Gareth already didn't like the other Silencer and he certainly didn't like the way he was trying to buddy up with the other members of the party. Not to be out done, Gareth went to the chest he used to store weapons and pulled out a number of things. Among them, a set of throwing knives, an old practice bow and a tightly sealed jar. He placed the Jar on the table, went to his cabinet and pulled out a second smaller quiver and a large pair of gloves. He walked over to Akira and handed her the old bow and arrows. "They haven't seen action in years but they should still work."

He walked back to the table, giving Aaroth a dirty look in the process and laid his quiver of arrows, about twenty and his holster holding ten throwing knives onto the table. He then placed one hand over his mouth, looked back at everyone and called out to them "You may want to stand back and hold your breath or leave the room." and then undid the bindings on the jar and opened it.

The putrid fumes filled the room and everyone started coughing. Gareth whinced and gave a grimmaced look and spoke to them "Don't breath it in!" He then took out an arrow and dibbed the arrowhead into the jar a few times and pulled the arrow out. The laquer gave the arrow head a black color. Gareth faced away from the jar and everyone and blew on the arrowhead a few times to dry the laquer. Once it was dry, he placed it in the quiver and pulled out another arrow and repeated the process. He did this until all his arrows and the blades of his throwing knives were covered in the laquer. The process was slow but once he was done, he placed the lid ontop of the jar and bound it tightly and then placed the jar back into the chest.

Eventually the smell disipated and Gareth removed his hand from his mouth. The large gloves he wore would need to be washed. He looked at his guests who were recovering from the stench. "Special poison." He told them, recalling the dead man in the forest with the grizzly visage that became his face thanks to the poison spreading through his veins. "Made from poisonous plants and other chemicals. It doesn't smell when dried but you don't even want to meet the guy who has to cook it."

He then went to his closet and pulled out a small traveler's coat with a veiled hood and gave it to Akira. "Remember." he told her and looked up. "Out there. You're still dead. It wouldn't be wise to have a dead girl wondering about. Even at night."

Going back to the table. He took the holster for his throwing knives and wrapped it around tight around his left thigh. He then put on his overcoat and then strapped on the quiver and bow. He looked at the traveling party. "Well. Shall we?"

Aaroth looked at Gareth, his eyes giving off a sense of confusion, but his face was unmoved. Did he just try to one up me for no reason? He then watched as Gareth pulled out the jar and the gloves. This can't be good. His past experiences told him that now was a good time to hold his breath, before Gareth opened the jar. The fumes of the poison stung Aaroth's nose, and he coughed only once before covering his face with his own hand. After Gareth closed the jar Aaroth flung the door open, trying to vent the fumes, and he stood outside the doorway catching his breath. What was that ass trying to do, kill us all so he could poison his weapons? What the hell is that junk anyway? Aaroth continued to roll off a few curses in his head, thinking about how stupid that was to use the stuff indoors. Hearing Gareth announce that he was ready, Aaroth headed out the door and waited outside. He didn't care at this moment if Gareth realized that he was disturbed by his careless action.

Akira was perplexed.. she did take both but didn't know what to do... She felt that she'd be in trouble if she tried to give one or the other back. She just blushed and wondered why they were being so nice to her all of a sudden. She had placed the dagger into the back of her sash and let it rest on her hip. She also placed the quiver strapping over her left shoulder and let it hang under the new cloak Gareth gave her. Placing the cloak on. Akira put the bow over her right shoulder and waited quietly on the bed.

When Gareth opened the jar, Akira felt a pain in her nose and throat, but it soon passed. She almost zoned out when Kai made it so that it wouldn't bother her that much but she did cover her face with her tunic. Hiding Kai's subtle glow as well.

Akira was relieved when Gareth was done and saw from the corner of her eye as Aaroth left the room. Well, actually. Kai had seen him leave. Akira just wondered if this was a sign of trouble to come?

Gareth smiled slightly as he watched Aaroth leave. In truth he didn't even need to poison the arrows and knives. If he did, only poisoning one would have been more than enough. No. He decided to do that for "insurance" purposes. He didn't trust the other Silencer even if he was his brother and he wouldn't be taken any chances with him.

Once he was fully prepared, he guided Akira out of the sanctuary. It would be morning soon and they couldn't waist much time. Akira could only remain dead to the world for so long.

Once outside the town, dawn was breaking and Gareth took several steps forward and stood infront of the group as they stood infront of the gate and pointed up at the mountain in the north east. "Our destination is up there. I'll save how we get to the city from the mountain once we get there but for now, we can either take the roads or we could go through the forest." he moved his hand to point at the direction the road took and then pointed at the great forest. "The roads are safer, but it would take atleast a week to get to the mountain and these roads are used by others, and we don't look like your average hunting party. If we go through the forest, if we stop only to rest when it is needed, we could make it to the mountain in three to four days. But, some of us know the risks of going in there." He looked straight at Akira when he made that remark. He put the hood from his overcoat over his head and tied the belt to completely conceal the shroud armor he wore underneath. He knew that he could make it to the mountain in two days if he was by himself but with the group, better safe than sorry. "Akira, it's your call. Do we take the roads? Or traverse through the forest?"

Akira looked around and knew that possibly Shakan'Dar would be the only one with bad luck traveling in through the forest. But she also knew the patterns of what to look for to detect danger. She had been living there her entire life. She would feel the safest there, as long as she had a bit of help that is...

Akira looked back at Gareth and the the others. She didn't need to speak her thoughts. All she needed to do was walk towards the forest and walk under the branches. Hearing and smelling all the scents she was used to. Akira quickly got up to a bit of a jog as she found one of the elven paths to follow. Waiting up for the rest to catch up as she quickly got a snack of sweet black berries before picking a few for the others. Listening all the while to hear if there was anything near that she had to be weary of.

Shakan'Dar scoffed at the road, as he followed Akira into the forest. He would be more at home in the shadows of the forest than on the open road anyway. He knew that if he used shadow-walking, he could be at the mountains summit before most of the others would probably reach the halfway point. He gave Gareth a considering look. Most of the others, but not all. As he followed her, he again felt the sense of impending destiny that he felt when he looked at her for too long. It felt like his mind was racing and everything seemed to be leading up to a monumental occasion that he could not escape even if he wished to. He blinked, and in that blink, the vision came to him again.

....His master began the incantation that would send the demon back. The portal, which had been swirling slowly reversed in direction, and the creature took a step backwards. It seemed to slowly get sucked back into the portal. As the final stages where occurring, his master suddenly cried out, went rigid, and fell to the floor. The gateway collapsed around the demon and it seemed to vanish. Whether it had been returned or not, he didn't know, but he knew that his master was in trouble. He went over to his master and saw an arrow protruding from his back. He pulled out the arrow, and on the arrowhead was etched a symbol which was now all too familiar to Shakan'Dar....

His eyes opened, and if anyone was looking, pure and utter fury would have left their spine chilled. He looked over at Gareth, and in a flash, his sword was out and pointed at Gareth's throat threateningly.

"You and your Brotherhood have much to answer for! Do you know anything about a contract on a master of the Yhai Mal Kin? If you do, you will tell me who was responsible, or so help me, I'll have your head!" Shakan'Dar's breathing was ragged with fury, and his eyes constantly flicked over to Aaroth, just in case there was a closer tie between the two Silencers than had been seen so far.

"Well? Speak!" Shakan'Dar had never experienced such feelings of rage before. He tried to calm himself. Balance was the key, but at the moment, all his thoughts of calm where like pouring a teaspoon of water onto a raging inferno.

Aaroth looked back over his shoulder. He'd been up front for most of the short trek thay'd been on so far. He would usually have never said anything in this case, but he felt that he had to speak up. Despite him thinking Gareth was a bumbling idiotic moron, he was still a Silencer of the Brotherhood, and this was a direct attack to the Brotherhood and all it stood for.

"Its against the Brotherhood's code to discuss past contracts with outsiders." He said very plainly. He looked Shakan'Dar in the eyes as they shifted from himself to Gareth. "And if you value your life you'll put that sword of yours away." He looked off into the mountains up ahead. He ran over how he felt about Gareth again in his head. Gareth was usually much louder than the other Silencers in his contracts. The two Silencers on the furthest sides of the stealth spectrum were standing there: the quietest, and the most agressive; and if Shakan'Dar made a move, he'd be killed swiftly. He had to reitterate to himself that despite his feelings, Gareth was still a brother, for now anyway.

"The code." Gareth repeated with a sneer. He walked casually up to Aaroth and whispered so the others couldn't hear.

"If you want to bring up articles of proper etiquette and the tenets, brother. Then why don't we start on the tenets and rules of deception and betrayel towards your own kin. You told us you were sent here to make sure things are running smoothly. But we know good and well that when a Silencer is sent to a different sanctuary. It's only to tend to the master's interests. Even more so when they send a Silencer to work with another."

His fingers casually strummed the hidden knives kept on his thigh as he continued. "If I'm your target then you can try to kill me here and now. Who knows. You may get lucky or your Speaker will get a parcel containing your dagger and a letter of condolences. But if your or your master's motives are more sinister... Make no mistake. I'll find out and when I do I will personally bring about your reckoning."

He stared at Aaroth with the same arogant stare of Jarmal's. "Now smile so they don't think something is wrong."

Gareth turned to face the others, his face a cool careless mask. "Well then. Shall we be off?" He walked past Aki and Shakan' Dar and cleared the bushes of grass and twigs and stepped into the forest once again. His eyes staring into the distance with a menacing glare.

Akira saw Gareth quickly walk past. She wasn't about to say anything. Since she didn't know what they were talking about. But she did know it had to do with something from the past and her living a life of solitude in the Taliam Forrest didn't help. When Gareth first brought her out into the town where the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary was located. It was her first time in a actual city.

The trek through the forest was nice for her. It made her feel somewhat at home and she'd walk through the brush and trees like she knew where to go. Kai also felt the calmness and even joy in Akira. She was having a bit of fun and she wasn't about to let it go to waste. Kai blinked and kept watch. He finally surveyed the surroundings around Akira and just noticed the emblem of what Shakan'Dar's armor was of. He closed his eye and thought about it. It was an old symbol he had seen long ago... sadly, Kai couldn't remember where.

As Kai thought about the symbol, Akira was keeping a steady speed through the forest. She was actually keeping her speed at a faster pace than what she thought the rest were going. Since she did pass Gareth a few times and even disappeared from their sight all together.

She left for a few occasions but came back quickly. One time she had even found food in the way of a Zanaberry tree. they were good to keep up stamina in travelers. She picked enough for the entire group and decided to jump trees to get back to them. Picking three hard leather like gourd fruits the were called Nega Melons. They were filled with just a sweet juice. But could be turned around and used as water gourds for a few weeks.

Grabbing all these things and using her new bow from Gareth to shoot down a few Kekki Birds. She got back on track and found the party just after midday.

When Akira found them from seeing their foot prints in the soft underbrush, she kept to the trees and made her way to the left side of them. Making almost no sound when moving through the trees. She loved this ability she had learned from her adoptive parents and would never forget their kindness.

Akira thought it was fun doing this and didn't leave the tree tops. She kept going until a few birds started to follow her in the trees. Chirping at her in a happy tune. She hummed to them and they flew off and came back after with some medicinal herbs and flowers. She gladly took them and thanked the birds. She wasn't able to fully understand like her elven parents. But she knew a few things.

Akira stopped her jumping and stood on a branch... looking over at something and then jumped higher into the trees canopy... Seeing definitely that there was something up ahead. Jumping back down the tree and hopping over to a branch just ahead of where Gareth was walking, Akira jumped down to the ground and hurriedly walked over to him. "I think we'll have a bit of trouble further up this way... I think some monster destroyed the main elven bridge over a small crevice. I've been around this area. But the other, more unstable bridge is a few miles over to the East." Akira said as she hoisted the Kekki Birds back into place on her back. They were the size of farmer's chickens, but were more dark meat than white. The hearts were also used in medicine but Akira didn't know how. They did taste good, however, roasted over a fire.

Gareth nodded as he hiked through the woods with the others. If he started sprinting now, he could make it to the mountain by the next evening but here he was. He heard Aki speak but wasn't paying attention. Having another Silencer around just didn't make sense. He would get to the bottom of it even if it killed him. He laughed knowing that in his line of work, it probably might.

"The road to the east..." A slight shudder went up his spine. The path was narrow and it went along a drop off to a gorge. the shudder was of fear and excitement and opprotunity. Perhaps he could be rid of his problem if he took that road. But it had it's dangers aside from its terrain and he stayed away from it whenever he could. He thought of Akira and himself. How though he wasn't raised by elves, he certainly knew his way around the forest and this girl, who though she lived in the forest, ironically lived a sheltered life.

His musings came to a halt and stopped dead in his tracks. He held a hand up telling others to halt. He didn't know if Akira noticed but there wasn't enough time. He knocked and arrow and aimed dangerously in Akira's direction and let it fly.

The arrow zoomed by Akira and hit the branch infront of her. The arrow pierced the sting tied delicately around the bark and the trap went off as two iron jaws ripped from out from the resting place inside the tree and ripped through the branch. He looked back and whispered to those on the ground "We're not alone..."

Shakan'Dar's sword was out in a flash, and he looked around warily. He suddenly cursed himself for a fool as he began noticing small trip wires all around the area. It couldn't have been goblins, they weren't intelligent enough to set intricate traps. He doubted that orcs would have done it too. Orcs preferred a brute force direct assult to an intricate ambush.

He started thinking of all the possible opponents that could have made the traps. It could have been trolls. They didn't like direct fighting. They preferred to come upon a wounded and easily crushed opponent. Well, they would find that this opponent wasn't so easily snared. He sliced through one of the wires and leapt back as a larger log than anticipated crashed down where he had been standing. He sliced through another, but he was ready this time. He managed to sidestep a bolt which shot past him from a hidden crossbow.

He looked at the two Silencers and made a gesture, as if to get them to help disarm all the traps. As he did so, a tree to his right toppled over and a large troll wielding a wicked looking curved sword as long as Shakan'Dar was tall advanced. There would not be time to disarm the area, but a foes traps could be used against it. Shakan'Dar sliced another cord to his right and smiled as another bolt shot past him and struck the troll in its shoulder.

There came the sound of guttural roars all around them. This situation was getting more and more dangerous by the minute. "Silencers, I suggest we head for the path the girl saw! I don't think there's much of a choice!" he called as he parried a slash from the enraged troll. His arm jarred from the blow. Trolls were not weak creatures. He ran forward, using the troll's weapon length against it, and sliced down its chest at close quarters while the troll was tring to bring its huge weapon back for a second swing. He thrust again at its chest, this time letting some of his energy go into the attack. His blade crackled with black lightning and the troll gave a cry and fell back. It's eyes glazed over. He made his way over to the others.

"Come, let's leave before we're trapped," he said. There was the sound of movement from all directions. A whole tribe of trolls must have been in the forest. He estimated about ten trolls besides the one he had killed. He'd been lucky with that one. The other trolls would not be so easy to catch off guard. He waited for somebody to lead the way. He had no knowledge of this forest, and couldn't begin to lead them to the bridge.

Akira jumped when the steel jaws closed in front of her and then ran from a troll that tried to catch her. Moving towards where the rest of the group was. She knew a short cut that could get them though the eastern trail faster and not be soo close to the gorge. But... It went close to one of the five dragons nests that were located in the Taliam Forest.

Akira moved towards the eastern road and jumped back when a pain went though her neck. She saw that if she had gone any further, she'd have had her head clubbed off as a Troll came out of the forest.

Akira Ducked again and was missed, But the Troll swung once more and caught Akira on the side. Throwing her towards the eastern road and the gorge. She felt pain... but most of it was coming from her neck. She felt like it was going to explode before hitting the ground, falling unconscious.

The next few moments were a daze... but after that, Akira got back up. But her eyes were dazed. and a red light was once again glowing from her neck. She could barely stand. Blood falling from her side and forehead. The same troll that had knocked her away, came back for more. It had it's club ready to smash it's club down onto Akira. She was out of it... and the red glow wasn't fully visible. She was a sitting duck for the moment...