Disclaimer: Not mine. Never mine. Couldn't be mine. Kiri, on the other hand, is mine.
"That bird… that's the source! Go back to the Mansion, tell the Professor, I'm going to follow it," Logan snapped tersely at Rogue, who obediently took off at a jog back through the gardens. Logan dropped into a crouch, caught the scent again, and took off at a loping run.
In his mind, the scent was like a glowing ribbon, weaving through the air. It fluttered and flickered through the trees at first, hopping from one to the other in places, gliding through the air across clearings. After a half-mile or so, it changed subtly, becoming both stronger, and more complex. It was also confined to the ground. The mutant had taken on its human form, Logan deduced. All the easier for him to catch up with it. No, not it. Her. The scent had a distinctly feminine taste.
He increased the speed of his run, weaving through trees with easy agility. While his claws were still sheathed, his whole body was tense, ready for battle should it present itself. Although he didn't anticipate much of a fight from someone who would run at the first sign of detection, it never hurt to be cautious. The scent continued to grow stronger. He was gaining on her.
Sure enough, within another minute, he picked up the sounds of clumsy footsteps ahead of him. Leaves and twigs crackled and snapped, branches were pushed aside, and over all was the sound of harsh, labored breathing. The footsteps seemed to be getting slower, more erratic, as she tired of the chase. He slowed as well, stepping carefully, stealthily, until he caught his first glimpse of his prey through the trees.
She was small. That surprised him for some reason, although he supposed it made sense considering her power. Her movements were quick and darting, even when slowed by exhaustion, like a sparrow hopping across the ground. Dark brown hair tumbled down her back, almost reaching her waist, tangled with debris from the forest – leaves, twigs, grass, even a few feathers peeked through. Her clothes were in almost as bad shape. The top had once been a t-shirt, but was now almost unrecognizable under a layer of mud. The jeans she wore were almost more holes than fabric, and she wore no shoes. That would explain the metallic tang of blood he could now smell. As he crept closer, she finally stopped, leaning against a tree for support, her whole body heaving with each breath she took. Wide, terrified grey eyes flickered around the forest – a cornered animal searching desperately for any hope of escape.
She spotted him, and froze. Their eyes met for a moment, brown and grey, and he found himself surprised by the fire he saw there. He saw her body tremble, and a ripple of what appeared to be feathers ran up her arms, as she attempted to make one last change. The effort proved to be too much for her to bear, however, and she sank to the group, giving up with a gasp of pain. She sat there, hunched up by the tree; shoulders slumped, head hanging, until his feet came into her range of vision. Slowly, ever so slowly, she lifted her head until their eyes met again. This time, though, her eyes were simply tired, defeated.
"I don't want to hurt you," he said quietly. Even so, she flinched at the sound of his voice and cowered further against the tree. "Please… I just want to help."
"You can't help me," came the raspy voice, hoarse from lack of use. "Nobody can. Nobody will. I gave up on help a long time ago!" Her voice grew louder with each word. "I finally thought I'd found somewhere safe, but no, I'm chased, hunted here too!" There was such a depth of bitterness in her voice; he was taken aback that one so young could seem so cold.
"I'm sorry if I scared you," he said, trying his best to sound gentle. Gentleness was far from his strong point – where was Ororo when you needed her? "But I really do want to help."
"Don't you know what I am?" she snapped.
"You're a mutant," he answered simply. Ignoring her shocked exclamation, he continued. "Just like me. Just like everyone at the Institute – you know, the place you've been trespassing on for the past two days?" That got her undivided attention.
"You mean… there are more? I'm not the only one?" Barely suppressed hope was now audible in her voice.
"Far from it, kid. Look…" He held out one hand and slowly let his claws extend, watching her eyes grow wide as saucers with a degree of amusement. "Yeah, there're more. A whole school of 'em. Kids, teachers, hell, we even got ourselves a doctor or two. And the Professor is always lookin' to help kids like you – lost, no place to call home. You let me take you back there… I can guarantee you, he'll help you."
There was silence in the forest for a long moment. Her eyes seemed distant, lost, as she considered his offer. Finally, just as he was getting restless, she nodded once, then dropped her head back onto her knees.
"Well then… mind if I carry you? Doesn't look like you're up to much more walkin'" Another nod. As he bent down to gather her small, feather-light frame into his arms, he thought to ask a question he should have asked to begin with. "By the way kid… what's your name?"
"Kiri. Kiri Destrier. Call me Hawk. You?"
"I'm Logan, some call me Wolverine."
She let out a strange, strangled sob. It took a minute for him to realize she was trying to laugh. "Just a pair of animals we are, eh?" she said.
"Yeah. Guess so. Hang on tight, sparrow." And he took off again through the woods, lengthening his stride to keep his gait smooth so as not to jostle her. Her head rested gently against his shoulder, and it wasn't long before he looked down to realize she'd fallen asleep, exhausted, in his arms.