Chapter Seven: Where Do We Go From Here?

Riddick decided to have a shower, to clean off the filth from the previous planet he'd never dare call home. He rubbed his eyes as he walked, knowing every inch of the small ship by now. He was stopped mid step by the sound of running water coming from behind the closed bathroom door. Looking up, he raised an eyebrow at the unexpected sound. Stepping back he glanced into the room that his guest was once in to find that there was only a slight imprint of her left on the bed. Looking back to the bathroom door he stepping towards it, leaning his forehead on it as he listened to the quiet melody that drifted threw the door to him.

"O môr henion i dhû:
Ely siriar, êl síla.
Ai! Aníron Un
dómiel.

Tiro! Él eria e môr.
I 'lîr en êl luitha 'úren.
Ai! Aníron...
"

He closed his eyes as he listened, not understanding the words but enjoying the melody she created. The door creaked faintly as it moved slightly from the weight of his head leaning on it. The singing stopped instantly.

"Bogeyman?"

Riddick blinked a few times, snapping out of the little trance that the song had put him under.

"The name's Riddick."

The shower stopped running and the sound of wet feet padding out onto the metal floor caused him to step back from the door and wait for it to open. After a moment the door opened and a wet head poked out.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. Well, I thought…"

Her voice trailed off she realised that he didn't seem to look like he cared about her having a shower.

"Err… I'm River, River Cobb."

She offered her hand out. Riddick glanced down at it then took it firmly and shook it.

"Richard B. Riddick."

River smiled broadly then retracted her head back into the bathroom. After a few seconds the door swung open and she walked out wrapped in a towel, her clothes wrapped up in a bundle under her arm. Riddick watched her as she passed him and went back into the bedroom. Shaking his head and sighing, he walked into the bathroom and set the shower running again.

River sat on the bed once she had finished dressing into some woman's clothes she found in a tiny wardrobe she found tucked into the corner of the room. It was a strappy dark blue dress that came just above her knees, it had a little shoulder jacket of the same colour to go with it, sleeves just a bit longer than her arms. She sat twiddling with the ends of the sleeves in her fingers, wincing occasionally from a twinge in her newly located wrist. Looking around, she noticed a piece of rag hanging out of a drawer next to the bed so she pulled it out and started to bandage her wrist with it.

Riddick stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. After turning the shower off he looked in the mirror above the sink and rubbed his chin. It as smooth from the shave he had while in the shower, he then ran a hand over his freshly shaved head and leant on the sink thinking. After a while he looked over at the door. He snatched up his goggles as he opened the door and walked out, still towel wrapped around his waist loosely. Padding across the metal floor quietly he paused in the doorway to the bedroom and watched River as she wrapped her wrist with a support bandage. He pulled the goggles over his head and covered his eyes just before she lifted her head and looked over at him. Smiling, she stood up and twirled, looking down at her newly acquired dress proudly. Riddick looked at it curiously, wondering where she pulled it from. She stopped twirling and smiling when she noticed the expression on his face.

"I found it in that old wardrobe. Hope you don't mind. I can put it back if you-"

"No. It's fine."

She smiled again then sat back down on the bed and looked round, sucking at the bottom lip in a bored fashion. Riddick waited for a moment before walking into the room and pulled a drawer that he'd reserved for his clothes and pulled what he was going to get dress into out and lay it on the bed behind. She glanced round that realised what he was doing.

"Oh. Sorry."

With that she wondered out of the room quickly and started to investigate her new surroundings.

Riddick tightened the laces on his boots then looked back to the control board, checking over the ship's vitals and what planets were nearby that might be worth stopping for a spell. His hands glided over switches and buttons effortlessly as he continued to look at the scanner, trying to decide on a destination. He hardly noticed when River silently stepped her bare feet into the cockpit, looking all over at the many different switches. River looked at the pilot as she walked over to it, leaning over beside the chair she looked at all the various buttons, gauges and the vitals' screen. Riddick glanced at her then stood up out of the chair, causing her to stand up straight. She smiled, her auburn hair still slightly wet. Riddick spread his arms across between the two chairs, leaning on the head rests'.

"You're a temporary guest on my ship."

The smile fell from her face to the harsh tone in his deep voice. She frowned and her eyes sharpened, fixing on his eyes behind the goggles. Her entire persona seemed to turn ice cold and venomous. She spat her words in a cutting tone.

"You chose to pick me up. You chose to bring me on your ship. You made me your fucking temporary guest."

River turned to walk out of the cockpit and away from Riddick only to find a vice grip on her arm as he clamped onto her with his strong hand. With a slight tug she was yanked back into the room and spun round to find herself nose to nose with the goggle-less Riddick. Her frown melted away instantly and her eyes went wide, her mouth barely keeping shut as she found she was staring into a pair of silver pools that seemed to stretch into the blackest and furthest parts of eternity. Her bottom lip shivered vaguely as she wanted to say and ask a thousand things but forgot her voice.