"But this world will be empty of you," Asta croons, her smile as cruel as Winter's edge. "It will be empty of you, of your parents, your siblings, your children. Empty. These lands will be scoured as by the passing ice that moulds mountains and valleys. I care not a whit for your First World. This is my world, and you are in it."
On Asta's shoulders, Croft spreads his wings wide, his black feathers framing her snow-white hair as he caws loudly and crudely at the sky.
"Much killing!" the raven croaks. "Much killing! I will call my brothers! I will call my sisters! We will grow fat on Fey meat! We will lay our eggs in your empty skulls and sing songs to our children about the great feasting! Death! Death! "
Elaina swallows, hard.
She had lived most of her life being thought of as a monster. She had been beaten by human hands, battered by human tongues, and tread upon by human feet. Now, she was witnessing a young girl, about the same age as herself, turning into the monster others had claimed her to be.
Elaina couldn't hide the truth from herself. Asta was terrifying, and the raven on her shoulder did not help make that any less so.
"If you wish to see the morrow, I'd do what she says. I do not think she is in the mood for games."
"I will speak to your chieftain," Asta says, her words falling like snow. It seems so soft, but carries a terrible chill and the potential of death. "One of you will fetch him - or her - for me and tell them I have an offer which will make the Mites wealthy and respected in this world, my world. If he comes and negotiates with me in good faith, then all shall be well. If there is treachery, then the one who stays here will be my raven's dinner. For the next year. Alive."
"Eyeballs!" Croft croaks. "Entrails! Meat!"
The dark birds' eyes stare at the Mites with an unpleasant amount of interest as his tongue briefly slithers out of his beak.
"Who will fetch the chief? Who? Who?"
Knowledge Nature
Seraph fought to restrain the beast, shuddering at the welcomed thought of battle and bloodshed, the same way she had been when she killed the ogre so long ago. The threats Asta spoke of filled her with a dark pleasure fot the coming thrill. Despite thoughts of it being an empty threat she couldn't help but smile as she hoped they would refuse. She chuckled quietly before adding. "Oh I like this group."
"Let them both go, better not to have them in the way." She didn't want to kill a restrained prisoner.
"Should we break them up?" Elaina asks, hoping, with a twinge of guilt, the answer is no.
"IDIOTS!" Shael shouts as she slaps the mites heads together with her large hands. As they reel, from being knocked together like china dolls, she glares down at them. "You snaggle toothed buffon's can both go! So git! And tell your leader the Queen of the North wishes to speak to them. Now!
"Should have let them fight."
"My vote is for no. I think they're just going to run back, grab some friends, and try to slit our throats tonight."
Elaina sighs and rubs her eyes.
"I don't like this. I think the little devils are going to try their damnedest to kill us."
Seraph checks over her weapons and gear. Making sure it was ready in case tonight went south on them. She shakes her head at Mikmeks question and frowns when Elaina speaks, especially because she agreed with her. "I believe Asta wishes for a peaceful resolution still. However it seems mites are such miserable creatures that peace isn't apart of their nature..."
"So the question is do we wait for them, go after them, or leave and return later?"
"I may think that the blighters are going to try to kill us, but I'd think it'd be rude to not at least give them the chance to prove me wrong first."
Elaina gives Mikmek a cock-eyed smile.
"It's already happened once, after all."
"We should stay, otherwise there was no point in the negotiation. We could give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe. But let us be ready for an attack if it comes." And I would say that is the most likely outcome.
"Ok. That does sound reasonable. I'll still get ready for their treachery though, if you don't mind."
"Mikmek, when they attacked your tribe, what did they do? Did they try being sneaky? Did they try to rush the guards?"
Elaina's mind begins to buzz as she starts formulating a plan.
"Or did Tartuk give the order for the Kobolds to attack the Mites...?" Asta asks, softly.
"Then we have a plan." He has Strawberry Deathstrike to Defend and gets some rest. He sets up his tent, but does not sleep in it.
"Guess we could sleep now, each of us taking a watch." Elaina looks for a patch of shade to lay down in, whether or not she finds one, she turns to the others.
"So, who wants first watch?"
"I will do it."
"I will take second watch"
"I shall take last," Asta says. "I need eight hours of consecutive sleep, or my magic will suffer."
"I can take last, if you'd rather. Nice thing about a bow is that it doesn't care how much sleep you've had." Elaina says.
"We shall take it together, then," Asta says. "I'll not shirk my responsibilities to the rest of you. Our fates are joined together, after all."
Torod gets comfortable and pets Strawberry.
Asta rises from her seated position and faces the leader of the Mites, her eyes glittering bright crimson already.
To the others, she whispers in a tight aside: "Stand ready to run if necessary. Don't make the first hostile move!"
Elaina blinks against the darkness, her eyes still bleary from sleep.
"Well, Asta. It's your show. What do you want us to do?"
Perception
Strawberry Perception
Knowledge: Nature
Strawberry alerts Torod to the mite's approach. He quickly gathers his gear and moves away from the group to get a good vantage point to fire his bow from.
Seraph sat up, stretching and standing slowly despite the commotion. She yawned, adjusted her undershirt, as her bosom was in disarray from the rude awakening, and carefully began strapping on her armor. She looks at the Mite leader and his group as Asta tries to appeal to them.
"Right." Elaina says to Asta before approaching the mites with Seraph. Her bow is out and strung, but she makes sure that it's held in as non-threatening a many as possible.
"I-if you come in peace, be welcome." she says, hoping to get off on the right foot.
Something tells her that she didn't succeed.
"When it becomes neccessary? If they attack or if we start loosing?" Marten whispers back.
He stands behind Asta, casually leaning on his quarterstaff.
Elaina turns her head back to Ast and shrugs.
Well? she mouths.
"This is not going to go well." Torod stays ready for it to go poorly.