Arrows in the Trees

[Ice]

Ice stood in his corner of the triangular stadium. The crowd around the stadium was in a complete hush. He was aware of everything around him. Every breeze that passed through the trees and every rustling leave. He was aware of his own breathing, and his heart beating, and the breathing of Samara, who stood beside him. Her eyes were opened wider, and she was watching, waiting. Waiting for Ice to make a move, or someone else make a move against him.

Ice was wearing white robes befit of his rank, and they blended in with the snow when he lay down or crawled.

Ice would not leave this stadium with the same result as last time he had arrived in the Tournament Grounds.

Ice held his huge white bow in one hand and stepped forward, his footsteps were muffled by the snow, but Ice could still hear it, and concentrated on making the sound as small as possible. He could dimly hear Samara, but she was far stealthier than he, and she blended into the snow far greater than his robes could.

Ice stepped forward again, then again until he was under the cover of the trees and in the hunt.

[Kevin Sage]

Kevin was not accustomed to snow terrain, but he could adapt easily enough. Once he got over the chill of the wind and snow, he could concentrate on the task at hand.

Two others lurked within the snowy forest. Both were against him and against each other. He had met the other Fallen Angel, Marcus, in the Ice Forest. His skills were known. He knew not, however, the skills of the Ice Warrior; but the tales were fascinating enough. Kevin smiled slightly in anticipation; he prayed for an interesting fight.

His boots crunched softly against the snow. He stopped. It was not wise to keep walking for he would be noticed too soon. He crouched down near the surrounding trees. Although his grey attire did not blend with the snow, he would blend with the soft, cascading shadows. He watched and listened for movement. Who would strike first?

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[Alaria]

((ooc: would you mind if Alaria joined you guys?))

[Ice]

[ooc: Fair enough. You can take Marcus's place seeing as he is a tad inactive.]

[Alaria]

ooc: thanks!

bic:

Alaria sat perched in a tree, dressed in her traditional white clothing. No armor, no padding. nothing by her clothes. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a tight bun so that the sun wouldn't catch it and give her away. Up in the tree, she pulled out her bow and knocked an arrow.

Jumping from the tree, she landed lightly on the ground and a soft cloud of snow came up. Pulling an umbrella from behind her, she snapped it open. It was colored white, so that if any were above her in tree's they could not see her. She managed to hold the unbrella steady under her arm so that she could also shoot the bow freely. Hearing movement to her far right, she slowly twisted to face it and press herself on the tree. White makeup was patted onto Alaria's face, and she blended in rather well. Not entirely, but at first glance it would appear that she wasnt there. At second, you could easily tell, but by that time she hoped to have the person eliminated from the game.

Touching the tip of her arrow, she pulled away an unwounded finger. They were slightly dulled so that nobody would be killed if she hit them. Grinning, she pulled back the string and aimed with it for the shadows. Something there had moved, whether it had been snow falling or not, something moved. Losseing the arrow with a very soft twang, it was off through the air.

[Ice]

Ice, dressed in white clothing with pale skin and albinistic hair stopped dead in his tracks as an arrow collided with a tree beside him, only an inch away from his own face.

He reacted quicker than he thought he would have. His clothing flew around him as he spung behind the tree, out of sight of whoever had shot at him. His pale blue eyes were widened, but he was not looking in a direction that they would give him away. He had to be stealthier in the future.

Samara was now lying against the ground, camoflaguing in with the snow and with the darkened leaves that had fell on the ground. She looked like nothing more than a lump on the ground. Ice was adament that she was well hidden, despite the fact she was not behind an obstacle.

Ice peered around the tree, only slightly and tried to scan the surronding foliage for any sign of life.

[Kevin Sage]

Still within the trees' gracious shadows, Kevin remained as silent as he could, watching for the first sign of movement. His ears twitched as something flew through the air and hit a nearby tree.

so it begins...

Whether it was himself who had called forth the shot, or another in the distance, Kevin was not sure; but he did know for a fact that the arrow had come from his left. Kevin strung his bow, and aimed for the known source of the arrow. He listened for the impact of his shot.

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[Alaria]

Alaria watched her arrow stop right in a tree trunk just before Ice's face. Almost killed her king it did. Knocking another arrow, she spun to face the one that was coming at her from the right. Looseing her own arrow, it sprang forward and then split the oncomingone in half. Grinning, she leaped into the trees again, her white unbrella at her side.

If Sampson were here, he would love this. He would stay by her side and protect her from any danger that may come. Pulling her scarf over her face, she was caomflaged completly from any that looked into the tree.

From her belt, she protruded a long staff and chucked it a tree far away. The snow left the branches and came to rest on the ground with a thump. That thump sounded a lot like a human landed in the snow, which is what she wanted. Now all she had to do was wait for someone to run by her on their way to investigate the sound.

[Ice]

Ice was on the ground. They were both near him, they must have been. Two separate bow twangs from two seperate areas. Now he lay within the snow, making as little sound as humanly possible. Samara was nearby, somewhere to his left, and was making even less noise than him.

Ice looked sharply to his right as he heard something fall onto the ground. He saw something white fall from the branches, as he wasn't too far from the landing site. Ice couldn't tell whether it was a body or merely snow. So he lay, in silence and without moving, waiting to see if whatever it was would move. Or pose to him a threat.

After a long time, Ice decided that whatever it was, it wasn't doing anything. His senses were prickling, he needed to find a better vantage point. Ice, using as little movement as possible, began moving backwards towards the bushes that he could crouch within and fire. He was still to let loose one arrow.

[Kevin Sage]

The shot didn't hit like it was supposed to. Not even the twang of a tree's impact or the soft thump of flesh. Someone had stopped the shot.

A staff hit the tree to Sage's left, causing snow to cascade down to the forest floor. The third person would have heard the snow hit the ground as if it was human. Sage held still for a moment, seeing if anyone would venture toward the sound.

We no one did, Sage relaxed. Strategies began to race across his mind. Shooting blindly would get him no where. He needed to get a visual. Sage moved out of the tree's shadow, inching toward the spot where the fallen snow had settled. Someone would be watching that spot...

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[Alaria]

Alaria watched with her breath held in her chest. The snow had gotten attention of all around them, birds fluttering off. A man stepped out into the open and walked towards the pile of snow. A grin spread on her lips and she stayed hidden in the trees, silently drawing her next arrow.

Knocking it, she drew back the string and held it tight. Her eyes narrowed on her target, the back of the man in plain sight. Her feet were slipping on the icey branch, and she dug the metal pick on the toe of her boot into the ice, and she stopped.

Alaria grinned and let loose the arrow, shrinking back into the tree hidden from sight.

[Ice]

Ice watched from his positon, crouched hidden within a bush, as the Fallen Angel he knew as Kevin Sage walked out into plain view. What is he doing? Ice thought in bewilderment.

Ice put his hand on Samara, who was crouching to her left, and pointed at the Fallen Angel nearby. Without making a noise, Samara stood up slightly and making crawling towards the target Ice had given her.

But then something else caught Ice's attention. It was a small sound, but it had come from a tree nearby. It was a chink, like metal upon ice. He had heard the sound many times before. Ice looked up to see his other opponent, Alaria, preparing to fire at Sage.

Ice smiled, drawing back his own bow, pointing it at the Ice Warrior that had gotten so close without either of them noticing.

Ice fired, and Samara leapt at Sage.

[Alaria]

Before Alaria fired, she looked around her. Suddenly she saw Ice. Samara moved towards Sage, and she looked around. Ice fired an arrow and she ducked and twisted at the same time. The arrow flew by her head, snatching her hair. It took the hair with it and pinned her to the tree by the braid. Her eyes said everything that she didnt dare to. Instead of shooting the arrow at Kevin, she let it loose at Ice.

The King was her own age, and just as skilled in battle. Actually, he was more skilled, but who's noticing? Smileing, she quietly pulled the arrow from her hair and was able to move freely again.

Turning, she put it in the bow and launched it at Kevin.

[Ice]

Ice's eyes opened wide as she spun the bow around to shoot at him instead of Kevin, he had revealed himself to early. In any case, the time for hiding was long over.

Ice jumped to the side, diving away from Alaria's arrow. This was going to be a more full-on tournament than the last one he had participated in. He landed in the snow with slightly less agility than he had planned, and rolled behind a tree, hiding himself from Alaria. He hastily pushed his white hair away from his pale eyes and nocked another bow.

In one quick, spinning movement, Ice spun from behind the tree, fired and dove behind the next tree. It was thinner than the last, and harder to remain hidden. Any movement would make him an obvious target.

[Kevin Sage]

The arrows began to fire, which was what he wanted. Now he knew where everyone was hiding.

Sage moved out of the way of the expected arrows from every side. Aiming an arrow toward Alaria's tree, he fired, knowing more accurately where she was hidden this time. Not a second after his arrow had been fired did the massive snow leopard, Samara, strike out at him.

Sage had almost forgotten the Ice Warriors stealthy feline and barely saved himself from loosing his nose. In fact, a sharp pain twitched across his cheek as she leapt passed.

Not to far to Sage's right did another arrow aim for Alaria's tree. Ice was on the move. Although he duly noted Ice’s location, Sage had to keep his attention upon Samara who may turn around for another attack.

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