Polo and Alpha :D]] Highwayman

Darthol wheeled away and stormed off in his anger, leaving Sathina standing in the middle of the street, alone, head bowed in shame. She despised the whispers she heard all around her - the burning of eyes in her back.
In this moment, they were deciding who was the victim... Whether they ought to pity her, or Darthol.
Sathina decided to help them.
She wiped away a fake tear and sniffed dramatically - then hurried away, hearing the tone of the whispers change from suspicion to sympathy in her wake.
A feeling of cruel satisfaction stole over her, along with the minor thrill of deception.
She moved automatically toward where Gary was standing some distance off. When she reached him, she patted Alair's thick neck - not looking at Gary right away. Her cheeks were flushed with shame, which was rare for her, but she was still rather upset about the fact that Gary had caused a scene in public. The last thing she wanted was for her reputation to be soiled.
"Did you hear all that?" She mumbled grimly, flashing Gary a sideways glance, and letting a sheepish smile lift one corner of her mouth a little, "I don't think there's anybody who didn't..." She concluded, rolling her eyes irritably.
Of course, her actions were not entirely ladylike - but around Gary, she didn't care. Still, she had to remain cautious when all eyes were upon her...

He nodded and sighed standing up to face her. "Took a lot for me not to go over there and knock him out on the spot. Sathina can i say something? I just hope its not too bold of me to say" He said softly and looked at her. "You deserve someone who treats you right. Not him. Sathina, Ever since i came here and saw you..Its been different." He said softly and walked closer and gently moved a strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Its not too late to back out from Darthol. I can buy all the time you need" He whispered.

Sensing that something important was about to be said, Sathina gave Alair one final pat, then turned her fully attention to Gary, looking thoughtfully up at him. She had not noticed until now, but he was a little taller than her... When he was standing this close, she had to tilt her head up slightly to look him in the eye.
"You deserve someone who treats you right. Not him. Sathina, Ever since I came here and saw you..Its been different."
She let her gaze drop to the floor, then met Gary's gaze again when she felt his finger trailing along her cheek, brushing loose strands of silver-white hair behind her ear.
For a moment she yielded to his touch, shifting slightly toward him - then she seemed to snap back to her senses, and jerked quickly away - glancing anxiously around her.
Everybody had gone back to doing whatever they had been doing before, which brought Sathina great relief. If they had seen-
No, she could not take such a risk...
"Gary, we can't discuss this now." She muttered, showing a sense of responsibility for once, rather than her playful side.
"If you want to talk, I'll be at the river when the clock strikes midnight."
She stepped away from him, biting her lip slightly. "I'm sorry... I- I should go..."

He sighed and let her go. "I'll be there" He said softly and walked to the tavern to get the rest of his bags for his saddle and led Alair to the stables to let him rest in the cool air of the stable. The autumn leaves changing now, would make his journey even more worth it seeing all the colors of fall.

That night he went out at midnight, Taking Alair with him. He went a few minutes early and rode out there like a shadow. Unseen by the people who were now giving him dirty stares and scowls as they walked by him. He didnt see her at first. But he thought he was unseen..but he thought wrong. Darthol had caught wind of the gossip and planned his attack.

"Sathina!" he called out in the night in the somewhat empty woods where they had met before. Alair stood in the water letting the cold cool his legs from a demanding ride here.

Sathina was perched in a tree when Gary arrived - not wearing her usual dress, but instead clad in breeches and tunic.
She wanted to be ready... Because if he was leaving town, she was going with him.
Her peaceful thoughts were shattered when his voice wrought the silence, and Sathina hissed a harsh, "Ssssh!!!" She leaped agilely from the high-up branch, landing with catlike precision on her hands and feet, crouching there a moment, then slowly straightening. "I'm here, keep your voice down." She advised in a whisper, her lips curving slightly into a smile - her silver eyes alive with the dancing moonlight.
Sathina had always been a creature of the night. She flourished in the silver darkness, her beauty seeming ten times what it was by daylight. She was happier, too, and more herself - it was obvious in everything she did.

((Hint: The fact that she prefers night time is important. I'm sure you'll manage to use that to your advantage at some stage during this RP. ))

[ahah :3 this is true]

He heard the harsh hiss and froze but saw her and he relaxed though Alair spooked a little. In the middle of the spook he jumped off and ran to her. "Sathina," He said quietly and stepping from the water and walking over to her. "If i stepped out of line earlier im sorry." He said quickly and sighed dropping his gaze to the ground.

A group of men including Darthol and Jared with his crew sneaking up on their horses. Alair heard them coming and began to get antsy but Gary didnt pay any attention to it. Instead he scolded him for it. Small squeals came from him now as they got closer.

"Not at all." Sathina assured Gary, smiling mildly, "But it was neither the place, nor the time for it. I am sorry for being so abrupt..." She glanced briefly away, brushing a lock of silver hair behind her ear.
It refused to be tamed, though. The instant her fingers were lifted, the ice-white locks flew free - flirting with the moonlight, and waltzing with the wind.
"Did you hear something?" Sathina asked suddenly, her head snapping around on her neck as she stared in the direction Alair's ears were pointing.
"I thought... A stick breaking..." She trailed off, frowning thoughtfully. Maybe she was just too edgy...

Gary's acute hearing picked up voices and Alair was nudging him and Darthol came out of the woods with a dark feeling behind them. Jared soon behind with his posse. "Sathina..Get on the horse and go.." He said quietly staring at them as they formed a half circle around them. He looked back and Alair scooped her up using his neck as she slid back into the saddle with all the bags. "GO!" he yelled and smacked Alair on his back side and he took off not letting Her control whether he stops or not. Gary stayed behind and faced them. "Sorry boys." He said and spotted a torch holder and grinned. "You messed with the wrong pup" He growled and fire took over his hands and the flames lit up the night and soon the flames began to come up from the ground and soon a wolf stood in his place, his phasing starting from the ground up. "Now come and get me" He growled in a deep voice and the fight ensued with loud yells and roars.

Alair was far from the action now but the earth shook from the amount of power behind the fight. He slid to a stop refusing to go any further but with his sensitive hooves picked up his hurried feral feet heading towards them. He turned and started running through the canyon. As he began to run gunshots nipped his heels and he yelped out when one grazed him but the adrenaline kept him going. He jumped up and soared over rocks trying to find his horse and Sathina. Picking up the hoofbeats of his horse he followed them speeding up finally honing in on them. He lept off a large rock soaring through the air phasing back to human as he landed on Alair's back right behind her as light as he could which did nothing to the equine's step.

Almost before she knew what was happening, Sathina was on Alair's back, and the horse was galloping.
Rage seethed through her veins like wildfire. She had always had a hot temper, and been more susceptible to losing it due to the ill-tempered spirit sealed within her.
She could fight her own battles! She resented the fact that Gary had sent her off, giving her no chance to help him, even though this was her battle to fight!
Then again, as she calmed herself into more logical thought, she realised that she was unarmed. Since she was incapable of magic, her only choice was to flee...
If her assumptions were correct - and they had seldom failed her before - Gary was a mage. He could hold his own... He would be just fine.
As such, all she had to do was let go of her anger, and flee for her life.
It sounded so simple, but for her, nothing could have been more difficult.

After a few minutes that felt like an eternity, Sathina heard fast-running paws behind her, and spun around in the saddle just in time to see a massive wolf leap through the air. By the time it landed on Alair's back behind her, it had vanished, to be replaced with Gary, completely in his human form.
"Transformation magic." She commented, as she clucked Alair into a faster gallop, guiding the horse off along one of the lesser-known little side-trails she had sometimes taken when travelling through this canyon to avoid any pursuers. She knew it crossed a river at one point. When stalked by magical beasts, or creatures of the dead - one had to pay careful attention to where running water could be found...
"Very impressive." She finished, shoving her train of thought aside and returning her attention to Gary. "Is that all the magic you know?"

"Well once we lose them I'll show you more" He said with a smile and held onto her at the waist to stay on and hang on with the turns. "Not the exact way i wanted you to find out, but you found out nonetheless." He said with a smile and pulled his gun out holding down at his side before one bullet whizzed by cutting through the air like butter and sending small pebbles everywhere. "Keep your head down" he said over the gunshots. He turned around and aimed the gun at the men chasing them. Sadly neither of them were the intended targets but he made it worth his bullets. Soon Alair found a secret way out and lost their pursuers. He could finally go to a graceful lope, heading for the cover of the woods. "Finallly" He said with a sigh and relaxed putting his gun back in the holster.

"Relax." Sathina said with a lighthearted laugh, ducking casually as a bullet whizzed over her head. "I had already guessed. Magic always leaves traces."
She flashed a brief grin at him over her shoulder, then obeyed his instructions, and ducked her head down to evade the rain of bullets.
She was used to this sort of thing, of course - though that might have been a bad thing, since it made her reckless...
Lack of fear was a dangerous thing in the face of death.

Finally, they managed to lose their pursuers, and Alair entered the woods - thick, dark shadows falling over them from where the trees sliced the moonlight.
Sathina rode on until she found a running river, then swung her leg over Alair's neck and slid off the side, so as not to kick Gary in the face.
The river was noisy, but Sathina didn't care. Running water meant safety from the Dead. They had been getting restless lately - she could feel it. With one of their greatest leaders confined inside her, it was only natural that they should want to release it.
"So tell me." Sathina said, sitting down on a rock and beginning to strip the leather chaps from her legs, though still watching Gary. "Where did you learn magic? Better than that, show me what else you know." She offered a subtle smile - an expression somehow shrouded in mystery - and waited patiently for Gary's response.

"I thought you'd never ask" He smiled and cracked his knuckles and his neck with a smile. "What do you wanna see first? Earth, Water or air?" He asked with a smile and prepared himself mentally for what was coming. Fire was the only thing that took energy out of him, being he has another form and its harder to control the flames. Though it was his utmost favorite one he could control.

"Water." answered Sathina instantly. She didn't even need to consider it - it would always be water. She had an affinity with the stuff, perhaps due to the fact that it bought her momentary relief from the beast caged within her.
Water ran with all the power and vitality of life... It was the embodiment of life - and that was why the dead feared it so. And why she reveled in it.
"Show me what you know of water." She concluded, her lips lifting into a subtle smile.
She paused a moment, then posed another question - too curious just to shut up and watch.
"So am I to understand that you specialise in transformation and elemental magic? A potent combination... It's been years since I've seen a mage with two specialties. In fact, it's been years since I've seen any mages at all..." Unless you count the ones ceaselessly trying to kill me. She added silently to herself, thinking back over the years of travel.
Despised by the living and hunted by the dead - it truly was a wonder that she was still breathing.

"Specialize not so much but yes. I have elemental and transformation powers" He said and smiled and stepped into the river. But before he could sink to the bottom he laid his palms out and facing down. The water's surface held him, he was able to stand on the water's surface like a plate of glass was placed across the river. He then pointed his index finger down and started to twirl it, and a little pipe of water slowly followed his finger then he twirled once more with his whole hand a spout of rushing water twirled and shot into the air as he forced his hand up high over his head. Then he motioned it to wrap around Sathina without touching her until he stuck out his index finger and guided the water to her chin like he would stroke the side of her face, though the water hung in the air only giving her the coolness on her cheeks then it quickly pulled back avoiding touching her again and went back to whirling around him. Then with the drop of his hands the water stopped flowing all together. Even the river stopped dead. "Well?" He said with a smile.

Sathina laughed happily as Gary stepped out onto the water - automatically moving toward the edge, her silver eyes shining in excitement. When the water lifted up, her eyes followed its progress, and she turned an elegant circle as she watched it curl about her, always staying just a short distance away so as not to wet her - not that she'd have minded.
When it streaked past her cheek, she felt a pleasant shiver scuttle down her spine, and a smile came unbidden to her petite face.
Once the water had fallen back into the river, she responded with three slow claps, a most unladylike, crooked grin on her face.
"Very impressive, Torres." She commented, taking another step forward, and balancing on the edge of the riverbank. "I like your style. Erratic, but effective... You make it your own. There's nothing I hate more than a mage who makes every movement absolutely perfect, and so stiff it's like he's reading it from a book in that very moment..." She grumbled irritably, then laughed and smiled again, finishing with a conclusive air. "You make the magic your own. You put your heart into it... I like that."

"Thanks" He said with a smile and jumped onto the bank, "You should see the wicked storms i conjure up" He said with a wink and walked over to her. "I always put my emotions into it" He said and grinned at her then scooped her up in his arms. "Then again i put my heart into things i trust" He said with a smile and stood there with her in his arms. "And i trust you" He said quietly.

"Whoa!" ((I'm sorry, but 'Woah' looks better. -_- Why must it be spelled such a stupid way? Gosh!)) Sathina exclaimed, escaping Gary's arms with a lithe leap, and landing on her feet beside him. "I don't remember saying I'd let you put anything into me." She pointed out, a subtle, yet sharp edge to her voice. "I'm engaged, Gary." She reminded him harshly, raising her chin in a dignified fashion, and shifting into a more upright posture so she stood nearly as tall as him.
Of course, she did not love Darthol in the slightest, and even their fake relationship was over now - but her fiance was still a better excuse than she could ever have hoped for to reject Gary without having to lie to him...
"You need to back off." She concluded quietly, her silver eyes flashing like a nocturnal predator's, and her hair floating out around her like the ghost of the moonlight above.

"I dont buy it. You dont want to be engaged to him. I know you dont." He said quietly letting her go with ease but still had some sharpness in his voice, just to match hers. He backed up a bit giving her the space and turned his shoulder towards her. "I know you want some freedom, you dont want to have to act like a lady twenty four seven. I can see it. With me..you dont have to do that" He said quietly and shook his head with a sigh and looked to the mountains.

"You're right that I don't want Darthol..." Sathina admitted with a sigh, "He's a scoundrel and a fool - but be that as it may..." She trailed off, took a breath, then continued with some exasperation. "Did you ever think that maybe I don't want to be with anybody? You're right - I'm no lady. I may be able to act it well, but the glass slipper just doesn't fit me - and I'm tired of the blisters." There was a deadly passion in her voice now - a fire in her heart that woke the beast slumbering inside her, causing it to stir, and prod at her anger like a poker at a fire.
Magic always leaves traces in its wake...
"I am no lady." Sathina growled, feeling the spirit inside her squirm in pleasure in agreement with her fantod. "And I shall have no man. Especially you..." She glanced over him, her lip pulled back, as though in a snarl of disgust.
"You're handsome, strong, intelligent..." She listed his good qualities as though they repulsed her, her tone completely contradicting her complimentary speech. "And you're young. So, so young... You could do better. You should do better."

He scoffed and couldnt help but smile..but this smile held no cheer, just anger and frustration. After a silence that was excruciating for him he spoke. "Get some sleep. I'll take you home tomorrow. Thats final." He said wanting to say more but kept his mouth shut and with that he walked off, Alair staying close to her with a worried look on his face. He needed to cool off..alone. If anyone was close they'd be hurt..if not killed. He stalked off into the forest and the trees began creaking. His bones began cracking and shifting. Fur began melting through his skin as his clothes slid off leaving a trail behind him. He let out a guttural growl and phased into his 7 foot anthro wolf and his anger continued to boil in his blood.

True anger flared up in Sathina at his words. Home? Home, he said?! After Darthol had caught her with Gary, how could he possibly think she'd still have a 'home' in the village? Even if she did, she wouldn't go back. She would travel with Gary, whether he liked it or now. Sathina always got what she wanted.
When he ran off, she gave chase - but stopped when she felt the familiar tingling of magic in the air.
Emotions in one's magic were a good thing, to an extent... But if Gary was feeling anywhere near as angry as she was, there was a strong chance he would lose control.
Magic was at its most powerful when fuelled by anger. And power, as any mage would know, could go horribly, horribly wrong.
Only a fool would follow Gary now, and she was no fool.

So she forced herself to turn away, and stepped toward Alair. She felt the spirit within her, awake and restless, straining against the seal.
The stallion shifted away from her, so Sathina stepped back. Animals could always sense it... Humans, thankfully, weren't always so sharp.

The longer Gary was gone for, the more Sathina managed to cool down - and eventually she decided to make herself useful.
From her pocket, she took a box of matches - striking one, and starting up a campfire - circling it in rocks to keep it under control.

She was so intent on her task, that she did not even notice the spirit sneaking up behind her...

As he pawed the ground with his foot as he leaned on a tree he just spaced out staring at the ground. Thinking now. But of the wrong things, his ears pinned back at the thoughts and laid flat on his mammoth head. He shook his head in an attempt to shake the thoughts from his mind. Then a new sound filled his ears. A pack of wolves were honing in on him. He was obviously in someone elses territory. But there were others like him. And one stepped from the woods, same size as him and in anthro form. "Oh come on cant i get a frickin break!?" He hissed at the male that growled at him loudly. He stood from the tree and took an aggressive stance in front of the pack and his leader.
The hair on his back and neck bristled as he roared back at the others digging his nails into the soft earth. Flames grew from his fur around his hands and feet now. But when he saw the blue fire of the other black wolf he froze. This wasnt going to be a fight he can win. But he had to try. Suddenly he jumped towards Gary and yelps, roars and howls filled the air as the fight ensued

Sathina caught sight of the spirit at the last minute, and leaped out of the way just in time as the shadow streaked over the ground toward her.
She swore and rolled aside, then scrambled to her feet. It was not even a dangerous spirit... She could have killed it in a heartbeat, but she didn't have her sword... Her father's sword - imbued with with the magic of necromancy. Without it, she could not slay the dead. Her own powers had been sealed away at birth - when the beastly spirit within her had been sealed.
So, without her sword, she was powerless.
Hating herself for feeling so weak, Sathina dashed on light feet over to Alair, and leaped onto the frightened stallion's back - urging him forward away from the spirit, following the path that Gary had taken.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of vicious growling in the distance, and she pulled the stallion to a halt. By the sound of things, Gary had engaged in battle... And when she snuck forward for a closer look - seeing just distant flashes of flame through the trees - she guessed that it was not going well.
Her first instinct was to gallop over an assist him, but thankfully, logic won out. If she went over there now, she would only get in his way. She needed Ferenithe... She needed her sword.
She swore again as she wheeled Alair around, and kicked the stallion into a full gallop - hating herself more with each stride they took away from Gary.

It took barely a minute to reach the town, and Sathina scrambled from the saddle before Alair had even stopped - racing into the house, and returning with the sword clasped firmly in her hand. She pulled herself clumsily back onto the stallion, and set him back the way they had come - urging him to top speed, and praying that nothing had happened to Gary.
Praying...? Since when had she cared enough about anything... To pray to a God she did not even believe in?

He was much stronger than Gary, using that to his advantage he not only burned him in places but threw him against the surrounding rock and cliffside tearing into his back like razors he let out a blood curtling yelp and howl as he fell silent. There he laid on the cold ground as snow began to fall. His flames died and he hadnt realized these wolves were shadows. Fading away as the wind swept through the trees. It didnt take long before he was unconscious and snow had covered his fur like a soft lace blanket.

Sathina arrived at the scene too late. Gary's attackers had left him, and he was lying motionless in the bloodstained snow.
She cursed and flung herself from the saddle, Ferenithe bumping against her hip. Stumbling over to Gary, she knelt quickly beside him, and drew his wolf-like head onto her lap, slapping him urgently. "Come on!" She growled, "Get a hold on yourself!" She swore again - cursing herself for her lack of magic, and thus her inability to heal him.
Instead, she did all she could do. She dragged Gary over to Alair and heaved him over the Stallion's back, then clambered into the saddle - and took Gary back to the river. Death was all around them now. She could sense the spirits closing in... The one she had seen earlier had obviously been a scout, and now its pals were on a hunt. But she had Ferenithe now... She was not to be taken lightly.

They arrived at the river soon later - the presence of the dead less here - and Sathina pulled Gary carefully from the saddle, laying him down on the ground, then covering him with her heavy travelling cloak and starting up another fire, since her previous one had burned out in her absence.
Once the fire was burning, she shamelessly peeled off Gary's shirt and scouted him for wounds - treating them with herbs and ointments from her pack ((Yes, she has a pack now. She picked it up when she fetched the sword. XD Haha! )) wherever she found them.
When she rolled him over, she gasped. His back was in a sorry state... It would take more than ointment to fix that.
Wincing on Gary's behalf, she took out a needle and thread.
For once, she was glad to be a lady. Her dainty fingers worked quickly, pulling the lips of each wound together, and pressing the needle delicately into the soft skin. It yielded before the point, and Sathina began to stitch.
In, out, in, out - lacing the torn flaps of flesh together.
Once she was satisfied, she heated some water from the river and bathed his wounds - then bandaged him.
Pleased with her work, she sat back in the shadows and waited in concern for him to wake.