544
For another long, drawn out moment that seemed would never end Orin simply stood there, glaring down the shaft of the arrow at the woman in the snow, assessing her. If she chose not to believe her story then it would be like admitting that every random person out here in the woods was an agent of Rhiannon, and that was a terrifying world that Orin did not want to live in. She really had no idea if the girl was lying or not, her bluff about smelling a lie being just that – a bluff. But what she did know was that the girl was frightened through and through. For all she knew this was the end of her life, and perhaps an unjust end at that. Orin knew all too well what that feeling was like.
Sighing, she lowered the bow. “I believe your story,” she said as she placed the arrow back into the quiver slung over her back, and propped the bow up onto her shoulder. The leather strips of her armored skirt made soft sounds as she moved forward, coming closer to Eclipse, and now wincing at the sight of the wooden shaft jutting out of her arm. She suddenly went from this girl's worst nightmare, to her number one sympathizer.
“How badly are you hurt?” The answer seemed like it should be obvious, but Orin had no idea how deep into the flesh the arrowhead had bored. It could be superficial, just past the skin enough to have lodged there, or it could be down to the bone. She suddenly felt sorry for having commanded her to raise her arms. Her own wound forgotten now, she knelt down in the snow next to Eclipse, as if to inspect her arm if she would let her.
“Next time come straight to the borders, don't slip around out here like some stranger,” she instructed. “If you're hunting so close to our lands at a time like this you're liable to get yourself shot.” A half smirk appeared on her muzzle, though this wasn't exactly a good time to be making jokes.
“There are devils in this forest, creatures that are capable of doing things that your peace loving pack can't even stomach to hear of. It is a dark time, indeed. We should get you into the pack lands, and I'll find somebody to look after this wound,” even as she said it, she glanced down at her own arm as though just now remembering she was injured. Suddenly the pain lanced through her arm and she realized just how deeply the arrow had sliced, but at least it wasn't lodged in the meat like Eclipse. “I couldn't let you go like you are, if they find you you'll be dead for sure. Can you walk?”
She stood up and padded a few steps away, picking up Eclipse's bow and bringing it back to her. First she handed the weapon over, then she held out her palm as if to help her stand. Her expression shifted, pained and apologetic for the grave mistake she had made. “I'm Orin, by the way. Orin Takekuro. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry I shot you.”
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