Spirits of the Earth

Re-rated M for violence and death.


Raizel's leg hurt.

It hurt really bad. There was no eloquent or flowery language for the pain. It just hurt. Raizel leaned against the building, half bent over to test her ankle. She couldn't risk resting or sitting, she knew they were following her.

The Raven - That's become her new moniker. Akin was a smart boy and off pretending to be a crow and not circling her in the sky, giving away her location. So at least that was nice.

Taking a calming breath, she tenderly put her foot down the slowly put weight on it. The cry was muffled and poured out of her as a shocked gasp. Even if she'd been anticipating it, the sudden flash of it was startling. Was it cut? Broken? Sprained? Had her tendon snapped?

Raizel fisted her hand against the building wall and pushed off at a hobble, as fast as she could go.

The downside of taking payment for getting rid of problems was you slowly become the problems's problem. And problems needed to be exterminated. Especially ones that sent your people to jail or indirectly stole money. Raizel didn't think of the ones that got killed. If they couldn't survive one lonely vigilante they werent going to survive long anyway.

A quick turn around the building, seeing they werent behind her anymore and the sight that greeted her had dread fill her.

They'd cut her off.  A quick glance at the sky and she saw no bird. How did they know?

Raizel pushed herself from the wall, taking careful steps to the middle of the alley before squaring her shoulders and staring down at them. Her cloak was gone, having been torn from her shoulders and there were a few red slices in her clothing from close calls that left little more that scratches to the skin underneath.

"Get her," the leader said, extending an arm to Raizel to indicate just who her was. "You know you've cost me a lot of business, my lady raven," the leader grinned and Raizel stumbled, taking a step back on her bad foot and quickly collapsed onto the ground. Frozen. She wasnt afraid of the people on their way, couldn't take her eyes off the look on the leaders face.

Then it was screaming. Raizel was confused on why her throat her and why the screaming was so loud until the leader yelled for them to shut her up and with the blinding pain of being struck in the head, silence followed and at least some peace and darkness.

"You!" The leader pointed at a dark haired man, "Carry the lady back, we have payment to extract."

The only way to deal with a rat problem was to buy a cat.

Cadmus was the cat, in this case, and he was happy to take on what seemed like a fairly easy job. Hunting was his specialty, after all, and even in human form his sense of smell was keen. All he had to do was track down the troublemaker that was picking off his client's people and...dispose of them. Seemed cut and dry, and even fair. He didn't prefer to take a life if he could avoid it, and refused jobs where it was clear there were innocents involved, but in this case? Blood had been spilled on all sides. It was just that one side decided to give themselves an edge.

All he needed was to examine one of the bodies, and from that he could catch the scent. He tried not to make what he was doing too obvious; he had learned along the way that humans found it really, really weird if it was clear he was smelling someone, so he pretended to fuss with and examine the body for signs when he was really just using it as an excuse to get close enough to pick up a scent. There was the scent of the dead, foul and rotting, and then on the clothes he picked up another.

He blinked, frowning thoughtfully.

There was something...familiar about it. But he knew better. It was likely just his brain playing tricks on him, just an odd coincidence, because the chances of that were...well...impossible. It wouldn't be the first time, anyway.

It had been foolish to get attached, even just that tiny amount.

Shaking his head to clear it, he focused on the scent a little longer before he rose and motioned his current companions to follow him. "They went this way."

On the cobblestone he could see tiny, but bright, splashes of blood. Their quarry was wounded--which would make this far easier--and the blood was still wet. "I think they're close, too."

---

Even wounded, their prey was elusive. But hunting was a test of endurance more than it was of speed and strength, and Cadmus knew they were closing in. Their target would not be able to keep this up. They would slow down, grow sluggish, end up making a mistake. Cadmus went one way, and sent another group a different route, with the intent of trapping their target between them like a pincer. The scent was stronger here; they were close. It wouldn't be long--

And it sounded like that mistake had just occurred, from the sounds of all that screaming.

Cadmus stiffened, head jerking toward the sound, because that was a feminine scream.

The Raven was a woman?

Or had someone else gotten caught in the crossfire?

Alarmed, Cadmus jogged back to catch up with the group, but the screaming had already stopped--abruptly. He turned the corner just in time for the Boss to jab a finger his way and order him to "carry the lady".

A feeling of slow-rising dread had begun to creep up Cadmus's spine from the moment he heard that scream, his nose filled with that horribly familiar scent. His heart screamed a warning, but his brain kept him calm as he did what he'd been paid to do, crossing over to the figure crumpled on the ground like a broken doll. He didn't want to look at her. But he didn't need to look to know.

Dark hair streaked with white.

Pale skin.

Her eyes were closed, but he knew they were blue.

He sucked in a sharp breath but quickly smoothed his expression over with stone. "Got it, boss," he said, and bent to scoop her up into his arms, cradling her like a bride. She was almost as tall as he was and all dead weight, but lifting her was near-effortless.

Inside, his mind was racing.

They were going to kill her.

Correction: he was going to kill her. They had paid him to deal with her.

But first, they were likely going to torture her.

Shit. SHIT.

"Huh...it's a right shame, you know," he said out loud with a smirk, glancing over at the other men as they walked. "Didn't realize the Raven was some pretty little bitch. Whatever you're planning, don't ruin her too much just yet, eh? Think I'd like to have a little fun with her before I send her off, if you know what I mean. Wouldn't be fair to waste that ass."

It was the single most vile thing he had ever heard himself say, the words tasting of slime and bile, but they believed him one of them. And, in some ways, he was.

If he was going to save her life, he was going to have to sell it.

One of the men gave a guttural laugh and nodded, giving Cadmus a good natured smack on the back. "Sure, how about you deal with that and then we'll deal with her. Break her in for us a little, eh?" He laughed again and resisted the urge to smack the leg that dangled close to him he'd seen her not put weight onto. While he knew getting conked on the head didn't keep them knocked out for long, he figured a sharp bite of pain would get her kicking and screaming again. He took the time between getting her and going back to the hideout to tie her hands and feet together.

It was almost poetry that the Raven needed to be grounded in order to be captured. The way back was dark but eventually, Cadmus and the captured Raizel were led to a room. It was empty save for a chair against a wall and hook hanging from the ceiling.

Giving Cadmus a look the man spoke up before trailing a hand suspiciously gently along Raizel's leg, stopping short of her thigh. "We'll give you an hour. And then we'll have our turn and when we're done you can finish off what's left however you like." A grin and he left the room, slamming the door shut.

Raizel opened her eyes then, the piercing blue taking a moment to make sense of the room. The mark on the side of her head was red and angry and had grown a bump, a delightful future bruise. Hopefully.

"Put me down, Catbird. I don't want to kill you," her voice was hard and she didn't hide the betrayal written on her face. "I will though," she reached up, her hand trembling despite the steel in her voice and rest it on the side of his face, her thumb giving a gentle sweet stroke along his cheek, "if I have to."

Cadmus felt ill, but he had a good poker face. Let these men think he was one of them, that he was the sort to delight in such vile acts. He said nothing as the man touched Raizel, hand trailing along her leg in a way that made him want to break it—the hand, not her leg. He tasted bile, but he swallowed it down and laughed with the men, sharing in their knowing looks and leers.

"I'll try to leave a hole for you," he called as the door shut, leaving him alone with both Raizel and his panic.

Before he could even begin to think of a way out of this, a familiar voice spoke, and Cadmus felt his face heat in a combination of mortification and shame.

Had she been awake for all that?!

Oh gods.

"I...ah...this...this isn't what it looks like," he managed to croak out lamely.

Because what it looked like was that they were in a small room with a hook, various creative instruments of pain, a chair, with her hands and feet bound after he had discussed his intent to violate her. What impeccable timing she had.

She touched his face, a gentle and familiar caress, and his nerves lit up—but he quickly jerked his head away. "Shit...just...one second."

Cadmus put her down, as requested. He set her down in the chair and then knelt before her, reaching for her hands and taking them in his. Looking up at her, he found her eyes and held them. The betrayal in her face made him want to look away, but this was too important to be squeamish now.

"Raizel, listen. I don't want to kill you, either," he said quietly, all too aware of eavesdroppers, and drew a deep breath. "This...this wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to be you. I didn't even know you were here. I thought it was just some...some...nobody." Gods, it sounded so lame when he said it out loud, but he powered onward. "I don't want to hurt you. And now, I have an hour to figure out how I'm going to make that happen."

He began to work at the knots at her wrists, and when he got to the ones at her ankles, he grimaced. It looked awful. 

There would be no fighting their way out of this one.

It was a small comfort, she supposed, that he hadn't been expecting her. Before it was going to be a favour - that she wouldn't slit his throat on her way out. There was unbroken eye contact while she rolled his words around in her head like they had a flavour.

They didn't taste like lies so far.

"I am some nobody," she said simply, unable to keep the smirk off her face while she flexed her fingers around his, remembering his hands. They'd been warm and gentle and she pushed down every fleeting thought that wasn't about right now. They'd gone tingly and cold for the little while her wrists had been tied up and she flexed her hands for a moment after he untied her wrists, letting him examine her for a moment before she quickly finished untying herself.

Mechanical. Military. Raizel sucked in a breath and poked around her ankle, suppressing noises of pain before she flicked her eyes to the door and gave an exploratory poke at what she suspected was a wound beyond a sprained ankle. She didn't bother hiding the groan of pain before moving to stand up on her good leg.

"It at least feels like a clean cut, right through my boot, unfortunate, I liked these ones," she said looking at the blood on her fingers and wiping it off behind her ear, it was more useful being semi-visible than wiped off on her pants "But it's sprained at the very least." Gripping the back of the chair, she took a deep breath and put her foot on the ground, exhaling through the pain with her eyes closed. The careful way she shifted to put weight on it and she quickly snapped her eyes open like the outstanding pain was a surprise.

"Cadmus," She said, her voice husky and low from suppressing it, "We're in a room full of useful tools I can use. I have one working leg." She tapped his shoulder "and, you have this neat trick of turning into like a four-hundred pound knife with the claws and beak thing." She licked her lips, holding her leg up lamely off the ground while she looked around and did her best to be a beacon of calm.

The trembling in her hands belied her attempts, but she kept them tight against the chair. "I don't do well as a caged Raven," Raizel smiled and nodded to the door, "You give me details on the layout and I'll find something heavy to smash into faces, and then maybe I'll pay you for your services. I'm sure I can come up with something these guys can't. You're a merc, right?"

There was an ever so hopeful lilt to her voice, that he was only here because they paid. Though she braced herself for the uncomfortable truth that he really was part of this gang. Maybe she'd kidnap him and hold him for ransom then.

It was true. These thugs didn't know what Cadmus was--they just thought him human. But four-hundred pounds of talon and claw and beak only went so far against a large group of humans armed to the teeth. One human with a bow and good aim would be enough to take him down--and they had men here who fit that bill. And Raizel was fully capable--hell, he had no doubts she could best him in a duel, because he was skilled, yes, but had far less experience with blades than with his own claws. But she was one person, her ankle was a mess, and she'd taken a good blow to the head.

He didn't say that, though, because the minutes were ticking down and they were low on other options.

Her voice brought him back, and he stiffened. There was hope in her voice--you're a merc, right?--and he latched onto it.

"Yes! Yes, I'm a merc, I'm not--I'm not with them," he said, hating how unusually flustered this was making him. Fuck, the things he had said. It was pure bluff, but here he was being absolutely shitty, a monster doing monster things because it was all he was good at, so how was she to know he wasn't brown all the way through? "I was hired--I'm not--it doesn't matter."

There would be time later to tackle feelings and guilt.

"There's about fifteen guys total," he said, walking through his memories. "Only five came out to hunt you. I'm not sure if they're all here now--I only saw the five. I can smell them, but this place is saturated with their stench--they could be sleeping or out whoring for all I know. Either way, we should be aware of them just in case they show up."

He paced as he spoke, but paused to crouch down by the small spread of tools laid out on the floor next to a wall. He ran his fingers over the various knives, pincers, and hooks, even a small bone saw and mallet. He held the largest knife--about the size of a meat cleaver--up and cocked his head. "Here. Come take your pick. Ah, let's see..."

This was going to be messy. "We're in an abandoned brewery. The room we're in is upstairs, a staircase is just around the corner. There's a lot of empty kegs and tubs below us, an old hearth...but the room is mostly empty aside from some leftover equipment, chairs, and tables. There's a couple rooms down there that the men use for sleeping and storage and such." He ran a hand through his hair, lightly pulling in thought.

"We bust through the door, we get down there, and it's a fairly straight shot to the door. Of course they'll be out there, waiting their...turn." He made a face, shooting her an apologetic look.

"Maybe you could ride me. You're not that heavy. I change, you hold on, and we just go."

Raizel was extremely delicate while she shifted over towards Cadmus. Watching him move. Listening to the verbal map while she tried to draw a mental image of the building.

Five at minimum. Raizel took quick hobbling steps towards where her companion was crouched down, her shoulder pressing to the wall so she could lift her foot off the ground and let elevation sooth the searing pain of it. It sort of worked.

"Would that work?" She said softly, trying to recall just how large Cadmus had been in his other form. Shock and surprise was usually a good route. But... Would that stop them? Raizel shimmied down the side of the wall and grabbed the hook before she held it down at Cadmus.

 Like she was ready to plunge it into his throat.

"And how do I know I can trust you?" Her voice was firm but delicate, her whole state of being seemed that way, like glass it would stop wind but a rock would shatter it easily. "You leave me alone and disappear, and now you just pop up and are the sole reason I have a fucked up ankle and got caught."

"I," Raizel started and then stopped, pulling the hook away, "I will bark into your ear later. Don't make me regret trusting you. If you think they'll be too surprised to react to you as knifebird then we can try it." She held out her other hand, for the knife he was holding, "I can throw stuff at bitches on the way out."

Cadmus shot a look at Raizel, and let out a sigh. No, the riding idea was definitely not...practical. He was large in that form, strong enough to carry several times his weight, but he also wasn't some pack animal. While he had no doubt he could carry her a short distance, his spine wouldn't be able to take it for long, it would be awkward, and the effort it took for her to hold on would likely not make it worth it.

"No, it wouldn't work, but it sounded nice," he admitted sheepishly. He opened his mouth to explain, but that was when she got onto his level and held the hook at his throat.

Shit.

He glanced down at the hook, then up to her, and winced at her words, wanting to shrink away. She didn't even need to cut him; her words did the job well enough, making his stomach flutter uncomfortably with guilt. There was nothing he could say to that, because all of it was true.

As a show of trust, or perhaps stupidity, he leaned forward as she spoke until the hook pressed against his neck and the old scar there, a lion baring its most vulnerable parts to the teeth of a potential predator--or ally. How could she trust him? She couldn't, he supposed. He had betrayed her already, hadn't he? Words were meaningless at this point.

He still couldn't say he wasn't relieved when she took the hook away.

"Whatever happens, whatever I did--if you believe nothing else, believe me when I say I don't want you harmed. I never did," Cadmus said, handing the knife over. "What we talked about before, back when we met, it--never mind. You're right. Later, then." He swallowed, mouth a little dry; he was looking forward to later less than he was now. "Alright. New idea. You don't ride me, but I create a distraction. I shift, I burst out, and I scare the piss out of the bastards and take as many of them out as I can. I'll cover you as you get out, like a..." He made a face. "...knifebird shield, I suppose. Oh, and you carry my clothes."

At least this meant he trusted her. Trusted she wouldn't use his vocal cords as an instrument. Trusted for her to have his back. What a tangled mess this was. Raizel was disappointed when his first shifting idea had been wishful thinking but his second one. Go out and cause chaos was a promising plan, especially for people who were expecting someone tied and roughed up.

There was a pound at the door, "How ya getting along in there? Time's almost up!" Followed by a laugh and footsteps leading away, and a voice leading off "dead quiet in there, probably like fucking a fish. How disappointing." Raizel whipped her head to the side, going still but finally letting the panic she'd been suppressing bubble up. Her breathing picked up and she tightened her grip on the hook and the knife before she closed her eyes and controlled herself.

One simple breath at a time.

"We have to do this. Now. While they still think you're fucking a fish and they're comfortable waiting for you," she moved the hook to hold it and the knife in one hand before she started tugging his shirt up with her free hand "I'll carry your clothes. I can't promise they'll stay in one piece."

Cadmus jumped when the pounding came at the door, but quickly smoothed over his composure. He wasn't normally so jumpy, but everything had gone so, so fundamentally wrong tonight that it had him on edge. There were actual stakes involved, now. If it was just himself he was risking, it didn't matter, but he'd gotten Raizel into this mess.

He was responsible for her, now.

And try as he might to avoid it, he had grown fond of her in their short time together.

He would make sure she got out, at the very least.

Raizel started tugging at his shirt, and he quickly peeled it off the rest of the way. "Just do your best," he said, before he kicked off his boots, unlaced his breeches, and stripped out of those, too. "If you need to drop them, though, I'll understand." He pushed the bundle of clothes into her arms, but left the boots on the ground. It was already a lot to carry, especially if she needed to fight. He'd just have to get a new pair later, which was a shame, because he had finally broken those ones in.

Now naked as a jaybird but not at all ashamed, he motioned for her to back up and took several steps back, as well, toward the opposite wall.

"Alright," he said with a deep breath. "Once I've shifted, I'm going through that door. Remember, staircase to the left around the corner. It's a straight shot from there to the door. Fight if you need to; I'll do my best to keep them occupied and off of you. You've got this."

And with that said, he changed--a quick, fluid motion. There was a crack and creak of shifting bone and tendon, but it was a blink and you miss it moment. One second he was human and falling forward, and the next he was standing on four legs as a sleek black lion with a head like an eagle, save for the feathered tufts of ears, and black wings folded along his back. He jerked his head toward the door, as though to say "follow" but didn't waste time on words before he bolted forward and launched himself at the door.

The wood splintered as he crashed through it, letting out a thunderous roar. Two men had been waiting right outside, looking bored, but that boredom came to an abrupt end. They shouted, first in alarm, and then in fear and confusion, but he didn't give them a chance to get their bearing. He slashed at them with front paws like wicked bird talons, knocking one over the banister to the floor below and ripping the second open from sternum to pelvis.

It cleared the way to the staircase. He hoped Raizel was moving, because he could hear shouts below, and knew it was soon to get ugly. He didn't bother with the stairs. He leaped over the banister himself and landed on the floor below, snarling and hissing as some of the sleeping men raced from their rooms--some bearing weapons now.

The bundle of clothing got a grunt out of her and Raizel quickly went about folding it and making it as small as possible before she stuffed it down her shirt. Thank goodness she had belts. Raizel eyed the boots and shuffled to them, grabbing them before tying the laces together and . At the very least she could throw them and pick them up - It seemed safe to assume that someone would be confused by flying boots. Raizel backed up, watching him.

You've got this, he said. Did she?

Before he'd shifted in his sleep and it was equal parts horrifying and interesting watching him simply transform. He really was beautiful as a kitty-bird. And then he was gone through the door and Raizel picked up the boots and steeled herself to walk on her foot. She knew every attempt at a step would cause the injury to worsen but it was still better than being dead.

"What the fuck is that?!" Screamed one of the men below when Raizel left the room and Cadmus was providing someone with a meat-suit opening, moving quickly and while lopsided and favoring one leg she flung the boots as close to the door as she could before and they landed with a satisfying thump. It would be terrible to be without shoes. Perhaps a bad thing to get hung up on when he could turn into a giant beastie but...

Raizel took note of the shoes before she started to make her way down the stairs one legged, laser focused on the door. The pain had her pause for a second but she carried on, it was only pain. Pain was fleeting. Pain was temporary.

Pain fuckin' hurt.

Every step made her tremble and the strain of simply moving was making her sweat. Raizel kept glancing around, looking for people who noticed her or even cared. So far, Cadmus was the main attraction and that left enough time to fling his stupid boots out the stupid door - sort of.

The knife sliced down her arm after she finished throwing and a surprised cry of pain left her mouth, it was reactionary and she didn't remember doing it. With her injured arm, she grabbed the mans wrist and without fanfare or thinking, pulled him closer and swung the cleaver down. It sunk through his head easily and she kicked him away, knife still jutting out of his head.

Hook in hand now Raizel clutched it tightly, ready. Waiting. She didn't leave though, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was coming into the building before remaining there in the doorway, "Come on!" She yelled a command, not about to leave her companion behind. Ready to rush in if he seemed like he was wounded.

Ready to rush out and snag those stupid boots if he wasn't and was ready to go.

 

Cadmus was only one gryphon, but he was doing his best. Fortunately, the element of surprise was on his side: it seemed these men had never before seen a gryphon and so they hung back at first, brandishing knives, swords, and even cudgels while he snapped his hooked beak at them and snarled, tail lashing, wings open and flared to their full span to make himself look larger and scarier than he was. For a moment, it seemed as though they were both sizing each other up, and the men were trying to decide which of them would go in first.

It was when Raizel cried out, and Cadmus snapped a look her way, that the men sprang into action.

He yelped when a cudgel struck his side, knocking the wind from his lungs, and a sword slashed at him a second later. He managed to leap away from it and lash out with his talons, catching a wrist and tearing it straight down to tendon and bone.

Raizel!

Heart beating in panic, he desperately wanted to go to her, to check on her and defend her, but the men had used his moment of hesitation as a chance to close in around him. They thrust at him with swords and knives, and he dodged aside, snarling in pain when he wasn't quickly enough to avoid a swing that nicked his hip. But he punished the man who did it, for he had stepped just far enough out of position to take advantage.

He snapped his beak around the man's arm, feeling bone crunch wetly and a piercing scream, and with a rough shake like a dog with a bone, sent him flying into the group.

Raizel called out again, 'Come on!' and a surge of relief went through him. Of course she was okay, thank gods. She was the most capable person he knew, even lamed, but there had still been that moment of concern. He knocked one of the closest men away, clearing space, and leaped for the door as he heard someone shout, "For fuck's sake, stop them!"

"Go, go!" he growled at her, unaware of the boot drama she had endured. He flared his wings like a shield and gently butted her back with his head to urge her along—

And hissed when an arrow glanced his shoulder—they had been aiming for the base of his wing.

"Oh, they're serious now. How well can you run?" he asked, ignoring the trickle dampening his fur.

Despite the situation, the movement was so gentle. There was no pressure and she started moving the moment the head bump ended. Every step was like glass was being dragged up her leg, she could feel it getting worse.

"Like shit but I'll run worse if I'm dead,"  Her breath was coming out in puffs and her face was flushed while she ran. The gash on her arm stung and she knew her hand was slick with blood. It was foolish. Stupid.

Raizel rushed passed the boots and grabbed one, the other one swinging behind it before she kept moving, looking for anything. An alley. Trees. Somewhere to hide and lose any possibility of pursuit. A sharp blast of pain from her ankle when she took a step and she gasped, her knee going out from under her before stumbling and catching herself with her good leg.

"I dont think I can keep this up," she panted, pain clear on her face. Raizel didn't look behind her, didn't want to know if they were being chased. Didn't want to know how close she was to getting an arrow in her back. "Go on without me," her words were clipped and breathy, "I'm a nobody. You don't need to save me."

"No," Cadmus growled—irritated at the situation, not at her—and nudged her with his beak. The air smelled like blood, both hers and his, but there was no time to deal with that now.

"You think I'm ditching you after all this?" As soon as he said it, he wished he could have rephrased. Obviously she did. And not without reason; he had left her once before. If he could grimace in his current form, he would have, but instead he quickly moved on. "Get on. Now."

He folded his wings tightly and lowered himself to his belly to make it easier for her. It wouldn't be a comfortable ride, and she would have to lay along him rather than sit on him like a horse, but what other choice did they have?

"Grab onto my mane and hold on tightly. I'm not moving until you do."

The growl made her heart skip a beat and Raizel blinked owlishly, eyes wide. That was a command. The command made her move. There was no resistance when she slowly slid onto his back, her hand brushing over the gash from the arrow which she took note of.

If she didn't they'd both die. Why would he do that? Raizel pushed thought aside. Running on instinct which had her grip his mane tightly, press her chest along his back and hold onto his sides with her thighs and knees. The boots she'd worked so hard to keep slung over her arm, ties at her elbow. "Okay, okay," she gasped out, pressing her face down into the fur and feathers.

It was almost overwhelming. "Don't hurt yourself doing this, please." Her voice was pleading and she held on even tighter - maybe too tight.

Ooof, she had a mean grip indeed, and Cadmus winced as she pulled at feathers and fur alike, sharp and pinching, and even brushed along his stinging gash. But he had said tightly, and she was doing just that! He'd rather lose a few feathers and clumps of fur than, well, her.

Now was not the time to be whiny. Whatever discomfort he endured here was nothing he didn't deserve several times over. He had put her in this position--and yet, gods, what if it hadn't been him? What if they had hired someone else? Maybe...maybe this was just providence? Maybe she would have been hunted anyway, and him taking the job had saved her life? So really, it was a good thing he was a bastard!

...Right?

"It's fine," he managed to get out, voice a little tight because her knees were digging into his ribs in a way that made him sympathetic toward every horse he had ever ridden. "Hang on."

An arrow struck near his feet and another whizzed past Raizel's head as he bounded forward, a little awkwardly, tail lashing and muscles working to keep her balanced atop him. He couldn't run like he normally did--he had to focus hard on stability rather than the usual wild, feline aerobics he might do otherwise. But even weighted down he was fast, though he could hear the thug's shouts behind him as some took chase--but human legs were no match for four legs as he took off down the street and cut through one alley, then another, picking his route at random and trying not to take turns as sharply as he normally would have.

He tired much quicker with her than without. Raizel wasn't particularly heavy to him; he could have grabbed her by the shirt and dragged her around all day like it was nothing. But flexible cat spines were never meant to be load-bearing, and it started to chip away at his endurance. He took a few more turns and, when he could no longer hear their pursuers, he slowed to a trot and, finally, a stop. His sides heaved with his breaths, his head lowered and ears back, and he let out a sharp huff through his nostrils.

"I think...I think we may be alright for now," he said at last, and let himself flop onto his belly.

Hang on.

The words echoed in her head and Raizel did exactly that. The ride was rough and she wondered fleetingly if she was hurting him. She cared - but there wasn't exactly time to do anything about it. The time slowed to an eternity and all there was, was fur and feathers and breathing. Heaving breaths while her companion ran them to... Safety?

Was anywhere safe?

Raizel did her best to not move. To make it as easy as possible for poor Cadmus below her and when he finally slowed and stopped and spoke the sense of relief was immeasurable. She let her grip loosen, fingers stuck in a clawed shape before she wiggled them into movement. Raizel didn't want to hurt his wings so she shimmied down and then off of his back, she kneed down beside him her hand on his back, impulsively petting down his spine like she was trying to sooth away the effort of carrying her on his back.

"Do they know where I was staying?" She whispered, looking around, pushing her hair over her shoulder and removing his clothing from down the front of her shirt, finally letting the boots drop down beside them before with great effort and hitched breaths she stood up, unrolling his clothing and throwing them over her arm.

She used her bad foot for balance and she looked around, stopping every other moment to listen. "I never hunt close to where I stay and I travel by rooftop," she said, "If you didn't let them know where I came from we can go there. Get dressed when you catch your breath," she said quietly, holding out his shirt and frowning at the slash through the front of it. Her own shirt with a gash in it, exposing her pale belly. "Ah, I guess that could have ended badly, I'm sorry about the shirt."

Cadmus's breath came out sharp and a little startled when Raizel stroked down his spine, because it felt good and it took everything in his power not to arch up into it. Maybe he could get away with the behavior as a gryphon; it would look terrifically odd doing the same as a human. But from his perspective, he was the same person no matter his form, and it took an effort to remember what was acceptable in which shape.

His fur stood on end after she was done, floofed up a bit from the chill it had sent through him. Raizel was speaking, asking if they knew where she was staying, and then he heard a dull thump.

Cocking his head to look, he saw...his boots.

She had grabbed his boots.

He looked over at her as she unrolled his clothing, eyes wide, and if he'd had the facial muscles to make the expression, his eyebrows would have been high on his head. Unbelievable. Even after all the trouble he had caused her, she had gone through the trouble of grabbing his goddamn boots.

"You...I..." He trailed off and shook his head, feathers fluffing. "No, I didn't tell them where you came from. It wasn't relevant at the time. Besides, for all I knew it was a temporary rest stop."

And then he shifted, and straightened back up, arching his spine to stretch out the stiffness there. He rolled his shoulders and rubbed his neck, then took the clothes from her, smiling wryly as he stuck a finger through the hole.

"I'd rather it than your guts," he said as he shrugged the shirt back on, and glanced at Raizel's shirt to note that they now matched, with holes in nearly the same spot. He put his breeches back on and laced them, then pulled on his boots.

"I can't believe you grabbed my boots," he said with a snort. "I'm grateful, don't get me wrong, but I heard you back there—you had a close call, didn't you?"

He could smell the blood. Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her arm closer so he could examine the slash, wincing. "Don't risk yourself for me."

Raizel wasn't the blushing type. Could never really tell if the heat in her face was shame or pleasure. The disbelief in seeing Cadmus seeing his boots filled her with that in between feeling. Was she embarrassed she put all that effort into keeping boots? Or was she pleased that she did it?

Instead she remained quiet, chewing on her lip and trying to map out the fastest way to where she'd been staying. It was good that he didn't relay where she'd come from because she'd prepaid for a few weeks already and had only been back for a quarter of it. Blue eyes snapped to Cadmus when he questioned her close call.

Then her hand was in his and he was looking at her slice. It was red and angry, the blood still wet at the wound but sticky looking on the edges. "I risked myself for your boots," she corrected, her voice quiet. Raizel moved her arm out of his grip and moved to hold his hand, looking around before she gave him a once over.

Wouldn't do well to look too awful. She in black to hide blood and him with his..  wrinkly clothes. "Let's go," she whispered, before moving to pull his arm in agaisnt ber, effectively using him as a crutch so she could hobble more evenly. "We're going to go to my... apartment? Room? I rent a few weeks at a time before I move on. Pay up front. Kinda dingy. Food isn't good but it fills the belly."

Raizel winced when she stepped wrong, held her breath, but continued. The walking was awkward, no doubt her palms began to sweat from the pain of the slice and her ankle. Her own problems eclipsing even thinking of her companions injuries. It was a fair amount of walking, a few breaks for Raizel, before they came upon a quiet home.

It wasn't so much a tavern as was it was someones open home with seating during the day. Closed and locked up for the night, Raizel stood and looked up at a window, looking out onto the street. "There," she pointed up "is my room."


"We either climb up there and sneak in," she whispered, "or bang on the door and wake up Albert."

She risked herself for his boots.

"That's even worse!" Cadmus said, frowning at her. "They're good boots, yes, but I don't think they'd fit you." You know, in case he died or something and left them to her. But he didn't think her feet were quite that big.

Her hand found his, and he felt a stupid, excited little jolt at the contact--because despite everything, his brain snapped back to their moment together several weeks before. His body remembered her touch even as his mind tried to forget it, the soft caress of her hands, the curve of her back against his chest and shape of her hip beneath his hand, how she felt strangely dainty in that moment despite her strength. The smell of soap and the scent beneath it, the one that was distinctly her. He needed to forget it. He needed to focus. She was only taking his hand because she needed the support. Once he got her safely inside, their wounds seen to, and the streets deemed safe and clear, they would likely part ways again.

Because he had nearly gotten her killed. Tortured and killed. It was his fault she was hurt, and he was ready for the other boot to drop--figuratively speaking.

She was smart. She would figure out he had lied about the other incident, too.

Not that he had the heart to keep it from her now, anyway. Let her see him for who he really was.

It was so stupid. He barely knew her, but this part scared him more than any of his actual brushes with death, and he wasn't really sure why.

But he let her lead the way to her hideout, slipping his arm around her to better support her. "Careful," he murmured when she stepped wrong. But soon enough they had come to a two storey home.

He looked up to the window, and then looked to her. "You don't have a key?" he asked, because that seemed far easier! But if she was just staying there, then the owner might not trust some stranger with it. He arched an eyebrow. "Considering you're even bringing up climbing as an option in your state, I'm...going to guess Albert isn't the most pleasant? How does he feel about you bringing home random men?"

He cocked his head, judging the best way to get up there. "How about I climb, and you wait down here for me to open the door?"

Such a simple phrase. To be careful had her turn her face away because it was such a simple instruction or request. It stirred something in her chest that was unfamiliar and she couldn't keep her mind off of it like she wanted to. It meant nothing serious, there was no deeper meaning behind the instruction. She'd stumbled, so Cadmus had told her to be careful.

Raizels mind would tumble over it, dissect it. Pull it apart and examine every strip of it because Cadmus had nothing to gain from her being careful. Instead, for a brief moment she just brushed her cheek to his shoulder and leaned a little more into him to keep her foot off the ground better.

"Of course I don't have a key," she said softly, "If I died and they found a key on me, I don't doubt it would get tried on every door and then the people inside of that building would absolutely be killed." Raizel couldn't live with that, "Usually I only have a few scratches and I'm not down here anyway, so... I just go in the window." It was a small shrug and she looked almost bashful.

Raizel gave Cadmus a level gaze, thinking of the state of her room and hoping she'd made the bed. "Alright," She gave his hand a squeeze and hobbled to lean against the wall by the door, "Be careful, the window's not locked but you need to wiggle it open, and Albert's a great guy but if you wake him up and there's just a strange man in his house he might have questions. Just say you're my friend - I don't give my name out so he'll know it's true. Maybe help you carry my sorry broken ass to bed."

It took a moment after she leaned against the wall before she slowly slid down it to sit on the ground, legs out and eyes closed while she breathed deeply, brows knitted in pain.

Mm. Good point about the key. It also meant they needed to be extra careful here so that this...Albert...didn't get caught up in whatever mess they had gotten themselves into.

He cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders. His injury stung, but it was a superficial wound--mostly skin without cutting much into the muscle, though it was still seeping blood into his shirt. That was annoying more than anything; it seemed the world was out to ruin every set of clothing he attained. Oh well. His wound wouldn't impede him and that was what mattered.

"I'll do my best not to wake him," he said, looking over his shoulder at Raizel as she slid painfully to the ground. "Hang tight."

And then he began to climb.

The entire time, he couldn't help but think how much easier this would be as a gryphon. One good leap and he'd be up--but the window would be an issue, considering crashing through it was not an option, a talons weren't the best at delicately opening stuff without scratching the hell out of it. Then there was the issue of Albert. Gods forbid he hear the noise and decide to check in on Raizel in only to see a beast in her room.

So instead he sucked it up and dealt with the embarrassment of climbing as a clumsy human, slowly finding foot and handholds in the brick, slipping once or twice with a curse, and then leaning awkwardly to reach the window and pry it open with one hand.

Maybe he didn't wiggle it correctly or something, but it screeched and he winced. Shit, shit, shut up! He froze for a moment, shot a look back down at Raizel, and then more carefully wiggled it the second time around and managed to get it open enough that he could crawl and flop on through it.

He tumbled inside, hissing out a breath because that was way louder than intended, and rose to his feet and brushed himself off. The whole thing kind of made him appreciate Raizel's nimbleness, if this was what she had to do every time she came here!

Walking lightly then, tip-toeing across her room, he found the door and inched it open. Then he slid out, looked around, and crept for the stairs. Alright, so far so good. He was almost silent as he traveled down them until one of the middle stairs creaked loudly and made him cringe. Seriously? So he rushed the rest of the way down, abandoning stealth at this point, and unlocked the door and opened it for Raizel.

"Got it!" he stage-whispered to her, right as a voice gave a startled shout from somewhere behind him.

Because poor Albert had fallen asleep in his chair again, and yes, the noise had woken him.

Raizel scrambled up with a grunt of pain when the door started to open, looking at Cadmus and flashed him a relieved smile when he whisper-yelled and Albert yelled. The momentary pause had her calm and all that extra pain that had been held at bay by adrenaline was more than happy to take it's proper place. Her arm throbbed. Her leg hurt in sharp throbs. A spot on the side of her head was starting to feel tender from when she fell before being carted away.

"Hello?"

Albert's voice was groggy and his footsteps could be heard down the hall. Fallen asleep in the chair because he'd woken up not too long ago and went to check on his guest but to find no one there. Usually there would be some sort of note. A heads up that he wouldn't have to worry about someone tracing his guest home. His hand went to the side of the hallway and looked to the open door, the strange person standing there.

"You're not Raizel" His voice was concerned and he frowned, standing in the hall, "What are you doing in my house?" Albert said, voice low, hand at his side holding something. Stalking closer, he gave a harsh shove to Cadmus to get him outside the door, hand fisting in his unwanted guests shirt. "Albert wait! He's my friend!" Raizel said and the hand let go of Cadmus's shirt.

Albert was a handsome man, his eyes an intense mismatched set of green and blue, his red hair pulled back into a ponytail with a weird feathery texture. Ears pointed and his pointed nails might have left more holes in Cadmus's shirt after grabbing it. "Raizel?" He stood in the doorway, took stock of his guest and then looked at Cadmus before holding the door open and moving to the side.

"Grab Raizel and get inside, quickly and quietly." Albert looked from Cadmus before he pressed his hand to his own face and rubbed at his eyes, tired and stressed.  "I'll bring you bandage supplies and hot water if you take her upstairs and be quiet," He sighed again and didn't look at either Raizel of Cadmus.

Furious at his guest. Angry at feeling stressed. Angry his guest got hurt.

Raizel looked at Albert and then at Cadmus, giving a little shrug when she hobbled over and leaned against the door frame, carefully avoiding Albert's field of vision, she was pale and gave a small guilty smile to Cadmus. "How's your back?" She said, voice soft, "I'll patch it up if you help me."

Aw, shit.

He hadn't been so sneaky after all.

"Wait, I can explai—!" Cadmus started to say, but the man had his hand fisted in his shirt and was shoving him out, something sharp slicing through the fabric and into his back, stinging and bright, and for a moment he thought it was a knife or something. Couldn't say he wouldn't deserve it, after all the unnecessary trouble he had caused, but...but to be fair, he hadn't known it was Raizel! He hadn't intended any of this!

Guess it was bound to happen eventually, that things would catch up to him. And he would react the same way to an intruder in his space—who could blame him?

But he was still going to punch the man in the face if he didn't let go of him yesterday.

Thankfully, before things could escalate, Raizel spoke up and the man, who was younger and more attractive than he expected and not quite human, released him. Cadmus unclenched his fist and yanked away with an annoyed glower, then pulled at his shirt to examine the damage, because now his shirt was extra wrecked and it was already wrecked—and it had been almost new! Never mind that if this Albert had been more of violent sort, that could have gone very badly and he was a little too tired to deal with it.

He was also a little annoyed that Albert wasn't some old, decrepit thing.

He was too handsome.

And Raizel had been staying with him for how long?

Not that it mattered...

Albert ordered him to take Raizel inside, as if he needed to be told, and Cadmus decided that he wasn't too fond of the guy. There wasn't really a reason for it—aside from scratching up his back and his shirt and telling him what to do like he couldn't have come to that conclusion himself. But he bit his tongue, because he was a guest in someone else's home and had already made a bad first impression.

With a look over at Raizel, he went to her and offered her his unbloodied shoulder and wrapped his arm around her to help hold her steady. "Lean on me, keep your foot off the ground. You've been using it too much," he said, and slowly guided her into Albert'a home.

"Don't worry about me. My back's a little...spicy, but..." He lowered his voice, a sigh in his words. "I'm more irritated about the shirt."

He slid a look over at Albert as he passed him to get inside. "I'm sorry," he said, just to be polite. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Albert frowned, licked his teeth inside his lips and quietly shut the door once the both of them were inside.

"I was up mostly, anyway. My eyes were just closed" He growled out, locking the door and moving to the kitchen, starting on boiling water and gathering some clean cloths and a salve. Grumbling quietly along the way like an angry parent whose child had been out all night after curfew.

Raizel's cheek pressed to Cadmus's shoulder and she gave a slight sigh to get the weight off her ankle. The walk up to her room took a bit with her heavily resting on Cadmus on the way up. Door open, it was a modest space. A bed, a desk and a bathtub in the corner. "Thank you," Raizel whispered, half one-legged dragging and half directing Cadmus to the bed before she broke away and sat down.

Quickly, her hand snapped out and she grabbed Cadmus's, looking down at the ground and she sighed and couldn't quite meet his face. "We'll patch you up and... You don't need to explain it to me, you don't owe me anything, but thank you." She chewed on her lip and sighed, head dropping forward, "it's your fault I got caught but... I would have died if I got caught any other time."

What a conundrum. Everything inside her wanted to be furious. "Take off your shirt, you have scratches so you'll be patched up faster. Then you can... Tell me how you fell in with them." Though she still held his hand, not letting him run away.

Ughh, she was thanking him. Thanking him for helping her here when he'd almost gotten her killed. Unable to really look at Raizel, Cadmus sank onto the bed beside her--and then did look at her in surprise when she grabbed his hand.

He was expecting anger.

That might have been better than whatever this was. Disappointment? Sadness? Raizel was difficult to read right then, and it was making him antsy. Where was the anger? He had been bracing for that, ready for it--but this? This he hated.

And it was so like her to try to put others before herself even after everything! He wanted to argue that they should focus on her first--his guilt at getting her hurt was gnawing away at him like a swarm of stinging ants, and she was in far worse shape than him. But he also didn't want to push it, just in case it made the current mood worse.

Slowly, regretfully, he pulled his hand away and turned to look at her fully.

"I didn't really fall in with them. I'm not with them. I just..." He let out a sigh and pulled his shirt up and over his head, wincing as the fabric stuck to the blood slowly drying on his back and shoulder. He peeled it off carefully, then tossed the shirt aside. Yeah, it was pretty much a lost cause. The universe didn't want him to have nice clothes, it seemed.

"I sell my services to them. I sell my services to whoever will buy them. I'm not loyal to them or anything, they just...hired me." He paused. "A few times. They mostly just needed a tracker, someone who could hunt down people who owed them and rough them up a little." Another pause. "Or a lot. Usually a lot. Ah...I don't ask questions. It's not my place to judge who's in the right and who's in the wrong when it comes to human squabbles. People pay me, I perform a service, that's...that's it."

Dear gods that sounded awful when he said it out loud like that. He winced, running his hands through his hair before he looked up to meet her eyes. "I never intended you to get caught up in this--but you're unfortunately right. If it wasn't me hunting you, you would be dead. How did you get caught up in this? And why?" Impulsively, he reached up and lightly touched her hair, right over the spot where she'd been struck. He was gentle as he felt the swollen lump there, hating that he was responsible.

"They're a dangerous group, Raizel. They have connections all over the city. Surely you knew that?"

He spoke and she digested. Turned his words around in her head and she wanted to be angry and blame him. Raizel wanted to accuse him of just being some ruffian bandit. There wasn't anything there though. There was the lingering sense that she should be angry and feel betrayed. It was a confusing turmoil of emotions but none of them were correct and Raizel just remained quiet. Looked thoughtful.

It took a large amount of effort not to flinch when Cadmus moved his hand to touch her head. Raizel couldn't stop herself from moving her head the tiniest amount but she put her back and let herself be examined turned the words 'human squabbles' over and over in her head. That did hurt a little bit. Felt a pang in her chest like she'd just been insulted and she looked up at Cadmus, looked at the scars and cuts on his chest before she met his eyes.

"I knew that," She whispered, giving a sigh, "I just didn't count on them being able to catch me." A soft shrug and she glanced away, "I got caught up in it because.... I have nothing. It's easy for me to risk myself for other people. Maybe the same thing you do but with more... Moral superiority." It was a jest and Raizel shimmied back on the bed making room for Cadmus to move, her one leg off to the side so Cadmus could seat himself between her legs.

Albert entered the room, a bowl of steaming water in one hand and a basket of cloths, salves and bandages in the other. "Don't get blood on my floor," He grumbled before setting them on the bedside table, his hair more feathering and his eyes sharp and birdlike, giving Cadmus a long look before shooting a glance at Raizel. He pointed to her ankle his hands clawed before he pointed to Cadmus, "Call me if you need help, but only if you need help. As of right now I'm running a shop and I'd much rather not look like an angry bird while I do it. I'm sure you can take care of it though."

The door shut with a little more force than necessary and Raizel sighed, feeling a little chastised before she leaned over to grab a cloth and dunk it in the hot water. Moving again so that she had a leg on either side of her companion, she made sure the cloth wasn't too hot before she placed it on his back to wipe up the blood. "I woke up one day in the forest," she said softly while she worked, "I didn't have a name." Her voice was distorted because she leaned over to grab the basket and bring it onto the bed.

"I knew things but... I don't know what I knew. Until I knew it." Raizel sighed softly and paused while she thought, "I'm skilled. Alarmingly so, even. I'm quick. I'm good with my hands and weapons. I'm strategic. I'm... Nothing." A small shrug and she folded the cloth over again, having cleaned the cuts Albert gave him Raizel went for the slice the arrow left. Her hand lingered under it and she was careful not to disturb it beyond cleaning it up.

"Why not make use of my skills for other peoples peace of mind when I have nothing to use them for myself?" Raizel finished putting the salve and bandaging his back before she leaned so that her chin rested on Cadmus's shoulder, her hands on his sides. "I got caught up in it because... I have nothing else to do. They pay me. I don't ask questions. Usually it's the underbelly of the city I'm gutting but..." A small shrug and she closed her eyes, fingers trailing ever so slightly up and down  where they rested on his torso, "People pay me, I perform a service." 

"Moral superiority?" Cadmus repeated, a little amusement in his voice. Well. She wasn't wrong, if she was being selective about who received her services. He simply took whatever offers he received, if they paid well enough to be worth the risk, and that was that.

It wasn't his business. He was just a tool, he didn't pass judgment.

He shifted when Raizel adjusted, putting his back to her more, and couldn't help but jump a little when Albert returned, looking quite...ruffled. Literally, his hair looked ruffled almost like feathers. Cadmus's eyes narrowed as he peered at him and his bird-like mannerisms, his too sharp nails—and then the man all but confirmed.

Angry bird??

The door thumped shut. Huh. Of course it was obvious the man wasn't human, but...

What was with Raizel and collecting bird companions? Oh. Her nickname was The Raven, too, wasn't it...

Before he could ask about that, or make any comments, Raizel shut him up by starting work on his back. Cadmus hissed through his teeth, the warm water and rough cloth stinging a bit, but it was more the initial surprise of it that sucked. He listened as she spoke, quietly taking it in, remembering a little of what she had told him before—the scars on her back, the innate skill. He shook his head. Nothing? That was going a bit far.

"You're not nothing," Cadmus said with a frown, wincing a little when she started on the shoulder wound. "Whoever you were before and who you are now is the same person, just with fewer memories. Besides, you have a lot of talent for a nothing. I've seen what you can do. That doesn't just manifest from thin air—that comes from a lifetime of training and discipline."

He sighed when she was done, and tensed in surprise just a moment when she rested her chin on his good shoulder and trailed her hands on his sides, an eyebrow raising because...well, he was convinced she'd be pissed at him, and rightfully so! No, she probably just didn't realize what she was doing, and he was touch-starved enough that he wasn't going to point it out.

He leaned his head against hers, relaxing again. "You probably have a lot of people out there who are missing you."

He'd kind of missed her.

Ahem.

He straightened abruptly, realizing he was enjoying this and probably shouldn't be, and cleared his throat. "Ah, your turn. Let's get at that ankle."

It made sense, that she'd been some sort of successful something once upon a time. Raizel went quiet while she thought on it, as she had before and as she will again. There was nothing there. When she tried to recall or remember it was the sensation that she'd lost something but had forgotten what it was.

It was infuriating that she had to look for something but didn't know what it was.

The comfort of his head leaning against hers made her heart ache, her hands lifted and had moved in slightly, hovering and about to wrap around before Cadmus pulled away with a clear of his throat talking about her injury.

"Of course," Raizel said in reply to him mentioning her ankle assuming from how quickly he pulled away he didn't want her touching him, "my apologies." It hurt like a bitch and she looked at it, a bruise starting to form, red, swollen and angry, the colour pulsing with her heart beat. Instead of offering the bandages to Cadmus, she drew her leg closer to herself.

Without the kind gentle movements she'd given the wounds on Cadmus's back, Raizel was precise in her care of her ankle. She'd poked it a few times to gauge the damage, wincing and going a little pale. The worst she'd did was gasp with her mouth closed before she slathered the salve on the worst looking part and tied it up.

"Could you help with my arm?" Raizel asked simply, having moved to sit beside Cadmus on the bed again instead of in the middle of it, drained and tired. Sad. She'd untied the top of her shirt to get her shoulder and arm out of the neck hole while staying decent, holding a bare arm with a bloody gash in it out for Cadmus to help with.

"I really, really want to be angry at you," Raizel confessed after a moment, her voice a little thick, "But I'd never been so relieved to hear anyone's voice before." Raizel paused for a moment, giving an instinctive involuntary shrug of her shoulders that hurt muscles she hadn't had to use since she woke up. "I'm sorry we met again like this, and I ruined a good gig for you."

Cadmus waited as Raizel tended her ankle, making a face at the sight of the swollen thing. She likely wouldn't walk well on that for weeks—if she let it heal naturally, at least. What they did now was good in a pinch; after what had gone down, it wouldn't be safe to wander around at night banging on some poor healer's door. But he doubted Raizel was the sort that would want to "take it easy" for a few weeks, because he certainly knew he wasn't.

But that was a problem for the morning.

She finished and asked for help with her arm, and Cadmus quietly obliged. He soaked a cloth in warm water and held her arm steady with one hand as he cleaned the wound with the other, slowly and gently though he knew it would still sting. With the blood cleaned away, he smoothed the salve onto the wound, apologizing as he worked, and then tied a bandage around it firmly but not enough to cut off her circulation.

He gave it a soft pat when he was done and let his hand rest there, sucking in a breath at her words.

"Don't apologize. I have no love for those people; it's just money." Gods, that sounded awful. He grimaced. "I could say the same for you. I ruined your gig a little too, didn't I? And, er, nearly your life with it. Gods."

He let out a breath, realization sinking in. He hadn't really had time to think about it all—they had just been go, go, go since the moment he recognized her without a chance to take a breath. But now he just felt sick, knowing how close they had come to...shit. He had never really thought about how his jobs affected others. He tried not to. It wasn't his business. And this time, it hit way too close.

He looked at her, wincing. "I'm really sorry, Raizel. I shouldn't have left like I did or...well..." He shouldn't have lied. Shouldn't have omitted the truth. But he'd never thought they would get entangled like this. "I almost got you killed. You have every right to be angry."

There was no hiding the winces or the tilts of her head to hide her face against her shoulder when the pain of dressing the wound set it. Her ankle hurt fiercely, but it was a dull continuous throb instead of the sharp bite of the cut. Raizel lifted her head and looked at the patch job when Cadmus pat her arm and then laid his hand there.

"Why are you sorry?" She said, frowning slightly, moving her free hand to take his and adjust herself so that her bare shoulder was pressed against his arm while she held his hand hostage in her own. "You're free to leave however and whenever you choose - I got a good rest out of it, probably the best I'd had in a very long time, so I'm not about to complain about it." Raizel took a deep breath and closed her eyes, looking out into the darkness of the room. The assurance that she could be angry was strangely comforting and she closed her eyes and rested the side of her head on his shoulder.

"How about," Raizel started, "We rest for now, and if you really want me to yell at you we can try doing that another way, hm?" She gave his back a pat and chuckled at her joke before she sighed and crawled away to flop onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "I still need to kill them," she stated, her voice taking on a more serious tone, "does that bother you?"

...Yell at him another way--oh.

Right.

It was her familiar chuckle that gave it away, and Cadmus snorted and rolled his eyes, fighting against a grin at that little spark of comfortable familiarity. But then she was moving away to flop on the bed, and Cadmus watched her settle for a moment before her question snapped him back.

"Killing them? Bother me? No. It only bothers me in that I think it's a terribly dangerous idea," Cadmus said as he slid down onto the floor with his back propped against the bed, already missing the heat of her body, but...well...he certainly wasn't going to make any assumptions here. They had shared a bed once, maybe shared a little platonic intimacy, and then he had ghosted her. Maybe it didn't mean anything, and maybe she was right in that he was free to leave whenever, but it still felt like a shitty thing to do. Even if he'd had his reasons.

He leaned his head back against the soft edge of the bed. "I wouldn't dream of crossing them on my own. That's not a one person job. There's a reason I worked with them rather than against them. I..."

He trailed off, chewing the inside of his cheek as a stupid thought struck him. It was an obvious one, but a stupid one. "Bad idea or not, stupidly dangerous or not, you have to do what you have to do regardless. I understand that and I'm not trying to dissuade you. But perhaps...if you needed it...I could help? Ah. Only if you wanted. I know I haven't been, er, the most reliable, or maybe even the most trustworthy, but...I do know what they look like from the inside."

A soft sigh and Raizel sat back up to peer at Cadmus' head from his seat on the ground. She rolled his offer around in her head, to come along with her. "Like a team?" She questioned, her voice soft. Raizel had never been part of a team before, choosing to simply work alone.

She looked at the bandaged wound on her arm and flexed her fingers. Thought of the gash on her companions back. The ankle that was caused by him. Raizel shimmied to the edge of the bed and placed her hands on his shoulders, giving them a light squeeze and moving her head down so her mouth was beside his ear.

"You do owe me," she whispered, "my ankle is quite fucked up." Raizel backed away but kept her arms on his shoulders, "get on the bed Cadmus, you're only a cat sometimes. I need you well rested if you're going to be watching my back and divulging secrets." Raizel moved back, tucking some black hair behind her pointed ear and stifling a yawn before moving all the blankets down and in one fluid motion, removing her shirt. The fabric went sailing where it hit the close wall with a dull noise and onto a pile on the floor.

A team.

Huh.

Cadmus was also used to working alone, but he also didn't hate the sound of that. More importantly, maybe this was evidence that Raizel didn't hate him as much as he thought she should?

Stronger evidence soon followed: the whisper against his ear that had her breath tickling her skin, the order to get into bed...Cadmus could only mope and play self-hating martyr for so long. If a pretty lady ordered you into bed, you did not ask questions, platonic or not. He paused only long enough to blink up at her in surprise, but she was right, they would need to be well-rested for this venture--

Aaand there went her shirt.

Cadmus followed it as it arced across the room, landing somewhere near his own, then slowly looked back at Raizel. He tried not to be too obvious about where he was looking, but couldn't help a quick downward flick of his eyes before returning them to her face.

Indeed, message received, loud and clear.

In a swift fluid motion, he slid into the bed next to her, wincing as he rolled onto his side and put pressure on his fucked up shoulder. But just like last time, it was a bit snug, and after shifting around to adjust himself and get comfortable, he ended up draping an arm across her middle rather than keep it scrunched against his chest. They had done this once before hadn't they, and it had been fine then. This was just more of the same, and this was as good as forgiveness.

Even though he still felt shitty, which made him strangely uncertain of the boundaries here.

"If there's anything I can do to make it up to you," he said as he finished settling in, "I'm all ears."

Things were complicated.

The situation was uniquely complicated. Rational thought won over the pit of betrayal she'd initially felt. He hadn't known it was her. Hadn't tracked her down maliciously, the proof was how quickly he'd changed sides, how quickly he went from being her pursuer to her protector. Clearly had hadn't done it for money, which meant he felt guilty about having had done the persuing that lead to an injury.

Raizel lay awake for a time, head on the soap smelling pillow. At war in her own head how she should feel. Cadmus was feeling guilty, voiced again about making up for the injury. Raizel turned her face into the pillow before turning around to face Cadmus, making sure to keep his arm on her waist, simply because the weight of it there was comforting. The sun had risen and despite the curtains being closed, dim light filtered in on them. "I'll let you know if I think of anything, or you can let me know if you have any great ideas." Raizel placed a hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze and then gave a little wobbly smile that lasted for only a moment.

She turned around again, having not noticed he was on his wounded side. "We should get some sleep," and after tucking her back to be pressed tight to his chest and unconsciously taking his hand and holding it to her chest like one would hold a stuffed animal... Raizel was out like a light. Her entire being relaxed, breathing evened out, the only thing at odds with her sleeping form was how hard her grip on his hand tightened against her chest and the wild movement of her eyes under their lids.

Right.

Sleep.

Easy for her to say! Raizel passed out quick as a snuffed candle, leaving Cadmus to lay there and contemplate his life choices. He stared at the back of her head, listening to the sound of her breathing and counting the beats of her heart against his hand. Yes. Sleep. That was an idea, but between the morning light filtering through the curtains, the throb of his shoulder, and the press of her body against his...

It was kind of impossible.

This felt...kind of like how things were.

Not that it mattered, he thought quickly as he squeezed his eyes shut and let out a soft huff into her hair. Truthfully, he shouldn't care about any of this. He'd really only known her for a couple days and now they were to be on a job together, that's all. It was all business and always was, really. But it was difficult not to nestle in a little closer to steal more warmth, her scarred back against his chest. And it was impossible to ignore the way she hugged his hand against soft skin.

Very soft skin.

Cadmus squeezed his eyes shut tighter, shoving the thought away before it could take off running. Indeed, he couldn't recall ending up half naked and in bed with any of his previous business partners, but as he finally drifted off, arms encircling her and cuddling close, he supposed there was a first time for everything.

The room was so dark and were those... Stars?

Floating in darkness with pinpricks of light. Suspended in nothing. Raizel kicked a leg out but didn't move, instead she kicked the little stars and they rippled like they were suspended in water. There was so many lights but so much of nothing.

A red length of fabric was around her injured ankle, the loose end billowing out like it was caught on wind. Raizel looked down at herself, red ribbons around her chest, billowing out at her back like two wings. One was wrapped around her arm. They were everywhere and a sense of dread filled her. A sense of betrayal. Who put her here? How did she get here?

One of the stars glowed so brightly until it drowned out the darkness and suddenly... Raizel grasped and clawed at the ground, fingers dirty and bloodied. Everything hurt but nothing really did, the blood was slippery and sticky and the new lightness of her shoulders made it feel like she was going to fall up. It took great effort to get to the body on the ground. A familiar unfamiliar face, she knew she recognized it, the same way you'd look at someone in a dream. 'It didn't look like you, but I knew it was you'.

Who are you?

Her mind screamed that she knew this person. Her hand went from the shoulder to the neck and held it down, and Raizel felt herself lean down to kiss this betrayer at the same time she pressed a stiletto dagger to the ribs and slowly pressed in. The gurgle was satisfying when it finally pierced the heart... Was this a memory? Just a dream of revenge? The red billowing fabric didn't go away and now it was pouring from where she'd stabbed the dagger. The only thing she knew was a set of piercing green eyes above that gurgling familiar unfamiliar mouth. Then there was a loud cry and all the fabric burst into flapping birds and a rain of black feathers.

-

Raizel slept fitfully for a few hours, the occasional twitch of her hand against Cadmus's on her chest was the only movement until her eyes snapped open and she sat up, the sunlight through the curtains giving her an almost angelic back glow. Though her eyes were open, they were an unseeing ocean of blue. Her hand moved over his chest and pushed Cadmus onto his back, her hands moving under the pillows to push them back and out of the way.

One of her legs swung to straddle his hips and she moved her hand from his shoulder to caress his cheek before she placed it on his throat. Still delicate and gentle, it was a caress. The sweet touch of a lover. Raizel leaned down to press a kiss to his lips at the same time she held a dagger to his chest, the metal cold and sharp. At an angle, one good thrust and it would pierce his heart.

And then she stopped, hovering above him like a statue. Her hand at his throat getting tighter and tighter but she remained unmoving and unblinking.

Cadmus slept like a rock--still and peaceful, the sleep of someone who hadn't slept in a good bed in, well...weeks. He was normally a light sleeper; usually he slept in places that might not be too secure so that warranted keeping an ear open for potential danger. Here, in a cozy room, in a warm bed tucked up against a person he may not know too well, but that he trusted well enough? He let himself sleep deeply.

Maybe too deeply.

He didn't immediately wake when Raizel turned him over, making only a low grumbling, complaining sound and trying to nestle back into the covers as the light hit his face. It was only when she straddled him and caressed his cheek that he roused, her weight atop him and the ticklish touch on his skin making his eyelids flutter, and then crack open in bleary confusion, too asleep still to be alarmed. The sunlight hurt his eyes as he peered up at her. Between his blurred vision and the way the light haloed her, leaving her a dark figure in the middle of a sunburst, he didn't recognize her at first.

Then she kissed him.

He recognized her scent before he registered her face.

"Rai...?" he started to say against her mouth, his heart stuttering with some strange mixture of tired confusion and cautious excitement--but then he felt it, something cold and sharp against his chest, and the hand that had caressed him so gently was starting to tighten on his throat.

Her eyes were empty.

Was she asleep still? Dreaming?

Oh shit.

Cadmus froze, and that cautious excitement quickly morphed into dread. Ah. Well. Maybe he wasn't quite as forgiven as he'd thought...

That was fair...

"Ah...Raizel?" Shit, shit. It was getting difficult to breathe, but thankfully she was pressing on his windpipe more than his arteries; it took significantly less pressure to make someone pass out with the latter than the former. Shit. She didn't seem all there, but there was no safe way to dislodge someone who had a knife pressed against your heart. So he did his best to stay calm and still even though he wanted to pry her fingers off and wrestle the knife away. 

"Raizel, wake up! I...I don't think you actually--" He coughed, and resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably. "I don't think you actually want to do this..."

He paused and met her eyes. "Do you?"

Falling was a weird sensation. Especially when you were falling but there was no wind, nothing was moving. The body that had burst into fabric and feathers had the eyes change from green to gold. A familiar scar on the face before she dug the dagger in again, just a little bit. The name spoken was familiar but the way the mouth moved to say it was all wrong.

The pressure felt real and instead of before, when the dagger sunk right in, it felt wrong and like... Raizel blinked, her mind filtering the words Cadmus has spoken from the weird bird chirping it had turned into into real words.

She didn't want to do this, did she?

The warmth of the body below her had her hand tighten on the dagger, frowned at the tip of it was missing beneath flesh. It was a strange way to wake up, being sharp with panic but still so tired. Her eyelids felt like sleeping limbs and it took a great amount of effort for reason to push through, and the dagger stayed dug in and stationary while her mind returned to her body.

Confusion drew her features together and it took a long moment to process what was going on. "Cadmus?" She whispered, voice tired and confused, though her hand snapped away from his neck the hand holding the dagger was lifted and looked at before realization struck and she dropped it onto the bed beside them.

"What happened?" She whispered, panic making her voice breathy and soft, grabbing some of the blankets and pressing them to the wound she'd made on his chest. Raizel couldn't help it, when tears filled her eyes. The dream flooded back and she pulled the blanket away from the wound as soon as she pressed down on it to examine her companion further, a tear falling down her cheek.

"I'm sorry, I- I was having a bad dream and I..." she whispered, hands moving on his chest, his sides, looking for more wounds. A flicker of the dream came back and she moved her hands to his neck, smoothing her thumbs over whatever discoloration she'd caused there. A small sigh of relief there weren't any cuts there and she moved her trembling palm back to the cut she'd left on his torso. It wasn't so deep to cause serious harm, but it was deep enough to bleed.

Shaking like a leaf, Raizel couldn't quite muster up the strength to move away. Instead, she leaned forward and let her head rest on his chest, staying silent and listening to his heart beat. "I'm sorry, I don't... know what happened, I can't feel my legs so just... bear with me for a moment and then you can ... stab me back or something."

That was not the answer he wanted.

Fuck! Sharp, white-hot pain made his breath hiss out in surprise and for a second, Cadmus had the idiot thought that this was sure an anticlimactic way to go after a lifetime spent doing far more dangerous shit. He should have died a hundred times before this. He'd come close, nearly drowned in his own blood. Yet this was how it happened? Taken out by the same woman who had rescued him?

Despite every instinct screaming to do something, another instinct was stronger. Cadmus remained frozen, his pulse racing in his ears as his breaths came out in gasps--and not just because she was kind of choking him out. He wanted to throw her off of him, darkness edging at the corners of his vision, but he only balled his hands into fists. Stay calm. Stay non-threatening, like a predator baring its belly in submission. He knew how little force it took to slide a knife between ribs and into the heart. One wrong move and he would only help her with that effort, or startle her into it.

Maybe it was better this way: in a nice bed, straddled by a pretty woman, with her face as the last thing he saw, rather than bleeding out in a gutter somewhere as his sort tended to do.

Maybe he deserved this.

He couldn't blame her.

"Raizel--"

And then, just like that, she was back.

He saw her eyes clear and the confusion wash over her--followed by horror as she yanked her hands, and the dagger, away from him. Cadmus gasped, body jerking as he sucked in air and his vision cleared, and he started to reach for the wound but Raizel was quicker.

What happened? That's what he wanted to know! But for a moment he couldn't conjure up an intelligent thought if he tried and could only wheeze out, "I...I think Dream You dislikes me." 

She was checking him over and he let her as he got his bearings, his own mind racing as he tried to process what the fuck just happened. Nothing within her control, from the sounds of it--and as much as he knew he should probably be a bit pissed about this, he just felt...tired.

And she was crying...

A tear hit his chest and he looked up at her, felt the way she was trembling--and he felt thoroughly defeated as she flopped against his chest.

Fuck...why was he like this?

"I guess, er, maybe we're even now?" His voice was a little shaky. Despite his best efforts to remain outwardly calm, Raizel could no doubt hear his racing heart; it hadn't slowed much at all. He would take it to his grave before he admitted that she had scared the shit out of him. "You know. I almost kill you, you almost kill me..."

Another deep breath and he put his arms around her, fingers stroking lightly over her back as though trying to soothe her. His hands were a little clammy from stress, but he hoped she wouldn't notice. "Hear me out: maybe we could do a little less of that going forward?" He smoothed some hair back from her cheek. "Just a thought."

They were even now.

Raizel listened to Cadmus's heartbeat, the quick pounding that almost matched her own. She let his hands run over her back but it wasn't until he pushed her hair from her face that she felt comforted. Perhaps it was the state her back was in, that kept the touches from being truly soothing.

She further tucked her hair behind her ear, breath evening out. She caused the racing heart. The bleeding. Maybe it was deserved. Some quiet monster in the back of her mind, out for revenge for the betrayal. Even if the betrayal hadn't been intentional at all. Raizel didn't lift her head, instead she took his hand and pressed it to her cheek and closed her eyes again, just for a moment.

"I..." Raizel's voice croaked out and she was still a bit off from waking up having almost gutted her companion "yeah." She didn't want to get up or move, Cadmus was warm and despite the heartbeat under her ear sounding like a frightened rabbit, it was a comforting sound. But then her hand moved and the slick of his blood destroyed the haze of comfort.

The various things Albert had left were still on the bedside table beside Cadmus's side of the bed and Raizel sat up and leaned over him to grab some. Her hair was long enough to keep her modest when she was sitting up, but leaning over was a different story.

There was a wound to tend though, one she caused, so her breasts being out was just a matter of temperature control - of which it was not working and being in the sunlight was making her feel incredibly warm. Her hand was covered in blood, both dry and wet and she quickly wet a cloth before turning back to the wound.

Gently Raizel cleaned the slice, opening her mouth to talk but then shutting it again. "It wasn't you. In the dream," she started softly, wiping away the dried blood, she looked at his face and golden eyes before looking back down. "I'm... I think it was a memory, but it was like looking through fog. It felt like I knew who everyone was, but... I don't know them now." Raizel shook her head, then paused finally having a look about her like she was a wind-up toy whose winds had run out,a little lost,  little confused  "I didnt kiss you, Did I? I'm so sorry."

As Raizel lay on him like a warm weighted blanket, Cadmus began to calm despite the fresh throb of a new wound. Raizel's vulnerability helped—it may have been his near death experience, and yet her tears, her panic, her genuine regret only made him want to...protect her.

Which was silly and he knew it. She was fully capable and competent. She didn't need protection—a moment ago, he had needed protection from her! Call him the world's biggest fool, but he wanted only to hold her until her trembling stopped and her tears dried, wanted to chase away whatever had frightened her enough to attack him. 

Stupid, stupid...

One hand against Raizel's cheek, the other one idly playing with her hair, he made a mental note that, going forward, he'd just have to remind Raizel to stow any weapons far, far from their sleeping spot. Just in case. Assuming they shared sleeping quarters again, of course, which seemed to have become a pattern—

He blinked down at the top of her head. Maybe that was being a bit presumptive.

Raizel moving dragged him out of his thoughts, and he watched her idly before he realized he had a full, unobstructed view of her breasts, and that he should probably look away. He had no issue with it; his people weren't weird about nudity like so many humans were, and while he appreciated the sight (scars and all, she truly was lovely), she might not appreciate him appreciating her. So he looked up at the ceiling instead, and tried not to think about where, exactly, she was sitting.

Fortunately, as she began to fuss with the wound, the discomfort helped with that.

He listened as she described the dream, selfishly relieved that it wasn't him that Dream Raizel was trying to murder. Murder and...

Yeah. The kiss.

Cadmus looked up at her, fighting back a wince. Oh. Right. Yeah. He had been so focused on, you know, the knife that everything else had tumbled out of his brain until she dredged it back up. 

Shit. "Uh..." Did he deny it and save her the mortification? No, that didn't seem right. He would have wanted to know, too, and he had done a bit too much lying. 

"You...did," he said slowly, but then anticipating a negative reaction, he snapped a look at her and held up his hands.

"It's okay, though! I didn't mind that part." Ah. Shit. "I mean, it was nicer than the stabbing part." That just sounded insulting now. Grimacing, he put a hand on her cheek, wiping away at the remnants of tears with his thumb.

"That came out wrong. Ah, I'm trying to say...it's fine. You had a nightmare, a really intense one from the sounds of it. You can't help that." He paused. "We'll just keep the knives far away in the future."

When was the last time she'd had such a dream?

Raizel closed her eyes when Cadmus brushed away the last of her tears and she remained for just a moment longer. There was comfort in the warmth and the comfort almost stung, like warming up after being so cold for so long. The cold caused numbness, but once it started to thaw, the pain set in. A wry smile pulled at once side of her mouth when he suggested keeping knives away in the future. A little nod and she removed herself from her perch on her companions hips.

"Most things are nicer than being stabbed, I promise not to stab you anymore," she said, voice cracking while she carefully moved to stand up, putting weight on her bad ankle for a short moment before steeling herself and standing straight up. The pain was a limitation and she wasn't about to let herself be limited. "You should go back to sleep," She said over her shoulder softly before Raizel walked with careful steps to a bag against the wall. She pressed her hands to her face for a moment before she pulled out a tank top and pulling that on.

Sleep wouldn't come back. Her hands still shook slightly while she closed the bag, took a deep shuddering breath and looked to the window before getting up. "I'll... Get some food, I'm sure you're hungry." She glanced over her shoulder and smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes, "you can eat it when you wake up again." Raizel put a small pouch into her pants pocket before she took a steadying breath and started towards the door.

What was she going to do? Pain shot up her leg with each step but it did little than make her wince, Raizel too stubborn to let something like pain keep her from doing what she wanted. Which was leave the room. Running away completely wasn't an option anymore, there was a bed that was made and... Her hand pressed to her chest, her palm flat against her, and just felt her heartbeat. Why was her heart still pounding? Her cheek still tingled.  There was a singular moment, when she let herself think about what the kiss could have been like but that was quickly replaced by the dream.

"Stop it," she said out loud to herself before she pushed herself off the wall and limped her way down the hall and down the stairs. Raizel didn't return to the room for a half hour or so, double the set of steps echoed down the hall on the return trip, quiet voices, a deep chuckle. The door opened and Raizel entered with a tray in hand, as quietly as she could. Two mugs of black coffee and two bowls of some sort of stew, some bread.

She frowned at the bedside table and wrinkled her nose, having forgotten all the appropriate tray space had been taken over by wound-cleaning supplies. The floor it was. It was just one big flat seating place, anyway, and while it wasn't clean enough to eat off of, it was clean.

Raizel balanced carefully while she placed the tray on the floor and sat down, her wounded leg stuck out to the side, the other tucked under its knee, while she leaned back on her good arm and sipped the coffee. It was probably close to noon, maybe past, she hadn't asked Albert when she went downstairs. She just stole his food.

"If you're awake, I brought food. I'm assuming you can eat like a human, so sorry if coffee fucks you up." Her voice was soft, an attempt to let Cadmus still snooze if he'd fallen back asleep. Raizel didn't check, not sure if it was embarrassment or shame that kept her from glancing around for him. Even now, her eyes were downcast, watching the steam rise from the bowls.

...Gods be damned.

Raizel left (or maybe fled?) the room with promises of breakfast, leaving Cadmus to stare up at the ceiling with no plans of going back to sleep. It was bright out, he was awake now, and he hadn't quite come down from the adrenaline rush. But more importantly, a new sort of anxiety had weaseled its way in because, despite everything, despite almost getting knifed, he couldn't help but worry that he'd said the wrong thing and chased her away.

But he would feel awkward following after her like some sort of puppy, and he hadn't made the best impression with that Albert fellow last night, so encountering him would also be awkward. It would also be awkward if she just flat out left him here entirely but...he could flee out the window if need be, like some sort of sneaky teenager. Ugh...

He rubbed both hands over his face to wipe away the sleep, then checked his freshly cleaned wound. She'd done a good job patching him up--it was lucky they had left over supplies! Hopefully it was the last time they would need them for a while.

Turning over in bed, Cadmus squeezed his eyes shut and tried to go back to sleep, just to pass the time, because that would be better than thinking and fretting. Had he made the right call by telling her or should he have saved her the embarrassment? And then he went and made that idiot remark. Was it possible to have secondhand embarrassment at yourself on top of the regular embarrassment? And why on earth did he care so much?

He was still cringing at himself when, to his surprise, Raizel returned. He pretended to be asleep as she entered (because for some reason, the idea of her knowing he'd been awake the whole time seemed worse somehow?), the scent of coffee and some sort of meaty stew wafting to him. It was only when she spoke that he stirred, sitting up with a soft grunt as his stiff muscles and wounds ached in protest. "Oh, thank you," he said, and hid a yawn behind a hand.

Stealing a glance at her, noting her downcast eyes, Cadmus hesitated a second before he slid down onto the floor next to her with his back propped against the bed. Just act normal, right? Everything was normal. She hadn't fled, she'd come back, they were still good, right? In any case, they couldn't both act awkward. Raizel was obviously still off from her nightmare, and kissing and almost killing someone without any awareness of your actions had to be...a lot to deal with.

So he picked up a mug of coffee and gave it a curious sniff. "I've never had coffee before," he said, and looked over at her. "Why would it 'fuck me up'? Is it like alcohol?"

"Wait, really?"

Raizel pushed her long dark hair over her shoulder and brought the cup to her lips, inhaling before taking a scalding hot gulp of her drink. It was bitter but the heat warmed her and she put the cup back down and sighed a little, most of it gone already. "It's like the opposite of alcohol. Wakes you up, kind of bitter," It was really bitter, but Cadmus could discover that if he chose to drink it "You're not... Human... So maybe Coffee won't agree with you."

She gave a pause, as if thinking before she took a bite of food, still not looking at him. Bowl in one hand, spoon in the other, half way towards her mouth before she looked up, a little puzzled, eyebrows drawing in. "Do you count as an animal," Raizel asked, looking at his lips briefly, "like... Did I kiss a man or a gryphon." Another kind of squinted look while she tried to ponder that out, "Is this like a frog and a toad? All toads are frogs?"

Raizel put her bowl down and brought the coffee back to her lips to take a sip while she pondered, not looking distraught but looking puzzled, her voice got quiet, if only because it was muffled slightly into her cup. "You're always a gryphon - the frog - but sometimes you're a man, the toad. So all man-cadmus's are toads and all toads are gryphons." Raizel tilted her head back and finished her coffee, placing it down on the tray and pulling her hair back into a quick tie-less braid to keep it out of her face and off her shoulders.

Another question flitted into her mind and out her mouth before she could think about it at all, "If you have babies, do they come out as eggs."

Cadmus had just picked up the coffee, curious to give it a try, and had put it to his lips when Raizel said...

All of that.

He choked, half because the coffee was indeed hot and bitter, and half because she caught him SO off guard. Sputtering, he set the cup down and wiped at his mouth, coughing.

"Pardon?" he finally managed to wheeze.

For a few long moments, Cadmus could only stare at her, eyebrows raised, utterly dumbfounded as he tried to follow her train of thought. Frog...and...toad...? What...?

"Uh...well..." Strange frog and toad analogies aside (he thought he knew kind of what she was trying to say? Kind of?), the question was unexpectedly awkward—because it wasn't something he'd really given any thought to. Did he count as an animal? What kind of question was that? Who just asked someone if they were an animal?! And how did he think of himself? Holy gods, she just opened up a whole bucket of worms and threw in a little existential crisis with it, because...how...how did he identify exactly? He didn't really think of himself as human or animal. He was just, well, him. A gryphon, yes, but...

Carefully picking up the cup again, he took another sip of coffee. It was crazy bitter and burned his tongue, but he was so distracted he hardly noticed.

"I...guess you could think of it that way?" he said at last, head cocked in thought. "I mean, from my perspective, I'm always just me. Just in different shapes. I was a gryphon first—I think. I'm not actually sure. We can all change like this, so..." He trailed off, scratching the back of his neck as he found himself thrust into an unexpected 'chicken or the egg' scenario—literally. "You kissed a man-shaped me so I'd say right now I count as human." He shot her a look, making a face. "It's not like you kissed a dog or committed bestiality or something, if that's what you're worried about. I'm very human at the moment."

Why was he suddenly so defensive?

"And no, we don't come out as eggs. We, er, we birth our pups—ah, children?—live," he said slowly, and rubbed a hand over his face which felt strangely warm. Maybe from drinking hot coffee, he told himself. "But...right. I'm very much man right now. Or I guess frog, if we're using your example?"

For a flash Raizel thought she'd greatly offended Cadmus, and half waited for the fall out. After he wiped his face she watched him go through the whole range of 'wait hang on's that she did and didn't want to say it, but was relieved at the comment that it wasn't bestiality. Raizel chewed on her lower lip and glanced him up and down while he explained and she nodded along, eating her food.

A small smile when he said pups at first and then she watched him confirm that currently, he was a human man. Sort of. "A toad," She corrected, the spoon in her mouth muffling her words, "The frog is the gryphon." Which made sense to her, after a fashion. It was also an interesting thing to think about, that he was always himself no matter what physical form he was in. Raizel could picture herself kindly kissing a beak, like one would nuzzle a cat or hug a dog, before she could picture herself kissing Cadmus the man. She looked across at him, at his lips and when she tried to picture it, it came up blank.

Raizel put the empty bowl down and brought a hand to her lips, tracing her index finger along her bottom lip before she cast her gaze down at the ground. Was she herself? She moved her hands to flex her fingers in front of her, did she have the same personality? The same morals? Was muscle memory the frog and the rest was the toad? The dream clung to the back of her neck and she ducked her head down and breathed.

If she remembered everything, who would she be? Raizel pressed her hands to her face before she sat up straight and then took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "We can't do anything until nightfall," she said, pausing and then looking at her ankle, "maybe not anything tonight either. Albert might have something better than 'rest'. I'll have to ask him." another moment and she gave a wry smile at Cadmus.

"You're free to do anything with your day," she said this carefully, almost a little hesitant because Cadmus getting up and leaving was a very real possibility - not that she would blame him. " I'll probably lay back down and read something until I fall asleep, being awake during the day is weird," a sort of tired-but-not-sleepy smile and Raizel stretched before rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands, "No more daggers on the bed if you're still tired, I swear."

"Right. Toad. My apologies," Cadmus repeated with a small smile that was half amused, half bewildered, because it made him think of those stories he'd picked up along his travels. Something something kissing frogs to turn them into princes. Except in no world was he rich.

He fell quiet as she did, finishing off the rest of his meal while he waited for the coffee to cool enough to give it another try. He ate the chunks of meat first and picked around the vegetables, then when there was nothing left he finally forced those down, too. They were less offensive in this form, cooked soft and coated in seasonings and meat juice, and he was getting more accustomed to them over time. But it was still a bit of an acquired taste for his kind.

Raizel had gone quiet. He assumed it was just because she was eating, too, and so he left her to it. It gave him some time to sort out his own racing thoughts; the frog and toad thing had been a humorous distraction, but once the topic quieted down he was left with...well...a hot mess of muddled thoughts. Like for one, what the fuck had just happened and why wasn't he as bothered about it as he probably should be, considering she could have killed him? The slight throb in his chest had joined the throb in his shoulder and back. There had been too many life or death moments in so short a time, and while he didn't want to die, in that moment he had just felt...resigned, that little voice in the back of his head whispering that he deserved it.

He rolled his shoulders as a little shiver went through him, and set the bowl down to check on the coffee. It was cool enough by then so he sipped at it, wrinkling his nose and brow at the flavor which was, yep, still bitter, but the taste occupied his thoughts. It was better to wonder why on earth humans liked this stuff than to ponder over his own weird thoughts about death, or why he felt strangely bothered by their conversation regarding his status as a human or animal.

Cadmus was still trying to puzzle it out as he sipped it again, because maybe it was like alcohol in that tasted like shit but made you feel a certain way until it stopped tasting like shit? But then Raizel broke the quiet and he looked over at her, glancing briefly at her lips before snapping his eyes back up to hers.

"Wait. This is supposed to wake me up, is it not?" he asked, blinking slowly as he waggled his coffee mug at her. "How will I go back to sleep then? And as for tonight, are you going to be ready for that?"

He frowned, flicking a look to her ankle. "We should consider seeking out a healer. You can barely walk on that, and I don't think a night and day's rest will change much there."

The feeling like she needed to entertain Cadmus felt almost claustrophobic. What did she care if he snuck away again? Raizel looked at his cup and then nodded to his question about the purpose of coffee. Why was she so tired? Blue eyes flicked to her bag, the concoction of herbs hidden away that kept her up.

Raizel closed her eyes and looked down at her ankle, still wrapped up from the night before. "I'll ask Albert, he's kind of like you, y'know?" She tried to make a motion with her hand that appeared like feathers on her head, "He's not a real human man. Some sort of orange bi-" as if on cue, Albert pushed the door open, looking surprised at his own actions and gave a sigh of relief when the image of the pair registered before him.

"I was genuinely worried for a second I'd walk in to you two humping and let me tell you, I'm glad I didn't. Realized a second too late Raizel wasn't alone and she's usually sleeping right now," Albert sighed with relief, Raizel giving him a sneer, before he collected various used dishes and placed them on a small table in the hallway, he then stood in the doorway with his hands on his hips. "Let's see them," his voice was commanding, though not unlike a parent demanding to see bad grades. "The wounds," he waved his hand impatiently towards Cadmus to come stand before him first, "you had the most superficial ones and I apologize about the scratches yesterday."

Albert paused for a moment, "sometimes when I'm stressed or woken from a dead sleep," he glared at Raizel, "I'm extra prickly. Literally." Albert in the daytime was kind looking, flame bright hair held loosely in a tie over his shoulder, green and blue eyes, he smelled of fresh bread and sugary treats, "I'm going to heal you, by the way, is why I'm here, and collect your dishes."

...Kind of like him? Cadmus cocked his head as she did her hand thing and explained that he wasn't a "real human man" (which did explain things, like the shoulder mauling for one) but as if summoned by his name, the not-man himself appeared. Without knocking, of course.

And while announcing...that.

Cadmus stared at him, eyebrows rising, and cleared his throat. No, that was definitely not a thought he had entertained, not a single damned time, especially not when they had been cuddling naked that one night. He had definitely never thought about it since then, either, and certainly not when she had straddled and kissed him with a knife to his chest. Because, you know, that would be pretty fucked up. 

He rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, drawing in a breath (the man was blunt, that was certain) until the man demanded to see his wounds.

Well, sure. Why not.

"It's fine. Really," Cadmus said as he turned so the scratches faced Albert, scabbed over now and healing. "You don't know me, and I did break into your home. By all rights, I can't blame you for defending yourself. You could have done worse and I'd have earned it."

"It's fine, really" Albert mocked, moving closer before placing his hands on Cadmus's back. They were warm, though the pads felt a little too rough to be human. "You smell like Raizel, it's faint, but it's there, I should have been more cognizant of that. I doubt she would have brought an enemy to my door, especially wounded." Albert sighed and flexed his fingers against the warm skin of the other man, "Don't be alarmed, I'm not kissing you, but I kind of am? Don't think about it too hard."

He leaned down then, his red braid falling over his shoulder before Cadmus would feel the ghost of lips and hot breath on his back. It would be a weird warmth, there would be a soft light where Alberts head was at his back. Cadmus would feel his skin tighten at the scratches and the knife wound on his chest and if he were to touch them, they would be tender but healed. The flesh delicately stitched back together, a quick encouraged heal, flesh easily broken but healed none the less.

Albert stood up again, leaning back before he frowned at Raizel who didn't meet his gaze and just looked off to the side. She was seated, her good leg a prop for her arms before the red haired man kneeled down in front of her. "Raizel," Albert started, "I can only do so much. You know that. You're one person with a sword," his hair was more feathery now, his eyes looking more sharp and his features more angular. His emotions and his use of his abilities blurring the line between his selves.

He remained kneeled, lifting her leg and removing the wrapping. The skin was bruised looking and Raizel's fingers clenched against the floor, eyes squeezing shut while he poked and prodding at her ankle. "You're lucky this isn't worst," he frowned at her before he leaned down, foot and ankle in his hands. His mouth was closets to the bruise, his lower lip brushing skin, before he exhaled. It was like tendrils of gold and light left him, the longer he did it the more his hair went feathery.

His hands became clawed and after a few more breaths, the braid was a mix of feathers and hair. His pupils were slits in a sea of blue and his teeth were growing more sharp by the moment. Albert gently put Raizel's foot down when he was done, the bruise a gentle healed yellow. He rubbed his wrists like they were pained and he gave her knee a squeeze. "Be careful next time," he scolded before standing up looking between the two, moving to stand with his hands on his hips like a disappointed parent before he turned away and left. His job was done, he'd encouraged healing and took away their dishes.

Raizel remained quiet for a time, blinking like a scolded child. "Well," she said softly, glancing down and away, "I'm kind of sad he didn't catch us humping." Raizel teased before she stood up, testing her ankle gently before sighing with relief, eyes closing realizing now how much pain she'd been in. A sidelong glance at Cadmus and she gave a small smile, "He'll be prickly and feathery for the rest of the day," she looked back at the door, "I think healing takes a lot out of him." She pat her chest where she remembered half-stabbing Cadmus and then looked at her companion before walking over, "Did he get your chest too?"

Someone clearly needed some coffee, Cadmus thought as Albert mocked him. Mocked him! Or rather, maybe he needed less coffee and more sleep. He stared at him, brow slightly furrowed, because the man was definitely prickly in every definition of the word, that was true—but there was something almost familial about the griping. Why did it feel like he was perpetually disappointed in them and why was that vaguely upsetting?

But then he was going on about kissing him, but also how it wasn't, and Cadmus felt his eyebrows rise again. They had been doing a lot of that in his presence.

Uhhh, pardon?

Albert was pretty enough that he'd certainly be into him if he were at a tavern and he gave him fuck-me eyes, but for some reason he felt himself cringe at the idea—not just because of the whole Disappointed Dad vibe, but because Raizel was right there and that suddenly seemed to matter quite a lot. He didn't even know why the thought of kissing someone in front of her seemed horrifying, because it definitely wasn't shyness, but there it was, inexplicable and strange. He shot a mildly alarmed look over at her as Albert moved in close enough that he felt his breath tickling his back and spreading goosebumps along his skin—but, thankfully, that was it. He felt the throbbing ache fade into almost nothing, and then it was done.

And he breathed out in relief. "Thank you," he said as he ran a hand over the healed flesh, lightly poking where it was still tender.

Then it was Raizel's turn.

Sitting on the bed, it was interesting to see the process from the other side. Interesting, but also...

Hrm...

The two of them were close, that much was obvious, and Albert genuinely cared for her. Cadmus had told himself it was familial, but as he watched the tender way he touched her as he breathed light onto her skin, and the way he squeezed her knee when all was done, he felt his chest tighten. There was true care in his eyes beneath the bluster. What was their relationship?

And wait...why was he focusing so hard on that? Why had he tensed up as he watched?

There was no way he was jealous.

Albert left with their dishes, and Raizel spoke—and Cadmus jumped, realizing abruptly that he had been all up in his own head. He startled a little, more of a twitch of his shoulders, and it took a second to process what she'd just said. He snorted.

"I mean, we sort of were, if he'd come in just a few minutes sooner," he said, and then winced as soon as the words left his mouth. Too soon? Wait. What did she mean she wished they were...?

But she was already up and moving, already changing the subject in true Raizel fashion. That seemed to be her way; say something completely off the cuff and then move on like she'd said nothing of the sort at all. Lips quirked in a tired smile, he tapped his chest.

"Good as new," he said. "It's almost like you'd never tried to murder me. What about you? Ankle all kissed better?"

Cadmus got a sharp ice blue eyed look with an unamused smile and a quirked up eyebrow. "You're right, I suppose there was some penetration," her voice was dry as she went around the room, testing her ankle and giving a sigh before looking at the door and pulling a face. She didn't understand how Albert's particular brand of magic healing worked, but she'd had enough of it and seen him birdy enough to know it took a lot out of him. Raizel pushed her hair over her pointed ear and gave her ankle another test.

"Looks worse than it feels," she said simply, pushing her hands through her hair and sighing. There was so much to do and so little time to do it, "do you think they'll move?" Raizel said simply, folding her arms over her chest, "your previous employers," she clarified. Her hand went to her face and she pressed her index finger to her lips, "We can only assume they did. We should be going as soon as possible, I doubt anyone is expecting a miraculous Phoenix recovery." She tapped her lip some more "unless you're tired. I sleep during the day and usually I dont have guests I try to stab in the heart while I'm doing that, so today kind of got fucked up."

Raizel paced the room, mind going a million miles a minute. Her posture was ridged, shoulders squared, gaze stoney. "Everything is wrong." Now that she wasn't in so much pain she could focus on other things now, "still can't believe you of all people work with thieves and bandits. Honestly I'm surprised you're not a librarian or priest or something." She waved a hand at Cadmus, "aside from that," she motioned to the scar on his neck, "you're very... I dunno. Gentle looking."

Oooof, there was that icy death glare, likely the last thing many a criminal saw before their end. Right. Too soon for that joke. Duly noted!

Raizel was all business again as she worked out her ankle, and Cadmus sobered up as well as she fired off her thoughts. He nodded or shook his head at her questions: yes they would move, no he wasn't tired (it seemed the coffee was working, because he was starting to feel restless and jittery), and then—

She kicked his legs right out from under him, as she was wont to do.

Gentle?! Him? A librarian...a PRIEST?! WHAT? Cadmus clapped a hand to his chest as though mortally wounded and choked out a laugh, utterly blindsided by that one and not quite sure how to take it.

"Ouch!" he gasped. "Damn. Now I know you're still pissed at me—which, by the way, I'm not saying I don't deserve it because I absolutely do." He scrubbed a hand up and through his hair, shaking his head, and flashed her a self-deprecating smile. "I didn't realize you could kill a man without even touching him." 

But mortal wounds of the emotional sort aside, there were questions beneath the barbs. He mulled it over for a second, leaning back on his hands, and sighed. 

"Anyway, looks can be deceiving, I suppose. You don't particularly look like a dangerous vigilante who could kill a man ten ways before he knows he's dead. Put you in a dress and you could be an elven princess. An athletic one, but still."

He rubbed absently at the side of his neck, tracing where the scar ended, head cocked to the side. "I guess we don't always end up where we thought we would, or where we should," he said quietly, and shrugged. "It really only takes a few mistakes or twists of fate. Long story short, I got into trouble and I fell in with the wrong crowd, and that's all it took. I'm not good at much else and...well...it just became routine." Oh gods, he sounded like such an absolute dick.

He winced. "I don't agree with everything they do!" he said quickly.  "And...I was looking for a way out...because of that. Like I said, I don't feel any loyalty toward them. I guess playing attack dog was just...comfortable after a certain point."

There was a twinge of guilt that bubbled in her throat when Cadmus reacted to her. Raizel listened quietly to the explanation and it took her a moment to remember that he wasn't human.  Why would he have human morals? She was lucky that they weren't just all snacks. There was a moment when her mind drifted and she pondered if she could beat up a Gryphon.

Raizel looked down at him and felt herself deflate a little. A few mistakes and twists of fate. "I'm only a little sorry for what I said, aside from taking it as an insult I do think you have a very easy-going gentle presence, I promise you're not priestly" she said quietly, sinking down beside Cadmus on the ground, leaning back so their shoulders touched. "I suppose I can sympathize with twists of fate fucking your life up," Raizel took a deep breath and sighed, "though I doubt you 'not being good at much else'. If I could comfortably exist on a farm growing crops and raising animals I would." Raizel looked down at her feet, wiggled her bruised ankle and moved her arms so she could fully lay on the floor, resting her hands on her ribcage.

"Something hounds me though and I can't figure out what it is," Raizel closed her eyed and sighed, "That feeling like something is watching you. Always. But every time you look it's gone."

That wasn't so bad. Easy-going gentle presence? He could accept that. It was better than "chaste holy man energy" and certainly better than "bloody monster" or something like that. A nice middle ground. His lips quirked in a smile and, relaxing, he let himself lean against her as she settled in next to him, secretly relieved by the contact.

"Ah, that's an idea. Farming. If you handle the vegetables I could handle the animals?" he offered with a playful nudge, knowing full well it would never work. Prey animals tended to be nervous around him—understandably, they could likely smell what he really was. Horses tried to kick or bite him and he was certain any cow would try to gore him if he got too close. Besides, he doubted that either one of them was cut out for the lifestyle.

His side got a little chilly suddenly as her warmth faded, and he peered down at her as she got comfortable on the floor. And then said, so casually, something that made him stiffen.

"What do you mean? Do you think you're being stalked?" Cadmus asked, eyes sharpening with concern. "Or do you mean that more figuratively?"

The mental image of Cadmus wearing a hat and plain muddy clothing sprung into her mind when he mentioned splitting farming duties. Rough hands. Sunburnt cheeks. Head in for the day to a warm meal and drinks. A sweet tender kiss by candle light before going to bed. Raizel was still making a face at herself, the mental image lingering when Cadmus asked her about her spine tingling feeling and stalkers.

"I didn't notice when you were doing it," she pointed out, looking up at him from on the floor, a small smile, "but you were literally born with 'stalking prey' as part of your existence, I imagine." She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to visualize anything. But it was simply darkness. "You know that feeling, when you experience something but it feels like you've done it before? Or when you're trying to think of a word you know you know, but it just isn't coming to you?" Raizel lifted her hands up, making a frame with her thumb and index fingers and she framed the sunlit ceiling, "I don't think I'm being stalked. But it feels like I am. Just this little lingering feeling of something not being quite right, or maybe I'm just chasing after a ghost of myself and creeping myself out in the process."

There was a moments pause and her face tightened and as quickly as she had laid down on the floor she was back up again, resting a hand on Cadmus's shoulder "do you remember much from your childhood?" Raizels eyebrows went up and she smiled slightly her eyes took on a devilish glint, "if you'd been a baby bird at one point is that how your parents fed you? Little baby bird?" To get the whole idea across, Raizel demonstrated with her hands.

Oh...

There it was again, that sharp spike of guilt as he remembered how he had hunted her, before he had realized it was her. It had been rather easy, but humans made for easy prey—a thought which made his stomach twist the instant it rolled through his head, because perhaps on some level that had always been part of the draw. It was easy work...and it came naturally to him. It satisfied a primal instinct he couldn't otherwise exercise in the middle of the city.

He swallowed, wetting his suddenly dry throat as a flash of memory went through his mind, the memory of how close Raizel had come to death. Because of him. The idea of anyone harming her made him ill, so what happened when that "anyone" was him?

It was a relief at least to know he'd been the only stalker, as twisted as that was, and that this new one was more ephemeral. Haunted by a ghost of herself? He chewed the inside of his cheek, studying her as she spoke, remembering the way she'd held the knife to his chest as she choked him and kissed him. She'd seemed so angry, so hurt. And those scars on her back, those angry, violent things that looked like they may have once attached wings, or like someone angrily carved the shapes of them into her flesh...

Something had happened to her, something sick and awful and violent.

What happened when she did remember? 

Were some things better to forget?

He nodded thoughtfully, understanding how strange nostalgia for things that had never happened could be—but he had no real frame of reference for what she was going through. It would be maddening not knowing who you were—but what if it was her body's way of protecting her?

He didn't voice that, though. He couldn't imagine she hadn't already agonized over those ideas herself. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I can't imagine how frustrating that is—and scary."

As for him? He had the privilege of having all his memories, lucky for her and her curiosity! And true to Raizel, she didn't beat around the bush when it came to asking the important things. Cadmus sputtered—LIKE A BABY BIRD?!—and he met her devilish look with laughter that was half exasperated, half embarrassed as she demonstrated.

Oh gods.

"No! No no, not like that! There was no...just no," he wheezed. "I mean, they fed me but they didn't...they didn't..." He cleared his throat, "...vomit into my mouth, no." 

He sat up straighter, slightly flushed, unable to believe he was explaining this. After spending so much time among humans and away from his kind, it felt strange even to him. "Our beaks are soft at birth. They don't harden for some time, so we nurse until then. If you must know." He shifted a look away. "I don't remember that part, but I have a lot of childhood memories. Running around outside, playing with the others, trying to fly and failing, shifting for the first time..."

He frowned. "My mother. My sister..." He shrugged. "There's good and bad."

The sympathy was accepted and tucked away, but her grin only grew wider and she let out a chuckle when he started to explain. He seemed so out of place, explaining himself and she grinned the whole while. Trying to imagine some large eyed, big talon and pawed baby gryphon.

Raizel pressed her leg to Cadmus's and tilted her head, shuffling over to rest it on his shoulder, "I take it you aren't very close anymore?" She voiced, looking towards him. Though she wasn't sure if it was normal to run around as a people, she herself couldn't recall ever seeing a gryphon before him.

The talk of family made her ponder if she had her own. There had never been a tingle of recognition when she saw faces. No recognition for buildings or architecture, "Do you miss them?"

"You...could say that," Cadmus said slowly, leaning his head against hers and letting another wave of tension wash out with his breath. "You know. Politics, jealousy." He glanced up at the ceiling. "You really can't escape it. Every group has its hierarchies, from the smallest ants to the most advanced cities, and it ruins everything, but..."

He sucked in a breath, the sound slightly shaky, and curled an arm around her waist, hand resting lightly on her hip. "I miss them everyday," he said, and let his breath out sharply. 

"Actually, you know what? Maybe that's an idea. You want your memories, I don't want mine. Trade?"

And he lightly bumped her leg with his, glancing sidelong at her with a crooked smile.

Raizel was never sure she liked that she was so... Comfortable around Cadmus. It was odd. Albert she knew. He'd healed her plenty of times, had a mechanical distance he kept between himself and others. With Cadmus she was drawn in, she liked that his hand was on her hip and she curled her own arm around his back trying to comfort.

Raizel just pressed closer, a sideways hug. A half cuddle. Whatever it was. "Sure, we can find a rock in a river somewhere and give you a real good conk on the head and then bonk foreheads. I hear that works." Her voice was animated Qaeda and she was clearly joking but after the words left her mouth she was trembling. Her eyes were focused on a single point across the room and she just stared.

Blood in the water. Feathers. The sound of cutting and pressure and the memory of pain and she squeezed her hand against Cadmus's side before squeezing her eyes shut. No more river rocks. Raizel carried on the best she could, even though her hands still had a tremble still like she was so, so cold. "Or, alternatively, you can try to make new happier memories. You're young I assume, you can just turn some charm on, find a nice partner and then... Settle down. Work as a hunter or something. But for food. Have kids." Raizels voice got quiet and she turned her head, making it a bit muffled against Cadmus's shoulder, "learn how to be happy and explain baby gryphon soft beaks. That'll probably be the most difficult, learning to be happy, I mean"

Conk him on the head and then bonk foreheads? How violent. Cadmus snorted and rolled his eyes, about to remark that it was interesting how he was the only one getting smashed in the head with a rock in that scenario—but then he paused. Something...wasn't quite right, here. Her voice was playful, but her body told a different story. She'd gone too still, but at the same time not still at all; he could feel a light vibration against his side and beneath his hand. 

Was she shivering?

But the room wasn't cold, and she'd just drank hot coffee and stew—hell, he would notice a drop in temperature before anyone, shirtless as he was thanks to his streak of ruining every shirt he looked at. Her hand squeezed against him but she continued on, acting okay even though she clearly wasn't, and while he had no idea what had triggered it...

He didn't need to.

Something had gotten to her. Something she didn't want to say. Something horrible enough to make her tremble even in warm daylight among company. That was all he needed to know.

She turned her face into his shoulder, words muffled as she said something about making new memories and gryphon beaks, about learning to be happy. It was innocent, light-hearted, but something about it wasn't right; there was a detail there—or rather, not there—that got under his skin, poking at his brain in a way he didn't like. And he tried to ignore it, tried to brush it aside—

Ah, fuck it.

"C'mere," he murmured, but he didn't give her a chance to respond before he was pulling her into him, turning the half-hug into a full hug as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. His chest against her back, his legs on either side of her, he just held her like that in a loose embrace that she could break whenever she wanted. He didn't know what compelled him to do it—no, he did. There was something vulnerable there, in her words and her body—and he wanted to protect her, even though there was nothing external to protect her from.

That was the frustrating part.

"I've noticed something about you," he said quietly, resting his chin atop her head. "I've noticed that when you talk about things like this, about happiness, you're never part of your own scenario. You leave yourself out. Why is that?"

It was one thing to sort of fold into being spooned or initiating a hug. Another to be vulnerable and in pain and have someone heal the hurts but remain relatively unattached. When the position changed and arms went around her and a chin rested on her head, there was a moment where she froze, but the warmth seeped in and she relaxed as quickly. Raizel didn't move away, instead she relaxed into Cadmus's arms and closed her eyes for a moment, even pressing in a little and moving an arm to cover his around her torso.

"Do I?" She questioned, turning the words over in her head. Raizel pondered for a moment, fingers tracing an idle pattern on Cadmus's forearm until the trembling in her hands stopped and she could just think for a minute. "I don't know," She whispered, closing her eyes, "I guess I don't see myself having much opportunity to be happy." Raizel reached up to gently press a hand to Cadmus's cheek, "It's hard to imagine myself happy when all I know is..."

 Raizel let her hand drop back to her side, "Pain and anger, loneliness. I know some things have made me happy, I smile and laugh," Raizel cleared her throat, her voice getting a little strained, "But I can't imagine being... Truly happy. When I close my eyes and imagine a future it's..." A sighed and she closed her eyes, "Nothing. It's blank. It's easier to imagine someone else happy, they deserve it. Some people actually deserve second chances." Raizel paused, "I don't know if I do. What if it was a punishment, what if I deserved whatever happened to me."

This could have gone badly, and Cadmus was prepared for it when she froze up. Prepared for her to shove him away or punch him—and it was fine if she did, that was her right and he was the one invading her space. Perhaps he should have used his brain and thought it out a little more before just going for it, he thought with a knot of anxiety in his gut. But then he felt her relax and lean into him, and he let himself relax again, too, with a soft breath that made her hair flutter.

A hand covering his arm, fingers tracing along his skin...she was doing it again, just as she had that one night back before he'd fucked everything up. Or at least back before she knew he'd fucked everything up. Before he'd panicked and left so she could remember him like that and not as he truly was. He closed his eyes as he listened to her, the hairs along his arm rising along the path her fingers took, little goosebumps springing up, but despite the magic her fingers were working, he soon found himself tensing again at her words.

They were familiar.

Not because he'd heard them from her before, but because he'd thought them himself.

But she was wrong.

She didn't deserve that. 

And for her to think she might deserve this—that she deserved whatever happened to her, whatever made her tremble and lash out in her sleep...? His jaw tightened, because he wanted nothing more than to have a nice meeting with whoever had done it and whoever had made her feel like less.

"That's blatantly untrue," he said as he squeezed her a little tighter, leaning down so his mouth was near her ear. "Listen to me. You do deserve happiness. You do have a place in these fantasies you dream up, if you'd just let yourself have one. And...I don't know who told you that you could possibly deserve this, but I'd love to have ten minutes alone with them, just to chat. Unless it's you. In which case...no, Raizel."

On an impulse, he pressed his lips her temple. "Believe me when I say you're one the strongest, kindest, bravest people I've met—not to mention funniest. And weirdest." He paused. "And scariest," he added wryly, giving her another squeeze. "I can't imagine you'd be so different in your past, either. All your strange analogies have to come from somewhere."

He sighed, resting his chin on her shoulder. "But honestly, I don't think forgetting your past would change who you are at your core. What could you have possibly done to make what happened to you okay in any world?"

It was an unfamiliar feeling in her chest, tight, her pulse quickened and her eyes burned. Her fingers tightened on Cadmus's arm while he spoke and she couldn't form words. Had she ever been so vulnerable before? Sure being naked was being vulnerable, but you could still be lethal. A weapon in words or actions. Raizel couldn't remember being so content, so uncomfortable and so... Aware.

Being told that she didn't deserve what happened to her felt wrong. There had to be a reason it happened. If there was no reason then why. "If I didn't deserve it," She started, voice thick, eyes squeezed shut, "then this happened for nothing." Raizel shook her head softly, not wanting to dislodge her companion, "I don't know anything, Cadmus. I--" Her voice got thick and a hot tear fell off her cheek and onto Cadmus's arm when she finally opened her eyes, arms going tighter around Cadmus's "I don't know my name, I don't know where I'm from. No one's ever told me I deserved it and I can't imagine anyone would ever, but what's the point if I didn't."

The tears didn't stop and Raizel didn't try to keep them at bay, like a cork had been popped, everything bubbled up and out and she turned her head to press her forehead to Cadmus's cheek. "What if," Her voice was small now and she took an awkward sounding breath, like just trying to put it into words was like getting ready to hurt yourself, "What if no one misses me?" Her face scrunched up a bit, like she surprised herself with the confession, some lingering demon that lived at the back of her mind. Left to die alone in the wilderness. 

"I looked for you, you know," She confessed, "After you left that day. Not in a high-and-low way, but when I went to leave, I kept my eye out, every person with black hair caught my attention and none of them were you and for the first time since I could remember, I was disappointed." Raizel didn't move, "I suppose it was nice to feel disappointed, because that meant I had looked forward to seeing you when I woke up."

Oh gods, oh gods. She was crying. 

Mild panic set in as hot tears dripped onto his arm and he felt the catches in her breathing, and it only rose higher with the words that followed. They were so full of raw pain, and so full of questions that he just didn't have answers for, that he froze. What could he even say to that that wouldn't sound placating and insincere? Because the truth was...what if she was right? What if she had been tossed aside like trash? He could reassure her and tell her that wasn't true, but what if she found her people again—and they didn't want her? It would be an asshole thing to do—because neither of them knew.

He'd meant every word he said about how he viewed her: that he saw her as a good person, that she didn't deserve it, that she deserved happiness. But he didn't have it in him to potentially lie about it, not when he'd already lied so much, and fuck, he was horrible at navigating delicate situations. He was great at hunting and hurting, violence and intimidation, but this?

She deserved someone so much better. Someone who could soothe away the hurts and knew what to say and do. But here he was instead, holding her at her weakest and feeling utterly powerless to help her—because this wasn't something you just "fixed".

So he listened, and held her, and let her cry, nuzzling lightly against her hair and breathing her in. It hurt to see her hurt, deep in his chest—what was that about? And when she mentioned she'd looked for him...

Gods.

"I missed you," he admitted, reaching up to gently wipe at her tears with a thumb. "I didn't want to leave, I just...panicked. Selfishly. I guess I was ashamed and it didn't feel right, like I was taking advantage of you." He winced, closing his eyes. 

"As fucked up as it is, I was...happy to see you again. I mean, I was also bloody horrified, but..."

Another deep breath. Translating thoughts into words was hard, and Raizel had such an honest, colorful way with them. "You'd be missed, Raizel. I'd miss you. Who else is going to call me a frog? Or was it toad? Ah...sorry, that was lame, I'm really bad at this."

Letting his hand cup her chin, he turned her head toward him just a little, leaning so he could look at her. "I know that probably doesn't mean much because I haven't known you long. But...I'd like to. Know you longer, I mean. The 'you' that's right in front of me, and the 'you' you may or may not uncover one day." 

Another pause and he shifted his eyes away, suddenly awkward, hand trailing away from her face. "I'm not sure if I'm being helpful or not. And you can tell me to shut up anytime. What you're going through—what you've been through—is fucked up and unfair, Raizel. And maybe it is meaningless. Maybe it was a random act of senseless violence. But that doesn't mean you lack value."

Sometimes, when Raizel was in bed waiting for sleep she'd feel like she needed to cry.  A physical response to being overwhelmed and stressed and when she couldn't push it down anymore it came out of her when she was finally relaxed and felt safe. For only a second. Raizel got very good at pushing it down. There was never an appropriate time for it, there was never an appropriate location. At least according to her. Maybe she'd never felt safe enough, so it was easy to squash down.  She'd only briefly traveled with people before and never closely.

Raizel listened to Cadmus speak, slowly regaining her breath. While she never did a full sob, she made a funny gasping noise when he had said he missed her. She let the words tumble around in her head, each one a sharp stone. It hurt to be told that someone wanted to know her, in a strange stinging way. What was there to know? Raizel looked at Cadmus, blue to gold, when he took her chin and she just watched him as he finished speaking. Watched how his mouth formed words, how he moved his eyebrows when he spoke.

When he moved his hand away, she gently took it in hers and pressed it back to her cheek. They were already practically hugging so throwing her arms around his shoulders just seemed like more of the same, instead she nuzzled her cheek against his hand and placed a kiss against his palm before putting her cheek back into it.

"Thank you," she whispered, drawing her knees up and letting herself relax, resting her head against Cadmus's shoulder and closing her eyes for a moment. "I'm glad it was you," she said softly, "imagine if some regular person managed to track and herd me. My reputation would be ruined," Raizel teased softly, letting Cadmus's hand drop down into her lap where she started to idly play with his fingers.

"In hindsight it was stupid of me," Raizel brought a hand up to scrub the remainder of tears off of her face, "to trust that you'd help me so blindly. But I'm glad I did," the hardness of floor was making her ass ache but the warmness of Cadmus kept her seated, "I hope you know I can't pay you. At most I can pay in warmth and mediocre meals," Raizel had calmed, still absentmindedly caressing Cadmus's hand.

She'd ruminate more on what he said when she wasn't feeling so... Emotional. When it could be dissected and digested, "Though I suppose if you go fluffybird you won't have to worry about getting body heat from elsewhere. So it's a bad deal for you, more or less." Raizel glanced up at Cadmus, her eyes and her cheeks still red from crying, but the mischievous glint was back in her blue eyes and she let a teasing smile tug at the corner of her mouth.

Raizel didn't need his protection, but he wanted to give it to her—and gods, did he regret ever making her feel hunted and afraid. She was a perfectly capable woman. She was fierce and formidable in her own right, brave to the point of recklessness. She was no dainty waif; there was toned muscle beneath his embrace and she was nearly as tall as he was. 

And yet, right then she felt so small.

She kissed his palm and then leaned into it, and it was such a sweet, tender gesture that he felt his chest tighten inexplicably. It felt, in a way, like acceptance, like maybe she didn't hate him so much after all—and like maybe he was stupid for thinking she ever did. Even when she was angry she'd never stopped seeking out these little points of contact.

How oblivious was he, he thought as she settled against him, her head against his shoulder as she idly played with his hand.

Cadmus bit the inside of his cheek, swallowing as something poked at the edges of his mind, thoughts he had kept locked away and for a damned good reason. He shoved them back. Not now. Right now, he was content to hold her quietly, letting her have her thoughts and process what she needed to at her own speed.

Soon enough, she was off again, and he let out a little laugh against her hair as she spoke of her reputation, and then was going off about meals and payment and warmth. He blinked at her, meeting her eyes when she looked at him with that familiar playfulness. 

"Bad deal? For me? Are you kidding?" He cracked a smile, equally teasing. "You're free entertainment, Raizel. The things that come out of your mouth? That and..."

He trailed off, because as he had been watching her face as he spoke, subtly studying her with her so close to him: the flush in her cheeks, the brilliant blue of her eyes, the fullness of her lips...

He wanted to kiss her.

The thought blindsided him even though it had been hovering at the edges for a while, his throat tightening and pulse quickening. He jerked his eyes up from her lips to her eyes with a rush of guilt. What the fuck, Cadmus? What the actual fuck? She was hurt and vulnerable with her heart raw and bloody before him, and his first impulse was to kiss her? Now? Of all fucking moments? Oh, yes, how very sensitive, Cadmus. Because that was definitely what every woman wanted when she was picking up the pieces of her trauma strewn all about her feet—

Ah. Shit. 

He wanted to kiss her.

It wasn't like it was an unusual thought. She was gorgeous.

But it was her. Raizel. Not a random fling at a tavern you had a go at and then never saw again.

Realizing he had left his sentence hanging for far too long, he reached out and brushed at her cheek, just below her eye. "Sorry. Got distracted," he said. "You had an eyelash just..." He pretended to flick it away. "Got it. It's gone now."

Being content was a strange feeling. It didn't matter what her past may had been like, it didn't matter what was going to happen later. It didn't matter how they were going to spend the day. Nothing mattered except right now because she was  content. Sure her eyes stung a little from all the crying and when she licked her lips they were a little salty from her tears. But it had been cathartic, in a way, feeling safe enough to lose her composure. This was a room in a place she could feel safe, there was someone downstairs -while likely grumpy- that she didn't feel on guard around and she was wrapped up like a precious bundle in the arms of the only person that had gotten the better of her so far.

If Cadmus was playing the long game, he was doing an amazing job. Raizel didn't want to think he was, but fully trusting someone was still a long ways away. Dealing lethal blows to the people that put money into his pocket to help her certainly tilted the trust in his favor. She smirked when he joked about the weird things she said and watched him when he got distracted and zoned out. It was only for a few seconds, but she wasn't blind and just rose an eyebrow when he finally regained his thoughts.

"Cadmus Black-Gryphon - Slayer of distracting eyelashes," she said in a serious tone, face going stern and eyebrows drawing together like she was announcing orders to a platoon of soldiers. "Um," Raizel's face softened and she moved to sit up, not wanting to leave the warm nest of arms but finding it hard to convince herself to stay. There were things to do.

"Thank you. I don't think our talk has made my mind demons better but... if my thoughts are sharp stones on a beach, you've given me something to weather the edge on them," she smiled at her own analogy and moved to get up, shuffling away from his warmth and giving his cheek a lingering touch.

"I think I'm ready for a bath," she announced, "Albert keeps the enchantments up in a bathroom down the hall. Tub fills on it's own and everything, do you want to go first? I can gather supplies while you do and then we can head out at sundown." Back to business, her hands were on her hips and she cast glances around the room of what she'd need to bring.

Cadmus Black-Gryphon—Slayer of Distracting Eyelashes.

The ridiculous name, and her Commanderly delivery of it, got a chuckle out of him—even if he did roll his eyes hard. "You know...maybe you were a General in your past life. Or a sergeant," he said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as though seriously considering it. "I could see you calling the green leafs maggots and making them cry. Anyway."

He peered up at her as she stood, sorry to see her go but knowing she was right, and offered up a small smile as her touch lingered on his skin. "I didn't think I'd magically cured all your trauma in the span of a conversation, but...I'm glad talking helped. Even if only a little."

Something to weather their edge, as she'd put it. He liked the sound of that.

Brushing imaginary dust off his breeches, he joined her, rising to his feet with a groan and a slight crackle of bone. Ugh, he'd forgotten how uncomfortable prolonged sitting on a hard floor was in this body. A bit stiff, he rolled his shoulders and popped his back, and then perked up at the mention of a bath.

She was speaking his language. If there was one thing he hated, it was feeling dirty, and gryphons were fairly meticulous about their grooming. Even if he was going to get sweaty and dirty all over again tonight. A magic bath, too? Not just cold water in a river? He considered the offer, hedging because it seemed more polite to let her go first—but perhaps this would be more efficient. He didn't know what supplies she needed, since he didn't particularly need any himself. She would probably be able to gather them faster than he could locate them.

"If you don't mind? Ah."

Pulling his coin purse from his pocket, he folded it into her hand. "I can at least help pay for everything," he said. "Besides, I need a shirt if you wouldn't mind? Maybe a couple extra since I'm cursed?"

He was trusting her, giving her all the money he carried like that. Maybe it was a stupid, naive move, but he hoped she could see it as the gesture of good will that it was. Money passed off, he turned her hand over and lifted it to his lips, brushing a kiss over her knuckles. 

"Be vigilant," he told her, releasing her hand. "They should have moved on by now but you're still a mark, and they don't all work at night."

A tilt of her head and she blinked at Cadmus when he put the coin purse in her hand and closed it. Raizel opened her mouth to decline it, she had her own money and could easily get supplies but she gave a little nod and let him turn her hand over and tried to smile at him. Though confused she looked at his chest when he mentioned shirts, taking in for a moment that he was topless and she had to resist staring. It wasn't lost on her that he was an attractive man and when she finally noticed all the scars, she couldn't help but stare.

They had done a lot of talking about her and her problems - or her lack of knowing what her problems really were and the lingering effect of that. Raizel licked her lips, opened her mouth to say something but he turned her hand over and kissed her knuckles and for some reason that felt more intimate than being curled up on the floor together. Raizel flushed and goosebumps spread up her arm, her breath caught in her throat and she swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling... More like a woman.

"uh," Raizel cleared her throat and moved her free hand to rub at the back of her neck to try to remove the goosebumps. "Yes," another little nod, "I suppose they know what I look like now," she confirmed moving away to get dressed to go out, "I'll get you some clothes," She made a pointed look at Cadmus's chest, then oh so slowly looked back up at his face. She walked past him quietly, rapping her knuckles against his chest, "Don't turn into a prune, hmm? Leave some warm water for me."

And then she was off, ready to collect what she could for Cadmus, avoid strange looks. It was an uneventful journey and Raizel returned in under an hour, various clothing for Cadmus - a few shirts as requested - and some more camping supplies that she put into her bag quickly. She'd have to find somewhere to tuck them for a moment while they were out but... Raizel was on the floor after she came back, dressed very casually. Black pants, a loose white shirt, her hair tied back in a braid with a piece of jerky sticking out of her mouth while she worked. Raizel wrinkled her nose and looked at the coin purse in her hand - she'd used it to buy Cadmus's clothes - and she put his clothing on the bed and placed the coin purse on top.

The bed looked inviting, all empty and covered with a pillow. Just a minute? Raizel curled up onto the bed, one hand behind her head and one resting on her chest. It wasn't a moment before she was breathing softly and deeply, asleep in an unintentional nap.

Was she...blushing?

With her light skin it was easy to notice the subtle little changes in color, and it wasn't like her to trip over her words when she usually had such a quick wit. But her words were a little stilted, just for a second, before she recovered smoothly right back to her usual self. His eyes narrowed a little, puzzled. Huh. His first thought wasn't that it was the little kiss, because she'd kissed his hand, too. Instead he found himself backtracking over his words, wondering if he'd said something too weird—which also didn't make sense. If she wasn't put off by everything he'd said about shifting, then he couldn't imagine what could do it.

He also wasn't oblivious to her staring. But considering they were talking about shirts, he figured she was probably just sizing him up.

Odd.

But then she was off, and there was a brief, lingering moment of concern, that maybe he'd made the wrong call. Maybe he should have offered to go with her, or to go instead even if he'd be slower. It could be risky—but he quelled the thought.

No, she was a grown-ass woman who could likely kick his ass in a fistfight in human form. She knew how to handle herself. Why was he concerned about that now?

Well, no sense dwelling on it; they had a schedule to stick to, after all.

The bath was indeed wonderful, and though Cadmus felt a little guilty for it while Raizel was out working, he indulged a bit and took a little longer than he needed. 

Okay, maybe a little too long.

The night had been stressful to say the least; hunting Raizel, learning it was her, trying to save her and then the both of them, all the murder attempts, and then when all was said and done his sleep had been interrupted by a murder-kiss. He'd been exhausted but the coffee had worked its magic—for a time. 

As Cadmus soaked in the bath, the warm water soothing his sore muscles, he soon came back around the other side to something he'd never before experienced: the caffeine crash. He wasn't even aware of nodding off; he'd only leaned his head back against the rim and closed his eyes for a second. And yet some time later he came to again when the water got too cold and a twitch shook him, like falling in a dream and jerking awake just before the splat.

Sucking in a breath, heart racing, he looked around in confusion before it all came back. 

Ah, shit.

He was pruney.

How much time had even passed?!

He rushed through the rest of his bath and came out of it clean and smelling of soap, his black hair plastered to his head and dripping onto his shoulders. Throwing on his breeches before he rushed out, he was relieved to see it was at least still light out. Thank gods. Slipping back into the room, he shut the door behind him.

And the tension melted.

Raizel was back, so it had to have been a bit, but it seemed he wasn't the only one who got hit with the crash. Alright, good, he didn't have to feel too guilty then.

For a moment he just stood there, watching her sleep, debating if he should wake her. She looked so peaceful, her face relaxed, the pain of earlier smoothed away...and he just couldn't do it. Raizel had gotten as little sleep as he had but between her grief and being betrayed and hunted and roughed up and threatened...yeah, she absolutely had a worse night than he had. 

There was still a little light left. They could afford it. She deserved the rest, and it was probably better that they went in fresh; he could keep an eye on the time.

Settling down beside her facing the window, he stretched an arm across her middle, his face nestled against against her hair, and settled into his role as Light Watcher. He'd give her until dusk, he told himself. Enough time for the bath to have warm water again while giving her time to bathe. 

Solid plan.

Exhausted was a good word to use. One second she was awake, just having her eyes closed for a minute and the next time she was conscious of herself there was a warm arm over her middle and the smell of soap. There was a moment of mental scrambling and confusion, wondering why Albert had snuck into the room to cuddle and for a split second she was going to bolt away and scream at him. Rational thought took over though and she gave a small half asleep smile when she realized it was Cadmus.

The sun wasn't completely down, but it was on it's way, she noticed when she cracked her eyes open. She'd slept for most of the afternoon, probably fell asleep the second she laid her head down. Task successfully completed, that meant it had been time to rest, but now she was doubly warm and comfortable and didn't want to move. Did he fall asleep too?

Raizel opened one eye and listened, not quite used to his breathing pattern yet to tell before she closed it again. If she was obviously awake that meant she'd have to get up. When she got up that meant she'd have to get ready to leave. And that meant moving again. Which meant a whole long list of things. It had been too long since there wasn't a driving need to move and go. She knew it would be back, she'd come and gone from this room on many occasions, leaving for months at a time and then showing back up, the room the way she'd left it.

Spotless, of course, she wasn't an animal.

In an effort to push off getting up fully, she rolled over and pressed her face into Cadmus's neck. "You smell nice," She whispered before yawning again and curling an arm around his middle like he was a teddy bear and tossing a leg over his hips. "I don't want to wake up," Raizel grumbled, "I think I was having a nice dream, or no dreams, which is amazing," she paused and let a moment pass, "Did you survive the bath? The bath squid didn't get you?"

"You smell nice."

The whispered words and warm breath tickling his neck, sending a pleasant chill across his skin, didn't exactly jolt him awake since he had been lingering just on the cusp, but it did gently lift him out of it right as he had started to fade. Eyes cracking open, half-awake and not quite ready to be fully awake, Cadmus peered down at the familiar black-and-white head tucked under his chin—and he felt a familiar swell of warmth in his chest. A brief flash of nostalgia. 

With a tired smile, he shut his eyes again.

Gods, he had thought of that night more than he cared to admit, what he should have done, what he shouldn't have done, what could have gone differently or what could have been. He honestly didn't know why he cared so much, and yet...there it was again. Raizel cuddled in and it was like satisfying a craving for something he hadn't even realized he'd wanted, her scent enveloping him. Not a bad one. She hadn't washed yet, true, but beneath the sweat and faint, lingering smell of blood, there was that familiar scent that was just...her.

He would know her anywhere; scent was the most powerful vessel of memory. He'd noticed it when he tracked her. He had just...not wanted to accept it.

Her arm around him, her leg thrown over his hip, he let out a sleepy sigh as he was once more fully wrapped up in her warmth. Shifting a little, he slid his other arm under her so he could embrace her fully and pull her in tighter. "Mm. Sure this isn't the dream?" he murmured, and let out a yawn as he slid a hand up her back to play with her hair at the nape of her neck.

"Or...hm. Maybe it's not a dream. Maybe I didn't survive after all. I didn't know about the squid. But hey, this isn't half bad as far as 'nice things that flash behind your eyes as you get choked out and drown' goes." His arm was starting to go numb, so with a little stretch he rolled onto his back and brought her with him.

This time he wouldn't run, he vowed. No matter how rough things got. 

Raizel was successfully transported as a lump to rest on top of Cadmus. It was an odd position for her and she just turned her head to face towards the lingering light.

Sure this isn't a dream?

It was a weirdly sobering comment and she just sort of snuggled in more on top of him, knees tucking in against his hips and moving her hands to rest under his shoulders. It wasn't comfortable for sleeping at all, but he was warm and she was content. "I should go fight the squid," She said, playing along with her off hand comment before making a face to herself about how odd that comment sounded. The rest of the day lingered ahead and she breathed in deeply before letting it out so, so slowly. She didn't want to.

Raizel gave one last impulsive squeeze with all her limbs before she sat up, hands on Cadmus's chest. For a moment she lingered, looking down at him and noticing how his hair had dried kind of funny and that he was actually quite handsome. Perhaps even ruggedly with the scars. Quickly after her observation, she removed herself from his lap and slid off the bed, stretching her arms high above her head and arching her back when she was finally standing with a little groan and an accompaniment of bones popping. A glance over her shoulder and she smiled, "You should nap while I bathe, I'll wake you when I'm done."

And off she went. Down the hall. She took a little longer than was necessary, having time until the sun went down and there was just a peak of sunlight from under the door and the water was cooled down. Raizel dressed herself after drying off, taking the time to braid her hair in a coronet of sorts. Dressed in a shirt that went down to mid thigh and collected the rest of her less-than-clean-clothes, refreshed and awake, she made her way out from the bathroom and almost collided with Albert who was hovering in the hallway.

"Here," He said softly, pushing a container wrapped in grey cloth into her hands, "It's food and water, not much but enough for the both of you for a day or two. I know you went out and got supplies. The container should help it last a lot longer than usual, so you can tuck that at the bottom of your bag and replace the contents when you need to." He lifted a three fingered hand and tucked a stray piece of black hair behind her ear before he cupped Raizels cheek, tilting her head down a little so he could press a kiss to her forehead. "The room is yours when you get back, I'm going to bed, lock the door when you leave."

And then he was down the steps, light footed and quick. Raizel smiled a little at his retreating form, taking note how he'd missed having a finger and how his hair sort of glowed in the dark like dying embers, which meant the healing earlier had taken much more out of him than he let on. Raizel held the container in her hands when she returned to the room, placing it into the bottom of her bag and tossing her clothing beside that.

Raizel went about the room in her half dressed state, slowly pulling her clothing on while packing things up. Dusk had set in fully and the room was slowly darkening and that was functioning as a timer of sorts. "Cadmus," Raizel said slowly, fully dressed now except for bare feet, her boots sitting on the floor beside the door. "Ready to go? Make sure you have what you need, we won't be back here for a while."

Raizel left far too soon, off to "fight the squid" (Cadmus had to lift an eyebrow at that; the phrasing was weird as hell), but he supposed they couldn't be lazy forever. Scents only lingered so long; best to go while it was still fresh and get the whole nasty business over with as soon as possible.

It had been nice while it lasted, though, and her heat lingered even after she left. He was too awake to nap again now, but he still rolled over into the warm spot where she'd been laying like a cat curling up in a patch of sunlight. And then, after he'd mentally braced himself for the long night ahead, and after hearing muted voices outside the door, he decided it was probably time. He rose and pulled on one of the shirts she'd brought, smoothing it out and frowning thoughtfully as he examined it.

It was a pretty nice shirt. Be an awful shame if something happened to it, and knowing his luck it was existing on borrowed time, now.

Raizel returned, which explained the voices, and he sort of awkwardly sat on the edge of the bed as she went about picking up and packing. And when she asked if he was ready, he could only smile sheepishly.

"Oh, I have everything," he said, motioning up and down to himself. Wasn't like he needed all the human necessities. He could hunt what he needed, he could curl up in a tree to sleep, and his fur and feathers provided warmth and protection from the elements. His boots were next to hers by the door—all thanks to her and her heroics. 

Hm, wait. Actually... 

"Ah, mostly everything. Fuckers have the rest of my shit, but I'm only really interested in the sword. I left it with them and I wasn't going to make you buy some cheap new thing. It's fine, I'm my own weapon and I plan on getting it back, anyway."

Pushing up off the bed to stand, he scrubbed his hands through his hair, which had indeed dried all wrong and had a flat spot where he'd been laying on it. "I can carry everything, if you don't mind adding my clothes to your pack. Gods know I'll need the extras."

Interested in the sword. Noted. "I don't mind your things in the pack, it's there for... Things" She shrugged, not really able to think of what wouldn't belong in a backpack.

Raizel nodded again like she was confirming it to herself and placed the backpack on the floor for Cadmus. Frowning gently at her boots before she pulled them on over thick wool socks, tying the ties and makings sure they were perhaps overly secure. She paused and looked around for the metal greaves that were usually part of her ensemble and wrinkled her nose when they weren't where she had initially thought they were. Frowning, Raizel sighed and got down onto her hands and knees.

There. Under the bed.

Must have kicked them in the process of getting everything off when they'd come in the night before. Morning. Whatever.

Raizel reached under the bed and that feeling of deja vu returned. Like she'd been burned she snatched her greaves from under the bed quickly and looked over her shoulder, expecting a ghost, but there was nothing there. Had this happened before? A hesitant frown and she went back to collecting her things, now seated on the floor, attaching the rest of her armor. "We'll get your sword and whatever you feel is yours," Raizel said, making sure all her gear was secure, buckles and belts, ties and knots, "and then we'll end that little section of motherfuckers and move on."

Standing up, Raizel collected her sword and strapped it to her back for travelling purposes before she stretched her limbs slowly, making sure her range of movement was good still and nothing was hindering her. Raizel went through the motions subconsciously, like she'd done it thousands of times before and that was something distinctly mechanical about them. Like it was trained and precise and military. Finally when she finished making sure she hadn't tied anything too tight or stretched anything at a funny angle she smiled at Cadmus.

"I'll try to make sure your shirts survive, I even made sure they weren't itchy just for you - I'd hate for my effort to be wasted." Raizel made a point to stick her tongue out at Cadmus before she rolled her shoulders and took a deep breath, "Is the sword sentimental? Or just very well made?" She asked softly, looking at him and reaching back to touch the handle of her own sword, which - while not terribly sentimental- had been the thing she'd owned the longest and had the most difficulty parting with, having found it and most of her armor on a recently deceased corpse not far from where she woke up by the river.

That was unnecessary information for him though. A bit morbid too.

Backpack open on the floor, Cadmus knelt and started rolling up his shirts to make them as compact as possible before shoving them in the pack. Which was also about the time that Raizel joined him on the floor to fish around under the bed for something. On hands and knees.

Yes. He looked. Though to be very fair at first it was simple curiosity as to what she could be be searching for before his eyes traveled and, well. What could he say. He was a man and he appreciated a nice ass, and he appreciated said ass all the more when it happened to be attached to someone he was fond of.

Catching himself staring, Cadmus shifted his eyes back to the backpack even though he was finished with it. He fussed with the straps and buckles and made sure everything was secure (even though the fussing wasn't necessary at all, but it was just to give his hands something to do) while Raizel came back out with her greaves and finished up the rest of her ensemble.

The look suited her, and he couldn't help but imagine the two of them looked rather funny side by side: her looking tall, regal, and graceful in her gear, him in plainclothes. He could have been her squire.

With a little snort to himself at the thought, he stood and slung the backpack on. "I appreciate you. I noted they were cotton, not wool, so thank you for taking my sanity into consideration." Otherwise he might just claw his own skin off, as he had nearly done the last time he'd worn a scratchy woolen thing.

"As for the sword, well, I suppose it's a little of both. It's well-made for sure, but..." He gave an uncomfortable shrug, "it belonged to a friend."

Not wanting to linger on that whole mess, he quickly nodded at her own blade. "What about you? I've never seen one like that. It's...pretty."

Despite her missing memory, Raizel's intuition remained intact and she watched Cadmus in his awkward uncomfortable shrug and tilted her head in surprise. Had he been uncomfortable yet? Hesitant? Raizel tried to recall if he'd ever displayed that specific amount of tense and unhappiness and even when apologetic for almost killing her he'd never been uncomfortable. Naked. Stabbed. Unhappy and perhaps a little angry but not uncomfortable.

How interesting.

Raizel took the cue to change the subject, though she gave his eyes a lingering look. She'd have to ask later. After they acquiring the blade. Raizel unbuckled her sheath from her back, drawing it from over her shoulder was horribly impractical, she  drew the blade out to get a better look at it. "I suppose it is," Raizel said, squeezing the hilt in a now gloved hand, "it is well made, I imagine. It hasn't tarnished, the blade doesn't dull, I have merchants eye it up and offer me money for it."

She snapped the blade back into its home and put the sword back over her shoulder - much easier walking with that instead of it bouncing on her hip. "I don't know where it's from really, but I feel like I should know, so I havent sold it yet." Raizel shrugged a little and glanced off to the side, "maybe someday when something better comes along."

Raizel reached over and gave Cadmus's arm a squeeze in an attempt to comfort him. "We'll take out some trash, find your sword and then out and off into the night we go." A glance over her shoulder and instead of going to the door, she went to the window and opened it up. Raizel made a noise that sounded like a breathy gasp-whistle and a raven flew to the windowsill, eyeing Cadmus inside the room before it hopped onto Raizels arm and pressed its head to Raizel's hand for head scratches.

"Hi Aki." She said simply before stretching her arm out which had Aki flying away as quickly as he'd gotten there. "Okay, let's go," the door was open and she looked at Cadmus for a moment, eyes lingering on his lips with a thoughtful look on her face before she quietly brushed past him to go to the dark downstairs. Barely past dusk and the soft snoring from Albert could be heard. Raizel always mourned leaving the home-y feel Albert's place had, maybe it was the fresh bread smell or that lingering warmth.

Raizel collected a cloak that had been folded down in front of the door and let it unfurl in front of her. How nice of Albert to let Cadmus have a wraith costume. Raizel opened the door quietly before stepping out, holding the cloak open for Cadmus to step into once he got outside. Then all they had to do was lock up and track.

Easy-peasy.

"I can't imagine you'd find anything better than that," Cadmus said with an arched eyebrow. The sword was a work of art in its own right, but a blade that practically maintained itself on top of it all? His own sword was just a sword, well-made but not irreplaceable if it weren't so sentimental. "I wouldn't ever sell it if I were you."

He didn't realize how tense he was until Raizel touched his arm. Letting out a breath through his nose, he forced his muscles to unclench and flashed her a weak smile. Right. Yeah. Take out the trash. Fuck. Get it together, Cadmus. He'd wanted this for ages but had never had the guts, had gotten too complacent and accepted it was just his life. But the talk of his friend made his stomach twist and he knew...

Eventually the truth would come out.

It didn't matter, though. As foolish as it maybe was, Raizel had given him a reason to be foolish. To be better. He didn't know why he cared so much. Maybe he'd just always needed a push, an excuse. Maybe he really was just done and he hadn't even noticed it building up inside, like a slow acceptance rather than a sudden snap.

He was done.

Why did she make him want to be better?

Cadmus recognized the raven though he'd met him only once, and he couldn't help but wonder if the raven could tell what he was when he looked at him. Hmm. It was a question for another day; contrary to popular belief, he didn't speak Birdish.  He wanted to ask what Aki was to Raizel—pet, too, friend, all of the above?—but then they were off, and Raizel was holding out a cloak for him.

...Not a bad idea. He had a horrible tendency to underestimate how cold he got in human skin.

He slipped into it with her help and adjusted it around his shoulders as he took a deep breath of clear night air. It was a cloudless night, which was both good and bad for them; it would light their way, but it would also light them up for everyone else, too. They'd have to be extra careful, but he was certain she knew that.

 "Let's start at the brewery," he told her as he waited for her to lock up. "Their stench should still be fresh, and then...well, then I can track it from there." Huh. Had he ever explained that to her?

He tugged the cloak tighter around himself, glancing sidelong at her. "That's, ah...that's how I found you, you know. I picked your scent up from one of your kills. Tracked you from there." He paused, letting out a slow sigh, and decided he may as well come clean.

"I knew it was you long before I ever saw you, Raizel," he admitted quietly. "Intuitively, I knew. But I didn't want to believe it. I mean, what are the chances? I guess I had to see for myself. The moment I knew, I just...I knew I had to reach you before they did." He flicked a glance toward her healing ankle, wincing. They'd beat him there, of course. "I'm sorry I didn't."

Raizel was quick to tuck the key into a little secret bottom if a flower pot by the window before she listened to Cadmus fully.

It should have been a surprise, but it just felt like a puzzle piece snapping into place to finish more of a picture. While the news of 'I knew it was you' brought a weight to her chest, the following 'I didn't want to believe it' gave it meaning. Would he have been disappointed if it hadn't been her? Raizel shifted her own cloak and gave him a sidelong glance, saw him looking at her ankle.

"Cadmus," she said softly, taking his hand and while still going in the correct general direction, led him into the night-shadow of a building where she stood against a wall. "If you had come to me first while tracking me, while I was running away, do you really think I would have trusted you?" the leading answer was 'no, of course not'. It was a lie though and she knew it. Raizel would have trusted him immediately and not questioned it. "We slept together like... two times." She added dismissively, obviously she wasn't going to trust someone she barely knew. That was dumb.

She let go of his hand and pressed her hands to his shoulders, giving them a squeeze before she cupped his face, her hands rough and warm with an odd delicateness to her touch on his cheeks. "I trust you now because things went so badly for me and you came through. You helped me. Then you even let me straddle and stab you a little bit," Raizel let her hands fall to her sides and she gave a little shrug and tucked some loose hair behind her ear.

"If you can forgive me dreamstabbing you, I can forgive you wanting to see me so badly you thought you were daydreaming my scent, deal?" She winked at him before tapping his chest with her knuckles as she made to begin walking again.

...That was a stellar point.

No, she probably wouldn't have trusted him in that scenario. Anybody with a brain and trust issues would suspect he was trying to lure them, not save them. Cadmus raised his eyes back to Raizel's, her hand warm in his, and felt some of the guilt drip away. Not much of it, it would be gnawing at his guts plenty, but it was enough to soften the edge.

Her hands found his shoulders, then cupped his cheeks, and he couldn't help but lean into her touch, just a little, as her warm hands stung against his cooler skin. Her logic was...well, it worked for their situation, he supposed, as long he didn't point out that he'd helped her out of a situation he had caused. But he kept that to himself. She was in a forgiving mood and she was also smart enough to know it, anyway.

Then came the straddle and stab comment, and daydreaming her scent? Gods. That got a soft snort-laugh out of him and a roll of his eyes. "I don't know that I let you, but sure. I stalked you, you stabbed me, it seems fair enough to call it even, so--deal. I forgive you, attempted murder and all. As for you?"

He lightly bumped his shoulder against hers. "What can I say? You smell nice."

With a sidelong glance at her and a little smile, he took off ahead of her. He didn't really know the way to the brewery from here, at least not by sight. He had been so focused on getting them the hell away that he hadn't paid attention to what alleys he'd cut through, or where Raizel had lead them once they were safe. But memory was linked so intimately to scent, and his sense of smell so strong, that he could find his way back with his eyes closed. It hadn't rained and their own scent-trail was still fresh, if faded, so all it would take was a little backtracking.