****************************************************************************
****************
A raptor squeal greeted the two men as they woke in unison, groaning at the uncomfortable positions they had spent the night in. "Bloody hell, I need a stiff drink," Roxton swore aloud, his head pounding, temples throbbing. Challenger woke with a groan as well, rubbing his now stiff neck with a vengeance. Without turning to look, Roxton began to speak, "Is her Highness awake?"
"Not only is she awake…she's gone," Challenger said, disbelief in his voice. "I wonder why I have this headache…could be the acidity of the soil is sending electro waves to…"
"Challenger, I can really care less. She's gone," Roxton snapped, pulling on his rifle and jacket. Challenger suddenly threw something at the other man.
"Maybe she got sick of you finally," he retorted with an acidic voice. Roxton looked at him incredulously. Challenger shook his head in a rapid motion. "What on earth…my pistol's missing," he commented as if nothing had happened.
"Look." The sudden sharpness to Roxton's voice made challenger look about and he saw foot print of a female boot. "She went back to the forest. Damn." Challenger quickly fell in step next to the younger man, feeling a drive to compete with him. They kept trading places as they began to reach the edge of the plains, following the foot tracks. Screeches amassed the air, and then suddenly went silent as if felled by the swoop of an axe.
"Odd," Challenger commented. Roxton looked over at him. "There must be something acidic in the soil we just passed through. The forest seemed to be steady, yet nothing but a dead tree grows in that area." Roxton shrugged.
"Could be anything, desertification, a grave yard…anything really." Challenger gave a nod to Roxton's thoughts, but seethed. Did the other think he was smarter than him; that he hadn't thought of that? Oh, he was tempting him to shoot him then and there.
Roxton did not remain oblivious to the older man's tension and external anger, but refused to comment on it, kneeling to inspect the footprints. Suddenly, a sharp scent was brought to him. Baffled by this, he took a hesitant sniff, and it came again. Marguerite's scent, his brain told him. He gave a puzzled look, unable to comprehend how he could tell. The tracks were hours old, and led into the denser vegetation. Suddenly, his whole body began to react, his blood boiling inside him. She had been here; the wind whispered it to him through his scent. Challenger was looking about like a damnable fool, inspecting the bent and snapped brush to the side. Silly old man, did he really think he could find her? When she belonged to him? Oh God what was he thinking?
"There's some more tracks over here," Challenger called out from the side, stepping to the side as Roxton came over to inspect. He seemed to be scenting the area.
"No, she went the other way. She's trying to get us to go that way," he answered almost to himself. Half inspecting Challenger to back down, he turned away his eyes, looking at the light footprints. The sudden sound of Challenger's fist connecting with Roxton's jaw cracked into the air with a fury, and the darker haired man stumbled back. Challenger was glaring at him
"Do you think I'm stupid? Who is the leader here, young one?" Challenger demanded, rage in his light coloured eyes. Roxton began to reason with him until he felt something boiling inside of him.
"You're too old to be of any use! If it wasn't for their pity of you, I would have killed you off long ago!" Roxton answered, his voice deadly. Challenger gave an incoherent shout of anger, and Roxton felt something that suspiciously sounded like a growl rise in his throat. He braced himself as Challenger threw himself at him, his fist connecting with Challenger's jaw brutally. The man bellowed and kicked out at Roxton's knees, which the younger man avoided and made a swift move of his elbow to the older man's solar plexus. Challenger fell hard, breath gone as Roxton drew his knife. He stopped any further assault, staring at the knife as if it was a new toy. "No," he whispered hoarsely, putting the knife in his back pouch. The scent came again to him and he sprint off to the one path, leaving Challenger alone.
**************************************************************************** ****************
Challenger groaned, his mind hazy as he struggled to gain his breath again. He rose with a struggle, his jaw and head aching in unison, the throbbing burning into him. He began to work his jaw from side to side, the pain of the blows evident. It was then that he felt the structure of his jaw. It felt more flexible, and as he opened his mouth, he found he could stretch it further than before. He lifted his hand to his mouth in wonder, suddenly feeling a sharp edge to his canines that pierced the flesh of his fingers.
"What on earth…" he began before hearing a raptor screech and he quickly jogged out of the clearing.
**************************************************************************** ****************
Roxton was traveling fast, very fast. Not fast enough, Marguerite thought with a grin unlike her. Her eyes followed him as he passed underneath the tree she had climbed, her hands gripping the branch lightly, as if there was no fear of her falling. Her eyes had sharpened to an extraordinary blue shade, and she could see the features of his face even from her vantage point 30 feet up, her hair floating around her head loosely. He stopped, and she watched with interest, as he appeared to scent her. Scent her? Now, that was amusing to see the legendary hunter and tracker do. She lay out full on the branch to stare at him with interest that matched that of a wolf with a deer. She tapped the branch lightly, and he looked around sharply, ceasing any noise from her. He moved on, his steps audible to her until he left the small area. Marguerite slowly stood up and without thought began to shimmy down the tree, her nails dragging lightly into the bark and supporting her. She reached the bottom with a sigh of relief and looked down at her nails curiously. Ordinarily, her nails would have ripped out with the harshness of the bark of the tree, not remain relatively unsoiled and strong as they looked now. *This is a curse? * She thought with a grin, turning around, a laugh on her lips.
She was shoved back into the tree with a harsh sound and she stared at the man with shock. "What are you doing?" she demanded.
**************************************************************************** *************
*Damn that woman! * Roxton raged internally, following her tracks to where they circled back to the clearing. He wanted to…what? Roar? Howl? He didn't know. All he knew that he wanted to find her, and he could sense that she was close. He paused at the small creek he had passed, and bent to scoop up some water to drink, but lurched back in shock. His breath began to come in heavy pants as he looked at his reflection. *No, not again * he thought, reminded of his time as a vampire fledgling, but then paused. His eyes were a startling blue colour, brighter than his own normal shade and he ran his hand over the sharp textures of his teeth. He tried to reason with himself, but couldn't help but look. He was changing into something, and that something was what Marguerite was fleeing from.
Groaning out loud, he laid back, his hat tucked over his eyes as he struggled to think about what was happening. It was then he heard whispers of movement in the ground, like heavy footsteps falling on hollow metal floors. Two scents reached him; one of the woman he searched for…and the other. A tight growl burned into his throat and he stood angrily, darting off
A raptor squeal greeted the two men as they woke in unison, groaning at the uncomfortable positions they had spent the night in. "Bloody hell, I need a stiff drink," Roxton swore aloud, his head pounding, temples throbbing. Challenger woke with a groan as well, rubbing his now stiff neck with a vengeance. Without turning to look, Roxton began to speak, "Is her Highness awake?"
"Not only is she awake…she's gone," Challenger said, disbelief in his voice. "I wonder why I have this headache…could be the acidity of the soil is sending electro waves to…"
"Challenger, I can really care less. She's gone," Roxton snapped, pulling on his rifle and jacket. Challenger suddenly threw something at the other man.
"Maybe she got sick of you finally," he retorted with an acidic voice. Roxton looked at him incredulously. Challenger shook his head in a rapid motion. "What on earth…my pistol's missing," he commented as if nothing had happened.
"Look." The sudden sharpness to Roxton's voice made challenger look about and he saw foot print of a female boot. "She went back to the forest. Damn." Challenger quickly fell in step next to the younger man, feeling a drive to compete with him. They kept trading places as they began to reach the edge of the plains, following the foot tracks. Screeches amassed the air, and then suddenly went silent as if felled by the swoop of an axe.
"Odd," Challenger commented. Roxton looked over at him. "There must be something acidic in the soil we just passed through. The forest seemed to be steady, yet nothing but a dead tree grows in that area." Roxton shrugged.
"Could be anything, desertification, a grave yard…anything really." Challenger gave a nod to Roxton's thoughts, but seethed. Did the other think he was smarter than him; that he hadn't thought of that? Oh, he was tempting him to shoot him then and there.
Roxton did not remain oblivious to the older man's tension and external anger, but refused to comment on it, kneeling to inspect the footprints. Suddenly, a sharp scent was brought to him. Baffled by this, he took a hesitant sniff, and it came again. Marguerite's scent, his brain told him. He gave a puzzled look, unable to comprehend how he could tell. The tracks were hours old, and led into the denser vegetation. Suddenly, his whole body began to react, his blood boiling inside him. She had been here; the wind whispered it to him through his scent. Challenger was looking about like a damnable fool, inspecting the bent and snapped brush to the side. Silly old man, did he really think he could find her? When she belonged to him? Oh God what was he thinking?
"There's some more tracks over here," Challenger called out from the side, stepping to the side as Roxton came over to inspect. He seemed to be scenting the area.
"No, she went the other way. She's trying to get us to go that way," he answered almost to himself. Half inspecting Challenger to back down, he turned away his eyes, looking at the light footprints. The sudden sound of Challenger's fist connecting with Roxton's jaw cracked into the air with a fury, and the darker haired man stumbled back. Challenger was glaring at him
"Do you think I'm stupid? Who is the leader here, young one?" Challenger demanded, rage in his light coloured eyes. Roxton began to reason with him until he felt something boiling inside of him.
"You're too old to be of any use! If it wasn't for their pity of you, I would have killed you off long ago!" Roxton answered, his voice deadly. Challenger gave an incoherent shout of anger, and Roxton felt something that suspiciously sounded like a growl rise in his throat. He braced himself as Challenger threw himself at him, his fist connecting with Challenger's jaw brutally. The man bellowed and kicked out at Roxton's knees, which the younger man avoided and made a swift move of his elbow to the older man's solar plexus. Challenger fell hard, breath gone as Roxton drew his knife. He stopped any further assault, staring at the knife as if it was a new toy. "No," he whispered hoarsely, putting the knife in his back pouch. The scent came again to him and he sprint off to the one path, leaving Challenger alone.
**************************************************************************** ****************
Challenger groaned, his mind hazy as he struggled to gain his breath again. He rose with a struggle, his jaw and head aching in unison, the throbbing burning into him. He began to work his jaw from side to side, the pain of the blows evident. It was then that he felt the structure of his jaw. It felt more flexible, and as he opened his mouth, he found he could stretch it further than before. He lifted his hand to his mouth in wonder, suddenly feeling a sharp edge to his canines that pierced the flesh of his fingers.
"What on earth…" he began before hearing a raptor screech and he quickly jogged out of the clearing.
**************************************************************************** ****************
Roxton was traveling fast, very fast. Not fast enough, Marguerite thought with a grin unlike her. Her eyes followed him as he passed underneath the tree she had climbed, her hands gripping the branch lightly, as if there was no fear of her falling. Her eyes had sharpened to an extraordinary blue shade, and she could see the features of his face even from her vantage point 30 feet up, her hair floating around her head loosely. He stopped, and she watched with interest, as he appeared to scent her. Scent her? Now, that was amusing to see the legendary hunter and tracker do. She lay out full on the branch to stare at him with interest that matched that of a wolf with a deer. She tapped the branch lightly, and he looked around sharply, ceasing any noise from her. He moved on, his steps audible to her until he left the small area. Marguerite slowly stood up and without thought began to shimmy down the tree, her nails dragging lightly into the bark and supporting her. She reached the bottom with a sigh of relief and looked down at her nails curiously. Ordinarily, her nails would have ripped out with the harshness of the bark of the tree, not remain relatively unsoiled and strong as they looked now. *This is a curse? * She thought with a grin, turning around, a laugh on her lips.
She was shoved back into the tree with a harsh sound and she stared at the man with shock. "What are you doing?" she demanded.
**************************************************************************** *************
*Damn that woman! * Roxton raged internally, following her tracks to where they circled back to the clearing. He wanted to…what? Roar? Howl? He didn't know. All he knew that he wanted to find her, and he could sense that she was close. He paused at the small creek he had passed, and bent to scoop up some water to drink, but lurched back in shock. His breath began to come in heavy pants as he looked at his reflection. *No, not again * he thought, reminded of his time as a vampire fledgling, but then paused. His eyes were a startling blue colour, brighter than his own normal shade and he ran his hand over the sharp textures of his teeth. He tried to reason with himself, but couldn't help but look. He was changing into something, and that something was what Marguerite was fleeing from.
Groaning out loud, he laid back, his hat tucked over his eyes as he struggled to think about what was happening. It was then he heard whispers of movement in the ground, like heavy footsteps falling on hollow metal floors. Two scents reached him; one of the woman he searched for…and the other. A tight growl burned into his throat and he stood angrily, darting off