BonFire

[Nandon]

The assassination was planned carefully, The young lord and lady of the noble house Shay had returned for the anniversary of there parents death and was due to stay a week. It was now the final day of there stay and they celebrated with a large feast. Sir William, the patriarchal head of the house led the celebration and the assassin watched him carefully, He would be where the trouble came from if something went wrong. But the plans where done carefully, And the assassin watched with satisfaction as the knight drank several glasses of wine, making him tipsy and thus slowing his reflexes, the assassin had hoped for full on drunk, but he would make due.

Then guests started trickling away one by one until the knight and his sister where the only ones left outside, they stayed like this for a minute most likely talking about something before they to drifted inside. Then candles where lit in the two rooms the pair occupied, one went out first and he assumed it was the woman. Then about a hour later The knights light when out.

Now it became a waiting game. A hour passed, then a second. Finally he grabbed the large bucket of tar he had prepared and moved to the front of the house, the manor was made of wood, Fine oak wood, but wood none the less. He poured it over the front stoop then grabbed his flint and iron and set the tar on fire, the thus coated wood quickly began to burn, And it slowly spread. Filling the house with smoke. Flames licked at the house quickly, engulfing it in a inferno, this was the main part of the plan. But if it failed, there was always plan B, the assassin thought touching the heavy blade at his hip

[ᗩпїra]

Naomi was awoken from her disturbing dream of being on fire, rising quietly and patting down her light blue silk nightgown with a tired sigh. Breathing inward, she started coughing loudly, her senses starting to sharpen entirely when she realized it was smoke. She dove downward, coughing quietly while trying to stay below the smoke. "William!" Her voice cracked midway through, crawling on forward till she was in the hall. Flames licked up at the charred doorway, and it made her eyes water intensely with the dark smoke entering the house.

A racket was heard inside of William's bed chamber, and she rose up to her knees and cried once more,"William! Hurry, we must leave immediately." Naomi covered her mouth with her hand, trying to keep the smoke from entering her lungs. She wouldn't leave without her brother, and all she could do was just wait while he managed his way out.

Naomi took the chance to sprawl forward, tripping once or twice and entering another room to open a window. The guest room, they could escape through here! She sat along the edge, waiting impatiently while the rising flames crackled and popped and ate away at the expensive home.

Who could have done this?

[Nandon]

William had been having a disturbing dream also, though his of a different manor all together, he was watching his parents as the marched in a column of troops, he knew what would happen and yelled out, trying to get them to leave, but alas it was as if they couldn’t hear him. But before anything else could happen a smell of smoke filled his dream.

William woke up and looked around instantly choking at the smoke that filled his lungs, he flung himself to the ground grasping at the large dagger he kept under his pillow pulling it with him, his armor and weapons where in the Stable near his horse where a rack was maintained for it. For a moment he grew angry as he realized his childhood home was burning, but then he had more important worries and quickly crawled through his open door way, holding the dagger in his teeth, he saw Naomi run into the guest room and he breathed a sigh of relief, he would never have left without her. He pushed himself to his feet and ran into the guest bedroom coughing. He pointed at the open window where she stood and called out “Go! I’ll be right behind you!”

[ᗩпїra]

Naomi gave a curt nod, turning and climbing out the window at a hasty pace while maintaining her balance on the slippery ground. Too bad it wasn't raining, it had yesterday, but I guess fate wasn't that generous. She almost slipped as her feet become muddied and slid forward, catching herself with a long bound forward towards the stables. "To the stables!" Naomi shouted into the wind, almost to no avail over the immense crackling of flame that raged throughout her family home. All her childhood memories spent there, slowly being burned away like it was never there. A silent fury swept over her as she fell once more, gaining ground and running blindly towards the nickering of their horses.

Naomi bolted into the small stable, strapping on her belt that held the sheath of her long sword along her side. She threw her handcrafted bow around her neck, grasped a couple of arrows, and stored her daggers into the pockets on her thighs. A bucket of water off to the side was going to be used to refresh the horses's supply of water in the morning, but it would be more useful in saving their home. The river was almost a half a mile away, it'd be useless to run back and worth with the crackling flames already overcoming the house. However did this is going to pay. Her thoughts ran wild, unlatching the stalls and hopping onto Windkissed.

Naomi strolled Nighthood by the halter outside for William to mount once he got outside, and she grabbed his weapons and armor on the way out which were not strewn across the back of his ebony Peruvian Paso stallion. What's taking him so long?

[Nandon]

William waited for her to climb out the window and dash safely towards the stables before he began his own decent. But being a male and not being as nimble as he would have been if he hadn’t drunken those three glasses of wine, he slipped and fell the last meter or so hitting the ground with a bit of a splash on the mud filled ground. As he turned around he crawled onto his knees and hands coughing again when he felt a heavy boot fly into his stomach, kicking him and sending him curling slightly through the air till he landed on his back a few feet away.

The assassin was angry now. Plan A had failed, And now worse the girl had escaped to the stables before he could get close enough to the house, So when he saw the young knight crawling down the wall he laughed a bit evilly, then when he fell he moved forward quickly and sent a kick flying towards his stomach. Which landed and sent the youth reeling away. He completely missed the girl as she exited the stables as he focused on the knight, who was the main person of his concerns. He sent another kick to the knight but he felt a yanking motion on his left leg pulling him and with his other foot in the air slightly, and the ground muddy he fell with a curse

William breathed heavy now, his ribs burning after the first kick, then when the second one came he was ready, Reflexes dulled or not. He grabbed the mans non kicking foot as the other foot hit him in the ribs again and the would be Assassin fell, using his advantage he climbed on top of him letting out a couple quick jabs before he was bucked off by the man. He looked forward from his prone position and saw the man advances, knife drawn. That’s when he threw knightly protocols out the window.

He lashed up with his foot, catching the man right in the fork of his legs and the assassin froze, if William had been able to see his face he was sure it would have been a perfect O. then he dropped the knife and fell to the ground, Curling himself into a natural protective ball as he did so.

William chuckled a bit wiping some dirt from his face “How do you like That!” he said smugly before moving

[ᗩпїra]

Naomi heard the commotion before she could see it, the darkness of night only being lightened with the sharp crackle of the burning flames and the crescent moonlit sky. The dotted stars disappeared, her emerald optics widening in concern as the light caught the two struggling and writhing on the ground. She gave Windkissed a gentle kicked and yelled,"Yah!" The ebony stallion charged forward, and Naomi unsheathed her long sword with ease as she prepared to leap off to assist her brother.

Before she could even be of use, the assassin was rolling on the ground holding himself as he rocked quietly. Naomi couldn't help it, but she let a chuckle escape as she tossed one of her own daggers to William in case he needed it. "You are the one, eh?" She leaned down, knees sinking into the mud as she drew the second dagger and held it at his throat to speak with him in an orderly manner. Her voice suddenly became very commanding, knuckles white against the shimmering glint of the dagger. "What is your name and who are you working for? Answer me!"

Naomi held the blade up to his throat, pushing against the soft skin lightly enough not to draw any blood -- yet. If he refused, it'd just go closer and closer, though she wouldn't kill him. The two needed answers, who would have wanted to destroy the Shay family home? The Empire, perhaps?

She glanced at William, a hurt smile on her face when the front of the house came toppling down. "Fetch Nighthood, your gear is there, I can handle it from here."

[Nandon]

William nodded and moved over to Nighthood. He placed his gear on, Pulling his chain mail shirt on over his night clothes, he may need them later this night, then he buckled on his sword. Feeling comfortable with its weight at his hip once more, then turning he slung his shield over his back where it could black any Arrow attacks if any came, he watched Naomi for a couple moments catching his breath as she handled the situation for a Moment. Then he moved back over, leading knighthood with him he stood over the man, His normally calm emotionless emerald eyes flickered now with fury as he watched his house burn.

The assassin grunted as he was tossed over on his back, then a knife pushed against his throat, this was something he hadn’t foreseen happening. He struggled for a moment trying to free himself, but then The woman’s brother returned, Sword at hip and a dark fury residing in his eyes and suddenly that wasn’t a good Idea. “I…I work for the Duncan family…They wanted you dead and Galbatorix supports them, they are friendly to the empire.” He said not giving the whole truth of who sent him.

[ᗩпїra]

"I am not stupid, dear. I can see the pause in your words, your mind slowly contemplating what to say and what not to say, and I suggest --", she paused, pressing the knife into his neck slightly harder to release a small trickle of blood from the pulsing vein underneath the skin,"that you tell me the whole story." Naomi locked with his, a dark tinge of anger flashing through them which gave her quiet satisfaction. Her words were getting to him, and that was her plan all along. It was true, his eyes seemed to wander when he was thinking, and he must have not thought about what he'd say clearly enough beforehand. Did he really think that he wouldn't fail?

Her lovely locks tumbled down her shoulders, a slight gray tinge to her smooth face where the smoke had gotten to her. "William, would you please take the knife?" She stood back once he had a firm grip, taking her place next to him to listen for information. Naomi took a few steps back before coughing into the crook of her arm for a few minutes, a pause in between each fit. Eventually it seemed that most of the smoke had escaped from her lungs, but the stingy feel of it lingered around to her despair.

"Looks like the Duncan family is going to have visitors." Naomi murmured, clenching her fists before releasing them with slight annoyance.

[Nandon]

William nodded as he took the knife, the he looked up in concern at his sister who began a fit of coughing. he brought the hilt of his heavy knife up to the mans skull knocking him out. then grabbing some rope from nighthoods saddle he set about tying him up, then transferring him to nighthood he tied him in place firmly before mounting his horse "Let us go and pay them a visit then sister."

[ᗩпїra]

"Let us be off then, we have some matters to settle with them." Naomi grinned innocently, pulling herself onto Windkissed who was standing off to the side grazing by his birth brother. Twin colts, twin brother and sister, riding shoulder to shoulder into the night as the burning home faded into the distance. "We'll be back someday, I suppose." She turned along Windkissed's back, watching the point shrivel as the two horses continued walking on downward at the slope that headed towards the road about a mile off.

Naomi was spread out along her steed, head quietly laying along his neck while her legs rested along his rump. "If we're doing shifts, you have the honor of going first." She mumbled, pulling her arms over her face in a sorrowful manner. Windkissed would make sure she didn't fall, and she usually never tossed or turned in her sleep unless it was a nightmare or raucous dream. "Wake me up when you're ready to switch." Naomi closed her eyes without a second word, drifting off into sleep to the gentle rhythm of Windkissed's movement.

[Nandon]

William nodded and took the first watch, he knew his sister was tired and though he himself was also he took watch wilingly. When he decided they had gone far enough for a night he stopped rolled off his horses side and began making a camp, he had a tent in his own saddle roll and pitched it before picking naomi up off of windkissed and placing her in the tent. Much more comfortable than riding a horse, And so he began his long night watch.

((Skip to morning?))

[ᗩпїra]

Naomi arose the next morning with light filtering uncomfortably at her beautiful emerald optics, a slight yawn was the first thing to rise until she pulled herself upward. "Get some sleep for a while, William." She mentioned quietly, strolling past him casually and added in,"I'm going hunting for a while, I'll be back in a flash." Naomi grasped for her bow that was mixed among the few items she could manage from the barn. Windkissed and Nighthood seemed exact replicas in the dark green field off to the right, though the intelligent gazes held different purpose and Windkissed was slightly smaller than his brother.

She put her hand to her mouse for a sharp whistle, sending Windkissed trotting over obediently and leaving Nighthood to graze quietly alone. Naomi climbed atop of him, giving a small pat on the shoulder before gently kicking his side and urging him forward. Into the forest the two went, going slowly and quietly in order to not disturb the wildlife. Her bow was strung with a goose feathered arrow, the sharp silver point catching the sunlight bouncing in through the canopy above.

If I'm lucky, I'll come across some deer.

[Nandon]

William was tired, his eyes rimmed red but he had made it through the night. Watching his prisoner which had been tied to a tree. He walked over towards the tent and then realized his thoughts he told himself he had…been tied to a tree. William quickly glanced back over to find the ropes that bound him to a tree now cut through and William began looking around. Then he remembered Naomi’s words. She was going hunting, Alone, With a assassin somewhere near there campsite, free.

“NAOMI!” He screamed instantly awake, he drew his sword leaving his shield where he had set it and started bounding through the large meadow they had camped in. Forgetting completely about knighthood in his haste.

The assassin had been stalking the woman since she had left the camp, And though it had proved difficult to keep up now that she had a horse he had managed it. And now he was close and creeping closer to her, He waited until she fired the first arrow and the launched himself at her, trying to take her off the horse. In the distance he heard a dim yell, But by the time William got there it would be to late.

[ᗩпїra]

Naomi let out a shriek as she was pulled from the broad back of Windkissed, who panicked in anger and struck out at the assassin with his hooves. She pushed against the strength of her attacker, forcing her own against his in a large duel of strength. It proved that he was stronger, but she was more wise. Naomi pulled back as Windkissed struck a sharp hoof at her attacker who let out a angry roar while pulling himself up. She took the chance, pulling out her longsword and using her legs to push herself backwards a reasonable distance.

She slowly stood, keeping her gaze locked with the mans while Windkissed nickered angrily with nostrils flare. Naomi made the first move, rearing forward and striking out with her long sword, deflected. Against what? A dagger, a small dagger. This should be easier than I expected. Naomi parried a blow, the lithe weapon of her attack making her move faster than normal.

"William!"

[Nandon]

William jumped and ran through the meadow, he was closer now and could see Naomi desperately fending the man off with her sword, he growled redoubling his efforts. He heard the cry of his name and he set his face determinedly as he ran towards the site of battle.

The assassin grunted in surprise as the horse struck out at him twice, glancing blows but they distracted him enough to let the girl go which gave her a chance to draw that huge sword of hers and avoid his blows, he did a feint and then began to reverse the strike when a crushing weight slammed into him from the side, tossing him into the air where he landed. The same heavy weight now on his chest. He looked up and saw the knight before dimly realizing he had misjudged the mans speed, then two crushing fists slammed into his face, shattering his nose, blood spilled down his face.

William was very close to a rage now as he tackled the man down to the ground, As soon as he positioned himself on his chest he sent to crushing right jabs to the mans face and felt them connect to his nose, then feeling the nose crumple under his hand he smiled evily before he resumed the torment of fists that now began raining down on the man.

[ᗩпїra]

She felt a wave of relief wash over her as William came to the rescue, beating the man down as if he was just a fly that was bothering him for too long. During the heat of battle, the two were taught by their father to ignore pain. To lick their wounds after the battle, and she hadn't realized the striking pain in her left side till now. Crimson red blood stained the light blue silk, and her hand instinctively went to her side to put pressure on it. She didn't plan on bleeding out anytime soon, though increasing her heart rate would just make the blood pump faster.

Naomi took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she tried to calm the frantic drumming of her heart from the excitement of the fight moments before. She glanced up at William, waiting till he was done before inquiring,"William --" Naomi didn't need to finish her sentence, raising her hand slightly to reveal the growing stain in the fabric. Now, what really gets me is how he even managed to do that. The little hint of amusement brought a slight grin to her, refusing to allowed herself to move to avoid opening the wound anymore.

She set her long sword to the right of her, locking optics with her steed Windkissed who let out a faint nicker. He didn't seem traumatized by the encounter, and she probably owed him her life for distracting the man long enough to manage the action of retrieving her sword. She had trained him well. Well done.

[Nandon]

William pounded into the man several more times, and was infact just resting his arms for a couple moments before he resumed when he heard his name called, He looked up his eyes looking at the red on her hand then following her arm down to her side.

Gasping William leaped up and moved over to nighthood who had followed him in his frantic running, there was a first aid kit in there and he instantly breathed a sigh of relief as he saw everything there, including the pain number that he had invented. The pain number was really just a paste that had been derived from warm weed, a drug that grew up in the colder area’s of Algaesia. The dwarves loved it, and on one of his missions with the Varden, he had admirably taken some, then later on when he was injured the healers had used a paste derived from it.

He grabbed a rough patch of linen to form a dressing and smeared some of the paste on it. Then he handed it to her “Hold this at your side, it should numb the pain and help the blood congeal.” William said turning back to the would be assassin who’s face he had utterly destroyed.

The assassin felt pain radiate from every area in his face, his jaw felt broken, his nose was shatter, not to mention the numerous cuts that lay across his face. He felt a hand grab at his waist and he was slung into the air and up against a tree. Now William began focusing on the mans body, throwing a fury of punches.

This man had awoken the so called bear inside of him, And he would not get away pain free, if away at all…

[ᗩпїra]

Naomi nodded in amusement, taking the linen in her one hand while using a dagger in her other pocket and cut open silk a bit more. She gently placed the linen on top, holding it against the wound in amusement. "A mere flesh wound!" She announced with slightly laughter, though it did look quite deep. Didn't even notice that he managed to get a hit on her, though it was a possibility from when he came up on her from behind. That seemed the only way it could have been done, since she had skillfully thwarted his other attacks.

She scooted back, leaning her head against the bark of a large pine while she witnessed William taking out his fury on the man. A ragdoll to William, a play toy. It occurred to her that she could use magic, but the Ancient Language was always made her feel tongue tied. Naomi sought to remember the healing words, acknowledging them and working them around in her mind to assure she didn't say the wrong thing by accident. Reaching into her small store of energy, she spoke the words softly and was taken aback as it drained a lot of her strength away. To her amazement, the wound was no more, though the pain still remained. Interesting.

[Nandon]

William finished punching the man and he quietly let him collapse. The force of his punches had been keeping him up against the tree, But with that now gone the man collapsed. William cast one look back at the man to assure himself he would go nowhere. Then he moved over to his sister, he hadn’t notice her use the magic to fix the wound and looked at the linen held in her hand. “Can I see the wound please? I need to know how bad it is so I can prepare a proper wrap.” He said his voice tender and soft now, A stark contrast to what a random observer would have noticed if he saw William pounding away at the assassin. But then again that was William right? Fierce to his enemies and caring to those he loved.

[ᗩпїra]

"I'm not sure if that'll be needed now." Naomi tilted her head upward, meeting his familiar gaze with hers. She lifted the small patch off and chuckled slightly, murmuring,"I've never been very good at this, but sometime we should really try and practice magic more." Naomi stifled a sigh, taking his hand which pulled her up lightly. "I'll be fine, let's tie him up real quick and remove his weapons. He probably wouldn't go anywhere without the restraints in the first place." The wound was soon forgotten, the ache pushed to the back of her mind as the two settled to tying him in thick knots around the old pine stationed behind him.

"We still need food, and I'll continued searching since my hunt was rudely interrupted. Go get some sleep, and thank you brother." She gave him a quick hug, turning and mounting Windkissed without much difficulty. "Can you hand me my bow?"

It was off to the side, thrown off after the assassin tackled her to the ground. Didn't seem damaged, and the unused arrow still hung limply among the string. Her long sword was against firmly strapped to her side, daggers replaced to their regular place. Everything seemed fine again.