It took some time and persistence with their injuries slowing them down, but they eventually made it. Together they set up camp to the best of their ability. That was also slow going and they didn't finish until well into the night, working by firelight and lanterns. Jade refused the use of the flashlight. It was too bright and could attract unwanted attention. After Victoria's leg was cleaned and bandaged, she prepared food.
After much coddling and insisting, Jade allowed Victoria to tend to her wounds. She sat silently and watched her work, wondering why the human cared so much for her. With that done, Victoria started eating and Jade vigilantly kept watch. Victoria then started to offer her food, which she declined. She just couldn't stop worrying about her. Especially when she noticed that most of her injuries hadn't fully healed yet.
At least the gouges on her neck were mostly gone though. They hadn't been as bad with Jade's hands taking most of the damage. They were heavily bandaged and held clenched at her sides. On top of that, she wouldn't sit down, and it made Victoria anxious. She was tired just watching her. She had to rest and so did Jade. She sighed. But how was she going to get her to relax?
"Jade, please come sit with me," she requested. Jade's stance softened a touch but she remained unmoved.
"Go to sleep. I need to keep watch until the morning. There are too many predators out there that would gladly take advantage," she replied, stoic.
"You need rest too," Victoria argued.
"I'll manage," Jade countered.
"If you don't get over here and rest then I won't either. I can be a stubborn mule too, you know," the young woman retorted, crossing her arms. Jade's brows furrowed then quirked when she turned around to face the petulant girl.
"Why are you being difficult?" Jade questioned, terse.
"Why are you?" Victoria repeated back to her. There was a glint in Jade's eyes that made Victoria squirm. They stayed silent, staring each other down. Jade finally sighed heavily and closed her eyes. Her body sagged and she looked defeated.
"If I come lay down will you go to sleep?" she muttered, opening her tired eyes to rest on the determined human before her. She smiled wide and nodded. Jade grumbled under her breath and moved to sit down on the rolled out mat next to her.
"Okay, I'm here. Now go to sleep," Jade ordered. Victoria only crossed her arms tighter and leveled a glare at Jade. She growled but complied, laying down. Victoria made sure she wouldn't get up before laying down too, getting comfortable under the quilt draped over her. They had cleared away a large patch of snow when they built the fire, so she was sufficiently warm. Her leg was still throbbing, but she was too fatigued to let it keep her from sleep. She was just too tired. Her eyes started to close when Jade spoke.
"Why are you even out here alone?"
Victoria opened her eyes to see Jade's concerned frown.
"I was traveling to the city. To visit Trina. She wanted me to visit. My father couldn't come. He's busy. My mother is busy tending to the sick. There's usually a rise during the winter months. Trina couldn't wait so I went on my own to stop her from bugging," Victoria explained, voice heavy with sleep. Her eyes started to flutter shut. Jade hummed thoughtfully.
"Your sister sounds like a nuisance," Jade commented. It earned a small smile from the human.
"Yeah," she sighed knowingly.
"You're going into the city as fast as I can get you there. You're going to a hospital as soon as you get there," Jade told her firmly. Victoria nodded and her eyes were closed now. Soon her breathing was heavy and even. She was asleep. Jade reached out and took her warm hand in her own. She squeezed lightly, idly listening to Victoria's softly beating heart.
Jade fell asleep but it was light, her senses on guard. Jade let Victoria sleep a full eight hours before waking her. After cleaning up, Jade made Victoria sit in the cart while she took up the horse's job. Her body ached and protested but she ignored it as well as the human's complaints that she was pulling the cart. She tried to offer alternatives, but Jade wouldn't hear it. Victoria eventually fell quiet, knowing it was a lost cause.
Instead, she thought of ways she could reward Jade when this was all over. She deserved so much, and Victoria wouldn't let her forget what she did for her. It took the rest of the day to arrive at the city. They came in from the hunting grounds and left the cart there to continue on foot with a bag each of clothes and food. Jade accompanied Victoria as far as the entrance, wary of being seen. She then left her to continue on her own from there.
"Come with me."
Jade shook her head and passed her the bag she carried.
"I can't be seen. No one can know I exist. Just go get that leg checked out and spend time with your sister. I'll be fine. I've healed from worse injuries."
"Only if you wait nearby for me to return. I shouldn't be more than two days. Could you please wait for me?" Victoria pleaded hopefully. Jade huffed out a breath, reluctant.
"If you aren't here when I get back, I'm crossing through the woods alone," she mentioned. Jade glared at her, eyes narrowed.
"You think I care?" she growled. Victoria called the bluff with a raised brow, hands on her hips.
"Fine. Just go," Jade demanded, turning away. Victoria grinned happily and slipped her hand in Jade's own. A bold move Jade didn't anticipate. Her posture tensed and their eyes met but she remained calm. Slowly, she squeezed back then let go. Jade watched her until she was out of sight. Then she returned to the cart and climbed in, laying down. She needed more rest. She didn't want Victoria to see just how worn out she was. She had to be strong for her. But now she could rest.
She let herself fall asleep while her instincts stayed active, as always. She should be mostly healed by the time she woke up, if she wasn't woken up prematurely. She got a few hours in by the time she jumped awake. The sun was on the way down and it was getting dark fast. Jade held still, listening out for whatever woke her. There were heavy steps nearby, slow but purposeful. They were aware of making too much noise. Hunters.
She could hear them talking to each other in low tones. The smell of animal blood reached her. They must have caught something and were on their way home. Jade sat up and peeked over the top of the wooden barrier. There were three of them. Two hauled a deer between them while the third carried a bloodstained sack. There was no doubt it was filled with various small animals. Something about the men were familiar. She inhaled and analyzed each of them, knowing she had crossed their path before. It came to her then.
The men were the same ones she ran from not too long ago. The ones that denied her from her meal. So, they lived in the city. It wasn't unheard for the small town to get help from the outside when they needed it. Jade focused on the third human. He was lagging behind the other two. She could try luring him away. She waited for an opening. It came when the two started hefting their catch into the bed of the truck. The third stood around talking and neglected to help. Jade swiftly jumped from the cart and made her way around, crouching in the bush behind them.
She watched the two brush off the third and he strode away, dropping the sack by the rear wheel of the truck. He stomped off and Jade moved deliberately when he came close to her hiding spot. His head raised and he looked out at the line of trees. He lifted his rifle and started forward. Jade evaded, hurrying into the nearby cover and drawing him deeper into the woods. He smirked, readying his weapon, and stalked forward. It wasn't hard for her to lead him far enough away.
Here he thought he had the upper hand on a hapless animal, but Jade laid in wait. She shifted around to his side then launched into the tree next to him. The sudden movement in his peripheral startled him. He swung his gun around but didn't shoot. Good. At least he wasn't trigger happy. It kept things quiet. She crept out on the branch, keeping perfect balance. She timed her fall just as he passed under her.
She landed silently behind him, darted forward, and grabbed him in a tight grip. Her arm snaked around his neck and squeezed. She held him easily, even though he struggled and fought back as much as he could. But she was stronger. She basked in his fear and desperation, his voice choked from him so that he couldn't even scream. End it.
She let out a growl, excited, and did as her beast wanted. His neck snapped like a twig under the pressure she exerted. His struggle immediately stopped, and he hung limply from her arms. She threw his body over her shoulder and headed for a suitable spot to eat. She needed to feel safe and unseen. Finally.
Her satisfaction soared and the thought of fresh meat made her mouth water. She was really going to enjoy this. Especially since she had been denied for so long. Victoria didn't have to know that she went out on her own little hunt while she waited for her.
