Spirits of the Earth

[ @DragonSong  ]

The trap was set.  All he had to do now was wait, breath held, tightening in his throat as if the slightest sound would wake the birds.  Well, it wouldn't be the first time.  Rook knew best not to linger in the area, sighing inwardly, the best way to catch prey was to leave and return at a later time.  It was just as well, he wouldn't catch a damn thing, but game always seemed to sense when someone was nearby.

With that he bound the strip of rope in his hand, knotting it at its base and slipping it into his belt.  He took a moment to check on the hunting knife at his side.  His hand twitched.  Best to stay on his guard, he decided, and turned round, listening intently and walking quietly away.  The birds continued to chirp all on their own, nothing disturbed them.

And nothing would, even as another would scamper behind the trail Rook had left hours later.  What a curious being, he decided.  He was a black crow, rather large for its size, and with blue streaks marking along his black breast feathers.  He observed the bent twig, and the twine used to hold it in place.  Perhaps it was best not to disturb it.

Hindsight was always 20/20.

It didn't matter if Veles didn't touch the string, because as he turned, his body moved a carefully placed rock.  And when the rock moved, the twig twisted, loosened the twine, and up from beneath him a net embraced all around him.  He yelped as the net pulled him up high into a tree, and moving only twisted it further around him.

Veles panicked, fear pushing through him in a cold stab that penetrated deep into his lungs.  He did not scream, but struggling in that entwined net soon exhausted him.  He was dazed, his head spinning and aching all around.  Beneath him the world turned as he did on his head.  Night was falling now, and the fear struck deeper.

He wouldn't scream.  He didn't know how that would help his situation.  If the hunter that had set this trap would return soon,  he had every intention of eating whatever he found in the net.  Veles morphed his form, body altering and shifting the net as his legs extended and wings turned to arms, and feathers turned to flesh.

He did the only thing that came to mind then, and howled loudly as a wolf would, a loud and mournful cry.

The howl made her stop dead, head tilted as she listened. That was no call to packmates or celebration of the hunt. That was panicked and alone.

Ghost turned toward the sound, shifting to the form of a wolf as she did. She found it was usually best to meet new animals in their own shape, it made them less wary of her. Ears pricked, she set off in a steady lope in the direction of the sound.

It was easier to find her goal than she would have expected. Mostly because he was hung above the ground, caught in a net. Well, she supposed that explained a bit. Cautiously, she padded forward, sniffing the air for the hunter she was sure had set the trap and being very careful of where she placed her paws.

When she was almost directly under the net, she gave a soft, firm bark, letting the other wolf know she was there as a friend. Now she just needed to figure out a way to get him down.

Which would be nearly impossible in her current form. Another bark and a low whine, asking him not to panic at what she was about to do, and she let the change wash through her, rising up onto two legs and pushing pale blond hair out of her face to better observe the trap.

"I'm going to get you out of there, just stay calm," she said quietly, walking in a delicate circle around the trap to try to figure out its weak points.

[He's in human form.  And naked. Sorry, shoulda made that clearer!]

Veles stopped struggled when he heard the pawing of a nearby creature.  Blue eyes glittered in the dark, moonlight pouring in from the treetops above him.  Fear gripped him for a long terrifying moment and he made no sound as he observed the wolf stepping carefully through the brush, as he should have done.

Then just as abruptly the wolf altered form and grew into a woman.  Veles gasped slightly, breath holding and he stilled in the net.  No reply could pass his lips.  Another shape changer?  Was she fae like he was?  Curiosity best suspended before he was free.

"Please hurry.  I don't know when the hunter will be back?" He said, the words coming out strange.

[Oops, my bad!]

Ghost bit her lip, eyeing the ropes that tethered the net to the branch. "Just hold on, try not to move," she urged, and jumped. When her feet left the ground she became a white bird, most closely resembling a dove, and fluttered to the branch.

The knot was beyond her, so it looked like she was going to have to cut through. The dove changed to a large cat and she sank her claws into the wood and set about gnawing through the rope.

When she had it almost entirely cut through, she shifted quickly back to human form and called softly, "Brace yourself, the net's going to fall," a few moments before the last fibers of the rope gave way.

Watching her shift made Veles' eyes grow wide.  He straightened in the net, finding his words caught in his throat - they never came easy anyway - and braced for impact.  With the creak of the branch the snap of the rope when it suddenly gave way and he slammed hard to the forest floor.  Veles yelped, groaning and scrambling to the human body he'd given himself.  No wings, no paws, just hands and feet.

"Who? Who are you?" He croaked out.

The shifter dropped lightly to the ground, straightening up from the crouch she'd landed in to tilt her head an eye him curiously.

"Most people call me Ghost," she said quietly. Then she frowned a bit. "Who are you? How'd you end up in that trap?"

"Foolish foolish bird that I am," Veles coughed out.  "I am glad to meet another Fae.  I am Veles."  He turned onto his side, showing his nakedness since it didn't occur to him that it may prove a problem in this situation.  Burrs and twigs stuck too his butt, as he stood and observed the wicked trap.

"We must leave quicker.  The hunter will be swift.  I saw his contraption and did not avoid it.. Foolish bird."

"Fae?" Ghost repeated, blinking. She'd met her share of forest spirits, but those were nymphs. She'd never met a Fae creature before.

She shook her head, wanting to correct his misconception. "No, I'm just a shapeshifter-" Her voice sort of choked off when he turned and she snapped her eyes up, feeling her face heat a bit. Although she supposed it made sense- he could obviously change forms, the only garment that stayed with her through a shift was a gossamer slip that had been a gift from the dryad who raised her- it was still a little disconcerting.

She snapped back to survival mode when he mentioned a hunter. "Yes, we should go," she agreed, pale eyes searching the trees warily. Tilting her head at him again, she asked, "Do you have some place to return to?"

She spoke many words, more than he'd heard in a long time.  The words of spirits were not often things expressed in vocalizedspeech.  Words were things of mortals and men, and they made his head tilt that she spoke of them now.  "A shapeshifter? I may have heard of your kind.  Whisperings in the shadows.  You take little babes away and change them.  Are you one such babe?"

A question cut short by her odd red face.

Veles turned to focus on the matter at hand.  He could ask her another time, assuming there would be one.  "The hunter comesquick!  He is sswift.  We must be swifter!"  He nodded to her before he crouched and turned his form into a black wolf.  Paws crossed leaves and tufts of grass as they departed.

Rook thought he'd heard voices.  Then he saw creatures moving from his trap site.  Shit!  Those damn creatures better not have stolen his meal!  Quickly he nocked an arrow and fired, the bolt whizzing beside Veles' ear.

Opening her mouth to reply, Ghost thought better of it when he mentioned the hunter again. Nodding, she dropped to all fours and took her own wolf form, falling easily into step beside him as they loped off.

Then the arrow flew by and she gave a startled yelp, veering instinctively into a zigzag pattern to make herself a more difficult target to hit. She barked sharply, trying to urge the Fae creature to do the same.

Veles looked at her only for a moment, but that was enough time for another arrow to fly at his direction.  This time it struck true, striking his flank.  Veles yelped, but bolted as best he could.  Limping he ran off after Ghost.  Trying to move his left back leg gave a vicious sting.  Muscle tore in the movement and the pain was blinding.  Still he made the effort, and would allow himself to.be captured.  Three legs were better than none.

Seeing he'd been hit, Ghost changed direction, turning in an arch to flank him. With a whine and a nudge, she urged him to keep running, trying to herd him further into the shadows where he would blend.

Then she turned and raced in another direction, barking loudly. She was easier to see anyway, and she wasn't the one hurt. Maybe if she could attract the hunter's attention, keep him focused on her, Veles would have time to get away.

The pair of wolves zigzagging from place to place, in and out of range, in and out of focus frustrated Rook.  But he wasn't going to give up.  His knee ached from the swift motion of pursuit.  Where the soft ground bent beneath his weight, the wolves moved with such grace and ease, weaving between trees to avoid capture.

He tried to knock another arrow, but a swift turn away, around a boulder, lost his vision of them.

Veles kept his wounded hindquarter off the ground as much as he could.  They made exceptional distance, and he kept up along with Ghost.   Fear rattled inside his chest, as his paws tore across the undergrowth, flying over a rotting log and down a steep slope.

Ghost was getting worried. Fear and adrenaline seemed to be keeping Veles running, but he was hurt. If only they could find somewhere to hide so he could take a break...

She didn't want to lead the hunter back to her home nest, but she didn't know where else to go. Mind whirling, panicking, she didn't notice a small rock in her path as they raced down the slope. A true wolf never would have been tripped up, but she had just enough human in her to stumble, legs splaying out in an ungainly way that would have been humiliating if she had the mind space to be embarrassed.

Her fall and the incline of the slope sent her airborne for a moment, and instinctively she shifted, fur replaced with feathers and legs changing in an instant to pure white wings. The girl-turned-wolf-turned swan glided up, unthinking that she'd now made herself a target.

Rook hadn't been thinking to fire on the second target, but even in the vague stems of moonlight, he saw a figure change.  It turned from wolf to bird, and in that split second, it was enough to give him pause.  Pause that allowed Veles to change with her, the arrow falling from his flesh, but the wound remaining.

His crow form took flight beside hers, though he remained just below the treeline.

Rook stood in awe, shaken a bit at what he'd seen.  Surely this couldn't be real.

Taking advantage of the hunter's apparent surprise, Ghost swooped in a low arc, hoping to catch Veles' attention and urge him to follow her as she climbed above the treetops, banking in the direction of her current nest.

Veles saw her mid-swoop and turned upward to join her.  His wings were much larger than a normal crows and this would give him the leverage he needed to stay along with her.  They flew wide and far, and covered more than the hunter could pursue them with.  They were safe for the moment, although Veles' wounded leg throbbed and dripped blood that beaded along his talons.

Seeing Veles was following her, Ghost banked and guided him to a break in the trees once they were a safe distance away from the hunter. They weren't quite to her nest, but he needed attention.

The instant before she touched down she shifted to human form, running a few paces as she lost momentum before turning and saying, "Here, let me look at that wound."

Wings beat against the wind and brought him down along with her. When she changed back, so did he, but he tumbled to the floor and whimpered as he saw the wound left by the arrow.  Veles had never seen so much blood, and he felt his eyes wet with tears.  "It hurts," he murmured.

"Oh..." Ghost knelt beside him, wincing in sympathy. "Here, lay on your back," she instructed gently, reaching out to hold him steady so she could get a better look at the wound.

"We need to bandage this," she told him quietly. "I'm sorry, but it's going to hurt." She bit her lip, wracking her brain for something to use as bandaging. Her clothes seemed to be the only cloth available, so she set about tearing strips off her hem.

Viewing the wound in its entirety, Veles felt sour.  He frowned and laid on his back.  As naked as he was when she found him, nothing to cover the chill on his body, as he gave her access to the wound.  "It hurts."

"I know, I'm sorry," she murmured, reaching up to smooth her hand over his forehead in as comforting a gesture as she could manage.

It was easier to ignore his state of undress if she focused on taking care of him. The strips of fabric torn from her clothes weren't much, but they'd have to do. She leaned over him to wind the bandage around his side, wincing a bit every time she had to press on the wound.

Veles whimpered pathetically, blushing as he did so and grabbing her wrist when she was done binding his wound.  He didn't know how else to express what he was feeling and simply wrapped his arm around her middle, hugging her gently.  "Thank you!  You saved me!"

"Oh!" Ghost flushed and went very still, letting him hug her and desperately trying to ignore the fact that he wasn't wearing anything. "Y-you're welcome," she mumbled. After a few moments she pushed away from him gently and sat back.

"Do you think you can move?" she asked. "You should probably keep that form, at least until I can get some better bandaging on you."

Veles sat back and smiled appreciatively down at her work.  She was very clever indeed.  It wasn't that he wouldn't have thought to bind his leg, but nothing had ever marred his beautiful skin before.  He knew it wouldn't scar, however the pain had been eye-opening and he vowed never to be hurt in such a manner again.

He nodded to her.  "I think I can move, yes," he said.  Slowly then his eyes flickered up to their surroundings.  "What is this place?  Is this your home?"

She found her lips twitching up a bit in response to his smile, though she wasn't sure what had caused the expression.

"Not quite," she said, standing and looking around to get her bearings. "My nest is this way," she said, pointing northeast. "Just through a thicket. It's not far." She glanced down at him, remembered he was naked, flushed, and looked away. "Would you...like to come? You can rest there, it's safe."

Veles had not considered that perhaps his nudity was at all inappropriate.  He'd been concerned only with escaping with their lives in that moment, and she had done more to save him than he would have thought anyone would.  He nodded to her and stood, staying off his leg where he muscle stung to put weight on it.

"I would," he said.  "I will follow you."

Ghost moved to start off, then hesitated, looking him up and down and biting her lip. He really should stay off that leg.

"Here." A little cautiously, she moved forward and took his wrist, looping his arm around her shoulders. "Lean on me, it'll make walking easier." She gave him a small smile.

Veles was not small, and he wondered how a creature such as herself could hope to balance his weight.  He did not protest it however, as he limped along with her in the direction of the thrush.

He was a solid creature, but she was stronger than she looked. It didn't take too long for her to get them through the trees to a small thicket with an old maple growing in the center. In and around the roots was a nest of sorts, fashioned from what appeared to be scavenged bits of fabric and a few other odds and ends.

"Here." Ghost guided him to sit in her "nest". "Just sit and rest for a while." She bit her lip and tilted her head at him. "How's your wound feel? Are- are you hungry?" She wasn't used to playing hostess.

Breath was held when he saw the thrush open before them.  He had seen many beautiful things in his existence, and never had he ceased to wonder at the power of nature.  The tree had small fireflies that danced in the dark, igniting the nest Ghost led him to.

Veles plopped down and made himself comfortable.  Though he was not accustomed to this body, his current surroundings made it easier to acclimate himself.  He looked over to her and then to his leg.  "It will heal with time.  That is how Mother does it, no?  She heals all things in time.  Like your tree, she made it grow strong, big and wonderful."  The smiling was starting to hurt his face.

"You have food?"  His stomach growled.  "I haven't eaten since being in that trap.  I would be grateful if you had something to share.  I understand humans...exchange things for...services?  Hispitality?  Hoooospilaty?  HOSH-pit-al-ity.  I believe that is the word.  Strange things they say."

Ghost giggled quietly. "Hospitality," she told with with a smile, then added, "and you don't need to give me anything in exchange for it. I'm happy to share."

She settled beside him- but not too close- and reached under the curve of one root to bring out a few handfuls of nuts and berries she'd gathered earlier that day and stored away for later. "I'm afraid this is all I have," she said, offering them to him. "I was just going out to hunt earlier when I heard you in the trap."

Tilting her head a bit, she said slowly, "If you prefer prey, I can go hunt now." She didn't love the idea of leaving him alone while he was recovering, but she knew he needed to eat.

Veles settled into the nest, sitting criss-cross - sort of where his leg wasn't too awkward to bend - and he took the handful of berries and nuts.  He took a pinchful of them, eating them slowly.  "These are fine, thank you!" he said.  He looked her over.  "You are here...all alone?"

Tucking her legs under her body, Ghost glanced at him and nodded. "Most of the time, yes," she murmured, meeting his eyes. It felt much safer to keep her gaze focused on his face. "Sometimes dryads or animals come to visit, but usually it's just me."

She shrugged, then tilted her head at him curiously. "Do you live with other fae?" she asked with interest. "I've never met one of your kind before today- are there a lot of you?"

Veles picked at the berries in his hand, maneuvering around the nuts.  Those he would save for last, although their mixed flavor left behind interesting textures in his mouth.  He blushed a bit and popped the last berry in his mouth.

"No...no others.  I am...just Veles.  I always am, for as long as I've known.  No one else.  There must be more of me.  I have seen some, fae creatures.  Some like myself, but I do not frolick with them, if that is what you mean.  I am a spirit of the wild.  A part of it, and an expression of it.  This form is not my favorite, but humans seem to find it easier to acclimate to one that resembles their own.  What about you?  How is it that you can change into animals?"

Listening, Ghost nodded along as he spoke. She might have thought his existence lonely, but he seemed perfectly content with it.

"Oh, me?" She shrugged again. "It's just...how my people are. At least that's what I've been told. We're born in human form, but we can change shape to any form we wish." Watching him pick around the nuts and smiling a bit, she asked, "If that's not the shape you like best, what is?"

He stared at her at that last question.

"My beautiful feathers of course," he said, beaming suddenly from ear to ear.  He ate a nut and crunched on it happily.  "I am a bird.  But...darker than the other birds.  A crow of course.  But I like padding around as a wolf from time to time.  This...form, feels so strange to me.  Five fingers and five toes.  Why would humans need so many extra appendages?  It feels absurd to me."

He finished his handful, reaching across to poke the cheeks of her face.  "How long have you been out here?" he asked as he stretched the skin of her cheeks gently, feeling the texture of her face.

She found herself giggling at his odd patterns of speech, but stopped when he started prodding at her face. "Erm..." She shifted uncomfortably but resisted the impulse to lean away. He seemed only curious, and she didn't want to deny him.

"Out here? All my life," she said easily. "I've only been in this nest for a few months though." Brow furrowing a bit, she glanced at his hand and mumbled, "What are you doing exactly?"

"Seeing if your skin is like mine," he said thoughtfully.  Veles was meticulous but gentle in his touches, squishing her face against the bones of her skull and clasping both hands up to her temples.  Fingers ruffled through her hair, shaking it.  "You are well formed, Lady Ghost.  Might I say beautiful."  He smiled and rescinded his hands. 

Her face heated. "Oh. Well, um..." She coughed, wanting to look away but unable to with his hands in her hair on either side of her head. "Th-thank you." Ghost cleared her throat and mumbled, blush deepening, "You're not so bad yourself."

Eyes flicking down- oops, nope, bad idea- then quickly back up, she added, "No need to call me Lady. Just Ghost is fine."

He noticed her gaze peering down and he made a surprised face.  "Oh, my apologies.  I feel as if you are more than worthy of the title," he confessed and then crossed his legs and covered himself.  "I am sorry if I have made you feel uncomfortable.  It is not my intention."

Her blush deepened further, if that was even possible. "Oh, um- ahaha..." She gave a nervous little laugh and trailed off. With a sigh, she ran a hand through her hair and murmured, "It's alright, you're not doing anything wrong. I'm just...not used to having company." She offered a small smile, much more comfortable looking directly at him now that he was covering anything important.

Veles did relax, especially now that Ghost did so.  Something about her presence was comforting, and he decided he liked her.  While she was not like him, that difference in itself was all it took to fascinate him.  She could change in animals with ease, and had saved him without question.  She risked herself although she didn't have to, and that was enough to make him scoot closer to her.

He was quiet for a time, having finished his finger foot and he glanced at her.  "The evening is a bit chilly, do you have a blanket?  Although it's probably silly of me asking since I could just turn into a wolf.  But changing would be difficult with the wound."

"Oh, yeah, sure." Ghost smiled and shifted a bit so she could get at one of the many pieces of fabric she'd scavenged over the years that made up her nest. This one happened to be a blanket- rather threadbare, but it would have to do.

"Here." She leaned forward to drape it around his shoulders. "You're right, you really shouldn't shift with that wound, not for a day or two at least."

Veles felt safer with the blanket draped over him.  And he relaxed even more than before. One thing lingered on his mind and he grabbed Ghost's hand gently before, eyes wide.  "What about the hunter? What if he finds us?" He whispered these words almost as if the man himself were close enough he might hear them.

"Shh, shh," Ghost soothed with a soft smile, stroking her hand over his hair absently. For some reason she felt quite protective of him, almost nurturing, despite the fact that she logically knew he was a much more powerful creature than herself.

"You get some rest," she said quietly. "I'll keep watch, okay? Everything's going to be alright."

The hand left trails of tingles on his scalp, an unusual feel but not an unpleasant one.  Veles nodded to her before huddling closer to the shelter of the tree.  Its protective embrace was enough to still him.  He closed his eyes and soon drifted off.  He was not used to sleeping in this form, but it would have to do for now.  And he trusted Ghost to protect them.

When he seemed to be asleep, Ghost stood silently and let a shift come over her, exchanging skin for feathers as she turned into a snowy white owl.

Fluttering up into the branches of the tree, she perched and simply waited, sharp eyes cutting through the darkness as she kept watch.

As she kept watch through the darkness, Veles did not sleep so soundly.  He started to fidget in the dark, sweating from the sting of his leg wound and unable to shake the images of being hounded from his mind.

Elsewhere, Rook could not shake the memory of what he saw.  Creatures that were shifting between animal form with ease!  He'd heard of shfiters before, but had never met one.  Even the beast that had killed his father was a singular creature, though powerful, was something he'd seen, something he knew he could face.

But moments like this, those that left him not knowing, he didn't like.  The uncertainty unnerved him.

What were such creatures doing wandering around his traps?

It turned out, he wasn't the only one with such questions, and in the town he'd come to rest in, rumor of such creatures wandering the forest were rampant.  They could be worth a pretty penny for someone that could capture one, a shifting animal.  There were buyers for anything, why not these?

Her sharpened senses picked up the shifting of her odd guest below her and Ghost glanced down. Cooing softly, she spread her wings and glided back down to her nest, taking human form as her feet touched the ground.

She hovered for a moment, not sure what to do. He seemed to be distressed- should she wake him, or would that only make it worse?

Settling for a hesitant touch to his shoulder, an attempt to soothe, she murmured, "Veles? It's alright, you're only dreaming." At least it seemed like a nightmare to her, but perhaps fae were different in that regard.

If it was a nightmare, it was too realistic for Veles' liking.  The images that reflected across his mind's eye were vivid and his heartbeat raced wildly in his chest.  He'd never dreamed so before, not to the point where he jumped when Ghost touched his shoulder in comfort.  He sat up, bolting to prop himself on his elbows, and looking at her.

"They found us," he said, panting lightly, looking wild-eyed.  "They found us and stole us away into the night.  There was no comfort in those cold chains.  They took you away and...hurt you.  You were screaming, Ghost.  And I couldn't help you."

And his arms flew around her.

Ghost made a little noise of surprise, struggling to keep her balance for a moment at the sudden embrace. Then she hesitantly returned the gesture, wrapping her arms around him and letting her hands rub soothing little circles over his back and shoulders.

"Hey, it's- it's okay," she stammered. That's what he'd been dreaming about? Her heart squeezed and she tightened her arms around him again. "I'm right here," she murmured. "I'm not going to let anyone take you away, alright? We're safe here, it's okay..."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she only hoped she could keep that promise.

Veles relaxed enough to ease his arms from around her.  But he settled them on her face instead.  He didn't mean to put such a burden on her.  But he felt she had a right to know, even if in the end it proved for naught.  He truly hoped in the end it wouldn't be.  But never had he had such a vivid dream, not with such fiendish interpretation.

"Thank you," he said.  And kissed her forehead.  "I'm sorry.  I-I didn't mean to scare you."

She blushed a little, still getting used to how touchy and affectionate he was. "It's alright," she assured him, petting his hair softly, as though try to to soothe a child. "It was just a nightmare, it can happen to anyone."

Glancing at his wound, she frowned a bit and asked, concerned, "How do you feel?"

Veles in truth had forgotten all about his leg and sat back awkwardly, wincing at the tearing tissue.  "It still hurts.  I'm sorry.  I'm such a burden.  I don't know if I like being so fussed over.  I'll make it up to you, I swear," he said, frowning as he watched the blood seep out into the bandage, spotting it here and there.

Ghost hissed in a small breath when she saw and scented the blood. Then she snapped her eyes back to his face and offered a reassuring smile.

"You're not a burden," she said quietly. "It's not your fault. Here, let me take a look." She leaned over to start to unwrap the makeshift bandaging.

"It stings."  Veles lifted his leg enough to make the movement of the bandages that much easier.  She was nice to him.  Almost too nice.  Anyone else would have questioned it, but for some reason Veles felt he could trust her.  She was like him in a way, hidden out here from prying eyes.  Curious eyes.

"Where did you learn to do the bandage thing?  Is it another human trick?"

She nodded noncommittally, smiling softly and replying, "You could say that. Actually, a dryad taught me." Her brow furrowed just a bit. "I don't really interact with humans much."

Checking his wound, she used the already bloodied bandages to clean it a bit, then ripped a few more strips of fabric from her clothing and set about rebinding it. "I should probably go out and get us something to eat soon," she mused, glancing over her shoulder at the forest.

The mention of a dryad made his head tilt in curiosity.  "Do dryads make good parents?  I didn't know they could bear children.  Not like you anyway."  He was less interested in food, although sitting here and doing nothing was certainly making his stomach growl.  He supposed he could save the questions for later.

"If you wish, I'll still be here," he said, and smiled.  "Go on.  I'll be fine, I think.  I don't have anywhere else to be."

"I don't think they can have children, not in the traditional sense anyway," Ghost said with a small, slightly sad smile. "She...sort of adopted me. It's a bit of a long story."

Standing, she nodded at his assurance that he wouldn't leave the nest and turned to leave. Then she hesitated a moment, adding over her shoulder quickly, "If you're still interested when I get back, we could talk more..."

Shaking herself, she started off in a steady lope, shifting from girl to wolf in between strides as she took off into the trees.

The night was not yet dead.  Even in the gloom of coming dawn, animals stirred in their burrows and the soft paths along the forest floor.  One hunter had risen early, barely sleeping that night, waiting for the stirring around him to quiet.

Rook opened his eyes with a start, hearing the soft padding of paws nearby.  He slung an arrow into his bow, staying in the brush where he'd made his bed and he waited, listening as the padding became louder.

Ghost was so intent on her hunt that she was oblivious to any danger. The scent of rabbits had caught her attention and she slowed her lope to sniff the air, swinging around and heading toward the smell at a steady trot. Unfortunately for the shifter, the wind did not seem to be in her favor, a small breeze blowing the rabbit's scent toward her and the other hunter's away.

There it was, the wolf that had sprung the other from his trap.  It had to be.  He didn't know how many other wolves loping around this area that looked like that one.  Rook pulled that arrow back and when the wolf came in close, roaming about fifty yards away, he let the arrow fly.

The bolt struck her shoulder and Ghost gave a yelping cry, paws skidding as she frantically tried to veer away from the direction the arrow had come. Pain flashed through her with every movement and she looked around wildly, scenting the air.

The hunter. The hunter from before, when she'd helped Veles. Oh no.

Rook was on  his feet in seconds as he saw the wolf cry out and scramble for ground.  The brush was torn up from where nails dug in in an attempt to vault away.  Rook slung another arrow, pausing only long enough to shoot it again, only for the arrowhead to bury itself into the wood of a tree.

He didn't waste time grabbing it, for any moment he would take to aim, the further away the wolf would get.  So he pulled the hunting knife from his thigh, from the thickened sheathe where the blade had been slung, and darted after it, moving expertly over the terrain.

Pain overrode common sense and Ghost found herself racing back toward her nest, yelping and panting with every step. The arrow was buried deep enough that the constant jolting of her paws hitting the ground didn't knock it loose.

Desperate and not thinking very clearly, she shifted, paws changing to cloven hooves as the shape of the wolf was replaced with a white doe. The change was enough to drop the arrow from her shoulder, but now she was bleeding heavily from the wound.

Realizing much too late that she was leading the hunter right to Veles, Ghost suddenly veered sharply tot he side just before she reached her little glen, bounding away into the trees.

Rook didn't stop this time, not when his prey was so close and even as she changed, dropping his arrow, he ducked low enough to snatch it up, sliding it into the quiver quickly.

He was no match for the speed of the white doe, but his sheer doggedness kept the animal in his vision.   As they neared closer to her nest, Veles perked up to the sound and he immediately stood up, limping as it were, when he saw the white doe dashing between trees.

There was a shadow behind her and Veles did not think as he shifted through the thickets and he slammed hard into Rook, sending the hunter to the ground.

Rook reeled, breath hitched and pressed out of him from the fall.

Hearing the scuffle behind her, Ghost whirled around, chest heaving with pants. Her eyes widened and she leaped forward, shifting from doe to girl. She threw herself toward Veles, grabbing at him and urging, "Run, we have to run now!"

She wouldn't let him get hurt for protecting her.

Rook stared up at the eyes of the man that pinned him down.  "You!  You're the wolf!"

"And you're the hunter that's trying to hurt my friend!" Veles spat, keeping his weight on him.  He saw the glint of metal of the hunting knife and his hand grabbed Rook's wrist firmly.  "You will not!"

"What?  I..."  Rook had no room to explain himself.  "You're....people?!  Both of you?"  His hand released the hunting knife.  "I...I've never seen the likes of anything like that in  my life."

Ghost froze, still gripping Veles shoulders, and stared at the hunter. "Yes. We are," she spat out, eyes narrowing at him.

Her gaze flicked to the knife he'd dropped and she reached out to shove it away- then gave a sharp cry as the wound to her shoulder protested painfully. Whimpering, she curled in on herself, unconsciously leaning against Veles.

"Why can't you just leave us alone?" she whispered, panting lightly.

"I'm...I'm sorry!" Rook said, still staring at the pair, wide-eyed.  Veles released his grip when he felt the man would not give them any harm and instead turned his attention to Ghost.

"You made her skin open," he said softly.

"I...I thought she was...I didn't know!" Rook said, stammering.

Veles felt something twist inside him, a small inferno that started to grow and grow as he observed Ghost's wound and pressed his hand to her shoulder.  "You hurt my friend..."

Rook said nothing this time.  And Veles only turned to him to repeat the statement.  And before he knew it, he lunged at Rook and felt the rage take over, squeezing his fingers into fists and crushing them against the hunter's face.

Giving a yelp of surprise, Ghost was motionless for a moment, wide eyed and staring. Then she lunged forward, wrapping an arm around Veles and trying to pull him back.

"Stop, stop," she pleaded. "It's not worth it, Veles!"

It wasn't that she'd forgiven the hunter, exactly, or that she wasn't angry herself. But she knew, logically, that he was only doing his best to survive. Like them.

Rook yelped, feeling a fist explode against his eye.  He reached up and tried to hold his fist at bay, and his own struck Veles hard against the cheek.

Rook could already feel the swelling on his face take hold when the beating relented and the blows had felt much harder against his skin than that of an ordinary man's.  Veles rolled off of Rook, panting and looking down at his bloodied hands, still feeling the dregs of rage flow away from him now.

"I..."  He had no words for that long stretch of silence. 

"I'm sorry!" Rook said, sitting up and blowing out red from his nose, knuckles bloodied.

Veles looked between him and Ghost and the blood at his own hands, his cheek throbbing.  "I'm sorry too," he said.  "But you will not hurt my friend.  Not you or anybody."

Rook cleaned his hands on a rag, looking between the pair.  "What are you?"

Hissing as she looked at Veles' cheek- that was going to bruise, at least- Ghost reached out with her good arm to stroke his hair in an effort to soothe, then pressed closer against his side and took one of his hands with a frown.

"I'm a shapeshifter," she replied briskly. "I can take any form I want, long as it's animal. Veles is..." She trailed off, glancing up at him and wondering if maybe he wouldn't want her to tell the hunter what he was.

Fortunately- or rather unfortunately- her sudden silence was covered when she twisted slightly and jarred the wound to her shoulder. She hissed in a pained breath as black spot danced in front of her eyes and swayed, suddenly leaning heavily on Veles for support rather than comfort.

Damn. She was losing a lot of blood.

He didn't bother answering the question.  And the hunter didn't bother asking any more when he saw the blood gushing out from Ghost's wound.  Veles turned to her swiftly and wrapped arms around her good shoulder so that his hands could hold back the flow the blood.

Rook scrambled for his belt, pulling out a bolt of cloth he kept as bandages and gestured for Veles to let him look at the wound.  Where the arrow had been embedded, there was a cross-shaped hole within her, and he expertly took the bandages and wrapped them around her shoulder to staunch the flow of blood.

But Veles didn't let go of her, not yet.  Not until he was sure this hunter wouldn't inflict yet another wound on his friend.

Ghost's breathing was shaky and ragged, and she leaned heavily against Veles as her wound was bandaged. "Th-thanks," she murmured, eyes fluttering, though why she was thanking the man who'd shot her to begin with she wasn't quite sure.

A tiny whimper escaped her at the pressure to the wound and the spots dancing in front of her eyes grew larger and decided to bring some friends. Almost automatically, her good hand reached up to clutch at Veles' hand and she turned her head toward him slightly as she fought the urge to faint.

Veles didn't know what else to do, feeling her body grow heavier against him. 

"Lie her down," Rook instructed and the fae listened, although he was reluctant to do so.

He set her down easily, although kept her head propped up against him.  "Do you have any water?"

"Yes."  Rook pulled the flask from his belt and handed it to him.

"Here, Ghost, try to drink this, please."

Mumbling a thoroughly unconvincing, "I'm fine," as the two men fussed over her, Ghost suddenly found herself on her back without quite knowing how she got there.

"Thanks," she murmured, accepting the water and trying to tilt her head at an easier angle to drink it. thankfully, the black patches of her vision started to fade slightly.

Trying to push herself up and winding up just collapsing back against Veles with a soft groan, the shifter eyed Rook warily. "What are you going to do now?" she demanded, voice soft but steely.

"I-I don't know," Rook muttered, sitting back and putting some distance between he and the pair of odd shifters.  Never had he encountered the likes of these two, and somewhere deep inside a part of knew there had to be more like them scattered all over the wild.

"Leave," Veles said adamantly.  "Leave us alone, and go back to your human world.  Don't you think you've done enough already?"

Rook stared at him wide-eyed.  "I told you I was sorry!  I didn't know.  I'm a hunter.  If any other animal you would say I was following my instincts.  I didn't mean to hurt you but..."

Veles blinked at him, jaw hardened with irritation as he held onto Ghost.  "But what?"

"But....I might not be the only one coming to look for the pair of you," he breathed now in realization.  "Others hearing of your kind will come looking.  It's inevitable.  Look...I maybe have said more than I should have, but not all hunters are like me.  They will come.  And they won't stop until they have you."

Ghost's eyes widened. She tried to push herself up again and was marginally more successful, managing to at least sit up with relying totally on Veles.

"We have to leave," she said quickly, glancing at the fae creature. "It's not safe here anymore. "We need to get somewhere far enough away that they won't have heard of us."

Veles understood the full meaning of what the hunter said, however he remained unsure if leaving was the right move now.  But what else was there to do?  The thought of being captured frankly terrified him and he feared for Ghost's safety as well.

He turned to Rook and grabbed him by the shoulder.  "Why did you say such things?"

Rook shook his head, peeling his arm away.  "I didn't know they would come looking as well.  But all is not lost.  Not yet.  I will help you if I can.  I'll return to the village and see what has transpired.  Maybe none will come. If they plan a hunt, I'll get to you first."

"So what should we do?" Ghost looked between the two men. If they stayed, then Rook could find them to warn them if they were being hunted- but they also increased their risk of being caught.

She tried to stand and managed it, albeit with shaky legs. She grabbed at Veles shoulder to steady herself and took a few breaths.

"I don't know if I can wait for you," Veles replied softly.  "I won't let them hurt my friend.  I say we run. Get as far away from here as we can."

"She won't get far on that leg," Rook added.

Veles put an arm around Ghost's waist and helped her stay up.  "So you'd rather have us stay and be caught."

"No!  Just stay hidden.  All right.  I'll come back with some supplies as well.  I'll go now."  Rook didn't wait for them to say goodbye before turning into the woods again, carefully making sure he left not trail behind him.

Veles took a deep breath and examined Ghost.  "If we leave, could we make it with your leg?"

She gave him a confident smile. "Sure we could."

Unfortunately, that claim was rather mitigated when she took a step forward and her knees gave out from under her.

Veles took hold of Ghost then and transformed into a bird, or what appeared to be a small flock of birds and fluttered up into the tree above them, taking Ghost along.  He changed back in time to perch upon a branch and settled Ghost down at the center of all the boughs.  "Then we have little choice.  You get some rest.  I'll watch over you.  No one else will hurt you."

She gasped softly as he changed, but relaxed easily into the tree. "Thank you," Ghost murmured, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "I'm sorry..."

Veles blinked at her when she touched his cheek, it being the first time she voluntarily touched him.  He felt oddly warm and his own hand reached up to cup the back of hers.  "Why ate you sorry?" he asked.

"If you get caught..." Her lashes fluttered tiredly against her cheeks. "It'll be my fault." She smiles at him softly. "You should go. Fly away, pretty bird...be safe."

He shook his head fervently.  "No.  I will stay.  You helped me so I will stay and help you.  We are friends.  I've never had one before.  It feels...precious."

He smiled and put both hands on her cheeks.  "Besides if I leave who will be around to watch for stupid humans?"

Ghost found herself smiling in return and slid her hand up to stroke his hair lightly. "I guess you're right," she murmured, her eyes starting to drift closed. "Thank you, Veles..."

Exhaustion started to win out and she felt herself drifting toward sleep.

Rook did return to the village, and found all was unusually quiet.  For once the absence of sound was unsettling.  Deep inside, his heart resonated with dread as he returned to his room at the inn.  The village was not scarcely populated, but it was nestled deep in the forest.  Accessible only by well-troddened footpaths, and there he made his way back.

"Catch anything good this time, Rook?" Tom asked him, settling down his pitchfork as the hunter passed.  "You look like it took the chase outta ya."

"You could say that," Rook said, panting a little.  "Deer are sometimes faster than my arrow unfortunately.  Tomorrow will be better."

"I'll say a blessing fer ya."  Tom signed something across his chest and went about his business before Rook stepped back toward him.

"Say, Tom, ain't it a bit unusual it's so quiet around here?  Where is everyone?"

"Oh, Jon took some of the men out for some practice archery down by the creek.  He was talking all crazy.  Saying he was gonna get him some special game.  They set out just this morning."

"How many?"

"Say about 10 or 11."

Rook immediately felt his stomach drop and he thanked Tom before running back to the inn.  No, he wasn't going to be too late, not if he could help it.  He packed his thinks, taking all of his supplies before ducking back between the trees once again.

Ghost wasn't sure how long she slept, but eventually she woke with a quiet groan, her body sore and aching in places she wasn't used to. She pushed herself up, away from the boughs she was nestled in, and glanced around.

"Veles?" she called a little dazedly, blinking as she tried to focus. She couldn't quite remember exactly everything that had happened before she fell asleep, but she had thought the fae creature was with her.

He was, nestled up a little higher on a branch and cleaning off his feathers.  The form of the crow he'd become was a little larger than the garden variety with noticeable blue streaks in his feathers, and he hopped down to her, changing back when he reached her level.

"How does your leg feel?" he asked, kneeling beside the once gaping wound.  He strongly resisted the temptation to poke it.

The shifter sighed in relief and smiled at him. "Better," she murmured, sitting up to sort of perch on a branch. "May take another day or two to heal properly, but I think I can at least move on it now.

She tilted her head at him and furrowed her brow suddenly in concern. "Did you get any rest?"

Veles shook his head.  "I didn't get much of a chance to.  I was looking out for anything passing through.  Just a few deer, and perhaps a bear.  I took some berries and laid them out for you to eat if you are hungry," he said.

He moved around her to examine her leg and he smiled at the rate in which it seemed to heal.  She was not so fragile as he expected.  Only now did he poke it.  Very lightly.

Ghost smiled at him gratefully and took a handful of the berries to pop into her mouth. She winced slightly as he poked at her leg, but it was really just a little sore- she could take his curiosity.

"The hunter hasn't been back yet then?" she murmured, glancing down at the forest floor below them. With a shrug, she reached out to pet the fae creature's hair absently. "Why don't you try to get some sleep," she offered with a soft smile. "I can keep watch for a bit."

The current state of the wound satisfied him for that time.  Veles felt he could ease his concern, and he stilled beneath her hand, stroking through his hair.  Indeed her touch left little shivers in their wake.  He smiled at her, eyes searching her face for a time.

"I didn't see him, but he could still come," Veles said.  He curled down at her feet at the base of the tree.  "I'll sleep.  If anything happens, come get me, all right?"

There was little disturbance in the trees in the next few hours that followed, save for a rustle in the brush.  And there emerged Rook, looking more disheveled than ever.

Her eyes immediately snapped to Rook when he appeared and Ghost slipped down to Veles' side. She bent to touch his shoulder and murmured, "He's here, wake up."

Straightening up- as much as she could, she had to lean against the tree lightly for support- the shifter eyed him warily. "What happened?"

Veles stirred quickly and flew to the ledge of the tree.  He stared down at Rook a moment before slipping down to the forest floor below. 

"They've gone on an expedition," Rook said, panting hard and wiping the grime from his face.  "I had to skirt around their path but they are in the area.  And it's only a matter of stumbling upon this place before they'll find you.  If you're going to flee, now is the time."

Veles' frowned, looking grim before the moved back up into the tree.  "We leave now, yes?  I'll carry you if I have to."

Ghost bit her lip and glanced at Veles. "Yes. We should go." She cast a glance at the place she'd made into something of a home and sighed quietly.

Her eyes flicked to the hunter. "Thank you... What will you do now?"

"I'll try to lead them off, taking them away from this area.  If you don't have a suggestion to go, I suggest heading toward the river," Rook said and looked at the pair.  "You sure you'll be alright?"

Veles nodded to him and watched as the hunter scampered away.

Ghost took a breath. "The river then," she murmured, looking to her companion. "Come on, we have to hurry."

She turned to leave, falling forward and shifting into the form of a white doe. The deer winced as her wound protested, limping slightly, but she was faster than a human form.

Her doe form was followed by Veles' wolf form.  The black wolf sauntering after the limping doe would clearly make an odd sight, but it would spirit them away faster than if they were on foot.  Now they were on paw or hoof, however one wished to pose it.

Rook journied back to last place where he'd found the group of hunters.  Their leader was a large man, too hulking to do little to conceal his steps.  He cracked every branch and stepped through every bush he could, the other men talking loudly around them.  Oh they were fools to think they could catch prey this way.  Even so, Rook could only hope the two could make enough headway in time to leave the territory.

Ghost picked her way through the forest as quickly as she could, but she could only move so fast while she was injured. Every snapping twig or rustle of leaves made her start or spook to the side, and she was constantly looking back over her shoulder.

It was rather comforting to have Veles there, even only as another set of ears and eyes.

Onward they went, deeper into the wood, away from the sanctuary of the tree that had kept them hidden from the rest of the world.  Veles wouldn't say anything of it, but a primal fear slowly broiled inside, the ebbing feeling that they would be caught.  It made him run faster, harder, deeper into the wilds of the Draconi Forest.

A day had gone by when listening to every little sound, a branch snapping, thrush knocking against bark, when the silence was heavier and the birds stopped chirping.

Veles found himself more exhausted than he had every been before, and he collapsed at the base of a grand oak tree, unable to go any further.  He panted lightly, looking around constantly, feeling as if they were being watched.

She really shouldn't have, but Ghost felt a flash of relief when Veles collapsed against the tree. The white doe skittered to a stop, then dropped, becoming a human girl on all fours, panting heavily.

She just couldn't run anymore.

Carefully, she crawled over to the black wolf. "You- you alright?" Her hand stretched out to touch his shoulder.

Veles slowly changed back into the soft pale flesh of a mortal man's form.  He looked up at her and gave a panting smile.  "Yes, of course," he said, although his heart was beating from more than fear.

"But it feels like our chasers are much closer than I thought," he murmured, smile slowly fading.

Ghost nodded, glancing back over her shoulder into the trees, ears perked as she sniffed the air. "We need to keep moving," she agreed quietly, "but we're not gonna do ourselves any good if we collapse from exhaustion."

Carefully, she got to her feet, keeps her hand on his shoulder. "Come on. We can walk for a bit more, right?"

Honestly, she wasn't sure that she could, but they had to try.

"I don't think I can," he admitted lamely.  Still he felt bad for falling here in this small clearing.  But for now, they felt safe enough to take a few breaths.

"Is there any water nearby here?  Do you recognize this area?" he asked, eyes flicking around.

She bit her lip and looked around. "Maybe..."

With a soft huff, Ghost forced herself to her feet. She smiled at Veles, hoping she seemed more confident than she felt. "I passed through here a few weeks ago. I think there's a brook not too far, I'll go check, alright? You just try to rest."

Veles sat up straighter at the thought of her going off alone.  He felt weird in his belly.  He was sure it was fear.  "Just...just um, be careful, okay?  You see any humans, you run," he said, half-commanding.  He was tired to the bone, and the ache in every joint was unfamiliar to him.  But he would not protest her own venturing.  He couldn't stop her even if he tried.

Ghost's smile softened a bit and she bent to run her hand soothingly over his hair. "I'll be alright," she murmured, trying to sound certain. Maybe if she could convince him, she would convince herself. "I'll be back before you know it."

She hesitated a moment, then pressed a quick kiss to his brow before turning and taking deer shape again, trotting off into the trees. Her wound still ached and she was thoroughly exhausted, but she knew if they could just get some water and rest they could keep moving.

Unfortunately, her tired state left her vulnerable, less alert. Where before every little snap of a twig or rustle of leaves would have put her on guard, now she seemed almost dazed, distracted, as she picked her way toward the sound of running water.

She should have paid more attention, should have listened where Veles could not.  When she loped away, their chasers were much closer than he thought.  A few stragglers from the band of hunters had gotten separated from the main group,  They wandered ahead and wound their way to the brook, following the trail left behind by passing pawprints that seemed too big to be any normal wolf's.

Veles had closed his eyes just for a second before he saw two men standing before him.  They didn't hesitate to bring him down, holding him as he tried to transform and having no power to do so.  He yelped loudly, squirming in their grip as they netted him.

Dulled as her senses were, Ghost heard that yelp and her head snapped up, large eyes flicking around. Her heart leaped into her throat.

Veles. Oh no.

Exhaustion forgotten, she bounded back the way she had come, hooves seeming to barely touch the ground in her haste as she sprinted back to where she'd left her companion.

They were waiting for her however and when they saw someone approaching they surrounded her and readied the net.

"Close off all exits!  Don't let her escape!" A man called.

Dazed and panicky, Ghost charged right into their trap. Seeing the net, she desperately tried to turn, to run back to the safety of the trees, but she was surrounded. Her hooves skidded over leaves and grass and changed to paws, a snarling wildcat now facing the hunters.

She jumped forward, claws extended, but the net was already around her, tangling her limbs together and sending her crashing to the ground. She yowled, thrashing, and her eyes darted about in a panic.

Veles. Where was Veles?

Her form shifted to human and she tugged at the netting, reaching through a gap in the ropes and crying out, "Veles? Veles!" Her eyes snapped to one of the hunters, flaring with fear and rage. "Where is he? What did you do to him?!"

Veles was struggling at the bottom of the hill and when he heard Ghost calling after him, he resumed his fight against the netting with force.  Biting and clawing at the net until part of it gave way.  The men struck him hard with the pommel of their swords until he was still.

"You're companion is alive.  He ain't much use dead.  You two will fetch quite a price," he said and ordered his men to hoist her up and pull her along down the hill with Veles. 

"We still have to rejoin with Darian, but we'll make a signal fire tonight and haul these two back in the day."

"Veles!" Relief and fear warred for dominance in her voice when she finally saw her friend, and she reached through the netting again to try to touch him.

A growl rumbled in her throat as she saw the evidence of the hunters striking him and she was a wildcat again, snarling at the humans. How dare they? The protective sort of instinct she'd begun to develop around the fae creature kicked into overdrive and she lashed out at any two-legger within reach.

"Fuck, knock her out too!" as one of the hunters yelped out when claws slashed open his leg.

The two others were on her in an instant and attempted to wrestle the wild cat to the ground.  One readied the pommel of his sword and struck down when he saw the opportunity.

The blow struck the back of her head and the shifter froze, then dropped like a stone. Her body melted back into a human form as she slumped against the net, unconscious.

The long trek to rejoin the group began and the two were captured and hoisted up on large poles, separated as they were carried between two hunters each.  The one that was slashed was supported by the shorter man that had ordered them carried.

"Fucking shapechangers!  This'd better be worth it Red!" He growled, limping along.

Very slowly, Ghost started to come back around. She groaned at the pain in her head and the chafing ache around her wrists and ankles. Eyes clenched shut against the throbbing soreness, she vaguely realized she was suspended from some sort of pole. She wriggled around, trying to find weaknesses, take stock of the situation, but that just sent another jolt of pain through her head.

"Veles?" She coughed and groaned again, then cautiously cracked an eye open. "Wh-where are you taking us?" she demanded of te first hunter she saw, wincing.

"Shoulda gagged her," the hunter said, ignoring her.

Veles on the other hand was barely stirring and when he registered her voice, only then did he shift his eyes open.  His head was aching hard, and his shoulders felt like they were going to be ripped apart, and the blood shifted down from his extremities.  He breathed in sharply.

"Ghost!" he said, voice soft and in shock somewhat.  He was about to ask the most obvious question but it was evident from how they were tied and by whom what had happened.

So instead he asked, "Ghost are you all right?"

"Veles!" Despite everything, it was a sort of relief to hear his voice. Even if she did wish he'd somehow gotten away while she was unconscious.

She twisted in an effort to look at him, then whimpered as her body gave a sharp pang of soreness from various extremities. Eyes clenching shut, she swallowed a whimper and murmured, "I- I'm alright. Are you okay?"

Veles gave a groan at the pounding that made his ears thump in his head.  "I'm...okay, I think" he said with a few grunts of being uncomfortable.

"Shut up, the both of you!" one hunger growled.

They were making good distance but they really should have gagged this pair, it would have made the journey that much easier.  "We'll wait by the river for the others.  And you two, you try to escape and we'll take your fucking scalps."

Ghost hissed at the hunter, teeth bared in an animalistic snarl. "If you hurt him, I'll rip your throat out," she growled, pale eyes snapping with rage.

Honestly, the force of her own anger startled her a bit. She'd never been in a position where she felt so protective before- but the fae creature was so innocent to her, she just felt like she has to look out for him.

"That's it.  Gag the both of them," the lead hunter growled as he helped the man beside him. 

Veles did not accept it willingly, but after being tied and held down, he had no choice.  There was little he could do in his current state and soon the hunters made their rendezvous with the approaching group.  They hailed them from across the river, the signal fire waiting.

"What are you doing all the way over there?" Darian called out.

"Took a wrong turn.  But look what we found."  And the hunter revealed the pair tied together to their stake.

Ghost fought against the gag as much as she could, but like Veles she was held mostly helpless. Attempting to bite the hunter who gagged her only earned her a crack upside the head that had her seeing stars.

When their group met with the rest of the hunters she felt her heart sink and a small whimper was pulled unconsciously from her lips. She tried to shrink back from the light of the signal fire, sensitive eyes snapping shut.

Darian smiled at the look of their quarry on the other side, and he motioned for his men to find a way across the rushing water.  Within fifteen minutes they whistled back and the others soon followed.  "These two look like they've been beaten," Darian said after he inspected the pair.

Veles shivered in the cold, steeling himself as he felt the lead hunger draw near.  Turning, he met the other man's gaze, and he scowled, biting down at the cloth between his teeth.

"Why did you beat them?"

"They struggled sir!  And wouldn't shut the hell up.  I did what I had to do to keep them under control."

"And you devalued them by at least a third by the time we get to market," Darian growled and before anyone knew it, his hand slammed hard against the stockier man's face.  The smaller man tumbled to the ground, landing on a rock against the riverbank.

Veles frowned and with what hand he could, wiggled it toward Ghost to somewhat intertwine his fingers with hers.  And all the while his heart beat wildly in his chest.

Ghost was shaking desperately, both from cold and fear. She started slightly when she felt Veles' hand against hers, then clutched at his fingers the best she could. She twisted her head to meet his eyes and shifted a little closer, pressing her shoulder against his.

Market. These people were going to sell them?

He stumbled to his feet, holding his jaw.  "Sorry Darian," he griped.  Darian only sniffed and moved toward the man with the wound, who was writhing on the ground.

"And I guess someone sunk their teeth into Bickney here?" he asked.  "Sloppy work.  But you got the pair.  Now we can get the hell out of this fucking forest.  And make some real money."

Darian was clearly irritated with the whole operation.  And when he was close enough to Ghost, he pulled down the gag.  "You two are lucky.  If I didn't show up, it seems the beatings probably just would have continued.  They don't have to as long as you behave."

She hissed at him.

"Behave? You want us to just go quietly into slavery? Or worse?" Her grip on her friend's hand tightened and abs shifted until she was a little more protectively in front of him- almost laying over top of him, actually.

"You go to hell," she snarled at Darian, her while body shaking violently, though whether that was mostly fear, rage, or cold she honestly wasn't sure.

Darian just laughed.  "I like your moxie kid.  You've got heart.  You'd have made a fine hunter.  It's too bad that mouth will no doubt get you into trouble."

She glowered, shifting a little closer to Veles. "Bite me." She twisted her wrists against her bonds, subtly bring the ropes into contact with the tips of the fae creature's fingers and tapping lightly. If he could just work the knots a little loose...

Veles however was too trapped in fear to realize what Ghost was trying signal him to do.  He only looked at her and gently felt the rope in his fingers.  Only then did he understand.  But what good would escaping do, they were surrounded and would be quickly detained again.

"I can see why you gagged her," Darian smirked and tightened the cloth around her mouth once more. 

Veles slowly wiggled at the rope, trying not to make it look obvious. 

"When we get back, we've got to thank Rook for telling us about you two.  People pay good money for exotic skins "

Ghost struggled, but there really wasn't much she could do to keep from being gagged again. She snarled into the cloth, trying to keep her wrists still for Veles to work.

Her eyes were like ice as she stared up at Darian, silently daring him to just fucking try it. Honestly the shapeshifter was a little suprised by the sheer rage that rose up in her.

She was going to protect Veles. She had to. Rook had said he would help them, but to her it seemed obvious he's either been untruthful or incapable. Getting them out of here fell to her.

Veles felt his fingers turn to claws, just enough to prick at the rope in small intervals.

But from the other side of the river, something stirred in the woods that got the other hunters' attention.  "Brandt, go check that out," Bickney growled, rubbing at his throat.  Brandt was a tall lean figure, not all that imposing, but didn't argue with the stockier man.  He wouldn't have had much of a chance too when an arrow came flying out from the trees beyond and struck him deep in the throat.

A gasp jerked from Ghost's throat at the now all too familiar sound of an arrow in flight, twisting in an attempt to see what had happened.

One of the hunters, dead. Either by coincidence or design, it was an opportunity- the others would be distracted at least for a few minutes.

She twisted her head to peer at Veles over her shoulder, silently urging him to hurry.

There was a commotion, and Darian angrily swirled toward the trees.  "Who did that!?" he howled, but as another arrow flew out from the trees, another hunter screamed when it stuck deep into his knee.  "Get the pair and let's get out of here!"

A few arrows flew back into the tree, and sunk hopelessly into the ground.  Two men went for the pair tied to the stake in the ground.  Veles grit his teeth and took a leg up to one of them and kicked him hard.  The claws shredded part of the rope and loosened it enough that he hoped she could break her hand free.

With a small cry of triumph Ghost ripped her wrists free, rope burning her skin though she didn't really feel it. In an instant she shifted, taking the shape of a wolf just long enough to snap Veles' bonds between her teeth.

Then she whirled and rose up on her hind legs, becoming an eerily pale grizzly. She roared, paws swatting at hunters as she stood protectively in front of her friend, trying to buy him time to run.

"Ghost!  You can't kill them all!" Veles cried out once he was free of the ropes.  "Let's go!'

"Don't let them get away!  Get the nets!" Darian cried and the few men that were brave enough to get close enough swung the net over the massive bear, preparing to capture it on the other side.

Veles was about to run, but when he saw a hunter nearest him, he rammed into him hard, the animal instinct to survive burning hot and deep.

Hearing his voice, Ghost gave another roar and turned, lashing out at the nearest hunter as she did and sending him flying back with a swipe of her paw.

Then she was a bird, a white raven, and she flew a quick circle around Veles' head before banking for the trees, trying to get him to follow her away away away.

But Veles wouldn't have that chance.  When the net came flying over her, and in her transformation, she avoided it, it slung over him instead and the remaining hunter held him down, ensnaring him, and dragging him to the ground.

There they dragged him, and pulled him along and were dragging him down the river's edge, away from the firing arrows.

Only then did Rook come out of the shadows, cursing heavily and trying to give chase.

Ghost gave a cry as she narrowly avoided the net, swooping back in an arch toward Veles and the hunter. She cursed at the human in a raven's wonderfully foul vocabulary, flying straight for his face in a blinding whirl of white feathers and razor sharp beak.

She scratched at his eyes, trying to incapacitate him enough for Veles to escape. She was so intent on her task she didn't even notice Rook emerge from the trees.

As soon as the other man fell, screaming at the flurry of talons in his face, another went back for the bundle that held Veles, dragging him along again.

Rook saw the bird and the man still trying to fight him off and he rushed across the shallow end in the river.  "Fly off!  Get out of here!" he howled, taking his dagger from his side and jamming it between the hunter's ribs.

With a sharp caw Ghost banked left and dropped to the ground, taking her human form as Rook stabbed the hunter.

"Veles!" she panted out. "I- I won't leave him!"

Rook threw the body from his blade and he whirled on Ghost.  "I'll go after them, but you need to get away or they'll catch you too!" he hissed.

She hesitated a moment, then with a pained cry she took to the air again, this time a snowy owl. She intended to follow Veles and his captor from the air- there was no way she was just leaving him.

Veles changed several times as he was dragged, turning into the wolf and trying desperately to bite and tear at the netting around him.  He growled and barked and bit at the fabric and doing little to destroy it.

The hunters were getting further and further away, and Darian turned around saw the bird giving chase.  He had no doubts it was one of the escapees, and he drew his bow up and fired it.

Ghost got lucky. If she hadn't banked as quickly as she did, the arrow would have pierced her heart- the man was a good shot.

As it was, she twisted and changed forms in the air in her effort to avoid the shot, but didn't quite manage it. With a cry the girl dropped like a stone, rolling a bit before she managed to scramble to her feet, one hand pressed over the shaft of the arrow protruding from her shoulder.

She hissed at the hunter, anger and fear dulling the pain somewhat. "I am so sick of you people doing that."

A hand snatched at the arrow behind her and snapped it in two.  With the arrow broken, Rook was able to remove the head from her shoulder, and lodged the rest of it out the opposite way.

"Ghost!  STOP!  We'll never catch him like this!" Rook hissed to her.

She wailed quietly as the arrow was pulled from her shoulder and looked to Rook hazily. "We have to help him," she murmured, almost weaving on her feet now. "We have to..."

"Ghost!  Ghost!  What's wrong?" Rook said, and he took her by the arm in an attempt to support her.

The shifter didn't collapse, but she leaned on him heavily for support. "Losing...blood," she muttered. "I changed so many times...opened the wound up again, and this..." She gestured weakly to the wound the arrow had left in her shoulder and her eyes fluttered.

"Just leave me. I'll hide somewhere. You- you have to find Veles," she begged, suddenly clutching at the front of Rook's shirt.

And with that Rook's hand came flying across her face. "Stop it right now!  You're fucking bleeding and you think I'm just going to leave you behind!?  ENOUGH! I'm taking care of you now! You'll die if I don't, and don't fucking say another word or I'll knock your lights out!"

Ghost reeled, stunned, and staggered back a few steps. She didn't say anything, just stared at him with wide eyes.

Then, very slowly, she nodded.

Rook helped her walk along as they walked back into the trees. He knew the risk of them being out here alone, and that Veles was getting further and further away.

"Just keep breathing okay, easy now," Rook hissed and he settled her when they were hidden away in brush

She nodded again, practically collapsing once they'd stopped. "Are- you hurt?" she managed to grunt out a little breathlessly, eyes clenched shut against waves of pain that were making themselves known now that she was stationary.

"No, I don't think so. But I'm here to help you first. I'll help you get better, I promise," Rook breathed until they found a safe spot to rest.

They were surrounded head-high with bushes and large trees. Although the ground was cold, he set her down gently on a small rolled patch of grass.  "Let me see your wounds. I'll be gentle."

Ghost whimpered quietly and removed her hand from the wound in her shoulder, twisting slightly so he could also see the one in her side. The motion made her cry out in pain and she clapped a hand over her mouth in an attempt to stifle the sound.

Rook maneuvered around her until he could properly examine the wound. Looking at it, he saw that it's opening had revealed some of the tendon beneath and it was a wonder she wasn't still screaming. He helped ease her down until he pulled some supplies from his pack and pelt.

He always traveled light, didn't take more than was necessary for him to survive. But this was a necessary use in excess and he rolled out the bandages, herbs, and salves he carried to help ease the pain, and seal the wound as best he could. 

"This is whiskey. It'll burn, but try not to scream, okay?" he murmured before uncorking the flask.

It was getting harder to keep her eyes open. Ghost nodded jerkily, panting. "Fine...just hurry, we have to find Veles..."

"Shut your eyes,"  Rook instructed and went about applying the whiskey to clean the wound. He quickly pressed herbs into the hole after compacting a hunch into a small roll and gently laced the bandages over it, wrapping it over her shoulder until it was sufficiently covered.

"Ah!" Ghost clenched her eyes shut and whimpered, jaw clenched as she fought the urge to scream. "Spirits," she hissed, biting her lip so hard it bled. "A-are you nearly done?"

"I am. Now," Rook breathed as he finished patching her up. The amount of blood that came out of her was rather riveting. But he'd dealt with much worse on several occasions. "You have to rest Ghost. Wherever Veles is now, it can't be far. Even they can only run so long."

"No." She grabbed at his arm. "No, please. We- we have to go after them. I'm fine, I can keep moving."

She tried to stand and wound up having to grip his shoulder for support, swaying on her feet.

"Stop! You're not going anywhere in this condition. We risk both of you. For now, it is mitigated with only Veles on the line, but with both of you, it'll be too much."  Rook forced her back to the ground.  "Rest!  Dammit! Or I'll make you rest."

Ghost whimpered and collapsed back onto the ground, panting up at him. Her brow furrowed.

"Then I'll shift. Be something small so you can carry me." Never mind that a shift wouldn't probably do any good for her wounds. "We have to keep moving."

"What did I say about talking like that?  Be quiet, Ghost," Rook warned again.  "Be still. You need to rest.  We'll find him in due time. Over doing it will kill you surely as they will."

The shifter growled quietly, but couldn't really find it in her to argue. "Fine," she grumbled, settling back.

As she settled, Rook tended to her wounds and when she was finally patched up, he sat down with a small cup of herbs he'd found and boiled.  "Drink this," he murmured, offering a small cup he'd kept in his pack. "It will help you sleep, okay."

She didn't want to sleep. She wanted to help her friend.

But logically Ghost knew Rook was right- she'd be no good to anyone in her current condition. So with a sigh, she took the drink and downed it in a few swallows.

"We have to go soon," she mumbled fuzzily, her own exhaustion combined with the herbs creating a heady effect.

"Silence," he murmured. And pressed his hands into her shoulders, gripping the muscles there until she fell asleep.  His touch was gentle, but he certainly wasn't going to let all his hard work go to waste.

The shifter's head lulled onto her shoulder and her body went limp with a soft exhale, slumping back against him as she finally succumbed to exhaustion and slept.

Whatever regret filled Rook was countered by the anger that was slowly building inside of him. At this whole situation. Neither of them had deserved this, and Veles had been taken away because of him. Whatever happened, he was determined to find those hunters and return her friend.

But that could not be done unless Ghost was healed of her own wounds. He let her rest and tended to the fire as he ate gently.  Rook mulled over the direction they last saw them, and knew they too would be camping right about now.

Rook heard something snap a twig behind him. His hand immediately went to the dagger on his leg, the hunter's knife that had belonged to his father. His heart was already pounding his head, but now a cold fear sank deep down inside. The beast....  He knew it was near, and it was watching him....them...from the dark.

Thankfully, it had been a few hours since Ghost had fallen asleep. He hoped she was rested.  His hand gently nudged her shoulder. "Ghost," he hissed to her, as softly as possible. "Wake up.  Please."

The shapeshifter snapped awake in a moment, all too used to being on guard for any sign of danger. Her eyes flicked around, then settled on Rook's face.

"What is it?" she whispered, the sound barely audible above the crackle of the fire.

"Easy," he whispered. "Don't get worked up. Just get up. We start moving again."

Rook fixed up their small camp, drank a large sip from the water skin and handed it off to her to do the same. "How do you feel? Well enough to travel?"

Ghost nodded quickly- how true her answer was could be up for debate, but she wasn't willing to waste any more time.

"I'm fine." She glanced around warily, then back to Rook. "Do you know...which way to go?"