Acora came to the forest this time on a mission. Whether or not she would be successful was questionable, but it was worth a try. Balefire had upped the prices of the tamed umbra so much because of the sudden and unexpected transportation back to it's homeworld. Of course, Balefire took instant advantage of being the only source for the umbra feles.

So now she hunted. She had seen, or rather, sensed the umbra around her when she had visited the forest looking for refuge from the busyness of the city. They hadn't ever attacked her, especially if she kept her lantern out.

This time it was illuminated. They would know she was here and she only hoped that she would find one and not an entire pack. They were often solitary but there was one pack she knew of that hunted together...

The steady steps of Juine made a less than secretive treck through the dark and aptly named Gloomwood. Jarreth, regardless of the bright light that emanated out from his right palm, felt oppressed and shaken by the absolute despair that seemed to seep into his very bones from the chill, dead air. A permanent frown etched a chasm across his face. A cut so deep to hold the maelstrom of discomfort, worry, curiosity, and general edginess of the knight as he slowly pushed deeper into the unknown land. Juine showed no signs of being affected by the shadowed land. He simply plodded along, one foot after the other, moving down a makeshift path that was just wide enough to keep branches from running across his feathers.

With a call that ruined the somewhat peaceful pattern of steps, Jarreth called out, "Halt!" Juine's motion froze immediately after the command. Jarreth had been having luck inserting useful commands into the otherwise empty head of Juine.

"M'lady," came his deep voice to the easily seen woman holding a lantern in the distance. "I beg you knowledge of the creatures known as 'Umbra' that frequent these woods. If you know of a direction for me to head, please tell me, and I will leave you be to your business. I hear they are dangerous, so perhaps you would like an escourt back to the town before I continue my search."

As soon as she heard the cry, she whirled to face the man, glaring as he spoke. "We will both soon face an umbra if you do not be more careful in how much volume you add to you're voice," Acora did not whisper, but spoke quietly, keeping her voice as low as possible and still be heard in the stillness of the forest. "I have no need for an escort. I am well aware of their capabilities, one of them including extraordinary hearing. If you are searching for an umbra, you can find a nest of them to the northwest, although I do not suggest attempting to go there. The pack is large and they protect their young with their lives."

She did not add the fact that she herself was looking for one of the powerful felines. She did not trust many people, having met many who would take what she earned as soon as she acquired it, whether by fair means or not. More often not.

Only after saying these things did she actually study the man, encased in shining (and heavy) armor, riding nothing other than a large bird. For a moment she allowed surprise upon her face because she had never seen such a mount before.

"Very well, quiet we shall remain for the remainder of our conversation," Jarreth replied in a softer tone as Juine slowly stepped closer to the woman. He had no intention of drawing attention to himself with someone else around. While he could suffer the consequences of his own mistake, he would not endanger another if it could be avoided. Attempting to keep this lowered volume he added, "I may well have to travel northwest, then, m'lady, for I seek to study these creatures. I must learn how they prefer to fight and defend in the wild so that I may be prepared for future encounters. If you insist that you remain alone, though I disagree with that notion, perhaps you could tell me more about the Umbra?"

Jarreth did not know if this woman would help him or hinder him, but he had to ask the question regardless. Gaining information would be preferable to walking blindly into a pack, and he could not stand the dark city in the area long enough to find any information. This woman might prove to be the last strand of knowledge he could get before directly interacting with the creatures, and he did not want any surprises that could be avoided. As if to sweeten the reward for helping him, he added a compliment.

"You do seem much more knowledgeable about these parts than myself, and I would be indebted for any help you could bestow upon me before I take my leave."

For a moment Acora seemed to evaluate how much she should tell this stranger. She didn't trust any of the outsiders who made their way to Balefire after the city had been transported back. Most were just interested in the umbra. It was this interest that made it so that she couldn't afford to buy a tamed one now.

"I do know the area well. I grew up in the City of Lanterns. Why do you want to know how they fight? Are you some kind of warrior?"

The question was one she already knew the answer to. She saw the armor and weapons, which had told her all she needed to know about the man's profession. It was meant simply to see what his true motives were, and though there was a chance he was telling the truth, Acora rarely believed what people told her the first time. Truth was a rare thing to obtain in Balefire.

Jarreth remained silent for a moment in ponderance of the question. Warrior was an old, vague term that he had not heard spoken since his days in the Legion. Warrior was the name of those that decimated the enemy in battle. Warriors earned a place of honor in the Legion and remembrance for years after their eventual and inevitable defeat. These were the men who slaughtered countless innocents, and, when eventually purged, ignited more hatred than existed before. Jarreth shook his head in disgust. He was no warrior.

"I am not a barbarian," came a low but serious response. "I am a traveller through a strange land who seeks peace and happiness for myself and others. In recent times I was assaulted by one of these strange creatures, one of the Umbra, while attempting to fend off an attack on a large city. I was betrayed and the owner of the beast was able to flee. I will encounter the master again, and when I do, I will be capable of dispatching the minion quickly so that the remainder of the fight ends so much sooner, saving the lives of those caught in the crossfire."

Jarreth gripped the reigns on Juine tighter and urged the bird forward at a faster pace. His raptor gaze followed the woman for a moment before he finished his explanation.

"Even now I lose time before she is able to recover and strike anew. If you wish to keep your secrets, so you may, as I cannot remain still another moment unless for a way to further my goal."

Acora listened with interest to the man's story. It was detailed enough for her to believe he was most likely telling the truth. She got the distinct impression of a paladin about him.

"Peace and happiness?" she said with a smirk. "Indeed you are a stranger here. I will keep my secrets, but I will tell you a bit about the umbra. The best advice I can give when facing them is keep your back to a wall. They prefer hit and run tactics and will get you from behind as much as possible..."

Suddenly, she trailed off, her eyes not on the man before her on his bird mount, but to the darkness beyond the light of her lantern. Though she spun around quickly, it was not fast enough. She did not even have time to shout. The creature pounced from the twisted tree limb, almost directly above Acora.

It slammed into her, pinning the girl down with it's large clawed paws. The claws pierced the skin of her shoulders, but didn't seem to sink too deeply. The wild umbra came down to bite into Acora's jugular, but she managed to free her arm, grab her knife, and take a slice at the dark creature's cheek. It was enough to make the umbra pull it's head back.

"Yah!" came a loud battlecry as Jarreth's metal boots mashed against the leather stirrups on their course into Juine's sides. The chocobo had remembered the lessons Jarreth had spent countless hours drilling into its mind and he lunged forward while the man unsheathed Talon with a distinctive metal scrape across the inside of the scabbard. The dark creature, having only a moment of surprise, was now visible and an enemy. Talon began to practically drip with white flames of energy before the umbra had landed. Jarreth's earnest haste to save the woman gave the blade a taste for midnight blood.

As the cat-like beast reared back in pain from the woman's well placed slice with her dagger, its right shoulder and lower neck was assaulted by a large, clawed foot. Juine's call expressed so much more energy and perhaps even anger as it squawked during the attack. His talons ran across the tough skin, only managing to draw scratches of blood, but the bird and rider were heavy enough to pummel the muscle and bone beneath. A scratchy thump sounded as Juine's foot landed next to the woman's shoulder. In instinctual requirement, the umbra retreated a few paces, teeth bared in what looked to be a hiss. It did not favor its injured arm, showing that this animal was quite capable of sustaining further attack. Jarreth had no idea why it was being so aggressive.

A loud clank followed Juine's foot as Jarreth dismounted and urged Juine back and away. The chocobo walked off vacantly, not even realizing what had happened, while Jarreth stood between the umbra and the woman. His eyes stared past the lenses of the beast at something more while his voice crawled from his lips between heavy breath.

"Are you alright? Stand if you are able."

((OOC: I have stopped tracking this topic due to no responses for two weeks. If you reply, please send me a PM reminding me where the topic is located so that I may continue to roleplay with you.))