The Night, Its Call

[Lion]

The water did bring him a great deal of relief from the fever that had taken to his head.  His body was wracked with all sorts fo conflicting sensations, hot and cold, calm and trembling and he took a deep breathe to try and center himself.  It helped only a little.

He peered up at the huntress with curious eyes, speculatively as if trying to decipher amidst his delirium.  "What are you doing here?  I mean besides shooting me.  And that bird creature.  What was that?  I've never seen such a thing in my life.  I wasn't in any position to compromise my life...but still I am sorry for taking aim at him."

[Zero]

"I live here. Well, not here, but in the forest. I enjoy a pretty wide range. And Dirk? He's a gryphon." She wondered if he had never at least heard stories about gryphons, they were pretty fanciful creatures, but so were dragons, and Adela was famous for those. "If you think he's something wait until you see a dragon."

Actually, hopefully they wouldn't see a dragon, things were temperamental, and the wild ones were downright dangerous. Even the ones tamed for riding were given a great deal of respect and people had the good sense to stay out of the beasts' way.

"Don't worry about it, you didn't hurt him, and he wasn't even mad at you until you attacked me. No idea if he'll forgive you for that one."

[Lion]

Rook's expression soured at her explanation.  Not that he was in any position to complain or anything.  The logic of the whole situation seemed fumbled and upside down since none of them could have known what the other was capable of.  So he sucked it up and gave her a tight-lipped, trying smile.

"Well, I suppose I should be thankful your shot fumbled and only got my leg.  I don't have patience to be mortally wounded.  At least not by a person at any rate," Rook chuckled at his half-jest. 

He examined the work on his wound which still throbbed painfully but at least was no longer bleeding profusely.  "You did good work, even at another's instruction.  And the company is a good enough distraction I suppose.  You got a name?  If not Wild Woman will suffice for now."

When his eyes caught the shape of the winged beast of hers flying closer, he gestured his head toward it.  "Where did you get a beast like him?  His kind just pop up anywhere?"

[Zero]

The only response he got to his comment about her 'fumbled' shot was a noncommittal hum. He had been lucky that she'd missed anything vital. By now she was pretty sure he wasn't a poacher, as she'd first thought he might be.

"Wild Woman, right. No, my name is Roxanne." She glanced up as she saw Dirk returning, he was still a shadow above the treetops, albeit a rapidly growing one.

"There are gryphons in Adela, they're not as common as dragons in the Thunderbacks, but if you know where they nest you can find them easily enough. Dirk has been with me for a long time now, I found him as a baby. Poachers either killed or stole the rest of his family."

The gryphon's landing was surprisingly quiet as his wings buffeted them with drafts of cool air a moment before folding. A leather bag was dangling by the strap from his beak.

[Lion]

"He's magnificent," Rook breathed, watching the creature land gracefully, gently without so much a rustle of leaves.  It was plain to see he was taken with the creature and his fascination was broken when he saw Dirk carrying a bag, what Roxanne must have sent him off to retrieve in the first place.

"Seems he's an intelligent courier too," he commented and smirked.  "I'm Rook, by the way.  If you care to know."

[Zero]

Roxanne didn't comment, she knew that Dirk was a magnificent creature. Gryphons were some of the very finest beasts you could ever hope to see. Dragons were amazing, sure, but there was something about the smaller gryphon that was just better.

She was up and taking the bag from her "courier" almost as soon as he'd landed. As soon as the bag had left Dirk's mouth, the creature lowered his head to peer at Rook with a gleam in his dark eyes. With a gravelly voice, the creature spoke for the first time in front of Rook since stepping from the forest. "More intelligent than you."

The woman between them couldn't help but laugh softly.

[Lion]

Rook was undoubtedly surprised the beast could speak in something he understood. But his shock turned into amazement and he nodded graciously to the bird.  "Yeah, more intelligent than me.  Humans are awfully stupid creatures.  And Inm certainly in no position to contest it," he agreed.

His eyes turned to Roxanne.  "I'm assuming you have salve in that bag."

[Zero]

Dirk puffed up slightly, jutting his chest out a bit and holding his head haughtily. "Don't you forget it."

Roxanne rummaged through the bag while rolling her eyes. "Yeah, it's here, with some other stuff. Don't encourage feather-brains over there; he's got an ego the size of Adela as it is." The gryphon visibly deflated a little before huffing and lying down nearby to watch with an air of boredom.

She moved to sit beside Rook again, setting the bag down and pulling a vial of a shimmering silver liquid from it. As gently as she could she unwound the kerchief from the wound. "This is probably going to feel a little warm to the touch." With that she poured the mystery liquid over his leg.

[Lion]

Rook smirked a little and exchanged a look with the gryphon and quirked a brow at the bird.  The creature only gave him a glare and seemed to roll his eyes even.  Rook couldn't believe he was being summarily dismissed by a bird thing, but he supposed it could have done worse things to him.

So instead he took his gaze to what Roxanne was doing.  He winced audibly when the pressure of the cloth was removed from his thigh.  When the liquid touched his skin, he jumped a little and gave a sigh of relief when the warmth spread through him.  "What-what is that stuff?" he breathed.

[Zero]

Roxanne smirked slightly as she put the sealed the vial and put it back in the bag, while rummaging around for something else. "Well that would really depend on if you believe the medicine lady in Ketra that I bought it from. It's always worked on my wounds. Ah, here we are. This is a tincture for fever and pain. No idea what's in it, but it works for me."

She handed him a small bottle of liquid that was not quite clear with a powerful scent. "Just a sip should be enough, and it tastes awful."

Her hands immediately moved back to his leg to bind the wound again now that it had been properly treated.

[Lion]

He supposed he would be a fool not to believe it, having experienced the results for himself.  But anybody could bottle up some hodgepodge concoction and sell it as a healing supplement and it would work if one was convinced enough.  Needless to say, he was sold.  Of course as a hunter he had plenty of knowledge and experience himself finding flora to help alleviate and heal.

As foreign as these new substances were to him, Rook obliged the fellow huntress and took the other vial she handed him.  Indeed the foul smell promised a foul taste he did the only thing he could think to do and plugged his nose before taking a small swig of it.

He nearly dropped the container as he dry heaved and coughed violently.  "You really weren't kidding," he gagged and recorked it with mild strength, tossing it back to her.  He coughed longer with enough force to fall over.

[Zero]

Roxanne was a hunter, but she didn't care much about healing. She knew what was safe to eat and what could be used to make poison, but when it came to healing her knowledge was lacking all around. She relied on the medicine woman in Ketra for what little medical supplies she needed. It had taken time to trust the old woman, but anymore Roxanne didn't question what was in the little vials and containers she was given.

She laughed slightly at his initial reaction to the medicine. She caught the bottle when he threw it back, but immediately dropped it, her hands flashing out to grab him, trying to keep him falling. "Hey, take it easy, take another drink of water to help with the taste."

[Lion]

"I can't even breathe!" Rook griped between coughs.  When she caught him, he spat to the side trying to get the taste out of his mouth.  "The canteen on the side!" he said, pointing to the container by the fire.  When he had it in hand, he downed the last drops of water within and swished it around in his mouth spat it out, then took another swig and swallowed that one.

"That stuff is foul!" he griped.  "I guess maybe you didn't want to kill me with your arrow, it was worth the effort to gag me to death."  He had a few minor coughs follow and his shoulders jerked through it but he was otherwise okay.

[Zero]

She really wasn't sure what to do to help him, but at least she was able to keep him from completely falling over. When he mentioned the canteen she got it, though not without grumbling softly under her breath. The sounds of gravelly laughter could be heard rumbling from the gryphon laying nearby as he watched the spectacle.

"Are all men such babies about taking medicine?" Roxanne inquired, she pushed her hood back, rich dark and copper hair spilling out as drew her knees up and folded her arms across them, then used that to rest her chin to peer at him.

[Lion]

His eyes narrowed into a burning, savage glare that he pointed directly at the gryphon from his gravelly laughter. Oh, if only he had a rock nearby to chuck at the stupid creature.  As odd a beast as he was, Rook wasn't all that sure he liked the creature, and he was doubly sure the bird thing didn't really like him.  Not that it mattered he supposed.  He frowned and nursed his own impotence and peered at Roxanne.

"Only when the woman giving the medicine shot them with an arrow," Rook growled.  "Look, I'm just not used to all the attention.  I don't come into the forest to have company.  Quite the opposite really."  His narrow eyes peered at her hair which gleamed copper in the moonlight, almost violet within darkness and he gave a small smirk, one that was hidden in shadow when he turned his head.

"Thanks, for the...help.  I think I'll be okay.  And I'll clear out of your forest soon enough.  I'm heading to town, trade off what skins I have.  Feel free to take a pelt as payment.  There's a nice foxpelt out in my pack.  Help yourself."

[Zero]

Roxanne arched a brow at her reluctant patient, but she had tended to her mistake so really, her conscience obligation had been met. It wasn't as if his company had been pleasant, from the moment she'd laid her eyes on him he had been nothing but trouble. That's just the way it was, humans were a troublesome bunch in general. She hadn't much reason to care for her own kind in a long time.

"Very well, I was going to make sure you survived the night and were capable of walking to Ketra, but I'll be happy to be on my way now. Since you're insisting, I won't feel bad if you die. As for the forest, it belongs to no one, except perhaps the king. Come and go as you wish, as long as you're not a threat to me or my gryphon, then I really don't care. And keep your pelt; I have a dozen like it at home waiting to be taken to market."

She slung the medicine bag over her shoulder as she got up, not even looking back; she walked over to Dirk, and patted his shoulder. The beast rose soundlessly and practically melted into the night as he stalked away. Roxanne looked back at him for a moment, expression stoic. "Good luck, Rook."

[Lion]

It was plain to see his words seemed to be little more than condescending, though he hadn't intended it to be that way.  Seeing her hurry to leave, Rook found himself smiling and even laughed, though it was obvious his company would not be sorely missed.  Not that he could blame her, he really was being a big baby.

But seeing as he really no longer needed her, he supposed was simply fastforwarding the inevitable as she began to take her leave.  "Good bye, Wild Woman," he said to her.  "And thank you."  He gave her a nod and a genuine smile as she turned from him.

That's when his smile faded and a chill coursed through him to the bone.  He frowned and he felt the vibration rumble through him.  That noise, that howl.  He would know it anywhere.  It was bloodcurdling, even more than a wolf's howl.  It sounded almost like a man in agony.  With that Rook bolted from the ground, forgetting about his leg and lunging toward ynnking Roxanne back by the arm.  His arm wen around her head almost in a headlock, and his hand came over her mouth.  "Don't make a sound.  You...you heard that!  Didn't you?" he whispered to her though his eyes lingered on the treeline and he trembled once he heard the howl again.

[Zero]

Roxanne was really ready to walk away and wash her hands of the whole thing. Like most people, Rook ruffled her feathers, so to speak. Solitude had always been her best friend and easiest course - even having Dirk around got on her nerves from time to time. The complex emotions of humans were a pain to work through, that at least was subdued with her non-human companion, though he seemed to pick up a lot of annoying and human-like habits from somewhere.

Just as she was about to walk back into the forest to follow Dirk, a howl reverberated through the trees, she thought the sound made her very body vibrate strangely. Her eyes had narrowed and head tilted just slightly before she had been pulled back against Rook by the arm, a hand over her mouth.

Jerking her head to the side she twisted her head enough to glare at him over her shoulder. Her voice was a soft growl. "Of course I heard it. What is it?"

[Lion]

Rook's body was as still as stone save for the rabid drumming of his heart and the soft shuddering breath expelled from him.  Moonlight hid them as it struck over the ridge and Rook dragged her back into the shadow of the inlet, releasing her, then quickly throwing dirt over the fire, before crawling back to her.  "The Beast," he whispered to her.

"The foulest animal the world has even known..." he said, then peered over to the direction Dirk went.  "I've seen it...  There's no animal like it.  It's horrifying...  No other words can describe it.  I've been hunting it for most of my life.  But sometimes, I think it's hunting me."  He swallowed hard on a dry throat and the fear and anguish and anxiety were present as his eyes glittered in the dark.

"If you value your life...you shouldn't venture out there.  In fact...we shouldn't even stay here."

[Zero]

She really didn't like being manhandled, but once they were back in the shadows of the inlet he let her go. Ashen eyes watched him put out the fire, she sense his terror, and felt her own heart beating faster than normal. Not out of fear, that was absurd, she didn't even know what they were supposed to be afraid of.

Roxanne stared at Rook with a blank expression as he told her about "the beast" and frankly she didn't know if perhaps the fever had gone to his head. Still, to his credit, there was something out there, she had heard it herself, and it wasn't Dirk. "Well if we can't go and we can't stay, what's the plan genius? We have to do something."