That coldness just before dawn woke Silver and she stretched out the kinks for the nights sleep. Beside her, Black stretched too, letting out a doggy yawn. Silver looked around, listening for any movement before cautiously getting to her feet and shouldering her pack. Black looked around sniffing but seemed pretty at ease at the moment. The two began making their way through the forest.

(Sorry for the short post, feeling icky right now and my brain doesn't want to come up with more right now.)

(Yeah, I understand. I'm feeling a bit down myself. Talk with boy yesterday was hard to do. I'm glad he and I are friends, but I sure wish I had had my head on my shoulders correctly several years ago.)

Amber stood in the cave with the apples resting on the back of the large wooden table. She was tempted to rename them. Something like "apponuts" or "cocopple". Just because they resembled coconuts so much now. Turning her attention to the small bits of electronics, she began messing with them. She couldn't help but feel that with the primitive style of living, having this kind of stuff made life seem almost steampunkish. Maybe getting more stuff would be the ideal.

Going to the entrance and her security system, Amber crounched on the ledge and looked towards the nomad encampment that the vultures had decimated. She couldn't actually see it from here. The large trees hid that. But getting there now before any of the wild animals overcame their fear of the vultures might be a good idea. Backpack on and pole in hand, she stepped off the edge of the cliff and landed on the ledge below. Sprinting onto the limbs close by, she started working her way through the trees towards the empty encampment. In that run, she resigned herself to the gory scene that might exist there.

Silver was standing trying to decide in what direction to head when she heard screams. Curious, she drew her swords and made off in the direction of the cries. Black moved along next to her in a cautious crouch. They two moved silently through the woods, slowing as they neared the cries.

The cries lead them to a small clearing in the woods. Pausing in cover, Silver surveyed the sight before her. A young man of about 18 or 19 was desperately scramble and struggling to evade the claws and beak of a massive vulture. It was his cries and curses that Silver had heard. Taking pity on the stranger, especially since she had no great love for the vicious birds, Silver sprang into the clearing.

The vulture, sensing her presence, wheeled towards her. As the bird bore down on her, Silver crouched lower to the ground, making herself a harder target to reach. As the bird came within range, her blades flashed in the sun, slicing into one of the birds legs. The bird flew up and away with cries of pain, circling high over the clearing. "Get into the tree," Silver yelled to the teen, never taking her eyes off the bird.

The vulture, mad now with rage, plummeted out of the sky towards her again. Once again her blades flashed when the bird came into range, this time slicing into the bird's neck, nearly severing it from the body. Silver leaped nimbly out of the way as the giant bird crashed into the ground.

(To much? I don't want her to seem too powerful and invincible.)

(Oh no, it was beautifully done.)

Amber worked her way towards the nomad camp. The rising sun had given the forest a good light to work by. Reaching the outskirts of the clearing, she stood on a branch looking down. It was not a pretty sight. Bone and blood littered the ground. No flesh was left in sight. Despite that detail, it smelled. Like decomposing cemetaries. It was in part for the mess, but also simply because the vultures had spent so much time here. They were not pleasant creatures to be around.

Dropping to the ground and keeping her pole out, she worked her way towards the small huts of tin and leather that had been erected. She would have to work fast. Amber was already surprised that none of the wild life had come to knaw on the bones. As she ruffled through makeshift drawers and gathered random objects, that fact kept nagging at her. Once the vultures left an area, normally creatures were quick to get a few bites in too. Unless...

Amber froze. Turning, she looked out into the clearing. Still no sign of life. Was there still vultures in the area? She gulped and mentally calculated the situation. She had picked clean all the main living areas of valuables. Her bag was mostly full. Still, the corpses would hold small trinkets that might prove valuable.

It wasn't worth it.

Slipping to the edge of the clearing as calmly but quickly as she could, Amber worked her way into the trees. Slipping further back so that shadows hid her, she began to breathe easier. Now she faced a bigger challenge. Where was the threat and was it at this point between her and home? She couldn't go in any direction without possibly running into the beast. She didn't want that. Nothing on her was much good against them. Her pole would be snapped in two quicker than she could scream.

It didn't matter what she did, as long as she didn't stay here. She had no trouble getting here, perhaps she would simply retrace her steps. But that was also dangerous. It was common for the prey to be stalked. She couldn't risk backtracking. Turning, she tried to think of a new location besides home. The spring was an obvious ambush point and most predators would be lurking there. The apple grove had already seen her company recently. It was best to not go often. Biting a lip, Amber decided to try her luck in the direction of the human trading fort. A wooden structure near the outskirts of the forest. Some of the stuff she picked up but didn't need badly could be traded for something nomads might not carry.

Cautiously and slowly, she made her way along. It wasn't long before she came in earshot of the sounds of a vulture in the midst of a fierce commotion. It sounded preoccupied. That was good for her. Less chance of getting caught. That left her with more options. It would be safer to return home. Unless she really did want to talk to humans, then she could keep going. Or, if she was daring, she could go see what the vulture was having trouble killing.

((Do you want company? Or should my character go her own way? I have three options listed... which do you rather my character take?))

(Company would be fine.)

Black, who was staying undercover at the edge of the clearing for safety, growled alerting Silver to the approach of someone. "Kind of busy here," she called to the dog, never taking her eyes off the vulture. "Take care of it."

She knew that Black would watch her back, holding whoever or whatever at bay until they killed him or she told him otherwise. In this world you grew to know your companions well if you wanted to survive. Especially since many weren't what they seemed. She had almost died once, because she had trusted someone who had seemed trustworthy. Turned out that he was not.

Amber decided a risk would be good. If she could stay out of sight of the vulture, then maybe she would find a few trinkets of interest after the vulture left. Climbing her way carefully and slowly, she worked yard by yard towards the fray. Keeping a close eye on the branches overhead, she almost missed the shadow below. Pausing, she peered down to see what had caught her eye. A black shape, smaller than most of the predators she knew of, was stalking below. At first, Amber assumed another animal was nearby. Then it became apparent he was sniffing her out.

Not knowing for sure what it was down there, she wanted inch into higher branches. What if it shot out poison that would paralyze her? Yet to go higher would give flying predators an advantage over her. She couldn't risk it. Instead, she started forward again until she came in sight of all the noise. Perched on the wide limb, she stared in open surprise at what lay before her. A small clearing with a wounded guy obviously dying of vulture dining. And a vulture sparing with a human female. The female had blades. That was a start. Better weapon choice than her pole. Still, to do so without group effort was... new.

A growl behind her raised the hairs of her neck. Amber turned and saw a large black dog stepping out of the brush below her. His eyes squarely on hers. And it sent shivers up and down her spine. Looking back at the girl fencing below and then at the dog stalking her, Amber stayed frozen in the tree. Better to let the vulture kill them all, giving her a chance at the remains. Face white, Amber leaned back against the trunk of the tree wondering what she had walked into.

Its legs battered and wounded the vulture lunged towards Silver, snapping at her with its massive beak. Her blades flashed through the air again, slicing into its neck from either side. She yanked the blades free of its tough neck, dodged another bite and slashed again, the blades striking right where they had before. This time they finally sliced all the way through and the decapitated bird collapsed. Silver stared down at her vanquished foe for a moment before wiping off her bloody blades.

She now turned her attention the human that Black was holding at bay. "Who are you and what do you seek?" She commanded of the girl in the tree. She shot a super quick glance at the teenager, assessing his wounds quickly.

Keeping to the shadows to help conceal herself from full scrutiny, Amber looked down at the strange girl with white hair. Might be a good idea to not come across as weak. "I came for the entertainment and the spoils of battle that might be left when the vulture won. A bit surprised you won. Shall I kill the boy or do you want that job too?" She was tempted to jump the girl, but it was a good 50 feet down and she had no love of broken bones. So any attempts to surprise anyone was out. That left observation.

"No one will be killed yet," Silver answered moving towards the teen. "Why must everyone jump straight to death," she muttered to herself. Sure she had killed her fair amount of people, especially in this world they now lived in, but she never quite cared for it. She preferred to avoid killing unless threatened or seeing someone else threatened. She had seen plenty of death but she still found a part of her detested it.

She circled around the teenager so that she could still keep an eye on the other girl. Black paced beneath the tree, never taking his eyes of the girl up in it. He continued to growl softly.

"What are you waiting for?" She taunted. "Unless he is your lover, you owe him nothing." This was crazy. As far as Amber was concerned, the girl below must be touched in the head. Despite that though, it was obvious that this battle wouldn't be an easy win for her. Straightening and walking out where another branch extended close by, she leaped to it and started circling the area. "If you want him for yourself, go for it. After dealing with that vulture, you deserve it. Though you must be exhausted making it easier for me to overpower you."

Silver wasn't sure why the girl's words bothered her so much but she felt herself loosing her temper. "If that is what this world has come to, senseless killing just because you can, then perhaps you would be doing me a favor by killing me," she snarled. "Who wants to live in a world where everyone kills each other just because they can."

The teen seemed mostly shaken, with only a few cuts from the vulture's talons, though nothing very deep. She glanced towards the girl who was circling the clearing. Silver noticed Black following the girl around the clearing and she turned back to the teen. She could always trust Black to have her back.

Rolling her eyes at the strange girl's humanitarian nature, Amber felt a bit back the retort. Evidently someone needed a dose of real life. Pulling out her pole and pulling up her face mask in case the fight loosened any poisonous pollen from nearby plants, she started working her way down. Leaping from tree branch to tree branch, she realized that she would have to take out the dog first. A good thump of the head should do it. Then she could focus on the girl.

Reaching the large roots, she balanced on them and looked down the last 10 feet or so to the ground. The black dog stood there growling, the hairs on his neck bristling.

(permission to knock out dog?)

(If you don't kill him, I am good)

Hearing Black's growling intensify, Silver whirled to look at the dog. She instantly noticed that the other girl was preparing for battle. "Really?" She snarled to herself. She turned to the teen. "If you have a weapon, you might want to prepare to protect yourself, I'm probably not going to be able to hold her off long and she seems out to kill you." The young man nodded and looked around for a weapon. "Running is a good option to," she called over her shoulder to the kid as she started towards the new threat.

She reached up, pulling her swords from their sheathes and preparing herself for another battle. Like she did every time she faced an enemy, she wondered if this would be the last battle. There was worse ways she could go than protecting a fellow human. I mean if she had sensed any malice in the teen, she would have been as quick to dispatch him as the other girl seemed. But the young man, seemed genuinely scared and surprised by this world. He must have spent most of his life sheltered somewhere. Yes he needed to toughen up fast if he wanted to survive out here, but that was no reason to kill him. She wasn't sure how or why, in this dog eat dog world, she had kept a streak of compassion. She may have looked and seemed like a killer, and killing was how she had survived, but that streak was still there.

Whirling back around she charged back towards the teen, and raised a sword. But instead of striking a death blow, she sliced of a piece of his torn shirt. "Run as fast and as far as you can," she whispered softly. "I will find you as soon as I can. If you can return to where ever you holed up for so long, do so." She spun away from him and started across the clearing.

The black dog stood his ground as she leaped towards him. Swinging her pole constantly to keep up a shield and to also be able to immediately counter attack, she was more than ready. Kicking a stone at the black dog didn't cause him to attack. He just stood sentry between her and his master. So she improvised and pretended to move past for the strange white haired girl. He attacked. Letting the pole's circling motion knock him away, she brought the pole down quickly in a counter attack on top his head. He wobbled a moment, then fell over. Black out.

Turning, she advanced towards the girl, resuming her pole's steady circling in her hands. Having been in a lot of combat, she was good at reading her opponent's eyes and muscles. This girl showed a strange determination to win. Amber wasn't sure why. Beating the vulture proved her ability to survive. Surely it couldn't be for the boy. He was wounded and could only be a burden. Narrowing her eyes, she took her stance.

She watched Black fall and had to fight the urge to run to his side like a little girl. But the warrior side, the one that had kept her alive so long, commanded her to stand her ground. She eyed her opponent as she stood her ground in the middle of the clearing. Let the other girl come to her.

Silver found herself wondering, as she watched her opponent, why the other girl wanted to kill everyone she met. Yes you couldn't be too careful in this crazy world, but that seemed a little extreme. Besides, you never knew what wisdom you could possibly gain from your fellow man.

Seeing the other girl not advancing, and having a rule of not starting a tense fight as this could be, Amber realized this was an impasse. Smirking, she commented, "You are a strange one." The spoils she could have gained from the boy were gone. This girl was obviously not an easy target. She turned and bounded up some roots and vaulted onto a low branch. Turning, she double checked her opponent to see if she was going to pursue the fight or not. "There is a trading post yonder from here. If you are so intent on saving that boy, take him there." By the time the girl arrived, she will have made her appearance and left. "Just don't be so willing to fight there, they are a closed-group who enjoys uneven numbers."

Silver watched the other girl retreat, and inwardly signed with relief. There would be no fight. She nodded acknowledgement of the other girl's words, but wasn't sure if she dared trust the girl. She waited until the other girl disappeared from sight before, breaking from her battle stance. She sheathed her swords and moved to Black's side just as the dog started to stir. She sighed in relief; he was only stunned and not killed.

She waited until he had had a chance to come around fully and recover. Once he was up and ready to go, she pulled out the scrap that she had cut from the teen's shirt. Might as well go and find the kid. She offered the scrap to Black who inhaled a deep whiff from it and began tracking the scent. He led her off in the direction the boy had run. Silver looked over her shoulder one last time before disappearing from the clearing, wondering if she would ever encounter that girl again.

Seeing that she wasn't being pursued, Amber slipped into the shadows of the large trees and continued her journey towards the trading outpost. It was a good run away and she was perspiring when she reached the outer edges of the forest. Standing there to let herself cool down, she looked out at the metal walled ramshack of a perimeter. It worked. Still, she felt that the people living there were living a rather miserable existence. Someday, she might just give them a taste of their own medicine that they display often towards the creatures of the forest.

Dropping from limb to limb until she was on the ground, Amber made sure to be cautious as she approached the front gates. They knew her and so they didn't rough her up as much as they might have. Knowing if they did, they would get similar treatment when they ventured into the trees. Still, she didn't like them patting her down or asking the questions they asked. Pretending the wilds had addled her mind, she kept silent. Finally being released to go inside.

Walking down the main street of the fort, she looked at the various stores that she could trade at. Pleasure and entertainment seemed to be all anyone thought of. Better ways to eat was definitely not tempting. The forest was enough for her. Instead she went to a secluded and small store in a corner. It was a favorite of hers, mostly for the gadgets and digital devices she could trade for there.

Silver ran through the woods right on Black's trail as he followed the teen's trail. It wasn't long before girl and dog slowed, Black staring at a cluster of bushes. Silver called out softly and with a rustle the bushes parted to show the battered frame of the teenager. "You're alive," he cried in surprise and joy when he say her.

"For now," Silver answered. The teen looked at her in confusion and she eleborated for him. "Out here you never know when your next encounter could be your last. Next time they could be just a tiny bit quicker or a hair stronger and I'm a goner."

"Then why did you risk your life to save me?" The boy asked. Silver shrugged, "guess cause I don't like killing like some people. Out here its necessary to kill, but doesn't mean its always the right option."

Looking over the device, she turned it on. It was a remarkable thing. It let you see heat signatures. Placing it over her left eye, she looked around. It didn't work so well in daylight, but it would be handy if she got caught out in the night again. Let her know the whereabouts of predators. Handing over some of the stuff she had found, she packed her new toy into her bag and left the store.

Walking out, she worked her ways towards the front gate. No point in overstaying her welcome. These men were a rude bunch. She didn't know what the cities were like, but couldn't imagine more people in one place being a good thing. It wasn't long till she was back in the trees.

Silver turned her attention to his wounds. There was on especially deep on but the rest weren't bad. She took off her pack and rummaged through it, finally pulling out the last of her medical supplies: bandaging and a medicinal salve she had learned to make from an old timer. She opened the salve jar and groaned; she was nearly out. She would have to make her way to the trading post to try and find a few ingredients.

For now she rubbed the salve into the worst of the cuts and bandaged them to keep them clean. "There, that will help," she said dropping the things back into her pack and shouldering it. She turned to leave but found the teen following her. "Where are we going?" He asked curiously.

Working her way through the trees, she kept the trading fort in sight. It wouldn't be long until a hunting party left. She aimed to kill one of the men who had thrashed her today. There was a bruise and she didn't like the treatment. If they treated her that way knowing she might ambush them, how would they treat some of the more innocent animals in the forest? Humans were just all bad blood.

Silver stopped and turned to look at the teen. "The girl that wanted to kill you told me about a trading fort," she answered. The teen looked surprised and worried. "Do you think its safe to trust her? She could be sending us into a trap?"

"I need some ingredients to make more of that salve I put on your arm, kid," Silver said impatiently. "Unless you want it to get infected and you die." She spun around and continued walking.

"I am good with not dying," the teen replied. "By the way, my name is Justin and not kid."

(Hope you don't mind me adding another character - Justin - might kill him off later who knows. For now I figured he could follow her around like a puppy and drive her nuts.)

(No, I'm fine with it. Just don't forget your dog!)

Seeing him walking ahead of the group of hunters, she grinned. Now was her moment. They were just in sight of the fort but within the trees. She dropped to the ground and knocked him out cold, pulling his body into the brush. When the hunting party realized one of their own was missing already, they beat it back to the fort. Now she would wait.

It wasn't long before he came to. "Girl, what have you done now?!"

"Knocked some sense into you. How's it feel to know your moments are numbered?" she taunted.

"Like I didn't lick enough sense into you earlier. Ready for seconds?" He angrily replied.

Laughing, she attacked. It was child's play. For every punch and kick she had gotten earlier, she returned. Mercilessly aiming for high pain points. When he lay on the ground at her feet groaning and barely conscious, she grinned, "Say goodbye," and pulled her boot knife out and slit his throat.

That was when she was aware of an audience. The girl she had challenged earlier had just rounded the corner in time to watch shocked as she made her statement and death cut. She simple grinned at her and raised an eyebrow, "Come to the trading fort huh?"

Silver shook off her surprise at what she had just witnessed. She was getting less and less fond of this other girl by each encounter. "I figured it was worth checking out," she answered coldly, watching the girl for any sign of attack. At her side Black growled, his hackles raised. Seemed she wasn't the only one who wasn't fond of their company.

She hadn't yet decided how to handle the situation with the teen. She didn't want to take him into the fort with her, in case a rumble insued, especially since she didn't know if he had any fighting abilities. Now knowing that this girl was hanging around, Silver didn't really want to leave Justin wandering around out here.

"Why do you relish killing?" She asked, her pale eyes studying the girl before her. That was something, even in this rough and tumble world, that you could not understand. How could someone take pleasure from snuffing out the life of their fellow man especially for no reason other then that they could.