Headed by a Snake

Seldin Korr, the Unbreakable, held fast to the horse's reins, trying to keep him steady. Her mount reared and bucked in complaint, but she would not be thrown off so easily.

"Shhh. Mister Hurricane. Calm down," She whispered.

Mister Hurricane did not calm down.

A beautiful blonde woman in black and yellow robes stood in their path, holding a peculiarly shaped longbow, "Um? Miss Outsider?"

"Hi, I'm fine, thanks," Korr responded, trying to keep her balance. Her tummy muscles were feeling sore.

"Miss... did you need assistance?"

"No, I'm good." Korr hugged the horse's neck.

"Mister Hurricane, you are embarrassing me in front of company," She whispered.

Hurricane neighed disobediently and, with Korr unbalanced, he was finally able to buck the lithe woman off of her saddle. She stood up and dusted off her leather trousers and long-sleeved shirt, rubbing her sore buttocks in an unladylike manner.

She wasn't wearing armor because it was still broken. She kept forgetting to put in the order to repair it. Stupid.

She turned and watched Hurricane gallop off.

"Be free, Mister Hurricane." She muttered. "If we ever meet again, you will pay for your sudden but inevitable betrayal with your life."

Her adventuring supplies were still attached to the horse, her rations, her bedroll-- everything but her weapons and her newest huggable plushie.

Leader had sent it to her via the Courier's Guild. It was her favorite thing.

The archer cleared her throat, "Was that... your horse?"

Korr turned to face her, "Mister Hurricane and I are no longer on speaking terms."

The archer raised up a dainty hand to her mouth, stifling a giggle, "My name is Yumiko. May I ask for yours?"

Korr drew a sword, "My name is Korr."

With a twirl of her hands, the archer deftly nocked an arrow onto her bowstring, but didn't yet draw back on it, "Usually, trespassers are dealt with harshly and lethally."

Korr didn't say anything.

Yumiko smiled awkwardly, "Um. Miss Outsider?"

"Yes?"

"You're trespassing."

"Oh...." She was? That was embarrassing. Korr relaxed her shoulders and resheathed her sword.

"Should I go back?" Korr pointed behind her with her thumb.

The blonde woman smiled gently, the type of smile where her eyes closed when she smiled wide enough, "That depends, Korr. Where are you looking to go?"

Korr frowned. She didn't dislike this woman. But she talked a bit much... It reminded Korr of President Victoire back in Nice... "Ivory Judge sect."

The archer opened one eye, looking somewhat treacherous, "Then you're headed in the right direction."

Korr nodded slowly in understanding as she drew her sword once more, "Then I have to get past you..."

"But before we begin, I'd like to know... why you have..." The smiling archer pointed, "that?"

...What was she pointing at. Her sword?

Korr held her blade up, "This is Michael. I got this for 95 silver when we visited Passage. I had to borrow coin from..."

"Oh, nonono, I'm sorry." The archer replied, a bit troubled. "I meant to ask about... that." She pointed again.

"Oh. I'm sorry?" Korr resheathed her sword.

The two stared at each other awkwardly... before Korr slowly drew the handaxe on her thigh, "This is Adele?"

After another moment of silence, Korr continued, "Adele was Leader's gift to me for my 20th nameday-- oh, not New Leader, I mean Old Leader--"

The archer hesitated for a moment before putting her arrow away. "And what's that?"

Korr pouted, slightly confused. But she supposed she could answer the nice lady's questions... She put Adele back in her sheath before drawing the curved blade on her lower back...

...

Kagehisa Chihiro stood by with a twitching eyebrow. She had sent out most of the remaining archers to track the other Outsiders' movements while her charge, Lady Yumiko, had been fooling around with the Outsider, Korr.

It had almost been a full bell. Yumiko was braiding the woman's long, dark red hair while listening to the Outsider tell stories about her weapons.

"Madam, can we just... shoot her, already?" Chihiro whispered. "The one-eyed Outsider is obviously a villain."

"Whaaaat? Of course not, little Cheerio. Little Korr is the sweetest thing!" Yumiko happily hummed. "My daughter likes her hair short, so I haven't been able to braid hair for years."

"O...kay. How... do we know she's not, Madam?"

Yumiko finished braiding Korr's hair into two long ponytails. The pale yellow ribbons added a charming contrast with the dark red. "Alright, little Korr. Would you tell us about the Poogie you're holding?"

Korr reflexively hugged the pink pig plush in her arms, "What would you know about Percival?"

Yumiko patted the fully grown adult woman on her head, "I knitted Percival myself."

Korr seemed to relax a bit, "Oh... It was... a gift."

A tinge of blush colored her cheeks, which immediately caught Yumiko's attention.

Yumiko recognized the pig plush as one she had crocheted for her daughter. Warrior Tycon had demanded the cheaply but lovingly made plush as additional payment for the monumental quest of saving the sect-- an action that showed the magnanimity of Guild Invictus. She had wondered what the Warrior had done with it... but it seemed to be part of the package Tycon had sent to the outside world. Seeing it in Korr's hands, the woman must have had a unique status in the guild.

Chihiro complained to Yumiko in hushed tones, "Madam... I still don't think we can trust her. She's clearly a scout for the hundred others! Why would her arrival be so coincidental with theirs, otherwise?"

Yumiko turned to the braided Korr, "Little Korr, did you bring one-hundred men with you to the Ivory Judge sect?"

"Nope. Just me and Hurricane. Why?"

Chihiro fell to the ground, screaming, "Why would you just aaaaaassskkk??!"

Yumiko faced Korr and put her hands on her cheeks. Korr didn't particularly react to it, "So you said Percival was a gi~ft?"

Korr nodded, her cheeks squished in Yumiko's hands.

"Then you must know Warrior Ty~con?" Yumiko grinned.

Suddenly, Yumiko turned to Chihiro, "Cheerio!! Korr's burning up! This is so adorable!"

Chihiro looked worriedly at the reddening Korr, "Madam, I think she's trying to say something."

Yumiko released the poor twin-braided girl, letting her speak, "Sir Tycon is... my..."

The two girls leaned forward. Yumiko was invested. Chihiro just liked gossip.

"...Savior."

Yumiko placed her hands on her heart, swooning, "Oh, I love it."

Chihiro crossed her arms, "That's not where I thought that was going, but okay."

Yumiko smirked, "Did you want to tell Auntie Yumiko why you've come, little Korr?"

Hesitantly, the girl nodded, "I'm here to warn Leader... the Staghorn guild is coming for him."

Understanding dawned in Yumiko's eyes, "So it seems the other Outsiders in the guild seek to harm Guild Invictus, our benefactor. Cheerio."

Chihiro bowed lightly, "Madam."

"Mobilize one-hundred Martialists of our Ivory Judge sect. The other families should be eager to compete for the favor of our Kimura family and Guild Invictus. Oh, and make sure Guild Invictus and my husband are informed."

Chihiro smiled weakly, "Very well, but... cousin, you know my name isn't Chiirio, it's... Chihiro, right?"

Yumiko smiled, her eyes were thin, nearly closed-- but her cheeks didn't smile along with them, "Did I stutter, darling cousin?"

A chill ran down Chihiro's spine. She inwardly cursed for questioning a Master Archer, "N-no, Madam. I'll be going, then."