"Her bark isn't as bad as her bite, son." [PRIVATE]

[ReckonCat]

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{ Fae Davania }



​

As the horse started over, Fae felt herself become a little uneasy. Now that she was not riding the beast and it was trotting in their direction she felt super uneasy. She frowned and took a step behind Isaac. As the man gently coaxed the horse, patting her scars, she realized that this man was for real. He really was this gentle-natured. Fae felt her heart soften slightly, as well as her expression. She blinked at the small bundle of meat and a wide grin grew on her face. She bit into the dried meat and let out of soft sound of contentment.


"This meat isn't that great," she muttered with a half-full mouth. She swallowed and licked her lip, taking another bite, "But I guess it'll do for now." Fae kept a six foot distance between herself and the horse as they began to walk. Chowing down on the food, she finished it before they took more than a few yards of land. She licked her lips, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "So what was it like growing up for you? I imagine you didn't have to learn to fly or transform, so it must have been pretty boring."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

[border]

Noticing Fae's uneasiness, Dahlia's large brown eyes watched her. She seemed to try and step towards the young woman before Isaac's grip on the reigns tightened. Dahlia wasn't the only one who had noticed Fae keeping her distance, and with that in mind, Isaac kept himself between the two as they started off. After riding for so long, it was nice to stretch his legs out.


Her comment on the meat made him snort a little. Yeah, she was right. The stuff was salty, but lacked flavor outside of that. Still better than chewing on bark.


"Hm?" He looked at her, processing her question. "No, I didn't have to learn to do any of that, but I think I had a pretty nice childhood."


"My parents own a vineyard out in Deimah, so there was always work to be done and space to explore. When my sister was old enough we used to play hide and seek out in the rows of grapes, or act like we were heroes out on some amazing adventure." He laughed then, shaking his head as he rubbed his face with his free hand. "She always wanted to save me, so apparently I made a pretty good damsel."


When his hand dropped back to his side, there was something about his eyes that seemed vacant, like his memories were so vivid he could still see them.


"And the town near us was small, but nice. At the end of every season they'd hold a festival and string up lanterns all over town so when night fell, it felt like you weren't really in the real world anymore - like you were somewhere magical where nothing really mattered and you could just dance until the sun rose again."


[/border]

 

[ReckonCat]

​

{ Fae Davania }



​

She imagined a younger Isaac, one with two working eyes and who was much shorter than the man in front of her. She watched some birds fly by above them and wondered briefly if she would ever fly again. She shook her head and continued to listen to the other. She should give him that courtesy, especially since he had been kind enough to ask her of her past and let her cry out her sorrows. The sound of children's laughter echoed in her mind, drawing her back to her flock when she was younger. There had been three other children in the flock that were born with her, but they didn't last as long as Fae. One had left the flock out of spite, and they had never heard from him again, but she still remember what it was like to run around and play. Was that all that human children did? Did they not train for wars, or strengthen their magic to protect their lives? No, they didn't have those kinds of trials in their lives. Not like her kind. She laughed softly as he spoke of his sister, and of his femininity in their games.


"Dancing?" she asked. "I've heard of it, but I've never seen it before. It seems like a silly thing to waste ones time doing. Learning to dodge an arrow would be more beneficial than a...what's it called...waltz?" She huffed, kicking at a smile pile of pebbles they passed. One skated away and into a tree, causing the birds that had been nesting to fly away. She watched them fly, a longing in her features as they soared into the Great Open. "Humans seem to have a lot of time to waste... a race with no real enemies but themselves, living in a world of ignorance. I don't understand how you do it."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

[border]

Her cynical view was almost amusing to him. She had a point, after all. Humans only really had humans to fight, but with ad many as there were, as far apart as they were, it was no wonder why that was. They fought over ideals, they fought because they could, and at the end of the day, Isaac knew he was part of the problem.


"Is it truly a waste of time if I found it enjoyable?" His brow arched with the question. "The world can be a dark place for everyone...sometimes you need to let go and do something that makes you happy for no other reason than it does."


He took in another deep breath of crisp, clear air. Absently, he reached out to let his free hand rest on Dahlia's neck.


"But I did learn practical things too between my escapades dancing and waxing poetry, it's not like I could be a mercenary with just that under my belt." He paused. "Well, I could, but I doubt I'd have made it as long as I have."


[/border]

 

[ReckonCat]

​

{ Fae Davania }



​

"Is it truly a waste of time if I found it enjoyable? The world can be a dark place for everyone...sometimes you need to let go and do something that makes you happy for no other reason than it does." Fae listened to his explanation and wondered if that was really what she would have of it. If that was what happiness truly was. She remembered fondly the times she did useless things with her Uncle, visiting human places and taking part in their festivals, so maybe he was right. Maybe she did need to let go for no reason at all, maybe she could be...happy. He reached out and caressed the horse once again, and Fae watched him from the corner of her eye. Maybe she could be happy with this man, for the short while that she was with this man. "But I did learn practical things too between my escapades dancing and waxing poetry, it's not like I could be a mercenary with just that under my belt." He paused. "Well, I could, but I doubt I'd have made it as long as I have."


"Well then what else does a human like you do?" she asked. "In your spare time, that is. What is this...poetry?" she tilted her head in confusion. She'd never heard a poem before. She understood that it was something about words. "Is it like casting a spell?"

 

[Interstellar Bun]

[border]

"Oh absolutely. I guess you could say it's a love spell."


And he grinned at her, his eyebrows wiggling before he cracked. Laughing, Isaac found that this time, his smile didn't fade.


"No it's, ah, it's...it's really hard to explain now that I'm trying to. It's a form of art, I guess, a way of expressing abstract thought and emotion in a way that it can be understood. A dozen people can read the same poem and it'll mean something different to each of them, and each meaning is as right as the other."


His brows furrowed a little, his smile turning sheepish.


"Does that make sense or am I just babbling? I've been told I tend to do that."[/border]

 

[ReckonCat]

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{ Fae Davania }



​

"Does that make sense, or am I just babbling? I've been told I tend to do that." Babbling, yes, but it wasn't senseless. Fae gave a small giggle, looking at the other person with a sheepish grin,


"No, I'm quite intrigued." she stuck out her tongue. "How about you try that love spell on me, human."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

[border]

"Careful, my love spells rarely fail."


He winked at her, but his goofy smile stopped the comment from sounding anywhere close to serious.


Still, now that meant he had to come up with a poem he could remember. When one came to mind, he took a moment to clear his throat before, finally, he started to recite it. He spoke smoothly, the words coming forth with an easy unbroken rhythm.

When thou shalt be disposed to set me light,

​

And place my merit in the eye of scorn,

​

Upon thy side against myself I'll fight,


And prove thee virtuous, though thou art forsworn.


With mine own weakness being best acquainted,


Upon thy part I can set down a story


Of faults conceal'd, wherein I am attainted,


That thou in losing me shalt win much glory:


And I by this will be a gainer too;


For bending all my loving thoughts on thee,


The injuries that to myself I do,


Doing thee vantage, double-vantage me.
​

Such is my love, to thee I so belong,


That for thy right myself will bear all wrong.
​

And it was only in those last two lines that his stride slowed so he could look at her, his expression oddly without humor. There was kindness there, something quiet and warm.


He could remember the first time he had read the poem. It was in the first book of poetry he had snatched up, something he'd done to impress a girl with beautiful blonde hair. And yet, even when she laughed at him, that one poem kept a special place in his thoughts. There was something about it that had just stuck with him, for the words if not for the memory that went with it.


[/border]

 

[ReckonCat]

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{ Fae Davania }



​

As he spoke the 'love spell' she tilted her head, blinking up at him with a look of contentment. The words were strange, but they had a sort of musical tone to them. She didn't quite understand what it meant, but it made moisture come into her eyes as he spoke the last two versus. She had been watching him as he spoke, but when he turned to her and had a serious look in his eyes she felt her face heat up and quickly turned away. She was silent for a long moment before she suddenly giggled, turning to look back up at him as the musical sound left her lips.


"I have no idea what all that meant," she said, "but it sounded really nice. Humans sure are weird."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

[border]

He watched her after he was finished, trying to gauge her reaction. She seemed a little moved by it, and when Fae finally giggled, he let that dopey smile come back onto his features. It didn't matter if she didn't know what it meant, not really. She had been entertained by it, and that was all he'd really hoped for.


With distractions like that, it was easy to think they were just two friends mulling about.


His eye turned towards the sky and found that, during their conversation, they'd wiled the hours away quite well. The sun was starting to dip and the shifting angle of the ground below them meant they'd be starting up the mountain sooner rather than later. Good, he wanted to be able to find a decently defensible spot before nightfall.


"Surely your sort had something like that, right? Did you really never dance or sing?"


[/border]

 

[ReckonCat]

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{ Fae Davania }



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"Surely your sort had something like that, right? Did you really never dance or sing?" Did they? She didn't remember her 'sort' having anything of the likes. They didn't dance, that was for sure. They did sing, however. But it wasn't exactly the type for leisure. It was for war.


"We had war songs," her hand came up and gently brushed her chin as she thought. "We had different vocalizations that we would use to communicate things to the flock when we were far away, as well. It is similar to that of the howling of wolves, you could say. Depending on the tone of the call, the others would know if we were alright or in trouble." Fae looked up at the sky and sighed softly. "Right now I would give a sound if I could, and show you the sound, but I am unfortunately stuck in this form..." She despised this form, so weak and vulnerable. She couldn't do much to protect herself, and with the silver constantly eating away at her skin and her body continually regenerating the cells it was burning, she felt quite weak and useless.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

[border]

It was so strange to him that she had grown up in a culture of apparent war. He hadn't even been exposed to the most luxurious life, and yet it seemed that, in comparison, so much of his life was...playful. He did things because he enjoyed them, not because he was afraid he'd be hunted down if he made a mistake.


Well, for some jobs that was the case, but that wasn't how he had grown up.


He was lucky.


His first instinct was to try and sympathize with her about being stuck in the form she was. Those braces had to be causing mental pain as well as physical, but if he were being honest with himself, he was glad she had them on.


Like this, he at least stood a chance if she decided she was tired of playing along. That was a dreary thought.


"It's amazing to even think you can do that, though. Maybe you'll be able to show me one day."


And the hope there was genuine, even if he knew that day would never come.


Isaac glanced around them before picking up his pace to a brisk walk.


"We should start to look for a place to set up camp for the evening, don't you think?"


[/border]

 

[ReckonCat]

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{ Fae Davania }



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Maybe she'll show him one day. Maybe, maybe she would. She highly doubted that she would ever get to, but stranger things could happen in this world. Fae stretched her arms high above her head in a stretch, grabbing her right elbow with her left had as she finished to show a more relaxed pose. She looked up at the sky, figuring it would be about an hour before the sun would set. "Yeah, I guess that's a good idea. We should probably stay in an open clearing against that cliff face up ahead; I can smell some predators in this area. It wouldn't be a good idea to have your...horse...too far away from us. They can probably already smell her."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

[border]

"I bet she'd be their first pick because she's so sweet."


In spite of the words, Isaac's tone was enough to make Dahlia's ears shift back and forth, her head turning to nudge against his arm. Dahlia was a smart creature, but language was still just a bit out of her range of understanding.


"Did your flock ever have pets?"


And there was that genuine curiosity again as he seemed to brush off her warning. It wasn't as though he didn't believe her, he absolutely did, but there was no point in being worried. Fear begot fear, and if he was going to keep the group safe, he'd have to keep a cautious but objective mind.


Jokes made that easier.


Spotting something that fit her idea of a good camping spot, Isaac shifted their direction, moving off the vague path they'd been following. With the shifting terrain around them, it'd be easy to put their backs to the high slope and keep safe from the wind, the cold, and whatever might be lurking.


[/border]

 

[ReckonCat]

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{ Fae Davania }



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A chilling wind blew over the flat lands before the mountain, cutting through her rag-like, poor excuse for clothing. She turned her attention in the direction Isaac was now leading them, her short, curly hair whipping in the wind. "Pets? No. Well--" she brought a hand up to her chin and tilted her head. Maybe that one time... "I had this bird once. Not with my flock, but in this tower that Nefario had kept me in. It had clipped its wing and fell into my cell. I nursed it back to health. I fed it some of my bread every day, and it eventually flew away..." she let out a soft sigh. "But it would come back and sing for me, I think that's what you would call a pet?"

 

[Interstellar Bun]

[border]

"Yeah I'd consider that a pet. It's sweet that it came back to you."


It was with that last thought that Isaac came to a stop. The ground was fairly clear around them and, to him, it seemed as good a spot as any to start setting up camp.


Releasing Dahlia's reigns, Isaac moved to the other side of her, where the sleeping roll had been attached. it was only then, as he undid the ties that kept it in place, that he realized his mistake. Not knowing what he'd been getting into, he had only thought to pack one sleeping roll. More than that, he realized the other flaw in his plan. He couldn't exactly trust her to stay in one place while he quickly scavenged for wood, now could he?


Hesitating only for a moment, he looked to Fae and was about to hand it over before another thought occurred to him. Dressed like that, she must have been miserable. He bit the inside of his cheek as his fingers quickly undid the simple clasp that tethered his cloak to him.


He handed her both of the items.


"Here, this should help stop the wind from blowing right through you. It must be miserable enough being with me without being cold, too."


[/border]

 

[ReckonCat]

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{ Fae Davania }



​

The bird had come back. Why it had, she never understood. Those prison walls were no place for a creature as beautiful as it was. Or as magnificent as herself she would add, if she was that kind of egotistical griffin. But she didn't see much of the importance in her existence. She was here. That was true. She was the Last. That was also a fact. But the more oppressing fact was that she would eventually die, and that would be the end of her story. They wouldn't write books about her; unless you're into the chains and whip kind of type, since most of her life now would consist of living as a caged animal.


If she had been that bird, she wouldn't have come back.


Fae's attention was drawn back to the scene in front of her as they stopped. She looked around the clearing and decided it would be good enough. Besides, if those ugly cats showed their face she would just turn and---wait. She couldn't turn. She clenched her fists, suddenly realizing how vulnerable they were. Sure, this human had an eye patch and it made him look pretty tough, but when it came down to it how good was he with a blade?


She looked at the single sleeping roll and couldn't help but give a smirk. He wasn't trying to get busy with her, was he? First the horse trick, now just this one sleeping roll? Or maybe he really wasn't informed that she would be a human, or that he was even transporting another living thing. Or maybe he had thought she would be stuck in some cage the whole time, or sedated for that matter. Just what had he thought of her before? And how much had changed since he first saw her? He didn't seem at all to understand the concepts of the magical world around him, and judging by how strongly he had used the word 'stop' that first encounter he didn't have any experience in magic. Boy, this was going to be a long ride.


As he handed her the two items she tilted her head, looking at the cloak. She huffed, pouting almost like a child as she muttered to herself. "I wouldn't need any of this," she also gestured toward the sleeping roll, "if I could just change into my true form." She didn't like at all being at the protection of another being. Being trapped and unable to control the surroundings was okay, as long as she had strong metal bars between her and the outside world. But there was nothing out here to protect her but this man, and she still didn't trust that he could do that.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

[border]

Yeah, he had expected her to say something like that. She hadn't been shy about resenting the form in which she was stuck, and Isaac was sure he'd feel the same way if he were in her position. He had seen the powerful creature she'd been - was - and to be reduced to something as fragile as her human form seemed to be...well it had to be hard.


And yet, even if he had the chance to remove the cuffs from her, he didn't think he would.


What a sickening thought.


He set to work as soon as she took the bedroll and cloak. He hefted up the saddle from Dahlia with ease, carrying it on his shoulder a few paces away before he sat it down.


"True, but that sleeping roll is really cozy. You might just come to like it anyway."


His smile punctuated the lighthearted comment as he removed Dahlia's bridle. His hand passed fondly over her face once more before the horse began to wander, absently grazing without much care for what was going on.


"We're going to have to make a fire too, before the night is up or we might just have to suffer through snuggling for warmth." He ran a hand through his hair, letting it linger in the thick mess. "Have you done that before? Started a fire, that is."


[/border]

 

[ReckonCat]

​

{ Fae Davania }



​

Fae watched him unsaddle Dahlia and tilted her head, once again completely amazed by the craftiness of humans. They invented things out of necessity, some of the craziest things. A second skin for a horse that would make a smoother journey for the rider? Only something a human would think of. Sure, they were crafty. But that didn't make her despise them any less. She couldn't hate all of them, though. Not all of them were consumed by the greed of power. Some just the greed of knowledge with their infinite curiosity.





Fae unrolled the mat and set it out on the grass. She swooped the cloak around her and set it onto her shoulders before she knelt to smooth the edges of the mat. She gave a soft scoff at his comment. As if she would ever 'snuggle' with a human. Rolling her eyes she looked up at the sky, watching as the first stars began to form. "It would take a human to come up with such an invention," she murmured. "No, I can't say that I have. Usually my fur and feathers keep me warm. This is a whole new experience for me. I can't say that I'm not enjoying it, though," she stretched her arms above her head in a stretch, pulling one hand down to cover her mouth as she yawned. "I think I make a pretty cute human-girl," she said with a wink in his direction, giggling.


Her face became more serious as she looked away, setting her arms onto her lap. She grabbed one of the cuffs and tested its strength again, letting out a silent sigh as another cold wind whipped around the mountainside. "You might as well collect some wood," she said in a fake, cheery tone. "Because there is no way I'm getting that close to you again." She turned up her nose, facing away from him and crossing her arms over her chest. "I think you'd enjoy it too much."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

[border]

She giggled. She winked.


He wasn't sure which startled him more. Of course she wasn't without her sense of humor, but of the two of them Isaac seemed like he was the one trying to fill the silence with it more than she was. Still, the comment made him chuckle, his arm dropping back down to his side.


"Enjoy it too much? I assure you I have no idea what you could possibly mean by that." It was his turn to give a cheeky wink.


But time was burning away and with the stars coming out, Isaac would have to move fast as it was. He glanced behind him before looking back at Fae one last time.


"I'll be back in just a few minutes, alright? Don't wander off, and if you think Dahlia is getting too far, just click your tongue and she'll come back towards you."


With that said, Isaac did his last once over and turned, half jogging away from their sad excuse of a camp in search of wood and tinder.


The search wasn't that hard. Finding the supplies he needed was made easier by the fact that he didn't have to worry about rain or moisture. The process of gathering things was so mindless, it was almost relaxing. For a few minutes, he was on his own. For a few minutes, he didn't have to worry about walking that fine line between professional, and kind.


Arms full of dry twigs and two long branches that had fallen from a dead tree looped around his shoulders, Isaac kept his fast stride as he made his way back towards the camp. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried that Fae wouldn't be there.


[/border]

 

[ReckonCat]

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{ Fae Davania }



​

Fae smiled at him as he countered her remark, and for a moment it felt like they were old acquaintances. She felt like she wasn't trapped in these silver cuffs, and that she wanted to be there. But...only for a moment. She didn't look at him as he continued.


"I'll be back in just a few minutes, alright?" Alright, you don't have to sound like that. I know I'm your prisoner. "Don't wander off," even if I did, there wouldn't be much I could do here. There isn't a village for miles, and I'm stuck in this vulnerable form. If I could fly away, I would, but I'm yours, "and if you think Dahlia is getting too far, just click your tongue and she'll come back towards you." With that remark he departed, and she let out a soft sigh.


Finally, he was gone. She chanced a short glance toward the horse as it continued to lazily graze. She felt kind of spooked with it being so close. But to be honest, she was jealous of the thing. It didn't have to worry about freedom. It didn't care for it with this man. He let it roam as it wished, and he treated it so nicely. Could she allow him to...to treat herself that way? She shook her head, blushing slightly at her own thoughts. No, no, that is stupid. You have to keep planning your way out of this, Fae. As soon as you get to the city of thieves...this should all get easier.


Fae lay out on the mat and stared up at the stars. They shone dimly as the sun gave its last kiss to the Great Open. Then the light disappeared, and the stars shone so bright she felt her heart stop for a moment. Staring in awe, she felt tears come to her eyes.





"Whenever you're alone, just look at the stars and know they're watching," the voice said. Her Uncle was sitting in the cave beside her, ruffling her hair with a smile. "You're never truly alone when you're with the Great Open. It watches over you, and listens to your troubles."


"Are you listening now, Anemi. Can you hear my prayers?" she whispered. "It's been awhile since we've been so close...could you hear me down there? I called out to you... I screamed for your help," tears brimmed in her eyes as she watched a shooting star answer her words. "I know you couldn't help me...I don't blame you, Anemi. I just...I missed you." She reached up a hand, groping for the sky to come down and take her away. "I will be with you again... I promise."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

[border]

A witty comment on his tongue, it was the sound of Fae's voice that made Isaac hesitate. Just within earshot, he came to a stop, standing there as he listened to Fae. Was she praying?


No, that didn't sound like how most people spoke to their gods. This was more personal.


Something in his heart ached when he heard her words. It was her voice that made it so painful.


Guilt, too, settled in his core. It was as though he were listening in on something he wasn't supposed to be, something too private. What she said was meant for the ears of someone she cared about, not for him.


When he was sure she was done speaking, Isaac waited a few moments longer before moving forward loudly enough to announce his presence. He didn't want to seem as though he were eavesdropping even though he was.


"Well, luckily for us I just so happen to be a master at picking up wood off the ground, so we should have a fire in no time."


He dropped the wood in question down before kneeling in the dirt. Breaking the large branches into more manageable pieces, he started on the campfire. Building it was the easy part. Starting the actual fire would be the hardest.


"I hope you didn't miss me too much while I was gone."


[/border]

 

[ReckonCat]

​

{ Fae Davania }



​

The silence swallowed her words. She wondered if her prayers fell on deaf ears. She wondered if anyone was really listening. If anyone cared. She felt more alone than she ever had, laying her under the Great Open, so close to touch it but trapped in a prison she could not escape. A prison, that with every passing second, continued to seal her fate. She would live, yes. She would live for more centuries than she could count. She would live to see the mistakes the humans would make, and the inventions they would create to correct them. She would live to see more people be born and die than she could ever hope to imagine. There was no one to share her fate with her. She was the Last.


Footsteps announced his presence.


"Well, luckily for us I just so happen to be a master at picking up wood off the ground, so we should have a fire in no time." Fae turned to look up at him, her face expressionless. As he dropped the wood and began to break it apart, she listened to the cracking it made. She relished the echo it created in the silence. "I hope you didn't miss me too much while I was gone." He was trying too hard. Too hard to make this seem less real. That he wasn't her captor, and that she wasn't being marched to her prison. Fae watched him in a stoney silence, freckled face never changing. She turned onto her side, back facing him, and curled up on the sleeping roll.


Someone wake me...from this nightmare. Someone help me escape these prison walls. I'm trapped here, in my own body... she closed her eyes tight, fighting away the heat of the tears that egged at her. She didn't want to cry again. She didn't want him to act like he cared again. She just wanted to get it all over with. She just wanted to fall asleep...and never wake up. She wanted to escape this life she lived, and the future she was chained to.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

[border]

She didn't respond.


That seemed to be what finally took the wind out of his sails. As he took a knife and cut a bit of string from a bobbin in one of the pockets of his backpack, he remained silent. In the dark, he fixed a fairly crude tool and got to work. It was only when his breathing started to become labored and the skin on his hands became torn against the wood, a fire sparked. He tended to it with as much care as he tended to anything else, his hands cupping around the ember at the heart of the campfire as he blew softly against it.


The spark grew and soon a small crackling fire illuminated the area around them.


It wasn't until then he had realized how cold he'd become. His gambeson kept his torso and arms warm, but the dropping temperature left him with nearly numb hands and cheeks flushed pink from the chill. His stomach, too, finally rumbled loudly enough to be heard despite the fact that hunger had been gnawing at him since that morning.


With the fire going strong, Isaac located his backpack and started digging through it once more. It wasn't too much longer that he was by Fae's side, setting down a large chunk of flat bread and more dried meat.


"Here. No one should sleep on an empty stomach."


The word was spoken without a smile, and yet, it still didn't sound anything but tired. And with that he retreated, giving her the space she needed.


And finally, finally he sat down. He wasn't too far from Fae, though his back faced her as he warmed himself by the fire. Dahlia wandered over towards him and, standing by his side, dozed off. Sitting comfortably, Isaac pulled apart his own bread and stared into the night. Watching. Waiting.


[/border]

 

[ReckonCat]

​

{ Fae Davania }



​

Fae couldn't sleep as Isaac went to work. She listened to him creating the tool then trying to start the fire in the darkness. She began to wonder if it would ever work, then she began to smell a burning. Her nose twitched as the fire grew, and she sat up and stared at it in slight awe. She'd never seen a fire so close. Her throat prickled at the ashen scent, and she felt slightly parched by the dry air it created. When he came over and set the food down beside her she looked up at him, brows lowered as she looked at his hands. She could smell a little blood from his efforts, and knew his hands had been injured in the process.


As he retreated she debated what she would do about his hands in the morning. She could always heal them if they were bad, but if not then they could heal on their own. She couldn't have her 'protector' with lame hands, however. Deciding she would tend to it in the morning, Fae took the bread and meat and put it back in his sack. She wasn't used to eating so much food, and she didn't want them to run out before they got to Naibasa.


Fae watched him as he ate, eyeing the horse suspiciously as it trotted over to him. When the horse finally nodded off, she felt her exhaustion nagging at her, too. It prickled in the back of her vision, and as she lay down in the warmth of the sleeping roll and his cloak, she fell asleep within a moment.

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The woods was quiet tonight aside from the soft singing of insects. The breeze was a mere whisper between the trees and the grass, lulling the forest into a slumber. Darkness was only pierced by the stars in the sky... then they could smell it. A fire! Fire, somewhere in their forest? The leader lifted his head from his slumber as the watch came to hurriedly wake him. Fire, he huffed. Near the mountain base.


The leader let out a soft growl, knowing that it must be humans. He stood and stretched out his body from his toes to his tail before letting out a commanding call to his pride. We are going to investigate, you two stay here and watch the cubs. he commanded the two younger mountain lions. They bowed their head in response and shooed the cubs, who were just beginning to wake with their curiosity, back into the hollowed den. The leader gave a sweep of his tail and the pride followed him at a swift pace into the woods. Toward the smell of fire.