Encounter

The wind shrieked eerily through the treetops, rain and sleet pelting the ground below. Branches waved in frantic sways, the bombarding gusts forcing the usually regal vegetation into demented gyrations in the violent windstorm. Light Yagami cursed as a large, wet leaf smacked him clean in the forehead, sticking there like a leech. This was not what he bargained for when he left. It was the middle of summer! He was convinced – in his delusional misery – that a spiteful Takata was behind the abnormal weather.

He slunk over to a giant beige toadstool, ignoring the annoying squelch of his boots as he walked. It was a relief to finally get under some shelter. The over-sized mushroom did nothing for the wind, but at least he was protected from the rain.

While this wasn't exactly what he had bargained for, he had to admit that it was better than being bored. Light shook the water from his hair, gritting his chattering teeth in exasperation. He walked over, slumped against the spongy stalk and contemplated his next move. It had been a fairly rushed decision, and he had no doubt that there would be search parties out within a day or two. That didn't leave a lot of options; he didn't come this far just to be dragged back and then literally imprisoned—

A distant howl suddenly split the air. Light tensed. It wasn't a full moon, was it? He looked around quickly as the baying soon came accompanied with yelps and snarls. He took a deep breath. No need to panic, there was little chance of them actually appearing… He choked back a squeak as a black and white blur sped past him. He turned to look at it, but it had shot up a tree before he could properly focus. What the...? Twigs and bushes snapped violently behind him. Light spun just in time to see hoards of… things charging out of the underbrush. His mind only registered 'teeth' and 'claws' before he turned and bolted for the nearest tree.

Oh hell – "There is no way my luck is this bad!" Light unconsciously shouted aloud as he smacked into the tree and clawed his way up the scraggly evergreen. He was over halfway up before it finally clicked that the creatures could not follow. He paused suddenly, clinging possessively to a thick branch as his feet dangled hazardously in midair. He slowly tilted his head downward to see a pack of the freakiest hounds he had ever seen. Red eyes, shaggy white fur… they looked like demon hounds from hell. Light flailed ungracefully to get on top of the branch he was hanging from and hugged the trunk to avoid an expected trip to the ground. He closed his eyes for a second, attempting to calm himself, but returned to staring at the predators stalking his tree when it didn't work.

Light stared in bug-eyed silence as the wolf-creatures circled the base of the tree. He was wet, he was miserable, and now he was stuck up a tree with whatever those beasts had been chasing in the first place. Light froze. What had they been chasing? He quickly scanned the branches and nearly fell off when he discovered someone… or thing… crouching not three feet away from him. His skin was ghostly pale, a mane of raven-black hair scruffy and windswept framing his serious visage. Wide obsidian eyes stared unblinkingly at the howling creatures below, not paying the slightest attention to the brunette next to him. Dark circles ringed his eyes as though he had not slept in the past month, made more prominent by the smooth, white marble, chiseled features on his expressionless face. He looked… feral. Wild. As if he had been raised by the very same creatures that had been chasing him.

He was crouched on the narrow branch as easily as though it were flat ground, pale toes curled against the bark to help with balance, his hands resting lightly on knees. A grubby white shirt hung off a slender, possibly skeletal, frame and his baggy pants were wrinkled and torn. Light noticed a long fuzzy black tail peeking out from beneath the hem of the shirt and large, furry, triangular shaped ears that seemed to naturally pair with the mass of unruly hair. He stared in fascination as the cat man brought a thumb absently to his lips to knaw on the tip, obviously considering the situation. Light felt his eyes widen as the… whatever he was, turned an intense gaze his way. Light held his breath, struck with the irrational thought that if he stayed still long enough, the creature wouldn't see him. He knew it was a stupid thought; he could see the intelligence burning in its – or his – eyes. Light felt as though he was being stared right down into his soul. Those dark eyes searching, analyzing, calculating…

"How well do you climb?" Light started at the sound of his voice. He was amazed that the man could speak at all, much less the deep, surprisingly sophisticated tone that issued from between his lips.

"The only reason I'm still up here is because I'd rather not be eaten." Light replied. In other words: any other day he would have fallen off by then. He could have sworn he saw a smirk before the neko returned his attention to the invading wolves. Light watched as he rose slightly and began to creep along the branch, the thick limb bending under his weight as he neared the end. Light tightened his grip around the tree trunk and emphatically shook his head when the older man turned to look at him as though expecting the teenager to follow. The branch twisted and bobbed slightly in the cold wind, but the feline-like man easily shift his weight and tail to compensate for any over-balancing. Light shook his head again, this time in disbelief. What could possess him to believe Light was capable of such a feat?

"What is your name?" He inquired suddenly. Light blinked dumbly at him.

"Light Yagami…" He said, not wanting his intimidation to show. That bold gaze never flickered as Light wondered what on earth this accomplished.

"Well, Light-kun must follow me now if he does not wish to be devoured by canines." Light scowled at him for using such an informal title, but soon forgot about it as the snarling below reached a new peak.

"Are you insane?" Light demanded as a violent gust threatened to tear him from his precarious perch. The only indication that the neko heard the rhetorical question was to tilt his head slightly to the side. Light gritted his teeth. There was no way he was going to trust that maniac with his life.

"Is Light-kun frightened?" Light tensed angrily at the question. Was he frightened? Of course he was frightened! You'd have to be completely out of your mind not to be! But… there was something about the innocently blank expression on the scruffy man's face that made him loath to admit it. Light was convinced that he was being mocked, and he did not like the feeling. Especially when he was almost entirely certain that he was imagining it. His face smoothed into cool indifference.

"Don't be ridiculous." Light scoffed, though couldn't help eying the snarling creatures below. There was definite smirk action coming from the feline that time.

"Then Light-kun will follow me." He stated and began nimbly picking his way through the branches to a second tree standing parallel to theirs. Light felt his face twist in a scowl as the dark-haired man peered back at him curiously. Light gritted his teeth and slowly convinced his arms to detach from the solid tree trunk. He began to edge cautiously forward, chanting the clichéd 'don't look down' over and over as he went. He couldn't understand how the freak could make it look so simple; he almost had a heart attack when his foot slipped. A gust of rain and sleet momentarily blinded him, but somehow, he made it to the other tree. Panting from both the exertion and anxiety, Light turned a glare on the wide-eyed cat man lurking a few feet away.

"What the hell does this accomplish?" He growled. In response, L turned and continued on to the next tree. And the next one. And the next. Light vaguely realized that the creatures were not giving chase, but was too preoccupied to consciously acknowledge it. "And why aren't they following?" He asked during a momentary lapse in climbing.

"Wyverns have poor eyesight." Light rolled his eyes at the man's back, glad that the creep was facing away from him during the brief slip of manners. He was allowed a whole thirty seconds to catch his breath before the older man continued to lead the way through the unconventional pathway.

"Who are you anyway?" Light finally asked when L determined that they had put sufficient distance between themselves and his pursuers and led the way to the ground. Wide, black eyes turned to regard him thoughtfully. Light crossed his arms impatiently as the cat man ran the tip of his thumb over his lower lip as he considered.

"You may call me Ryuuzaki." L informed him.

"Alright," Light briefly debated what title would fit more. 'Sempai' might have worked, but technically the people that title would apply to for him were the air-headed princesses that he so hated. "Ryuuzaki-san," best to just go with something simple. "Why—"

"Just Ryuuzaki," L interrupted him blandly, and noted the irritated glint in the younger man's gaze. "Titles are a waste of breath." And sound strange with a pseudonym. He silently included.

"—Were those things chasing you?" Light finished his inquiry without missing a beat. He watched as Ryuuzaki stuck his hands in the pockets of his oversized jeans and allowed his eyes to drift upward as he organized his thoughts.

Or comes up with a believable lie… Was Light's pessimistic thought of the day. Light straightened slightly as those black orbs slowly came to rest on him once again. The teenager stared fixatedly at the curious individual as he waited for an answer. I mean, lizard-wolf creatures don't go out of their way to hunt down people everyday, right? Pale lips parted minusculely as the furry ears on the top of his head flicked forward in an oblivious manner.

"They must have been hungry."

Light stared. L's tail waved lazily behind him as the younger man tried to process the simplicity of the answer. The only indication that the brunette was having a difficult time acknowledging the announcement was the slight twitch of his upper lip.

"I see." Light murmured, deciding to let it drop for the time being. Another violent gust of wind whipped his hair to obscure his vision as he turned to leave. There was no use in continuing the pointless conversation.

L watched silently as the teenager began to walk away. He was a little curious as to why there was a wilderness incompetent young man wandering around in the woods, but not enough to trouble questioning him about it. His calculating eyes took in the nearly invisible limp as the young man continued on his way: probably caused by that slip while they'd been climbing. L sighed and began to casually follow the brunette.

--

Light walked for a good five minutes until he was certain that the cat man was out of sight, silently cursing the infuriating feline the whole time. He let out a hiss and hobbled over to a convenient log under a thickly leaved tree. Finally giving in to the sharp stab of pain in his right ankle, he slumped down and brushed at the slick bangs sticking to his forehead from the rain. Light ignored the goose bumps rising under his long-sleeved shirt as the wind went right through his soaked clothes, silently berating himself for dropping the bag that had contained all his food and blankets. He still had the first aid kit, but that didn't do him any immediate good.

Light frown out into the downpour. He had to figure out the next step or he would no doubt be caught and dragged back kicking and screaming – figuratively speaking, of course: Light was far to dignified for a tantrum. He rested his chin in his palms and his elbows on his knees as he considered things. Wandering around uselessly was getting him nowhere, and if he continued without a purpose, it would become just as pointless as staying locked up in that tower… Maybe he could take Takata at her word and try tracking down one of her 'associates.' There were possibilities there that he had not considered. Maybe…

"You did not mention you were injured."

Light yelped and threw himself away from the owlish eyes that suddenly appeared before him. He squawked again as his head connected with the tree behind him with a sickening crack. He looked up with round eyes, unable to find a fitting reaction.

"Wh—? Wha…?" Light panted heavily in shock. He shook his head to try to rid his vision of the stars dancing before his eyes, but groaned when it only added nausea into the mix. There, dangling upside-down from the tree above him was his reluctant rescuer—now promoted to stalker in Light's eyes. When the ringing in his ears finally subsided, Light glared murderously at the individual staring inquisitively at him from his position in the tree. "What the hell are you doing here?" Light snarled. "Don't you dare start following me!" The black-haired man blinked slowly in response as though giving careful thought to the irrational outburst. Light simply continued to glare at him. What a freak. He looked like one really demented bat hanging there as though it were the most perfectly natural thing in the world. His ears twitched a few times as the wind ruffled his hair.

"Light-kun is mistaken." The emotionless creature stated. "I am not following you, you merely happened to be walking in front of me." Light stared. That… was the best reason he could come up with? He gritted his teeth. No. The condescending bastard was just informing him that he was not worthy of a valid excuse. He could count the amount of minutes they had been together on one hand and he already hated him beyond… well, anything. He couldn't remember the last time he had been outright annoyed, much less completely pissed off. There was just something about him that made Light twitch.

Light slowly picked himself up from the ground and turned his expression into pleasant neutrality. The creep seemed to like getting a rise out of him – which could have just been his own paranoia. Well, he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction anymore.

"Was there something you needed?" Light inquired politely as the agile man looped a leg around a higher branch and transferred his grip until he hung from the elevated vantage point. Light found it odd that someone like Ryuuzaki would be concerned with being able to meet a person's gaze easily. Though he supposed he couldn't really say for certain considering how much he really knew about the guy: nothing.

"Not particularly." The smooth baritone voice never ceased to catch the teenager off guard. Light waited for some form of elaboration, but the older man seemed content to just stare at him. It was starting to remind him of Mikami, only without the 'I'm going to rape you' edge that the mystic exhibited. Light felt a flash of trepidation as the black depths of those chilling eyes solidified as though he had established something. Ryuuzaki allowed his feet to detach from the branch and swung down to land lightly on the pine needles, dead leaves and moss. He straightened up into his customary slouch before eying the uncertain youth before him.

"What is it then?" Light asked, accidentally letting some of his exasperation slip. L shrugged and looked off to the side and began to walk off. Light scowled and stomped after him—before getting a painful reminder that his ankle was still injured, in which case he proceeded to hop and limp in a very dignified manner after the enigmatic man. He wasn't through with him and he wasn't to be brushed off lightly.

Author's Note: L is a Neko-san! Yeah, I went there. 8D Btw, don't let the 'L' and "Ryuuzaki' switching get to you. If you notice, 'L' is used when he's saying something or thinking something, but it switches to 'Ryuuzaki' when Light is observing something about him or thinking of him since that's what Light knows him as. There will also just be times when I decide one of the names sounds better in a sentence than the other, so yeah… And yes, I realize that this will seem like it's dragging if you're used to fanfics. I tend to write everything as though it's in novel format, so I like to extend things a little bit and include descriptions and stuff even if we already know all the characters.