Team 8

It was after the evening meal and Aeryn slept in the next room again. He sighed and swore again he had almost had her this morning. "I understand her hatred but I must find a way past it, for all our sakes" said Nuada "well you can start by being nicer" said Nuala. "She will flee us if I am too generous" he said. "What you offered her was uncalled for brother" said Nuala "she doesn't understand its meaning" said Nuada "you would take advantage of her ignorance?" said Nuala. She sounded shocked by his words. "No of course not, I just wanted to form a connection with her" said Nuada

"Maybe she will doesn't she deserve to choose her own fate" said Nuala "no one chooses their fate, sister" he said forlornly "try to find rest I will fetch more bedding for the healer" he said. He needed to think and he couldn't do it so close to Nuala, her pity for the child was overwhelming his own senses, bleeding through the link into his thoughts.

He hated that part of their connection almost as much as he hated when he caused his sister pain with his own wounding. They had made a small breakthrough this morning but the healer still ate very little. His presence made her nervous, so much so that she picked at her food instead of eating it.

He walked out the door leaving his sister to clean up the remains of the meal. She would fix a plate for the girl and insure that she ate. It was his company she didn't want to share and that wounded him deeper than he thought possible. For the time being he would heed her wishes though he would watch over her at least until he figured a way to calm her anger towards him.

Perhaps his sister was right maybe the path he needed to follow was kindness. It had worked somewhat at breakfast though she kept eyeing him like she expected trouble from him.

He was down the stairs and halfway to the door when Nuala shrieked. He abruptly turned on his heel and leapt up the stairs literally. He came into the room and Nuala had a broom in her hand and Aeryn was trying to take it away from her. He forgot he had left her room unlocked. "Its ok it's only Max" said Aeryn. Nuada looked at his sister and knew at once where the creature had fled to. He pulled back the bedding and an angry tooth fairy hissed at him. He drew his weapon and stepped back.

"No!" screamed Aeryn and flew towards the creature as if to defend it. He caught her arm before she foolishly tried to touch it. "Leave him alone you monster," she said punctuating each shout with a punch. He held her at bay one handed. The creature growled at him. He had the time to register momentary shock before it launched its self at him. He pushed Aeryn out of the way; she landed on her butt on the floor.

He swatted at it with his spear and it hit the small table, landing amongst the dishes. But not before it managed to bite him. He hissed the mark stung quite badly as did one of his other fingers; Nuala must have been bit as well. "Max no!" Aeryn ordered. The creature hesitated before attacking again. The creature clearly smelled his blood and wanted more of it. He waited for the others to show up but none came. So he asked it if it was alone.

Nuada said something to it in Gaelic and was rewarded with an angry retort. It called him a murderer and hissed a challenge at him. He hissed back at it and tried to swat it to the table. "Max to me now!" Aeryn shouted in as commanding a tone as she possessed. The creature promptly launched itself in her direction. Choosing to defend its' mistress from the enraged elf trying to crush him. Nuada closed the distance between them intent on saving her from the creature. Aeryn held up her hands and yelled, "Stop!"

It landed on her skirt and climbed quickly to her shoulder. Where it sat on its haunches and hissed at him. Nuada hesitated if he struck at it now there was a chance he might hurt the healer as well. "Aeryn, don't move sweetheart" said Nuala "stop it he's not going to hurt you now knock it off you two" said Aeryn "healer set it down and step away from it" he ordered "NO!" she replied

"I'll not let you hurt my friend," said Aeryn stubbornly. Nuada looked completely shocked and very dismayed. "Healer listen to me very carefully that creature on your shoulder is very dangerous, please for your own safety let me deal with it" he insisted "like you dealt with his kin when you decided to feed it my mom" Aeryn retorted angrily. the creature hissed angrily again. "There are casualties in a war child its inevitable part" he explained.

She growled at him this time. Nuada raised his lance preparing himself to defend himself and Nuala if need be. "He won't eat us I feed it regularly" said Aeryn "you feed it?" said Nuala in shock "what do you feed it child, have you seen these things eat?" said Nuada "yes I have and mostly rabbits, okay once a guinea pig but that was only because the store had no rabbits" said Aeryn. Nuala gasped in shock and Nuada looked aghast. "Child that is no pet you hold but a predator" said Nuala "you did not know she had this?" said Nuada

"No brother or else I would have given warning," said Nuala. Aeryn reached her hand up to soothe Max but he was too agitated to be soothed. Nuada looked less than pleased; he even seemed to hold his breath when she touched Max. "Child please step away from it" said Nuala "no it was only defending me, it didn't know Nuala meant no harm, she smells like you, he said so" said Aeryn "sister are you hurt?" asked Nuada "no brother it only nipped me I am fine" said Nuala.

Aeryn leaned into her hair and admonished it for biting Nuala but not the prince. He frowned at her "healer?" he started to say "no, it pledged its loyalty to me and you will not harm it" said Aeryn. Showing her heritage in every nuance of her frame. The girl looked positively regal right now and Nuada was absurdly proud. He sheathed his blade "very well but you will keep a close eye on it, it disobeys you once and it dies" said Nuada. Aeryn could feel Max trembling next to her neck. She wasn't sure if it was fear or rage. "He'll listen to me," said Aeryn.

Nuada looked doubtful, as did his sister. "Whatever possessed you to befriend it child?" said Nuala "it was the only survivor and I ah didn't want to see it live the rest of its life in a cage" said Aeryn. Nuada frowned but if he was going to gain the girls trust he had to trust her judgment. Though he was loathe to leave the two girls in the house alone with that thing "I'm going to finish what I was doing "said Nuada. he had no intention of tarrying at all not with that thing in the house with his sister.

He ran instead of walking like he intended to earlier. Nuala stayed on the other side of the room. "You really need to stop picking fights with things that can smash you," said Aeryn. It chittered something back at her, which sounded something like an apology. "And you owe Nuala an apology she's a friend of mine you had no call to bite her" Aeryn admonished.

"Oh that's ok I'm not mad it has no need to apologize" said Nuala. Aeryn glanced at her she looked terrified. "Max stay here" said Aeryn she set him on the table and crossed the room to hug her friend "it's ok it will not hurt you please don't be afraid of it" said Aeryn "it is very angry" said Nuala softly Max cocked his head and watched the fae woman. It padded across the table and snagged the chicken bones off of Nuala's plate. Swallowed them whole and belched. "Let me see your hand," said Aeryn. Nuala held out her hand to her and Aeryn closed the small wound.

"Yes he is your brother wiped out his clan he's still mad about that" said Aeryn "how mad?" said Nuala. Her voice betrayed her fear. Aeryn looked at Max, it flared its wings and drew its lips back in a snarl. "He wants to eat him," said Aeryn. Nuala's eyes widened "he can't he'll kill me as well" whispered Nuala. "Do you hear that Max you don't really want to hurt my friend do you?" said Aeryn. Max shook his head no.

They heard the door close down stairs and Nuada was back in the room. He looked winded and had sweat on his brow. He held two sleeping bags in his arms. Did he run to wherever he went? "Sister I have brought you bedding and night clothes, my lady I have brought you the same," he said. He started to step closer to her then seemed to reconsider when Max hissed at him. He set it on the chair instead. "Thank you brother" said Nuala

Aeryn approached the clothing pile on top of the bedding. It wasn't packed into a bag as neatly as before. She pulled out a pair of sleep pants. "Ah those are mine," said Nuada. Aeryn handed him the pants. She noted there was two nightgowns of a flimsy almost see through material but no sleep shirt to go with Nuada's pants. Was he intending to go around half nude?

Aeryn picked up one of the gowns, "is this one mine?" she asked. Nuada nodded yes, and Aeryn wondered at his motivation for choosing an almost see through gown. The sleeping bag was a pretty straightforward affair. She picked up both and started to head for the office room. "Wait you sleep out here and it sleeps here," said Nuada. he set a metal cage on the ground in front of her. "I'm not putting him in a cage" said Aeryn

"Yes lady you will if you intend for it to remain alive," said Nuada. Max hissed at him and bared its teeth. She gave him a glare of her own. "Fine let me talk to him," said Aeryn. She scooped Max up off the table and walked into the other room. "Your going to have to trust me Max" said Aeryn its little eyes went wide with worry. "I know you don't like it I don't either but I'm really worried he might hurt you if you don't" said Aeryn. it chittered something that sounded like "bring it on" at her.

Aeryn grinned at him "please I'll stay right near you I promise" said Aeryn it chittered at her then whimpered "shush it's going to be ok you only have to sleep in there ok" said Aeryn "well?" said Nuada he was standing in the door way. "He'll agree to it but he wants out first thing in the morning, he's going to need to hunt," said Aeryn "of course he does" said Nuada he smiled wickedly. "and he stays near me," said Aeryn "very well agreed" said Nuada. He sounded relieved and he opened the cage door. Aeryn gently set Max down in the cage. Nuada closed the door and locked it shut.