Not quite as long as I would have hoped, but my main focus was movement. Getting somewhere with Vihrea and Murtagh. As for my disappearence, I was painting my room. Or at least Dad was.

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Taptaptap.

Vasha groaned as the incessent bother resumed. She turned over and looked blankly at the window where three shadows loomed. Vihrea's chickens. Of course. She sighed and rolled off the bed, allowing her head to hit the nightstand as she fell. The tapping continued at a louder volume as she crawled over to the window and threw it open. The three black chickens fluttered down off the sill and onto the bed. "What do you want? I have to go save my human-infested sister, and you show up? TODAY?" The chickens clucked a few times, but made no acknowledgement of her presence.

"Lady Vasha?" a maid called from outside. "Mairda is here to see you."

"Wonderful," Vasha muttered, swatting the chickens away from the beading sewn onto her quilt. "Go on, get!"

"Lady Vasha?"

"Send her in." Her sentence was punctuated by a loud cluck. The door opened and the elderly woman entered. There was an odd glint in her eyes. Vasha froze. "Mairda, what is it you're planning?"

"Come, dear, we don't have all day."

"I'm not dressed."

"Put on a cloak. No one will know."

"I will!" Vasha hissed, only to have the black cloak meet her face. She rolled her eyes and threw it on, the three chickens watching intensely. "I don't half-believe you! Moon knows what could happen!"

"Don't question your elders," Mairda said, leading Vasha out of the room. "Hurry. The faster we get there, the sooner we can save them."

"Vasha and her meat-boy?"

"Yes. Who else would I be talking about?"

"Chickens."

-x-

Vihrea groaned lightly as the world came into focus. She looked vacantly at the man sitting in the chair next to her bed. It was Murtagh. "What happened?" she asked, squinting. "Wait, what happened to your neck?"

"My neck?" he asked, blinking. He cautiously reached a hand up to the gash. "Oh. Don't remember."

Did I scare you too much? A small voice in the back of her head mocked. She shook her head violently only to stop and find it swimming. "Ouch," she muttered, clutching her head for a moment. Her eyes wandered back to the cut on his neck. "C'mere," she said, sitting on the pillow and tucking her legs under her. She patted the bed. "Come sit. I want to show you something." He shrugged and sat next to her. "Loups-garoux have wonderful healing powers," Vihrea whispered. He turned and looked at her with a raised brow.

"What are you playing at?" he asked, although there was a hint on laughter in his voice. She gave a small shiver and crawled behind him, leaning so her face was inches away from his wound.

Vihrea, you're playing with meat, that voice piped up. Don't play with your food. She pushed it away and gently ran her tongue across his neck. He jerked away slightly as he shivered involuntarily. A small look of realisation spread across his face and she grinned. She repeated the motion, gripping his shoulder and gently tapping his chin. "We aren't all bad," she paused to lap at his neck again. "Are we?" She pulled back, running a finger on the newly healed wound. She jerked suddenly at something he couldn't hear, and walked to the window. "Oh, for Moon's sake," she muttered, throwing it open. "Vasha! Mairda! What gives? Why do you have my chickens?"