The Night, Its Call

[Lion]

The dream always ended the same way, and left him waking in a heavy sweat.  The monster that he hunted, the beast that killed his father, always left a linger fear in the pit of his stomach.  That fear of many things: that he was insane, that perhaps the beast truly did not exist, that perhaps he would never find it, or that the beast was really hunting him, biding its time until the most opportune moment.

Yes, the dream always ended the same way.  He was hot on the animal's heels, having tracked it for days and days on end.  He was always close, but never enough to make the kill, as if the beast was toying with him, able to swerve from his steady aim, just when he had a chance.  And when he thought he lost it, it turned on him, ready to kill.  And he always awoke before it did.  The dream didn't always come, but when it did, it always left him feeling a sense of both dread and relief. 

He was shaking and sweating and he tore the fur covering his body from his form.  Moonlight poured through the evening clouds just visible above the treeline from his perch in a cave inlet.  Rook took a cloth and wiped the sweat from his brow and body peered out toward the wilderness, in whose heart he now sat.

The days of hunting had been long and he found little more than a rabbit earlier that morning to serve as his lunch and dinner, but the forest seemed scarce afterward.  The night was not as lively with activity as he would have thought as well, and was partly thankful it wasn't.  To know there was nothing out there that might be looking at him as prey was much needed relief to the dream he escaped from. 

Rook's eyes scanned the treeline, the sky and counted the stars for a short time, trying to find anything that might take the images of the animal from his mind.  He knew it wasn't something he could easily forget, but perhaps if he could push it away from his vision for a moment, perhaps he might get some much needed rest.  The weeks had been long and he thought it best to return to the nearest town in the morning.  Ketra was close by and would make a good market for the small number of skins he collected while on his excursion.

But just as he was about to lay down, Rook heard a crackling of breaking twigs and leaves that immediately alerted him to the presence of another.  Rook was quick, and reached for his bow and tossed his quiver over his head.  He nocked an arrow and quickly moved into the shadows, hearing the crunching grow louder and closer.  He waited beside the inlet, having no time to clear what remained of his camp and laid waiting in the bushes, holding his bow at the ready, watching and waiting as the intruder came closer.

[Zero]

The sounds of snapping twigs and rustling leaves left a disturbance in their wake. The few creatures that did scurry about in the night fled from the sound of something large moving through the undergrowth. That was just the way of nature when you left human civilization behind. It was beautiful and violent, ordered but chaotic; a state of being in which everything was in a constant state of movement and change. You lived in the moment or died in the past.

What came upon the camp was almost as large as a pony, but was obviously no placid herbivore. Razor sharp talons scraped against stone as the regal head of a falcon bent down to sniff at the hastily abandoned site. Gorgeous white plumage faded into equally dazzling fur, with spots of endless abyss thrown across the snowy canvas in beautiful patterns. Many would recognize the odd mash of bird and cat as a gryphon, though it was debatable how many had seen one in the flesh.

Even as the gryphon examined Rook's belongings ahead, a silent shadow, quiet as a whispered breeze moved behind. This was Roxanne's home, every rock, every cave, every dip and depression, every hollow and stream was known to her within the Draconi forest. Not only did she already have an arrow notched, but her bow was drawn as she paused several feet behind her target. She gave a soft bird call and Dirk jerked his head up to look directly at Rook's hiding place, giving a soft hiss and spreading his wings.

"That could be the last arrow you ever draw. I wouldn't suggest it."

[Lion]

When he saw the bird, his breath was taken away and Rook's eyes widened at the sight of such creature.  In all the years he had been hunting, never had he seen such a beast.  It was so graceful, so elegant and yet the fierceness readily glinting in its eyes as it prowled along his empty camp.  He could feel his bow ready in his eager hands, ready to take the shot.  Better it than he, as far as he was concerned and he could tell by that beak, it could do some nasty damage if it had the chance to nab him.

He sucked in a soft air of breath and slowly pulled back the bow, ready to take the shot.  His aim would be true, at this distance it was impossible for him to miss.  But then he felt his heart leap into his throat when the creature turned its elegant head to look at him.  And then the words came and Rook froze completely.  He'd been cornered and he knew the woman, whoever she was, was close enough to administer the kill without so much as a breath.

He loosed the arrow, slowly bending the bow back into a relaxed position and held the arrow in the nock with his index finger.  With his back to her, his hand carefully moved toward the hilt of the hunting knife on his leg, pulling it up in increments.  "If you're going to shoot me, best get it done and over with.  I have right to protect my camp.  I'm just passing through," he said slowly, turning his head and waist slightly both to get a look at her and to conceal the drawing of the knife.

[Zero]

As soon as his bow was no longer in a threatening position Dirk's wings folded back into a relaxed state and he shook himself, feathers and fur ruffling then smoothing. A subtle gesture from the woman had the creature moving away from the man's things. No damage had been done to the camp, the only disturbance caused were the impressions of talons and paws. Dark eyes never left the hunter there was wariness and mistrust in the inhuman eyes, once clear of the camp he stood and watched.

The figure behind him was cast in shadow, her soft grey and green leathers blended into the nighttime forest flawlessly, obviously someone who knew the area well and who was accustomed to moving about unseen. A hooded cloak and loose scarf concealed much of her facial features from view, though intense eyes still gleamed in the moonlight. Her bow was clearly visible and finely made, as was the arrow pointing at his neck.

Roxanne spared a glance at the location, it was a decent campsite, perhaps he was what he said - just another hunter passing through - but could she really be sure of that? Eyes of ice and flint moved to study her quarry again, he'd turned to look towards her, and his subtle movements screamed of deceit. Soft clicking and chattering from the gryphon warned her of what her own eyes could not see. "I have a right to defend myself and my home. Were you really going to shoot something so magnificent? Hunter says you, poacher says I. And the knife is a stupid move, bold, but stupid."

[Lion]

Rook grew irritated at her words and that she saw such subtle movement, even in the dark, made his hand retreat the blade back into the sheathe. He turned to her at last and peered at his hunter hidden beneath her hood and cloak.  "You've got the wrong idea," he growled.  "I have the right to protect myself!  Now put your bow down or I'll do just that!  I'd hate for either of us to get hurt."  It wasn't a threat, but perhaps it could serve well enough as a warning.  Rook was more than prepared to move out of her shot.

He could vaguely make out the glint in her eyes, eyes that most certainly meant business.  He doubted he could trust her to not loose that arrow.  She could just as easily use her weapon to coax him into putting his down and kill an unarmed man and steal his gear.  Rook faced her for a moment before suddenly using his legs to spring him into her.

In that same move, he brandished his knife and tried to pin her down with his weight.

[Zero]

Roxanne was at a distinct advantage of being on familiar ground and that she effectively had two sets of eyes to watch Rook with. One set that was far keener than any human eyes. She was at a stalemate, she didn't trust the man in front of her, and he wasn't likely to trust her either. It was a relief, and surprise, when he put the knife back instead of withdrawing it further.

A plan of action was still working its way through her mind when suddenly there was a burst of activity. It seemed that he wasn't going to simply stand there and let her figure out what to do. A soft curse was issued before she released her arrow and then immediately dropped her bow. One hand was raised to try to fend off a stab or slash from the knife while her knee was brought up to attempt to give him a solid blow to the groin.

[Lion]

Despite his quick reflexes, the hunter could not evade the arrow shot that the woman launched from her bow.  It had narrowly missed any arteries or vital organs, and instead it dug deeply into the soft flesh of his thigh.  Rook growled at her in both pain and frustration at the injury and wanted only to hold the knife to keep the odds in his favor.

Too bad it wasn't the only pain he would receive that instant.  When her knee came up between his legs, he lost all sense for the longest ten seconds of his life.  He felt as though his breath was kicked out of him and he rolled off to the side, holding his groin with one hand and nursing his leg with the other.

[Zero]

Everything had happened so quickly, Roxanne was slightly dazed, not entirely sure how she had ended up on the ground. Her reactions had been purely reflexive to danger, her blood was pumping furiously, causing a rush in her ears. She had completely forgotten that she wasn't alone with the stranger until she heard Dirk's piercing cry of rage as he rushed at the injured man.

Roxanne was quick to jump up and put herself between man and beast. Dirk slide to a stop in front of her, letting out a guttural growl of displeasure. "No, don't. He's hurt enough." She pushed the large beast back gently. Reluctantly the gryphon stepped back, dark eyes still glaring hatefully at Rook.

[Lion]

Rook felt his eyes grow wide with fear when the gryphon fully intended to charge at him and likely gore him through.  His instinct was to scramble for his knife, but that was already dropped somewhere in the dark and instead Rook sat up and stared wide-eyed at the woman who just saved his life while simultaneously injuring him.

"Who are you!?" he growled, holding his injured leg and putting as much pressure as he could on the wound.  "What do you want!?  Gods...my fucking leg."  He seethed and found enough strength to take the arrow in hand, snapping off the back of it, but having mo more courage to rip the rest of it out.

[Zero]

Roxanne turned blue-grey eyes back to Rook, her expression puzzled, as if not quite sure what to make of him, and certainly not sure what to do with him. What a bloody mess. She wasn't sure who to blame, the fool man or Dirk. If the damned bird-brained idiot would have just stayed away, none of this would have happened, then again, if the man hadn't been trying to shoot her baby she wouldn't have had to even speak to him.

"I'm a hunter," She said dryly to his inquiry, stepping carefully over and dropping down to her knees next to him just as he broke the arrow off. "What I want is for you to have not been here in the first place, but there's no use for wishful thinking, now is there? Did it go all the way through?"

She hesitated to actually reach out and touch him. She had the feeling that he wasn't going to relish the idea of her helping him after she had been the one to shoot him, even if it had been his own fault for trying to attack her.

[Lion]

He was sweating profusely when she made her inquiry and trying desperately to keep the snot dripping from his nose from streaming into his mouth.  He wiped it off with his clean hand and peered at her with half a snarl, a mix of uncertain gratitude and impotent rage.  Though she clearly had the advantage over him, the fight was all rung out of him for the moment.

And this wasn't the first time he seemed to get injured around strange women in the forest.  If he wasn't in pain, he would have laughed at the thought.

"No, no," he answered in aragged breathe.  "I don't think so.  Or else I could pull it clean through the other side.  It's in the muscle!"  Despite her intention was clearly to help him even after she shot him, Rook still couldn't be sure he wanted to trust her that easily.  "I wasn't gonna shoot him," he quickly tried to explain.  "I just wanted to scare him away!  I mean it."

[Zero]

She made a slight grimace when she saw how much he was sweating and the snot running from his nose. Reaching into a pouch at her belt she produced a soft linen handkerchief and offered it to him. The thought to simply leave him there to his own devices crossed her mind, but with his leg injured he might struggle to survive the night if a predator caught wind of him. Since she was the one that shot him, a small - tiny really - twinge of guilt gnawed at her.

His rushed explanation merely had her blue-grey eyes rolling. He hadn't looked as if he was only going to try scaring Dirk away. Still, he was obviously not familiar with gryphons, so she could hardly blame him for it. Although, come to think of it, shooting a wild gryphon might actually have been in his best interest, it wasn't as if Dirk wore a sign that said he was tame.

"You shouldn't have raised your bow at him at all, he wouldn't have hurt you, but you didn't know that, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on that one. Think I can pull it out? If I can't it'll have to be cut out..."

[Lion]

He really wasn't in the mood - or condition - to argue over the matter of whether or not he clearly intended to kill that wild and strange creature.  So he pushed it out of mind and seethed a little.  He rejected the handkerchief and instead grabbed her shoulder in a powerful grip.  "Just help me get to my camp," he grunted with effort.

Rook wouldn't give himself the relief of a scream before he grabbed on to a tree and hopped along.  "Grab my bow and knife would ya?  Don't worry.  I have no more will to fight you," he reasoned until he was able to move back toward his blankets. 

"You'll have to cut it out and make a fire if you can.  Heat the blade of my knife and burn the wound.  It'll help stop the bleeding," Rook explained and peered at her with narrow eyes.  "What?  You're a hunter aren't you.  You ought to know that.  Make the fire first.  There's flint right there by the ashes."

[Zero]

She gave a soft growl as his hand gripped her shoulder roughly, but she put up with it - for now. Her fingers wrapped around him in a steely grip as she helped him up, then shrugged him off. Roxanne didn't like people to start with, had especially not liked this one, and he wasn't exactly improving her opinion of him.

"Just shut up and sit down wherever you're gonna do this, you big baby." She snapped before retrieving the bow and knife he had dropped. Again she thought of just leaving him there, he was bossy for someone that could use some help.

She deposited his weapons, none too gently, by the blankets he had for himself. Dirk had settled down a short distance away to watch with a gleam in his eye. Grabbing some kindling, she stuck up a fire easily enough. "You know, I've never dug an arrow out of something still alive before..."

[Lion]

Her irritation brushed off him like a water droplet off a leaf.  He didn't know why she was so moody, but he was certain he had something to do with it.  Pfft, what a wonderful turn of events.  After all, she was the one who shot him!  It couldn't be helped he supposed, he didn't much care for finding strangers in the forest.  And all of them seemed to be insane or murderous.

He wondered which one she fell under.  Most likely both.  Anyway, the sooner this was done the better.

At her words he eyed her with some anxiety, but swallowed it away on a dry throat.  "Is that so?  So, you kill a lot of hunters in the woods then that only try to defend themselves?" he asked tentatively.  He still held his leg and tried to spread the fabric of his trousers enough to make the cut nice and simple.

[Zero]

The flames licked the cold steel as it was held over them, cool eyes watching Rook with a mixture of irritation and amusement. Nervous was he? Good. He'd certainly made her nervous enough when he'd been aiming an arrow at Dirk.

"Oh no, you're the first person I've shot in a long time, but usually when I shoot something it dies. I don't shoot to injure after all, that would be cruel. Lucky or unlucky for you, I can't decide." Her tone was quiet serious.

She pulled the knife from the fire and walked over, holding the heated blade away from her body. "Let's get this over with. The sooner I get my arrowhead back, the sooner I can get on my way."

[Lion]

Rook glared at her for a while and nodded.  He sat up and prepared himself for the worst.  The blade was red hot, steaming metal when it made contact with his skin and Rook's face immediately turned red with pain and he nearly passed out by the time the arrowhead was cut out of his leg.  Of course it wasn't over yet and he immediately reached for his shirt in the corner to stuff into his mouth when the knife cauterized the wound.

He was in tears and exhausted from it all, trying to catch his breath and not pass out.

[Zero]

No matter about her comment of never working on a living patient before, Roxanne cut the remaining part of the arrow from his leg as deftly as she could, and without causing anymore damage than necessary. Her nose crinkled slightly from the smell of singed flesh, and her fingers were covered in blood, but she finally put the knife down.

"A salve should definitely be put on this, to help fight infection. If you don't have any I'll have to get some, but that shouldn't be a problem." She took the handkerchief he had refused for his nose earlier and bound his leg securely.

[Lion]

He felt himself a little delirious from the pain and saw the woman's form in split double-vision.  He groaned and touched his head as she knotted the kerchief around his leg, breathing heavily but at least aware that he was still alive.  His leg throbbed, a dull pain and the smell of singed flesh stung his nostrils.  Gods he hoped that was all that it was and he wasn't have a stroke.  Not that he would know if he was.

"I-I don't have any..." he panted.  "But...I will repay you if you retrieve some for me."

[Zero]

Roxanne patted the man's shoulder gently. She was actually starting to feel just a little sorry for him, he looked in pretty rough shape. Then again, she'd never been shot in the leg with an arrow before, so she could only imagine this was highly unpleasant.

"Don't worry about repaying, I did shoot you, so this one's on me. Just don't pass out yet." Standing she hurried over to Dirk, who had made himself comfy while watching the action. She prodded the animal with a finger, causing him to huff lazily. "Get to work, I don't feed you so you can lay around and look pretty."

Dirk rose back to his feet and shook himself before unfurling his wings. They created a soft thrum with each down stroke as he lifted himself from the ground and flew away.

As soon as the gryphon was gone Roxanne got out a water skin and another soft scrap of linen, wetting it she sat beside her patient and offered him a drink. "Here, a drink will help, and this cloth will feel cool on your head."