"Ah. You were a little slower that time," Kostya said. "So, your gran made this stuff humans like to drink because .... it makes their head hurt?" The stag shook his head in disbelief. "I will never understand these humans." He sighed.

"And why do you call me 'almighty'? The gems that I spark melt into nothing in the dawn light unless some sort of care is taken. If you have never heard the story about the first Silvershod stag, I will have to tell it to you sometime. It is almost more bother to have the silver than the bother of choosing a new king stag some other way, what with all the trouble these humans cause by their hunts."

"Thank you for telling me that more humans have come to hunt for me. A month stay sounds like they mean serious business. How many of them are there? And do they have horses? Or dogs? Or falcons? Do they have pack mules? Or boats?" His questions came in a rush, eager for more news.

Zash pounced down from a branch and infront of the stag. He had a hidden intention to scare him a little. But he couldn't help it - it was fun. And the colourful grove always awakened a child in him. For this guy, it meant being a prankster.

He wanted to speak but then noticed the Nymph's fast voice. She was saying a lot... And something about humans.

"Er, I think I'm not going to be of use. Only to cut the blabber short - humans are coming," Zash said and went closer to the little creature to have a sniff and make sure that it is what his eyes showed him.

[OOC: I hope you don't mind... but Kseniya doesn't really leave her river. I'm just going to say it runs through the forest, the whole way through. I hope that's not too inaccurate. o:]

Kseniya was bored out of her brains. She started swimming through the lower water, a slow and calming journey. She popped her head out to check for people, but so far, she hadn't seen anyone. She was distracted by swimming, and only checked every once in a while.

Finally, when she popped her head out, she was at the narrowest part of the river. It was barely enough for her to fit through the stream-like water. She saw the stag. Spotted him. Her wide eyes grew, curious at it. She was careful, trying not to be seen, keeping only her eyes above water. Her body crumpled beneath the sruface in an attempt to stay hidden. The result would be a bent fish girl in a thin river, mostly visible to the others. Apparently, she'd failed at hiding herself.

Would spying really do harm?

"So! There you are, you little imp," said Kostya when he saw Zash. "The humans have arrived already?" The stag craned his neck looking all about. "I should have smelled them long ago if they were nearby." He turned back to Zash and said, "You need to give me more details. How many humans are there? And if they are not here, where are they exactly?"

Kostya slowly edged toward the stream nearby. Something unusual in the water had caught his attention, and he wanted a closer look.

"There were... Some. About five. They're not very deep in the forest yet and currently resting," Zash said in a serious voice. Kostya's rather concerned face made him put the jokes away. Either it was respect or actual fear.

Kseniya dropped her head beneath the surface. She was no match for a regular pair of eyes, let alone the stag's. She could be easily seen if you just looked for more than two seconds. When she realized it, she finally lifted her chest above the surface, offering a sheepish lok and a bit ofa "Sorry." She was obviously eavesdropping.

"Aah! So, it's not a royal hunt then. You had me worried there for a moment, Zash," said Kostya, relaxing. "Dealing with royal hunts is quite a bother, but these interlopers sound like we can have some fun with them." His tail twitched excitedly, and he had a mischievous grin. "I should head to the mountains to spark some gems for a merry chase," he said pawing the air with his front hooves.

"Ho ho!," the stag said turning around to face the new visitor who gracefully rose from the stream. "And whom do we have here, if I may ask? Come to join the game, have you?"

Zash grinned at the mention of fun. He liked that part of that stag. If it weren't this sense of fun in him, he'd never work for him. What fun would be spying for some boring guy who wouldn't laugh? None! He wondered what Kostya had in mind though.

"Hm?" he turned towards the person who revealed herself from the water. He's only heard warnings about the creatures of the water.

Kseniya smiled, lifting herself until her waste down as the only part in the water... so she could breathe. She bowed her head respectfully when she was acknowledged, her eyes brightening when she heard the word 'game'. "There's a game?" She inquired, her voice high and excited. She started running fingers through her blonde, wet hair. Her anticipating eyes shifted from one character to the next, accepting their appearance.

"Ho ho! Yes, there is a game a hoof and it's called 'fool the human'," said Kostya. "We start our merry chase with letting them exhaust themselves running deeper and deeper into the forest. Then, just when they are about to give up, they get one tiny peek at us. And oh what a frenzy they will work themselves into then. And if I think they have played well, I may even let them take home a jewel."

"Sounds good," Zash approved. "But the first part will mostly be them walking around. We just watch them at that? That sounds... Boring." He pondered and took some other glances at the blonde.

"But we don't have to watch them walk around," said Kostya. "We just have to make them do it." The stag grinned as he gave a little impatient prance in place. "Shall you join us?" he asked the blond stranger in the river.

Kseniya's eyes lit up more than necessary. She started pulling herelf out of the water, dragging her and her tail until she was finally flopped on her back on a bank. She couldn't breathe for a moment or two, but heaved in breathes through her mouth. This was, perhaps, the most painful part. The young lady gasped for breathe until finally, her tail split in two and the scales sunk into her skin, each fin shrinking into feet. She was naked.

The Rusalka stood, nodding. She was listening more than before, about the game. Now she was more excited. "That sounds like fun!" She enthused, a cheery smile on her scrumptious lips seemed almost uncharacteristic. "I'd love to... but..." For a second, she pondered wether or not to ask. "Can I have my own fun?" And how, her eyes were pleading int he same tone as her voice. "Pleeease?" Finally, her lips pushed into an irresistable pout. If only they were human. Humans found her irresistable... but regular ol' forest folk likely wouldn't.

Kostya watched with curiosity as this girl from the river transformed herself. How vastly different a watery creature this one was from Quilo.

The stag considered the Rusalka's words for a moment. "And what, pray tell, would your 'own fun' be?", he asked. "As long as the humans are not killing my people, or making the forest unlivable in some manner, I bother with them little."

Quilo had been sitting like a frog and listening the entire time. When the lady in the water spoke up, Quilo jumped into the air and started to speak.

"EEP. No! Dear girl, that is so very bad! Do not do said action until necessary! It only bothers the humans, then the humans bother us! Burn our trees! Steal our land! Dig deep and leave gigantic holes in search of who knows what! And the dead bodies only pollute the water! I have had to clean up after you some times you know!"

Quilo tried to sound stern, but only sounded frantic and scared. Her voice was shrill and was astounded that a creature would find that for pleasure.

"Our king has a point, you know! They have not harmed us yet. Maybe when they do, you can take action! But please, don't until then!"

Somehow, Quilo knew what the river girl was talking about. It appeared to horrid for Quilo to say it by name, but she sure mentioned her opinion on it.

"And are you really sure that taunting them is wise? I mean, it would only intrigue them more! They are staying here for a whole month, I have heard yes I have! Maybe keeping our distance is the best idea? Then they will only trifle through and waste time? I heard something about a deal, I did. Gran's juice is terribly tempting. Maybe it was for exchange of that? And a gem of a souvenir might be good. Maybe they will leave sooner, they might? I do not know if I shall join your game. It sounds awfully fun, but this is a dillemma we have here! A predicament! An enigma! A PROBLEM! What ever shall we do? Fun and games will only make things worse! I would know! My family has a whole line of trickster and prank addicts! They have no life, but the life of a criminal, yes they do! But I prefer to have no way in their horrid deeds!" she said the last line while squinting at Kseniya.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. I do like fun and games, but this might be going to far! As far as my family might go, or maybe farther! That is going against my beliefs it does. And maybe most of the forest aswell! I mean really now, my family does tricks, but small meager ones. Tripping humans, creating puddles or droughts, then showering with down pours of rain. And that is the worst they get! Interaction is not good, it is not. Why do you want to encourage it so?"

She wasn't babbling as bad as before, which was good, for it got her point laid out better. It appeared that she was strongly against doing what the others wanted to do. She seemed to wish to run now, and return when it was safe.

"Giving a prize is certainly not a good idea. They might return for more," Zash said. The human-like female's transormation looked quite amazing but he tried not to show signs of surprise. "Our game can just be scaring them away. Humans don't like to go near haunted places; that I know." The feline sat down twirling his tail around his body, feeling that the discussion may take a while. The talkative nymph brought up some good points.

Little Miss Naked flicked her eyes to the nymph. Suprise was caught in her eye a moment, at hwo many words the female fit into a breathe or two. Her lips parted, raising a single eyebrow with some skepticism. What kind of water figure could she be to be kind, even fearful of humans. "Oh, please. One or two humans won't tip the scale too far." A momentary lapse of people's faces crept into her mind, bodies and spirits trapped in her river. "Believe me." Her words were uncommonly innocent. She didn't want to, but she accidently ignored the King's words.

"As I said, River Maid. If the humans are not bothering us, I have little dealing with them," said Kostya firmly. "Quilo is right. If we give them a reason to continue to bother us, they will only give us more grief. As for a prize of a jewel; they would get one only at the very end, and only if I thought they were deserving. And by deserving, I mean that they would take it gladly and leave -- for good."

The dawn light might still be gray, but the stag clearly saw that this newcomer could easily bring more trouble than help to their effort. He pondered what might happen if he brushed her company off. If trustworthy Qulio did not keep an eye on her, this blond siren could cause an incident with consequences beyond compare. Quilo, however, could aid their cause best by staying with them. Wisdom dictated that they should bring the river maid along, too.

He sat quietly and listened to what others said. Everything seemed clearer now and Zash believed that they could handle a few humans. He wasn't sure if they had those weapons with them though... The sound and the consequences of those are dreadful.

"Oy! Git up yew!" one of her comrades said, lightly kicking Coleane.

"Nurmphg," her moaned reply was. Covering her ears and cradling her head she lay on the ground. "Shuttup yew twit. Yer voice could break a whole wall of boulders right now. Ever hear of whisperin'?"

He laughed and responded, "Stewpid girl and their lack of power! We men, are immune to our potent brew of liquor! I could down twelve barrels of that stuff, and still walk straight!"

"Yeah, you go do that," she said as she staggered to stand up. The world started to spin and she sat back down. "Bloody..."

"Cum on now!" he replied to her pain with an extended hand. "We gotta git goin' if yew want to get some more of our rum!"

"If rum makes my head feel like its been bombarded with cannons and screamin', then I think I'll pass." Pushing his hand aside, she stood up again and let her hands fall from her head to her belt.

"Forward we go..." she sighed and squinted her eyes. "And down I will stay," she moaned as her butt hit ground again.

"Bloody girl, do I have to carry yew? This is what some of the folks call a 'hangover', cause the effects hang on over til da next day."

Coleane abruptly turned on the ground as last night's dinner and everything else came pouring out of her mouth. She shuddered and moaned some more.

"Fine," he said with a sigh and picked her up. He flung her over his left shoulder and called to his men as she upchucked some more on the ground behind him.

"Time to leave scoundrels! You," he pointed, "Git this lass some water."

"Shuttup. If yer voice breaks a wall of bricks, then what dew ya think its doin' ta ma head?" she called out angrily.

"Sorry miss, I'll shush up now. You get some rest, we can break into the forest without your orders."


[[ Sorry for typing as I did. I just couldn't resist. I would normally type this way for my first post with Coleane, but I was worried you wouldn't be able to understand. I don't think its that bad, and as you can see, she has an accent. Its even worse when she is drunk. And my first post would have been so much better if I typed that way, but no point in editing it now. ]]

[OOC: No, Eserel. I can understand what you are trying to say just fine.]

"Dawn is coming. We should be away from here," said Kostya to his fellow conspirators. "It would not do for them to find us so early in the game." He gave them a sly wink.

The stag turned and headed for the mountains some days travel away. He made his steps brisk and his stride long as he left the grove of cedar behind.