To catch yourself an elf

(( Heritage of Zul'Jin preparing for their first guild event ))
Ai'Zala crouched in the almost pitch black shade of some trees. The sun was completely gone by now and moonlight alone was not enough to illuminate her hidingplace. The sound of voices and a girlish giggle could be heard from somewhere down the path.

She was lucky. When Jintonick had asked for an elf of noble blood to sacrifice she knew who to pick immediately. This was not her first time lurking in the shadows as elves passed by, on their way to that party outside Fairbreeze Village. She did not know much about the girl. She knew she was the only daughter of some high ranked blood knight. That should be noble enough for their purpose.

Soon the girl and the boy walking beside her becomes visible on the path, illuminated by a lantern she is carrying. The boy is talking and joking, making her giggle even more.

"How cute... Too bad they're going to miss their party." she thinks and grins as they approach her hidingplace. Right when they have passed her she sneaks up behind them, quiet as if she was one with the shadows.

What follows next is very fast. There is the flash of a blade and in one fluid motion the girl is kicked to the ground and the boy falls down with his throat slit. She follows the girl, placing a knee on her chest and a hand over her mouth.

"If you scream, I will poke your eyes out." She whispers in orcish, holding the bloodied blade threateningly close to the girl's face. The elf tries to fight back for a second but then goes still and nods. From her bag, Ai'Zala picks out a rope and some rags. Stuffing the girl's mouth with one of them and tying the other around her head makes sure she will be silent. With the rope she ties the girl's hands, tight enough to make sure she won't get loose, with no thought of how much it will hurt.

With the end of the rope in one hand, she drags the girl with her into the darkness, heading south towards the Ghostlands.

Ai'Zala once again lurked in deep shadows. This time, it was inside a building. She was at the top of the stairs to the second floor, peering down to the firs floor. There, lying next to the embers of what had been a fire, the elf girl was. She was concious but all that moved are her eyes as she tries to figure out wether the troll was there or not. She is tied at both hands and feet now, still with the gag made out of rags tied over her mouth.

It was all a test, with the ultimate goal of making the girl paranoid enough to not dare do anything even if she actually was left alone. The first time, the girl had freed herself, burning off the rope in the fire. That had earned her burn wounds on her hands and wrists and as a punishment, a broken finger. Ai'Zala didn't know in how good condition the elf needed to be for the sacrifice, so she tried to keep violence to a minimum but still enough to keep the elf terrified. She had also fed the elf and given her water. Not much, but enough to keep her alive and concious.

Ai'Zala didn't enjoy to have to take care of the elf. Had she known better, she thought to herself, she would have waited until the evening before the ritual to catch the elf. But it had been such a good opportunity. And some part of her wanted to outshine that other woman, whatever her name was, by catching not only the best elf but also catching it the fastest.

With a soundless sigh she withdrew into the shadow and exited the building through a window on the second floor. It was time to get food and water again, both to herself and the elf. Jintonick should probably show up some time soon and perhaps she could dump the elf on him then.