Standing before her was a sight that she did not expect. Twas a young woman, no older than herself, yet less visibly worn by travel or the terrors of the world. If anything, she appeared to bare the countenance of a noblewoman or a young maiden of the court, free of any foul mark or blemish. Yet despite all of this, the stranger and herself appeared eerily the same, sharing too strong of a resemblance to each other. Searching her mind she could find no memories of ever meeting such a person, but simply mused that, in such a large world filled with all sorts of people, that one was bound to share similarities with her. She took note that, like herself, the stranger was a warrior, armed with a longbow much like her own. The ranger, however, relied upon brute strength, her breastplate making it easier to take a beating while she poured all of her might into each swing of her greatsword; but the stranger appeared to focus more on agility, settling for studded leather while wielding a pair of… rapiers? This new woman could only be one of two things: incredibly skilled or incredibly foolish.

“N-No, I'm sorry… we still can't let you pass,” stuttered one of the guards, visibly blushing before the young woman in front of her. She looked upon the newcomer with a grim frown and a raised eyebrow, curious as to what she must have said to garner such a reaction. No, perhaps it was best not to wonder, as she forced a flood of foul thoughts out of her mind before opening the scroll and presenting the plans for the theft to the guards. “I do not seek free admission,” she spoke solemnly, ignoring the other woman for the time being. “I found this, within le forest shrine. They are plans to steal l'artifact that est this tournament's prize; I seek an audience with those 'om 'ave arranged l'event, less some doom befall us all.” The ranger prayed that the guards would understand her plea and grant her request, for at the moment the desires she had held for the tournament were the furthest thing from her mind. Unfortunately, this did not hold true for her thoughts of the other woman, who's bearing began to leave her in a feeling of uneasiness once again. Why did the woman's presence affect her so, and what would become of it?

“Stop her…” the guard wheezed out, panting heavily and dripping blood as he lumbered towards the three. “She's got thee… artifact…” The ranger quickly cursed her own stupidity and questioned her insight as she realized that not only had she been too late, but that she had allowed the thief to slip between her fingers. The guard whom she had been speaking to was already making his way through the crowds after the woman, but the curse of his platemaille had reared its ugly head. Trading in speed for defense he proved to be too slow to be of any use against such a nimble target, and without word or second thought she ran forward, drawing a dagger into one hand while clutching the scroll in her off. Had this been an open field, and had she realized the situation earlier, she might have been able to draw forth her bow and fire off a volley, but even with her skills as an archer she feared that her shots would not be precise enough to prevent injuring an innocent. No, she would have to track this woman like she did the feline, and although people and animals are vastly different, they are also prone to making the same mistakes.

Stuffing the scroll into her belt, the ranger pushed herself forward with all of her might, feeling the burn from her muscles all over her body as she drew her bow and arrow. Although she had failed with the dagger, her arrows could fly faster and further; a better choice once the crowd of townsfolk thinned out. In moments the world around her began to fade from her thoughts; her breathing became more steadied, her eyes focused solely on her target, and when her senses became more heightened, that was when she fully became aware of the peculiarity of the situation. The ranger was not one for justice, believing whole-heartily that the strong preying upon the weak had always been the way of things; only rarely did she aid another without thought of reward or payment. So why now, all of a sudden? Why was she so concerned about whose hands this artifact fell into, and the outcome of such an event? As long as no harm came upon her own being, why should she worry about a world she cared so little for? She had her woods, after all, and her strength; damn those whom could not cope with the end of all things.

Then again, who said she was concerned? She was no savior, no hero; her only intent this entire time had been to present the scroll to the proper authorities and let them deal with the situation, whether they possessed the ability to do so or not. Had the thief not made her presence known, than the ranger could very well have departed the scene with nary a second thought. Ah, but now a chase was underway, a voiceless challenge to the woman's skill. That was what pushed her forward, commanded the movement of her arm and intensified her thoughts.

The thrill of the hunt…

Stopping short of the corner the ranger took a moment to catch her breath and ready herself a second volley. This wasn't the first time she had found herself in a situation such as this, and she new better than to enter the lion's den unprepared less she be slaughtered by the unknown forces that inevitably awaited her. After all, all she had to do was step out into the open and be run in through with a sword or shot through the head with a bolt; if anything, she grew rather surprised that she hadn't been done in already. Unless that injured guard at the coliseum had warned the others she had to wonder how she had it made it this far, weapons drawn and fired, without the authorities taking her out. Lost within the moment, however, everything around her appeared all too quiet, and she forced such dread thoughts from her mind. It was just her and her prey now, and she would not let this moment pass without a fight. The authorities she could deal with later as she still possessed the scroll but, for now, it was time to swallow her fear and make her move.