Thread: Hunter or Hunted? (Atroxa & Effigy)

Varena could tell he didn't know who she was at first, which told her a lot that he would accept the company of a strange woman at his table so eagerly. It wasn't surprising though either, nor was his surprise when he learned that she was from the Hunters' Guild. These were two of the most common reactions she had from men, they were either making a pass at her or surprised to find out that she was a Hunter. She was used to both by now, hardly fazed by either one anymore. Sitting across from Ulrich though she found that he at least managed to muster some sort of class and charm while hitting on her. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than most encounters she'd had to suffer through. Her shoulders shrugged when he asked how she found Bleakwood, It's nicer than I expected with a name like 'Bleakwood', she admitted, arching a brow slightly as he just stared at her while she answered. Then it was onto business and she was glad of it, listening as he told her about the problem, the woman nodding as he explained. Then he dipped back into the land of flattery at the end, Varena forcing a small smile in response. Yes, well, there's a certain level of professionalism that comes with paying some one for a job I think, knights seem more interested in making themselves look good, she agreed, though bypassing his compliment in the process without outright ignoring it. She tried to be somewhat friendly with clients, though that didn't mean she had to respond to their flirtations. Thankfully, he got back to business soon enough, telling her where to find the trouble makers, most likely trolls, and how to get there. Thank you, she said, nodding again, thinking that that was that, but then he was wanting her to have a few drinks with him, flirting with her some more. I'm afraid I'll have to decline, she told him, her tone only mildly apologetic, In all honesty, I received this contract when I had just returned from another. I would like to get this over with and return home. With that, Varena stood, bowing at the waist just a touch, despite how he'd flirted with her, he'd been polite and charming none the less, so she wasn't as cold towards him as she might have been otherwise. There was just something... appealing about him, but Varena was too professional to get distracted by a pretty face so easily. In her youth, she'd struggled with what her mother had liked to claim was her father's legacy, a general lack of inhibitions and a fondness for wild behavior, but since joining the Guild, she'd learned to control herself. Thank you, Mr. Brahms, I'll report back to you when I return, She grabbed her bags and went upstairs, putting them away before returning back downstairs and leaving the inn all together. She set off on foot, following the river as Ulrich had said, keeping her eyes peeled for the cave. When she spotted it, Varena drew her sword and pulled her shield off her back, approaching cautiously. There were indeed bones scattered about the outside of the cave, and foul smelling air leaked from the cave entrance, putting her on edge as she entered. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness inside the cave, but when it finally did, she didn't spot any trolls. The cave looked empty, though it was obviously being used by something. The Huntress frowned, starting to straighten out of her stance a little when a very large boulder next to her moved, suddenly growing larger. She realized too late that it wasn't a boulder but an ogre, before it swung one of it's massive arms, crashing right into her torso and sending her flying right back out of the cave. The Huntress landed hard outside on small pile of bones, grunting and feeling dazed as she rolled off her back onto her hands and knees, struggling to stand with how her head was spinning. She was just glad she'd managed to hold onto her sword, her shield still securely on her arm. A good thing too as she saw something coming at her out of the corner of her eye, turning and raising her shield just in time to catch a blow from a troll's sword, instinctively countering the attack, hacking the thing's arm off. The troll yowled and stumbled back, but the others continued to circling in around her. Varena blinked, trying to make sure her vision wasn't doubled, but no, there were five trolls around her, and the ogre advancing out of the cave towards her. The Huntress gritted her teeth, buckling down for a long fight as the sun started to set.