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Valen wiped his mouth with his hand as he stood up from feasting on this Knight of Brettonia. The Knight was a decent fighter but he was not worthy to join the Order. Valen looked through the Knight's belongings for anything worth taking. He found there wasn't, the Knight wasn't even carrying gold. Likely he was on a quest and lived off the land and the charity of others. Valen picked up the dead body and carried it some ways away from the road they had sparred on. He then dropped the body and dug a hole deep enough to keep out the scavengers, well, at least the animal scavengers. Sylvania was suffering from several exceptionally bad crop seasons for the past few years and there were rumors that some people were turning to cannibalism. He deposited the Knight into the grave and situated his hands over his breast and clasped them around his sword. He buried the body and went back to the road. Valen's steed was where he had left him. Valen decided to borrow a living horse from the Order's stables instead of bringing his Undead one. He didn't want to bring too much attention to himself.

He road for sometime down the road. At one point some villagers passed him, they politely bowed, and he did so also in return. Valen could not decide where he wished to go, like so often in his life. Few fights brought him true challenges now-a-days. A cold wind blew, knocking some more golden leaves off of the trees. Winter was fast approaching, and Valen could already tell it was going to bad this year, especially this far north. He thought for a moment, and then decided he would travel south to Brettonia, perhaps some Knights would be returning home, if he were lucky he might find a group traveling together. He turned his mighty horse south, towards the Pass of Noose, and then beyond, his homeland.

(Exit to Anar Forest-Reikland)

Days after The Blood Nights had passed through snow began to fall on the Blighted Plains, and with the snow came Angel Allucard. She walked slowly down the snow covered dirt road with her arms wrapped around her tiny frame. With no coat, and nothing but her leather body armor, leggings and boots she was surprised by such a terrible storm hitting so quickly, coming across from the Silver Mountains. Cursing under her breathe, she clenched her teeth together and forced her numb legs to continue forward.

The wind began to pick up, whipping her black hair behind her and forcing the last remaining warmth from her body. Angel felt herself stop, and could tell that her body was shutting down from the cold. Grinding her teeth together in a snarl, she tried to force herself to continue on, but she could barely move. Tears of frustration forced themselves from her eyes, only to turn to ice on her cheeks.

Before Angel really understood what was happening, she found herself face down in the snow, the wind continuing to howl around her. Her tear fogged vision began to grow dark as she tried to crawl inch by inch. She just had to get to him, she had to. She had gotten this close, she can't just collapse here. Please, she thought, just a little further.

With a final and terrible gust of wind that brought the snow billowing around her harder than ever, Angel felt her limbs finally give up and grow limp. Curling into a tight ball subconsciously, she finally closed her black and orange eyes, still seeing his face in her mind. The face from the painting, the man who seemed to be in his mid thirties, and with tired eyes. Slowly, ever so slowly, her mind left her, but just before she lost conscienceless, her frozen lips twitched in speech and she whispered.

“Aro...”

Angel awakened just a few hours later due to the great kindness of the travelers. Before opening her eyes, she made a mental check of herself, making sure that everything was fine and that she could feel her weapons stowed away where their supposed to be. Opening her eyes, she could see that it was still dark outside, though it seemed that the blizzard had ceased. Sitting up, she felt slightly queasy from the swaying of the cart underneath her. Looking around, it took her a moment to distinguish the driver of the cart's outline from the darkness of the sky around them but the rest of the cart seemed empty of people, only chests and piles of goods cleared away to make room for her.

Clearing her throat quietly, Angel blushed a little trying to get the drivers attention without trying to startle them or distract them too much from the road.

(ooc:I could take control over the caravan, or you can do it. What ever works better for you. I just don't want you to feel obligated or anything...)

Angel took the bottle from the driver hesitantly, and smelled it upon opening it. Not being able to smell anything unusual about the alcohol other than how strong it was, she took a small sip, but could barely swallow it. Tears came to her eyes, and her throat burned, but she was sure it would do just as the driver had said it would, so she took another, less hesitant sip before recapping it and handing it back to the driver.

“Thank you very much, kind sir, I am in your debt for the help you have given me. My name is Angel Allucard, and what may I address you by? If...it's not too bold to ask...” She said quietly, not completely sure if he'd be able to hear her over the creaking of the wagons wheels.

Angels eyes narrowed at mention of her weaponry, but was hardly surprised that Carson knew about them, since they where barely concealed. Folding her lips in under her teeth, she crouch-walked the short way to the front of the wagon as to get a better look at the man. Breathing out quietly, she fixed a small and sweet smile on her face.

“Well, Mr. Ramadal, I'm not headed anywhere too specific to want to be a bother to you and the rest of the caravan. Again, I must thank you greatly for the hospitality and the enormous kindness you have shown, and if there is any way I might repay you, please don't hesitate to make it known. However, I insist that I leave as soon as the sun rises, as to not be a bother any longer.”

Far to the north the Blood Knight army began it's march across the Blighted Plains. They were going to take the most direct path towards the Kensrowe Pass, and hope that they river was shallow enough to either march across.

(Exit to Rappahalladran River)

"Ah don't worry about that. Being a carravan guard is one of the easiest ways to make a living. You just sorta lounge around most of the time... unless of course we are unlucky, then it would be the most difficult way to make a living."

In the distance the sun began to reveal the sprawling city of Waldenhoff. From this distance all that could be seen was the outer wall, and in the center of the city was the tall spiring keep of Waldenhoff Castle.

(Exit to Waldenhoff)