Princesses and Poachers

At that moment, a pair of hands suddenly grabbed the fleeing Kokiri from behind a thick wall trees and pulled her away from the small trail.

"Don't shout," A young woman's voice commanded, very close to the Kokiri's ears, "I am here to help."

Thanks to the Kokiri's unexpected speed, she and her fairy companion had created some distance from the evil men. At least they had lose sight of her, and with the darkening of the day and the dense impenetrable woods around, a sudden change in her course might be enough to confuse her trail. Which was when this woman pulled her into a hidden crevice she had found behind a tall tree trunk.

The woman was a small, lithe one -not very much taller than Kokiri in fact. At least by Hylian standard she would be considered on the short side. The arms which were now holding the Kokiri tight had a certain daintiness to it, but also had its clear feel of hardship and training. Her back was against the tree, while her head turned to peek from its corner, safe underneath a red cloak and hood she wore. From the dimness of the foliage it was hard to see her face clearly, but she seemed to have a shoulder-length raven hair with reddish edges. Her silver eyes, however, gave an eerie glint. It was clear that darkness mattered not to her sight. She could see light where most could not.

The seconds felt like eternity as the woman kept her motionless vigil while keeping the Kokiri close to her bosom. From the direction of the woods the men could be heard shouting and barking orders. And then their footsteps seemed to grew softer and softer as their voice went to other directions. And then silence.

A gentle wind softly rustled the branches above.

The woman exhaled. "I... think we've lost them...."

Marianne was on edge. She had just returned from her visit to her great-grandmother, the reclusive Witch of Faron Woods, a few source of strength she could rely on to lend and unbiased ear to her seemingly ever-increasing trouble. As one of the most active royals, as well as Chancellor of the realm and a member of The Ruling Council, Marianne had no shortage of things she would like to ease from her chest, but rarely anyone had both the patience and the wisdom she needed to gain something from airing her grievance. A teenager could only hope so much from her ministers.

Which was why she cherished every visit to her understanding yet unintrusive great-grandmother, the one from when she received her Gerudo blood from. For Marianne was only half-sister to the current King and the first princess. Yes, one of the best-kept secrets of the realm. She shared the blood of their mother the late Queen Celeste of the priestly line. But her father was actually the war hero General "Redwing", slain at the very next day after Marianne was born.

So, this great-grandmother of hers was one of her only links to her father.

And it was when hurriedly returning home which she spotted a group of men which she had never seen before. Many travelers or other shady people Marianne had met during her time managing the kingdom, in its light or behind its darkness, but these group seemed... different. Masked, cloaked men in furs.... And Marianne thought she was the mysterious one of the realm.

Her curiosity piqued, she silently followed the group from afar, being very careful not to be seen or heard by them. It was just as well that she had brought a new companion: Donna the lady monkey she met during her trip to the Forest Temple was with her today, and she grew instant liking to her great-grandmother who also seemed to like the friendly primate back. Marianne felt relieved that her unpredictable great-grandmother did so. Before, it was only her cat Clio which she allowed inside her hut.

It was not long before she saw the men accosting a child, and quickly positioned herself at where she guessed the child would run. She was correct.

A rustle of leaves from the branches above, and then a small monkey appeared and climbed down to Marianne's shoulder.

"Good," The woman mumbled, one of her hand lovingly stroking the monkey, "You don't see them, either." Her grip on the Kokiri loosened and she turned to face her.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you anywhere?"

Braedynne Briar
Feel free to let the wild men get a surprise attack or let them lose them here Mari is a hit-and-run type of combatant

As a Kokiri, Braedynne was very swift and pretty quick on her feet, relatively speaking. But her smaller size also meant her legs were shorter. It was difficult to put distance between herself and these evil men, but somehow she managed. Still, her stamina was probably lacking. Would she eventually tire out, and they run her down? Yeah, she needed to break her line of sight more often and find a good place to -

Suddenly, Braedynne felt a strong grip on her arm from seemingly nowhere, and she was yanked into the brush. Despite this startling turn of events, the woman's words and demeanor seemed benevolent and trustworthy. The two of them, plus fairy, hid in their little crevice as the stomping of boots could be heard rushing quickly past. As an extra precaution, Edelweiss hid inside of Braedynne's cloak to prevent her light from attracting more attention.

After what seemed like eternity, it sounded like the men had simply ran past them and lost the forest child and her fairy for good. Braedynne breathed a sigh of relief, though she looked up at her benefactor inquisitively, with so much to say, and questions.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you anywhere?" the woman asked.

Braedynne shook her head at first, then nodded quickly to contradict that, in confusion to the two questions asked back-to-back. "I'm alright," the girl said. "They didn't touch me or manage to shoot me, so I'm fine. Just a little scared, still.."

She wasn't sure what to say at the moment. Just, the shock of it all..  Edelweiss, her fairy, floated out from underneath her cloak and said, "Thank you for your intervention. I am not sure if we would have lost those men without your aid."

The girl quickly nodded, with a breath again, and added, "Yeah, thanks. I'm Braedynne. And this is Edelweiss," gesturing at the floating ball of light. "It's pretty lucky that you managed to just pull me off the trail like that. When.. how did you manage that?" A savior showing up out of nowhere to grab her was pretty amazing. Still, she just couldn't believe how lucky such a coincidence may have been.

---

The two chatted for a bit, but all was not well. Soon, voices could be heard again, in the distance. And they were getting louder!

It was apparent that while these men had lost Braedynne, they still hadn't given up their search yet! Perhaps they would give up for good, soon, but for now it seemed like they were backtracking and trying to pick out the traces of her footprints. If these men were skilled hunters, they would definitely notice where the recent sprinting of a child along a trail - which would turn up leaves and other debris - suddenly stopped. Not to mention, there may be broken twigs where she was pulled into the trees.

"I'm alright," the girl said. "They didn't touch me or manage to shoot me, so I'm fine. Just a little scared, still.."

The woman under the red cloak nodded understandingly at her answer.

"Of course you are. Being shot by an arrow like that...."

The woman was clearly quite young. Perhaps not even past teen yet. But there was something in her countenance which made her seem older than she should, as if she was bearing a weight no girl her age should have born. Under the dim light of the forest canopy, she looked both an experienced statesman and a naive scholar. An intriguing combination, yet a comforting one.

Her eyebrows raised a little when the fairy appeared, and there seemed to be an understanding formed behind those intelligent eyes. She nodded at them both. "Braedynne. Edelweiss. It is nice to meet you. Even in this... circumstance. I am Mary." She did not seem to be perturbed by the emergence of the fairy. So maybe she was someone quite knowledgeable about Kokiri and their kin? She certainly had an aura of someone well-learned.... Which certainly fit her rather lanky appearance.

And how she bowed her head a little when introducing herself suggested that she was, at least, someone quite well-bred.

"It's pretty lucky that you managed to just pull me off the trail like that. When.. how did you manage that?" The Kokiri commented, toward which the young woman gave a small lovely laugh, her perfect white teeth showing. "Yes, I guess it is rather lucky, right? I had actually followed those men for a while when I saw you ran. After that it was a matter of correct position, I guess.

More importantly," And her expression became quite inquisitive, "Why did they attack you, Braedynne? What do they want?"

At that time the monkey on her shoulder moved and looked around, as if perturbed. Mary moved quietly near the tree and peeked from behind. The voices of the masked men were heard again.

"We lost sight o' 'er a few times. Maybe she just veered off someplace all quiet-like and hid."

"Don't be stupid, Maurice! Kids ain't that smart!"

"But she ain't just an ordinary kid, right? I heard-"

Mary exhaled, before retreating back to the shadows of the tree. "They are persistent." And she exchanged glances with the monkey, who climbed up the tree with a whimper. A soft "Thank you" was heard from the woman, before she turned around towards the Kokiri. "I was about to go to the Castle Town, but it seems the bulk of them are concentrated that way." She gestured to somewhere behind their back, to the seemingly impenetrable wall of trees. "Are you perhaps going towards Ordon Village? I reckon that will be a safer route."

Braedynne Briar
The hide and seek begins!

Mary had asked, "Why did they attack you, Braedynne? What do they want?"

Braedynne leaned in and whispered, almost as if she was talking about shadowy conspiracies, "It's my fairy, Edelweiss. They want her. The man told me to hand her over..."

Just the thought of doing so was.. it was heart-wrenching and almost inconceivable! And almost, because Braedynne clearly had never even thought of such a thing.. until now. Braedynne had to try hard to remain composed and keep from trembling. "I don't know why they want to take Edelweiss.. but..." she trailed off and just shook her head.

"We do have magical properties," the fairy suggested. "Captured fairies.. this would not be the first time I have heard of such a thing."

Braedynne looked awfully worried for her companion over this recent revelation, but the train of thought was cut short by the alertness of the monkey and the sound of approaching voices. They sure did not sound happy.

Mary asked, "Are you perhaps going towards Ordon Village? I reckon that will be a safer route."

To that, the Kokiri girl nodded quickly. "Yes, I was trying to go there..." she softly said, a furtive whisper to keep their location hidden as these dastardly men approached.

---

The voices seemed to float around at first but were definitely getting much closer now.

There's a sound of someone or something getting slapped.

---

These men were on the trail, right on the other side of the "impenetrable" wall of trees. It was likely only a short time before they found Mary and Braedynne, assuming they stayed put. Then again, they were so close that even if they tried to move away now, they might get heard...

The Kokiri looked up at Mary fearfully, wondering if she had something else planned.

In the mean time, Edelweiss flew off to the side, hiding deeper into the foliage. And Braedynne drew a small dagger from a hilt on her belt. It.. really wasn't much. It was kind of pathetic, actually. But still, a small blade such as this would likely favor one of her speed and stature. And it surely was better than nothing.

If the woman Mary doubted what the Kokiri said, she did not show it. She bent down and gave full attention to what the Kokiri had to say, while simultaneously being alert to her surroundings. There was a genuine concern written on her face as she heard the reason behind the attack.

She frowned, "They wanted your... fairy...?"

"We do have magical properties," the fairy suggested. "Captured fairies.. this would not be the first time I have heard of such a thing."

"Yes, you fairies do," Mary nodded, smiling a little to show that she meant well, "But I've never heard of a group that specifically target a bonded one...."

Her voice trailed off, and whatever she had meant it was not likely that she would elaborate. It was clear from her expression, though, that this woman was quite determined to  get into this matter when she could. Although how she could do that seemed unlikely for such a small figure.

She was snapped from her thoughts, however, when Donna the monkey on her shoulder moved and looked around, as if perturbed. Mary moved quietly near the tree and peeked from behind. The voices of the masked men were heard again.

"Are you perhaps going towards Ordon Village? I reckon that will be a safer route." And she seemed relieved when the Kokiri gave an affirmative.

"Good, then let us move," She said, moving away from the source of the voices and towards the depths of the trees. The Kokiri would notice, with slight surprise perhaps, that her footsteps barely made any noise when she walked. It did not seemed that she had some sort of training however. It seemed that she was naturally a sneaky persona.

After some time wading through the deep forest, Mary turned towards the Kokiri. "If you know of a better trail to Ordon, Braedynne, do show me." There was a small pause as she looked up towards what little sky could be seen between the thick foliage. "I can be sure of the general direction from the celestial bodies, but I won't profess to know all the secrets of this forest. Perhaps you know of easier trails more than me?"

Well, they certainly did not take the easiest trail. It seemed, unlike the Kokiri, the woman did not know of the little animal tracks and was simply pushing through tress whenever she could. Meanwhile the intermittent rustle from above told them that her monkey was following them, high above the branches.

Separating a particularly thick bushes, Mary and the Kokiri arrived on a small clearing, littered by leaves. That was when Mary stopped, holding her arm in front of Breadynne in alert.

There's a sound of someone or something getting slapped.

"Don't be daft, man! They can't fly! Crikey, wot, you think the fairy just sprinkles dust on whoevers they want and they start flying? Stupidest thing I ever heard, mate..."

The voices of the men seemed to be getting closer and closer. Mary frowned, and for a moment genuine fear seemed to be creeping to her face. She turned towards the Kokiri.

"When it comes to it, can you-" But the Kokiri had already drew a small dagger from her belt. Mary gave a small smile.

"I guess I don't have to doubt your bravery." And then her eyes got serious. "But if things get bad, Braedynne, I want you to flee. And especially Edelweiss." She nodded respectfully towards the fairy.

As the voice grew nearer and neared and it was clear that they were coming from all direction, Mary's right hand lit up in light, while shadows started gathering in her left hand.

Her bow. Her rapier. She did not bring any of them. She thought after the clearing of Forest Temple the troubles in Farron Woods would stop. She was wrong. And it seemed that her carelessness would made her pay.

---

Braedynne nodded, and was relieved that the two of them (or perhaps, technically the four) were beginning to take some steps in the right direction. Surprisingly, Mary was quite silent when she walked. This was good, because stealth would be quite useful right now.

And to that, Braedynne shook her head. It wasn't like she knew the best paths anywhere. This was the furthest she had ever traveled from her home. She knew the general direction she should be heading, and major landmarks to look out for.. but that was about it. But in any case, Braedynne didn't really care. Just as long as they kept moving, and kept away from those men. Unfortunately, it did seem that they were competent trackers. And they were getting closer...

Braedynne nodded.. it occurred to her she just hadn't been saying much recently. But that was fine. More talking meant more noise. That would only further risk revealing their position. But it seemed a confrontation was going to be inevitable at this rate. Mary, did something, and her hands began to glow some colors.. both dark, and light? Ah, yes, magic. Braedynne knew some magic as well. She had almost completely forgotten. It wasn't really that offensive, but it could certainly turn the tide of a fight or be used to escape, if used right.

Suddenly, and with a rustle of leaves, the two men burst out of the woods and into the clearing. They were a bit surprised by what they saw. Both in a good and a bad way. Their quarry was here, before them. But another person as well. And she did not look nearly as timid as their prey...

"Well, now, what do we have here?" the man said. He was still trying to be smug, but there was a tinge of nervousness to his voice.

His companion spoke up and said, "Where's the fairy? Do you think that's her?" even as he was fumbling to load his bow.

"Ssshhut up!" the first man hissed as he hit the other again. He cleared his throat and said, "Good evnin' miss. I've a bus'ness prop-o-sition for ye, if yer in'trested." Even behind his mask, you could almost feel a winning smile. Though a very watchful eye would catch that he was still, very slowly, reaching for something underneath his cloak.

After all, it had to come this.

The small clearing was surrounded by a palisade of trees. Not exactly impenetrable, but at least quite protective if used at the right angles. And for the trained eyes, Mary used her position in quite a smart way. The patches covered by very thick brush were behind her, to avoid any unexpected missiles throw her way, while the part with rather sparse trees were in her line of sight making it harder to take a discreet aim at her.

It seemed that she had prepared for a total encirclement. But were there really that much masked men? Perhaps she had overestimated their strength?

With her shoulders held rather low and her chin did not held high, she did not exactly present a high and mighty visage one might expect. On the contrary, she projected a sense of weakness and vulnerability that would make most attackers underestimated her. Which was perhaps her actual intention? This woman Mary seemed to work in mysterious ways.

Two men burst out of the woods. Braedyenne would be able to feel Mary tensed a little, but she seemed to quickly regained her composure. She reflexively moved between the men and the Kokiri.

"Well, now, what do we have here?" the man said, clearly trying to be smug. Mary, for her part, spoke with a steady tone.

"Ah. Good evening gentlemen."

The two men seemed to be not as well-coordinated. In a short time Marianne knew they were not a very good sport.

One of them had the guts to be mockingly polite. "Good evnin' miss. I've a bus'ness prop-o-sition for ye, if yer in'trested."

Mary smiled.

"Unfortunately, kind Sir, we are in a bit of a hurry right now. You see, it is getting late. And we do not want to be in the forest when it's dark, do we?"

She even gave them a polite nod.

"But do come with us to Ordon and perhaps we can talk over a cup of tea about your, er, business proposition? My sister owns a very nice ranch there. Rare yellow tea too."

---

The man, the dominant one anyway, seems a little put off guard by Mary's mock politeness in return. In truth it was because he wasn't really a polite person at all. It was either a yes or a no, here and now, in his mind. Dancing around words, intrigue, and offering to politely consider the offer at a different time and location just.. did not register with him. He had to figure Mary's answer for a no. And besides, there was no way they could pull off what they wanted to do in Ordon Village. The special kind of 'game' he was after.. most people wouldn't stand for it. This woman that stood between him and the girl, though.. she did seem like a promising mark too. A sister with a ranch? Maybe she was rich, too...

The other bandit, or if not, most unscrupulous poacher alive, looked between the two, perplexed as well. The words seemed to sail right over his head, but he intuitively sensed not to raise up his bow and aim it at anyone just yet. If there was one thing this guy knew, it was how to keep quiet and stay out of the way when his friend was doing something smart.

Braedynne, on the other hand, was a little confused at first as well, but realized all this polite talk was just a thin veneer, telling the men to sod off. She and Mary had intended to head to Ordon Village anyway. And as for these two men, she knew they'd never be able to pull off what they wanted to in the midst of civilization. Or at least, they'd never get away with it. Braedynne peered out from behind Mary, keeping a watchful eye on both, still clutching the dagger in her hand. But she realized that, perhaps her dagger wasn't doing any good at the moment. Noting the threat the other man with the bow posed, she sheathed her dagger and began charging up an orb of light in her hands, hidden underneath her cloak.

And that left the confrontation between Mary and the talkative, masked man. "Well ma'am, this was more of a one-time deal that can't wait. But if you insist..."

All this time, the man's hand had slowly been reaching inside his cloak. Suddenly, his arm snaps out, and with the flick of his wrist, he sends a wicked throwing dagger hurling right at Marianne de Hyrule !

Truthfully, Marianne was rather disappointed that the man seemed to be so quick to dispense of pleasantries. He had the audacity to start feigning politeness. Surely he should at least be manly enough to see it through? She had seen bottom-end brigands with more sophistication than this man. Not to mention far deadlier assassins.  Being the one who spearheaded change (link) in a kindom beset by tragic losses one after the other did not exactly gained her many friends.

So his movement was telegraphed from far, far away.

The change in Mary’s stance was quite amazing to behold. Just seconds ago she presented a rather careful, intimidated individual. The moment the dagger flew, however, she shifted into gear in one fluid, split-second movements.

Before the dagger even left the man’s hand, it was pulled by a sudden force towards Mary’s waiting left hand, which deftly snatched it in the air. At the same time her left hand movements seemed to conjure yet another spell, for a large, disembodied hand appeared from the void and grabbed both of the men, pining them both to a large tree and threatened to crush their chest with force.


It all happened before the dagger even made a ‘swish’.

And when Mary spoke, her tone was icy cold. Those friendly, silver eyes which held such respectful gaze towards the Kokiri and her fairy before turned into fearsome hawk-like stare.

“Gentlemen, give me a good reason why I shouldn’t crush you both to death this very instant.” Each of her words felt like daggers.

Meanwhile, her right hand was already busy preparing yet another spell. Or spells. She had noticed or perhaps imagined that there were more footsteps around them. And however they would come, she would be ready.

---

Braedynne's emotions were wound up tightly like a clock spring. The tension in the air was almost palpable to her. She knew the pleasantries wouldn't last. It was only a matter of time - or rather a question of which instant, exactly - until everything exploded into violence. The orb of light was growing in intensity in her hands, waiting for the moment to unleash it. The two unrefined hunters would probably never notice it or see it coming until it blinded them, with the Kokiri not only hiding behind her brave friend, but keeping the magic concealed beneath her cloak.

Finally, just as the man made one last snarky comment and moved suddenly - before Braedynne even knew what happened - the foes before her lay disarmed and pressed helplessly against a tree. In sheer shock and amazement, Braedynne lost all concentration of her magic, and it dissipated. Clearly, whatever this Kokiri could muster.. it was no match for the mysterious woman in her company. The young, green-haired girl just stood there, mouth gaped, gawking in amazement. But what Mary said next and how she said it was still rather chilling.

The two men squirmed helplessly before their literal Demise.

"Uncle! Uncle!" one cried.

The other blubbered, "Please, miss, I gots me a wife and three kids ta feed!"

Given how arrogant and deceitful the man had been previously, it was uncertain if he was telling the truth or not. He may as well have been lying. But did we know this for certain? Braedynne softly padded up behind Mary. She looked between these men who once had cruel intentions, and her savior, who now had an unsettling, cold look in her eyes.

But Braedynne couldn't really bring herself to finish that sentence. It was true that the men had tried to kill her, or at least severely harm her. And they wanted to capture or enslave a sentient being, her fairy. But still, all this violence and killing did not feel right with the Kokiri. There was a reason she hardly had a weapon with her. That little dagger she had? It was more like a precaution: a measure of last resort. And she still might not have even brought that along, had one of her friends not pestered her incessantly that she should at least have a weapon before venturing out of the Sacred Meadow. Braedynne didn't consider herself a fighter.. and yet this was part of the reason she had fallen into trouble.

Still, the question loomed on her mind, silently. Should the men be killed? Should they be spared? Would the men continue their evil ways and just be better off dead, preventing them from ever coming after her or her friends again? Should they be given a second chance, and could they find redemption? It was really lofty and heavy stuff. But we can't see the future. The only question was: what do we do with these men now?

---

Marianne de Hyrule

One second felt like eternity as Mary stared apathetically at the squirming men she could easily snap in twain this very instant. One man -the rather timid one- spouted “Uncle. Uncle.” While the other man who had offered business agreement was saying something about wife and children.

Then, her head seemed to lower in an agreeing nod. It seemed that, after all, the young woman would grant them mercy even if-

“Sorry. Not good enough.”

The two men could not even let out a gasping voice as the pressure of Mary’s phantom hand bore mercilessly on them. One could see them struggling to get air, their limbs wriggling uselessly as breath was forced out of them. Thei face bulged, their whole body strained futilely while the ghostly hand prevented their chests to expand and cut off any air supply to their brain….

And the exact moment consciousness left them, the hand suddenly dissipated. The two masked men fell sprawling on the tree trunks like ragdolls, unresponsive. But their chests heaved on their own as their breathing reflexes sprang into action the moment the pressure was lifted off their chests.

They were unconscious, but alive.

And as this happened, Mary was still as a statue, her expression unreadable. Were she their executioners, she would be a fine example of an automata – no hesitation, no second thoughts, and no room for mercy.

Well, from what she managed to show, anyway. The speed of which alertness returned to her cold gaze betrayed her actual feelings.

“Are there more of them?” she asked, to no one in particular. The caution in her face as her eyes and ears tried to pick up any signs of further disturbance. The dagger she picked up before was now glinting on her left hand, faithfully serving its new mistress. Meanwhile, her right hand finishes its moves. Several glowing runes appeared on the mushy ground, before quickly disappearing again. But even the uninitiated would realize that Mary was setting traps.

Braedynne winced as Mary exerted more power on her spell, turning her gaze away completely as it seemed the hand crushed the life out of the two men. Then they slumped to the ground. She spared a glance at the two to find them still breathing.. though her emotions still were rather mixed about all this.

“Are there more of them?” Mary suddenly asked.

It took a moment for the Kokiri to snap out of her daze. She looked up at the woman, now seemingly a complete stranger again.. though admittedly, Braedynne still didn't really know anything about Mary in the first place - if that was even her name. What she knew for certain was that she could be exceedingly dangerous..  and yet, had both a kind and a dark side.

"Uh, um.. " Braedynne stammered. "I don't think so? I think these are the same two guys who first shot at me..." She finished expounding on her uncertainty by shrugging.

Then, Mary started casting some other spells around the unconscious men. It was.. some sort of trap? Braedynne could probably tell as much, given the runes she briefly saw.

"What are you doing now?" she asked, curious about the magic being used as well as genuinely being concerned.

"That, I believe, is a spell that will temporarily immobilize the subject when they trigger the runes," a voice said. It was Edelweiss, who had come out of hiding. "I must say, Mary, that was quite an impressive display of magic. Where did you learn it?"

Braedynne looked to her fairy and nodded. "Um.. yeah..." Then she looked back down at the men who had once tried to hunt her down. "Well, I..  I guess we will just.. leave these guys here then..."

Once again, she sighed with some relief. This time, it seemed they were out of danger for good. "What do you think, Mary? Are we okay doing this?"

Mary seemed to understand instinctively the wariness the Kokiri felt, for when she glanced at the girl her eyes softened considerably. Yet she had been forced to choose her own field of battle. Alertness would not leave her until she was sure that they were safe, no matter how that might put her companion on edge.

She kept her vigilant survey even as the Kokiri convinced her that there were only of two of them. Meanwhile she finished putting her runes, which drew the attention of the Kokiri.

“What are you doing now?” asked the Kokiri, which her fairy answered. “That, I must say, is a spell that will temporary immobilize the subject when they trigger the runes.” And Mary’s gaze swiftly turned towards the fairy, seemingly looking clearly at her the very first time and was instinctively gauging the creature. She had a peculiar way of doing this. It was as if her gaze peered into that behind what could be seen – an unnerving feeling. She nodded agreeably however, so what the fairy said was right.

When the fairy asked her the question, though, a whiff of sadness swept upon her face. It was just a moment, like a moonlight peeking from behind the clouds before being engulfed again in the storm, but it had an entrancing effect: a window to the mysterious woman’s soul and of what burdens- and sins- she might have endured. A reminder of the young soul behind that cold, merciless facade she wore earlier.

“I learned it from someone I loved,” she said, instinctively averting her gaze.

She had no hesitation in her next answer, however. “Yes, we can leave them here.” She nodded, tiptoeing carefully towards the unconscious men. “The spell -some called it Sage’s Chains- will keep them safe from any untoward creatures while they are unconscious. Or if their gang come instead, it would keep us safe from them for a while.” Gingerly, she untied one of the men’s masks -the confident one- and carefully folding it and put it inside her cloak.

She returned to the Kokiri. “And when they regain consciousness, the runes will be long gone.”

So, another thing to be learned about Mary, it seemed, other than how she was both friendly and dangerous, was that she was someone who planned a few steps ahead. She did only ensured their safety from the men, but also the men’s own safety. It seemed that she was not devoid of compassion, after all.

For a moment, she stared at the crumpled men, seemingly lost in thought.

“I… apologize that you have to witness that….” She suddenly quipped, a tint of guilt in her voice.

---