Finding the Winter Soldier [Exam/Dual Contract Search]

[Mienai]

It seemed like it had taken longer than anticipated to reach Lightning Country, but she had after several days of travel. She had traveled separately from Sabaku, but if he had managed to track her down after all that time in stone, then of course he would be able to find her here, right? Then again, given the surroundings, perhaps not. But if he had any hope of passing this skill test, then he would have to first complete the task of finding his mentor. Simple enough task, right? Right!

The biting, frigid wind halted Megami's thoughts in their tracks as the icy air filled her lungs. The pressure from the altitude combined with how freezing it was up in the snowy capped mountain range was such a drastic change of environment for the warrior. Sure, her homeland was mountainous, but the temperatures never dropped below a slight chill unless it were winter, and even then never to this degree. Megami had taken to dressing in much warmer clothes than what she typically wore. She had a bright red scarf, a beige coat, and beneath was another layer of sweaters. She had sturdy leather cloths with soft insides, fashionable snow pants, and boots for climbing. She had a small backpack with her that carried the necessary items she may need like food, water, climbing gear, and other numerous things should she run into trouble in these foreign lands.

She had been hiking up a small trail, trying to reach a good cliff outlook for a while when suddenly the wind had started to pick up and the most likely all too common blizzard seemed to be heading in. It was just her luck that that she should find a cave, almost a sort of cavern really, build into the side of the rock ledge. It was out of the way of the wind, and looked fairly spacious. She headed inside, setting her pack down. She quickly made a small fire pit, and lit it to keep herself warm while she waited. In the event that Sabaku could not find her, she would send out a small beast made entirely of lightning, shaded in a pink color that took the shape of a dog. It would easily run down the mountain, and would disappear, leaving a small trail of prints behind it. One would need to move quickly though, should the blizzard cover them up again.

While she waited, Megami would pull out a small thermos of hot chocolate, and pour a cup. She would then remove a set of files from her bag. It took some arrangements, but some of her old connections were able to hook her up with the information she needed. Sabaku would be presented with pieces of each documents, ones that would push him towards each goal and require certain skills be displayed. It was good to review her plans while she waited. Yes, this would truly test Sabaku to his full potential. "It won't be long now." She could feel it with the change in the wind that roared outside the opening. Things were about to get interesting.

[OOC: Waiting for Sabaku, also this contract search is going to be requested once the exam is completed, so we'll put in a formal request when we're done.]

 

[Kaen]

Sabaku had done exactly as he was instructed. He had traveled to Lightning country and awaited her arrival. Nearly two weeks had gone by before he realized something... The location of their rendezvous site. Following instruction is all fine and well, but inevitably pointless if he doesn't know when and where she will be. Realizing the situation he was in, he broke camp and decided to search the nearby villages in the hopes somebody had seen a women clad in pink hair passing through. Can you say deja vu?

Luckily this time she wasn't trying to hide her presence it seemed. Quickly enough he passed through a small town near the base of a snowy mountain range. One of the local shops said he had sold a small bundle of winter supplies to a woman matching just that description. A few days time is much better than another seven years of searching, wouldn't you say? Asking for the direction she was headed, he was met with a finger pointing directly towards the snowy peaks. Thinking of the unknown, he purchased a few supplies of his own. Sabaku had little to no experience with snow, as it rarely snowed in Iwa. Pulling his cloak tight, he ventured off into the distance, prepared for anything she might have up her sleeve.

Ominous. One word that rung true in his mind. Leaden clouds rolled in from the north, billowing over the dagger like peaks of the mountain tops. The threatening clouds swirling and colliding in vast humid pile-ups in the heavens. The howling winds picking up momentum, sounds like a pack of wolves stalking their prey. The snow started out soft as he closed distance with the mountains. But the closer he approached, the harder and thicker it fell, enveloping everything around him. The sound of a hundred hooves stomping the ground reverberated across the vast valleys of snow, the storm announcing its arrival. Skeletal fingers reached down from above, grazing the floor below, the lightning brightening the sky for the briefest of moments. This woman knew how to test more than her subject's minds, but their strength of spirit and willpower... that was the only way he would survive a storm such as this.

Hours gone, swept away by the chilling winds that swept past an already chilled soul. Sabaku barely making headway through this colossal blizzard. Five steps forward, pushed three steps back by the sheer force of the wind. How was he supposed to find her in this mess anyways? No tracks, no clues... Even a smell or sound would be completely masked by the conditions. Just then a flash of light streaked by. The elements messing with his mind, it had to be. But then again a bright flash of light and the thrum of energy zipped past him again. Sabaku would try and see into the flurry of snow that clouded his vision, but saw nothing. Then like the crack of thunder, a hound composed of lightning appeared before him. Pink lightning? This was either a trap set by another knowing of their visit to Lightning country or Light attempting to signal her location. He had little choice at this point, either it was follow this potential clue or slowly freeze to death in this weather. Sabaku would follow the beast as it lead him wherever he was leading Sabaku.

It seemed it was very far off from his destination point, as the trek took more than a few hours to find their way to a little hole in the wall. The entrance to the cave was nearly as inauspicious as the storm that assaulted to mountain range. A light flickered within, giving him peace of mind. Surely the one he sought was inside waiting for his arrival. Without further delay Sabaku ventured within the confines of the shelter and was met with the ever warming flames of a fire. Beside it, Lightning. Next time, we should really agree on a specific place... I'm not rather fond of this hunting for pink haired women. His words were of a sarcastic joking nature, he hoped his jest wouldn't fall on overly serious ears.

 

[Mienai]

Just as she suspected, Sabaku didn't take long in finding her even given weather. Maybe a few hours since she took refuge in the cavern. Either way, she had finished her hot chocolate and had read over the files a few times. For the time being she sat, warming herself as the wind howled just outside. As Sabaku stepped inside to join her, his greeting was one she couldn't help but laugh at. "Hmph, next time I'll be sure to dye my hair brown. Couldn't make it too easy for you. Needed to know how well you can track." She smirked at him before gesturing to the spot that was across from her. She would give Sabaku some time to sit down, allow himself to warm himself, even offered her some of her hot chocolate should he want any.

After some time, Megami would grab the 3 separate files in her hands once more. They weren't very thick, very little was actually inside. It seemed the information was scarce and only one or two papers actually resided within each. However the details that were printed on these documents were of very high value. "Your test is going to be one that requires every last bit of your training. I don't know what the outcome of this is going to be, but once we're done with this briefing I will be at your command. This is a mission comprised of several tasks, inside these folders there is information on 3 things you will need to know before begin." Megami would then extend the first file to Sabaku and allow him to read through it.

Inside the first file, it appeared to be a personal file of a shinobi from stone. According to the reports, it was a man, black hair, blue green eyes, stands at 6'3", age: 23, name: Fuyu Sora, alias: The Winter Soldier. He is a trained swordsman, but also specializes in wind, water, and ice based ninjutsu. His last mission, and last known location was recorded almost 10 years ago. Now, one may ask why someone who went missing for nearly 10 years would be of any relevance, but given Megami's own circumstances, she gathered Sabaku of all people could understand. However she would feel inclined to explained. "Fuyu Sora, The Winter Soldier, was an old teammate of mine. He wasn't much of a "team" kind of person. He liked to do everything solo, was headstrong, one of the most determined people I have ever known to want to protect the world. 10 years ago, he decided to volunteer for a rather difficult mission. It was his job to track down and bring back a notorious criminal of iwa that was said to have found refuge here in the wilderness of Kumo." It was at this point that Megami would decide to hand over the second folder. This one had a bit more details in it. Not so much on the person aside from minor details, but more so on what appeared to be tracked movements and reported sightings.

The contents of the second folder held the description of the criminal in question and his crimes. The man was 6'1" in height, age 27, hair color auburn, eye color green, build average, prefers the color red, skillset was unknown, origin Iwa. The man, known only by his alias, Icarus, was meant to be tried in combat until death for his crimes against Iwa. He had formed a gang, some sort of cult, that would "purify" stone through the bloodshed of many. Through blood sacrifice, their god could be summoned to rid Iwa of all the "imperfect" souls. Those not pure of blood, those that were not considered well bred warriors, or contained traits not important enough for the likes of a strong, unbeatable country. Mass genocide. Icarus almost managed to do that very thing. Many ended up dead at his hands, though much of it remained under the radar. The killings were never done inside the village. It was always on the outskirts. Mass slaughters would take place in small farming and fishing villages. Word would travel to the inner workings of Iwa, someone would investigate, but it seemed almost impossible to track. Finally though, through sheer military force, he was stopped at the gates of the village. He would have been arrested too, but Icarus had people working for him on the inside. He managed to escape, forced his way out of the village, and the trail had gone cold shortly after in Kumo.

Megami took a deep sigh and rested her head in her hand. "Initially a team was supposed to be sent to track Icarus down, but Sora went on his own. None of the higher ups actually expected results so sent him anyway. After weeks turned into months, no word was heard back, no more information of Icarus or of The Winter Solider circulated anymore. They were both thought to have been dead. But recently, after all these years, there was a piece of information that may have opened the case again. A man, fitting Icarus's description, was seen in the area. Two other men working with him. There's no word on whether or not one could be Sora, but..." Megami trailed off for a moment. She had weak spots as much as the next person. Sora was a dear friend to her in her younger days, so the thought that perhaps he wasn't dead brought some memories to the surface. "Perhaps if anything, we may be able to investigate. See if he has turned rogue, is being held captive, or if he truly has died. He may need our help, but our priority should be to find and stop Icarus if he truly is here, whether that means we take him in by force or he dies before more lives are lost." And then of course that would come to the final file that rest next to her. It was last, because it was probably not as important as being up to speed with the other folders contents of the actually case and mission in question.

The third folder contained a fairly detailed map of Kumo and it's terrain. On it, circled in red ink, were 3 locations where it was said that Icarus had been seen. They were fairly large areas, which meant a lot to cover, but it was said that he was more than likely in one of these prime locations, if it truly was Icarus that the tip they had gotten was correct. The locations were actually fairly spread apart, but luckily didn't seem too far that it wouldn't be possible to reach all 3 in a days time. Two of the locations were in the mountain range, the one that Sabaku and Megami were currently on and a ridge next to it, and one that was at the base of the mountains. Still, the mountains were absolutely massive, so even if he was in one of these places, it would take some deductive work to determine where he might be hiding out, especially if visibility remained just as bad with the blizzard going on.

Given that Sabaku would be leading this particular mission, it would be his call to have them decide where and how things should be handled. Megami would simply be a soldier, or at the very least an occasional aid. But the mission would be entirely driven by Sabaku. "So you have documents of The Winter Solider, Icarus, and a map of the area. Our orders are to investigate and assess if this is Icarus. If it is him, we are to bring him under control by any means necessary, whether that means arresting him and bringing him back to Iwa or complete termination. If possible, we are to also investigate the disappearance of The Winter Soldier. You are now in full control of the mission. Ready for orders." Megami would stand, and give Sabaku a proper salute. It was probably a real change, perhaps even a bit weird to the young boy to have his mentor be put in such a role, but this was his test. A test of instinct, tracking, deductive reasoning, leadership skills, ability to coordinate, various other things that would soon also come into play she was sure. Things would certainly be interesting here soon.

 

[Kaen]

Sabaku smiled at her comment and took up a seat a few feet from where she say. He gladly accepted the cup of chocolaty confection. He shivered as he took a drink, the warm liquid quickly changing his core temperature as it went down into is body. He would finish his drink just before Light would pull out three files and begin to go over the details of each of their contents. It seemed she was going to be at his whim and disposal. An interesting concept... Sabaku had never been given a role of leadership before. Though this was an exam to test each and every bit of his skills, power and knowledge... Leadership would only be a small component to these tests. But this wasn't JUST a test, it was an important mission as well.

She handed him the first file and began to go over the details. This folder contained classified information on an individual by the name "Winter Soldier", an ex team mate of hers to boot. From the description, it wasn't any wonder that him and her were once good teammates, they seemed rather similar. Missing for 10 years now... did she pick this cold case just because Sabaku had found her after all this time?
The next file was on an criminal given the alias "Icarus". Seems this guy had his fingers in everyone's pies and was insane, not to mention is fetish of the color red... weird.

It seemed like this subject stressed her out a bit. She continued explaining while resting her head in her hand. Seemed this Winter Soldier was a lone wolf and Light may have wanted to go with him on this mission all those years ago. In any case, the details were clear and the mission concise. The only issue now was where to start looking for these people... The third file would alleviate that issue, giving three distinct locations that would possibly lead them to their goal. Two of the locations were in the mountain range that he and Light were currently near, closer but with that weather outside... The final possible location was at the base of the mountain, most likely hidden among the villages below. Lightning would put herself under Sabaku's leadership for the remainder of this mission, an interesting twist indeed. Sabaku would jump to his feet and dive right into it.

Right then... Your first order is... Hurry up and wait.

A bit anti climactic, sure. But the weather outside was unbearable and they were going nowhere anytime soon.

Until that blizzard lets off, I'd rather not have my best soldier dying of frost bite. And besides, this sounds like a cold case. I'm confidant that we were not spotted, or at the very least nobody knows who we are and what we are doing here. Waiting a few hours isn't going to hurt, Icarus will still be there.

Sabaku sat back down and refilled his cup with more chocolaty goodness. Staring into the fire, Sabaku would confront Light about something that had been weighing on his mind, a few things actually... Given the place, time and circumstances, there really wasn't any tactful way to casually bring these up.

So... Light, you call me Sabaku, though I hold the title of Guardian. I know you are the Guardian of Light... but surely you have another name... Might I inquire as to what your true name is? Or would you prefer I continue calling you Light, or Lightning?

Sabaku would await a response before nodding and continuing.

Also, I'm rather curious. What will we do now that the Guardians are on the brink of extinction? After all it's only you and I that are left...

Without the proper leadership and general distaste for the Guardian program from upper management, Sabaku watched as the ranks slowly dwindled to just himself. Perhaps others are in hiding, but nobody knew for sure.

Ok last question. The Winter Soldier... What is your relationship with him? I only ask because from what I can gather, there is a possibility that he may have defected and if I am going to be giving orders, I need to know that there isn't anything that could jeopardize the mission, such as past experiences or feelings...

[OOC MFT]

 

[Mienai]

To say she was surprised at the orders that were given to her would have been a bit of an understatement. Typically most people are excited to jump right into the fray of things, but Sabaku seemed the opposite. He wanted to wait out the storm. Time was of the essence of course as Icarus could have potentially gotten word of stone shinobi in the area, or started to move around for all she knew, but she supposed given that he had been plotting something for years meant he wouldn't be quick to move and retreat back into hiding. Megami sat in her spot, just allowing herself to continue drinking her hot chocolate. It wasn't as good as Hana's. She was starting to miss her. Sabaku sat next to her with his own drink. She had chuckled a bit at him calling her his best soldier. "Aren't I your only soldier? At least you're confident." She gave a slight smile, but it didn't quite meet her eyes. She would then turn and watch the pure white snow blast around in the air like an angry monster roaring. She couldn't say she was a fan of the cold.

She was brought out of her trance by Sabaku's next question. He wanted to know her name. She had been called by her Guardian name for years. But the guardians were practically dead. A title that only held the weight of those that put merit into it, and to say there were many that even did that was close to none. Her name was her identity. She didn't necessarily familiarize herself with her name given to her at birth anymore. She was a warrior to her country, she was a champion of the goddess, she was a savior to the innocent, but who was she? She hid her name in an effort to protect her sister. When she was the Sennin, she knew Hana could be in danger. She never wanted that for her. It was Megami's choice to be in her line of work, and she never wanted her actions and decisions to become a burden to Hana. Hana was happy now. Revealing her name could potentially still be putting Hana at risk. But, she wasn't the Sennin anymore. In fact, all of 2 people knew of her return. And she trusted Sabaku. Yes, perhaps now would be a good time to discuss things. He deserved that much. "My name...is Megami. It sounds strange to say it, even now. I haven't associated myself with that name in a long time." She stared down at her hot chocolate, the steam slowly rising from the mug. It wasn't that she was staring at it with fascination, but more so that it was just something that happened to be in her line of site. "I suppose you can call me however you wish."

Megami remained silent on the rest of that matter. It wasn't something that required much discussion. That was her name. But as to whether or not that was who she was and what she stood for was an entirely different matter. She was confident though that with Sabaku being a guardian, he would have a full understanding on the importance of a name and a title. Either way, she would respect his decision. It didn't much matter to her at this point. Anyone that threatened Hana would die. They are not innocent if they are to attack the weak.

Moving on to another topic, Megami sat her mug down and approached the opening of the cavern. The wind outside was loud, but her should still be able to hear her. "Truthfully I don't know. We could always try and reform our group, ask Iwa for assistance in rebuilding our numbers, but I don't likely see that happening with their progressive stances. ANBU are embraced, medics are embraced, our culture has been virtually destroyed by foreign dictation. Surely you can even see that if a foreigner claimed the daimyo title, killed our stoneborn kage, wanted to overturn stone tradition and government, and now we have a different foreign kage leading us, that virtually there is nothing left of what we once were. I'm surprised that we even have Sennin that are still Iwa born. I don't much recognize my home. I am sure it is just that I grew up in a different time, that I once thought offering refuge to shinobi who had lost their homeland was the iwa way, but I don't quite know anymore. You and I are recognized guardians within the village, but as for our numbers being welcomed there, well I don't much see it happening. But perhaps a separate militia group. The Goddess just wants loyal warriors aiming to make the world a better place, destroy chaos. We know the teachings, we can perform the rights. That may work, but for now, I don't know." Her words were deep, and held an almost bitterness in them. What was Iwa? What was an old warrior set in her old ways meant to offer? She was a number, she was a blade, she was just cannon fodder if a war were to happen. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. She didn't much like to discuss it anymore. She was loyal to her country, but that didn't make her loyal to decisions made by corrupt people. The Guardians may rise again, but they would not hold the same meaning they did before. They didn't need the pride and glory though, they were never in it for that. The innocent would always be protected by divine right.

With all of these thoughts dashing around in her brain she started pacing. She needed to be moving at least. Being lost in thought let her reflect on Sabaku's next question as a distraction. "We were friends, teammates, as I said. Nothing more. We talked, I liked him well enough. He kind of reminded me of you a little. He made decisions on his own whim, didn't always follow protocol. Was kind of a loose cannon, but he got the job done. He would go off on his own a lot. Nobody questioned it. He was one of the nicest guys I've met, hard working, determined, honest soldier. He cared for people. Just didn't want to put a team at risk. His own life didn't matter in his eyes. He wouldn't have gone AWOL. But if he has, he has a lot coming for him. In any event, you don't have to worry about me. If you give me an order, I'm going to follow it. This is your exam, you're my commanding officer, you're my friend, you're my mentee, I give you the respect to make the calls. But I warn you, make sure you have as much information as you can possibly attain, some things are not always as they appear and rash decisions can get good people killed. We don't always have the time to work through every problem, but we are always responsible for every call we make in a position of leadership." She knew from experience. She wasn't about to get into it. But she wouldn't let any of her feelings compromise this. She had disagreed with several of her commanding officers before, but never to the extent that she didn't follow an order, it was more so that she made to voice her opinions so stupid calls weren't made. Too many lives are lost because people behind a desk make stupid decisions. She was tired of seeing people die. "Anyway, the storm looks like it's let up a bit...we can go whenever you're ready." Perhaps it was just the particular questions that poked at parts of her mind she had long since buried, awoken memories she hadn't thought about in a long time, a dark place left in the confines of her mind, but she seemed grow quiet after that. She would wait for Sabaku to give any further instruction, or see if her wanted her to elaborate.

 

[Kaen]

"Aren't I your only soldier? At least you're confident."

While in this particular instant, yes, she was his only soldier. What she didn't know is that in her absence Sabaku had managed to initiate a young female into the ranks of the Guardians. Young and full of spirit, surely she would prove beneficial in our causes. Though this was hardly the time to delve into such matters, the matters at hand surely took precedence. Sabaku smiled thinking that she thought he was confident... Was there any other way to live? Self confidence is the key to success, your focus determines your reality. And in his experiences, there is no such thing as luck. Fear and uncertainty in your course of action leads to darkness, so as a Guardian Sabaku must be confident...

So the legendary warrior of Lightning's name is actually Megami... Elegant and powerful, not unlike the warrior herself. Though she herself didn't seem to excited about sharing it and the thought felt empty and meaningless. Sabaku would never have that name leave this cave, and would most likely only ever call her by what she had previously been calling herself up until this point. It was out of pure respect that Sabaku would keep the name all the way to his grave. She set her mug down and walked towards the entrance, stopping just short of the blanket of snow that was pelting the area outside.

Her stance on the Guardians and the politics within the village of stone were most interesting. She wasn't wrong though. He could sense the bitterness and resentment in her words, this resonated with him in the sense that certain things in his life were now being questioned... For instance Hissori. Twice he saved Sabaku's life, but each time it seemed he was there without fail. Why would someone of a high status as his have wasted time on some random kid like him... a foreigner at that. These are things he would have to further investigate on his own at a later time.

It put him at ease to know that feelings were not in the mix. Not that Sabaku pegged her for being one to fall to such a weakness. And again she was right, the storm had let off, giving them a window of opportunity to pursue their target. Sabaku pulled out the file regarding the locations that Icarus could possibly be hiding. One on this mountain range, another and the next range and one at the base of the mountains.

Right then... Well, I crawled all over this range looking for you, I saw no signs of anyone else here. And in my opinion, a base located in this range or even the next one over would be poorly made. Trade routes wouldn't venture this way and hauling supplies to and from a mountain top would be far worth the effort. So my instincts tell me that he should be located at the base of the mountains, most likely near a village area where they could easily blend in or supplement their supplies.


Sabaku assisted in the cleanup of their temporary camp site and took point as he headed out of the cave and plotted a course for the area below. The journey was much easier and quicker without a blizzard blowing overhead. Sabaku would walk at a hastened pace, in an attempt to make up for lost time that they had spent idle in the cave. It would only take them a few hours to reach the bottom of the mountain, there they were met with much more friendly environments and tones. The snow was far and few between down here and more green flora took its place as a common sight. He quickly located a road and followed it until he met the first traveler they came across. The first thing they needed to do was locate civilization so they could begin searching for clues.

Excuse me sir, my companion and I are in need of a good meal and a nights rest, would you happen to know of the nearest village's location?

The old man was alone, save for what could only be viewed as his trusty... donkey. The mule pulled the man's belongings in a cart. The man nervously looked at Sabaku and Lightning and back towards his wagon. Perhaps the man was concealing something or even simply was fearful of the duo that mysteriously ventured down the road.

We mean you no harm traveler, we simply wish to find shelter from the elements.

Hmm, very well. The path from whence I came, follow it for a few more miles, there is a town not from from here. They have a decent enough establishment that should suit your needs... ahem, if i may carry on, my donkey is injured and I must reach the next town by nightfall or risk being swept away by the wolves.

Sabaku stepped aside and let the man pass, after the man was out of sight, he consulted with Lightning.

Did you notice anything peculiar about that man?

The man eyed his wagon to much to often during their conversation, either he really was fearful of him and Lightning, or he was hiding something. Also Sabaku was no medic, but his donkey seemed just fine. Perhaps he would wait and see what his companion would have to say about the matter, if it was nothing then they could continue. But otherwise, they might have to check this man out a little deeper.


[OOC MFT]

 

[Mienai]

Hearing that the first part of their venture would be at the base of the mountain, Megami gave a curt nod, agreeing that his decision was logically sound and would more than likely yield better results than trekking all over the white covered snow tops, being at the mercy of mother nature and her biting snowstorms. Sabaku helped in cleaning up the camp, of which Megami was entirely grateful for. There wasn't much supplies that she had removed but they needed to cover their tracks well in this kind of high alert situation. Megami followed behind Sabaku at fairly close distance as they made their way back down the mountain. It didn't take too long, and she only lost her footing a couple of times, but being a trained soldier and also skilled in the ways of gravity she was able to correct herself each time and avoid plummeting to her death.

As they neared the base, the snow started to thin out, and Megami could start to feel more of her fingers and toes again. She had to admit, as nice as snow was every so often or in small doses, it really made things pretty. But snow that can bury you alive and freeze you to death just sounded like a bad time for everybody. Megami had to make a note to limit the amount of trips she would ever need to take to Lightning Country. Somehow, in relation to herself, the name felt misleading. Anyway, more so on topic, Megami took note when Sabaku called out to a traveler that was coming across their path on one of the dirt roads they had found. Megami narrowed her eyes in immediate suspicion. The man had a donkey with him. Donkeys weren't meant for these kind of conditions, not when an alpaca would be much more practical given the weather. This man was clearly an idiot. Was he a local? Surely not.

He seemed jumpy, shifty even. His eyes kept shifting in every which direction but directly at them. Occassionally his gaze would meet Megami's steely hard one and his face would seem to continue growing paler as he spoke. He was fidgeting too much and would repeatedly draw his line of sight to the cart behind the donkey, she didn't like it. Sabaku was trying to explain to the man that they were just looking for shelter, maybe a meal, probably trying to blend in with the locals. Smart. The old man decided to actually work up the courage to speak to them, pointing them in the direction of the town. Megami's eyes were drawn to the direction the man was pointing before she took pause to his next words. His donkey was injured? Then why not seek our assistance in the town with which he had just pointed out to them? He started to move, despite nobody having much time to address anything with him, until he was nothing more than a spec in the distance. It was then that Sabaku asked her if she thought the man was acting strange.

Megami gave nod. "No man acts that terrified unless he has something to hide. He could be carrying illegal or stolen merchandise, but in any case it's worth checking out. We can go pursue the man, or continue into town. We could even split up if you wish and stay in touch via headset. Or perhaps you have another line of action you'd like to pursue? Whatever your choice is, I'll follow." Megami looked back towards the direction that the man was coming from, something unsettling kept popping into her brain. "A man with an injured donkey wouldn't be headed into the mountain pass. A donkey, alone, would struggle with that, so an injured one would surely not make the travel. Something isn't right." Before more could be said, there would be a whoosh coming from a distance, one that Megami's 'lightning' fast reflexes allowed her to push Sabaku out of the way of an incoming arrow. "It's some kind of ambush. Get down." Megami drew cover behind a large fallen dead tree that lie on the ground. She waved Sabaku over next to her. Shortly after, another arrow imbedded itself within the log. There was a note attached to it. Megami carefully pulled it off and examined it's contents. "Turn back." After a few minutes of silence passed, and no further arrows seemed to be coming their way, along with the fact that no one had even jumped out at them or they had been swarmed, it was needless to say that Megami was puzzled. She stood, wondering what Sabaku would make of this. "What are you thinking?" She'd give him some time to come up with his decision.

 

[Kaen]

So she agrees... The man was indeed acting surprisingly shifty for a supposed unsuspecting traveler. Her words were spot on to his own inner feelings on the matter, he was overwhelmingly suspicious.

We can go pursue the man, or continue into town. We could even split up if you wish and stay in touch via headset. Or perhaps you have another line of action you'd like to pursue? Whatever your choice is, I'll follow.

Not a bad plan of action, someone acting like this would surely want us to head the other way, towards town. Wherever he was going with whatever he had, or whatever he was hiding, surely it wouldn't be in town. Splitting up in this particular situation would be a bad idea, and would serve no purpose to head to town for either of them. Lightning continued with her personal assessment, his suspicions were just the same. Being in such close proximity to the snow peaked mountain ranges; a simple mule was not the ideal beast of burden. And even more so, if it was INDEED injured... why then is he walking away from town... Sabaku was deep in thought when a sudden shove was promptly issued, sending him rolling into the brush.

"It's some kind of ambush. Get down."

Lightning took shelter behind a fallen tree, and then motioned for Sabaku to approach her. He was to far to simply crawl over, as her shove was much stronger than he would have imagined. He stepped through reality and warped next to her, preventing anyone from sniping him down in the process of making his way to her. There was another subtle -thud- as another arrow lodged itself into the trunk of the tree they were currently hiding behind. Lightning removed the letter and read it aloud. This was indeed puzzling... The warning and now silence... It was clear they must be on the right trail, at least to something of a criminal nature. This may or may not lead to their target, but it’s their best and only clue so far.

"What are you thinking?"

From what we've gathered thus far, it’s clear we are not wanted in this region. Everything about this is strange and wrong... We need to get to the bottom of this, give me the letter, if you would.

After she handed him the note, Sabaku focused his senses to the hastily scribbled warning note. If his suspicions were true, they were not anticipated and this paper would have been in someone's possession, such as the individual who fired the arrow. After a few seconds, he got the lock he needed. Somewhat of a requirement for the particular work he did, some semblance of sensory ninjutsu was needed. Luckily Anbu basic training included a useful tool. Sabaku got the lock he needed, using the residual chakra signature left on the note. He needed to act quickly before he was out of range.

We need to act quickly, I've got his trail. Follow me!

Without a moment’s hesitation, he was off. The trail was faint, but still present none the less. Sabaku hoped his mentor could keep pace, as he was holding nothing back. Warping throughout the partially snow covered forest. The trail was strong, he was close... He was on the run, or at the very least keeping a very quick pace retreating towards a mystery location. He eventually caught up to the point where he needed to proceed a little slower to remain undetected, keeping to the tall trees for cover. A few miles later and Sabaku and Lightning found their way to a clearing. Another small village came into view. He motioned a halt signal to Lightning. The trail ended here, to be more exact, he stopped running. He stayed at a distance and observed. From what he could gather is they found themselves another small village, the citizens were going about their daily lives it seemed. Crates could be seen being removed from a cart... The same exact cart they saw earlier actually. Something was definitely fishy.

The trail ends here... Whoever our love note author is... he's in there somewhere.

Sabaku would wait and observe the village's inner workings and movements, searching for any clue that might surface. He also paid special attention to the wagon, something was not right here and he aimed to get to the bottom of it.


[OOC MFT, Uses Chakra Sense R1]

 

[Kaen]

[OOC Leaving topic]

 

[Mienai]

[Discontinuing Topic/Topic Left]