Chapter 8
Disclaimer: MINE! ALL MINE!!! INot./I
Warning: This is going ta' probably be MEGA-SHORT! Sorry, At least its fast. Maybe when I get too many short ones, I'll put them together for a mega-chapter. What you think?
Thanks to my fast reviewers! (sorry if I don't mention a review, I tried to get the next chapter up fast as possible.
The pretender 1031: I know, I love Jager's character in ITFOTN, but I do find my self drifting towards that train of thoughts about him sometimes! Yes, I was wondering how to spell nochalantness, which is not even a word, but you guys catch my drift! Yes, more from Aubrey, but I have to get everything else rolling first.
Midnight Scribbler: I love your compliments! Thank you! Amazon has it for 17.99 or something like that, you REALLY need to buy it! It rocks!! P.S where do you find such great quotes?? Must know!!
Arden Kaylien: I must hurt Aubrey, for the story to progress. But I do admit it hurts me to hurt him!Poor Aubrey!!
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Risika basks in Jager's company. So no wonder she could not sense Aubrey's presence anymore. As soon as he returns, they would definitely have words. She is having a bad emotion day. Everything probably shows on her face.
Paying the waitress, she gets up from her chair. In a wild dash of daring, she saunters around the table to his chair, not caring that his chair faced the door, and that she would have to make a full circle of the table again to get to the door. Dipping down, she brushes a kiss across his cheek.
She strays towards the door, careful not to look back at Jager to see his reaction. and lets it swing behind her. She waits until she is out of the door before gasping. How dare she do something so forward!
If anyone wished to challenge Jager soon, and was in that club, she could be his downfall. Seeing her as a possible weak spot, they may capture her.
Anyone strong enough to fool around and challenge Jager must be stronger than Jager, therefore much stronger than her. She and Jager were about the same in power, so anyone stronger than Jager could surely be stronger than her, so she was also risking Jager as her soft spot.
With a jolt, she remembers the letter, more of a poem, actually. The Challenge. She leaps into the air, going falcon. Speed is needed, now. She wings it to her forest. Diving towards the ground in a dangerous curve, she returns to her human form a few feet off the ground.
She must find him, or her she thinks with a cold laugh.
She Hunts
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He feels the kiss brush across his cheek, and he straightens in his chair. He watches her walk towards the door. Fire races through his veins. He lifts fingers up to his face, where her cool lips had touched his skin, and where her fingers had touched his hair. That, was it.
He needs to be alone. He pays for his drink, and leaves the building. Out in the street, he reappears again in that quiet forests he had stumbled across accidentally, he found himself growing more and more fond of this place.
He walks among the peaceful trees, with their leafy whisperings, and the creek beside the path tumbles among the smooth stones of the creek bed. The trees and peaceful feeling seems marred by unrest, in the place where he is currently walking.
This is the place he had found the girl. Which makes him think of Risika. He shakes the thought from his head. He needs to keep his head clear. There was anger here. He walks in the center of the path, aware of the trees around him. He does not want to be attacked here, he could never find the anger to fight today.
" AAAAAIIIIIHHHHHEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The alarmed, angry, scream causes him to look up. Risika flies from the trees at him, leaping onto his back, pressing a knife against his throat. It is an effort to hold them both up for more than a second.
He tosses her from his back, onto the ground, keeping a tight hold on her wrist. He pries the knife from her hand, but she pulls him off balance, and to his surprise, onto her. He keeps the knife out of her reach, but holds her down. She looks shocked, and angry, to see him.
"What are you doing?" He yells at her, frustrated at her being there, frustrated at her able to attack him without him knowing, and at her attacking him at all. "Why are you following me! And WHY did you attack me,?"
Her eyes widen in surprise. She climbs out from under him, wrestles the knife back from his hand, and sticks it back at her belt.
"Well! I could ask what you were doing here too!!" She shrieks at him indignantly. She pushes her face close to his, her black eyes sparkling with rage. "HUH?
"Is a man not allowed to walk when he wishes??" He questions her, his anger also showing. "This land does not belong to anyone!"
Her eyes widen once again with surprise. "You, You are not here to challenge me for my wood??" She backs away, not understanding.
He laughs, and buries his face in one large hand. "No!" What was this all about? He walks towards her, wanting an explanation. He looks around. "I didn't even know this belonged to anyone. Wow. Your lucky."
She laughs with pleasure. "Yes, this is my forest. I'm quite proud of it actually. And that's why I attacked you. I got a letter a few days ago. Look." She shoves a pretty old, pretty fancy looking piece of parchment to him.
Forests of Beauty,
Darkness of Night,
Heaven's Own Grove,
Risika's Delight…
He skims down to catch the meaning of the poem.
You Thought it was Yours
But Really it's Mine,
I guess we'll see soon who,
Lady of the Wood,
The forest really belongs to.
So. A challenge. She thought he was the author of the challenge. " You thought I wrote this?" He laughs, understanding. "No, It wasn't me." She blushes, she looks even prettier with her pale cheeks rosier. "Good." She starts to walk away, without even apology. Women. He steps forward hesitantly, "Risika." She looks back over her shoulder. "Yes?" She replies quietly.
He bows gracefully, good enough for Cleopatra, whom he probably had met personally. "May I walk beneath the branches? Tree mistress?" He looks up without moving his head, she was smiling faintly, her razor sharp teeth shining. "You may." And she continues walking.
Feeling he hadn't said enough, he speaks up, walking after her. "Do you wish me to help you? This place is worth protecting." Then, realizing this was perhaps the wrong this to say, he stumbles. "I do not need your help, but thank you." She walks away again, continuing her hunt, the huntress and her prey. Shaking his head, he waits until she is gone, then leaps up into the branches again, like his first time. Silently, he follows.
