Chapter 4: Getting Nowhere
D slept on the couch, regarding Ray's comment of him sleeping in the room with the bed and locking the door to keep away Naomi. He was laying on his back, not exactly in a sleeping position. He was more of "resting", the only thing his body would let him do at the moment. Even if the Hunter tried, he wouldn't be able to get some sleep, not this night…
"Another one of these nights, is it?"
That cursed hand. Just when he was enjoying his own company he had to be reminded of the symbiot.
The sym had kept quiet the past few days, it had no choice. Ray and other people were around, and the sym didn't talk in front of other people, only to D. The truth was, no matter how much the thing was a nuisance, D knew he couldn't 'live' without it. It kept him in line, even though it didn't bother on itself, it pulled him on, gave him advice, willing D chose to accept it or not. But what came with such help, came such annoyance.
The thing cackled and spoke in a lower, matter-of-fact, tone. "There's no use fighting it, D. You don't think you can actually maintain a normal sleep cycle, like a human being?" The symbiot chuckled, seeming to find great amusement in reminding D of the part he'd rather forget. The part that needed the night.
The man ignored the creature's usual babbling and rolled onto his side.
The symbiot got this as a sign for it to stop talking, but it never took those signs seriously. "Oh? Giving me the cold shoulder?"
"Why must you torment me now…"
The creature smirked as D rustled about for a place to get comfortable. "I believe you may be turning out to be more human than I thought! I know perfectly well how you thought of Ray this evening, how very un-D like. Tsk, tsk. And she's only a little girl."
D closed his hand before any more words could be said and he could hopefully get on with a decent nights rest. "You know perfectly well that's unacceptable. She's only a child and I have a job to carry out."
"You know?" came a muffled voice, " There's something funny about that girl…something I can't quite place my finger on…ah! She does bare a striking resemblance to your moth—"
"Enough." And with that, D rolled over. Closing the conversation for the night.
_______________________________________
The Hunter woke up when he felt a finger constantly jabbing into his shoulder. "D!" Came a harsh whisper.
"D, wake up!"
D turned his head to view the source and wasn't surprised to find Ray poking his shoulder.
"Come on, let's get out of here before that Succubus wakes up and demands payments for her assistance! Let's go!"
The man sat up. It wasn't even dawn yet. He didn't know what time he got to bed last night, but he knew he was still very tired. D quickly picked up his wide-brimmed hat off the arm of the couch and placed it on his head.
Ray scampered off to her room. Happy she was getting her way. She still didn't trust the woman. She figured if they stuck around any longer, Naomi might offer to make them breakfast, poison her food and run away with D. All in all, she just wanted to get this whole trip over with as quickly as possible. She didn't like the idea of staying at whoever's house was available, the fact that werewolves or any Creature of the Night would possibly see them as a target or D's company.
Lady Naomi had told the young girl the night before that she could keep the gown. Ray didn't want it, but Naomi insisted. The girl didn't know how uncomfortable it might be to ride on a horse with such an attire, and didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention.
Too bad by the time Ray scampered out of her room, already changed quickly into the gown with her bag already packed, Lady Naomi was up.
The girl huffed.
"Well hello, miss Araydia."
"Don't you still have some ugly sleep to catch up on?"
Naomi chuckled, not at all amused. "Well I figured you would be more grateful to me than that." It was true. Ray's behavior was downright rude.
Poor Ray. She wished she had an imaginary white flag to wave in defeat. Naomi turned to D who was standing by her with his arms crossed. He hadn't said a word since Araydia had came out. The woman was looking up at him as if she was expecting something. Ray raised an eyebrow, confused.
"So what's your answer?"
Ray spoke up, "Answer? Answer to what? What did you ask him?!"
The woman giggled giddily and grinned at Ray. She was up to something. "Well if I could come with you, of course."
The young girl's eyes widen. "I don't think so, lady!"
"It's not your decision, it's D's!"
"Well I'm speaking for him! You can't come with us, we're going to Me-hi- co!"
"Mexico?" The woman looked at D confused.
"Please…" D spoke softly. They both stopped and looked at him. If anything, he was the one to pity. He was the one listening to them argue. The Hunter would never raise his voice to a woman. All it took him was a whisper and people usually stopped frozen and listened to what he had to say.
"Lady Naomi, I'm thankful, but my role was to carry out her grandmothers wish and deliver her safely to her family. It's too dangerous with one extra person as it is. After Ray is with her family, I continue south."
That made sense. Naomi understood where he was coming from and Araydia had never heard him speak that many words.
So it was decided. Naomi remained silent with a straight face to recollect her dignity and Ray gave her a sly smirk.
_______________________________
By late morning, D and Ray were off again. The cyborg horse trotting across the countryside. It was an awfully hot morning. The man was starting to feel just a hint of dizziness from the suns beating rays.
"So how'd ya like how I told that lady off?" A hint of amusement lingered in the girl's words.
D said nothing.
The girl sighed. "Just promise me we won't be staying at another ladies house again?" She had to call to through the wind. The girl couldn't control her voice from wavering from the horse's movements and her hair blowing wildly in the wind. Some of the strands getting caught in her mouth.
D made no acknowledgment of her words.
"D, are you mad at me?"
Not a word.
"Well I don't care if you are! I don't need to put up with some lady I don't know just because of her male interests!"
He finally spoke up after a while. "Fine Ray. I promise we won't stay at another ladies house."
D slept on the couch, regarding Ray's comment of him sleeping in the room with the bed and locking the door to keep away Naomi. He was laying on his back, not exactly in a sleeping position. He was more of "resting", the only thing his body would let him do at the moment. Even if the Hunter tried, he wouldn't be able to get some sleep, not this night…
"Another one of these nights, is it?"
That cursed hand. Just when he was enjoying his own company he had to be reminded of the symbiot.
The sym had kept quiet the past few days, it had no choice. Ray and other people were around, and the sym didn't talk in front of other people, only to D. The truth was, no matter how much the thing was a nuisance, D knew he couldn't 'live' without it. It kept him in line, even though it didn't bother on itself, it pulled him on, gave him advice, willing D chose to accept it or not. But what came with such help, came such annoyance.
The thing cackled and spoke in a lower, matter-of-fact, tone. "There's no use fighting it, D. You don't think you can actually maintain a normal sleep cycle, like a human being?" The symbiot chuckled, seeming to find great amusement in reminding D of the part he'd rather forget. The part that needed the night.
The man ignored the creature's usual babbling and rolled onto his side.
The symbiot got this as a sign for it to stop talking, but it never took those signs seriously. "Oh? Giving me the cold shoulder?"
"Why must you torment me now…"
The creature smirked as D rustled about for a place to get comfortable. "I believe you may be turning out to be more human than I thought! I know perfectly well how you thought of Ray this evening, how very un-D like. Tsk, tsk. And she's only a little girl."
D closed his hand before any more words could be said and he could hopefully get on with a decent nights rest. "You know perfectly well that's unacceptable. She's only a child and I have a job to carry out."
"You know?" came a muffled voice, " There's something funny about that girl…something I can't quite place my finger on…ah! She does bare a striking resemblance to your moth—"
"Enough." And with that, D rolled over. Closing the conversation for the night.
_______________________________________
The Hunter woke up when he felt a finger constantly jabbing into his shoulder. "D!" Came a harsh whisper.
"D, wake up!"
D turned his head to view the source and wasn't surprised to find Ray poking his shoulder.
"Come on, let's get out of here before that Succubus wakes up and demands payments for her assistance! Let's go!"
The man sat up. It wasn't even dawn yet. He didn't know what time he got to bed last night, but he knew he was still very tired. D quickly picked up his wide-brimmed hat off the arm of the couch and placed it on his head.
Ray scampered off to her room. Happy she was getting her way. She still didn't trust the woman. She figured if they stuck around any longer, Naomi might offer to make them breakfast, poison her food and run away with D. All in all, she just wanted to get this whole trip over with as quickly as possible. She didn't like the idea of staying at whoever's house was available, the fact that werewolves or any Creature of the Night would possibly see them as a target or D's company.
Lady Naomi had told the young girl the night before that she could keep the gown. Ray didn't want it, but Naomi insisted. The girl didn't know how uncomfortable it might be to ride on a horse with such an attire, and didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention.
Too bad by the time Ray scampered out of her room, already changed quickly into the gown with her bag already packed, Lady Naomi was up.
The girl huffed.
"Well hello, miss Araydia."
"Don't you still have some ugly sleep to catch up on?"
Naomi chuckled, not at all amused. "Well I figured you would be more grateful to me than that." It was true. Ray's behavior was downright rude.
Poor Ray. She wished she had an imaginary white flag to wave in defeat. Naomi turned to D who was standing by her with his arms crossed. He hadn't said a word since Araydia had came out. The woman was looking up at him as if she was expecting something. Ray raised an eyebrow, confused.
"So what's your answer?"
Ray spoke up, "Answer? Answer to what? What did you ask him?!"
The woman giggled giddily and grinned at Ray. She was up to something. "Well if I could come with you, of course."
The young girl's eyes widen. "I don't think so, lady!"
"It's not your decision, it's D's!"
"Well I'm speaking for him! You can't come with us, we're going to Me-hi- co!"
"Mexico?" The woman looked at D confused.
"Please…" D spoke softly. They both stopped and looked at him. If anything, he was the one to pity. He was the one listening to them argue. The Hunter would never raise his voice to a woman. All it took him was a whisper and people usually stopped frozen and listened to what he had to say.
"Lady Naomi, I'm thankful, but my role was to carry out her grandmothers wish and deliver her safely to her family. It's too dangerous with one extra person as it is. After Ray is with her family, I continue south."
That made sense. Naomi understood where he was coming from and Araydia had never heard him speak that many words.
So it was decided. Naomi remained silent with a straight face to recollect her dignity and Ray gave her a sly smirk.
_______________________________
By late morning, D and Ray were off again. The cyborg horse trotting across the countryside. It was an awfully hot morning. The man was starting to feel just a hint of dizziness from the suns beating rays.
"So how'd ya like how I told that lady off?" A hint of amusement lingered in the girl's words.
D said nothing.
The girl sighed. "Just promise me we won't be staying at another ladies house again?" She had to call to through the wind. The girl couldn't control her voice from wavering from the horse's movements and her hair blowing wildly in the wind. Some of the strands getting caught in her mouth.
D made no acknowledgment of her words.
"D, are you mad at me?"
Not a word.
"Well I don't care if you are! I don't need to put up with some lady I don't know just because of her male interests!"
He finally spoke up after a while. "Fine Ray. I promise we won't stay at another ladies house."