Sighing, Erich weighed his options. He could not bear the thought of anything happening to someone in these woods, not if he was close enough. He dropped the buck and with a flicker of a thought, he disappeared, reappearing in the trees just at the bend she was rounding. He stepped out and leaned back against a tree.

"You seem certain of yourself. Where are you going, if I might ask?"

Startled into halting, in a flash, a dagger was withdraw from under the cloak and held in a position for him to see. "That would be my business and not yours. If you wish to find out how certain I am, try to come closer."

When he didn’t move, the dagger quickly disappeared back beneath the cloak. Only a few short curls of blonde hair were visible against the edge of the hood, and the glimpse of a pale face.

Thoroughly intrigued, Erich tilted his head slightly, just watching. "It is not often that a woman walks this road alone."

"You’ve mistaken me, stranger. I am no woman. Or else I wouldn’t be out here walking alone, would I?" Definitely belligerent in tone and stance, the disguised woman stood in the middle of the dirt road, staring in his direction. Though tall in stature, unusual for most women, he couldn’t mistake the scent. Her moon was just rising, and he could detect the barest scent of blood from her.

"Trust me," Erich said, not moving except to cross his arms over his chest, slightly readjusting the bow slung over his left shoulder. "I know what you are. These woods are not safe, especially for you. If you seek passage to Alerian, I can take you there."

"Trust a complete stranger. Aye, I do that quite often." Shrugging him off, she started to continue her way back down the road. "I can find my own passage to Alerian."

"Suit yourself." Erich waited until her back was to him, then with another thought, he flitted back to the buck and resettled it over his right shoulder. He continued on behind the woman, keeping a sharp eye out for trouble. She might have said she didn’t need help, but these woods were anything but safe.

Steadily outpacing him, the distance between them grew until the woman disappeared around another bend in the road. Suddenly a shriek of pain sounded through the woods, startling the local wild life.

The buck dropped unforgotten to the ground. Erich flashed ahead in bursts before rounding the bend.

Ahead of him, the cloaked figure bent down, pulling the dagger out a body in the middle of the road. A coarse flow of curse words colored the air as she wiped the blade off on the grass near the edge of the road then straightened. Further up the road, another man ran away as fast as he could. With a booted foot, she kicked at the side of the prone body. "You’ll not be attacking innocent folk to steal their purses."

As she looked towards the fleeing fellow, she yelled, "You either!" Then she gave chase to hunt him down.

Proving fleet of foot, she closed the distance between her and the would be thief; the dagger already in hand, ready to be thrown.

Within seconds, an arrow whizzed by the woman’s head and found its mark in the fleeing man’s back, just at the base of his neck. He went down quickly, twitching before all movement ceased. Bow still in hand, Erich walked up to the other one and bent down to the body.

"Quite handy with a dagger," he mused, glancing up at the still-hooded woman. For the briefest moment, near-black eyes met pale blue ones.

With a begrudging admiration, she eyed the downed thief then Erich. "Handy with the bow and arrow, aren’t you?"

Erich chuckled softly and snapped the coin purse--no doubt stolen from a less well-armed victim--and tossed it at her. "I’m sure the other one has something of value on him as well."