Aelus allowed his smile to fade, glaring at the Patriarchy bitch who translated his 'threat' for the guards. This woman, no, this girl, she was either actively attempting to undermine him, or was simply too naive to understand that divulging secrets to her captors was incomparably stupid. His facade only dropped for a moment before he regained his composure and returned to his state of eerie solemnity. Either way, she  would be an individual to avoid in the future. Her mere presence restricted his capability to use the tongue of the Ayecht tribes to further his guise. Even the Khanate woman was guilty of attempting to curry the favor of the guards. He honestly doubted that either of them would hesitate to spend the night with one of their honored captors for a night out of the cold and an extra ration.<br/><br/>Another guard passed by, curving his path around the cheerfully grim slave. Aelus watched him pass, allowing the guard to stride by without conflict before untying the rough stitch in the bottom of his burlap restraint. He discretely tore at a patch of qanta grass previously concealed by his crossed legs, squirreling away a good quantity before resealing the bag. His bindings now concealed several herbs he had collected over the last few days, an ensemble of unsavory characters only awaiting the arrival of their qanta brother.<br/><br/>He ripped and shredded the components, tearing them into almost particular pieces before rolling the plant matter between his hands to dry it. By the time Count Valishin arrived Aelus had finished his next batch of sleeping powder. Valishin, Aelus remembered him. They never formally met, but he was present at one of Aelus' more public performances. As he remembered it, the count was very displeased with the Skinwalker's appearance at the party, even offering a bonus reward for the trespasser's head. It was the only job he and... well, that he had ever abandoned. Turns out kidnappings in broad daylight were a bit too ambitious, even for the Skinwalker.<br/><br/>Aelus waited patiently for Valishin and Peschek to finish their arbitrary greetings, hoping to find some place to interject. No such opportunity arose. He did however, derive some amusement from the count's objectification of the girl from the Patriarchy. The pleasant spectacle was soon shattered by the booming delivery of a word more ancient than any Ayecht prayer he knew. Sadness, rage, joy, greed, lust. All of these were familiar to him, each one played a part in his daily routine, but with the utterance of that word came the resurrection of an old sensation. It clawed up from the depths of his stomach, clambering through his throat and slithering into skull, finally nesting behind his eyes like some ethereal parasite. For the first time in years, Aelus was afraid.<br/><br/>It was fleeting, a passing visitation by a long forgotten friend. It was strange, fear had been his companion for so many years, yet they had gone so long without speaking. The gilded smile returned and Aelus' response to his new found freedom was not long delayed. He regained control of his mind, steeling it against the mystical horror that plagued Valishin and the panic that quickly spread through the camp. Aelus rose slowly, calm and composed in the midst of the storm. The guard nearest to him rose his sword, but hesitated as Aelus approached. The Skinwalker advanced on the guard, who's scowl quickly faded to the soft features of a man gripped by terror. Aelus' eyes burned with elation, his spirit uplifted by the end of his brief contention with dread, and the return of his honored ally.<br/><br/>He closed on the still frozen guard, raising his hand and placing it lightly over the the man's mouth and nose. Aelus watched the man stiffen, then relax, dropping his sword and letting his arms fall slack. The guard remained standing, swaying lazily from side to side, eyes still open. Aelus lifted the crossbow from the guard's back and the quiver from his belt, readying a bolt before grabbing the guard around the chest. A quick survey of the camp showed the other guards conveniently occupied elsewhere, though the count's knights had fewer qualms about facing Aelus. Two reared their horses for a charge, quickly gaining ground on the open plains. Aelus took a snap shot at the leading knight's horse, placing a bolt deep in its chest. The beast collapsed, sending the knight rolling out into the tall grass. The second continued the charge, couching his lance as he neared Aelus' position. The Skinwalker held his ground, staring up at the charging knight. The horseman shouted and thrusted his lance forward. Aelus stepped to the side and shoved the drugged guard onto the lance, rolling off to the side and hacking the metal limb of the crossbow into the horse's rear knee as it passed. It crumpled into a heap of hair and flesh. The rider struggled to gain his footing before being kicked onto his back by Aelus. Aelus stepped on the rider's chest, pinning him to the ground. The soldier blustered, mustering every ounce of his courage.<br/><br/>"Let me up and fight me like a man. Where is your honor?"<br/><br/>Aelus chuckled, shaking his head.<br/><br/>"Well, you've gone and blown it."<br/><br/>Aelus drew a dagger from the rider's belt, resting the point on the eye slit in the man's helmet.<br/><br/>"I would have let you live if you just asked nicely."<br/><br/>The scream was expected, but the tone was much higher than Aelus believed the man could muster.