Disclaimer: Wolf's Rain doesn't belong to me, but I really want a Kiba plushie... :D
The day had been a long one; not only did we cover more miles by stopping only once, but Tsume had tripped over a jagged stone when we had run though the ruins of a forgotten city. As a result, his left was injured yet he insisted that we continue on. It is nightfall now and Tsume's wound is still fresh from the long journey.
He sits on an isolated cliff, away from the others. Tsume was always alone. "If I don't trust them, then they can't trust me," he had told me, "it's simpler that was." I can't help but wonder if I'm just a pest to him, I'm always behind his tail, always chattering aimlessly to him and though he's told me to leave many times before, I'm always by his side. There's just something about him.
I make my way to that lonely cliff, where Tsume escapes from the three of us. Hige and Kiba are fast asleep under the moon's soft comforting light, exhausted to the bone. Today was more like a test of endurance rather than a journey, but at least now we are just a bit closer to this unknown paradise we search for.
Tsume lies on his back, his face absorbs the moonlight of the night's full moon. I can tell that he is not asleep.
"Ne, Tsume." I nudge at him.
"What?" he spat in his usual manner, I've grown accustomed to his cold distant ways, but underneath it all he has a good heart. Somewhat, at least.
"Does it still hurt?" I asked. My eyes spied on the small puddle of blood slowly forming underneath his wounded thigh. It must have caused him pain all day, yet he somehow managed to run with his, keeping his pace.
"What's it look like? Of course it still hurts, I've torn it open so many times already." Tsume shut his eyes as if to get me to leave.
My bracelets clanged against each other as I crawled closer to Tsume's side; his wound had sand and dust on it, it was unclean and still fresh. I leaned closer towards his injury, unsure of whether of not Tsume would mind if I tended to him but I decided against asking for his permission. Tsume always acts tougher than his has to.
Licking his dirt stained injury, I felt him sit up and push me away with his mighty hands; my back fell onto the dry cracked ground of the cliff.
"What the hell are you doing?" he growled.
"I'm going to clean it." I was about to lick it again when he pushed me away for the second time.
"I can do it myself"
I ignored him and licked his wound again, the bitter taste of dirt was irritation my tongue with its grainy texture. By the time I'm done, I'd have a puddle of mud coated along the walls of my mouth; the amount of dirt and sand in his wound was ridiculous. Tsume protested, pushing me away and growling, but I persisted. Eventually the taste of dust was replaced by the distinct taste of blood and Tsume had succumbed into my nursing.
"Why are you doing this?" Tsume asked. I paused at looked at him; his face was still covered by a mask of isolation. He was a lone leader and I wanted to be his follower.
"Because I want to, you're my friend."