A Gloomy Evening

[Mira Nightingale]

The walk to the cemeteries took over an hour, and by the time Mira got there dusk had already fallen. A bitter wind ripped through the trees, blowing leaves and twigs around her feet, which were clad only in small, green, slipper-like shoes. In her hands was a small carton of tiny flowers that had just sprouted. She, in turn, was wearing a simple, modest dress of green velvet, with a modest neckline and a flowing hem. The material of the dress kept her warm enough, but the thick emerald colored cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders provided the most warmth to her bare shoulders.

That was how Mira entered the cemetery. She would have come on horseback, but ever since the accident she was afraid to get back on a horse. She wasn’t even sure if she would ever get over her fear of almost being crushed by her horse, and every time she thought about it she got the shivers.

The cemetery was dark and gloomy, and with a twinge of fear Mira thought she saw something creeping along the trees. She should never have come this late. She wouldn’t be able to get home before dark fell now, since the shadows of night were already creeping around.

That thought in her mind Mira picked up her pace as she headed in the direction of her uncle’s grave, her dark red hair blowing behind her in the wind.

[Trixice]

Someone was indeed creeping along the trees; her dark, faded grey cloak billowing out around her ankles as she walked. Solid boots thumped against the earth quietly as she strolled, her gloved hands deep in her pockets and her age-old hat pulled down low over her coal-cropped hair. A sliver of moonlight was raking down through the trees, occasionally illuminating the figure and splaying light on the tattoo's that adorned her jawline so intricately.

Trixice weaved around high tombstones, coming to pace silently now, along a path heading for a row of knee-high graves; a family perchance. The necklace she wore had a small skull dangling as it's main pendant, with some animal's teeth adorning the sides, alongside the occasional golden bauble for show. The gold in those baubles seemed to match with precision, the only copper-gold eye that was visible under the curvedbrim of this woman's hat.

That eye, was set on the girl up ahead, an unreadable smirk gracing the rusty-brown painted lips of this woman as her painted-black nails curved into her palms in the depth of her cloak pockets. She breathed mystery.

"Good eve." She hissed in a husky yet feminine voice.

[Mira Nightingale]

Mira let out a sigh of relief as she made it to the grave. She instantly kneeled down, smoothing her skirts around her feet as she started to quickly and efficiently transplant the flowers to the grave. She did this every year on this day, and every year the previous flowers were always dead. Whether someone killed them, dug them up, or if they just died because of the soil or the weather, she did not know. She was never around long enough to witness the death of the flowers, and she didn’t ever plan to be either.

Once the flowers were done being planted, Mira stood up slowly, shaking out her skirts to remove any dirt or dust that had adhered to the green velvet material. She gathered up her basket, little watering can and small shovel, and started to turn around, when a low but obviously female voice spoke from eerie closeness.

Mira froze in her tracks and then, shivering slightly not only from the cold she turned around to face the owner of the voice. The woman was wearing a long gray cloak, large solid boots, and an old hat. She had close, coal-cropped hair, and several tattoos along her jaw line. What creeped Mira out the most, however, was the necklace that the woman wore. The necklace was a skull, along with animal teeth and a golden bauble.

Mira forced her eyes away from the woman and forced a painful smile to her face. “Um… yes, yes it is.” she replied politely, her eyes darting to either side of the woman to see if she could get around her without too much trouble. “What uh… brings you here tonight?” she asked her, licking her lips which had gone suddenly dry.

[Alezand Jozlyn, Allaine Knight]

Alezand stood crouched, watching intently. Night time was a lousy time for someone to wander to the cemetary, so when he saw Mira headed that way, he followed, silently, to make sure nothing unpleasant happened to her. Just being the hero. After all, it washis mission to root out evil. And a better oppourtunity then with enticing bait in the cemetary at the dead of night. He saw the dark figure weaving between the stones long before it reached Mira. He sat, waiting, his midnight blue cloak and hood draping him within the shadows. Even good guys can thrive in darkness, and stealth was one of Alezands best traits.

[Saphira Siparti of Elvinoire]

An raven landed with a slight flutter on the headstone very near the young man. Its sharp head rotated left and right...observing.
But beuase of its position, it failed to notice the boy.
SIlently, it hopped out of sitght behind the head stone...and a moment later, hte form of a crouching girl, willowly and lithe appeared int he layered shadows. Something silver glinted in her hand.

[Alezand Jozlyn, Allaine Knight]

Alezand peered around the tombstone that was his hiding place, and his eyes fell on the crouched girl. hmm, this just keeps on getting more interesting. He silently strined to hear what mira was saying to the cloaked stalker, while his eyes remained fixed on the shapeshifter.

[Saphira Siparti of Elvinoire]

Saphira's eyes were fixed upon the mysterious women she had met at the amrket so long ago. Her hand slipped into her cloak, and the sliver glinting light disappered. Saphira's slightly shadowed features showed a satisfied smile.
Right again. NOt many more to go. But she stayed where she was, keeping to the deepest of shadows, er own person, but crouching slightly higher, shifting her balance to the lower center of gravity, her hands reading, concentrating. Her eyes locked on the faint blue aura, oblivious to all.

[Alezand Jozlyn, Allaine Knight]

Alezand lay in wait, ready to take action at the moments notice. He would be silent in his execution of action. He was sure that he was still inperceptible at the moment to all the players on the field. Stealth was truley one of Alezand's best skills. He crept slowly closer to the shapeshifter while still atuned to the distant conversation. he was ready. not nessisarilly deadly force, but to do what he must...

[Saphira Siparti of Elvinoire]

One more confirmation, then she would strike alone.
Alright. She's wearing that dreadful coat again. Not that it isn't fashionable. Prettier than yours at anyrate...
Kat. I'm not wearing a coat. I don't even WEAR coats. Its cloaks. I think your volcabulary is on the - wait. Shut up. You're distracting me.
Took you long enough. Anyway. You need to get closer.
Alright. I'll try.
You should ahve stayed a raven.
You said you couldn't see it properly if I was holding up an illusion!
yea well, If you could truly shape shift then...
Alright, alright. I'll move. Just keep quiet.

Then it seemed as if she evaporated. Well, she simply moved pretty fast, the next second, behind a large and knarled yew that was better positioned for her to observe the women and more shadows. Plus there was wind, so moving shadows. Good.

[Alezand Jozlyn, Allaine Knight]

Alezand didn't like this one bit. Mira didn't seem in immediate danger from the first stranger, but the raven woman was definitely up something that he didn't like. He crept after her, his dark cloak held close at to not blow in the wind. Now that he was closer, he identified the voice of Trixice as the first unknown. Hmm, he thought. Trixice, and now a raven shapeshifter..." Realization dawned on him. It made him all the more ready, on edge. Had to do something. An urge tugged at him to warn Trixice and Mira. But that would alert her as well, he thought. He had to act quickly...

[Saphira Siparti of Elvinoire]

Then she saw. A shadow. Moving. With deliberation. God. She had been seen. She cursed herself for being so careless. If the moving shadows concealed her, they could just as well conceal another. Oh the naiveity!

Kat had seen the figure too.
Move move move! Do something! Turn yourself invisible!
She gritted her teeth in cold fustration.
I can't do that yet Kat, Why dont you just shut up?
Do something! RUN!
they'll see me!
They already have!!
Ok. Don't panic, she told herself. She was not breaking any laws here. She was entitled for a walk...ok, a sneak around graveyards at this hour. it was a free country wasn't it? Alright.
Then an idea came to her. Readying herself, she took a breath, and jumped, swiging onto the branch of the yew. She hid herself in the leaves. Great. Great view. Great hiding place.
She was congratulating herslef when...

[Alezand Jozlyn, Allaine Knight]

Twak!! went the flashing blade of the Allaine Knight. He quicky closed the distance between him and Saphiri before she spotted him and accended in the tree. with a swift leap, the sword cut clean through the branch and down came Saphiri, tumbling out in front of Alezand, who stood at the ready in a poised crouch. He breath was even as he cold blue eyes stared holes into the woman before him...

[Saphira Siparti of Elvinoire]

Saphira cursed under her breath, landing, catlike on the thinly coated ground of leaves and twigs and such. She rolled once, piviting to face whoever it was. She already knew. Of course. It was most unfortunate, and most annoying. He had a way of getting into all the things she wanted to do in her leisure, and had the knack of stopping her getting whatever pleasures she wanted. Someone with a lot of morals and such. She hissed quietly like a feline, bt such as it was, she preferred not to fight. She didn't like to clang around with her rapier...not really. Unless she had to.

She was quick on her feet, light and gracefull. But she did not draw her rapier. She did not really believe in fighting with swords and such.
She made sure there was a distance between her and that ever so annoyingly interferring Alezand. Jeesh. She was only taking a look. A night time stroll you could say. Obviously, you couldn't do that around here. Honestly.

Plently of Yew trees. Something of a ward off evil plant in cemetries. And this time, she made sure she was up high enough so that you couldn't get to her. She jumped, swung lithely, and she was safe, one feet on the main branch, and holding herself up by a small levitating spell. Just in case.

Another reason she didn't want to clang swords was that would attract far too much attention. She squinted through the dark foliage.
Just a few more moments. And she could be sure. And next time, she would make sure that this Alezand wasn't around to take the fun away.

[Mira Nightingale]

Suddenly, Mira’s eyes were torn away from the creepy looking woman in front of her as a branch from a nearby tree fell and hit the ground, along with a woman. Mira’s eyes sought out the cause of the crash, and saw a familiar form- Alezand. Relieved, but slightly ashamed for being either lost or frightened when he was around, she hurried past the woman and toward Alezand. Maybe if he wasn’t too busy he could walk with her back to the city. The walk was awfully boring by herself, and the elongated shadows of the ever-approaching darkness were quite creepy.

The woman swung up into another one of the trees, and Mira decided to give that tree a wide berth. The other woman, the one who had spoken to her, hadn’t moved from her earlier position so Mira decided to just ignore her. Instead, she walked over to Alezand.

“Who was that?” she asked him, indicating not only the woman in tree, but the weird unmoving woman by the grave as well. “And I’m sorry we always meet in rather unfortunate circumstances.”