Heartless - closed for Ravenloft and Eklectikchik

EklectikChik

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Tamara sank to her knees and smiled as her eyes caught site of the mushrooms she had been searching for. She was always careful to keep to the edge of the woods when the sun began to dip in the sky. With the dimming light, creatures came out to stalk for food and while she had never been overly afraid of such things, she had been taught to be cautious and Tamara usually followed the rules. She was still a young apprentice of magic, small and slight of frame. Even at 18, Tamara was tiny compared to most of her friends. Being fae gave her delicate graceful features and soft curves, with a wealth of dark hair that fell in a heavy silky mass to her hips and iridescent eyes that reminded most of opals.*

With her knees sinking into the rich soil around a thickly rooted tree, she began plucking the little mushrooms that popped through the rich soil. Like most Faes she had felt a deep connection to the earth and often dabbled with her inner powers, sinking her hands into flower beds and areas that she scouted around the woods, watching little blooms pop up. It gave her joy to make things grow.

Humming to herself, she gathered a few herbs that her mother had also specially requested, breathing in the cool fresh air and sighing contently. Children ran through the village streets, giggling and laughing, some yelling as they played games with one another and close knit neighbors, friends and family worked well together. Tamara was glad to be part of such a village where squabbling was minimal and everyone helped each other out. It was the way of things, Fae, Elf, Human and whatever other race alike.*

Dusting off the dirt from her knees, Tamara wove her way through the vegetable gardens and between houses when suddenly loud shouts broke out and a scream rang through. She gasped and shivered, the basket she held dropping to the ground as she took off running to see what the commotion was about. Centered in the village, a group of large, beastly looking were charging the village. She had never seen anyone quite like that, massive in height and girth, with green colored skin that resembled something close to an ogre. She stood frozen in place as one particularly ugly one picked up a human and shook the poor man before throwing him aside as if he were merely a rag. The man hit the side of a home with a sickening crunch as bones shattered and he fell to the ground, lifeless.*

With a thudding heart, Tamara clutched at the soft material of her skirt and glanced around frantically. Her friends were scattering here and there, trying to seek shelter. Women screamed for their children and the beasts roared, demanding their valuables. That's when her eyes landed on the toddler that stood before them, trembling and too frightened to move. Tamara knew him, a sweet little boy with laughing eyes and impish grin that was always getting into trouble. She watched in horror as the hulking figure sneered at the boy, spit flying from his upturned lips and a large hand reaching up to the sky to come down and swat the boy aside. She screamed, unable to stop herself and took off after the little boy. Her quick feet reached him just before the ugly creature smacked Thomas. She grasped the boy, shoving him between two buildings and screaming for him to hide when suddenly she was plucked up from the ground.

“Well well well...look what we have here.” The leader grinned as he held her squirming body up by an arm. She kicked and gasped as pain shot down her arm, his hold unrelenting, almost crushing her delicate bones. She squirmed, her breaths coming out in frightened pants as she stared at the dark eyed monster that had captured her. “I think I found myself a little treasure boys. This village is bare, lets take this bitch instead.”

Grunts and growls were exchanged and Tamara's beautiful eyes widened in sheer horror. “NO!”

The oaf laughed at that and threw her petite body over his shoulder, knocked the breath right out of her. She coughed and wheezed, the screamed again as his great big hand smacked down on her upturned bottom...
 
The ogres traveled for weeks, keeping poor Tamara locked in a cold iron cage. The younger ogres poked and leered at her in her cage at nights, but knew she was the chief's prize and not to be harmed until she was delivered to him to have his way with. Once he was done with her, then and only then, might they all have what was left of her. She was given very little food, and bitter, unappetizing gruel at that, and even the water was cruelly portioned out.

The leader was scared, with cracked and gnarl teeth and he always stared at her at night while the others would poke at her for sport, and whenever she would set her eyes on him, he would grin in the most disturbing way. The others would lose interest in her whenever she threw herself down to weep. But this one, he seemed curiously drawn to her pain and sorrow. "You know what's to become of you when we deliver you to our chieftain?" He growled at her, canting his head to the side as she wept. "You'll be made a whore, your body will be a play thing... And oh, what a sweet little play thing it will make..." The ogre leader said with a cruel laugh.
 
Tamara shuddered with dread, huddled as far away from him as she could. Her pretty dress was dirty and tattered after weeks of travel. They didn't let her bathe and she'd endured the humiliation of being watched while she tended to her personal needs. She wanted to run, but being held in the cage hadn't afforded her much of a way...so she waited, for her time. While small and delicate the idea of those filthy creatures touching her in ways no one else had done made her want to wretch.

The leader leaned in, grasping the bars of the cage and huffed, his fowl breath making her gag. Those beautiful eyes gazed at him with fear and contempt, wishing she was bitter and could take him down. His grin made her skin crawl. She knew he wanted her for his own. He wasn't put off by her cries...he enjoyed them.

"Such a tiny pretty thing...I doubt you'll make it. The Chieftain is known for his brutality. I bet you're a virgin as well, aren't you?"

Tamara glared, shrinking further back. "There are ways of finding out!" He laughed and to her horror began to unlock the cage.

Frantic, she lunged forward and tugged at the door to try and keep it locked, which amused him all the more. With one easy tug, it opened and sent her sprawling on the floor. Just like that, she was on her feet and running. From behind her, she heard him roar with anger and come after her.
 
Though Tamara was lithe and quick, she did not have the stride of an ogre, and the beastly thing caught her by her leg, with a grasping hand, sending her head first toward the ground. She instinctively shielded her face with her arms, saving her from striking her head upon the ground, but the rough hewn path tore and scratched at her arms and palms, and the breath was knocked out of her.

The ogre reeled her in by her tattered clothing. He flipped her over onto her back as she struggled to regain her breath, kicking ineffectively at the beasts mottled, meaty shoulder. One gigantic hand clamped down over her entire belly, cracked and yellowed finger nails digging into the dusty path like shovels. She'd traded one cage for another, it seemed.

"You ARE a quick one..." The ogre growled, bathing her in his fetted breath. He ran his rough and blunted fingers up between her legs, forcing them apart with ease, squeezing her fleshy inner thigh, with a snarled grin. "And supple too..."

There was a noise from off the path, something had snapped. "Wut was that?" The Ogre wondered aloud, looking up, pinning Tamara under his hand more firmly, so she couldn't even squirm. He squinted his bloodshot eyes and peered out into the darkness of night. "Who goes?!" He barked, uncertain, but thinking there was movement. A long moment of silence and he slowly returned his attention back to Tamara.

"Well then... Pretty, like I said, there are ways to tell if you are a vir-Krrgh!" The beastly ogre began in a mocking growl, ending with his eyes going wide and and his face making the strangest, most horrifying expression. An arrow had lodged through the soft spot atop the monsters head, only the fletching remained exposed of the arrow's shaft.

A moment later a man in black leathers on a midnight horse strode into the light of the fire as the ogre slowly sunk to the ground, dead. He hopped off his horse, which sniffed at Tamara. He ignored her as she remained trapped under the dead weight of the ogre's hand and went to work, cutting locks of hair from the ogres head, and stuffing the wiry strands into a satchel.

The horse snuffled, and lifted its head, stamping a hoof to draw the dark strangers attention. "Not what we're here for." He said coldly to the horse. The horse stamped again and whinnied. "Quiet, you, do you want to bring others?" He hissed.

The horse reared back, looking like it was about to let loose a shrill whinny. "Fine, fine... Have it your way." The stranger grumbled and set to work, dragging the impossibly heavy arm of the dead ogre off of Tamara, until she was free, and able to catch her breath.

That settled the horse and it bowed its head to sniff at Tamara again. The stranger slumped back to watch the two of them sharply. "You're free, lass." He said gruffly. "Best run home, before ye get caught again."
 
Tamara scrambled out from under the ogre and shoved her dress down, trying to cover herself as best she could. Ripped and tattered in spots where she'd been poked, tugged and grabbed, it did little to cover her as it should, but at least the essentials were covered. Her long dark hair had lost much of his gloss from lack of washing, her pretty pale skin smudged and bruised, but despite it all, her eyes were bright and alive, the opal color almost eerie in the darkness of the woods.

The horse nudged her, snuffling and burying it's face into her tender belly, making her wince. She knew the pretty beast hadn't meant to hurt her. He was soothing her. Animals seemed naturally attracted to her and it had always been so. Gently she stroked it's mane with trembling fingers.

“Home?” She whispered, her voice cracking softly. “I don't know where home is anymore. I-I was taken from my home. They were to deliver me to their chieftain.”

She shuddered at the thought, peering into the darkness to make him out. He was tall, that much she could tell, but beyond that, she was at a loss. “My village is small and rather reclusive...please...take me with you. I-I have skills...I'm sure I can pay my way somehow. Just get me away from this place.” She pleaded softly, hugging the horses neck, afraid this stranger would would reject her.”
 
The stranger leaned forward, the light from the ogres night fire illuminating half his face. He was beardy and richly tanned, his face weathered, and a white scar mark above and below his right eye which was a striking blue. He looked at her harshly, seeing the way she'd taken to his horse, and he to her.

Shifting his eyes away, he slowly turned his head. "I will take you to a village where you will be safe, but you put yourself in danger, traveling with the likes of me. Where I go, what I do is no place, no way for a maiden like you to go, or see... Now, Hexen, take her to camp... I have... Work to do here, yet." The stranger grunted as he got up and brushed himself off. "Things she aught not see."

He drew a knife with a wavy red blade and stalked toward the dead ogre, groaning as he hoisted it over onto its back. Looking up, expectantly, he watched as his horse, Hexen bowed down on its front knees to give Tamara an easy draw into the saddle. He smiled, shaking his head, Hexen never bowed like that for anyone, least of all him. Apparently his horse was smitten. "You CAN ride, can't you?" He asked, critical of the way the girl lingered, not thinking of even sharing names, he had business, and they were keeping him from it.
 
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Tamara felt a surge of relief that weakened her knees. She locked them, afraid of sliding back down to the cold, damp ground. She should have been afraid of him, but in that moment he was her savior and she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Unsure of what the man was up to, she moved with a little uncertainty. When he moved to ask her if she could ride, she gave him a jerky nod. She hadn't done much of it, but she had a time or two. Enough to stay on a horse as Vexen bowed and aided her.

Grasping the saddle with shaky hands, she pulled herself up and clung as the large horse stood to his full height and turned with a snort and a swish of his tail. She wasn't sure where 'camp' was, but she certainly hoped it was safer and better than what she'd been subjected to. Surely it had to be. The horse was well taken care of and obeyed his master. It had to be alright.

Glancing back, she shivered again, her teeth now chattering as full on night plunged everything into darkness and the chill of the air went right through her.
 
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The stranger watched Tamara climb up into Hexen's saddle and cling to him, the slightest curl of a smile touching his lips as he sniffed a breath outward. "There is bedding in Hexen's saddle bag, I will be more than an hour before I arrive at camp... If you know how to build a fire, do so, if not, blankets will have to suffice, until I return. Hexen, guard her well." The stranger instructed, and Hexen nodded his mighty head, rising with Tamara upon his back.

The stranger waited a moment longer, until Hexen began trotting to the east, toward camp. When Tamara looked back with chattering teeth, the stranger had turned his back to them and sunk to one knee, bringing the red blade down, into the ogre, the cut making a sickening 'shff-guhl' sound. Thankfully, his body obscured the view of his work.
 
Huddle in the saddle, Tamara hugged the horses neck, trying to keep warm as it took off in the direction that his master had commanded. Time seemed to move painfully slow as she thought of the much needed warmth she craved for. The brutes left behind had left her with a filthy threadbare rag which had done little to keep her warm, but she'd kept herself alive at least. If the stranger hadn't come tonight and saved her, surely she would be dead...or would want to be dead. The thought of the ogre pressing his filthy fingers into her made bile rise up in her throat. Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes, listening to Hexen's hoof beats on the ground.

Unsure of how much time had past, Tarama was suddenly startled. Realizing she had dozed off and Hexen was trying to wake her, she slowly sad up and then slid off the saddle, wobbling a little before she steadied herself. Her stomach cramped with hunger and she felt weak...but most of all, she was bone tired.

Looking about, it didn't seem like much of a camp, but Tamara quickly gathered sticks and used what kindling she could find, starting a fire in no time. Hexen stomped and snorted, making her smile. "I'm not completely helpless...just small." She told the animal and went to the fetch the bedding he'd been talking about.

There was only one roll there, with a thick blanket and a sleeping pad. Tarama didn't want to take what little comfort he had...she'd already put a strain on his plans, she was sure of it. Not to mention, she was filthy. After digging up another blanket, she wrapped herself in that instead and sat by the fire, hoping he would return soon, though she felt strangely protected by his companion.
 
The stranger was as good as his word, striding up over a hill and into the camp clearing, the fire's light dancing upon his dark, oiled leathers. He carried two heavily laden satchels with him, and whistled over the fire Tamara had lit. "Done good for yourself." He said, pleased to see she'd started a fire. He dropped his satchels at his sides and came around to sit a few feet to her left. Leaning forward, he warmed his cold hands.

The moment was tense in its silence as he kept his eyes set on the fire, until he could bend his fingers without pain. Then he looked up at her. "I suppose names are in order? You've had the company of Hexen... My name is Treyis, Treyis Elsworth... Its a good thing for you I came when I did. It looked as though you were about to be put through quiet an indignity. Not something I'd wish even upon a green hag..."
 
Tarama gazed at him in silence as he sat nearby, her body slowly warming as the fire grew and the blanket shielded her from the wind. Even beside the fire light, something about him seemed dangerous and yet she felt herself inexplicably drawn to him.

"Treyis..." She tested the name on her tongue, "I am Tamara Kar."

She nodded at his statement, shivering in her blanket. "Yes...they took me from my village. I tried to save a little boy from their wrath and they took me instead. I was to be taken to their chieftain...The leader took a shine to me I suppose. Thank you for coming when you did."

Tears gathered in her eyes and she shook her head, pressing her face to her knees as she hugged her legs close under the over sized blanket. "Forgive me. I thought I would die there..."
 
"Tamara Kar, do you hear that, Hexen? And did the little boy make it? Was your sacrifice worth it?" Treyis asked coldly. "Would your short and most certainly dreadful fate have been worth that one little boy?" He was almost challenging her to answer him, it wasn't meant to be malicious, but it was very cold.

Hexen made a gruff sound toward Treyis, almost in warning. Treyis shook his head slowly, knowing he'd done wrong and been far too cold. "I... Appologize... But death would have been a blessing for you in the face of what you would have endured if you had been delivered to the ogre's chieftain, I think..." Another silence lingered for a long moment, as the fire crackled and popped with sparks.

"You must be hungry... I've some dried apple and some bread as well as a wineskin I can share with you. It's not much, but its a damn sight better than what you must have been getting, from the looks of you." Treyis said, reaching into his pack to pull out the small, cloth wrapped morsels of food. Opening them up, he offered Tamara some. It had been some time since he'd dealt with anything other than monsters and scum, so he wasn't completely comfortable with how scared and offput Tamara looked.
 
Tamara shrank back. His eyes were like ice, his words harsh. She clutched at the blanket and almost jumped when Hexen made a sound of protest. She watch Treyis pull away a little, relaxing his shoulders as he apologized. She said nothing in return and didn't bother explaining herself. She may have faced a horrible fate, but she knew that boy would live another day in the comfort of his home, with his parents and that's what mattered. She'd lived longer. His life had just begun.

When he offered her the food, her stomach cramped and she bit back a groan of pain. Nodding slightly, she cleared her throat and reached for some bread with long slender fingers that shook. “Thank you.”

He said nothing for a long while as she nibbled on her bread and then a slice of apple, forcing herself to take it slow. Without a word, he offered her a drink and she took it with a slight nod, tipping the wine skin up and drinking deeply. The liquid warmed her from the inside out and she sighed softly, feeling her head spin a little. “So tired.” She murmured, her words slightly slurred. Warm and full, she let her head drop to her knees and yawned. From beside her, she heard him shift and turned her face to gaze at him through half lidded eyes. “Don't leave me...” She pleaded softly, her eye lids impossibly heavy as they shut and she quickly succumbed to sleep.
 
"That was uncalled for, Master Treyis..." Hexen sent, linking his mind to his masters. "Treating her so. She is lost and alone, have you no heart?" Hexen quiried with a sniff and a laughter like whinny. "Shut it you! That's not even funny, it hasn't been funny since the first time you said it..." Treyis hissed in a hushed voice, unsure if Tamara was asleep just yet. "Soon as I get her to the nearest village, she can make it on her own. She's safer there than she'd ever be in my company. I'm not cut out to play keeper to one such as her."

"You sound like you're at war with yourself, Master Treyis, I've said nothing about keeping her along beyond the village yonder. Besides, she's a virgin, and of fey blood. The Mistress would be greatly pleased to have her heart as well as your own. You WOULD be doing her a favor to leave her behind in the village. You're right, you're no hero, you're nothing but the heartless pawn of a witch queen, a toady who cuts out tongues and eyes and gizzards... Keep her with you, and you will have to take her heart some day too."

"Shut up, I warn you, shut up..." Treyis turned his back on Hexen, fixing his eyes upon Tamara's sweetly sleeping form. He would not sleep this night...
 
Tamara slept for the first time since her capture, so exhausted that deep sleep took over and when she woke up, it was to the warm, soft nose that nudged her. Hexen's great big head almost dwarfed her and she smiled sleepily as he nuzzled her head and then shoulder, then drew back and made a sneezing sound.

Startled, she laughed out loud. "I'm sorry. I know I must stink."

Hexen bowed his great head and stomped, his tail swishing as she blinked her sleepy eyes and found herself focusing on Treyis. Propped up against a tree, his face was shielded from her view, but she could tell his eyes were on her. It was early, the sun not quite up with the birds that chirped in the canopy above.

"Morning..." She said softly, tugging her blanket closer and tucking her bare feet under for warmth.
 
Hexen stared on with deep, dark, soulful eyes, looking as if he could speak to her, if only he had a human voice. He stood sentry as she turned her attention toward Treyis, who hid his eyes under the shade of a wide brimmed hat made of brushed leather.

He shifted with a nod, his bearded chin catching some of the dwindling fire light. "You slept soundly..." He observed, rolling another log into the fire with his foot. Hexen made a sound as if exasperated by Treyis's reply to Tamara's morning greeting. Shaking his mighty mane, he stomped a hoof.

Slowly, Treyis leaned forward. "Would you... Like to bathe?" He asked. "Hexen can take you to a pond, not far from here. I've got some... Hunting to do, so you've no need to worry about me spying upon you..." Hexen whinnied, almost laughter-like and went down into a bow for her to mount into his saddle again.

Treyis silently got up and armed himself for a hunt, his back to Tamara. Once his weapons were strapped into place, he tilted his head a little, so she could see his scarred eye, the fire light dancing in the brilliant blue. There was the slightest hint of a smile hooking the straight line of his lips upward before he turned away and went off to hunt.
 
Tamara nodded slightly, a bath sounded heavenly! Her skin felt grimy, her hair oily and sticky. It was all disgusting to her, but she hadn't had much of a choice until now. "Thank you." She murmured softly before he left. The brilliance of his blue eyes were truly fetching, but he never looked at her long enough for her to gaze into them for long. It was also a little unnerving. He seemed so cool and collected, while she felt as though she'd been living a nightmare for the last week.

Hexen blew out a breath and shuffled to the side as Tamara stood on shaky legs and moved to the saddle bags. "Hey handsome." She murmured softly, taking a moment to caress and pet his flank before digging into the bag again. She found soap, giving it a tentative sniff. It had no real odor to it. Looking down at her rags, she dug a little further and found a shirt which would be miles too big on her, but it was something clean until she could figure something else out.

"I guess you can lead the way then..." She told Hexen who bowed again and let her climb on his back. She did so with a slight groan, her body aching where she'd fallen and been pinned to the ground.

As if sensing her discomfort the great horse moved slowly as to not jostle her and led the way to a pond not far from camp. It seemed so serene...so pretty. Slipping from his back, she approached the waters edge and tested it. It was cool, but not frigid. Setting the clean shirt aside, she placed the soap on the edge and quickly removed her tattered dress before wading in with a loud gasp as the cool water met her warm skin. "Ah ha!"

A moment later she was neck deep, her head tilting back as she wet her long raven tresses. From the edge, Hexen seemed to lazily graze as she began to scrub her skin and hair, covering her slender lithe body in suds and rinsing, then repeating until her pale flesh was pink, her hair no longer smelled.

Rising from the pond, she squeezed the water from her waist length hair and then set about scrubbing her tattered dress in hopes of salvaging it until she could find something else. When she was dry enough, Tamara slipped on Treyis's shirt, which fell below her knees and sighed. She almost hated to leave, but returned with Hexen to the camp sight feeling fresher and more alert than she had previously.
 
Hexen's ears perked up and head rose, alertly as they approached camp. He veered off and circled around, bringing Tamara to a place where she could see movement around the camp. Small, brown mottled and scaled skin creatures were rooting around the camp, tossing and searching for anything of value. They had reptillian like features, but were clothed and worked together, hissing and chirping in some form of language. One wore tattered robes and picked through the heavy satchels Treyis had left behind. It looked as though it might be... Eating... Whatever was in them...

Hexen snuffled and quietly crept closer, unnoticed. There was one in rotting leathers that was tossing through Treyis's backpack without a care. And three others just hung back, looking eager to collect any scrap of value the other two left behind.

Treyis was nowhere to be seen...
 
Tamara shuddered and leaned closer to Hexen's neck, hugging him as they watched. Her heart beat anxiously. She had no weapons or a way to defend herself and while she was sure Hexen could possibly out run them, they were going through all of Treyis's things.

Mindful to be quiet, she watched anxiously, unsure of what in the world the creatures were eating and not truly wanting to know. Her slender fingers curled in Hexen's mane, flexing and then forcing herself to relax. One of the smaller ones tried to become bold and snatch the sack away from the supposed leader, only to get snarled at.

It was then that Tamara heard another hiss. One much closer than the others. Jerking her head around, she saw one of them approaching from behind. “Hexen!” She yelped. The horse stomped, kicking his back legs as he reared his big body to protect the girl. Unprepared for the sudden shift, she slipped, her small body sliding off and tumbling to the ground. Her alarmed screech suddenly alerted the others as she scrambled away from the slimy looking creature with wide eyes. “TREYIS!”
 
Hexen's wild kick caught the small lizard-like creature solidly in the head, and there was a sickening crunching sound as the beastie went flying back, landing with a dull thud, dead.

The three unarmored and skittish ones turned toward Hexen and Tamara, hissing and snarling, looking all too eager to bite and claw at them.

The one in leathers grinned savagely, drawing a wicked, rusty and jagged length of metal, not even truly a sword, just some fragment or scrap. It dragged it behind itself as it came to the fore, looking to swing and poke it at Hexen.

The tattered robed one hung back, hesitantly leaving off from his meal, eyes glowing red, even without the light of a fire to make them shine. It hissed and trilled something, lifting a wet looking object from one of Treyis' satchels, digging sharp claws into the thing, spurts of thick brown/black fluid spouting from between its fingers.

Hexen strode between the tiny lizard beasts and Tamara, ready to defend her with hoof and teeth, warning them with a low, menacingly gruff sound.

On his way back from a good hunt, his kills tied by their legs along a cord he hung around his neck, so that he could keep his arms at the ready, Treyis heard Tamara's distant shriek. He set off in a run only moments before Hexen sent mental warning of the attack.

"Kobolds... Too far away... Hope the girl can hold her own! Protect her from the sorcerer Hexen!" He sent back as he weaved through the trees to get to them as quickly as he could.
 
Tamara watched on in disgust and fright as the creature dug into its meal, his eyes trained on both Hexen and herself. Righting herself, she stood and frantically looked around. With no weapons, she did the best she could by grabbing the nearest fallen branch.

"Be careful Hexen!" she warned needlessly, but wasn't sure what else to do. Hexen snorted, moving to shield her every time the creature got closer, stomping his feet and making grunting sounds that she'd never heard a horse do before. She tried to peer around him, wanting to clobber the disgusting little creature with her big stick.

Crouching to be able to see through Hexen's powerful legs, she watched the lizard hiss and swing with his rusty blade, her heart racing madly in her chest. From around another tree one of the smaller unarmored ones hissed at her, skittering closer, his scaly body looking a little worse for wear as though he'd been in several fights and lost.

Tarama gripped her 'weapon' tightly and held it in front of her. There was a chortling sound as though the little thing was laughing, making her angry and alarming her at the same time. "Stay away you foul creature!" She spat out, only to scream as it launched itself from its spot and raced towards her. Raising the brand, she swung with all she had, thankfully making full contact with the lizard, stalling him a moment. She raised it again and bashed him again, bile rising in her throat as the hits crunched bones.
 
Treyis went into a sprint as he heard Hexen's gutteral grunts of warning and Tamara's panicked voice and scream in the closing distance. Their fight was on, he only hoped he could get there to help before any harm could come to them. Hexen wasn't sending anymore, that troubled him, he'd told him to concentrate on the sorcerer, the greatest threat, but the noble beast must be splitting his attention, he guessed.

He could see moment ahead, he saw Tamara take her swing at the leaping kobold, knocking it out of mid air. He was impressed, and even more so when she sundered the hissing creature with a second blow.

The two other minions sprung upon Tamara, one on her back, clawing and biting while the other tried to take her off her feet. The sword wielder poked and jabbed at Hexen, but was being fended off by his mighty hooves. It was just a matter of time before that blade bit into flesh though...

The sorcerer's spell was completed with the sickly wet shredding of the ogre's heart. A brief vision of the same ogre that had tried to exploit Tamara's innocence and virtue rose up and seemed to posess the foul kobold. Treyis could only guess that it had empowered itself with the strength of an ogre, so he reached out a hand and caught himself on a tree, dropping to a knee and bringing his bow to bare, knocking an arrow.

He closed his left eye and aimed with his scarred eye, which glowed red for a moment, though he did not know it. He let fly his arrow and burried it through the sorcerer's throat, sevoring its spine. Little good an ogre's strength would do the beastie now that it's body dropped limp. It would bleed out soon enough.

He had to get the two that were on Tamara off of her before they hurt her severely. He tossed his bow aside and drew his red blade and sprung to his feet to help her.
 
Tamara gasped in fright and in pain as claws jabbed her in the back and the little beasts seemed to be everywhere even though there was only two. She cried out and stumbled as they tried to bring her down, letting out another scream as one bit into her thigh and hung on.

They tore at Treyis's shirt and her flesh, bringing Tamara to her knees as she fought with her hands, trying to tug the one off her thigh while jerking to try and dislodge the other on her back. “Help me!” She cried out, her damp hair a tangled mess, now mixed with blood and dirt.

Hexen let out a frantic sound, still trying to fend off the one with a blade as Treyis moved to try and help them. The one from her back was suddenly flung off, the pain easing a fraction as she slumped forward and used a fist to the face of the one gnawing at her thigh.
 
Treyis had snatched the one on Tamara's back by its legs and swung it head first into a near by tree. It slumped to the ground, unconcious as he turned back to help Tamara deal with the other just as she struck it with her fist. Its long snout rolling with her strike.

It turned its its nasty snarling and hissing face back toward her, making a chittering laughter like sound, mocking her and snapping at her face.

Treyis strode up and kicked it in the head, then brought his blade down, burying it solidly in the beasties heart.

He rose and turned to face Tamara, one eye his natural blue, the other still glowing a burning red. He grasped her by her upper arms and brought her solidly to her feet, examining her quickly for mortal wounds, not realizing that just by looking at her, he'd just put her in far greater danger. She was wounded, but not severely, and Hexen was in danger still!

"Stay put." He said gruffly, letting go of her to help Hexen.
 
Tamara hung back, still reeling a little from the shock of it all. Her thigh and back stung, blood trickling down and tickling her skin as it dripped down. His eyes...she shook her head, wondering if she'd imagined it or not, but she couldn't have.

Leaning against a tree, she watched as Treyis quickly and efficiently got between Hexen and the horrid little beast. Hexen moved to her, nudging her gently as he had in their first meeting. “I'm ok.” She breathed, feeling a little wobbly, but by all accounts was fine. Her cuts weren't overly deep and she could heal herself with a little time.

The large horse shielded her from what Treyis was doing, but she still heard the hiss and then grunts, followed by a a sickening crunch of the blade making contact with the creature. Then there was silence and Treyis was again with them, looking over Hexen as he'd done with her before he was back in front of her. She gazed up into his face and gazed into those eyes and moistened her lips. “Your eyes...” She whispered.
 
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