Daybreak approached as Alivia dressed herself, a loose white shirt with tan leather leggings and dark brown hardened leather armguards, shoulderplates, and a chestpiece. She tucked her knives away on her thighs and calves and secured her quiver on her back, scooping up her ornate wooden bow. Ithariel joined her on the way downstairs, sword at her side, dressed in silver and gold light plate armor.
"Lieutenant." Alivia addressed her, and stopped at the bottom of the ramp to await her orders for the day.
"Good morning. Last night I told you we'd be heading to the city today, and we are. However, we've got an additional assignment. We're escorting a lady and her two daughters who arrived at Sunsail a few days ago. Seems two of their guards fell ill overnight, but the third is fine."
Alivia nodded. She glanced toward the front of the building, where she could see a slim elf woman dressed in fine riding pants, spotless leather boots, a tailored long sleeved red shirt with gold cuff links, gold hooped earrings and a flowing head of golden hair halfway down her back. A long dark gold vest covered part of the shirt, the embroidery intricate. Two gold and red clips held back some of her gentle curls. A gold chain dangled from her thin belt, and as she turned to address two similarly dressed little girls, Alivia noted her delicately made up face and piercing green eyes. Gemmed rings adorned her fingers. She was gorgeous and graceful, truly a lady of class.
There were six hawkstriders of various colors waiting outside when Alivia and Ithariel joined the rest. They would ride in the back while one other Farstrider and the family guard covered the front. After one quick check of supplies for the day, they were off.
Alivia had never been on a hawkstrider before, of course, but she likened it to riding a giant ostrich, if one existed. Hers was a deep purple with lavender feathers scattered amongst dark red tufts. Her saddle was worn but smooth, and for the most part the hawkstrider fell into a walking rhythm with the others.
The first twenty minutes was thankfully peaceful and quiet.
"How many times have you ridden a hawkstrider." Ithariel commented, surpressing a chuckle. She couldn't hide her bemused smile.
"Not enough, apparently." Alivia answered, rearranging the reins in her hands. She took a deep breath to relax, and her hawkstrider seemed to settle down a bit.
"You'll get used to it. It's how we normally travel as portal spells are expensive, and we don't employ many mages. Most want to work in the city or travel the world and go on grand adventures. Outland is still a big place to be stationed for a while, as is Northrend." She paused and then added, "But not every Farstrider wields a bow all the time. There are exceptions, like myself."
Alivia listened to Ithariel's voice and nodded, enjoying having someone else doing the talking.
"I think after another week or so you should have enough money to either travel with a group or loan one of the hawkstriders that travels between here and the coastline." Ithariel said softly.Ā āNot that Iām trying to send you back as fast as possible.ā she added, glancing at Alivia.
Alivia cracked a smile and returned her gaze. Early morning sun was just pouring into the woods, casting beautiful shadows on the ground.
For a few minutes, she soaked up her surroundings, admiring the beautiful autumn coloration on the trees, the pleasant perfect temperature, and the beautiful fences along the well-maintained path to Silvermoon. She could almost make out the front gate in the distance, and she felt goosebumps rise on her arms. She was really going to get to see Silvermoon City today.
The thought was interrupted by a whooshing arrow impaling the front guard in the back, causing him to jerk the reins of his hawkstrider and throw them both off balance and crashing to the ground. Alivia gasped and jumped off, pulling her hawkstrider close to the lady and her children who had also slid off and huddled behind their protective birds.
"That direction!" Ithariel pointed, and withdrew her sword in a flash, leaping off her hawkstrider and swiftly covering the distance between herself and the hooded archer. Alivia's heart pounded a mile a minute as she watched Ithariel make some quick motions with her hand, flinging a sparking metal spiked ring toward her target.
Alivia shakily withdrew an arrow from her quiver, drawing back and sweeping her gaze across the area. She saw a flicker out of the corner of her eye, and took aim at a shadow emerging from behind a tree. Loosing an arrow at the figure, she pointed and yelled, drawing another arrow. Her first had connected with a shoulder, and the shadow became a figure hitting the ground in pain.
"Ahhhh!" Ithariel's screaming battle cry filled the area as she leapt toward her target, slicing her sword through the air and sending a spray of blood airborne.
The hooded figure stumbled backward, tanned fingers clumsily firing off another arrow at Ithariel. His aim wasn't entirely terrible, as it grazed her leg, the arrow blade slicing her thigh with a bright red streak.
The piercing howl of a wolf left Alivia stunned, and she saw a flash of white soar through the air, landing next to Ithariel and angrily leaping in front of her.
Ithariel groaned but continued her fight, swinging at the stranger's wrist for another gash. At that time the contraption she had flung exploded behind him, sending him stumbling to the ground. The white wolf lunged for the kill, and Ithariel whirled back toward the group.
Alivia drew in a deep breath and released it, planting another arrow dead in the center of the chest of the second hooded figure. He rolled over, his hood slipping off.
Blood elves. Hired assassins.
Alivia's eyes widened and she whirled around, looking for the other Farstrider that had been in the front. He was loosing arrows at a third black hooded target that was sprinting too fast to track. She quickly scanned the area for any others, and then whirled around as her ears rang with the heartbreaking scream of their noblewoman.
One of the children had wriggled away and taken off running in fear. She was already 30 yards away, and the kid was fast. She knew Ithariel was too far away, and her other comrade was dealing with the third target. Alivia's hawkstrider was too far away from her grasp, so she lunged into a run after the terrified child.
The kid would have been an easy grab, had she not been scooped up by a fourth elf who was at full speed headed toward the rocky forested hills. Alivia swore angrily, half scared out of her mind, half pissed off, and pushed her legs hard into the grassy forest floor.
She hoped and prayed she was faster, but soon realized he would reach the hills before she could catch him. Leaning backward to stop herself, she drew an arrow, readied her shot, and took aim at the back of the kidnapper. He was quickly escaping her range, but she had a chance.
Her fingers released the arrow and it rocketed forward, impaling the back of the elf. He groaned and the child rolled gently into the grass, unharmed.
Alivia sped toward the pair and slid between the elf and the child, raising her bow menacingly. Apparently she hadn't wounded him enough as he was already on his feet, daggers brandished.
"Move, you Farstrider nuisance." he spat, and lunged at her. Alivia stepped backward and let her arrow go straight into his chest as one of the blades sliced her forearm. She cried out and pulled her arm to her chest as he flopped over, spitting up blood. Alivia turned to look for the child who was curled up in a ball wailing.
She ignored her arm and scooped up the terrified youngling who had tears streaming from her bright green eyes and dirt smudged on one cheek. Alivia held her close and rubbed her back, turning to look for the group.
A hawkstrider rode up fast and skidded to a stop in front of her. Ithariel leaped off, wolf close behind, and a second hawkstrider followed with the noblewoman and her other daughter.
"Is she ok? Is she ok?" the mother repeated, slipping off the hawkstrider before it had fully stopped. She enveloped the girl in her arms and Alivia nodded quickly. "She's ok. Just scared. But she's ok."
Ithariel hugged Alivia and then quickly grabbed her wrist. "You're bleeding like a damned stuck boar." she exclaimed and pulled a cloth from one of her pockets, wrapping it thickly around Alivia's wrist and securing it with a clip. "We'll clean you up when we get into the city. Damn that was some swift running, Alivia. I didnāt know you could cover ground like that."
Holding back tears of relief, Alivia shrugged and was speechless. It had all happened so fast--it was almost like a dream.
"Don't worry about it. Ā You did good." Ithariel said, patting Alivia's bandage.
A few moments of silence passed, with everyone processing the situation, checking injuries, and regaining enough composure to hold down a conversation.
Alivia and Ithariel stood near the noblewoman and her children as she calmed them and turned their cries into exhausted sleep. She stood and wrapped them in blankets, tucking them into the large saddlebags on the hawkstrider.
"I need you both to clear your schedule for the next few days." she said slowly, her expression changing to a serious, subdued anger. "Whomever planned that attack was waiting for us when we got off that boat at Sunsail. They knew exactly who they were looking for and when I would be coming home."
"So someone in your inner circle doesn't approve of your diplomatic decision-making anymore, do they, Lady D'Anastasis." Ithariel said quietly, almost amusingly.
The graceful elf rolled her eyes and tilted her head. "When has anyone notĀ disapproved of my decisions, Ithariel? I'm always pissing people off left and right as Councillor." She sighed, frustrated.Ā āThis is the first time anyoneās tried to do something about it...in this manner.ā
Alivia glanced back and forth between the two women and blinked a few times, at a loss for words. Lady D'Anastasis caught her confusion and relaxed her expression slightly.
"Ithariel mentioned this morning that you were recently shipwrecked, Alivia, and that your home is a village a significant distance away. I suspect you arenāt privy to what I do in Silvermoon, but that may be a positive for you.ā She said matter-of-factly.
Alivia nodded and finally spoke up.Ā āThat is true. Both parts.ā She smiled slightly with Lady DāAnastasis.
āWell then let us get to the city. My name is Arial DāAnastasis, and I will tell you more about what I do when we are at my home.ā
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