"Slacking from your duties again, are we?"

"Buzz off," Hal snapped, not looking up from her book to properly address the two figures below. She had perched herself in the branches of her favorite tree so as to not be bothered, but should've known those who knew her best would be able to find her eventually. She recognized the voice of Eli and figured Cado, his best friend, was with him. They almost always traveled together. "I'm busy."

"Oh, come now, don't get fussy with us because you got into it with the dragon rider."

The book fell into her lap as she rolled her eyes. "Does that old man ever keep his mouth shut."

"Not when it comes to you, but you already knew that," Cado teased. "Now come down, we have just the thing to cheer you up."

"A new book?"

"No."

"The arrowheads you owe me?"

"Also, no," Eli chimed in, scratching his head.

"Are you going to leave me alone?"

"Ouch, that hurts us, Hal."

"Your list is growing very short very fast. What is it then?"

"The team is getting together, going hunting in the morning before we have to help Amon rebuild his hut. He wanted to get out one last time since he'll be otherwise preoccupied the next few months. Figured you would want in."

Her shoulders crumpled. While that did sound appealing, she already knew she would have to sit this one out. "I have to watch the rider, you both know this already."

"Come on, Hal!" Cado cried, disbelieving as she turned down what they knew was a very tempting offer. "Denu says he's practically healed himself. You deserve to take a break. Come with us."

"You know I could if I would, but I'll have to pass this time. What are you planning on hunting anyway?"

"Not sure yet." Eli grinned. "Probably whatever attacks us first."

"You are nothing, if not consistent."

"We try."

"Are you sure you can't come?" Cado repeated. "We could really use the village's fastest archer on our side."

She smiled. "Flattery, huh? You must be desperate." But her smile was kind as she said, "Thank you. But maybe next time."

She felt bad for it, but their disappointment brought her some happiness. Sometimes she had a hard time separating when her company was requested, not out of pity, but of genuine interest. Even though Eli, Cado, and the other men she hunted with — Amon, Sam, and Ayo — had more than proven their friendship, she still couldn't help but be reminded that she was not always the best company. Something she consistently and bitterly remembered after her interactions with the rider.

She hated that he made her like this: anxious and self-conscious. He had a way of making her feel foolish that easily got under her skin. Probably because he was miserable with his own existence. And Hal, more than anyone, knew misery loved company.

She sighed.

Perhaps that's why his attitude affected her so. It was familiar, a reminder of her own struggles. She didn't think she was projecting too much as she began to recognize her own biting sarcasm, clipped tone, and mistrust in the rider's attitude towards her. Dammit, no wonder she disliked the man so much. Had she been that ungrateful to Denu when she was in the rider's position? But she already knew the shameful answer to that question.

She returned to her book of sketches, flipping to the back where she had once begun an attempt to draw the Nïdhwal. But she hadn't had the time to put her memories to paper, and since she was abandoning her duties for the time being, she figured she might as well finish her sketch before she couldn't remember anything at all.

Her mind was consumed with recalling if the creature had had a scaly hide or a smooth one. She let her worries of the rider and the judgement from the villagers fall by the wayside, her mind intimately consumed with getting each detail just right. Although reminding herself of the sharp rows of teeth and the speed with which the creature moved in the water was still frightening in its own right, Hal still felt a sense of comfort and ease as her quill moved the ink across the page.

When she was satisfied with her sketch for the time being, she left her book laying open, the pages held down by heavy, smooth stones so that the ink may dry. She leaned back against the tree trunk, catching glimpses of the blue sky through the thick, green leaves. She closed her eyes, listening to the wind rustle the trees, letting the sounds lull her to place of relaxation. In fact, she may have dozed off. But her heart dropped when she heard a ferocious roar in the not-so-distance.

It was unmistakably Thorn, and she swore before grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows, propped up on the branch beside her, and slung them over her shoulder. She dropped to the ground, bracing her joints for the impact before taking off at a high speed to the direction of the noise. She wasn't dressed appropriately for any kind of confrontation, her skirt twisting around her legs in a manner that was a hindrance. Hal eventually had to hold it up to keep it from getting tangled in low branches and thorns. But at least she had worn her boots.

She heard the unmistakable howl of a lovuk and slid to a stop. Shit. She couldn't run in blindly then, especially on the ground and on foot. She would have to rethink her approach. She continued forward, but she ran perpendicular to the wind so that it didn't carry her scent. It took longer, but eventually she found the clearing and the most unfortunate situation that Thorn found himself in.

He was surrounded by a number of lovuk that made Hal's eyes widen in a panic. She had never seen this many at once. The hunting party usually only traveled in packs of no more than three or four at a time. There had to be a dozen or so now, surrounding Thorn with their bloodthirsty teeth bared. Hal felt her hands begin to shake. This was bad. She had assumed it was one. Even three or four were not completely out of her comfort zone, but that was only when she wasn't on her own. But this…this was not natural, and she was quickly reminded that they had not been acting normal for quite some time.

She had to act quickly, and turned to run back to the village and alert the others, to seek help before she did something reckless again. But she took one step and froze as the wind suddenly changed directions. She could hear the lovuk freeze, the growls growing short as they sniffed the air

Hal only had a moment to act, but a quick scan of her surroundings proved futile. The trees here were too weak to climb, and any sudden pressure provided by her or the creatures would surely cause them to snap.

Shit.

Heart racing, Hal took off running just as the lovuk snapped their jaws, realizing that easier prey was trying to get away. She didn't run back the way she had come, not wanting to lead such a devastatingly large pack towards the village. Thorn seemed to use the opportunity to pounce, roaring viciously and, from the sound of it, taking out a few before they all came after her. She could feel some gaining on her, using her vast knowledge of how fast they ran, how fast she ran, and how much distance she could potentially cover before they ensnared her.

She spotted her opportunity up ahead, and grabbed two arrows and her bow, loading one and placing the other between her teeth. The time it would take for her to stop and turn around would be precious seconds lost. But if she used their speed and her own against them…

Hal braced herself as she jumped forward, planting the soles of her boots on the tree trunk. She took another step, using her momentum to carry her up, scaling the trunk of the tree. Just like that, the world was upside down, and Hal draw her arrow back quickly as the lovuk ran under her, attempting to use the tree as she had, as a jumping off point. But she was ready for it, and fired into the top of its skull before it could counterattack, and the beast dropped dead.

Then, she landed on her feet and spun, around as she loaded the second arrow, hitting the other lovuk, with precision, in its eye moments before it would have reached her. It let out a single yelp of pain before it too met the same fate as its friend. Not wanting to waste time, Hal drew another arrow just as movement from her left caught her attention. She didn't even turn; she held her bow off the side and fired, barely moving her gaze as she felled another. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she just needed to stay one step ahead.

However, she thought too quickly when four more appeared before her at once. Her movements were sharp and precise, but this was too much, even for her level of skill. She managed to drop two, but the remaining two left no time for her to draw her arrow back. And even if she could block one, it left her exposed to the other.

She randomly picked one and prepared to fire, choosing to at least take down one more before she herself was subdued. Then, a bright light coming from behind the lovuk captured her attention. And when she realized what it was, all she could do was curl up to make herself smaller. She didn't know what worse, getting burned to death or being eaten alive.

But the flames never reached her. She heard a man shout as one arm was thrown around her shoulders, and she only had a moment to realize it was Murtagh pulling her into his chest. His hand was raised, his palm glowing red. Where the fire should've smoked them, it seemed to hit an invisible shield, spreading up and out, but never continuing forward. The lovuk, however, didn't stand a chance at such high temperatures. They were burnt damn-near to ashes, and Hal watched in both horror and awe as the fire and magic dissipated.

Murtagh fell forward, Hal unexpectedly bearing the brunt of his sudden dead weight. She yelped in surprise as she fell back, the rider splayed on top of her. His breathing was labored, and she could feel his body shaking from such exertion before he had reached his full strength. Hal was about to chastise him for getting out of bed before he was ready when she realized that he and Thorn had just saved her life in a most fantastic manner. She didn't know whether to thank him first or ask if he was okay. She herself was still in shock as the last few moments caught up to her. Such raw power, and in the condition he was in — what was he capable of at full capacity?

She gazed at the sky, waiting for her heartbeat to slow, feeling as it fell in sync with the rider's. She gently rolled him off her as Thorn approached, standing watch protectively as Hal did a quick examination of Murtagh's physical appearance. Considering his clothes had been thrown out, she decided not to question the ill-fitted tunic and trousers that she knew she had just set on the clothes line to dry, as she lifted the material to expose his chest. The bruising along his side had gone dark again, and she recalled that his side had not yet fully healed. That would explain his hoarse breathing as well. He could still have a broken rib or two, and the exertion he had just put on it to get here.

She shook her head at the unconscious figure. "What in the heavens am I to do with you?"

…

Murtagh woke to a warm, gentle caress on his cheek. A soothing breeze, lightly pulling him from sleep. He blinked once. Twice. There was no compact ceiling overhead like he had become accustomed to. Instead, he stared at the full sky for the first time in weeks. He inhaled, then winced at the sharp pain in his side from where he had greatly re-injured his already broken ribs.

He turned just his head and saw Thorn snoozing on the grass as well. But when he felt Murtagh's consciousness, he peeked open a tired, red eye. How are you feeling?

Been better. Been a lot worse. I'll be fine. And you?

Been better. Been a lot worse. But I owe my lack of severe injuries to the young maiden. Although I hate it almost cost her life, she came to my aid.

Murtagh blinked, having completely forgotten about Halen, and turned, unsure of where she had gone or what she was doing if he was still in the woods. But he needn't worry. The second he turned to his other side, she was right there. She was curled up on her side, facing him, a book lying closed on the ground beside her that she must've been reading before she fell asleep. An open bag and her arrows lay at her feet.

The sight gave him pause. Her hair had begun to fall out of her braid, the loose strands dancing in the wind before settling against her cheeks when it was calm. Her face was one of peace, her brows and mouth relaxed. Her breathing was smooth and even. Surprisingly calm and collected for someone who had just been attacked by a pack of predators.

She had been reading the same sentence over and over again for nearly twenty minutes before she finally fell asleep. I don't think she wanted to wake you, and I did not want to wake her.

No, Murtagh had no desire to wake her either. Exhausted and sore, he gingerly laid back down, his hands resting on top of his stomach. Whether she sensed his movements or it was something else altogether, Halen began to stir. He could tell she was fighting it, and he watched her, bemused, as she slowly opened her tired eyes, her gaze barely registering how close they were.

"Oh good," she said with sigh, closing her eyes, "you're not dead."

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." But to his surprise, he wasn't angry. In fact, her deadpanned tone was rather humorous considering the circumstances. Besides, he knew that she had stayed meant she had still been looking out for him. "Go back to sleep."

Her eyes struggled to stay open. "We should head back…"

The fact that her first thought upon waking had been for his state of being… She had earned this. Deserved this small reprieve.

"Go to sleep, Halen. I will wake you before it gets too late."

Her eyes lingered on his for only a moment, and her gratefulness was unhindered as she did exactly as he instructed.