Chained
Part Eleven
by Kimra
- - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - -
The crickets where talking, high voices that reverberated through the air and stole away the silence. There where frogs as well, down by the river and they revelled in the humid air hidden amongst the thick fog.
She moved slowly, silently, like a hunter stalking it's prey although there was no prey here. She could smell the humans, familiar scents, one's she had lived with over the last few days, ones she had begun to appreciate. Her fingers where stinging, her head hurt worse and she knew she had been rash.
She took a silent breath and shifted her weight moving amongst the sleeping figures with a natural ease. This is why they weren't animals, she realised as she made her way deeper into the camp ground. An animal would be awake by now, an animal sentry would have smelt her presence long before she had gotten there. Oh she had come in from up wind and had kept to the slowly diminishing shadows but no animal would have gone so long without noticing her. Usually now the herd would break, start running and wouldn't stop until it was safe or one of them was dead and the hunter had been appeased.
One of the humans murmured something to the other one still awake and they feel back into their silence. The crickets never dimmed, the frogs never paused and still they knew where she was. She sneered at these humans, these humans so below her but strangely above as well.
She was fighting instincts here, she should have been gone, long gone. Looking for the pack, looking for her kindred who would always look after her. These 'human' creatures where too confusing, animals where much easier to understand. But she was here anyway, she was sneaking through their guard with ease and grace and she was looking for Him. His scent lingered in the air, moving with the shifts in the wind but she compensated for that. Of course he was in the middle of it all, in one of the white buildings she hadn't yet understood the purpose of. Of course he had made himself the hardest creature to approach when he was the only one she wanted to be near.
She pushed on though, curious, upset and terrified. She had struck him, she wasn't even aware of what she'd done until the need to breath had made her stop and then for one horrible moment she realised she had attacked. It sent shudders down her spine that she had done so automatically, without warning, but it also made her proud in a way. She was after all a hunter, she had the right to attack when threatened. That she couldn't think now, in what way he had threatened her meant nothing. She had felt threatened and that was what had been important.
A human asleep on the ground near her stirred, a sharp breath being drawn in and she froze only long enough to be sure she didn't have to run, to be sure he was still asleep. She pushed on a little faster, dropping some stealth for movement.
She would just see if he was okay, maybe see if he was angry. She wouldn't stay much longer then that, even though she wanted to. She was just making sure she hadn't damaged Him and he would be fine.
She slipped into his temporary domain silently, letting her eyes adjust to the filtered moon light that shifted through the room. It was a little darker in here then beyond the white cloth walls but she could still see. He was asleep, she could hear it in the way he was breathing, the soft motionless actions of his body. He was in a deep sleep, without dreams and was silent. She had noticed that though, he slept without dreams beyond a walled room and she wondered if he was on guard out here in the wild, keeping his demons at bay from prying eyes. She had seen them though, his demons, and that made her oddly proud.
She crept silently to the cot that was his bed. Her breathing slower, harder to hear even in her ears, though her heart beat seemed to thunder beyond control. She was careful when she raised herself to eye level with him, bitting into her lower lip as she searched his sleeping face in the dark.
She leaned over him, her right knee on the cot beside his chest as she looked down at his face. He was asleep, peaceful. His black hair loose behind his head, his dark eyes hidden beneath closed lash's. Gently, trying not to wake him or inform him of her presence she ran her finger along the cheek that should have been damaged. She had hurt enough people in her life to understand what marks where expected, but here, on him, there where none.
She released her breath slowly, looking down on him with a sense of relief. She hadn't hurt him, or he was better, it didn't matter which. And it was time to leave.
She made it to the door before she was interrupted by a deep male voice.
Why are you leaving Kit?
She turned to the voice slowly, not startled, but curious by the clarity of the words in her mind. A badger stood, not too far from her human watching her with intelligent eyes.
She bit into her upper lip with a little frown. She didn't belong, she knew that. She didn't deserve to belong with this man
You should not leave, Kit. This IS where you belong. The badger's voice sounded, tints of pity and soothing calm caressing her mind.
She needed to go though. She wasn't one of them, she wasn't human like them.
You are human. The badgers voice echoed still soothing, but would broke no argument.
Her breathing started to come out deeper and harsher. She wasn't talking, she knew that, she vaguely remembered talking, but he knew what she was thinking. She wanted to know what he was, what he was doing before her.
I'm here to help you Kit. I would have come sooner but… She wasn't sure if he looked more embarrassed or annoyed. Well let us just say you where not yourself and therefore I could not find you.
Light started to slink into the tent and she knew dawn had come to the skies already. Rational told her to ignore the badger and leave but as her muscles tensed so too did it's.
You can not leave. He ordered, the kind tone replaced with demand. You need these people, almost as much as they need you.
She refuted angrily, her mind flaring out at this creature that felt he could order her about. She did not need them, and most certainly they did not need her.
You are wrong Kit. They can help you. There was a pause and then grudgingly the badger continued. He can help you. The creatures large head swung in the direction of the slumbering human and unable to stop herself she turned her own head to look at her human. He was still asleep, untroubled by the exchange that was happening at his bed side, Badger and girl facing off.
She wanted to believe the badger too. Wanted to stay in the room, and stay with this man but she wasn't like them, she was too wild, too dangerous. She would hurt him, she knew it, just like she had hurt everyone else. And he would turn on her, just like they had all turned on her.
There are no hunters here. The badger's voice interrupted her, grave honesty in his voice and she paused to stare at it. The thought of no hunters, the simple concept made her want to cry because the emotions it brought into her where overwhelming. She fought all that though, staring into this strange creatures eyes. You must trust me Veraladaine, you will be safe here.
She wanted to be as well. Every part of her wanted to belong here, with these people who had shown her such strange kindness. With this man who was her sanctuary. She wouldn't harm him again, she wouldn't let herself, but she knew what she was capable off, she could kill like any other hunter. But she wanted to stay so much she was shaking, trembling and before she had even made up her mind a flash of silver scorched her eyes and she was in the tent, alone with the human.
Tentatively she moved across the room to the human, letting hope fill her and letting a stranger's words keep her fixed. She had needed it all too much.
- - - - - - - - - -
Numair woke slowly, his mind protesting the hour although already people around the tent where moving, preparing for the day. He let out a noise of annoyance and noted that he should really stop travelling with Alanna. By himself he would cover the same distance, but at least he would get a little more sleep. As it was he didn't want the tent taken down around his ears again.
It was when he went to stretch his arms above his head that he became aware of a discrepancy in the situation, he could not move his arm… because someone was lying on it.
His thoughts jumped to the many times this had happened before. Living in the palace and being a wealthy attractive male had it's advantages after all and he had no problems with appreciating those advantages. Though his bedraggled mind was trying to overcome it's confusion. Usually when he was in the middle of an army camp in the middle of nowhere he didn't wake with a woman in his arms.
A second attempt to move his arm proved he wasn't imagining anything, and when his movement prompted movement on his companions part he was most certainly sure he wasn't delusional. Interestingly the woman, instead of waking, made herself more comfortable against him, but he was waking up so he didn't spend too long considering the interesting things he could do with the woman beside him, instead he wondered where the hell a woman had come from. Alanna, for all her interesting habits wasn't about to creep into his tent and take up residence in his arms, which he was thankful for, George would kill him, and it would be a shame to ruin a good friendship with something as meaningless as sex.
The more he woke, the more confused he became, but he was fighting that increasingly irresistible urge to shift himself so he could get a look at who ever it was. Really he didn't like waking up, and he didn't think anything was wrong with enjoying the company when it was so obviously there.
She shifted against him, slim fingers curling around his muscled abdomen and an amused smile came to his lips, he was certainly waking up now. The woman made a noise that seemed like a protest to waking, half animal in a way, but distinguishable as well.
Abruptly his mind woke up and he bolted upright in shocked realisation. He cursed sharply to himself, not aloud, scared he'd wake the still slumbering girl.
He was breathing hard, forcing any of the images that had been swirling in his subconscious out of his mind. His heart was pounding in his chest with an excited fear that made him hate himself. But desperately he was trying to regain control of his body. The Cat made a noise, another soft indistinguishable sound that took his mind to places he wished it wouldn't go.
Abruptly he stood, removing himself from her presence, scared of what he was doing, what he was thinking, and what he had been thinking. He grabbed his clothes from the floor, and changed as quickly as his shaking limbs would allow, his back to the girl in case she woke. Then as quickly as he could he left the tent, searching out any distraction that would present itself.
- - - - - - - - - -
She edged around people with wide arch's, keeping her attention on what they where doing with an alacrity that rivalled her normal state. She didn't trust them, not any of them, but she wanted to find Him, wanted to find where he had gone. She didn't want him to be angry, not with her, not when she had stayed just for him so she needed to find him.
She found him with the woman, the real one, not the broken one's who only smelt like fear when she was near them. This one with violet eyes and fire touched hair. He glanced at her on her approach and then his eyes jumped away fixing instead on the other woman.
A pang went though her gut, usually he would make eye contact, but he seemed to avoid it this time. She had hurt him and he was angry. She stopped her movement, reconsidering her return. She should never have tried to be part of this man's life, she was just deluding herself.
The woman jabbed Him with her elbow and he smiled lightly turning to face her, a guarded expression in his eyes. Not sure what to make of it Cat remained where she was.
"Come on Cat. We're moving out." He told her and she understood more from the hand motion then the words what he was saying. She came to his side with relief, glad she had not broken whatever existed between them. The woman made a noise, said something in a muffled voice before she made her way back into the slowly fading camp sight. He motioned her over to his horse, not the cart and she felt relief swamp her. It would be okay. He was okay. And that was all she cared about.
- - - - - - - - - -
Numair kept his hands and mind as distracted as he could throughout the days ride.
He refused to allow himself to think, refused to allow the thoughts that had intruded his half asleep mind from returning. He was disgusted with himself, hated himself for allowing it to enter his mind, and that it wouldn't leave, no matter what he did to try and get rid of it. That he could think anything like that about a girl who was by far younger then him was disturbing. That he would allow himself to think anything of the sort about a girl who had been through the kind of abuse she had been made him feel like he was betraying that damnable trust she seemed to have placed in him.
It didn't help, of course, that the women rescued from the brothel had been too exhausted from the previous day to travel in any way but as passengers in the cart which left Cat in his care again. It wouldn't have been a problem, he knew, if she hadn't snuck into his bed the night before, but now his mind was aware of the idea it simply refused to fade and he could barely ignore that his day was being spent sitting in the saddle behind her.
Of course in her innocent belief in him she showed none of the physical timidity that most females would in such a circumstance and instead of being weary she had curled herself against his body falling almost immediately into a silent sleep. And all combined left him with little choice but to take the berating his conscience was giving him and try his best to ignore exactly what his body and mind where trying to betray to him.
So he tried for distraction. He tried to consider the benefit's of her return. Most obviously he didn't have to go looking for her, followed very closely by the knowledge that she wanted to be there, she was trying to reach beyond herself to them. He considered it a sign that she was still reachable but he refused to use magic again. After that first attempt he would have to be a fool to try such a thing again.
But he wanted her to be used to his magic, maybe ween her into the feel of magic near her. It was possible with a little coaxing he could try again and maybe even succeed. That idea still sat with trepidation in his mind, but it had to be attempted, she deserved the right to chose and she simply couldn't do it in her current state so if he freed her and she was broken, maybe he would just let her go again.
He shook his head, not quite sure what he was thinking and noticed the party coming to a halt a little down the track. As if responding the girl in his arm's moved and automatically he whispered something soothing to her then bit his tongue wishing it hadn't been so automatic.
He shifted his horse past the soldiers waiting for their next commands coming up besides Alanna.
"Hmm?" He enquired rather absently, his eyes searching for the reason for the halt as much as his ear's waiting for the explanation. The Cat moved again, a soft ignorable sound escaping her lips.
Alanna let out a rough sigh.
"We can ride on in-" she motioned her head to the thicket before them "-and keep riding in the dark, or we can take it tomorrow in the light."
"Personally I'd rather we go now." Numair told her and he saw a few heads agree with him and a few faces show completely horrified shock. He wondered if Alanna was there why it wasn't the pride of the King's army since surely they would show a little more common sense.
"Once it's dark who knows what's going to be in there." She replied. It wasn't the first time this kind of discussion had come up between them and the result, he knew, would once more land on their gut feelings. There was no real way to judge the situation after all, the thicker parts of the forest's on this side of Tortall often held no places safe to stop while travelling through them, because often there was no way to make anything safe within them. Especially recently.
"If we camp we alert anyone or thing in there of our presence and then it wont matter if it's day or night, they'll attack anyway."
She nodded a little thoughtful still, a look of concern on her features though he could only read it because he knew her so well.
"But it's your post, it's your call." He reminded her, and he would stand by it, he would follow her decision in this circumstance.
"No." She shook her head a smile on her lips. "Your right." She nodded as if forcing the decision in. "Okay everybody!" She called her voice carrying with ease to all the soldiers behind her. "We're going to go quick and quiet, and we wont be stopping until we're through. Take a short break now, rest your mounts and do whatever needs doing. I don't want any delays."
And that was all she needed to say as the entire group began to move, dividing across the small clearing and taking a chance to prepare themselves for what they had all done a hundred times before.
Numair went to dismount when he realised he was being clung to. Surprised he looked at the girl in his arms and saw her fists had taken a hold on his white shirt. He frowned at that fighting the smile that wanted to take control. He had thought she was awake, but quite obviously she wasn't.
She made another noise as he carefully pried her fingers from his shirt and abruptly she woke.
Her eyes where alert, blue-grey shifting about them as if ready for an attack, but there was something off about them non-the-less. He couldn't place it and was far too distracted by the fact that he could now dismount and put some distance between them to pay much attention to it.
She followed him off the horse, her hand sliding a caress down the animals neck before she parted ways with it completely.
"Alanna." He called softly, just like the rest of them, keeping his noise down. She looked up from her resting place on the ground. "Look after the Cat for a few minutes." He asked politely and motioned his head to the girl following him.
Alanna looked to the girl with a raised brow. "You know…" She began thoughtful "…she probably has a name."
He gave a laugh. "You find it out and I'll start calling her by it." He admittedly was feeling a little bitter at the moment and it didn't help when he heard Alanna make a call to the girl who was obviously still following him. He assumed after a moment that Alanna had managed to get her to stay and he continued into the tree's until the camp was out of sight but still within hearing, then sat down to let himself relax for the first time that day. After all it wasn't anyone's fault but his own and it wasn't right for him to take it out on anyone else.
- - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - -
Don't forget to Review! Please!