The small village sat in a quiet spot within the Haza Savanna, populated by just under one hundred people of varying races, it had been a perfect place to raise a family for the past two generations. Sadly all good things must end and in the past two months the village had been targeted by a group of bandits who were exploiting the population for food and silver. The camp was a few miles to the South East of the village, hidden among some hills, but the only reason the villagers knew this was because some of the bandits had gotten drunk and spoke too much.

At least once a week the bandits would all come into town to get drunk, harass the peaceful and unarmed locals, steal whatever they wanted and then leave. They had killed before, a few brave souls had stood up to them in the past only to be cut down and made an example of, one of their corpses still hung in the village centre, gently swinging in the breeze.

News had leaked out however of the village’s plight, a prayer had been answered, literally, though it would be a bit longer before it was fulfilled in total. Among the villagers was at least one new arrival, a woman in full armour. She stood at just over five and a half feet all, her armour covered her totally, and the only reason anyone knew she was a woman was because of her voice when she spoke. The steel of the armour was slightly darkened to reduce glare, with gold trimming and accents. The helm of the armour hid her hair and her face, the front of the armour being that of a feminine visage, giving an unblinking and unmoving face to the armour. She carried a halberd on her back and it was the only visible weapon she carried.

At this time she was in the one tavern and inn the village had, sitting and chatting casually with the locals, gaining whatever information she could about the bandits. Their approximant numbers, the location of their base, when they expected the next attack to happen, and any suspected spies within the community. It hadn’t been easy for the woman in armour to arrive here undetected but she had managed it and was biding for a good time to remove the blight that these bandits posed to the lands.

News tend to travel w further than one would expect or would wish for them to. One man in the right place or the right time allows for spread of even of tiniest of rumours. That's exactly how the newest arrival in the village heard of it's plight. From an wandering merchant who overheard a thing or two during his stay.

As the previous arrival was gathering info at the local inn, the new one just arrived at the outskirts. The armor she wore, for new arrival was too a lady, was much less eye catching in of itself. Her visored helm, decorated with red and black feathers, bore no face. Only the pauldrons were trimmed with what looked like gold, but might have been brass, and overall it was decorated with relatively few engravings. However if armor itself was not that much special, what was done with it was. It was polished toa degree that made it shine in the sunlight, almost making it look like it was made from Silver. The fine clothes underneath the armor and around it's waist caught the eye with it's golden trip and bright red contrasting against a deeb black. On her belt she had an dagger, on her back a great two handed sword and next to her walked a Jackal, with fur black as night.

As she strode into the village she begun immediatly asking questions about the local bandit problem and she was quickly pointed to the local tavern where one like herself was currently staying at. Overjoyed to hear that she would meet a fellow honourable soul, she moved quickly with a seeming bounce in her every step.

As she arrived at the tavern she quickly spotted the fellow she was being pointed, she turned to them and said
- Hail, thee fellow traveler! - her voice was jovial and friendly to the ear. She quickly approached her fellow warrior, her jackal companion sniffing about the lady with face bearing helm, and begun a conversation.
- I heard from good people of this village that you are too, asking about local bandit infestation? If it is a truth, I would like to join thee on thy noble endeavour. For I too wish to quell this vile uprising of brigands and highwayman for the safety and continued prosperity of the people living here.

The first armoured woman was bent over a table going over maps of the surrounding area and making plans. When the door opened and a fellow female knight walked in the first woman stood at the greeting, eyeing the jackal more a moment before looking back to the woman. The second female knight was very jovial, to say the least, and as she spoke something strange happened. It was subtle, but the face on the first female knight’s helm changed, it went from a more neutral expression to that of a quizzical one, but it hadn’t moved, it just seemed to change in a blink. She cocked her head to one side for a moment as she let the lady speak. ~Vampire, I can sense it~ She thought to herself, but said nothing.

When the lady in red was finished the mask on the armour changed into a happy face instead. ”You have heard correctly, sister knight, my intention is to help rid this village with its pest problem, as it were. I would be welcome to have your assistance in that, many hands make lighter work.” She replied with the face plate’s face softening to a more casual smile. ”Please, call me Melissa, what may I call you, fair lady?” She asked in return. ”Please, join me at the table here, I have maps from the locals and information that I can share in preparation for the coming fighting.” She explained. ”From what I can gather so far is that they are expecting the bandits to send a group into town either later tomorrow afternoon or evening to get their tribute payments and steal some food. I was thinking to allow this to happen and then follow them back to exactly where their camp is located. What say you?”

~Hm, vampire indeed, this should prove interesting, haven’t seen a vampire knight before.~

The Adelunan knight noticed the sudden change in the expresion of her fellow sister in arms' helmet, but she chalked it up to some magical trickery. A neat little thing, but it was of marginal importance at the momment. Instead, Katarina visibly perked up as her assumptions were confirmed.
- Ah how rude of me not to introduce myself - she responded to Melissa's question -My name is Katarina, a descendent and scion of the proud and noble household of Von Schwarzspeer of Adeluna! Ours is an knightly house, with chivalrous traditions running deep within our veins. - She exclaimed, with obvious joy and pride in her voice. - And this - she pointed here at her Jackal - Is Henselt, my ever loyal companion and the goodest boy a noble woman could ever ask for, aren't you Hen? Hmmm? - Jackal barked happily at this and startet panting with it's tounge out.

And as soon as her fellow lady warrior invited her to sit down, she did so and listened intently to what she had to say. And the information her new companion shared with her was very iluminating indeed. However one thing bugged her, and as a noble knight that she was she would voice her trepidation, once Melissa finished speaking.
- While your plan has tactical merit to it, lady Melissa. I must voice my concern about it's…..moral merits. - Katarina begun - I will be quite honest on this matter. It doesn't sit me well that the plan assumes our inaction in face of evil being done in front of us. To just allow those vermin highwaymen to have their way, even if it would be their last is unjust. Could we not mayhaps stop them? Capture one of their number and get information of their location in that manner? Because just allowing them be, and not stoping them, even if as means to an noble end, is something I cannot accept with good conscience.

”It is an honour to meet you both.” Melissa replied with a curt bow to the vampire knight. Melissa then explained her idea to Katarina, to let the bandits do their thing and follow them back to their headquarters. Under the helm Sirona smiled at Katarina’s reply and rejection of that idea, saying that the inaction wouldn’t sit well with her. ~Excellent, despite being a vampire she is acting to a knightly code. She won’t sit back and let others suffer, the ends don’t justifies the means in this case, good.~ She thought to herself.

Outwardly, Melissa nodded, her face plate’s face changing to a look of understanding. ”Yes, that is a superior plan, and saves on any unnecessary suffering on the part of the villagers.” She replied. ”With that being said, if we are to do this plan than we need to make sure that none of the bandits escape to tell their allies of our arrival here.” She gestured to a window and with a bit of magic it opened smoothly and she gave a short whistle. Through the window flew a phoenix, but one of rainbows colours in its feathers, shining even in the low light of the tavern they were in. It flew to Melissa and settled on her shoulder. ”My companion here can help keep an eye for any of them that try and get away, she can be my eyes in the sky, as it were.” A shifting of her shoulders and the two foot tall bird dropped to the table, talons clicking as it did against the wooden table top. It started to peck at the papers. ”Hey now, please don’t play with that.” Melissa gently bonked the bird on the top of his head getting an annoyed squawk in return but the phoenix stopped chewing the papers.

The smile that had been on the faceplate shifted back to a more serious face when she looked back to Katarina. ”I’m told that they normally come in from the Eastern gates, we could wait near there until they are all in and cut off their escape routes, one of us blocks the gate and the other stops them from going further into town. Inform the villages to stay away from them once they enter so that they cannot take hostages.”