Chapter 3:
Talking to Strangers
3 days later:
They had done nothing but ride for the past two days. Araydia didn't have much to say in the way of things to talk about, but she sure had a lot to grumble about. All of the snacks Ray had packed had already ran out, and the girl had no money. She presumed Granny gave some money to D.
'Figures she wouldn't trust me.what's she think I'm going to spend it on? The mall?' Ray snickered to herself.
They were wandering through an open wheat field. The girl looked up at D.
"I'm hungry."
D didn't say anything. From Ray's view, he didn't even turn his head.
The girl sighed, shrugged her shoulders and slouched, making the ride even bumpier.
_______________________________________
Much to Araydia's luck, they reached a small village a little after sunset. Every time she heard wolves howl in the distance, she girl would jump and D would assure her that they weren't werewolves.
The town was a well-kept village. With clean cobble stone streets, and black iron fences. A few people were out and about, walking around. And of course, the lights to the bars were always on and the doors always open. The hunter and Ray could hear hysterical laughing from inside.
"Well, well, well." Rang a feminine voice.
Both turned around to look at the source. By now the cyborg horse had stopped walking and allowed the figure to approach them.
The woman had her wavy brown hair tucked in a bun and a very low-cut gown, showing a bit of cleavage. She appeared upper-classed.
"So it's true. There is a man accompanied by a little girl heading South. My home is open for the night if you wish to stay."
"Oh look D, a succubus, let's go away."
The woman chuckled in amusement. "I assure you, I don't bite, little girl. My name is Lady Naomi."
"My name isn't little girl."
The woman giggled to herself.
Naomi started walking to wherever and D steered the horse to follow.
"D!? You're actually accepting her offer?!" the girl said in a harsh whisper tone.
No reply.
"I swear.. Men. 'forget the hotel, she has big breasts!' "
D just turned his head, not looking at the girl, but she got the hint and shut up.
Ray pouted and crosses her arms. "I hate you."
__________________________________________
Naomi's house was very pretty. It had a lovely white, plush carpet, polished wooden steps to an upstairs room, pretty furniture and various wealthy decorations throughout the house. It wasn't very big though.
Araydia glanced around the house. She had never been in such an elegant house before and felt very displaced. The girl wondered what D was thinking, she figured he probably didn't care. Pretty woman must have always welcomed him into their house; he was probably use to all sorts of things.
"Here, there should be a guestroom back here." The lovely woman mumbled to herself as she led Ray into that room. " 'D' can sleep on the couch."
"Oh I don't think so," Araydia looked at her defiantly. "_He_ is sleeping in here, and I'm locking the door!"
Naomi giggled. "You don't trust me, do you?"
"No."
The woman shook her head. "Come with me."
___________________________________________
D and Naomi sat in the living room. As usual, D was quiet and being asked the usual questions as Naomi was trying to get him to talk. He had a lovely, masculine, soft voice. The woman thought he was very handsome.
"My husband was a hunter of the creatures of the night. He never touched Vampires through, he always stayed clear of them. But he was killed by a local Countess's mutant." She placed her hands elegantly in her lap.
"I guess if you don't go looking for it, it goes looking for you," she mused, "I just can't turn my head when I hear all sorts of gossip about these hunters. I heard of one heading down South this way with a little girl, I thought it was unusual."
Naomi was about to continue whatever else she thought was important that she might add, when D spoke up.
"Her Grandmother asked me as a dying wish to take her granddaughter to her Uncle, her remaining family. It wasn't out of my way."
"How intriguing."
Araydia could hear all of this from Naomi's upstairs room. "Oh please. where's her turn off button?" the girl sarcastically mumbled to herself. The door was open a crack and Naomi shouted from downstairs;
"Aradyia? You got that dress on?"
Ray poked her head out the door. "I am NOT coming down."
Before long, Ray could hear footsteps up the stairs and she retreated to the farthest corner of the room.
Naomi walked in with a wide smile on her face, and a bit of a blush. "Why won't you come down Araydia, you look fine in that dress."
"It's pink."
Naomi chuckled. "Well then, I'll find you a more suitable color."
The women handed her another gown and seemed amuse with herself. Mirrors accented almost every angle of Naomi's room, making the girl feel uncomfortable.
"Now try this on and come downstairs. You can't go running around in that ugly farmer girl dress all the time, can you?!"
Ray looked up apathetically and took the dress. "Fine."
Naomi smiled, "Good," then she frowned. "You're not going to leave your messy hair up like that are you?"
___________________________________________
Araydia finally came downstairs. Naomi seemed to be having another conversation with D when the girl started thudding her way ungracefully down the steps.
Who would have guessed the features that khaki, patched farm dress had hidden. Ray's gown was light blue, with a hint of ruffles, ribbons and lace. A lovely add to the girls piercing blue eyes. The dress fit tightly around her stomach, revealing her youthful curves and slightly large breasts.
The girl had a lovely build in her arms and delicate hands, now that her round shoulders were visible and parts of her flesh exposed, she really did have womanly features.
"Ray, it's a very beautiful dress, and you look stunning in it." Naomi smiled. Ray still kept a frown on her face. The woman couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
D only gave a single nod, he simply refused himself to express anything more. He admired the way the gown brought out her lovely features, he never imagined a girl with such natural beauty as Ray could hide it so well. Now with locks of ebony tendrils falling down her back and over her shoulders, D had a slight vision of him brushing a few midnight locks behind her ear with his pale hand.
The thought vanished with a harsh internal kick. 'She's so young.'
Talking to Strangers
3 days later:
They had done nothing but ride for the past two days. Araydia didn't have much to say in the way of things to talk about, but she sure had a lot to grumble about. All of the snacks Ray had packed had already ran out, and the girl had no money. She presumed Granny gave some money to D.
'Figures she wouldn't trust me.what's she think I'm going to spend it on? The mall?' Ray snickered to herself.
They were wandering through an open wheat field. The girl looked up at D.
"I'm hungry."
D didn't say anything. From Ray's view, he didn't even turn his head.
The girl sighed, shrugged her shoulders and slouched, making the ride even bumpier.
_______________________________________
Much to Araydia's luck, they reached a small village a little after sunset. Every time she heard wolves howl in the distance, she girl would jump and D would assure her that they weren't werewolves.
The town was a well-kept village. With clean cobble stone streets, and black iron fences. A few people were out and about, walking around. And of course, the lights to the bars were always on and the doors always open. The hunter and Ray could hear hysterical laughing from inside.
"Well, well, well." Rang a feminine voice.
Both turned around to look at the source. By now the cyborg horse had stopped walking and allowed the figure to approach them.
The woman had her wavy brown hair tucked in a bun and a very low-cut gown, showing a bit of cleavage. She appeared upper-classed.
"So it's true. There is a man accompanied by a little girl heading South. My home is open for the night if you wish to stay."
"Oh look D, a succubus, let's go away."
The woman chuckled in amusement. "I assure you, I don't bite, little girl. My name is Lady Naomi."
"My name isn't little girl."
The woman giggled to herself.
Naomi started walking to wherever and D steered the horse to follow.
"D!? You're actually accepting her offer?!" the girl said in a harsh whisper tone.
No reply.
"I swear.. Men. 'forget the hotel, she has big breasts!' "
D just turned his head, not looking at the girl, but she got the hint and shut up.
Ray pouted and crosses her arms. "I hate you."
__________________________________________
Naomi's house was very pretty. It had a lovely white, plush carpet, polished wooden steps to an upstairs room, pretty furniture and various wealthy decorations throughout the house. It wasn't very big though.
Araydia glanced around the house. She had never been in such an elegant house before and felt very displaced. The girl wondered what D was thinking, she figured he probably didn't care. Pretty woman must have always welcomed him into their house; he was probably use to all sorts of things.
"Here, there should be a guestroom back here." The lovely woman mumbled to herself as she led Ray into that room. " 'D' can sleep on the couch."
"Oh I don't think so," Araydia looked at her defiantly. "_He_ is sleeping in here, and I'm locking the door!"
Naomi giggled. "You don't trust me, do you?"
"No."
The woman shook her head. "Come with me."
___________________________________________
D and Naomi sat in the living room. As usual, D was quiet and being asked the usual questions as Naomi was trying to get him to talk. He had a lovely, masculine, soft voice. The woman thought he was very handsome.
"My husband was a hunter of the creatures of the night. He never touched Vampires through, he always stayed clear of them. But he was killed by a local Countess's mutant." She placed her hands elegantly in her lap.
"I guess if you don't go looking for it, it goes looking for you," she mused, "I just can't turn my head when I hear all sorts of gossip about these hunters. I heard of one heading down South this way with a little girl, I thought it was unusual."
Naomi was about to continue whatever else she thought was important that she might add, when D spoke up.
"Her Grandmother asked me as a dying wish to take her granddaughter to her Uncle, her remaining family. It wasn't out of my way."
"How intriguing."
Araydia could hear all of this from Naomi's upstairs room. "Oh please. where's her turn off button?" the girl sarcastically mumbled to herself. The door was open a crack and Naomi shouted from downstairs;
"Aradyia? You got that dress on?"
Ray poked her head out the door. "I am NOT coming down."
Before long, Ray could hear footsteps up the stairs and she retreated to the farthest corner of the room.
Naomi walked in with a wide smile on her face, and a bit of a blush. "Why won't you come down Araydia, you look fine in that dress."
"It's pink."
Naomi chuckled. "Well then, I'll find you a more suitable color."
The women handed her another gown and seemed amuse with herself. Mirrors accented almost every angle of Naomi's room, making the girl feel uncomfortable.
"Now try this on and come downstairs. You can't go running around in that ugly farmer girl dress all the time, can you?!"
Ray looked up apathetically and took the dress. "Fine."
Naomi smiled, "Good," then she frowned. "You're not going to leave your messy hair up like that are you?"
___________________________________________
Araydia finally came downstairs. Naomi seemed to be having another conversation with D when the girl started thudding her way ungracefully down the steps.
Who would have guessed the features that khaki, patched farm dress had hidden. Ray's gown was light blue, with a hint of ruffles, ribbons and lace. A lovely add to the girls piercing blue eyes. The dress fit tightly around her stomach, revealing her youthful curves and slightly large breasts.
The girl had a lovely build in her arms and delicate hands, now that her round shoulders were visible and parts of her flesh exposed, she really did have womanly features.
"Ray, it's a very beautiful dress, and you look stunning in it." Naomi smiled. Ray still kept a frown on her face. The woman couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
D only gave a single nod, he simply refused himself to express anything more. He admired the way the gown brought out her lovely features, he never imagined a girl with such natural beauty as Ray could hide it so well. Now with locks of ebony tendrils falling down her back and over her shoulders, D had a slight vision of him brushing a few midnight locks behind her ear with his pale hand.
The thought vanished with a harsh internal kick. 'She's so young.'