Wonderful 52.

The Nomads Plains...

Kaldeàlil Haldéilv stops and looks around, the attractive elven maid who is on the hunt for those she's been after for three years, well the hunt for one person in particular. Looks to the northeast, the direction that's leads to the elven principality of Maladimbáh, which she fled from less than a week ago.
The elven magic user who is originally from Maladimbáh, heard from here contacts in the port city of Falnic, that those who she's after were recently there.
Infact they left early in the morning of the day she arrived there, the attractive elven maid who arrived in the night time, was both annoyed, and satisfied that her quarry is so close.
Kaldeàlil after spreading rumours in Falnic about the two who chased her from her homeland so recently. Left the coastal city in Belinswae fairly quickly, to head east again into the nomads plains where those she's after are at the moment, as they head to Maladimbáh, the elven principality which for better or worse, is her home.
Even though she's not particularly enamoured by it, or her father who is a lord there. Her father who must be more than annoyed that his tower came under attack so recently. When Kaldeàlil's prisoner, the Vexilian mage named Mira Reinholt, was freed by the undead being who is the lord and ruler of the lands Farque in the Southlands.
"Damn those two" mutters Kaldeàlil Haldéilv who is standing upon a pile of boulders as she looks in all directions in what's a fairly flat part of the dry, arid plains. The elven magic user who hopes the two who pursued her out of Maladimbáh are caught and somehow detained in the Belinswae city of Falnic. She's under no illusions that they'll be killed.
Those in positions of authority in Falnic, the justifiers. Have no idea what those two are capable of. All the same, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv hopes she's lost them for a lengthy period of time.
For the single purpose of allowing her more time, to concentrate her efforts in hunting down the person she has had a personal vendetta for the past three years. The elven prince who killed her lover, Xanderlith Karlavilt, in his homeland in the Southlands, the elven principality of Alínlae.
The attractive elven maid who has been most active at night as she crosses back across the nomads plains. Knows that her quarry will be traveling at night too. For they're on horseback if her sources in the city of Falnic are correct. And traveling at night while mounted, when most of the group you're with are human. Seems the most logical, and frankly the most prudent thing to do.
It's after midnight, and the elven magic user who doesn't want to travel too quickly in case she passes her quarry at night without knowing it. Has only gone through a rift the once since leaving Falnic, and that was when she left the port city on the coast of Belinswae itself.
Even then she only went forty miles or so, afraid if she went too far, she might of gone by the one she's hunting, and those with him. Then there's the challenge of working out which way they've actually gone. Did they head east straight into the nomads plains, travel that way then turn north.
Or did they go north first, then turn east, before going north again as they travel on horseback to the elven principality of Maladimbáh. Or have they been riding steadily northeast all the time as they cross the nomads plains.
That is what the attractive elven maid is betting they do, as it seems the most easiest at this time of the year. Where towards the end of summer, you're unlikely to get into trouble with any marauding wild wyverns, who usually avoid travelers, unless they've got horses.
And because the nomads themselves head further east into the plains, getting as far away from the region of Belinswae as possible. For come the very end of summer, and into the autumn, the townsmen of Belinswae, especially those in Falnic, intensify their raids into the hot, dry plains that the nomad tribes call their home.
Kaldeàlil Haldéilv who has traveled the nomads plains often, and knows various landmarks across it, is traveling with a pack of supplies across one shoulder, and a number of leather water sacks over the other.
Looks to the east, and teleports there, to a couple of miles away, where she reappears on top of an actual hill, one of the few in this part of the nomads plains.
With the moon Ilnari, the largest of the moons of Volunell, big in the sky just above the horizon to the east. The attractive elven maid, who is unable to be sensed by other spellcasters due to an amulet she wears on a chain around her neck. Looks all around, as far as her naturally enhanced eyes can see. And when she can't see anything of interest, she casts farsight upon herself, so that she's able to see close up, to more than a dozen miles away, she looks around again hoping to see her quarry, or at least some sign of them.
"Nothing" murmurs Kaldeàlil Haldéilv in a slight tone of disappointment, the illegitimate daughter of an elven lord of Maladimbáh, looks across an area of shifting sand, which is commonly referred to as long sand by the nomad tribes. It's just one of many patches of long sand that can be found across the dry and arid plains where the nomads make their home.
The elven magic user sees a couple of mounds in the long sand, not particularly high in height, but the attractive elven maid knows what they are, and that they're far larger than what they appear. Kaldeàlil Haldéilv knows that she would of probably missed them if she wasn't casting a spell upon her natural farsight.
"Don't want to be waking them up" murmurs the elven magic user from the principality of Maladimbáh, who knows exactly what the mounds of sand are, as she has encountered them before when crossing the nomads plains. They can be difficult at the best of times, so much so that even the nomads avoid them when they can. For they can be difficult to deal with, even for a spellcaster.
After looking around again, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv teleports away, as she continues her search for those she's chasing after here in the nomads plains.
Much later, when it's approaching dawn, as the false light of pre dawn can briefly be seen, Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy says "There's definitely something that way" the elf from the principality of Alínlae in the Southlands gestures to their right, to the south and adds "I can hear it".
"You know what it is?" asks Riley Hait the mercenary ranger who is riding a bit further infront of the elven spy, who responds with a shake of his head, and says "I'm not too sure" the mercenary ranger is quiet for a few moments as he contemplate things, then he says "We continue on, unless whatever it is effects us in anyway".
The group continue riding, with the ranger Hait expecting either Helbe the elven thief or Narladene the ground pixie to turn up pretty soon, to give directions to where they're going to camp for the day.
It's not long after, when Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman just wondering when either the young elven noble or the ground pixie will show up. When the elven princeling suddenly appears out of thin air just a bit infront of them, as the first light of dawn starts to come up over the horizon in the east.
As the elven magic user hops up into the saddle of his horse that's being led by Lisell Maera, he frowns and looks away to the south "What's that?" asks Helbe the elven thief, who then looks at the elven spy Dalinvardél Tanith, who says "Think it's screaming" he pauses for a moment, then adds "Well, that's what it sounds like".
"Hold up for a moment" says Helbenthril Raendril to the rest of the group, the elven magic user casts a spell and looks away to the south, the direction he knows Narladene went off to check up on something after telling him of a good place for the group to camp for the day.
After a few moments of listening with the aid of a spell, the young elven noble says "That's screaming alright" he continues with "Human by the sounds of it" the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel then quietly adds "Sounds young too".
The elven masterthief is just about to say something to the others, when suddenly Narladene the ground pixie appears right infront of his face and she hurriedly tells him something, as he listens to the tiny winged creature, the elven master archer winces, then he sighs as she suddenly disappears again.
"By the forest gods" mutters Helbe the elven thief in the language of the elven royalty, he follows that up with "Fuck" in the same language, then he looks at Riley Hait who asks him "What is it?". "Someone's in trouble" replies the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel in the Southlands, who looks away to the south, then murmurs "Damn it".
The elven master assassin throws his reins to Lisell Maera, then says to the others "Head south, we're needed" the nominal leader of the group from south of the equator looks at the spy Tanith and tells him "Just follow those sounds, it'll be easy to locate, it's about two miles away to the south" he then looks at the ranger Hait and adds "Hurry".
Then the elven masterthief vanishes as he shifts away, heading south, the direction that Narladene the ground pixie has already taken off towards.
The others all look at the human mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen in the Southlands, who is in charge of them as they cross the nomads plains "Shit" mutters Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, whose mind is made up for him, when sir Percavelle Lé Dic says "You heard the royal thief, we are needed, so off we go into the breach of the unknown to fight the enemy over yonder ways" as he waves in the direction that Helbenthril Raendril took off to.
The heavily armoured knight starts riding south at speed, reckless of the footing beneath the hooves of his horse. After sourly smiling, Riley Hait says to the others "It's off we go then" and he nods his head in the direction that the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che is galloping off to.
The rest of them start riding that way too, not knowing what they're actually riding towards . . . . . .