A harsh wind bit through an old asura's scarf, chewing mercilessly at her skin as she trudged through the waist high snow. The soft glow of her mechanical iris the only prominent sign of her from most distances. She stopped abruptly, a powerful rush swept in her at the sight of a small fire just down the hill she had finished scaling. The glow in her eye slowly dimmed, but the iris narrowed as it snapped into focus.

One norn. Two humans. A small scouting party.

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'They're a group mostly consisting of Norns and humans. Spread throughout the Shiverpeaks.' She remembered it being explain by the wolfborn leading the effort.

'Finding any of the children they took alive is unlikely. A few days after they go missing, they're found in pieces, washed up by the rivers.'

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Yimyeta pulled out her rifle, covering the orange glow as it charged with her scarf before setting it in the snow, crouching down. She took a small handful of snow and stuffed it in her mouth before cupped her hands over the base of her rifle, taking in some of the gun's warmth so her fingers would keep steady on the trigger.

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'We pay by the head, but we'll pay more if you get some alive. I assure you they'll get what's coming to them.'

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The snow in her mouth kept the fog of her warm breath from showing to any of the three that might have been watching, she brought her head to the scope of her rifle looking in. They were all wearing similar clothing, like a uniform, gathered close by the fire, at least the humans were, the norn looked more comfortable despite the weather.

Her finger wrapped around the trigger.

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"I haven't had an alive subject since I left the Inquest." Saamid piped up, eyes trailing her as he watched her back for the trip.

Yimyeta paused for a moment. "...I guess they won't miss one. Though the rest I'll be giving to the Wolfborn."‏

"Oh-you are giving the bookahs away to someone not trained in medical torture? Suit yourself."‏

"I know methods of my own." She slapped her ration container shut. "I'll teach them."

"Methods of torture? You?"

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There was something very satisfying about the lead that plunged through the norn's gut, the spurt of blood that shot out from the exit wound, the way he staggered back before narrowed rageful eyes were aimed down her scope. The norn shouted something and one of the humans frantically collected a sword from behind the log he was sitting on before running west. The other joined the norn's side with a firearm and dagger at the ready.

The old Asura stood, abandoning her set up at the hill and slid down, her intentions also westward.

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"Not all of these scars were from being careless."

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