Crimson

[Lyssa_Marie]

Fingers curled up on the handle of her scythe, Red anticipated the wolf to lunge at her. The way he stared her down, the way his fingers twitched, ready to tear her apart.

Instead, the wolf backed down, stepping away from her and focusing on the snake carcass. With his teeth, he tore in to her spilled insides, eating away her muscle and organs. Red sat down on the ground, a bit exhausted from the fight. Still, the wolf's actions left her perplexed. Why did he opt out from killing her as well? Maybe the free meal before them was more fresh and appetizing at the moment as opposed to a tired yet springy prey that was still alive.

Lucky him, she thought as the wolf enjoyed his feast. They already finished whatever food she had left. Her hunter persona twitched in delight at the thought that if the snakes entrails fattened the wolf, she'll have a good amount of meat that would last her a week. Or if any, to earn her some gold and silver if she were to sell them in the villages.

Still, she needed to relax. Hopefully the wolf's early meal will bide some time. The wolf already wants her dead, the human side of him resented her. The next several hours was going to be fun in amping up her guard level.

"Red, Red are you okay? Speak to me dammit are you alright? Please tell me my wolf didn't kill you too?"

For a moment, she thought it was the hunter speaking to her. It wouldn't make sense for the wolf to be concerned about her well being. When Red came to, she saw the wolf back in his human form. He was asking her if she was okay? Why was he worried if the wolf finished her off?

"Just needed rest." Was all she managed to say before she laid down on the ground.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Damn. Stygian watched as red collapsed on the floor. She looked so weak he doubted she would be able to defend herself if he tried to kill her right now. Smiling grimly at the irony he moved to where their packs were and brought back their blankets. He fashioned a crude bed for her and picked her up and placed her in it near the small fire.

Next he gathered the meager supplies they had left. There was about a quarter of a skin of water left, a small piece of dried meat he found at the bottom of his pack and little else. He placed the water in her hands and urged her to drink and was gratified to see her looking a little better after she did.

He banked up the fire and then gathered up a pack, a small hatchet from the supplies in the cave, the empty water skins and his weapons. Looking down on her he smiled a wry grin. "You rest here Hunter and let a true man of the wild show you how to look after yourself."

He made his way to the entrance and found the body of the other combatant. Grabbing it by it's foot he began to drag it out through the winding passage. He would need to do the same to the remains of the Snake Woman but he could do that when he got back. For now Red needed food and water quickly or she would die.

It took him what seemed an extraordinarily long time to get outside as he had to stop and keep dislodging the body he was dragging, but eventually he saw the opening and emerged once again into the outside world. It was twilight and after being in the dark so long he was glad of that. Moving to the edge of the cliff he threw the body off and watched it tumble downwards. Satisfied that it was well away from them now he moved towards the entrance again then along the wall and up towards the way they had been traveling.

Another 100 yards on a small stream flowed out of the mountain and down the side. It was only barely bigger than two of his fingers, but it flowed strongly and it only took a couple of minutes to fill a water skin. Soon he had filled all 3 and he returned to the hidden entrance and laid them down inside. Now he would have to find something for them to eat, a hard task.

If memory served him however the reason for this secret cache was that there was also a small clearing a short climb up the cliff face that mountain goats favored because of the grasses that grew there. He would also be able to find more wood there as well. Looking up he grimaced. He had always been better in the woods, not on mountains like some of the others in the pack. Still he remembered their advice and allowed his nails to grow long and strong on both his fingers and toes and began his climb. That bloody meadow better be up there he muttered to himself. He was not doing this for nothing.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Red's body felt exhausted and cramped, which should come as no surprise after her fight with the snake. Yet for her, it was also strange as her body shouldn't be feeling this tired after a fight. Hell, it was a few weeks ago when she and the hunter fought off a Wendigo that caused much distress in a neighboring town. Quite a shame that the two were heavily criticized for killing the cannibal as its former self was a much beloved priest but what did those residents expect them to do? A couple of bruises and wounds and Red was at least able to stand on her two feet and a bit of a limp but not to the point where all she wanted to do was lie down.

She looked down at her dress with one side slashed and shredded thanks to the damn snake. Quite a shame, it was a favorite outfit of hers too. Red slowly sat up, groaning at the pain on her side. Her right shoulder nagged her, still not fully recovered after the snake slammed her on the ground earlier. But her waist? That was a different story.

Underneath her dress, she noticed blood covering the fabric. What the hell? Red made the mistake of searching for the source of blood with her hand when she pressed under her ribs where the pain was.

Damn it.

The wolf was going to be gone for a while. Or maybe gone and ditched her.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

It took him half an hour to climb up carefully, but hopefully it would not take that long on the way down. He had brought rope up and before he continued he found a spot that was shadowed and semi covered to attach it. Lowering it to the ground he made sure there were several loops left then dragged it back up. Now semi rested he began the small trek inwards and found the small meadow.

It was protected on three sides by steep mountain sides, while the only open side was the one he had just climbed up. A small runoff stream meandered through it, providing water and a large corpse of trees grew sheltered from the harsh breezes, as did a whole meadow of pleasant grasses. Sure footed mountain goats drawn by the grasses grazed safely and he even spotted several berry bushes.

Well first things first. Unstrapping the bow from his back he soon had a decent sized goat down and butchered and stuffed into a backpack. He then plucked berries and stuffed them into his shirt he had taken off and wrapped them up. He would have to remember they were up here next time. Next he took the little hatchet and chopped up a decent amount of wood, taking dead stuff first if he could. Luckily there was a lot of it around and most of it was brittle in this weather. He used a couple of leather straps he had brought and bound up the bundle then brought it back. He then tied the berries and backpack onto the rope, then the wood and lowered it down, then using the rope descended easier. Untying everything he hid the rope as best he could and then made his way back inside again.

It was a struggle getting the wood inside but with a lot of cursing and scratches he managed it and walked towards the fire. However as he did so he stopped. He sniffed and sniffed harder. He might not have the amazing senses of his wolf but his were better than normal. There was a scent here that didn't belong, the sweet tang of blood. Oh yes the Snake womans body was still here torn up and mostly eaten, and he had a goat in his backpack freshly slaughtered but it was neither of those. This was human blood and it was fresh.

He placed the wood down and built up the fire to a cheery glow again and put on a pot of goat stew to cook with the meager bit's they had left. Then he approached Red and as he did the scent got stronger. So she was hurt and by the smell reasonably badly. The problem was, would she let him help? Squatting down beside her he just looked at her then simply said,"Show me."

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

The sounds of footsteps echoed throughout the cave. Not wanting to arouse suspicion, Red attempted to get to her feet, wrapping her wound with her cloak. But standing up, or at least trying to, brought the pain back to her wound. She tightened to cloak, ruffling it up a little to give the appearance that it was a part of her outfit. The snake carcass, now reduced to a mess of bones and a combination of muscle and organ bits.

She laid back down, watching the flames smother the logs on the campfire. The smell of stew wafted in the air. Well, nice of the wolf to bring back some food. After they had consumed the last of their food, Red pondered ways to reach the next town alive with what little food the mountains can forage. But wherever the wolf found the goat, there was bound to be some food not far away.

Red felt the wolf stare down at her. Best if she looked away; as far as things were considered in her memory, the two were currently on tense speaking terms.

"Show me." he said

"It's nothing, I can take care of myself." She replied in a feeble attempt to prove that she can look out for herself. With or without the wolf, she had to look out for herself and whatever injuries she picks up along the way. Relying too much on someone else would jeopardize her independence. Turning on to her side in hopes of avoiding him did not quite go as well when the pain shot up again.

But her face softened up a little, replaced with the curious young woman that he met briefly the previously night. Red untied the cloak that concealed her injury. Behind the shredded dress revealed a reddened wound caked with dried blood.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian grimaced a little at the wound. Not because the sight of it bothered him all that much, but because it had been inflicted on her because of him. He had failed to protect her and now this was the result.

He moved back over to the supplies he had brought back and grabbed one of the water skins and then found an old shirt. Ripping it into strips was easily accomplished and he came back and looked her in the eye. "This is probably going to hurt some but I have to clean it up and see how bad it is."

he wet one of the strips and began to gently clean away the blood. he grimaced as the dried blood flaked off but got caught in her wound. It should have been cleaned immediately, but he would not want to have done it facing down a perspective enemy either. Soon however he had the area cleaned off and he was able to see the extent of her injury.

"You are going to need that taken care of and not move for at least a day maybe more. your just lucky it wasn't down a little bit more or it could have damaged your kidneys, or up a little more or you could have had some major scarring on your breast. As it is you will be okay I think."

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Why do you care? Red thought as the wolf tended to her wound. She could still remember the scowl that marred his face just hours ago when he rolled away after their scuffle. Wouldn't his natural instinct at this point was to leave her dead along with the snake carcass?

She glanced at the remains of the snake woman, her image blurred behind the campfire. If there were those two snakes, there was bound to be more than them who will be wandering in to the caves to find their comrades. The wolf will be going solo against however many creatures are still alive and nearby.

Wait, was she actually worried? No, she wouldn't be. Maybe it was pity. Yes, that must be it. No point on one person taking on a multitude of creatures by themselves unless if it was a last resort.

She drew in a deep breath as the wolf cleaned off the blood from her wound. From what she understood, the cut was a lot deeper than she imagined but not enough to rupture any organs. Retying her cloak with him nearby was a challenge while trying to hide her other injury on her hand from him. When the wolf advised her that she shouldn't move for at least a day or two, Red was alarmed.

"We can't stay here. Maybe for the night we could but I don't know how long we'll last."

But she stopped herself short, knowing how right he was in her getting rest. It would be pointless to travel in her state and there was no way the wolf was willing to carry her to a nearby town just so she can restock on supplies and medicine.

As the wolf pulled away, finished with the task of cleaning her wound, her right hand reached out, grabbing him by the wrist to stop him from leaving. Words that she was about to say were lost on her tongue. Still, she kept her eyes on him. A single finger caressed the flesh. She found herself wanting him to stick around. Her body tingled, remembering the sensation of his touch, yearning to have that feeling all over again.

Give it up, said her huntress side. He's only useful to be one step closer to the hunter. Anything else is betrayal on your part.

Lowering her eyes, she released his hand.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

He looked down into her eyes, surprised to find a look he had never expected to see in them...Need. She needed him and not in a way of one person needing another to do some menial task for them. No. She, Needed, him. He felt her finger gliding across his wrist as she held it in her hand, preventing him from leaving and then she looked down and released him.

He looked at her for several more seconds before rising and walking back over to the fire. He used his torn shirt to move the pot off the fire and check the stew. It was close to being ready and he was glad. A good healthy meal would help her greatly, but she was right. The goat he had killed had enough meat on it to last them for the time she needed to rest, but they had nothing else to eat besides that. They had water and he could survive on that diet but she could not. He would have to go foraging.

He walked back to her and using the blankets he gathered from the supply pile, he made a small, comfortable nest for her to rest on that could also double as a bed. He then looked for and found his small blade and put it close to her along with her scythe. Smiling at her he then went back and served up the stew and sat across from her as he waited for his to cool down a little.

"Your right," he began. "We now have enough meat and water for about a week, but this is the last of our vegetables," he told her nodding at the stew. "I have no problems living on meat alone for a little while, but I am pretty sure your body can't handle it, especially the way it is. Tomorrow I am going to have to go hunting again only this time for carrots and greens." He chuckled as the absurdity of that statement hit him then he looked at her. "I wouldn't worry too much about encountering any more of them," he gestured towards the snake womans remains. "There's not that many of them and they always hunt in pairs so hopefully they were it. However you have those weapons and I won't be long."

He tried the stew and was finally able to start to eat. Using the spoons he had found in the cave he started to shovel the food into his mouth. He would need his strength tomorrow and he needed the fuel to cure the last of his injuries.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Red looked down at the stew beside her, then to the wolf, noticing the smile across the creature's face. Her hunter instincts urged her to tell that bastard off and wipe that stupid smirk away. Instead, oddly enough, she obliged in smiling rather shyly in his direction before she picked up her bowl and slowly chewed her way through each piece of goat meat. Red managed to get a few bites of her stew before she relaxed on the makeshift bed. The events from the past few hours along with her injuries had worn her out.

When the wolf mentioned something about vegetables, Red couldn't help but be skeptical. "In these parts? I doubt it."

But then she stopped when she thought about the goat that he brought back. They had to be chewing on something other than grass to live, right?

She laid down, curling her body up in to a fetal position.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian noticed how tired she was and that she had not really eaten that much of her stew. Shrugging he grabbed her bowl and poured the contents back into the pot and placed it back near the embers of the fire. It would keep warm until the morning and he would try giving her some more then.

he went to the back of the cave and began to salt the meat he had brought back. He would have preferred to smoke it, but in here that was not an option. He could cook it of course but even then it might not last a week so salt was his best option. Still he did leave a couple of big juicy steaks which he hung up. They could have them tomorrow.

After rinsing his hands off he returned to find Red still sleeping fitfully, curled into a small ball.

That wasn't doing her injury any good so he climbed in behind her and added his warmth to her and then started to stroke her hair and wrapped his arm around her, offering what comfort he could. He just hoped he was not going to get hurt for this.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

The moment Red felt his arm wrap around her, her hunter instincts started to kick in, believing that he was going to kill her in his sleep. Her human side, the woman she never got to experience, fought against the urge to murder him. Her hand reached to meet his down the middle, covering the back of his. Natural reflexes urged her itch to do him harm to grow. The struggle for who will be in control in their sleep began to clash with her hunter persona arguing that there was a good chance that he will kill her in his sleep if she allowed him in. Her humanistic side refused to budge, insisting that if the wolf intended to kill her, he would have done it much sooner. If not deepening the wound on her side, then certainly by poisoning her stew. Years of sleeping with tension and paranoia often buzzing have a tendency to make her weary in the morning at times. Now that she finally got to experience sleeping more than five hours of sleep without having to worry about creatures coming to kill her actually felt...nice.

Oh her hand made a grab for his. But instead of digging her fingernails in to his flesh as her reflexes were just dying to do, she squeezed it gently. As her body uncurled from its position, her fingers interlocked with his. He wasn't planning on killing her, not yet at the least. Red figured whatever time she had left before they would have to eventually fight each other to the death, she may as well enjoy this rare treat.

Drifting in and out of sleep, Red let out a yawn, unable to stop the small smile curling up as he stroked her hair.

"Once I heal up, do you think...well...you could make me feel like a woman again?" she sleepily asked, referring to their intimate affair from the previous night.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian felt her warring with herself about what to do about his closeness. He had felt her come awake and her hand had grabbed his, hard then soft. Her body relaxed against him and she lay back, actually letting her body relax as she started to drift off to sleep again. Her fingers had entwined with his and she clutched at is hand as she held his arm around her.

He smiled as the tension seemed to leave her and she looked even more beautiful. Whoa where had that thought come from? He was thinking of letting go when she started to yawn as he continued to stroke her hair trying to send her back to a restful sleep.

"Once I heal up, do you think...well...you could make me feel like a woman again?" she sleepily asked.

To say he was stunned was an understatement. He lay above her with his mouth hanging open for a few seconds before smiling and nodding. "I think that can be arranged Red. In fact there are a few ways I can make you feel that way again before you are fully healed up if you will trust me.For now though you just sleep and we will talk later."

He continued to stroke her hair as he thought about what had just happened. Obviously now he really had an incentive to heal her as soon as possible, but he would not rush things. He would rather have a fit fighter beside him, than a half fit woman in his bed. Although the temptation was extremely strong for the latter.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Something about the way the wolf stroked Red's hair put the young woman at ease, almost as satisfied as a cat when they have their ears scratched. Her fingers lightly scratched at his knuckles in a playful manner before they resorted to massaging the flesh. As she slowly drifted deeper in to slumber, she released her hold on the wolf's hand. Just as he was about to pull his arm away, Red nuzzled up against his toned body.

"Here am I letting you sleep beside me," she muttered. "And you wouldn't even kiss me good night."

Even in her sleepy state, she said it with a slight hint of sarcasm influenced by her hunter persona. Still, perhaps it would be enough for him to lower his guard and fall in to the trap she was setting. Or something to distract her from the slight discomfort of her wound. Either way, her humanistic nature would benefit more from it once it had its fill of the yearning and lust she was craving for.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

He was surprised at her tone and at her request. He couldn't tell if what she was asking for was truly what she wanted or if she was just mocking him. Well if she was mocking him she was playing a dangerous game, because she was injured and could do nothing to resist him at the moment. He could do anything he wanted to her right now and she would be helpless to resist.

Instead he smiled down upon her and leaned down and gently and sweetly kissed her lingeringly on the lips. "I apologize for not giving you a kiss goodnight Red. It was bad manners on my part. Now snuggle in all you want and go to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow."

He wrapped his arm around her again and held her close as his other one again began to gently stroke her hair and he began to croon nonsense sounds he had used to put the pack's cubs to sleep when he had been left in charge of them.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Eyebrows raised, did that wolf just talk to her like a child? Red shrugged it off, thinking he was returning her sarcasm. She didn't think much of it until he leaned over and kissed her on the lips. It took her by surprise, noting the events of hours earlier when they both detested one another.

It was his fault. He was the one who provoked it by smacking her in her sleep.

Still, Red did not resist the kiss. Quite frankly, she only wished he could have lingered a little longer but the wolf pulled away before she could even ask. If only she were facing the other way where they could see each other. She could flip over to lie the other way but didn't want to provoke any more damage to her wounds until they can find the next town. At least the kissing would be a bit more frequent and daring. Not to mention nuzzling her head up against his chest and breathing his natural manly scent...

Wait, what?? NO!

Red's face immediately turned a bright red. Thankfully she was sleeping with her back facing him. No sense in him asking her questions if it was going to further her embarrassment. Not to mention that the side of her that wanted such wicked acts and her Hunter persona who was loyal to her duty were clashing that there was no true answer she could give him without causing the other conscience to feel damned.

Even stranger was the vibrating sounds that stirred within him. For a moment, she really thought he was pushing her buttons trying to keep her sleepy and slightly weakened state awake. There was something quite soothing about the sounds, further drifting her deeper in to slumber. A small smile spread across her face. It had been too long since she felt this relaxed.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian thought about everything Red had said as she fell asleep in his arms.Was she actually beginning to like what they had done and crave more, or was she just saying that to lure him into some form of trap that she would spring on him at a later time after she had gotten what she wanted from him?

And what about him? Was he falling for this woman just because she spread her legs for him and said nice things, or was he just using her like he had planned to get closer to the Hunter so he could kill him and her and regain his honor with the pack?

The more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that the lines were becoming blurred. He still hated the Hunter, of that he was certain, but Red was a different story. He was coming to like her and would happily give his life for her if that was what it took to save her.

He shook his head as he realized he was still stroking her hair and he looked down on her Angelic features. This was not good. She must never know the extent of his feelings or she would twist them to her advantage. She was still a Hunter and he a Werewolf. They could never be together and that was that.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Slowly within time, the tension that often marred her features slowly melted away from her face, exposing a soft version of the persona the wolf was used to when she wasn't pent up with constant tension and paranoia of having to sleep lightly in case the creatures will tread. Her head nuzzled up against the wolf's hand like a cat enjoying its master's head massage.

Like a blanket, Red draped the wolf's free arm over her until she was enveloped behind his arms.Her fingers caressed the back of his hand and wrist before they slowly ceased. Maybe this wasn't a bad thing after all, for now. Certainly it was a whole different experience. Of course, the hunter would never do this to her but that's because he was her mentor; though he did kept close in case of an ambush in the middle of the night. With the wolf, it was much different yet ironic. She still considered him her enemy and the idea of being a couple is unheard of.

Still, the comfort that she had never experienced was unlike anything she ever felt before.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian felt his arm being pulled across her and he looked down as she started to caress his hand. He smiled in wonder at the look of peace and contentment on her face. She looked so different like this.She was lovely most of the time, except when she was angry, but even then he could appreciate her beauty in her anger.

Yet now, with all the tension and stress drained from her she was dazzling. With her cuddled up against him and her using him effectively as a blanket, he realized how much how much he had missed something like this and knew in that instant he was lost.

He would do anything to protect this feeling, even if he knew it was false andit would never work between them. He would take all the pleasure he could from it and he would enjoy it for as long as he could before she killed him, because he knew he would never be able to kill her. he would give her the revenge she wanted but he would make it look good so she would not feel cheated.

Smiling he stroked her hair as he drifted off into sleep.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Hours passed on by until Red woke up from her dreamless sleep, only to find herself facing the wolf. Part of her was surprised that she was still alive. The conscience of the hunter was certain that he would have killed her at this point being so close. With the wolf still asleep she couldn't help but get a good look at him, most notably the scar that the Hunter marked him with. She wouldn't deny it, without the scar, he would be quite an attractive gentleman. The marking on his face made a bit of difference, yes, but there was something about it that added character.

Perhaps it was the half sleepy state she was in that she feel a twinge of adredaline. Watching the wolf for a minute to make certain he was still asleep, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips, lingering about long enough before he started to stir. Just as quick, she retreated back to pretending to sleep hoping he wouldn't catch her.

She couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed, giving in to her human wants instead of being on alert, anticipating an attack from her enemy. What would the Hunter say if he were to find out how she had been slacking as of late?

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian stirred as he felt something on his lips and his tongue snaked out and licked along them. He tasted a wetness that was not his own upon them and he almost bolted upright in panic when he felt the weight and smelled the scent of Red on his chest.

His eyes fluttered open and he looked down at her as she slept and without conscious thought on his part his hand rose to start stroking her hair. A small smile appeared on his lips then he again tasted the strange taste and realized what it was. It was her. Yet how was that possible? She was sleeping and he had definitely not kissed her in his sleep.

Then he noticed how her breathing was not deep and even against his chest, nor was her heartbeat slow and steady as they should be if she was truly asleep. Her breath caught in her throat every now and again when he moved and her heartbeat was racing even though she was only laying calmly upon him.

Stygian's small smile widened but he did nothing with this information. Instead he gently shook her awake. "Red, time to wake up. I need to check your wound and get breakfast ready before I go hunting again."

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Not soon after Red shut her eyes that she heard his body scrap against the gravel and his body stir. Her heart pounded a little faster, hoping that he didn't catch her seizing the moment. The wolf's fingers sent a small shiver down her body, knowing that he woke up. Wait! Maybe he can assume he was dreaming that she kissed him and she could play along with it while breaking the news to him.

Her conscience shook its head. Red might be successful in tricking the wolf through manipulation and an innocent persona but she knew damn well he wasn't stupid to fall for the excuse of dreaming things. Before she could think up another way to lead him astray, she felt him shaking her gently by the shoulder, telling her to wake up.

Play along, play along, she thought. He doesn't have to know..yet.

Slowly, Red sat up on the ground. Untying her red cloak, she revealed her wounds to her adversary. Although the blood and bruising slowly faded, the flesh surrounding the immediate area were still in a bright red shade.

"I think I'm doing better," She looked at the wound, unable to see the full extent of her injury from the fading camp fire. "We should really find the next town. They would have something that could help me with the gash a little faster."

Looking up at him, her head cocked to the side like a curious little kid. "Is it still light outside? I've lost track ever since we started staying in the caves."

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

He again got excited just looking at her exposed body and he had to remind himself to calm down. She wasn't even exposing any of her erogenous parts to him and yet he could not help but be aroused around her.

The wound was healing like she said, but he still did not like the look of it. The skin around it was too red, and he was sure that it still contained a lot of toxins. Right now she was suffering no ill effects because she was not moving, however if she tried to get up and go to the next town it would be a different story.

She needed to stay still for at least one more day, but how was he going to convince her of that, and make her do it. He looked up at her then remembered her words.

"It is daylight now, but it is past noon." He saw her look of incredulity and smiled. "We Werewolves are tied to the moon and night you know. We know exactly when dusk is each day and what phase of the moon it is even though it does not effect our ability to change." He did not tell her about the other secrets of it though.

"It is too late to start out today.We would be trapped in the mountains and have to spend the night exposed to the elements. I will make you a deal. You wait one more night and we will leave tomorrow and I will give you a surprise tonight. You have to rest today though and no moving about while I go gathering supplies," he admonished.

He smiled at her and held out his hand. "So do we have a deal?"

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Red had to fight back a sneer as the wolf went on and about how his kind owned the night. That was the problem with those damned creatures like them; making the night their own playtime didn't allow much freedom for the humans to move about so freely. For so long, it was hammered in to them that the night should often be feared except for a brave few. And often times, to their mindset, was no place for a woman.

Overall, she wasn't too happy with his orders of having to lay still for the better part of her day. The last time she was bedridden was a few years ago when she came down with the flu. Not doing anything for those few days drove her absolutely mad when all she was accustomed to was either the battles or to help the hunter out with the chores.

But a surprise for her? Red arched an eyebrow and gave him a rather incredulous look. Still, she shook his hand, albeit reluctantly. This not moving about thing was going to be rather annoying.

"How long will you be gone?

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian studied her then smiled. It looked like she was going to go along with it, and he could trust her word he was sure of it.

"No more than a few hours. We have enough meat so I only need to gather Herbs and, grains and the like. I know where some are in this area but there might be a little difficulty in finding some others."

He realized she was probably going to get bored really quickly just lying down and he needed to take her mind off her situation.

"I have needle and thread so you could repair your shirt while you wait, and a whetstone for your scythe. I can leave a small knife and their is some small pieces of wood for whittling. Sorry I can't do more but I will try to be quick and a long as you behave yourself I will make the surprise extra special."

So saying he gathered all the things he had mentioned then placed them withing easy reach of her, along with a water skin and a bowl of last nights stew. Then gathering up a bag he looked at her. "I won't be very long and should be back before it gets dark. Although," he said grinning, " just how you will tell inside here will be difficult."

Giving her a wave he loped off and through the crack in the wall.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Every item he placed was well within reach for her to fix at least a few things, namely her scythe. Her dress could wait as she wasn't much in the mood to be squinting her eyes in the dim light just to poke the thread through the needle while lying on the ground.

No movement, no movement off her back he would tell her. But if he had any ounce of common sense, he would know that being bedridden and told that you're limited to a few things would drive those like themselves up the wall. Eating the leftover stew from the night before, she tried to keep her mind occupied on what she could do for the next few hours.

Grabbing the whetstone and her scythe nearby, Red began to sharpen the blade of her weapon. She pondered on the situation; it's been a couple of days since she reluctantly allowed the wolf to tag along and he had not once made an attempt to kill her, much less ambush her.

Then it hit her. Maybe he too was setting up a trap as she was, waiting to see of she would lower her guard enough for an opening. The thought caused her fingers to be rather busy in making sure the blade of her scythe was well sharpened to slice the wolf's head open in one clean cut.

The young woman side of her got in the way of fulfilling her duties. She didn't make things easier once it discovered the underbellies of sex and lust. From the age of fourteen, the Hunter explained that sex was only useful for two things: breeding for the general good of their population or to seduce their enemy. Never was it meant to be for leisure as others would enjoy unless they wish to stray away from their duties as hunters.

Neither which the young woman fell under.

Red grabbed the small piece of wood next to her. Whittling wasn't much of her forte unless if it were to be for creating sharp, pointy objects. Shrugging, she looked up at the cave walls as her mind started to get bored. Her womanly persona fidgeted, trying to patiently wait for the wolf's return. That young lady wondered what the surprise would be, unable to contain her excitement.

But her Hunter instincts kicked in, quieting the woman, warning her that one of the surprises he had in store may very well be their deaths.