Subject: Somewhere in the backwoods of Texas 2,183 views

[Aldrid]

Aldrid listened to Percival's words and gave a nod in agreement. Standing up he stretched, rolling his powerful muscles. "All right, then I head back to camp, and I'll be back as soon as I can." He looked down at Genevieve, "be strong, okay?" He wanted oh so badly to kiss her, but knew Percival wouldnt let him anywhere near her until he calmed down. Hopefully Genevieve can better explain his actions while he was gone. Aldrid waited for no reply, and turned and ran back to camp. He donned his clothes and jacket, then thought it best to leave it for Genevieve setting it in the shelter. He slid the crowbar into a belt loop, and the ka-bar into his belt. He looked about for anything else he might need and grabbed the backpack, dumping out the contents he slung it over his shoulder, and struck out back the way he had come. He knew his way back, better than he thought, even in the dark.
Aldrid listened to the night carefully, not stopping until the first signs of the city were noticable, before he climbed into a tree and set himself in for some sleep.

[Genevieve Locklie]

"I'm not afraid of you, and if you wanted to kill me you would have done it a long time ago. If you want to threaten someone who will get scared go do it to someone else. But clearly you've kept us alive for whatever reason it may be." She pushed herself up to her feet. She was in pain but she wouldn't let it show. She walked off towards the camp. She continued talking knowing her could hear everything she was saying. "We are both working together as far as I am concerned. I hunt and feed you and you protect me." she turned knowing his gaze would be on her, ever watching. "Am I correct?" she had a new aura about her. She looked like she could bite his head off. Threatening yet soft.

[adminarot3p]

He did not drop his demeanor as the male left, and followed the female. Walking up to her he swept her up by the waist, and toted her under his arm as one would a newspaper, or a bag. He did not look to her as he walked, his steps two of hers and more easily. He talked as he walked, his deep voice rumbling thru his ribcage and into hers, like base from a car. She could fee his ribs moving against her, a testament to his inhumanity.

" I can eat you at any time you become more than i need to deal with, but for now, your presence is advantageous, and i will keep you until you cease to be useful. Spitting angry words at me will not get you anywhere, so why waste your breath? I do not care, and i will not until i deem it worthy of my precious won energy. You will continue to be useful, and in turn continue to be protected. That is how it works now. So far, you have provided me with a human, which i will share, if you dine as such, so you are protected for now."

They reached the lean to, and he lowered her to the ground, using his other hand to steady her injured leg. He pulled some cloth items over to her, and laid them on her.

"You will sit, you will stay, i will get you food."

[Genevieve Locklie]

She sighed. Atleast while he left she would tend to the fire, to keep them both warm. She stood back up and began tending to the coals in the fire pit. Trying to coax them back into a flame. After succeeding she added more to the fire to get it hot for cooking. Whether he liked his human cooked or not was up to him, but she could not eat raw human meat. She would get sick. After building up the fire she began tending to their lean-to stuffing the holes with moss and clearing out the pine needles and putting in fresh needles. She began making a spit over the fire, finding two stick with a Y shape to them. and a third stick that curved sharply towards the end. It would make a good handle for the rotisserie.

[adminarot3p]

He watched her and waited for her to realize he was. He groweled, and picked her up by the waist, with one hand. He set her gently down on the cloth she had been covered with earlier. With two knuckles he dug into the swollen flesh of her hip, holding her by the neck. His lan was to make her pass out from the pain, since he was certian that was what it was going to take to get her to stay still. He felt a small twinge of remorse doing so, and was slightly confused. He shrugged it off, and dug deeper.

" You must stay, Little sparrow, stay and sleep." He fealt when he said this, and was disturbed.

[Genevieve Locklie]

She cried out and she showed ferocity in her eyes. She choked with his weight on her neck. "Let go of me!" she growled at him as he inflicted pain on her. She lifted her left leg up and pushed on him her leg able to lift more with her back against the ground and anger in her eyes.

[adminarot3p]

He bent with the push, allowing her to straighten her other leg to no avail. His long arms were able to stretch further than her leg, and he continued, adding pressure to her throat.

" This is the only way to keep you still, you and i both know this. If i bind you, you will wriggle free, i cannot hit you, for that would defeat my purpose of saving you. I will stop if you promise not to move from this spot." He bargained with her, not letting up pressure on either of his hands.

[Genevieve Locklie]

"Stop and I will stay still. You are hurting me more which you told Aldrid you would not do.." her words were hoarse with his pressure, she could feel the scab on her throat beginning to tear. She removed her foot from his back feeling the blood pound in her head.

[adminarot3p]

He removed his hand and his knuckles, backing away. Without another word he slipped off into the trees, disappearing within seconds. He slipped among the trees, merely a shadow. In and out of the brush, silently stalking.

[Genevieve Locklie]

She laid there fearing to move. Afraid the pain would come back. She laid there on her back until she drifted to sleep, her body's stress taking over and forcing her to sleep. She had a pleasant dream of Aldrid holding her gently by the face, and kissing her sweetly. The were in a lake both naked wrapped around each other.

[adminarot3p]

He soon returned with a small squirrel and a chunk of the man, the rest of him in a crotch of a tree. He remembered that when he was human he used to like his food cooked. He threw a flat rock half into the fire, and ripped the meat into strips. As the rock heated he cooked the flesh, nibbling at peices himself. He was doing this so his asset could survive, so he could have a constant source of food. He tore them into smaller chunks, so she wouldnt have to waste energy chewing, so she could get better faster, because she had to provide food for him. Yes, that was why he was cooking her food. He looked to her as she slept, so vulnerable... He swung around at the crack of a twig. It was a few yards away, but he didnt want to take a chance. He backed into a bush that was facing the sound and waited.

Into the clearing strode a burly specimine of tier 1 werewolf. He knew it wasnt sentient by the way it headed straight for the meat cooking on the stone. It burnt itsef a few times, and at every cry of pain he inched closer, using the cries to mask his movements. He crept closer and closer as the thing ate the rest of the chunk of thigh meat. it cried out and began to paw its face, he struck. He lept at it from his station behind it, landing his paws on its shoulders, and his back feet on its hips. He dug his claws in, making its surprised yelp into a squeal of pain. It fell foreward, and bucked at the weight on its shoulders. It sank its teetn into Percivals arm, eliciting a growl. He lept up, watching as the creature regained its feet. It charged him, but he dodged it, slapping it so hard in the face his lips wabbled, creating a slight wet sucking noise. It spun off into the brush. He waited for it to re appear, but it was going to wait, to hide.

[Genevieve Locklie]

Genevieve had awoken abruptly to the sound of yelps and howls. She was against the back of the Lean-to starring at the strange creature sticking it's nose into the fire. Percy? No, what is this? Does it have Rabies? She wondered hoping whatever it was it wasn't aggressi- Holy Shit! She almost screamed as Percy had pounced on the creature from some unseen location. As she startled she jolted and the pain shot up her leg and she looked down to her leg, horrified at it's discoloration. Her entire hip was a mosaic of dark blues and yellow browns and a vibrant purple. She gasped at the site. This was going to be a lot worse than she had originally thought...

[adminarot3p]

He waited, dropping to a crouch, palms touching the ground, ready to leap at any moment. His ears swiveled left and right, waiting for some sound, some noise to let him know where it was. He was rewarded by the snapping of a twig to his left. He lepta in, and the scuffle that ensued was short, with much yelping and snapping. The thing lept out of the bushes, rolling and scattering the fire as it did so. The hair began to burn as it twitched, soon rising up on two feet. It shook itself, and growled. Percy seemed to be absent at the moment so it began to sniff about. Breathing caught its ear, and it turned to leer at Genevieve with baleful bloodamber eyes. It began to stalk twards her, growling and snarling, a mixture of drool and blood dripping from its jaws. It stepped on coals, and the sound of hissing flesh was audible, but it kept coming. It got close enough and jabbed in a long fingered hand, grabbing her by her bad legs ankle, and pulling her out. It leered down at her saliva dripping onto her. It reared its head to strike, and suddenly there was blood fountaining onto her, covering her face and torso. Percival stood above the things wailing form. A great chunk of flesh hung from his jaws, and his left eye was swollen shut, a cut running from where his eyebrow would have been to the gap where the flesh of his upper lip was. It ripped to where it began to thicken on his face, and began a little after the symmetric middle of his face would be. He now held a permanent snarl. It oozed its own darker blood. The form below his writhed, and sunk its teeth into his calf. He, roared, for a cry so fierce and deep could be called nothing more, and brought his lace fingered fists down on the things skull. It squashed with a noise similar to that of a breaking melon, spattering everything with parts. He picked up the carcass and howled, tossing its full 200lbs six yards into the under growth. He growled, and approacher her, a fire burning in his eyes that spealt death. Slowly he crouched, his body a coiled spring. He crept up to her, stalking the three feet that separated them. He looked for all the world like a spider, with his spindly limbs. He approached her, and came to loom over her, face inches from hers, permanent snarl still dripping blood. He brought himself closer to her, so he was upon her. All at once he brought himself down behind her, and curled around her like a great dog, resting his head on her good leg, allowing her to sit back against his 105 degree temperature. He had scattered the fire, and she needed to be kept warm, it was getting dark outside. He licked her leg clean where he could reach, his tongue near to burning hot. It was rough like a dogs, but thick and fleshy like a humans.

"Oh, Little Sparrow, It does hurt so..." His rumble sounded worn, tired. He heaved a great sigh, gurgling slightly in his chest. He hacked a little, and a great golden eye rolled up to meet hers. A flash of a small girl, holding and playing with a horde of puppies, laughing at him, smiling with him. Daughter, thats what he called her. She was not his flesh and blood, he knew that much, but it was how he felt twards her, and how he now felt twards Genevieve at this moment. He decided he felt ok with that, and rested his head.

[Genevieve Locklie]

She ignored the pain in her leg and turned to sit on her knees facing him. "Please Percival, allow me to clean it, so it does not become infected." She said gently placing her hands on his jowl. "For it is the least I can do for you." She knew her nudity meant nothing to him, but she couldn't help but flush. She wasn't used to being naked so often. Though she was beginning to take a liking to it. Finding it easier to cool off, and stay clean. Clean... She knew she was horribly dirty and covered in blood and dirt. She knew she must look like a horrible mess. She could feel the twigs and leaves and other debris that had wound themselves into her braids. Even now her hair laid on the floor behind her. She stopped hearing a sound that was familiar. At first she thought it was her imagination. She stopped and turned her head listening to the woods. Then she heard it again. It was the sound of her cat mewing. "Oden!" she screamed and stood abruptly and staggering out of the lean-to. From the darkness her black cat appeared. She immediately scooped him up into her arms and held him against her body. His different colored eyes starring into hers. He mewed happily as she scratched his head.

[adminarot3p]

He let her leave, watched her go. She picked up a small animal, a pet. If he found it was interrrupting his hunts, he would kill it, but for now he let it live. He rose, the acylic acid build up in his muscles making them slow. He followed her, and stared down at the cat.

" You need this? It looks like food. You need to rest, animal or none. I must wash my face in cool water, so to staunch the bleeding. You may join me, if you wish." He coughed up a small amount of blood, and it dripped from his lips, making his apperance all the more gory.

[Genevieve Locklie]

"I do." She was blood stained from head to toe. She placed her cat inside the lean-to and gave him a piece of the werewolfs flesh that Percival had destroyed. She knew he was probably hungry, and had followed her scent all the way here. He understood that she would be back and he waited patiently as he chowed down. Genevieve followed Percival. She walked with her hand constantly touching his side. She wasn't using him for support, she just needed the contact to know she wasn't alone. She thought of Aldrid, and wondered how he was sleeping and if he was okay...

[adminarot3p]

He was hot to the touch, nearly a hundred and five degrees, still warm from the fight. His skin was like rough latex, stretchy and slightly plastic feeling. He towered over her as they walked, Walked. He dipped down and picked her up with a slight grunt. Small rivulets of blood decided to exit his wounds, filling the left side of his vision with blood. He shook his head, slopping it everywhere. He didn't apologies as it dripped onto her face and chest, looking like rubies on her fragile skin, its dappling coloration a mystery to him. She was nothing in his arms, so light was she. He smelled water, and increased his pace, blood flowing just a little more freely.

[Genevieve Locklie]

She did her best to hold his pace. And could hear the water that was flowing just ahead. It was such a calming noise. She thought of Aldrid, if he was okay. If he would ever return to her. What things he would bring back with him. If he was hungry as much as she was. If he still loved her.
She loved him. She couldn't deny it any more, her almost constant thought was of him, and not herself. She knew deep down that this was how love truly felt. Love was not a trap, but a balance of two becoming one. She couldn't help but smile.

[adminarot3p]

He set her down at the edge of the stream, near enough to get to the water without getting up. He himself strode in, only coming to his knee in the deepest part, and sank below the water. From his pale grey form flowed blood, his and the other werewolfs combined. He surfaced, blowing water from the gap where his lip once hung. The scratch over his eye bared bone, now that the blood was washed away. He shook lazily, pinkish water still streaming from him. He was on all fours in the water, where it was just deep enough to float his long gangly frame. He kept his chin above the water, watching her. From her point of view he looked for all the world like a crocodile. He did not move, just watched.

[Genevieve Locklie]

She lowered herself into the water, just past her hips. The water was refreshingly cold and it felt good to clean herself for the first time in weeks. She cupped water in her hands and poured it over her head. The blood was caked into her. She began scrubbing herself doing her best to clean herself. She could only see her wavy reflection on the dim lit reflection of the water. She moved herself in deeper running her hands all over herself trying to rid her self of the dirt, the guilt, the loneliness... and anything else that was ailing her. Her leg didn't hurt as much and the cold water was making her leg feel much better.
She relaxed in the water after cleaning herself. "Percival, I have a question." she spoke into the night knowing he was always just a few feet from her. She hoped he would not make some smart ass remark such as 'well I've got an answer'.

[adminarot3p]

The sounds of Her bathing reached him, and he smelled blood in the water. He swished water thru his jaws, the cold numbing the pain. His face was slightly swollen around the rips and tears. His flesh was a simple sacrifice for his life. He would drool if he wasnt careful, but other than that he would be unbothered. It would heal within the month, and he would be up to snuff. But for about a week his left eye would be swollen shut, and he might loose use of it. He had to be careful, and drain the pus. Or he would have one of his humans do it. He grinned, his humans. They gave him an advantage he could use against that werewolf that guarded the ridge, bastard. He grumped, but then she posed a question.

" Do you now?" He swam/walked over to her,keeping his distance. He was injured, and could be taken down faster. He sniffed, but didnt smell more than water and blood.

[Genevieve Locklie]

"Aldrid doesn't believe we'll be safe here in the winter, but I do. I know I can build us an adequate shelter to keep us off the ground and warm. But he wants to go into the city for the winter. I would have no problem hunting deer and finding food for us when winter comes. The city is where it is dangerous. We need to begin building a safe shelter. and being in the city where there are more than a thousand of them is a bad idea... I just know that deep down he will never accept that the woods is where it is safe, because he grew up on the streets. I guess I didn't really have a question... I just wanted to talk to you about it. I want to know what you think. I know I could get all three of us enough food for the winter, and it wont even be that bad. In fact it would be better to be out in the woods. In the city you would have to risk being hurt every day, out here its not as frequent that they come through here. I also fear that when he comes back there will be thousands of them following and I wont be able to run... If he is coming back, or if he has gotten any supplies or food... I'm so hungry even now... I can't wait to get back to the fire to warm up and eat some of that guy. It doesn't even bother me that I'm about to eat a human..." She found herself rambling wondering what if this or what if that.

[adminarot3p]

He listened with half perked ears, and the fact that is head was cocked to the side made him look so much like a great, deformed puppy. He chewed at these words, and then spoke, his voice clear of pain, reaching the normal rumble.

" For the winter, those who draw blood will sink into a deep slumber, rising only when the sun is high, for that will be the warmest part of the day. My kind, we will dig dens, into the earth, and when the snow falls, we let it pile up, and make a hollow under it. This is what we will do, i do not doubt you will use your nimble little human fingers to improve upon my design, but the snow will keep the heat in. I will become hungrier, therefor i will be away hunting. I will be building up a cache, to be frozen in the winter. I will dig both this pit, and my den exactly a mile apart." He seemed to scan the woods to her left, slightly interested. "You may want to dig the den now, before the ground is hard with frost, but not in your current condition. you will rest, and let me do the work. I do not trust your mate, he is too erratic, too unpredictable." He groweled these words, his good eye squinting. "He must redeem himself in my eyes before i will leave him alone with you. You are worth more to me than he is, and he will learn that, be it the easy or hard way." More concern than they had ever heard in his normal grumpy monotone emerged, directed twards her. "Are you hungry? Would you like some food? If the badgers havent gotten to him, the man should still be where i left him. I will coax the fire back to life, unless you would like to." He said, his voice returning to its normal timbre. "As of now i will not permit you to walk, unless you have a crutch. If you want to move any long distance, i will carry you." This was said with a slight growl, and a tone of finality. "If i am not there you will use your crutch. If your crutch is not available, your mate may carry you. Those are the new rules. When he returns it will be your responsibility to tell him." He recited this with brutal finality lacing the normal growl of his voice. "If there is, by chance, any chocolate in his findings, i will have first pick, i am partial to the stuff, and as the protector i have a right to it." He said this with just a little humility in his voice, making it funny. He reached out to her and touched her forehead with the soft skin of his palms, gently, more gentle than one would expect from a creature strong enough to rip the arm from your socket. His fingers bent lightly to make a cage around the top of her head, and his thumb laid gently on the back of her shoulder. He could wrench her neck till it broke, squeeze till her skull fractured, but all he did was press it gently against her forehead, his pulse beating a rapid tattoo against the flesh of her face. His heart beat faster than hers, which was usually not the case in large things.

" I will feed you little sparrow. Would you like to go back to camp?"

[Genevieve Locklie]

"Yes, We shall go back to camp, and I have something for you when we return. It will be my gift to you, and I hope you enjoy it." She said gently kissing his disfigured face. She cupped her hand and gently poured water over his wound. Using her palm she gently ran her hand down and over his neck and shoulder. "Lets go get you your surprise then." She said raising herself up and out of the water and onto the embankment. She slid herself gently up onto the moss, she hopped her butt wasn't going to be covered in dirt, for she had just cleaned herself.
She looked down at her hip and noticed that the swelling had completely gone down from the chill of the water. She couldn't help but laugh. Oh Goddess, she thought. You are on my side... Her hip wasn't as a deep of a purple as it was. She knew know that she would be visiting the river frequently if the cooling helped her heal.

[adminarot3p]

He snorted with the kiss and raised a lip to the contact, her hands, even as they were, evoked long silent memories in him. He watched her thru a haze of memories, not sure which was real life or the past. He shook his head and rose from the water, a dripping behemoth. He dipped down and picked her up, making a simple seat from his arms. She could dangle her bad leg in free air while he wrapped his other arm around her middle, her butt sitting on the upper arm of the opposite arm. His chest arched just beding her head, providing a resting place if she so needed to lean back. He strained a little picking her up, but he did not mind, and did not show it. His eyes scanned the area as he toted her back, watching for predators, for others like him. He smelled the blood he had tracked to the river, but nothing different. They made thier way slowly back to camp, his heat keeping her warm as he kept his brisk pace.

[Genevieve Locklie]

As they entered the camp she became excited, okay so she kept chocolate in her purse, it was probably melted to the wrapper, but it was chocolate. Why was she so excited about this? She was excited because she was making another friend. So he gave a face that made the kiss distasteful, but she knew that deep down inside of him, there was his inner humanity. She knew she had touched him somewhere deep. She had settled her thoughts. She would only show him compassion from here on out.
When they finally entered the camp she waited for him to set her down. So she could grab her purse and give him her gift. She hoped that he liked the rich dark cocoa, because that is what she truly enjoyed. She had an entire, unopened 96% Cocoa Dark Chocolate candy bar. She was so eager to see him happy that she was almost ready to jump from his arms. No, she would wait and not worry him with her enthusiasm...

[adminarot3p]

He set her down as they neared the remnants of the fire, being sure not to let her use her leg to sit. He looked to it, and frowned.

" While i go out and fetch firewood, i will find you a crutch. You need to use the rest of the firewood to rebuild the fire, your useless mate is not here to do it for you." He grumped, turning away to begin his search.

[Genevieve Locklie]

"Percival," She called after him, she rummaged through her little bag before she pulled out the chocolate bar, she was surprised to find that it was not mushy. "Here, please take this." She said holding out the chocolate, she knew that he would smell it and she ripped open the wrapper. She waved it around in the gentle breeze, hoping that he wouldn't leave without taking it.

[adminarot3p]

At first he ignored her, but when a familiar smell wafted to him on the breeze, he stopped. He turned around, looking to the item in her hand. Walking slowly up to her, he tracked the bar as she waved it back and forth. He salivated gently as he grasped it, pulling it slowly from her grasp. He brought it to his face, and nibbled it. His tail gave an uncontrollable series of wags, pattering gently against his downsized buttox. He mouthed the piece he had torn off for a few seconds, his eyes flitting under his closed eyelids. He opened his eyes slowly, his pupils dilated as if he had just ingested cocaine. It was like coke to him. He put the bar back into her hands and smiled, a grisly sight with his newest markings.

"Thank you, Little Sparrow, you have improved my day immensely. Stay here, i will fetch you a crutch." He blinked and started forward gently, stopped, furrowed his brows, and set his wet dog/human nose to her forehead. He turned and disappeared into the forest. But before he left, if one was very quick and observant, they would catch his tail wagging gently.

[Genevieve Locklie]

She smiled and gently replaced the wrapper over the left over chocolate and put it back in her purse. So he wouldn't be pissed off when he returned, she grabbed a larger stick that came up just to her shoulder. She used it as a walking stick and moved herself around the fire. She maneuvered around the fire with ease, as she put left over scraps of wood into the fire. She took the human meat that he had shredded and placed it on the stones he had placed on the coals. It immediately sizzled and began to smoke. She found a shorter stick to tend to the food and she sat a good distance from the fire, poking at it. She stood and moved to find a vine growing on a large oak. She gently popped off a large leaf from the vine, and decided to use it as a make shift plate. She moved back over to the fire and poked the sizzling meat and turned it over. The smell of burnt hair was then replaced with the rich smell of meat. And despite the fact that she was about to eat human meat, her mouth was watering. She was so incredibly hungry. She hadn't eaten in... four days.. If she was going to heal properly she was going to need to feed herself properly.
She reached her free hand up to touch her neck. It had finally completely scabbed over and had become tight and hard. She would have to take it easy moving her neck, so that she wouldn't stretch the skin to far and tear it open. She sighed and surveyed around the camp. Oden perked his head up. She could feel somethings presence, and she knew Oden sensed it too.. She starred of into the blackness. She could her the change in sound as whatever it was moved just out of her eye sight. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled and she realized whatever it was was watching her. She had grown up being starred at, she knew exactly what this feeling was.
She moved back into the lean to and put on Aldrid's jacket and did it up. It was big on her, good, that meant it covered her butt as well. She looked off into the direction that Percival had left, hoping he would return shortly. She moved back to the fire and removed the meat off of the stone. Genevieve placed the meat onto the leaf and let it sit by the fire to cool off a bit before she would replace it to cook some more.