Ashley is standing at the edge of the old forest that is outside of Oakvale. The forest is old and some of the trees are almost as tall as the giantess herself, though the majority of them just barely reach the bottom of her chest. Due to her being fifty-one feet tall, she can help Sir Gabriel locate any place that the Ghost Bandit may try to frequent within the trees, though she isn't quite sure what to look for. It is still a bit early in the spring, so the trees are full of leaves which are obstructing her vision of the forest floor. Though she is trying her best, taking the advice that Sir Gabriel gave her on what to look for as far as idea hiding spots.
Ashley looks up at her raised arm, her palm facing upwards and flat which is where Sir Gabriel is currently at. "I can't really find anything. What about you?"
Sir Gabriel is kneeling on Ashley's palm, his arm wrapped around her raised thumb to help give himself some stability on the soft surface that he is on. The armor clad knight is looking from his high vantage point, scanning the area for anything that can help him locate the wanted thief in any way possible. "Not yet, but I am still looking." He knows that going through the forest to locate the Ghost Bandit's hideout would be a futile effort. Getting turned around in the forest and losing one's sense of direction is what makes it very hard to navigate. But with the bird's eye view that he has been given, he knows that this task can be done.
The knight has a good idea of what he is looking for, a spot where the Ghost Bandit would keep heading to. With everything that has been stolen, he knows that he must have a sizeable location to stash everything that he has wrongfully aquired, so perhaps a cave. As he continues to search, he comes arcoss a small clearing. He is about to dismiss it, thinking that the area would be too open for one to hide in effectively, when he sees a building aquired right at the clearing's edge. The knight can't really make out the building's details too well, due to him being so high up, but it does look like it has seen better days. With a place like that deep in the woods, that has to be where the Ghost Bandit is constantly running to and hiding at. At least it makes enough sense to him to warrant a look
Sir Gabriel looks over the edge of Ashley's palm, calling down to the giantess. "Ashley, I think I found the Ghost Bandit's hideout! Go ahead and lower me now!"
Ashley lowers the knight until he is right at her face. "You found where the Ghost Bandit is hiding at?"
Sir Gabriel points towards the direction of the building that he has discovered. "I believe so, there's an old house in a small clearing over there. I bet that is where he is retreating to after each theft he performs. You think you can get us close to there?"
Ashley looks at the forest that is ahead of her, looking at the space that is between the trees. Being so large it is going to be a tight squeeze for herto walk through the trees. "I think so." The forest isn't very dense, but the trees are close enough together that the large maiden does need to be careful about how she walks through. She has to turn her body to squeeze between some of the trees, feeling how they ate brushing up against her body . It is possible for her to push some of them out of her way, to give herself the room that is needed for her to walk through freely. But she doesn't want to cause too much unnecessary damage. She is already breaking branches off just as she is trying to squeeze through.
It's bad enough that she is unable to see where she is stepping, with her feet quite possibly crushing young saplings. All she knows is that she can feel the dead leaves and branches being crushed beneath her bare soles, and she hopes that is all she is stepping on. She would hate to think of the possibility of stepping on a deer or some other animal. She does her best to stay focused on the path ahead, doing her best to keep from knocking over any trees with her body.
"Okay Ashley, this is close enough," Sir Gabriel says when the two of them are close to the clearing where the house is located. "We don't want to alert the Ghost Bandit to our presence."
Ashley knows exactly what Sir Gabriel is referring to. Because of her size, her footsteps can be pretty audible from a decent distance away. She can imagine that the knight does want the element of surprise on his side in order to have an advantage.
Lowering her knight down to her chestB she cups her hand over him so that she can protect him from any trees branches that could quite possibly hit him as she starts to kneel down slowly. Unfortunately, the maiden does have to watch out for those hazards herself as she is getting closer to the ground. Though they won’t hurt her too much, they can be a nuisance. One of which is her getting a mouthful of leaves which she is quick to spit out. Once Ashley is on her knees, she lowers her hand to the ground.
Sir Gabriel carefully steps off the giantess' palm, still not completely used to riding on such a soft surface. Once on the grpund, he turns around to look at her, seeing that where she is at isn't exactly an open area for her. Despite the fact that the trees aren't that close together, they still are creating a bit of a cramped space for her. The maiden has a look of discomfort on her face because of how cramped she feels at the moment. "Are you okay waiting here?"
Ashley nods, even though she does feel a bit confined. "Yeah, I'm fine waiting here." She goes to push one tree that it pushed up against her one arm. The force she uses causes the base of the tree's trunk to crack until it starts to fall over. Sir Gabriel jumps a bit, fearing that it may actually land on him, only to find some relief that it does stop as it is now leaning up against two other trees. "Sorry," Ashley apologizes with an embarrassed look on her face, realizing what could have just happened to her knight.
"It's okay," Sir Gabriel says. "I can only imagine how cramped this space is for you. Besides, if I was in any real danger, I know that you would have done everything in your power to catch it."
"Yeah," Ashley answers while nodding. She believes that the knight is right about that. She wouldn't have had to think about her actions, she would have just reached out and grabbed the falling tree with no regard to how damage she would do to the forest in the process. With ber size she could easily lift up and move the tree if necessary.
"I'll try to be as quick as possible, so we can get out of here," Sir Gabriel continues. "Though, I doubt that the Ghost Bandit will be too cooperative, so it may still take some time to bring him out. I do imagine that my skill in combat surpasses his, so I shouldn't take too long."
Ashley reaches for Sir Gabriel, resting her finger on the side of his face. She is aiming for his cheek, but with her size it is just about impossible to touch such a relatively small area. "Just be careful okay. If things start to go wrong, please promise that you will come back to me. Your safety means a lot more to me than some trivial reward."
Sir Gabriel reaches up and places his hand on her finger, leaning his head into the soft surface. "I promise that I will come back to you safe and sound." He turns his head, kissing the giantess' finger.
Ashley wishes that she could return the sweet gesture in kind. But right now her movement is limited by all the trees that are surrounding her, so her sweet gesture will have to wait until later. She knows that she can show her knight her love and affection for him later, perhaps by cuddling with him back at his parents. She smiles slightly, already looking forward to it. For now, all she can do is watch as Sir Gabriel walks away from her and into to clearing that is just ahead of them.
Sir Gabriel looks at the house that is ahead of him, now able to see just how decrepit it is, making it seem as though no one has been here for many a year. The roof is shoddy-looking with several holes in it. Vines growing up the walls due to the years of neglect. Several of the windows are even broken.
Despite the condition of the building this has to be where the Ghost Bandit is hiding, it is the only place that he could be heading back to after each robbery he commits. He grabs his helmet, which is tied to his waist, and puts it on as he approaches the old building. He checks to make sure that his round shield is firmly secured onto his forearm, before he places his hand on the hilt of his sword as if he is ready to draw it.
Sir Gabriel loojs back towards Ashley, barely being able to see the giantess through the trees. He does wish that he could remain in her loving embrace, but he does have a bounty to bring in. But he knows that she will wait for him and when he does returnb he can look forward to the woman's unique manner if showing her love for him.
Approaching the door, Sir Gabriel slowly opens it, trying to be as quiet about his entry as possible. Taking a step inside, the only noise that he is hearing is his own armor clanking as he moves about, he looks around tge building's interior for any signs of the bandit. A lot of the furniture does look as though it has been inside this house for a long time as well, but he can tell that someone has been living here very recently. He can see some leftover food on the table, which is free of mold and still looks quite edible. Several articles of clothing arescattered about as though someone has been changing their clothes. He even finds a fancy looking dress, most likely stolen from a noble woman.
The knight continues to walk slowly, remaining alert for any signs of the Ghost Bandit. He only stops when something on the floor catches his eye. Kneeling down to get a closer look at it, he finds that it is a single gold coin. It still has some shine to it, meaning that it hasn't been here too long. Everything he is seeing has to mean that he is in the right place. Sir Gabriel stands back up, taking note of a closed door that is at the back of the building, his first though being that he should look in there next before checking the upstairs.
Sir Gabriel gets close to the door, reaching out for the door knob as he gets ready to turn it.. He stops when he can clearly hear someone on the other side of it. He knows that it must be the Ghost Bandit, it has to be him. Who else could be here? He draws his sword, ready for the encounter. He then lifts his foot up and kicks the door in with his metal greaves.
The Ghost Bandit turns around, surprised to see the knight entering the room as the door is ripped of its hinges. All of his spoils are in here with him, piled up along the walls and set on an assortment of tables. "Who the fuck are you?" he asks.
Sir Gabriel notices that his voice sounds a bit off. It does sound gruff, and yet it doesn't sound like it belongs to him. Not to mention something seems to be off with the Ghost Bandit entirely. He is wearing a black pair of pants and boots, along with a white shirt that looks as if it doesn't fit him propetly. He also notices how his proportions seem to be slightly off as well, but Sir Gabriel can't quite figure out how. His face looks a bit on the smooth side, which must mean he is a bit young, with a tri tip hat on top of his black hair. Not to mention he seems to be a couple of inches shorter than the knight.
He decides that he has better things to worry about at the moment, since his target is now right in front of him. "I am Sir Gabriel Ian Randal. I am here to claim the bounty that has been placed on your head. I would advise that you come quietly to avoid any unnecessary injuries."
"Fuck you!" the Ghost Bandit shouts as he grabs a mace that is close at hand. He rushes at the knight, his mace raised up and ready to swing it.
Sir Gabriel raises his round shield up to block the incoming blow, ready to feel the impact. The moment the mace makes contact with his shield, he is surprised that he has not staggered back from the blow in the slightest bit. Which means that this Ghost Bandit has no combat experience whatsoever, making this a favorable situation.
The Ghost Bandit swings again, only to be blocked by the knight's round shield once again. He is starting to get pissed now, seeing how this knight is only toying with him. He starts to swing wildly out of frustration, hoping to get a good hit in. But evey swing he makes is met with the shield.
Sir Gabriel knows that this fight is very one-sided, he could very easily end it right now with a single, well placed blow. He decides to to give the Ghost Bandit another chance to surrender, with a show of force. The moment the Ghost Bandit's mace contact with his shield once again, he pushes back with his shield using a considerable amount of force. The Ghost Bandit is caught off guard by what Sir Gabriel has just done and is thrown off balance causing him to stagger. He stumbles back several steps before falling backwards knocking into a table and hitting a wall. The table beside him shakes, causing an open bottle of wine to tip over and spill onto his shirt.
"It is clear that you are outmatched here. So this is the last time I am making this offer," Sir Gabriel says as he steps forward. "Come willingly and I will..." He stops stops cold when he sees just how the Ghost Bandit's shirt is clinging to his chest, now seeing that there is a roundness there. He now realizes that he isn't dealing with a young a man. "You're a woman?"
"That's right!" the Ghost Bandit confirms, her voice now sounding very feminine since she no longer needs to disguise it. She stands up, removing her hat, which allows her hair to fall just below her shouders. "Alex the Ghost Bandit is a woman! You got a problem with that you bastard?"
Sir Gabriel is unable to answer her, now realizing that this bounty will not be as easy as he had hoped it would be. He has no time to think about how he is going to handle this new problem as Alex wastes no time charging right at him. He raises his shield again as she is wildly swinging at him repeatedly.
"What's the matter?" Alex taunts. "Am I too much for you?"
"You must think pretty highly of yourself if that is what you believe." Sir Gabriel is doing his best to sound confident, but he knows that he is unable to win against her. His respect towards women is preventing him from taking any aggressive action against Alex. He needs to think of a way to subdue her, and fast. He can't block against her determined blows forever, even he has his limits.
He looks towards a window, wondering how worried Ashley must be at the moment. He told her that he would be quick, that apprehending the Ghost Bandit would be an easy job. That is when a much needed plan comes to mind.
Just as Alex goes to swing at him again, he pushes back with his shield the moment her mace makes contact. It doesn't knock her over like it did last time, but it is enough to knock her off balance again. Sir Gabriel starts to sheath his sword, "It is clear to me that I am unable to win against you in this fight, so I have no choice but to retreat."
Alex grins, feeling quite proud that she is making an actual knight retreat. Her smug smile fades quickly when she watches him reach over towards a table and picks up a small golden statue. The statue is one of an angel, gems adorning the wings, making it one of the more valuable things that she has stolen.
Looking at the statue, Sir Gabriel continues, "Since I won't be able to claim the bounty that has been placed on you, I shall go ahead and claim this as compensation instead."
"Hey!" Alex shouts. "Give that back! I stole that fair and square! It's mine by right!" She watches as the knight leaves the room hastily, along with her prized possession. "FUCKER!"
Alex starts to give chase after Sir Gabriel, the knight nowhere in her sight after he bolted out the door. She wonders just how he is able to move so quickly with all that heavy armor on his body. She makes her way to the front door, figuring that he must have made his way outside, where else could he have gone?
Alex practically bursts through the door, frantically looking around once she is outside. All she can see are the trees of the forest, no signs that the knight is anywhere close by. "Get back here you bastard!" she yells out of anger. "You fucking coward!" She knows that it's all over for her, figuring that the knight must be on his way back to town. He knows exactly where she is hiding out and will probably be back with guards to bring her in. She has no choice, she will have to gather up what valuables she can carry with her and make a run for it and lay low for a while until things calm down. Just as she goes to turn around, she sees some movement through the trees.
Sir Gabriel steps of from the forest, his helmet removed so Alex can see the smug look that he has on his face. He holds the statue out, waving it in front of him as if to taunt the angry thief. "Is this what you want?"
Alex figures that it has to be a trap, but what does the knight have planned? He couldn't have brought help with him that quickly, so is he making a bluff? Trap or not, Alex tightens her grip on her mace, determined to reclaim that statue. "Give it back, you no good mother fucker!" She charges right at knight, her mace raised and ready to strike. All she can see right now is the knight who is dangling her prized possession right in front of her. Before she can even get close enough to swing at Sir Gabriel, she stops when she sees a giant hand coming out of the woods and right for her.
"What the fucking hell?" All Alex can do is stare, watching as the hand wraps it's fingers around her body, pinning her arms down at her sides. She is soon lifted up off the ground, her feet dangling in the air as she is pulled into the woods. She doesn't know what is going on, nor does she know what to expect. Though she is very shocked to see that she is staring at the face of a very large woman who has a bit of a worried look on her face.
"Hi there, I'm Ashley." She can tell that Alex is very surprised at the very sight of her, which she can understand. She is, in fact, the only person who is as big as she is. "I just can't let you hurt Gabriel, he is my knight after all." She looks over at Sir Gabriel while pointing to the stunned woman who is in her hand. "This is the Ghost Bandit?"
"Yeah," Sir Gabriel answers. He can't see the look on Alex's face right now but he can easily imagine what it must look like right now. He did go through the same thing she is right now when he first met Ashley. Stunned with fear and very confused at the sight of such a large woman.
Ashley turns back to Alex, examining her for a moment. The maiden is surprised that the Ghost Bandit is actually a woman. "So you are really the Ghost Bandit then?"
Alex finally comes to her senses, realizing that she is not in any real danger from the giantess. This woman may have a hold of her, but it is clear that she has no intentions of hurting her. Otherwise she would have done so by now. Alex starts to struggle, kicking her feet wildly in a futile effort to free herself. She can't even free her arms from how tight Ashley's grio is on her. Though it isn't so tight to whwre she is uncomfortable. “Let me down this instant, you big bitch!"
"Sorry, but I just can't do that," Ashley apologizes. "You have been stealing from a lot of people and you need to pay for for your crimes."
"Why you no good, oversized, fucking bitch!" Alex is unphased by the size of Ashley. She doesn't care how big this woman is, she is going to say what is on her mind without any thought to any possible consequences. "Let me down this instant before I bash that ugly face of yours in! I'm gonna..." She is unable to finish her last sentence, her mouth being covered by a large finger.
"Please," Ashley asks, "I don't appreciate being talked to like that, nor do I care for that kind of language. Could you please... OW!" Ashley pulls her finger away from Alex, who is laughing at the woman's pain. The sticks her sore finger into her mouth, sucking on it for a moment, before she pulls it back out to look at it. On the tip of her finger is a small red mark, right where she feels the pain at. She looks over at Sir Gabriel, who is looking a bit concerned, for the maiden. "She bit me." She then turns her attention back to Alex who is still laughing at what she did. "You bit me."
"I hope it hurt! That's what you get for trying to shut me up," Alex responds. "Next time I'll be sure to make it more painful for you."
"Ashley," Sir Gabriel shouts, calling up fo the large maiden. "Just let her whine and complain all she wants. We should get head back to town and take her to the jail so that we can claim the bounty that is on her head."
Ashley sighs, knowing that there is very little that she can do to silence the woman in her hand. Well, she could silence her easily, but it would involve methods that she does not approve of. "This is going to be a long walk back," she mutters to herself as Alex continues to yell and protest at her.