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Respite
Aletta walked warily through the trees near her home. It stood by necessity on the very outskirts of the village, for it was only there that the herbs she needed to cultivate grew. Otherwise, the light haired brunette would have done everything in her power to live safely ensconed at the very center of the village.
She gripped her leather shoulder bag tightly as she walked closer and closer to the forest's edge. Eventually, the petite woman slipped within and let out a startled gasp at every unexpected sound. Soft breathing had Aletta halting in her tracks and peering about with panic in her eyes. A large wolf, so much bigger then she'd ever before seen, lay beneath the branches of a nearby tree. Its dark fur blended so well with the shadows of that the healer had almost missed it. There was something wrong though .... Shouldn't the wolf have already moved? Cautiously, she approached the creature's prone form. Her magic tingled and reached out automatically even before she knew the animal was hurt. Aletta's fear evaporated, and she was all business now as she knelt by the wolf. Briskly, she removed some of the herbs she'd just gathered and ripped off clean cloth from her sleeves. She worked gently upon the large gash the wolf sported, all the while using her talent both to sooth and aid the healing process. "Don't you worry, I'll make sure this is healed before I leave." Cade's grey eyes were locked upon the rather boring seeming cottage the healer called home. It was his temporary abode as well, but that wasn't why he was so fascinated with the simple seeming structure. The play of light and shadows had him sketching furiously upon what scraps of paper he'd been able to make so far. He sighed and grumbled to himself about the materials he was using. The paper wasn't quite right. Perhaps if he used different fibers it would hold the charcoal better, instead of getting smudged so easily. The stool Cade sat upon creaked as he shifted to better capture a certain slant of light with his eyes, so he could transfer it with deft movements onto the new blank page he'd grabbed. |
His ears twitched, footsteps were approaching, but Krinn was exhausted. He didn't have the strength to fight or run anymore. Just a little bit more rest and he would be alright. The footsteps weren't quite right, not for the creature hunting him, lilac colored eyes were only half opened as the girl came into view. Just a girl, she would pass him by, either not seeing him, or afraid once she did see him. The girl did neither of those things, she came right up to him. Krinn's eyes opened fully and he watched her, unmoving, a human intelligence shimmering behind his eyes. She tended to his wound without fear, as if he were a harmless bunny. He was really, harmless, not a bunny. Though most often this form frightened things away. He shifted slightly, lifting his head to turn it and watch her. He licked her gently, whatever part of her he could reach with his tongue, and his tail wagged slowly back and forth. Doing his best to show how tame and nonhostile he was. Her aide was appreciated, but unnecessary in his opinion. He would be just fine without her help, but that didn't mean he was ungrateful.
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The brunette's sea green eyes widened as the wolf shifted. A squeak of fear left her as her charge shifted about unexpectedly. Aletta only relaxed once it became obvious that the wolf was trying to be friendly. She shook her head lightly and laughed at herself as she continued her work, running her fingers through the wolf's fur gently as she did so. "Well aren't you friendly," murmured Aletta to herself.
Perhaps the wolf could be convinced to follow her home. She doubted it though, this was a wild wolf after all, no matter how docile he acted. |
Krinn licked her again, he was a fast healer himself and that combined with the ministrations of this healer should soon have that gash all healed up, or at least very nearly all healed up. His ears continued to twitch, straining for any sound of pursuit, but his hunter was a very silent crafty one, his nose twitched, as he tested the air almost constantly for scent of the pursuer. His hunter was smart though, the cat would try to stay downwind, and probably move through the trees. Slowly Krinn moved, sitting up and looking the girl in the eyes deeply for a moment, then he licked her cheek and nuzzled her neck softly as he gave a very light whine. Krinn could speak in this form, but that usually freaked people out more and he had no intention of being chased around anymore today, at least until his hunter found him. So he would play the part of a large docile wolf, he was very good at playing that part. He really was a docile wolf.
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The wolf's eyes caught hers as he shifted up. They were such a strange color, like lilacs and sometimes purple clouds. She giggled lightly at being licked and nuzzled again by such a large and dangerous seeming creature. "What is it, do you want food? Or is it company that you want?" It was a little silly of her to talk to a wolf, but somehow she fot the feeling that he wouldn't hurt her.
She twitched nervously as a twig snapped, and let her head swivel to try and find if something unusual had made the sound. "I need to go and gather the rest of my herbs..."Aletta bent down to peek at the wound again, and was relieved to see it healing so well. "You'll be fine." Still, she worried as she began to walk away slowly. She hoped the wolf would follow. He was so gentle, and though frightening at first now he just seemed ... adorable in a strange kind of way. |
When she spoke he nuzzled her lightly again, though food would be good and so would company, Krinn was merely trying to reassure her that he wasn't vicious and also trying to show his appreciation for her tending to his wound. When the twig snapped, his head snapped up, eyes alert and ears training to hear something else. Any sign of his pursuer or any sign of something else just as dangerous. He found no other sights, sounds or scents of danger. His eyes turned to the girl as she gave the wound a last look over, when she began to leave, Krinn gave a slight whine and stood. He moved to follow her, knowing it would be best if he just ran off in some direction, the longer he tarried here the closer the one who hunted him came to him. Still, Krinn didn't think the girl should be unprotected in the woods, so he followed her.
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An unexpected sound made her tilt her head around. Aletta smiled upon seeing the wolf moving to follow her as she made her way down the path she'd worn through the forest. Here and there the healer would bend down and gather herbs. This lasted for only a little while more before the dress clad girl sauntered out of the forest. She relaxed visible once out of the trees and by her cottage once more.
She didn't expect the wolf to follow her this far, and so said nothing to warn the man she'd taken in as a guest. Aletta glanced at the blonde with a little smile, knowing full well that he was probably doing some more scribblings. |
Krinn did follow the girl, through the forest and out of it. A little surprised that her home, if this was her home, was so far from the rest of the village. He had intended to accompany her all the way to the town's borders, his way of making sure she got home safely. He trotted along easily behind her, coming up to stand at her side. He noticed the other person almost immediately, but Krinn didn't growl or make any threatening noises or motions. The man seemed to belong here, and his scent was all over this place, just as the girl's was. He merely let out a soft yip as a greeting, wondering how the male would react to his presence. Humans could be unpredictable things.
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Cade didn't even glance up. He was too busy putting the finishing touches upon his work. It was an incredibly detailed study of the house, and with every movement of his hand, he seemed to capture just a little more of the building's character.
Aletta moved away from the wolf and slipped inside her orderly cluttered home. She was gone only for a moment, rummaging noisily through cupboards and searching for some scrap of meat. At last the healer found exactly what she'd been searching for. She ran outside triumphantly, and place the meat she'd found before her new friend carefully. "Here, you must be hungry." People usually were after healing, so why not animals as well? Cade lifted his head upon hearing her speak. His eyes widened now as he noticed the wolf. Instead of screaming, he let his hands roam in search of more pages so he could capture the wolf's form upon the paper. |
The man seemed very engrossed in his work, and Krinn just observed him from a small distance away. When the girl disappeared into the cottage, he sat on his haunches. No intention of following her inside, it was her home and she hadn't invited him into it, besides he was wondering how long the man would stay oblivious to his presence. Then the healer had come back out seemingly triumphant and his attention focused on her. He could smell the meat she had brought him and he licked his muzzle absently. Krinn was hungry when she placed the meat down, he sniffed it once, and then began to devour it like any hungry meat eater would. His tail wagging slightly, to show his appreciation for the meal as he ate it.
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The artist shuffled forward quietly, and crouched down before the wolf. He wore a fascinated expression as his charcoal flew over the paper to create soft line, then bold ones as he settled down to truly work. Cade wondered what uh fur might feel like. Would knowing that make a difference to his work?
He was a little scared, just a bit, of the creature before him, but if Aletta could deal with it ... Then he certainly could. The healer was usually afraid of everything. She was happy to see how much her impromptu guest was enjoying his meal. The healer couldn't help but smile as she noticed the wolf's tail wagging lightly, like a dog really. Crouching down opposite Cade, she tilted her head to peer at the wolf's eyes. "Lilac, that's an unusual color for wolf eyes. For anyone's eyes really." |
He finished his meal quickly and tilted his head slightly as he watched the two. The man was undoubtedly drawing him and Krinn couldn't help but feel a little flattered by that. Krinn tried to be polite enough to remain still while the artist worked, and it wasn't hard, except for his tail. It wanted to wag, even though it moved slowly, so he let it wag. When the girl spoke, Krinn blinked looking at her, the wolf would have spoken but quickly thought better of it. No need to give these nice people heart attacks, so instead, that mouth opened wide and he yawned. His ears twitched, and he turned his head, thinking he had heard something but he didn't see or smell anything.
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Aletta moved forward to pet the wolf's head lightly. She shifted and moved so she was more comfortable, all the while thinking over just how odd this wild animal was. She couldn't truly believe it was feral. A light breeze ruffled her hair, making her shiver and move even closer to the wolf.
"Don't move, please Aletta." Cade was rather caught by what a strange pair the two made. A wild wolf, the gentler healer ... It was quite an enchanting sight. To be honest, the artist found it rather inspiring. Oblingingly, Aletta held herself in the same position. It wasn't a arduous thing to do, and in fact was rather restful. Much better then having to deal with the results of violence anyway. The thought's brought the healers mind back to the gash the wolf had sported none too long ago. "I hope no one is trying to hunt around here..." The animals in the nearby forest were protected by the spirit who lived there, and none dared hunt any of it's denizens. It was also why Aletta was always so wary whenever she walked beneath the branches of those towering trees. |
Krinn was tempted to move, to jump up and investigate the sound he had thought he had heard. It was probably just some squirrel or forest animal rummaging around. He dismissed it, but remained alert. He wouldn't let his pursuer catch him off guard. The large wolf tried to be still so that the artist could draw him properly, and he was eager to see the finished product. Krinn was certain the picture would look wonderful. He was also rather fond of being pet on the head, he greatly enjoyed it when the healer pet him but he wasn't too sure how to show his appreciation for that, other than the tail wagging and maybe a lick on her cheek.
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Cade kept sketching, but it didn't take too much longer before he was finished and brandishing the completed drawing with a happy and hopeful look upon his face. "Well, what do you think?" The drawing was tilted around so both the wolf and Aletta could take a peek. With his free hand, Cade ruffled his blond hair nervously.
He hoped Aletta would like it, and the wolf as well. It was a little silly, hoping the wild creature would enjoy his artwork, but he still did hope so. Cade waited, breath held, for the verdict. The healer couldn't help but smile as the large wolf shifted to lick her face. Aletta kept the pose, all the while petting the wolf with a thoughtful look. He didn't seem wild at all. Maybe the poor thing was just lost, and in need of a good home. Cade's triumphant demonstration of his sketch brought her out of her thoughts. "It looks beautiful." And it was. The artist had managed to capture the simple peace of the moment with a few carefully placed strokes of his charcoal. Frowning slightly, the healer forced her thoughts to return to the wolf. "Do you think .. people might find it strange if I decide to keep a wolf with me? He's so gentle ..." The wolf's fierce appearance was quite deceptive, and the healer feared that perhaps he might scare her charges away. At the same time, it would also make those who thought her easy prey think twice before stepping foot into her home. |
When the drawing was finished, Krinn peered at it intently, his head tilting to the side slightly as he inspected it. Then the big wolf moved forward a little bit and licked one of Cade's hands. Giving a soft whine and a quick wag of his tail, it was a good piece of art, and it wasn't every day that someone wanted to draw him. As the healer spoke, he looked at her and lowered his ears slightly, backing away a few steps. He couldn't stay here, not with her, not for long at least. There were several reasons why, none of which had to do with the person hunting him.
Speaking of, the nekojin came sauntering rather casually out of the tree line, ears twitching slightly and uncontrollable anger shone clearly in his feline like eyes. "So there you are, child-killer." The cat was seething, his ears flat against his skull and his eyes narrowed, eyes that barely saw the others, he was focused on the wolf. "Come now, fight me like a man instead of a cowardly dog." His tail lashed about furiously behind him as he approached the three with steady strides. |
The young man smiled slightly. It seemed like the wolf approved of his drawing. Cade reached out to ruffle the canine's dark blue fur fondly. The moment of peace was broken as a half clad man sauntered from the forest with a menacing air.
Fighting and confrontation was even less in tune with Cade's personality then it was with Aletta's. As the healer stood, he retreated to sit by the cottage, nose buried in his pages of sketches in an attempt to appear unnoticeable. She wanted to run. Such thoughts always passed through Aletta's mind first and foremost. The healer was terrified of everything, and nearly everyone, after all. This time though, was different. Someone threatened a person, well wolf, she knew. Aletta simply couldn't just stand by and watch as one of her charges was thrust into danger! The petite healer moved to stand protectively before the wolf, and shot a somewhat frightened glare at the cat man. "But he's a wolf, not a man! And he's as gentle as any tame animal I've seen... W-won't y-you please leave him be?" She fell into the stuttering and hesitant voice she used when she was forced into confrontation with someone she didn't know and feared. |
Jack came to stop only a few feet from the girl and Krinn, a frown on his lips, but it was hidden by the mask he wore. "First you feed little girls to monsters, and now you hide behind them. You truly are a coward, where is your pride as a wolf and a man?" Jack wouldn't harm the girl, and he hardly seemed to notice the male anymore, since he had slunk away to hide behind his sketches, Jack did lean forward a bit to peer at the girl. She was being fearless, or trying to be, in the face of danger. Of course Jack wasn't dangerous to her, but how was she to know that? "You shouldn't get to close to him, he likes to feed little girls to monsters. He'll just stand there and watch as the monster eats the girl while she's still alive, I think he enjoys the screams."
Krinn's ears were flat against his skull, but he didn't growl and he didn't snarl. He watched Jack carefully, not sure what the nekojin would do. He was almost sure the cat wouldn't harm the girl, but he couldn't be entirely certain. Krinn didn't know Jack that well. He shook his head when Jack called him a coward and asked about his pride. Pride was a useless thing, but Krinn did have some small amount of pride, still he had no intention of being goaded into a fight. Krinn did not want to strike the first blow. His body tensed though and as Jack continued to speak, he stepped around the healer to put his body between her and Jack. A soft whine left his throat, the things Jack said, it hurt deeply. He could understand how the cat blamed him, but to go so far as to say things like that. "Enough!" The word left his muzzle as easily as if it had been spoken by human lips. Krinn's body began to tremble. He hadn't wanted to change, it was too painful to take back his human form, the time when he would no longer be able to take it was fast approaching. He could feel it, and every time he changed it was more painful than the last and the pain lasted longer, those eyes closed tightly and small whimpers escaped him as his body began to shift and change. Bone's moving, altering from canine to human like, it took a few minutes for it to completely finish and when he was done, Krinn panted harshly on his hands and knees. Body still trembling, his insides wracked with pain. The pain was physical and mental. His long braid fell over one shoulder, and his clothing was torn and ripped where the gash in his shoulder had been. "H...here..I am...Jack." He spoke the words softly, eyes opening as he looked up at the nekojin, wondering what the cat would do now. Jack merely stared at him, not quite understanding why a change that should be natural pained the wolf so much, then again he hardly knew the wolf at all. Jack stared at Krinn for a few moments before he moved forward and reached out to grab that long braid. He yanked it hard, pulling the wolf, now man, to his feet and making him stumble forward. Krinn gasped and whimpered when Jack pulled him up by his hair, causing him to rise to his feet and stumble towards the cat. Eyes widened and he grunted as his stomach met the fist of Jack's other hand. Jack released the him and Krinn fell to the ground, only half conscious from all the pain. "Pathetic." Jack spit the word like it was venom and moved to rain kicks upon Krinn's torso, unless someone stopped him. |
The healer's eyes took on a look of determination as the nekojin went on. Aletta tilted her head stubbornly, and would have launched into some kind of lecture, but then the most unlikely of things happened. The wolf talked! Pink swept across her cheeks as she remembered how she'd leaned against the large wolf earlier. Aletta would never have acted like that if she'd known the wolf was more then a friendly animal.
A fact proven by the animal's transformation into a man. Hearing his whimpers tugged at Aletta's heart. No matter what this person had done, he was in pain and she simply couldn't stand by without doing anything. She was only dimly aware of Cade running to the nekojin as she knelt down to place her hands gently upon the former wolf. It didn't take much for her magic to flow as the healer tried to soothe away the wolf's pain... Though the green eyed woman suspected it was far more then simply physical. Cade lifted his head as the cat eared man began to speak angrily. As the man went on with his accusations, the artist eased himself forward. He didn't think he'd ever wanted to draw anyone after such a brief encounter, and a less then pleasant one. The wolf's transformation sent a sliver of fear stabbing through his heart. Dirt scrapped against the blond's hands as he pushed himself from the ground to run before the healer and her self imposed charge. Cade's hands reached out to grasp the neko's arms in some kind of attempt to stop the other man's advance. "Stop it! Aletta won't let anything happen to him as long as she thinks of him as being one of her charges." His fingers itched to draw that angry face of the cat's, but he'd left his drawing materials behind. It was such a shame ... But at least he could try and stop Aletta from getting hurt. She might have been harmed, if only by accident, stepping as she did between the cat and his prey so recklessly. |
Those feline like eyes were practically glowing with anger, and he might have actually accidentally harmed the girl when she moved to the wolf. Then he was being grabbed while the girl laid her hands on Krinn. Jack scowled at the man, he had no qualms about striking men, but women he tried not to hurt when he could help it. The nekojin didn't strike Cade though, he had stopped and stared at the human, not fully understanding why they would be so eager to protect some one that fed little girl's to monsters. His body trembled with anger, it filled him so completely it was probably a miracle he could think rationally enough to stop so the innocent bystanders didn't get hurt. "Why would you protect him? He's more of a monster than I'll ever be." His tail lashed about furiously behind him.
Krinn had closed his eyes, expecting the cat to rain down blows upon him, but they didn't come, instead the healer's gentle hands were on him. Soothing warmth wrapped him up, enfolded around him like a gentle blanket and though it did wonders for the pain Jack had caused, it didn't do very much for the pain of the change. Lilac colored eyes blinked some as he moved to a sitting position, panting slightly, he glanced at Aletta, then to Jack and Cade. For a moment afraid that the artist might get hurt, but Jack only seemed inclined to hurt Krinn. The wolf frowned deeply. "...I'm not..a monster yet...and...I never meant for any harm to come to that child.." As far as Krinn was concerned Jack was almost as guilty as he was. They had both been there, they had both failed to save the child, but the monster had come because of Krinn. So perhaps he should bare most of the fault, but not all of it. |
Cade shook his head slightly. "I'm not protecting him, it's Aletta I'm watching out for," clarified the artist. After another glance at the neko, he released his hold upon the man. Still, he remained before the healer and the wolf with a somewhat anxious look. He really did want to draw the dark haired man ... but all his things were over there, and he was standing without them facing the neko's ire.
The green eyed woman moved a hand to pet Krinn's head soothingly. He'd seemed to like that as a wolf, so perhaps he wouldn't mind now. "Neither Cade, nor I, know what happened. Would the two of you mind explaining? I would rather make up my mind after hearing the tale told from both sides. " Aletta glanced at the neko almost questioningly. "If the two of you decide to stay in this village, it will probably be in my home. It serves as an inn of sorts, and it is a ... sanctuary." She couldn't think of any other way to explain it. |
Jack crossed his arms across his chest, scowling and frowning deeply behind the mask he wore. "I told you. He fed a child to a monster." His tail lashed about behind him, angry and impatient. "There's only one side of the story, I was there. I saw it happen, he led a monster right up a village's gates and just stood by while it devoured a child. If I hadn't been there to stop it, there's no telling what it would have done to that village or villagers." Those eyes were Krinn, accusing, hating and so very angry. Truthfully it wasn't Krinn that Jack was angry with, it was just so much easier to blame the wolf.
Krinn was silent as Jack spoke, just frowning and shaking his head a bit at the way the nekojin had worded things. "That isn't...that's not..how it happened." He gave the cat a disdainful look, but there was no anger in Krinn's eyes. Then he turned those lilac eyes towards Aletta. Pain still wracked his body from the change, but it was ebbing away, slowly but surely. "...I was being hunted...but I didn't know. I did lead the monster there, but not on purpose..." Then those eyes turned to Jack. "Jack was there...we both tried to save the child, but neither of us was fast enough." He sighed softly. |
Cade wanting nothing more then to draw the angered neko. He just couldn't take it anymore! Whirling around, he rushed to his drawing materials, gathered them up, and placed himself firmly in front of the cat eared man. Cade didn't really care about what the two strangers were arguing about.
"Let me draw you!" blurted out Cade. He looked away in embarrassment at his sudden unexpected outburst. His eyes fell on Krinn. "And you too, please?" Well .. he was sure Aletta wasn't so surprised at this turn of events, but the same couldn't be said about the two disagreeing men. She believed Krinn, though it seemed that Jack vehemently refused to listen to anything the wolf man said. "Excuse me, but why are you so adamant about seeing this man in such a negative light? Did you know him before this incident? " As she spoke, the healer moved to squeeze the lilac eyed man's shoulder reassuringly. Turning to him, she smiled kindly. "You can stay here for as long as you like." He had accompanied her all the way to her home after all, and the company had been quite welcome. |
Jack's attention jumped around for a moment. From Krinn to Aletta, to Cade, then Aletta and back to Krinn. When Cade spoke of drawing him, his hand shot up to the mask covering the lower half of his face, as if to make sure the cloth was still there. It had been an automatic reaction, he wasn't even sure why he had done that when the other asked to draw him. Jack took a step back, shaking his head slightly. He would deal with the man later, that hand lowered and he scowled at Krinn. "That man led a monster to children. He's a wolf, but he says he didn't know he was being hunted by that monster. What kind of predator lets himself be hunted? He's weak, and he's a child killer." Jack practically hissed at Krinn, his ears laying back.
Krinn sighed softly, glancing at Cade and giving him a slight shrug in response to his question. Then his attention shifted to Jack, then to Aletta. Slowly Krinn got to his feet, the pain had lessened somewhat. He shook his head at the nekojin. "He's more angry at himself than he his at me." He had glanced at Aletta when he spoke those words. "I won't fight you. Not now, not ever." He spoke the words sternly at Jack, then turned towards Aletta, his hand reaching out to grab her shoulder, as he swayed slightly. Krinn hated changing, even though this was his natural form, the change just hurt so much in so many ways now. His hand on her shoulder tightened for a moment, then relaxed. "May I have some water?" He really just wanted to go in her home, lock the door, sit down in a comfy chair and drink some water. |
She ignored the masked man completely, and instead concentrated on Krinn with a worried frown. He was unsteady, she could tell by the way he leaned against her shoulder. When he asked for water, the healer nodded. "Of course." Aletta stood carefully, then wrapped a supportive arm around Krinn's waist wordlessly.
Soon she had her guest settled down in her comfortably large living room, and was handing him a glass of clear water wordlessly. It was hard not to reach out to try and take away some of the pain he still seemed to be feeling, so hard ... But it didn't seem like the type of hurt she could help with, and it was all too frustrating. Cade watched as the healer whisked the wolf away. He shook his head slightly, and moved to gather up his sketching materials. Soon he was sitting on his stool in front of the nekojin, already busily making preliminary sketches of his latest drawing subject. The blond wondered why the other man had reached up instantly to check his mask ... Probably because that swatch of dark fabric hid something that he wanted no one else to see. |
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