Don't Look Down
The night passed quickly and the five awoke refreshed set off through the forest once more tracking Virgo. They tore through the underbrush, jumping over roots and ducking under tree branches. Whenever they came to a thick tangle that they couldn't push through, Knight's sword opened the path. They followed Fel's nose as she tracked Virgo by her scent. Suddenly, Fel stopped the group and signaled them to be silent. She walked up to a tree and pointed up. Virgo had been chased up a tree. Knight nodded took off his heavy breastplate, then jumped up and began climbing the tree branch by branch, the others followed behind. About halfway up, Knight saw movement in the branches up and a little ways away. He stopped and squinted through the leave, he thought he could see a human form. He looked down at his companions and pointed shielding his hand from the leafy figure. They all looked in the direction he pointed; everyone shrugged, except for Fel, who nodded. Suspicions confirmed, Knight began to climb once more, the next time he stopped, he pointed, first at one of them, and then at a spot on the tree until they surrounded the form of Virgo crouched on a tree branch. She knew they were there, and that they had her cut off, but she held herself like she was standing on the ground surrounded by her army instead of 50 feet up a tree. Knight climbed up to a branch that grew out parallel to the one Virgo was on; he stood on the branch, gripping a branch that ran above his head to keep his balance.
Virgo stood proudly, being careful not to lose her balance and fall. Her hair was a tangled mess, with leaves and twigs stuck in it. Her face and hands were smudged with dirt, and small tears in her clothes showed where she had caught them on the forest's foliage as she tore through on her flight. She looked tired and not particularly happy to see them. "So you found me. Wonderful. Now what are you going to do with me, kill me?" Knight shook his head, "I said before that I wouldn't and I hold to that. I just want to know where Virgil is." "Why do you want Virgil?" "I don't really want Virgil, I want Damian." Virgo appeared shocked to hear that name, "Damian? You mean to tell me that Virgil is involved with that man?" "You seem to know something about him." "Only that he is a monster. My men weren't the kindest of people, but the things that one man has done make them look like the bloody Royal Guard!" "And I doubt you've heard a fraction of what he's done." "Of course I haven't. I didn't even want to hear what I did. I've been purposefully avoiding the subject of that man. Burn the Fates, man, I may be a criminal but I'm not stupid!" "Then tell me where Virgil is, he has the information I need." Virgo stood for a moment and contemplated the situation. Did she really want to give Virgil up? She thought about the relationship she had with him, how they felt about each other. She also thought of what she knew of Damian, of the evil associated with that name and what Virgil could be doing wrapped up with him. Her mouth opened to speak but the glint of sun on metal caused her to curse and twist as a crossbow bolt flew through the air where her head had been. It buried itself in a branch just in front of Elfsong. One of Virgo's feet slipped off the branch and her arms flailed wildly as she tried to keep her balance on the tree branch. Despite her best efforts, though, she fell backwards off the branch. Her hands reached out to try and grab a branch and stop her fall. They found some purchase on the branch she had been standing on but it did little more than jar her arm and flip her right-side up again. Well, she thought, now at least I won't fall on my head. As she thought this, she felt something grab her wrist, jarring her arm again but stopping her fall. She looked up to see Knight laying down on the branch and straining to keep his grip on her arm. Sweat beaded on his forehead, "Someone, help. I can't hold on to her forever." In a moment, Blade was with him helping him haul Virgo back onto the branch. "Are you alright?" "I think so," She stared at Knight, "Thank you, but why did you save me? Especially after what me and my men have tried to do?" "What kind of man would I be if I let you fall to your death without even trying to help? I might as well have pushed you off the branch myself." Blade nodded and said, "Yeah, he's nice like that." Elfsong joined the conversation from the next branch over, the crossbow bolt in her hand, "Do you recognize the fletching on this?" Knight took the bolt and examined the feathers, a thick red band between two smaller red bands. "I've seen similar patterns before, but not this one. The red is thicker than any I've seen." He turned to Virgo. Her face was pale and her hands trembled as she took the bolt. "I know whose this is. It's Virgil's. He must have sent someone to find me and they decided to kill me when they saw me talking to you." She turned back to Knight, "I'll help you. Virgil is hosting a party at his estate, some sort of formal ball. It's not for a couple of weeks, so you'll have time to prepare. I'll get you in. I need to find out what's going on." Knight nodded and began to climb back down the tree. So five are now six, and they were going to a party. They were going to need some clothes, not many people attended formal events wearing armor.
The night passed quickly and the five awoke refreshed set off through the forest once more tracking Virgo. They tore through the underbrush, jumping over roots and ducking under tree branches. Whenever they came to a thick tangle that they couldn't push through, Knight's sword opened the path. They followed Fel's nose as she tracked Virgo by her scent. Suddenly, Fel stopped the group and signaled them to be silent. She walked up to a tree and pointed up. Virgo had been chased up a tree. Knight nodded took off his heavy breastplate, then jumped up and began climbing the tree branch by branch, the others followed behind. About halfway up, Knight saw movement in the branches up and a little ways away. He stopped and squinted through the leave, he thought he could see a human form. He looked down at his companions and pointed shielding his hand from the leafy figure. They all looked in the direction he pointed; everyone shrugged, except for Fel, who nodded. Suspicions confirmed, Knight began to climb once more, the next time he stopped, he pointed, first at one of them, and then at a spot on the tree until they surrounded the form of Virgo crouched on a tree branch. She knew they were there, and that they had her cut off, but she held herself like she was standing on the ground surrounded by her army instead of 50 feet up a tree. Knight climbed up to a branch that grew out parallel to the one Virgo was on; he stood on the branch, gripping a branch that ran above his head to keep his balance.
Virgo stood proudly, being careful not to lose her balance and fall. Her hair was a tangled mess, with leaves and twigs stuck in it. Her face and hands were smudged with dirt, and small tears in her clothes showed where she had caught them on the forest's foliage as she tore through on her flight. She looked tired and not particularly happy to see them. "So you found me. Wonderful. Now what are you going to do with me, kill me?" Knight shook his head, "I said before that I wouldn't and I hold to that. I just want to know where Virgil is." "Why do you want Virgil?" "I don't really want Virgil, I want Damian." Virgo appeared shocked to hear that name, "Damian? You mean to tell me that Virgil is involved with that man?" "You seem to know something about him." "Only that he is a monster. My men weren't the kindest of people, but the things that one man has done make them look like the bloody Royal Guard!" "And I doubt you've heard a fraction of what he's done." "Of course I haven't. I didn't even want to hear what I did. I've been purposefully avoiding the subject of that man. Burn the Fates, man, I may be a criminal but I'm not stupid!" "Then tell me where Virgil is, he has the information I need." Virgo stood for a moment and contemplated the situation. Did she really want to give Virgil up? She thought about the relationship she had with him, how they felt about each other. She also thought of what she knew of Damian, of the evil associated with that name and what Virgil could be doing wrapped up with him. Her mouth opened to speak but the glint of sun on metal caused her to curse and twist as a crossbow bolt flew through the air where her head had been. It buried itself in a branch just in front of Elfsong. One of Virgo's feet slipped off the branch and her arms flailed wildly as she tried to keep her balance on the tree branch. Despite her best efforts, though, she fell backwards off the branch. Her hands reached out to try and grab a branch and stop her fall. They found some purchase on the branch she had been standing on but it did little more than jar her arm and flip her right-side up again. Well, she thought, now at least I won't fall on my head. As she thought this, she felt something grab her wrist, jarring her arm again but stopping her fall. She looked up to see Knight laying down on the branch and straining to keep his grip on her arm. Sweat beaded on his forehead, "Someone, help. I can't hold on to her forever." In a moment, Blade was with him helping him haul Virgo back onto the branch. "Are you alright?" "I think so," She stared at Knight, "Thank you, but why did you save me? Especially after what me and my men have tried to do?" "What kind of man would I be if I let you fall to your death without even trying to help? I might as well have pushed you off the branch myself." Blade nodded and said, "Yeah, he's nice like that." Elfsong joined the conversation from the next branch over, the crossbow bolt in her hand, "Do you recognize the fletching on this?" Knight took the bolt and examined the feathers, a thick red band between two smaller red bands. "I've seen similar patterns before, but not this one. The red is thicker than any I've seen." He turned to Virgo. Her face was pale and her hands trembled as she took the bolt. "I know whose this is. It's Virgil's. He must have sent someone to find me and they decided to kill me when they saw me talking to you." She turned back to Knight, "I'll help you. Virgil is hosting a party at his estate, some sort of formal ball. It's not for a couple of weeks, so you'll have time to prepare. I'll get you in. I need to find out what's going on." Knight nodded and began to climb back down the tree. So five are now six, and they were going to a party. They were going to need some clothes, not many people attended formal events wearing armor.