Irida both exchange a glance, both mutually deciding who should protect and who should fight. Gwen races off towards Tani and Sage while Irida races towards the Marchhound.

Eric had returned to staring straight back ahead as he walked. The conversation with Tani, albeit short, had brought him back down to reality and now he wasn't going back up again. The feeling of being watched that came from the tall, ominous trees was pressing in on him, and he fought it the way that he fought just about everything else: pure and utter stubborn. He refused to let down his guard. He wouldn't. Now that he felt that ominous presence he had to make sure that he kept his guard against anything that might be behind it. His hand rested on the sheathed handle of his sword, his fingertips pressing against the palm of his hand.

Then, chaos erupted around him.

Immieadiently, as if there was a voice commanding him, he immieadiently sprung into action, drawing his sword. In the moment, he hardly noticed the soldiers falling around him. He was only focused on doing his job: Protecting. He couldn't let these innocent people, couldn't let the soldiers he had trained with, die at the hands of the Mountain Men. He may not have known much about the enemy but he surely knew that. When Gwen threw the bow to him, he caught it mid-air, the sound of it hitting his palm audible. In one swift motion, he sheathed his sword and drew the bow up, his eyes searching for the Marchound and finding it. Sword fighting, Horse Riding, it wasn't the only thing that he had trained in. After he had come back with no memory, he needed something to keep him grounded. Shooting seemed to do the trick. He drew back, his feet digging into the ground, and took aim. In an instant, the arrow was flying true, lodging itself in the rider's neck and sending the man toppling to the ground.


...
Megumo watched the people walking by. Watched them, surrounded by their false hope. False hope that this road would be uneventful. Oh, how he wanted to destroy them. He could not wait to destroy them, and he would do it gladly. It was never personal, what he did. He didn't even know who these people were. But what he did know is that he wanted to hunt them down until there was nothing left. He worked his jaw from side to side, holding back. He would not bring them all forward first. Of all the things he loved most of the battle, it was the fear. The fear in their eyes as they saw the first troops coming, and the panic as they were overwhelmed. He gave the signal and watched them charge forward.

His hand curled around his sword as he watched them fall in. But he would not wait any longer. He gave a different kind of signal. He roared, the sound deep and overwhelming, like the roar of a beast, "CHARGE!" He drew his sword, diving into battle. He did not care who he cut down. It might have been his men, but they were simply numbers lost. Nothing to him in the rush of adrenaline.

---

*Tani watched as the Marchhound's rider was shot off of it. She then saw the Marchhound look directly at Eric and charge towards him. She began to run towards Eric and just before it reached him, she lodged her sword into the beasts head, causing blood to spray all over her.*

*Maddy watched as a whole pack of Marchhounds and riders charged into the caravan. She then head one walking next to her wagon and began to hold her breath. She then saw as it began to walk past her wagon and charge into the battle*

Eric felt a rush of momentary relief as he watched the rider fall. But that relief left as quickly as it came, seeing the Marchound charge toward him. He swore, realizing that he had dropped his sword as he reached to pull back the bow. There was nothing stopping the beast from tearing him apart. But just as the huge shadow dropped over him, his heart nearly stopped when he realized that someone had stopped the Marchound. He backed up a bit, his fingers shaking from the shock. He grasped at what to say, and all that came out was, "Well, you're certainly a lifesaver." Really? That was the best he could do? But that wasn't important. He had to find his sword. He moved the bow to his right hand. He really did have to find General Gwen and return that bow to her. A small part of him thought that she may have been cut down in battle, but with that thinking, the enemy was halfway to winning. "Blast it, where's my sword," he muttered.

---

There was an undeniable sharpness in Irida's gaze. One could say that Irida herself, was a beast. She was determined to kill her enemy and to do it efficiency. Her heart was hammering in her chest, there was the ever slightest tremble in her body as she seemed to fight between being filled with rage and utter terror. They were completely overwhelmed, there were too many Mountain Beasts, far too many for an army of their size to fight. They had been ambushed, surprised, the odds were against them from the start.

Yet Irida didn't focus on any of this. All logic seemed to disappear as she raced into battle. She was different, compared to Gwen. She wasn't a calculated fighter, no, there was nothing to complicate. It was either kill or be killed and she refused to die, refused to have anyone in the caravan die.

Her mind felt cloudy, everything around her was a blur, the only thing clear to her was the next enemy in front of her. She grabs both weapons out, her sword and dagger. She holds each one in hand and clashes with her foe. The Beast tries to tear into her horse, a mistake. It raises it's large head towards the neck of her horse, seemingly trying to sink it's dangerous teeth into it's neck. Instead of flesh and bone, it meets the blade from her dagger.

The Beast releases an agonized yelp. It throws itself to the floor and rubs it's large head to the ground in the hopes of escaping the pain. This only further tears open the wound. Her enemy screams out, having not realized that the beast was about to fall. His leg was pinned to the ground, most likely broken.

Any moral person would let him out of his misery. But Irida was seeing red, she no longer considered him a threat, so he no longer deserved her attention. She races off towards the next fight, leaving him behind without a second thought.
...
There are too many Marchhounds Gwen observes as she watches both armies slowly adjust into the fight. They hold strong, trying their best to ensure that none of the Marchhounds can cut their way into the middle of the caravan. She felt like a coward for not helping in the fight, but she had to protect her two leaders at all costs. She spots Tani first, then Eric, who seemed to holding himself well. Until a Hound leapd at him. She finds herself holding her breath, but releases it when Tani saves him. A moment later, she spots Sage, who was smartly trying to make her way over to Tani. Her smile disappears when she spots a Marchhound and it's rider tear through the line and race towards her.

Gwen beats the Marchhound over to Sage. She attacks the rider while Sage defends herself with the staff. She whacks the Hound everytime it gets close. Gwen wasn't sure what was more humorous to her. Sage defending herself with a staff, or the fact that it was working. Once Gwen finishes off the rider she kills the Hound, saving Sage from having to further defend herself. "Are you guys okay?" She asks breathlessly. She needed to think, needed to plan. But that was worthless, there would be no way she could command this army over the sounds of this fight. She curses to herself, realizing she'll simply just have to fight and hope for the best.

Megumo was lost in the thrill of battle, as he always was. His eyes were wide with some kind of powerful emotion that was neither anger nor happiness. It was simply brutality, in its most raw form. Eventually, a soldier rammed into Megumo's Marchound, throwing the beast off balance. That was enough to break him from his spell, even if it was temporary. In anger, he swung his sword, killing the soldier. He jumped from the Marchound's back, and began to wade into battle, cutting down anyone that opposed him."Find the traitor and the girl!" he bellowed.

Suddenly, his eyes fell on Tani, and he immieadiently began advancing towards her.


Eric found his sword, relief flooding his face. He moved the bow to his back, keeping both of his hands free. Somehow, that near-death experience had boosted his confidence. Or maybe it was just fear. Who knew. The Marchounds kept coming, and Eric tightened his grip on the sword, rushing back into the fight. He nearly got his head chopped off by a passing rider, to which he responded, "Well that wasn't very nice," and when the rider took another swing at him, he ducked again. The man growled, and jumped off of the Marchound. "You're mine," he snapped. Eric's eyes widened, and he barely had time to curse under his breath before he was locked in a sword fight.

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