[RPG] [Atamara] [Tal/Abby] Riamh: The hunter and the hunted...

[Kimberly Amthor]

OOC -- This RP actually wasn't written by me...thanks to Rob Baar for
releasing the copywrite. ;) He seems to have captured Riamh's essence
masterfully!

---

Geoffrey awoke in his makeshift bed shortly after sunset in Axzaloc.
It was not often that he had to take such precautions within his own
borders, but he was tracking someone who did not want to be found. And
the hunter must think like the game lest the tables be turned.

One of his scouts greeted him with a full report of the days activity
in Axzaloc. A trail had been discovered right before sunset, a trail
that would not be noticed by anyone other than Geoffrey or one of his
elite scouts. It was possible that this was the trail of the
Infiltrator that he had wounded two days earlier in Axtili, and
tonight he would make sure.

Quickly grabbing his gear he headed to the place where the trail had
been uncovered. A thick bramble at the base of the mountains leading
to Chocxal. The untrained eye or even a normal scout would dismiss it
as an animal trail, but the pattern was all wrong. Inspecting closer
the final clue was revealed, a patch of blood. It was too high in the
thicket to be from an animal and it was still moist. She was not far
ahead.

The trail was leading to the West so he dispatched most of his scouts
into Axzaloc to secure mounts so they could hopefully outflank her and
be waiting when she tried to cross into another region. They would
spread out to cover Mapaxal, Mapaan, Ptaphoc and Quetli. The rest of
his scouts he sent back to try and uncover the trail further East, and
to prevent the Assassin from doubling back in the moonless night.
Geoffrey would follow the trail alone. She was wounded and in a
foreign land, he should be able to catch her before sunrise.

The path wound along the foothills of the mountains. There were many
false paths and double backs, she was wounded but she was still being
very careful. She was good, but he was better. Coming into a clearing
he spotted a light up ahead. He knew he was close to the road that led
into Choxcal, and this must be the guard station up ahead. Surveying
his path down to the guard station he spotted her. She was just
outside the range of the torches, and was nimbly making her way around
the guards. She was breaking away from the foothills and heading
toward a bustling little village a short distance away. Geoffrey knew
he had to catch her soon, or she might disappear in the crowd.

Throwing any thoughts of stealth out of the way he began to bound down
the rocky path. She immediately was alarmed and leapt from her spot in
an attempt to get away. Surprisingly she ran toward the guard post
frantically waving her arms. It was not until Geoffrey was just a few
yards away that he heard was she was screaming.

"Assassin! Assassin! Guards!! Seize him!!!"

The startled guards rushed out to find Geoffrey running toward them
and what they thought a damsal in distress. Geoffrey attempted to bull
rush through them, but they were too many and overwhelmed him pinning
him to the ground. Geoffrey looked up and saw her face. It was her,
Riamh Aice, and she was smiling. With a wink she disappeared once
again into the shadows.