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Taming the Gypsy Trade (Valanaer)

Saren knew he would need to get a couple of shots off before their match, because he only practiced with the bow every couple of days, sometimes even as little as once a week. Not because he really disliked the bow or anything but after a certain point he realized he wasn't getting much better, besides, while a bow was deadly in war it wasn't pinpoint accuracy one needed, you only had to hit the chest or fire into a large crowd. Regardless, when she went over to shoot he went to his position as well, the knights behind them both, every eye going to Tari for her first shot, even Saren's. She was obviously comfortable with a bow, her movements fluid and graceful as she pulled the string back. After a moment of still she released the string, sending the arrow flying towards its target and landing it right in the red ring that surrounded the bulls-eye. Saren's assumptions were confirmed, he was going to get crushed. With that being her first shot in awhile and him knowing his skill level, it was sure to be over. Not that he couldn't hit a bulls-eye but it was not an every shot kind of thing.

His concentration shifted to his own bow though, he looked down at the large longbow and then to the quiver, pulling out a single arrow, a special longer variety used by him specifically, and notched it on the string. The knights were as quiet as they ever got, for both Tari's shot and the one he was about to make, the usual tradition for the archery range was to be silent as you watched, which could have been the reason it was so seldom used. Saren got into position, his body becoming as loose as he could get it and his bow rising, his right arm pulling the string back as his eye stared straight at his target. He stood there for a moment, breathing as calm as he could and remaining perfectly still. After a minute he finally took his last breath, releasing the arrow as he did. The arrow sunk into the target and Saren had to stop himself from having a look of surprise, the arrow being right in the bulls-eye. Sure it was pure luck and sure it would likely wouldn't be happening again all day but he realized something in that moment, he could at the very least try to mind game her.

So with the arrow in the bulls-eye and his men in shock behind him he turned and smirked at Tari, his voice calm as he could manage and his eyes looking directly into hers. "I think I am alright, one shot is enough of a warm up." If she was paying close attention it wasn't hard to tell he was surprised, especially not if she took a look at his men because they wore the surprise as plain as day, each of them just staring at the target with shock. Saren had to keep his cool though, his only chance at all was for her to mess up, because he would be lucky to hit the third or fourth ring on his next shot, although he had a feeling that the feeling it didn't matter, that she would win anyways.
 
After her shot was made, Tari took a few steps back, giving Saren the space he needed. For her, a movement out of the corner of her eye was something she could deal with and was used to. But for the other, she didn't know what all the man was used to. Although she wanted to win, Tari knew it wouldn't be fair if she stood there and moved, even just an inch, and throw the man off. Even if it was a practice shot, she wanted to be fair. Although not impressed by him holding a longbow, as he simply seemed to have the body for it, she was quite shocked by the placement of the arrow. And as her eyes traced the men around her, she could clearly see they were as well. Saren pulled it off though and if he hit like that again, Tari knew it would be another shoot off if she did just as well.

Slowly, she nodded. "Remove the arrows and we'll begin," she said, handing her bow off to one of the men beside her and approaching the target she had shot at. Her arrow was buried in the target, but she carefully pulled it out, looking over the arrow head as she came back to the line, setting it back with the rest of it's set. This gave them clean targets to shoot at without the worry of having an arrow in the way or touching their new shots.

Tari took her bow back with a quick "thank you" to the man and looked at Saren. "Go ahead," she told him. She wanted to see how well he would do first, just so she knew what she would have to beat when it was her turn to shoot.
 
Unfortunately for Saren his knights were much too honest, the looks on their faces no doubt alerting Tari to the rarity of such a good shot. It seemed she was ready to make the real shot though, part of him thinking she had seen how surprised his men had been and expected him to make a horrible shot next, and if so she was probably right. Regardless he kept up the facade, a smirk on his face as he nodded and walked down his lane, plucking the arrow out of the target and immediately walking back to the firing position. He kept the same arrow, the head and shaft both still in perfect condition, hoping it would somehow give him luck and repeat the actions it had just performed. Of course the arrow ceased to be confidence inspiring when Tari looked over and told him to go ahead, her request for him to go first. It was crushing, him going first meant that after his bad shot she would have no reason to be nervous and that lowered his chances significantly. He could only remind himself the game had been pretty much meant for her to win, though purposefully putting himself in a challenge where he was likely to lose rile up his competitive side.

It was time to take his shot though, no more time to think about how much he hated to lose. Instead he stepped up again and notched teh arrow on his bowstring, looking directly ahead at the target in the distance. He took a deep breath, holding up the bow and once again pulling back the arrow, aiming down at the target ahead of him. After readying himself like the time before he released the arrow again, sending it flying through the air and at the target for the second time. This time however there was no bulls-eye, instead it lie directly in the center of the third ring out from the center, not a bad shot but not near as good as his previous one. His men still gave a small clap, all of them knowing that while he was a decent shot he wasn't nearly good enough to challenge an Elf. It was her turn though and they all soon grew quiet once again, even Saren was silent as he turned to her and nodded, signaling her turn and watching closely to see how she did.
 
The elf watched Saren, holding the bow beside her, resting against her foot. She stayed back, giving Saren space again, and watching the men's reaction after he had shot. It was a good shot, but left plenty of space for Tari to hit the bulls-eye. she took a minute to herself, studying where the arrow landed before nodding to Saren. She stepped forward, her fingers tightening around her bow's handle and picked an arrow from the ground quiver. It wasn't the same that she had picked before, but that wouldn't be a problem. A new arrow meant a new shot and possibly a better arrow. Again, she studied the target, taking in a breath or two before knocking her arrow.

She raised the bow in front of her, her arm stretched to the perfect position, her posture just as it was before. She held herself steady and smoothly pulled the string back, targeting her arrow, as if she was shooting a deer. It was silent around the range and the sound of people was far in the distance. With a slow draw of breath, holding it as she had before, she released the arrow, sending it flying straight into the target. Bulls-eye.

A grin crossed her face before turning back to the prince, approaching him with her smug look. "Just like home," she told him with a small wink.
 
Saren watched as Tari got into position again, grabbing another arrow and holding the bow in her hand. It was honestly beautiful to watch, the perfected stance, the way her body moved as she notched the arrow and pulled back the string of her bow. He just knew it was her win, his stance had been nowhere near as perfect and his shot left plenty of room for her practiced marksmanship to beat him. He was right too, when she released the arrow it flew to the target, sinking right in to the center of the bulls-eye, and he simply smiled as his men all began to cheer, a few of them doing it only because they had wanted to see Saren finally lose to someone, especially if that someone was a woman, although their feelings on that matter were another story.

Tari had made the shot though and Saren watched the woman approach, the smug look on her face deserved. She had made a good shot and as much as he bragged and gloated, he couldn't expect her not to. In fact he didn't mind at all and smiled, "No doubt I was asking for that one, challenging you to archery and all. So what do you want, come on, what is my fate?" He was almost excited to hear what she would ask of him, part of him thinking it would be something in good fun or something, that while embarrassing, wouldn't be so bad as part of the day. His men were just as eager to find out his fate as he was, most of them looking to Tari for answers and a few tossing around rather embarrassing and horrible ideas, such as Roran who told her to make him her servant for the day and other such things, things which he would gladly do but prefer not to.
 
Making the prince her servant for the day certainly sounded appealing, and she could still follow through with her plan, in some way. And even if she didn't, it would be quite enjoyable and some of the better payback ideas she would have. She heard quite a few suggestions from the 'audience', but quickly forgot them, as they simply weren't appealing to her. Tari didn't speak right away and instead thought over her options, holding a pensive look as her finger lightly ran over her lower lip, questioning each choice before she finally decided.

Her request was simple, but fit her situation perfectly. It would probably come as a disappointment to the men, but she wasn't out to impress them in this way. She already had by just winning the contest, if she hadn't during the day before. "Hour's peace," she requested. "Just one. To myself. That's what I want." She'd take it during their forest trip, when it was already too late to call on more guards. And it kept the man's pride in tact for just a bit longer.
 
Saren couldn't help but have a mini panic at the idea of being a servant for a day, not because he didn't think he could do it or because of his status but because he had no idea what Tari would make him do. Then again he wasn't that nervous, even though they hadn't spent very long together he had a feeling she didn't dislike him. Part of that was just because she didn't seem like the type to sleep with someone she really disliked, her pride wouldn't allow it. Besides, they had very compatible personalities and whatever she wanted he was sure she wouldn't take it too far. When she actually made her request it was more confusing than anything, an hour just to herself. He didn't mind that, he had told her before that they would not always be together and she had the option to leave him at any point and explore the castle. If it was what she wanted he would definitely allow it but it was still a tad confusing.

He didn't think on it too long though, his men instead started laughing, "Of all the things she could ask for, a bit of time away from you is what she wants the most." One of the senior knights belted out, all of them laughing harder than ever, Roran nudging Tari, "I bet his attitude gets annoying, enjoy the peace because he will get clingy." Saren looked at Roran and sighed, "Shut up Roran..." He looked over to Tari, "If that is what you want it's yours, not that you really had to use your bet on some time alone but still. Whenever you wish." He gave her a small smile before grabbing Roran who was still laughing and roughing him up a bit, though in a playful way. He felt in a particularly good mood even after losing the bet, the stress relief from the night before and being with his men, he was definitely in a great mood. He shoved Roran away, looking over at Tari again, his smile bright and genuine, "I really thought I would be your slave for the day."
 
"I could always change that," Tari said with a sly smile. "Don't bring it up if you don't want it." She mocked the prince before turning away back to the men, many of which were still laughing. "Enough of that," she added, quickly changing the topic to something she was far more interested in. Her eyes settled on one of the thinner men in the crowd, a new comer to the pack by the name of Brice. He was still learning the ropes of the order and was known to be more of a brains then brawn type of guy. Although he knew a good bit of hand to hand arts, his skill was low compared to others in the group. Tari could tell he was insecure, at least some what, and quickly narrowed him on him. He could feel her eyes land on him and straightened his back, tensing his muscles to stand against her.

"You. Ring." she instructed, stepping away from the group in favour of taking the newbie on. Brice took a second to look over the men next to him before following the elf away. He came over the top of the fencing, following Tari's movements again and smoothly relaxing his shoulders again, falling back into his typical fighting guard. He had a second to react before the elf came forward, sending a punch towards his head, only to have her hands batted away by her opponent's own, which swiftly followed by a solid kick to the side of his body, forcing him into a light stumble, only to catch himself again. Brice took a minute to steady himself again, half expecting Tari to attack while he was down.

She waited until he took his stance again and the elf smiled at him, crossing to him, calmly at first, but she swiftly dropped to the ground, swinging her foot around, forcing the man to the ground. She then paused again, waiting for Brice to recover. It was almost as if she was waiting for him to learn what she was doing, or fight back in some way. But he didn't care to, at least not right now. Brice was too busy figuring out why she had picked him, of all people, to spar with.
 
Saren just smirked when Tari threatened to change her prize, there was part of him that knew she wouldn't do it but he didn't push the issue, it would be dumb to argue over nothing. Instead as she changed topics he watched, his interested peaked as she called a new recruit into the ring. It was odd, she knew she would win and the kid hadn't even finished his training yet, but she took went into the ring with him anyways. The man looked back for someone to help him, no doubt not wanting to go head to head with the woman, he doubted any of the men truly wanted to after seeing yesterdays match between Saren and her. Nobody stepped in to interfere though, instead most of them looked interested to see if the boy would do good and keep his cool, Saren included.

When the match began it was one sided, Tari was going after him, not ruthlessly or anything but Brice didn't have the training to counter or even launch a successful attack if he wanted to. The only thing he had going for him was a bit of natural speed but even that didn't matter when paired up with someone like Tari, a combatant whom could quite easily keep up with Saren himself. It continued for awhile, Tari making her attacks and Brice going down time after time, he didn't seem to be capable of keeping up with her speed. Eventually he just sighed and surrendered, his morale a bit beaten down, although he did give her a small smile before giving a small bow and getting out of the ring. The knights quickly cheered him up, giving him tips and pointers for if he ever fought her again or anybody with the same general fighting style.

Saren went over to the edge of the arena, leaning against it and looking at Tari curiously, speaking in Elven again, "Have fun messing with the newbie?" There was a small smirk on his face, sure the kid wouldn't understand but everyone watching the match knew she had gone very easy on him. It was probably a good lesson, a little first hand experience that you should never underestimate an opponent. Saren was a bit curious what had brought upon the sudden match with Brice, not that it really mattered, no doubt seeing the young guy go down would only make the other knights pay more attention to his training than before, which was a good thing.
 
The elf returned the bow and watched him scurry away, smiling to herself as he left. The way he acted was much like how the younger children did when they were first learning to fight. She approached the fence where Saren had come up and lifted herself up to sit on the edge. "I did," she confessed. "You could tell he's a rookie from a mile away though. How do you train them?" Her eyes trailed back to Saren once she noted that the ring was going to remain empty for a few minutes. It was quite obvious that the other knights wanted to help him learn, which was a wonderful thing. Even to the new members, the knights were welcoming and helpful. The group was more like a family then simply a bunch of men training together.

Tari took a second and looked over the knights standing near by. Brice seemed to take the solider's tips and reminders quickly and nodded with each one, repeating a few back to make them stick in his memory. He seemed quite serious about his work and joining the order, even if he didn't have the skill to go out on the field with them yet. At one point, the young knight looked over at Tari, flashing her a small, kind smile, to which she responded with a nod. The way this group functioned reminded her more of home then any other place in the castle, and it warmed her from the inside out. Her body language and just overall brightness changed now that she was out with them, and anyone could see that with just a short look.

The sound of running footsteps echoed in the courtyard and several of the men turned their attention towards the approaching solider. "Sir!" he called before reaching the crowd. He went straight for the head of the group, who took the letter and looked it over. "Saren! Word from Ashal!" He brought the letter to the prince and opened it, letting the man take the first look at it.

The letter told the commanders of information on a raid in the Dark Pond forest, a large wooded area a few days ride away from the palace; 2 days if you rode non-stop. There were a few elven settlements inside and one human on the edge of the forest and the commander asked of the best course of action; to enter the forest and look at the damage inside, or simply look at the human city before returning to the palace.
 
Saren just laughed a bit when she asked how he trained them. There was no real secret, his men were pushed hard every single day, running in full plate and fighting for hours. Brice was only inexperienced because of the little amount of time that he had been a knight. Saren had only pulled him from the city guard a couple of weeks ago and while the boy gave great effort he was still not in the shape he needed to be in order to keep up with their full practice regime. He was getting there though and before long he would know how to handle himself. For now it was more about becoming one of the knights, learning their tactics, and getting his body in condition because with those under Saren's command the demand was much more than any other division of the kingdoms army. There was a reason his knights were so feared and respected in battle... Why they were leaders. "Don't worry about the boy, he will get the training as all my men have once he gets his body in the condition to keep up without hurting himself. He is a quick study anyways, eager as they come."

Something came over Saren as he looked at his men, he knew that Tari was seeing the real him. Unlike most of the women, or men for that matter, Tari got to see what else there was to the second prince besides a rather selfish attitude and womanizing ways. He looked over to her for a moment, a small smile finding its way on to his face and his voice was rather calm and content, even playful to a degree "Tell me... You said that I lived up to the rumors after last night... But what about the rest, is there more to me than the player prince people hear of?" He was curious what she thought about him at this point, was he still just the womanizing spoiled prince or did she see him differently than when they first met. Surely those traits didn't disappear, he knew that, but for some reason he had the need to know what else she saw.

Unfortunately his question didn't get an immediate answer, he was interrupted by an approaching soldier who seemed rather out of breath. He had a letter, word from Ashal and that got Saren's attention immediately. He read the contents quickly, going over the information inside. It seemed a raid took place and he was being asked for orders. He took a moment to consider what to do, they didn't have that many knights out that way and even though there were a few soldiers close by it wasn't nearly enough for him to feel comfortable sending them into the Dark Pond Forest alone. He wouldn't let the settlements be forgotten about though. "Alright... Roran, take four men and get horses ready, then enlist twenty men from the cavalry division and ride out at once, I will catch up soon." Roran moved out immediately, grabbing four other knights and headed towards the stable to prepare.

Saren then turned to the messenger and gave separate orders, "Send out a messenger with the fastest horse we have and inform Ashal that he is to go to the human city and get things back in order if there is anything to do, and then wait for my and Roran's arrival..." He took a look around at the rest of the knights, "Continue as usual in our absence and make sure and keep the people safe." They all nodded and then Saren turned to Tari, "Feel like coming with me or would you rather just have the alone time?" He was only half serious but he was about to go pack up, he didn't have to go personally but if it was bad enough to affect the rather large human city then the elven settlements could be devastated.
 
Tari knew that Brice would get a hand of things. He was smart and sharp and with some training and polishing, he would turn into a perfect knight. She was partly curious about how they started their training, but that was a solid enough answer for her. Her attention was turned when Saren asked another question. She remembered telling him that, but just vaguely. The exact details of last night were still foggy to her so she took him on his word she had actually said that. Her eyes trailed over Saren, debating about her answer. There certainly was more to him now that she could peel back the upper, common layer. It was still hard to say what exactly was there, but she knew for sure, he wasn't just a playboy like everyone claimed.

She was prepared to tell him that when the message came in. She peaked over Saren's shoulder to read it when he began to give commands, but she wasn't fast enough this time to catch where they would be going. The messenger nodded and tore away with the message. He was the fastest that he knew of and didn't have time to search for anyone else. Tari straightened up at the idea of getting out on horseback earlier then she had planned.

"I'll go," she told him, hopping off the fence. "Need to get my bag, in case." She had all of her healing ingredients and who knew what sort of things they would need. She wasted no time in grabbing her bow she had left to the side and returning to Saren, needing him to take her to the stables, once she had what she needed.
 
Saren was pleased to hear that Tari would be joining him, despite it being an actual mission her company would be appreciated. "Alright then, I need to gear up so we must go to my room anyways, come." He motioned for Tari to follow him, saying his goodbyes to the knights quickly as they all watched their comrades and commander depart. Saren wasted no time though, he quickly went back into the castle and headed for his room, ignoring the looks he was getting for rushing through the passages. Once in his room he got to work suiting up, grabbing his armor from a chest, a thicker leather that was made specifically for him as well as a fine black cloak that would mask his appearance if need be. He already had his weapons but he also grabbed a small bag of coins and a small ring, which he slipped into a separate pouch and tucked away for safe keeping. When he had the cloak and other small items he turned and we to the door, ordering one of the guards to have two sets of provisions made up and sent to the stables immediately, enough for a three days.

Only then did he turn around to see what Tari was doing, up until that point he had been in such a rush that he hadn't paid much attention to the woman's movements. If she was ready they would need to continue on, he was not one to wait around when he had an objective in mind, besides, while he was going to enjoy her company on the ride, for now he just needed her to follow and get situated with him. They still had to get her a horse after all. Although he couldn't help but wonder if she had read the note, if perhaps one of the reasons she wanted to come was because of the Elven settlements. Part of him was nervous that once she saw her own people she would give him the slip. Then again he could only wait and see what happened, no use in getting paranoid, he had to focus on the threat to the settlements and see what exactly the damage was, he would worry about Tari when the time came, if it ever did.
 
Tari followed Saren back to the room, keeping up with him as they darted through the halls back to his room. Once there, she doubled checked her knife was attached to her body properly before she took her bag and tossed it over her shoulder. She set it in the proper place and slid her bow back to it's 'proper' spot on her body. She double checked her bag, doing as thorough of a check as she possibly could with the time she had. By the time Saren was ready and leaving, she was set and a few feet behind him. She nodded when he turned around and she finally got a look at him. The armour was grand, as she expected a prince to have, but simple, easy to move in and perfect for fighting. Nothing like the elves though. When they wore armour, it was the bare minimum, as most of their fighting was done at a distance with bow and arrow, taking out what they could before they had to get close to their enemy.

She followed Saren to the stables and paused once inside. There were a good number of horses inside, a few of them which seemed to call to her. "Any reserved?" she asked the prince, taking a few steps inside to get a better look. There were steeds and mares of all ages, most of which looked younger, but all proud of themselves and knew what they were doing. The last thing Tari wanted to do was take the 'wrong' horse, leaving someone stranded without their partner. She knew how badly she felt when her horse was taken by another elf, but luckily her own didn't always agree with others.
 
Saren followed Tari out of his room and proceeded to the stables. Once they arrived he found his horse at once, brushing the large stallion's mane and patting him fondly. He turned to Tari as she inquired to which horse she could ride though, making him think for a moment. None of them were really reserved, a couple used by his family but they didn't much care which horse they rode and this was the royal section of the stable so whichever horse she took didn't really matter. "It doesn't matter which horse you take, besides from mine of course." He smile at his own horse and pat the creatures head excitedly before turning back to Tari as he thought of a horse he believed she would get along great with. "Actually, you can take whichever horse you wish to take but Sierra, the beautiful white Mare over there, seems like she would suit you if you ask me." Sierra was big and powerful for a Mare, but also a bit like Tari personality wise, and would let few ride her, she wouldn't even let Saren, though he had only tried to for training purposes. Nope, she was a free spirit and perhaps Tari and her would get along, although there were plenty of horses in the stables suitable for a ride.

His own horse was looking over at him ready to do, the large black Stallion resembling Saren in a ways. It had a seemingly stubborn pride and bore its head high in the air proudly. Of course while most didn't know it the horse free-spirited as it tended to go wherever it wanted, even if Saren didn't want to, although it had never done so in a serious situation. The prince summed it up to his friend being intelligent and knowing when fun was to be had and when there were bigger things at stake. Storm had never disappointed him as things went and once again he would ride with him today and trust that whichever horse Tari ended up choosing could keep up, or at least behave itself enough to get where they were going. "Anyways, pick any you feel a connection to and saddle up if you need to, we need to depart as quickly as we can." Saren went and grabbed a saddle, preparing Storm himself instead of calling in a stable hand, fixing it up and putting the provisions that had been delivered before they came to the stables.
 
Tari's attention was quickly grabbed by the mare. She still had a wild streak in her and Tari wasted no time approaching the beast. Sierra argued in her own way, backing up, stomping her feet and making some rather uncomfortable noises as she did so, warning Tari and all in the stable away from her. The elf didn't listen and simply continued, taking caution when she came into the mare's range. With soft 'shhh's and sweet words of her native tongue, she calmed the horse enough to pet her head and gently brush down her mane. The next step was the bridle, and the horse seemed to take it as if it was another part of her. The saddle was firmly fitted to the mare and Tari led her from her stall, moving to join Saren.

Sierra followed along, complaining with soft whinnies and forced puffs of air. She nudged Tari's shoulder a few times, showing she was eager to leave the stable as soon as she could. "She's perfect," Tari told the prince, petting the horse's chin, allowing her to nudge her shoulder. "I doubt my own steed will return." The gypsies had sold her own horse off to the first person who would buy him and Tari's heart was almost ripped in two. Sierra wasn't perfect, but she was the most attractive horse in the stable and seemed to be a perfect fit with Tari's personality as well.
 
As Saren watched Tari approach Sierra he knew it was a good match. Sure they didn't know each other but the simple fact that the horse let her approach was good enough for him, because even if the mare wouldn't let him ride her she was a beautiful horse and he hated seeing her stuck in the stables. Tari seemed pleased as well and Saren just nodded, "Well while your steed may not return I hope you can become close to Sierra, she is really a great horse, just a bit picky about who she lets ride atop her. He looked over and smirked at the horse and it in turn huffed at him, almost as if to corroborate his insinuation that she was picky, picky enough not to let Saren ride her. Storm looked over Saren's shoulder and right at Sierra for a moment until Saren pulled his head away with a slight chuckle, walking out of the stable before doing a last check on the saddle. Unlike most riders Saren didn't require a bridle, at least not anymore. When it came to Storm Saren had been riding him for a very long time and it seemed that the slightest cues made it through to his loyal companion, thus no bridle.

Saren understood Tari's use of one, as he would say over and over he did like Sierra but she was a bit wild and especially for their first ride together. The prince got atop of Storm after a moment, having checked his saddle and equipment once more to make sure he wouldn't find himself in need of anything during the journey. He planned on making a quick ride of it, taking a few breaks here and there but sleeping a minimal amount and arriving at the human city as soon as possible, likely to catch up to his men eventually, unless of course they had decided to ride on without stop. Even then the men probably just left, it wouldn't be a big gap between them, although he had a feeling that Roran would push everyone hard to get there without delay. It wasn't a race though, a half a day or less wouldn't make a difference because Ashal would handle things until his arrival. So he got comfortable and waited for Tari to join him so they could head out.
 
Tari led Sierra from the stable, tugging lightly on the saddle strap to make sure it was secure before she lifted herself on. The horse whinnied in response, taking a few steps back and forth to get used to the girl on her back. But she quickly calmed down and fell under Tari's commands. The woman continued using her voice in hushed tones, petting the mare's mane to calm her and pull her further into her command. While she had the magic to do such a thing, Tari knew that using it on a new animal would cause the creature to distrust the user, learning the only way they had to command them was by magic. She would refrain from using it unless absolutely necessary in nearly every situation.

Once on and settled, she adjusted herself, settling her bag and weapons before turning to Saren with a nod. "Let's see how fast we can catch up," she suggested with a grin. The two of them would probably have to cut through the town before she could reach her top speed, but keeping up with the natural rhythm of the wild horses was how Tari was trained. She knew just the right buttons to press to get them back into their wild side, cutting most riding times down as compared to what armies were typically used to. And as long as the horse wasn't strained, Tari could keep the speed for nearly a full day before needing to slow for a few hours. "Following you."
 
Saren was glad to see that Tari was up for a long ride, her comment about catching up not so surprising but welcomed. Sure they may not catch up but whether or not they did they would need to ride pretty hard. "Well then, no time to waste, let's get going." He turned forward and leaned down, patting Storm's head and speaking lightly to him, "Alright my friend, let's get going." Saren sat back up and with a very light tap of his heel Storm took off, not full speed of course but he wasn't going to walk all the way out of the castle that was for sure. Luckily the city had rather wide streets and as Saren emerged from the castle and on to the main roads it wasn't too hard to keep going at a relatively quick pace, people being able to get out of the way without trouble. Of course they did cause quite a commotion, people were turning to look at the prince in his armor, a sign that he was heading out of the castle with the risk of danger and many of them stopped and watched until he was out of sight, and plenty more prayed for his safety, although most of those were women.

It didn't take long to reach the gates, the ride being the slowest portion of their journey and the most dull. Before they made it out of the city he turned and winked at Tari, "Not exactly the plan but here we go, getting away from the castle." He turned back and rode out of the gates, and as soon as they got out of the city, Storm took off, gaining speed and ready to go as fast as possible. Storm did honor to his name and status as Saren's Stallion, he was fast and it would be seen as they went that he did not tire easily. Saren expected that Sierra would keep up as well as any horse could, so there was no hesitation at going full speed. Saren was curious as to what he would find once they arrived at the human city, a part of him hoping that after they did what they had to in the city and checked on the Elven settlements that they would find the people responsible. For now his focus was riding, there was no point in thinking over things he couldn't do anything about yet and if they managed to catch up to the men he would be talking about nothing but what they were going into. Besides, being in such a serious mood with a beautiful woman so close by wouldn't help anything.
 
It was easy to ignore the people around her as she left the city. Each time she let her attention drift from Sierra, she took advantage of it and moved in her own direction. Tari gave her a harsh, short shush-like sound to get her back on track to the point they got to the gates. Tari took a good note of how many people were wishing Saren luck and how most of them were women. As they slowed to a halt, the elf smiled and looked at Saren. "Good enough," she told him with a small cock of her head. Before they left, she added one more comment. "So how many of those women have you slept with?" A grin crossed her lips before a short "Go!" to Sierra.

The horse took off. She kept up with Storm but Tari wanted to actually ride. While there was a path, she didn't stay on it for very long. There were plenty of other spaces they could travel on, letting the road stay open for Saren and whatever other carts may be coming towards them. She continued to talk to the horse, noticing she responded better to elven then to the common tongue. She had fun riding this time, knowing that she wouldn't have this chance very often. She was forced to ride inside a cart with the gypsies and now being in the castle, this was going to be a rare moment. She knew she'd take advantage of it as much as she could and have fun with it. Luckily, Sierra seemed to have the same mindset. Although she kept an eye on Saren, she weaved around the ground, jumping and avoiding objects and generally enjoying the time she had, until they reached the dreaded attacked point.

They quickly caught up to the troops and Tari didn't slow. She in fact, began to circle around them, catching up to Roran in the front of everything. "Roran!" she called from the side, moving beside him.
 
Saren had ignored the question before they left the city about how many of the women he had slept with for two reasons. One because the rough estimate was nothing to be proud of, in the sense that bragging about the number was never something to be proud of. Two because he doubted she really wanted to know the answer to that question, his sexual conquests most likely more disgusting to her than intriguing, although he never knew, she was different from most women. That became even more evident as they rode though, Saren keeping more to the road and Tari going around all wild. She was enjoying herself though, that much was evident, so he didn't even think about it too much, it wasn't slowing them down and her being free to do as she liked was important, sure he bought her but he had been trying to make it clear he wasn't going to control her too much, hell he couldn't if he wanted to.

It honestly didn't seem like a long ride but before he knew it they had reached the attacked city, Roran and his troops just arriving as they hadn't unpacked and were still just staring at the sight in front of them. It was a small city, maybe three or four hundred people in its prime, but what lay before them were a bunch of ransacked and destroyed homes and barely a hundred people. Dead bodies were still being dragged off the streets. Roran had turned to Tari as Saren rode up next to the men, the prince looking more serious than ever, and Roran's voice was low as he spoke and not enthusiastic at all, "Hey..." He turned and looked at her, swallowing hard, "This is not what I expected..."

That was all he said before Saren rode up next to him, his voice calm as always but he wasn't care-free as usual, "Where is Ashal?" Roran pointed to a group of the survivors and standing among them was a tall strong looking man, almost as handsome as Saren but he had a much more experienced look to him. Saren rode away with a nod and the men all followed him, Roran included. Saren jumped off Storm as he approached the group, all of them lighting up at once as the prince stepped foot and although mere seconds ago his face had been solemn, now he had a kind smile on his face as he greeted each of them. He finally got to Ashal and they exchanged a few words in private, a greeting and situation update. Finally Saren turned from Ashal and towards Tari, waving her over so he could introduce her to Ashal. He looked to the rest of the men after that, "Dismount, we're taking a small rest before heading out. Take advantage." With that he turned back to Ashal who was now staring at Tari, a look of interest on his face. He was Saren's best friend and mentor of sorts so he was even more curious about the beautiful elf than the rest of his knights had been.
 
The elf slowed to a halt when she noticed what was left of the town in front of them. There certainly was carnage and a good chuck of the town was missing. Although it was a human's city, she felt horrible about what happened to them. "Dear Mother," she muttered, tugging Sierra back, keeping her in place. When Saren approached, she barely looked over. The attack in front of her was too stunning to turn away from, despite her every urge and feeling to. Sierra followed beside Storm and the elf simply let her go, still taking in the scene in front of her. No matter how many people she killed or what she had done in her life, nothing came even close to what was there now.

Tari remained on Sierra while Saren lowered himself from Storm. That was, until Saren waved her over. She slid off the saddle, lightly nudging the mare, telling her to stay put before she started over to the two men. "How many are still alive?" she asked Ashal before the man could speak to her. That was far more important then going through the typical surprise of seeing an elf around a human of any ranking. That could all be covered later anyway.
 
When Tari approached she immediately addressed Ashal and Saren just stood back a bit, wondering the same thing she was. Ashal looked over to her with a rather surprised look, it was a pleasant surprise but having the girl come over and Saren just taking a backseat was refreshing. He had a few surprises of his own in store for the woman, and he smirked, a smirk eerily similar to Saren's and then he spoke, in Elven of all things and it was just as good as Saren's, "About a fourth of what was here a week ago and if we don't get this place back on track the rest won't make it long, they will have to disperse or they will die." Saren looked around as Ashal spoke, the people were hard at work despite the state of their town and he walked over to one of the villagers since Ashal was speaking to Tari. He asked the man if they had any paper and some wax. The man seemed surprised that the prince was talking to him but he quickly nodded and went to get what little paper and wax they had.

In the meantime Saren just talked to the people, doing as he had always done and being the prince for the people, it was only in moments like these he didn't hate his position. As for Ashal he was very curious about Tari and he was going to talk to her. "Now let's not talk about such depressing things, the dead are being seen to and if I know Saren he formed a plan the second he saw this place in the state it is, he is actually really smart so he can handle it. What I really want to know is who you are, I mean he likes beautiful women but this could be the first time I have ever seen him bring one to anything, much less something so serious, and he even took a backseat when you talked... Let's just say I am very interested who has tamed the spoiled prince." He was very excited to hear who she was, because to him Saren was like a little brother, of course he was a pain in the ass but he was a good guy.
 
Tari nodded slowly when she was told the number of people left. That was a horrible realization and even worse when the woman glanced around the camp again. There were still a good number of people inside, but none of them looked healthy, safe or hopeful. If Tari was anyone else, her spirits would have fallen by the sight of the people in front of her. But Tari was good at keeping herself calm, at least on the outside, and certainly around people who needed cheering up. The last thing these people needed were the men coming to rescue them panicking and generally nervous. She kept herself steady, eyeing Ashal and his surprised look. She was expecting someone to be surprised by the prince having an elf on his side, but at the same time, she didn't expect it to be a traveller like Ashal.

Although he was a military commander, he still travelled the country, or the area around the castle, and she was betting he had seen plenty of races and all sorts of humans. Why did he seem so surprised? Her answer quickly came when Ashal spoke to her. Again, she was called 'beautiful' and responded with a slight roll of her eyes. But she remained calm and quite, allowing the man to finish before she spoke up. Her lips pulled back into a smile and, with a small, proper curtsy, she told him who she believe herself to be. "I'm his gypsy-sold slave," she half mocked, making sure to let the man know she wasn't a bit serious about what she was saying. That was how others saw her, all but Saren's soldiers, of course. "I've impressed him," she continued, being far more serious this time. "And he seems to want to know what I think of things. He offered me a chance to ride along and obviously, I took it."
 
Ashal smirked as Tari made her comment and he was not exactly sure even she knew why she was with Saren. The simple fact was, the prince would not take a woman to such a place with him just because she was impressive. Perhaps he hadn't even noticed it yet but this was a clear sign of change and he wasn't even going to think about why as not to jinx it. So instead he simply laughed cheerfully, "Not much of a slave I think, or at least I could say you are lucky it was Saren who purchased you and not his brother." Of course Saren wouldn't let her leave, he would use everything he could to keep a woman like her by his side but it wouldn't be because she was a slave, it would be because he wanted her and like the spoiled kid he was, he would have her. "Well, I hope you and the prince don't give each other too hard of a time, I would hate to see the spoiled prince all sulky... Because then he always comes and whines to me, and that isn't all that fun." It was obvious he was joking as well, in fact the fondness in his voice told a different story, told he liked it when the prince complained to him.

After that Ashal bid her a goodbye he left, going over to where the new men were to talk to them a bit and see if any of them had any provisions they could spare for the civilians until the shipment came in the next day. In the meantime Saren was sitting by himself writing on a very large piece of paper, taking his time and seeming to think a great deal, the serious look continuing on as he stared down at the paper. Roran was also busy at work, talking to some of the men he had brought with him and doing as Ashal had asked, getting whatever they could spare from the horses to the small storehouse in the village where everything they had was being assembled. Some of the other knights were even helping out with clearing bodies and cleaning up rubble instead of taking a small rest, all of them showing just why they were picked to be knights under Saren's command. Tari was being allowed to do what she wanted, Saren not really finding it relevant to oversee her, not at this moment, he trusted her to do whatever she wanted and take care of herself, although at the moment he wouldn't have minded her company.
 
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