He didn't show himself for long – the longest I've ever been without him.

Oh, I know. We poked each other around, made fun, teased, couldn't sometimes stand each other.

Like best friends.

I didn't admit before, but he WAS my best friend, even though I never said it to him! Hell no.

But then again, I frowned one day, why didn't I? Maybe I won't have another chance to tell him.

I shook the thought away. Of course I will! It's not like we won't meet ever again. He'll just live elsewhere, that's all.

That was the reason why I ran away into the forest every day. Every. Single. Day. Sitting, waiting in the middle of the night.

About two weeks after he left, he showed himself again one night.

,,Sorry for the wait," he stated right away cheerfully.

,,You're back!" I jumped up and without any shame jumped around his neck.

,,I-yes... uh... but you don't have to strangle me from all the happiness," he said in a choking voice, but hugged me back carefully.

,,Sorry. So, how did they take you in? Sit and tell me!" I tapped the ground beside me.

He flung himself down, taking the cape off his head carefully.

,,First of all, they were shocked. You should have seen them! Hah, I couldn't not grin on the faces they made."

,,Now I believe in that," I chuckled.

,,Then, well, I had to pass a certain test, or actually a few of them. Not much different than all the training I've done so far..."

,,So?"

,,So- I'M IN THE PACK, GIRL!" he shout so that the whole forest probably heard him. ,,HUNTER MEMBER!"

,,Yay! Congratulations!"

We both jumped up and began a fast and crazy dance, not animal nor human at all, but it was so much fun like never before.

,,By the way- have you got a name?"

,,Hoped you'd ask! It's Aterulmen now."

,,What's...?" my eyes almost fell out.

,,That means ,dark thunder', Gwen!" he laughed.

I almost came late to dinner because of this harmless but long fun.

,,Gwen! Where did you ran off to?" Mom gave me a slight smack behind the ear.

,,I'm sorry," I made a grin.

,,Look at your legs. Go wash immediately! Is that how a young lady should behave?"

I only laughed and ran, because dad laughed as well.

,,Let her," I heard him say. ,,she's still a child."

…...

Since I was thirteen, it was a bit different.

Well, probably only with me- I still had a kind of emptiness under my bed I wasn't used to, and by some cold nights I felt lonely. And when heard growling outside I wasn't used to as well I was a bit scared.

You're acting like a baby now! I scolded myself one night when I had specially horror-like thoughts. It's not like someone will get in through the window and get you. They're not that stupid. There's peace here, isn't it?

Or, well... I heard that when I was little, there were some attacks and skinned animals out there... but not that that was unusual, was it? Every time someone went into the woods things like that happened. They said ,don't go near' to every human.

...Except for me.

Did they simply tolerate me because I visited, but didn't claim the forest as my own? Might be. Or they were simply fond of me because I took care of one of them?

I don't know. I didn't know anything about the traditions and rules here, even if they were so old and even if I lived with them every day, even if they were uncomfortable. Only the elders probably knew, both our and theirs; if they had any.

What to say? I kinda tried to look like a ,young lady' now that I couldn't go to the forest that often.

Hehe, tried to. Mom was very happy about it and she taught me as well as she could to act that way.

It was good, because I learned a lot of things I wanted to know when I was little... but I also had more work to do now. Often when I went to sit into the forest I brought some work to do with me.

But I had to be SOO very careful not to get dirty! It got on my nerves, and his as well, but what could I do.

,,I just have to ,behave properly' now that I'm grown-up," I rolled eyes.

,,Hah, poor one. I don't have to do any of this nonsense," he scorned.

,,You're a male, that's why maybe," I grinned.

,,Sure not. There's not much difference between the works of males and females among us. I can't for the world get why there is with your kind," he rolled eyes (so it seemed)and scratched his head with one claw.

,,Well," I raised a finger and hesitated for a second. ,,...good question."

He grinned.

,,What'cha doing anyway?"

,,Sewing. Ever seen it before?"

He glared on me, titling head to the side.

,,...Sure not," I smacked my head. ,,Well, I have watched, but I've never done it before. It looked easier than it is," I made a grin.

,,What's so special about it? Up, down."

,,Not getting it the wrong way."

,,I still don't get it at all."

,,My dad doesn't as well."

He bursted out chuckling, but still kept his eyes on the work.

,,Soo, what else has a ,young lady' to do?"

,,Weeell, sometimes I take some chores mom did previously... for example cooking."

,,Ooh! Can you show me the finished work sometimes?"

,,I can, but I doubt you'll like it."

,,Why?"

,,I'm still not that good."

,,Someone once said to me you can get better, if you try hard enough," he winked.

I smiled and looked down again.

For a while he sat, then he shifted- lied on his stomach beside me with claws under his chin.

It was so cute, the way he watched me, frowning- trying to understand it. I never really been in a position like this. Most of the time he only looked away, grabbed something to eat, or mocked and teased me, poked me around... This was the first time he respected my work.

For some reason it quite distracted me, and you know it- I just HAD to look elsewhere than to the sewing.

,,Ouch."

I said it quietly, but what's the use in front of a being that has better ears than you?

,,Are you okay?"

I stuck the finger into my mouth and nodded; he sniffed.

,,Oh sure! You just cut yourself."

,,It's nothing," I mumbled,- aw damn, this is going to need something to wrap it in.

He raised a eyebrow.

,,Alriiight, I hope the bears and wolves think so too..."

,,I'm not leaving yet!" I snapped on him, sticking the finger out.

,,Sure," he smirked. ,,now show that to me."

,,Wha- why?" I pulled away.

,,I can help you heal it."

,,How?"

,,Not anything hard."

,,How?"

,,Licking it!" he bursted out impatiently.

,,I don't think it's a good-" I pulled away again, when he jumped after me.

,,Ater, I really don't think it's a- good- idea!"

For a while he chased me, but I managed to successfully hide the finger, left, right, and after a while we fell to the ground to a half-sitting half-lying position.

,,Oh, just struggle a little more!" he growled helplessly. ,,I ain't gonna eat you or something!"

,,You sure?" It just fell out my mouth without thinking.

,,Ah geez, you know me."

I blushed at what I just said. He didn't seem offended though, luckily.

Still, I couldn't not twitch at that predatory glint I saw, when he licked it clean. But I didn't pull away; yes I knew him, and I trusted him.

Oh, my. You sure didn't have this glint before, have you?

Sure not. I've lived with him half of my life, for God's sake. Hmm.

Was this what your kind gained when they grew up? Or was it just... Eh, something else? I don't know.

But he was careful, so that told me I had nothing to fear. I never had, had I? He'd never harm me.

Even if he sometimes threatened me, that was just fun. I did it as well.

I snapped out of thoughts. Stupid ones, at that.

I noticed that that tingling sensation wasn't... licking. Only. It was as if... one of those feelings when your cat licked your fingers clean after you've been dirty after a really good dinner. She bit even. Even if slightly, so it didn't hurt, it just tickled in a strange way.

Gosh, he really enjoyed tasting my blood, didn't he?

I winked a few times and this time it was me who watched in amazement. What a expression! He didn't even seem to mind I watched. Either that or he haven't noticed. It was absolute delight.

I just let him do so... it kind of... felt good.

WHAT! You can't just let him lick your fingers for nothing!

,,Ater?"

His eyes snapped open and he only seemed to realize, what he did.

Now his face really expressed what's their color.

,,I- Your fingers were dirty from lunch as well," he quickly gained mental balance again and looked somewhere out to the forest.

,,Oh, I haven't noticed," I looked down.

I wasn't surprised the finger was healed.

,,Sure," he stated nonchalantly. ,,otherwise I wouldn't smell it. You hurried right here after food, didn't you?"

,,Yes," I made a grin. ,,I should've washed. But it's a trait of a ,young lady' I just can't quite get a hand on."

He smirked, still studying some trees in the distance.

,,Literally, eh?"

,,Quite."

He suddenly turned head elsewhere.

,,What's up?"

,,Today's hunt... I've got to go. Have a nice day."

,,You too."

,,Thanks."

We parted without anything other. Today I had a lot more chores to do, I won't be back...

Daamn, mom's going to scold me for the dress, I made a grin again. I just can't go in this to the forest, I always get dirty.

Luckily, she didn't, because she saw I finished the sewing.

,,Good, and you didn't even pinch yourself! That's rare," she smiled on me,while studying my work.

I looked down.

,,Thanks, mom."

This night was the very first time I've dreamed of him.