IF YOU GO OUT IN THE WOODS TONIGHT -- CATE

[Joshua Donovan Dale]

The prince had strayed quite far from the palace that day. He had not left the Imperial Row of his own free will in quite some time--whenever he had gone out, it had been on business. He didn't mind being kept busy if it was for the sake of Sanguine, but even Joshua revelled the chance to relax every now and then. Now, did his parents actually know that he'd planned to enter the Werwakee Forest? Well... no. In an attempt to spare himself the usual, 'Be careful, don't go far, well when are you going to be back?' that he usually had to put up with, he'd insisted that he was merely heading downtown for a little while.

He was nevertheless cautious as he proceeded through the trees, the lack of sunlight piercing the leafy canopy worrying him slightly. How close was he to the St. Morgan cemetery? He knew it to be haunted, and with the absence of the sun, he'd need to be careful. Perhaps he would go as far as the Ember Borough, where the comfort and warmth of the intimate place would chase away the worries about what lurked in the dark forest. Joshua was not a coward, but he doubted that any archery or swordplay he knew could combat the dead.

The boy sighed and continued walking. Maybe I should have stayed downtown, he mused to himself. There isn't much to do here... Despite being an archer by personal preference, he was no hunter of animals. He wouldn't shoot down a defenceless creature for the sake of sport. Perhaps in a case of extreme survival... but other than that, he also abstained from the consumption of meat. It wasn't to his tastes, and actually made him quite nauseous. He doubted his parents understood, but they accepted it at least.

The snapping of a branch startled him, and he'd spun around and drawn his sword so fast that he almost cricked his neck in the process. He normally would have drawn the bow, but it wasn't as reliable in this thicker area of trees. He had good aim, but it wasn't perfect, so the branches and tree trunks were bound to get in the way. He considered demanding the identity of the one who'd made the noise, but reconsidered. He wasn't entirely sure it had been a person, after all. He'd just wait, he decided.

[Hecate Kaur]

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Some of them want to use you, some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you, some of them want to be abused
Sweet dreams are made of these, who am I to disagree?
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Apparently a Sheperd scouting troop had gone missing and the High-Commander thought it would be a good idea to send some Sheperds into the forest to find out what had happened. Certainly the excitement that would follow could be worth Cate's time, but she knew this was nothing more than busy work in the end. The scouts clearly had gotten over run by some creatures because they underestimated their opponents' strength. Forced to lead a small troop, Cate and two Sheperd knights began their journey out into the forest, under the orders not to return until they found the bodies of the missing scouts. Leading the way, Cate was adorned in her Sheperd uniform which was a simple white robe with the Sheperd symbol upon the back, but this time the white hood was pulled up over her head. Her two followers were clade in full armorments from the helmet to the kelvar vests with large swords upon their backs and rifles gripped tightly in their hands. Cate, however, only had a staff gripped within her hand as she leaned upon it heavily, looking almost like some elder being escorted by two Sheperd knights. This allowed them to go about their business without being stopped by anyone passing by while Cate did the tracking, since the two knights were useless in that department.

As they stalked through the forest, Cate heard the snap of a branch and stopped dead in her tracks. Turning her head, she noticed one of the knights had stepped upon a twig. Cursing under her breath, she stared at the knight, "Completely useless, ain't you," she hissed before rolling her eyes and turning to go forward once again. Pushing through some brush, she came face to face with the prince and his sword. Squinting her eyes, she stared at the prince and his wielded weapon while the knights she was leading acted quickly. Raising their rifles, they pointed their guns at the prince as they shouted at him to drop the weapon. "Yup, completely useless," she muttered again, "Its sad that I am the new one here and know what the king's son looks like." As she said that, the two knights realized their mistake and instantly dropped their guns and bowed before the prince. With her knights bowing at the prince, Cate smacked her staff into their ribs, "Get your asses up. We have a mission, so I suggest you two continue due west. If you do not find anything in twenty clicks return here," she ordered them and they were off.

"Forgive them, they are foolish imbred denivens, my prince. So, what brings the prince of Sanguine Aisle all the way out here," she started before she added on, "and without any guards. Rather foolish, don't you agree?" Cate was clearly not afraid of over stepping her boundaries as she spoke freely in front of the prince, her face still concealed beneath her hood. Planting her staff into the ground, she wrapped both of her hands around it as she leaned heavily upon the large stick, awaiting the prince's answer as she examined him some more.

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count; 528
tag; Joshua
notes; hanseh & marilyn manson

[Joshua Donovan Dale]

Whatever he'd expected when a small group emerged from the trees, it was not what he recieved. Finding himself staring down the barrel of two rifles, he did not do the most logical thing and comply with their demands. Instead, the young prince narrowed his gray eyes coldly. "I think you'd best heed your own commands, gentleman," he hissed, tone blended with venom. "My blood on your hands would warrant a certain death sentence for you both." His arrogance was detectable, but also justified. He doubted his father would view the men who'd murdered his only son in a very flattering light.

He was quite amused when they realised their mistake, thanks to the Sheperd woman they were travelling with. A thin, dark brow arched upward as he considered a number of sarcastic responses, but ultimately decided to hold his tongue. It probably wouldn't start an argument--arguing with him was never a good idea--but even still, it was best to avoid further conflict altogether.

"No worries," he replied, waving a hand slightly to indicate that the issue would soon be forgotten. "If they had actually injured me, I might have had more to say, but the fact that I remain unscathed is enough." He could have been a little more indignant and cold, but it would accomplish nothing. She proposed a question, and a slight smirk tugged at his lips. "The last thing I want is a pair of over-protective loons stumbling in my wake," Joshua said with a bit of a scoff. "I've no desire to be treated like I cannot look after myself." Seriously, he was nearly nineteen. An adult male, albeit younger than the guards that would normally protect him, but a grown man all the same. He didn't like being told to be careful all the time, it was incredibly tiring.

"As for my motives, I was merely out for a walk," the boy shrugged, deciding on being honest. "And what of you? You're clearly allied with the sheperds--are there any heretics lurking in this forest?" Heretics were bad news for everyone. He did not mind the mages, and was actually quite fascinated by magic, for reasons he could not explain. But Joshua viewed heretics as traitors. Most of them rebelled physically against Sanguine, killing others in the process, and that was enough to instil hatred. He'd lost a few friends to their numbers before.