Chasing Iron

[Anonymous]

The gentle gloom of dusk was threading it's thin fingers through the dense trees and rivers, the sun having set not minutes ago, giving the dark clouds hanging over the horizon the faintest of pink hues. Illuminating the impending storm that was steadily creeping over the sky. Yet evidently, there was no rest for hunters. In fact, the game was at it's most vulnerable after the sun had gone down. It was settling in for the night - letting down it's guard, if there ever was a time to strike, it truly was now.

Lunette was taken by the sight. The sunset - it had always been a wonderful thing. The way those beams of light threw their careless colours over the clouds - was there anything quite like it? Not dawn, no. That was all blinding brightness and chattering birds. She was following a loose trail - the faint scent of something vaguely human lingering upon it, possibly from days ago. Her fingers trailed over the overhanging leaves, over the brittle twigs, and her bare feet were silent against the dew and bracken that littered the forest floor.

What she was intending to stumble upon - she didn't know. Let the pleasant surprise reveal itself of it's own time, she thought. These woods were brimming with strange forms of life, who truly knew what she'd find this time. She ducked under a low hanging branch, stepped over a small ditch and watched the remaining pinks and oranges fade from the low clouds.  It took her away entirely - the way the sunlight would fade and reveal the hidden stars winking down at her, the low moon - hanging like a tired anchor over the forest, reminding it how small it truly was - and this silent appreciation was why the steel trap clamped closed around her calf.

Her gaze was torn from the sky, and she fell, tumbled to the grass and dirt, pain shooting up her left leg, shuddering up her spine and she was seeing stars. She gasped, heaved herself upright enough to see the iron wrought... thing clasped about her leg, just below her knee - dark red stuff oozed from where her skin was sliced, warm and wet as it leaked over her. Her trembling hands reached down for it, gripped the two jaws and she tugged, pulled and cried out as she released them. They refused to budge. Held her fast.

Panic gripped her then, she cast a quick glance about, and it was quiet. Unnaturally quiet. The trickling stream had faded off, the scent wasn't about her at all and the night owls had fallen silent. Silent tears of frustration began to bead at the corners of her eyes (careless, careless, careless!), but she ignored them, tried to shove the overwhelming pain aside (it was difficult, she was seeing white), and gripped the iron again, her body trembling at the horrid and bloody sight.

Footsteps - she could hear footsteps. Someone was coming. She'd seen these before - seen them catch and root wolves to the spot, draw them weak until the hunter caught up to them - and that's what spurs her to move. She struggles to stand, grips the trunk of the closest tree to haul herself to her feet. But the movement is agonizing. The steel only closed firmer about her leg, digging deeper into flesh and muscle and another pained gasp was ripped from her lungs. Her hands - damp with blood - slipped from the bark, and she fell to the grass again, but she refused to remain still, reaching down once again to grip the iron, fingers curling around the edges as she tried to prize it free - and those footsteps were drawing closer and closer, she was in too much pain, too much pain, she couldn't keep her silence.

[Anonymous]

Dusk. It was a peaceful time. The light was slowly retreating from the land. The diurnal creatures had taken to their nests, warrens, and dens. The chirpings of night insects slowly rose in an oddly beautiful symphony.  Even the soft thuds of his stallion's steps against the well-worn dirt road seemed to strike in harmony with the song, the very heartbeat of the forest. Was that the bubbling of a stream to be heard far in the distance? What a soothing melody. There were words; words to describe this wondrous tune. Tatsu knew them in his language. It seemed almost criminal to try to translate them to common, but he had. His people called it 'Lulada tel Sol' or 'Sun's Lullaby'. The song, in its purest form, was without lyrics. Words only marred something that was perfect as it was.

The sun faded and the moon rose, casting her gentle, forgiving light down upon the world. The black stallion's coat gleamed sleekly in the light as he trotted along, head held proud and high, ears erect as he carried his master with a graceful gait. Tatsu sat straight in his saddle, hands barely touching the reins. Saddles and reins. Such strange instruments humans had developed to command and control their mounts. Tatsu hardly needed such devices. His desires could be so much easier to convey to his war-horse with subtle shifts in his body and softly spoken requests.

A cloak of midnight blue wrapped around Tatsu, keeping the subtle rays of moonlight from casting upon his armor. The blue and silver suit would have reflected the light and made him a spectacle. They did not fear the night, but to avoid confrontation was the point. Why fight bandits when you could avoid them? Not that he really suspected to be jumped by bandits so close to Arca. Guard patrols kept the threat of ruffians minimal on the roads leading up to the Capital.

Abruptly, the song faltered and ended. Tatsu could feel his mount halt beneath him, alert and uneasy at the sudden silence. Ears strained, listening for what could have possibly disturbed the melody of the night. Far away, deep in the trees, he could hear cries of pain. Faintly. So faintly. What was that? Did his hearing fail him? No, of course not. Someone was in trouble; the sounds were distinctly humanoid and feminine. There was no decision to be made, nothing to think over. For him, there was only one course of action to be taken.

Dismounting, Tatsu left his horse, which stood obediently in the road, watching his rider disappear into the forest. It wasn't the time for silence or caution. He did not care who heard him as he moved quickly through the woods, zeroing in on the location of the struggling victim. Of course, he was not sure what he would find, but what he found was quite the sight. Cold eyes, like ice, fell upon the form of Lunette, and then moved to the trap that tightly clamped upon her leg. Moving cautiously now, he very slowly approached the woman. His voice was low and his tone as soothing as he could make it. The poor thing must be in agonizing pain. These types of traps that hunters insisted on using; they were barbaric! It was not true hunting, and not sporting at all. What honor was there in making any living thing suffer so?

"Shhh. Please do not be afraid. I have come to help, but I cannot help if you are struggling. Please calm yourself and be still. I will remove the trap."

[Anonymous]

They were getting closer, and the iron was refusing to budge, refusing to relinquish it's agonizing hold. She released it, hands slippery with blood as she blindly reached up instead, gripped a fist full of grass and pulled, crawling hopelessly away from the approaching sounds. But it was no use - she felt them break through to her little clearing, the leaves under their feet breathing a collective sigh of idle pain. She didn't look up - she wasn't sure she wanted to see who it was that had captured her like this. She kept waiting, waiting for a remark or voice tinged with pride, waiting for something - but nothing came.

She dared peer over her shoulder, arms shaking to keep her held upright, and the man standing there was... he was very big. It was the first thing she noticed, and the moment she did, she resumed hopelessly trying to get away, grasping a jutting root and hauling herself further away, her leg dragging useless over the dried leaves and grass, fear gripping her like a vice.

If this was the hunter - she stood little chance of escape. He was bigger than her, marginally bigger. Pale hair skin and eyes all reflected in the dim moonlight, he looked otherworldly. The glint to his eyes - it was so foreign. Though his skin looked as frighteningly pale as her own. She fell back, elbows digging into the earth the edges of her wings prickling with the smarting pain that felt as if it were spreading. Creeping up her leg to curl and coil around the rest of her.

But then he was speaking, and Lunette's movements stopped entirely. She just watched him with impossibly wide eyes. His voice was an absolute contrast upon his appearance, soft and thoughtful, a low rumble. He was stepping closer, and Lunette tried again to pull herself further away, calling vainly to the forest that wouldn't listen. She opened her mouth to respond, perhaps to ask for help - but a not so distant shout stops her from speaking. Her eyes snap in the direction (to their east), and the quiet whisper from the trees tells her it's another human (the hunter). They're approaching, coming to see if their trap has done well.

There's little choice left for her. Either she keep trying to struggle away, and have the hunter catch up to her, or allow this strange and icy man to help her - and perhaps she'd stand a chance at surviving. Her gaze flicked from the approaching sounds to the tall man standing just below the silhouette of a tall oak, and her voice came soft and urgent, a note higher with the pain still shooting through her body, "Please.."

[Anonymous]

Tatsu watched as the fragile-looking creature continued to struggle and crawl, attempting to get away from him. Even after he spoke to her, she tried to flee. Some might have taken offense to that. He took it in stride. This lady did not know him. For all she knew, he could be there to harm her in some way. Not that he could ever hurt a woman, especially one that didn't look as if she could have defended herself against him had she tried. Of course, he thought of warning her that she was only going to hurt herself more if she kept struggling. The trap would be attached to a chain staked into the ground or secured around a tree. He knew how these traps worked. Rather than keep pressuring her to accept his help, he watched and waited.

The sounds of a human coming in their direction could be heard. Perhaps a sense of urgency should have entered him. He remained perfectly calm. Let the human come. There was nothing that the man could possibly do to him, and he wouldn't allow the hunter to harm the girl. Rushing would only make things more difficult. The young woman seemed to feel differently, as the sounds of the approaching man seemed to enter some sense into her.  Finally she stopped struggling and even asked for his help, rather than just accepting it. Well manners were to be applauded, especially considering the pain the poor thing must be in.

Now that he had cooperation, he quickly moved to her side and knelt down. The hunter would be coming and he would rather avoid a confrontation if at all possible. The jaws of the trap and the lady's leg both were slick with blood, the sight of it made something in him twist in indignation, not at having to touch it. He was very familiar with blood, after all. No, it made him seethe inside to know that someone would hurt a maiden who had surely done nothing to deserve this injustice. His fingers easily gripped the trap and he slowly forced it open. It wasn't difficult, but he wished to be careful. She was already in enough pain, Tatsu wished to cause as little discomfort in freeing her as possible.

As soon as the jaws were clear of her leg, he dropped the filthy device to the ground, letting it snap back closed harmlessly. His eyes looked at her injured leg for a moment. It would need to be properly cleaned and dressed, but there would not be time for that here. He could still hear the approaching hunter.

"Please forgive me, my lady, but we need to move and you are not in any condition to move quickly."

Without further explanation he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and hooked the other under her knees, lifting her off the ground easily. My, but she was a tiny woman, wasn't she? Tatsu did hope she wouldn't struggle too much. Just in case, he made sure his grip on her was firm so that he would not accidentally drop his precious burden. Within moments his long legs had carried them safely back into the trees and away from that horrible scene of blood and pain.

[Anonymous]

The man only moved after she spoke. He stepped in effortless and long strides - surprisingly graceful considering his size. Her eyes remained wary, still eyeing him with overwhelming caution, and what parts of her that were not focussed on him, were listening intently to those fast approaching footsteps. The man reached her, crouched down beside her and gripped the jaws of the trap. Lunette closed her eyes, knowing only more pain would follow.

The easing of pressure was the most agonizing part. It filled her with a momentary sense of relief - the dull ache had gone - but it was swiftly replaced by something more, something worse. It sang like a white hot fire through her, shot up to her chest and she cried out again - before she could stifle herself. She would wonder how a human could be so strong much later, she couldn't think much past the swirling agony shuddering through her.

His voice didn't reach her at first, she didn't quite hear it over the rushing and pounding of blood singing past her ears, though if she had a protest to voice, it didn't come. One moment, the solid ground was beneath her, and the next, his arms held her above it, the jostling to her leg with the movement enticed another (quieter) cry of pain, before he was moving. Just as silently graceful as he had without her added weight. Her wings were pressed flush to her back, and her trembling hands could seek only purchase above her knee. Lunette didn't know where he was taking her - her every instinct was telling her that this wasn't right - when she was in danger, the forest was there for her, not strange men in moonshine armor.

"Why... are you helping me?" She asked, voice soft and breathless, still wrought out and strained over her pain. Did he want something in return? Lunette had very little to offer. Her magic was virtually no use to most humans, though it often wasn't enough to keep them from 'fairy hunting' yet this man... he didn't appear to be in need of magic. She could feel it. His broad shoulders carried an air of great strength on their own - he couldn't be human. She had never seen one quite like him - but what was he? Pondering his heritage was welcome distraction from the pain, but it wasn't enough to erase it in the slightest. She spoke again, voice still soft, "...Where are you taking me?"

[Anonymous]

The cries of pain stabbed at him, but his face did not change from the calm expression that it had held from the moment he had first heard Lunette's cries. Yes, he felt sorry for her, wished that he could take away her pain, felt guilty for causing her even small amounts of discomfort, but his face remained calm. If he looked worried, how would the woman react? If he remained calm, then perhaps that would help keep her from panicking. He wasn't really sure, but humans seemed to take comfort in someone who acted strong and unmoved by troubling situations. Of course, this woman was not human.

It had been some time since Tatsu had encountered a forest sprite; a fairy. The pain she felt only bothered him more now that he knew that she wasn't just some human girl, but a fairy woman. Someone had hurt this precious, magical creature that had probably never harmed a living soul. Of course, he couldn't possibly know that, but he wasn't going to deny that his opinion of fairies was a bit biased.  

As they moved through the trees, he didn't really know exactly where he was going. Should he take her to his horse? He had water skins in his saddlebags; he could clean and bandage her leg. Tatsu didn't want her to think she was being abducted. Was she even in a condition to walk? What would he do with her? He couldn't simply leave her in the middle of the woods with a leg she couldn't even stand on. That was just like him, to charge in to save someone in trouble without thinking of the consequences.

He had almost found it odd that she didn't struggle or protest. Then she spoke, the pain in her voice made him frown slightly. Oh, he knew she was in pain, but to hear it just sent the knowledge further home, somehow made it more real. Carrying her like this was probably not comfortable, but if he set her down would she be able to keep her feet? Silence reigned supreme for several long moments, but as she asked him where he was taking her, he stopped and looked around before looking back down at her with those cold eyes; except they were no longer cold. There was a certain warmth to them as he gazed down at her with a thoughtful expression.

"Where would you like to go? To a healer, perhaps? I had not really decided yet. Your wounds will need cleaned and dressed, at the very least."

[Anonymous]

The sounds of those footsteps faded off, and Lunette wondered what the hunter would think - finding his trap covered in blood that pointed to a successful catch, but not another creature in sight. The forests were full of odd things, let his mind run wild - she thought - let him assume the worst and have his fear drive him away from here. The trees were too kind for him, but the breeze changed, hissing back upon her face, and this strange man's, blowing the hunter's attention back to the road and away from the wildlife.

Another gentle gasp leapt past her lips as the man stepped easily over a rock, the tingling pain refusing to subside, she was leaving behind a trail of crimson over the leaves. It was unsettling - such a bright colour on such tranquil emerald. It didn't belong there. The man hadn't answered her, left her questions to hang between them, she snuck a glance at his stony expression, lips set in a thin line, he looked absolutely at ease, not the picture of one whom had only moments ago saved a fairy from a sure death. That disposition set alight frustration inside her, she didn't find it reassuring. She found it infuriating. She wanted answers, she wanted to know where they were going, and she wanted to know why he was helping her.

Then, he did speak - and his voice was still absolutely level. Not a hint of anything but genuine concern, and she wondered if helping her was really his only intention. She'd heard enough about humans - from books and from other creatures. Unpredictable - that's what they called them. Untrustworthy, greedy. But again, was he human? The more she looked at him, the less she began to think so. She'd seen human men before, and he looked nothing like him, his hair far too pale, his skin a similar tone to hers - his eyes, too. He reminded her of winter. Cool and calm, quiet and graceful. Even the way he walked, over this terrain - it would be alarming if her situation wasn't already strange.

Her dress was bundled at her thighs, stained with blood and torn from the teeth of the trap, but it's condition didn't matter. She swallowed thickly.

"No." She said, immediately, "Not... not outside the forest, I can't-... I can't leave." could she? She'd never tried. Her eyes met his, and they didn't look so cold this time, didn't look quite as... empty. That is what made up her mind for her, "Just past that Elm, there's... there's a pond." She pointed with a stained hand, and exhaled carefully, turning back to him, "I'm sorry." She murmured, absolutely aware that he had neglected to answer her first question, why was he helping her?..

[Anonymous]

Tatsu did not like that they left a blood trail behind them. What if the hunter decided to follow it? He could deal with the hunter easily enough, but only if he was still there. If he left her after finding somewhere to settle her and the hunter came back, what if she couldn't run? After tending to her wounds he would have to move her again and be careful to leave no trail that could be followed; if she would let him. The idea of forcing her to accept his help was unappealing. Yes, he wished to help her as much as he could, but it would be much simpler if she didn't try to fight him on the matter.

When she said she couldn't leave Tatsu arched a brow quizzically at her, perhaps the most change that had come over his expression since he'd some across her. Aside from that slight frown; that had left almost as quickly as it had appeared. Some fairies couldn't leave their home forest, stream, or mountain, he supposed, so he didn't question it. Very well, there would be no going to a healer; he would just have to do what he could on his own. Hopefully the leg wasn't broken. As soon as she pointed they began moving again. It did not take long to locate the pond in question.

After finding a soft patch of grass, he knelt down so that he could set Lunette down as gently as possible, but as soon as she was on the ground, he was up and moving again. His cloak came off and he pulled out his knife and cut the wool wordlessly. First he made strips that could be used for bandage, and then he got a scrap of cloth from it that he wetted in the pond before returning to Lunette's side, once more falling to his knees. It was time to assess the damage.

His face had changed. That stone expression had softened somewhat. She was out of immediate danger now, a certain tension had left him. There was concern on his face and in his voice.

"I'm sorry. I did not answer your question before. It is a complicated answer, but I will make it as simple as possible. I feel compelled to help you, and so I do. It is the right thing to do."

[Anonymous]

They began moving again, and Lunette bit down on the inside of her cheek at the movement, she could feel the cool night air against her skin, cold and wet with her blood. It was unsettling. Her entire situation was unsettling. Rescued by a strange man from a swift death, a man she shouldn't feel so compelled to trust. Yet she couldn't help herself. As they reached the pond, and he lowered her to the gentle grass, his demeanor shifted. Shoulders rolling the tension away, the set to his brows easing back, and dare she say he was rather handsome.

Another dry noise of pain was drawn from her as his arm settled her legs to the grass, and she was reluctant to even look at what ahd become of her leg. What if there was some sort if irreparable damage done? If it was useless? It didn't feel broken, fractured perhaps, but not broken. She didn't dare put any weight on it, but she found she had no strength left in it to move it much on her own. She gripped the soft fabric of her dress, and moved the torn fabric out of the way, and dared a peek over her knee, only to draw back with a distasteful hiss, her eyes closing. It was worse than she had thought - her pale skin looked ghastly against the blood, the edges of the wound flushing a deep blue-and-red, blood still seeping free from the deep and thick slices in her skin, she could feel the steady trickle. Her stomach gave a violent heave, and she had to swallow down the bile that rose.

The sound of shredding material caught her attention, and she looked to the strange man instead - a welcome distraction. She would protest - opened her mouth to - but he'd already torn it. It was his cloak, and the action takes her aback. She watches him move, now free of the burden of her weight - and he is strange. Oddly quiet, like a rough diamond, his movements were all with that same effortless ease - no, he was definitely not human. He was back at her side, then, dripping fabric in hand, and she listened to his voice, looking away from him as she caught herself staring (what was he?).

"The right thing?" She echoed, peering up at him, there was a moment of silence, save for the gentle trickling water, and Lunette pushed herself upright, straightened her leg with a gasp and wince, before settling back in, fingers threading through the grass, she exhaled - lips going pale, the flush from her cheeks long gone, leaving her looking gaunt and tired, her head was spinning. But she managed to focus her gaze upon his face;

"I have... nothing to give to you." She speaks softly, quietly informing him that if it's magic or power that he wishes to take from her, she's an unlikely and unfortunate target. Yet, still - she cannot help but think this may not be the case with this man, "...what do they call you?" Her voice still comes strained, speaking carefully to this man of few words, but still - anything was difficult with the agony still pounding through her, her entire leg was beginning to tingle.

[Anonymous]

"The right thing."

Tatsu repeated the words again, echoing her own echo. No matter how often it occurred, people's inability to simply grasp that he would do the right thing because it was the right, still puzzled him. Was it really so odd? Judging by the reactions he got, he supposed it truly was. Forcing that from his mind, he finally let his eyes venture to the injured leg, and even he could not suppress a wince. It was bad. She needed a healer, not the messy field dressing that he could provide. Still, he would not try to force her to seek a healer. Not yet, anyway.

As she kept talking, he moved the wet cloth, touching it lightly to her skin, not on the wound, but wiping the blood away with a surprisingly gentle touch. Tatsu certainly didn't look like a person capable of such gentleness, but there was a lot to him that one couldn't glean simply from looking at the surface. His movements were slow, still assessing. The wounds were still bleeding, that was not good. How much blood had she lost already? How much more could she afford to lose?

"Tatsu Drake is the name I go by. What are you called?"

Talking might help her keep her mind off of the wounds on her leg. With a sigh, he moved the cloth to the injured area and put gentle pressure to try to stop further bleeding. He wasn't sure what else could be done. He wasn't properly outfitted for this kind of injury.

[Anonymous]

She blinked at him, but said nothing more. Subconsciously leaning into him slightly - her head was beginning to feel heavy, her wings gave a gentle twitch. The cloth was cool to her skin, and she flinched at the first touch - it stung upon the gentle contact, a low ache just beneath the immediate pain, it would bruise. It didn't look as though it would be a gentle bruise, either.

Tatsu Drake. She mimed the name softly, eyes closing again as the cloth touched her leg once again, a strange name - but most were strange. She dared another glance at the wound - the blood tinting Tatsu's fingers now, and drenching the cloth that hurt with each touch. His fingers moved with practiced grace - as though he'd done this before. But that nagging feeling remained, gnawed at her - murmured to her that something here wasn't right, be it Tatsu himself or... she didn't know. The trees were oddly quiet. The big elm was holding his tongue, her eyes lingered upon his thick trunk, but she felt nothing.

"The... the trees call me Lunette." She breathed, hissing a soft 'Ah!' as the cloth touched closer to her torn skin, she bit down on her teeth, hard enough to leave little dents behind. But then, as though her sudden exclamation had roused them, she was gifted with a gentle murmur against the wind, a warning. A collective sigh from the leaves that told her someone else was still close by. She unwound a fist from the grass, and laid it upon a broad shoulder, fingers digging into the gap in Tatsu's gleaming armor, from both the pain and from concentration. She met his gaze, squarely.

"Someone is coming." She murmured, brows tilting back, she stood no chance. She could barely move her leg, how was she to flee from this? She wouldn't ask Tatsu for more help, (murder was never the right thing was it? At least... that was what she had been told), she didn't understand what she had done to earn it in the first place. The gentle breeze brushed by them again, stirring Tatsu's hair. He meant harm - he was only human, but he was a strong human (they had a distinct scent to them, but she could smell blood on him, if not her own).

[Anonymous]

Lunette's injury was serious. Tatsu did not like the thought of her being injured at all, but he would have been less worried if there wasn't so much blood. Her struggles to free herself had probably only compounded the wounds. The speed with which the blood drenched the scrap of cloth and his fingers was unsettling. After rescuing her from the trap was she going to simply bleed out here? It was not an acceptable outcome. He would not allow it to happen. Of course it would not come to something so serious, would it? Tatsu's face darkened into something almost bordering on anxiety. His hands continued to work as gently as they could as he glanced up at her.

"Lunette. A very lovely name."

He looked slightly surprised as she gripped his shoulder, but didn't stop her. If she felt that she needed something to hold onto, then so be it. Her words gave him temporary paused, his hands stopping what they were doing abruptly. So had the hunter pursued them, then? It would not really surprise him. The pause lasted no more than a heartbeat. His face had returned to that eerily calm expression as his hands resumed what they had been doing. As soon as he was sure he had wiped away any trace of dirt or debris from the wound, he took one of the dry strips he had cut and wrapped it around the wound, tying it so that it was snug, but not so tight that it would cut off circulation.

"You really do need a healer. I am not able to do much more than I have already done."

Let the hunter come. He would find that Lunette was not going to be so easy prey. Tatsu would not allow the man to take home any trophy tonight. There was a tension going through him. Death was a messy affair and he truly hoped that it would not come to that. There was no honor in killing the unworthy. His sword was still tied to his saddle. He would have to face the hunter without it, and would avoid a killing blow unless his hand was forced on the matter.

[Anonymous]

His voice was still calm, still soft and tentative, but his mask slipped - she saw it, only for a fleeting moment, before he seemed to wrestle his emotions back under control, before he hid them again behind that thin line and firm set to his brows and lips. It would frustrate Lunette further, if she weren't already concerned with the blood staining Tatsu's ruined cloak - though he didn't appear to care. Winding a strip firmly around the vicious gashes in her skin and tying it securely in place, tight enough to slow the blood flow, but loose enough that it caused no more significant pain - and Lunette was grateful. Her face had turned pale, a mix of astonishment at the severity of the wound, and the sheer amount of pain mounting within her - she'd never been in this much agony before. She could barely think straight.

The crashing footsteps were drawing closer, insistent over the muffled and stamped-down cries from the shrubs and low-hanging trees. Tatsu was still calm - and Lunette didn't understand. She looked back from him to the approaching sounds again and again, wondering if he'd heard her, if she had actually spoke aloud, if it wasn't some strange effect from her blood loss.

"Tatsu." She had said, voice hinted with panic - not entirely sure why. It was if his name would help her calm, help draw his attention to their impending danger (coming closer by the moment), she might need a healer - but she would have to survive this in order to find one. Her every instinct was shouting at her to flee (even the trees begged her to) but she couldn't move, each time she so much as twitched her injured leg, pain would shoot up her side, and blur her vision. Her hand slipped from Tatsu's shoulder, thudding to the grass to hold her swaying body upright. "He's coming." She managed, "You should leave." She sought out his gaze, but their eyes never quite got the chance to meet.

The hunter found them, then - he came crashing through the dense foliage on the other side of the pond to the pair of them. His blue eyes gleamed with his bloodlust over his grubby, thick beard, and a crossbow was clutched in his ham-like hand. He took in Lunette first - gaze lingering upon her wings, and then her wound (placing two and two together, no doubt, he knew what had escaped his trap) and then he took stock of Tatsu. The large man was enough for him to stumble, enough for him to hesitate - the gleaming armour and broad, strong shoulders hinting at ill-concealed strength, but he lifted the bow regardless with a triumphant cry, his arrow flying from the bow, whistling and slicing through the air - it's target? That gap between Tatsu's armour, just below his right shoulder.

[Anonymous]

Tatsu heard the panic in Lunette's voice. There was little he could do to try to ease or calm her right now. There was danger approaching. He could feel it; tension building within him, drawing his every muscle into a taunt readiness. She kept looking to him, was it for reassurance? He did not let his eyes meet her gaze. No, there was only coldness there now. The icy gleam reflected in the moonlight was directed elsewhere. That coldness was not for her.

Beneath that calm surface was a bubbling cauldron of mixed emotion. Frustration and worry, he wanted to do more to help ease the fairy, but there was little more he could do. Rage and disdain, the hunter was a despicable excuse for a human being. Or perhaps a prime example of them? He held little faith in humanity, but couldn't help but feel sorry for them at the same time. Not for this hunter, though. No, this hunter would pay for his crimes tonight. If he were unwise.

A dismissive wave was given when he was told he should leave. Tatsu would not even entertain the thought. There was no way that he could leave Lunette now, when she was so very helpless and vulnerable. Only shame would have come from such an action. There was at least honor in defending those that could not defend themselves. The hunter crashed through into the clearing by the pond. Tatsu did not even look up from where he knelt by Lunette.

His calmness was absolute, except for that tension that had reached a peak inside of him. Every inch of him was poised, like a bowstring drawn back to its capacity, just waiting to unleash the deadly arrow. There was a moment of stillness, like the world had held its breath. Then the crossbow fired, sending the bolt straight for a weak point in his armor. The arrow unleashed inside of him. In one fluid movement he had spun to the side, the bolt passed him harmlessly and struck a tree.

"I will forgive that slight, human. Leave or die, I will let you decide."

There was a dangerous undertone to his voice; something cold as the grave.

[Anonymous]

Tatsu didn't leave. Barely moved at all, for all Lunette knew - this all could be some strange fabrication in her own mind from the residual blood loss, only when a hand waved off her words was she assured that she had, indeed spoken. She exhaled shakily, breath coming in unsteady puffs, her arms were beginning to shake. She didn't wish to become the reason for harm toward this strange and pale man - he was exquisite, in his own ways. Porcelain skin that really shouldn't be scattered with the inky kiss of blood - and that was why she had asked him to leave. She had seen enough blood for one day - and she owed him this, at the very least, for all he was aiding her, because it was the right thing to do.

It's not Tatsu's hiss of pain that she feels (hears the arrow thud to rest before she sees it) but rather the elm they had passed only moments ago, the arrow nestled in it's thick trunk. She would return later - (if she could, when she could) and remove it, soothe the elm back over and apologize. Though Tatsu's fluid movement had reflected yet more of that practiced and unnatural ease. (Just what was he? Some sort of druid, perhaps? They were known to the forests). When he spoke, the icy edge to his voice didn't just raise the hairs on Lunette's neck - she felt the hunter suppress a gentle shudder (the grass at his feet leaned away).

That beady gaze flicked from Lunette to Tatsu, he spared a brief moment to merely admire them - a pair of strange and etherial beings, beings that he didn't - nor would he ever - understand. To him, tonight he had been lucky - Fairies had magic beyond their own comprehension, he would find a warlock to sap her strength for him, perhaps that armour would fetch him a price, too.

"Leave the fairy." He grunted in response, tugging free another arrow from his quiver to load unto his crossbow, "Or I aim for something important." His finger lingered over the trigger, and Lunette could see it aiming for the soft part of Tatsu's throat. She cursed herself, for she was powerless, with nothing but the comfort of the trees - the trees! She threaded her fingers back through the grass, extending her link through the soil to the roots of the withering pine tree above the hunter, she reached out further, asking quiet permission to drop the decaying branch hanging some feet above that bald head, and the tree responded - sluggishly compliant - and there was a splinter, a snap, and the branch came crashing down, falling heavily atop the hunter's left shoulder, knocking him down, sending his arrow awry, whistling past the elm to land in the dirt.

"He's alive." She warned, death wasn't in her power, she was not made to kill, it bode against her very creation. She reached for Tatsu's wrist, reluctant to allow him to leave her side, to allow him to approach anything that would harm him, though she released him after a mere moment, her torso swaying to the left, until she buckled down onto her elbow, her vision blurring at the edges. Distantly, she could hear the hunter scrambling to his feet again, loading yet another arrow.

[Anonymous]

There was no honor in killing those unworthy. Tatsu did not wish to kill this human. What point was there in anything without honor? It was almost comical, really, to think of killing this hunter in self-defense. Of course, it wasn't his own defense he was worried about. He spared a glance at the delicate little fairy. Her condition was severe. It was still astonishing how much blood could pour out of such a tiny creature. That calculated cold that he so vehemently held to in the heat of battle faltered. She looked so fragile. As if the slightest harsh touch could break her. An almost overwhelming sense of protectiveness flooded through him.

His eyes narrowed as the human thought to command him. Leave the fairy indeed! The hunter aimed for his throat, but he was ready. Nothing was going to stop him tonight. Nothing would catch him off guard this time. Nothing, of course, except the falling of the tree branch. The arrow fired wildly, not even remotely a danger. She caught his wrist in her soft grasp. It would be laughable to think such a tiny, gentle hold could even make him pause, but it did. He remained still, daring to look at her once more. His eyes lost the cold edge, warming, for her. She released him, with the warning.

For a moment he could only look at her; a puzzled expression on his face. He could hear the hunter scrambling to get another arrow loaded into his crossbow. That cold edge had left him. He had distanced himself emotionally from the situation and had been fully prepared to kill the human if necessary. Now he knew that there could be no death tonight. There had been enough bloodshed for Lunette today; she didn't need to see any more. Moving swiftly now, he closed the distance between himself and the hunter.

It was a delicate balance, managing his strength against a human. First he grabbed hold of the crossbow pushing it to point harmlessly at the ground. Then he brought one arm up to make a swift, precise blow to the head. Enough force to incapacitate, but not so much as to break bone or kill. The hunter had brought this upon himself. The rage at what he had already done to Lunette, what he still wanted to do to her, was enough to make him reconsider the merciful sparing of the human's life. He forced anger away and held to the emotion of concern. Lunette needed his help, not for him to go around killing hunters in the forest.