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Does she know that Onus went to see Cer?
700+
The warrior’s spirit grew restless. The process of healing always did that to her. For the first week, she had been too weak to move much, and the stitching did not allow her such freedom. With the food that Onus had brought to her, she had slowly regained her strength and her health. Silently, she was grateful for that, and yet she could find no words to thank him. He did not have to hunt as frequently as he did, nor did he have to bring to her as much as he did. But with her increasing hunger, she realized the necessity of food. The litter that grew within her took much of her energy and food, slowing the process for her but allowing her to rest with ease. As evidence of her rape continued to grow more apparent, the woman’s heart felt a flicker of fear. Every time he left and she awoke with the solitude, she wondered if he had left with disgust in his heart. But she did not expect him to be at her side, and she was fine for those hours alone. She was silent much of the time, speaking very little. The woman withdrew into herself, though the cause of it was uncertain even to her. But no words could express the relief and the love she felt each time he returned.
Often, when she awoke to find her lover gone, the woman had tested her strength. She rose slowly to sitting, pushing herself off the bed with her right arm, for the left could endure nothing with the wound upon her neck hindering it. The first several times, she nearly fell, but she caught herself against the wall. Even when she stood it had been difficult to move without risking tearing the flesh upon her thigh. The wound that Brennt had made upon her was deep—his teeth had marked the bone—and the pain was both sharp and dull, a combination that was quite unpleasant. But the mere act of standing had been enough. She did not want to continue lying as she had. As time progressed and she grew restless, she pushed herself to walk along the perimeter of the room, pausing at times to look out the window, to feel the sun and the wind. But her balance continued to grow precarious. With her belly extending and her weight shifting, she struggled to maintain her balance as she limped along that path, one hand pressed against the wall while the other held her stomach. She thought often of the life that stirred within her.
That morning, she had risen with the dawn, and she sat in the half-light upon the edge of the bed. The right hand held her sword. She listened to that quiet hum of war, and she contemplated it. With her pregnancy, there would be little that she could do with the sword. Even if her wounds healed, she would have to wait to birth the growing thing sown by a black wind. The woman looked at the dull reflection upon the blade, the fingers of her left hand idly touching the crude stitch work with gentle fingers. The white orbs found themselves in the blade before they turned to consider the world with out the window and finally her pregnant belly. Her eyes explored the woad line that curved along its circumference to her navel, and her woad bound finger rose to stroke the fur there. Strange that such a thing should come to her. She was not prepared to carry her own. She had never believed herself capable of such a thing. But the thought of aborting the life within her never crossed the female’s mind. Regardless of the circumstances, it was still life that stirred within her. She could not kill it.... not yet.
With a quiet sigh, the woman set the Badb aside, leaning the blade against the wall. The song fell from her fingers, and the room was quiet once more with naught but the whisper of the world. Those white eyes sought the coyote, and upon finding him she was silent for a moment as if forgetting how to break it. "Onus..." the alto melody was quiet as she called his name. "I must return to Dahlia." The melody rose in volume, and there was a certainty within her voice, as if that were the only choice that remained. There was a quiet sadness within those eyes. She did not want to leave his side, but she no longer wished to burden him with her care, nor did she wish to burden him with the litter that was not his, that belonged to his enemy.
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Despite the circumstances surrounding it, these past weeks had been a blessing to him. To have her under his care, so that he knew that she was alright brought such calm to the man. Not only that, but he had underestimated the joy of being able to see her everyday. Even the sight of her still lingering weakness and growing stomach did not diminish that happiness. Onus wished it could stay like this. Wished that she would somehow decide to stay with him. Not necessarily forever, but at least until the litter was born. Even though he had gained permission from the alphess of Dahlia to come to the lands to see her and be with her, he wished that she would stay. Though he did not dread the approach of her leaving his constant protection as much as he had now that he knew he would not be barred from her. For that had been his greatest fear, thinking he would be made to keep away from her now in this time when she needed him. Thankfully that no longer haunted his waking thoughts.
The coyote had become a better hunter since having her here as well. He had become more proficient at capturing a good number of game. He had always been a slim eater, someone such as him could not afford indulgence in any area, and so had only ever caught what he needed, which was little. Also, true to the nature of his species, he was a scavenger. Only hunting when there was nothing else to find. It was perhaps a small skill, easy to improve, but that improvement made him feel more prepared for what lay ahead. True, her pack would provide for her and her young, but knowing that he could provide for her and them as well was a comfort. A comfort he hardly took for granted.
Onus had felt her weight shift on the bed, but he had not moved to get up or sit. It was obvious she had not woken from a nightmare or any such thing. He knew the comforts of quiet and solitude all too well, and therefore was content to grant her some of that, even if they both knew she was not alone. He did some of his best thinking when he felt he was alone and at peace, and he had no doubt that his love was the same way. And so he laid there quietly, wondering to himself what it was that ran through her mind as she sat there upon the bed that they had shared for many days. That bed that he knew he would never truly find comfortable anymore unless she were on it beside him.
The man had known this was coming, but it didn't make it any easier to face. He had known that soon she would feel the need to return to that place that she called home, but he had allowed himself to hope that perhaps she would stay longer. He lay there in silence a few moments longer before rolling over to face her, a sigh escaping past his lips. "If you feel that is what is best. Though you know that you will always be welcome here, no matter your condition." His words were strong, letting her know that the last thing he considered her to be was a burden. "But if you must go then I am going with you. I won't have you making the trek back by yourself." Onus' hand reached out to lovingly caress her arm.
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700+
There was a moment of silence before he finally responded physically to her declaration, The woman was silent when he spoke, for a moment unable to meet his gaze. Her eyes lingered upon his shoulder as the final effects of Dreaming fell away from her mind like a cloak doffed in a morning wind. At length, the white eyes looked up at him and gave an imperceptible nod. But she didn’t know if it was the best. She only felt that the time had come. A quiet smile tentatively shone within her eyes. "I’ll return when I can," the alto melody responded gently. It may not be until after she birthed the litter, but she would return to him. But it was not as if she could stay away. Regardless of the litter that would be born, she would still love him.... that had never changed and never would. She was simply in a place that she did not understand, in a spiritual place without any guidance. Her Dreams were muddled as if she could not see properly. But they had gotten clearer. Perhaps her confusion would soon end.
His touch brought her from the obscuring depths of her thoughts. Her woad bound ears swiveled back in a loving way as she reached up, her fingers tentatively brushing across his fingers. She felt as if he had somehow breached an obstacle, but that obstacle was only one of many. He had said that he would be there for her. He had gone to Dahlia and had spoken to Cercelee, who granted him permission to enter the packlands in order to visit her. Only the Rosea could have been so generous—she knew that Haku would not have allowed such a thing. The woad marked female nodded imperceptibly once more. "If you wish," came her quiet reply. There were mixed feelings within her about his choice to accompany her. It was difficult already for her to depart from him, and she felt that it would have been easier to orient herself if she had gone alone. But at the same time, she did desire his company in such a way that it caused the afore mentioned difficulty. She knew also that it would be dangerous for her to travel alone. Had her wounds been less severe, she may have insisted that she continue on her own. But she knew that she would need him once more. The Dahlian boarders had extended a great deal, but there was still a great distance to cross before she would come across her den.
Her fingers grasped his as she gently pulled his grasp from her and released him. With a soft breath, she pushed herself up, rising slowly to ascertain the best way in which to stand and retain balance. The black fae had already braced herself for the unavoidable pain within her right leg, and so when the wound shouted in protest, it did not come as a shock. How heavy she felt. Her left hand went to touch her stomach as if it were still unfamiliar, and surely it was. Would she continue to grow? She didn’t know—she had never paid particular attention to the changes of other pregnant females. But it felt as if it grew continuously. She looked down at her stomach again, her head tilting slightly with a mixture of emotions. With her right hand against the wall, she took several steps forward before turning to look back at Onus, a small hint of a smile moving across her lips like the fleeting flicker of a firefly’s light.
Slowly her gaze moved from him to fall upon the blade, a symbol now of something that she could not yet have. Her tail moved slightly to aid in her balance as she reached for Badb once more. But she did not move too far yet. "There are things that must be done," she murmured to herself. It was ironic. When she had found Onus in the rain, when she had first realized the extent of the emotion that she felt for him, she had also left his side for her duties to Dahlia. It was strange, she thought, how cyclic the nature of time was.
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He knew that she didn't lie, that she would return. But he also knew that it would be a good while before she would be able to travel back here. Once she was back inside Dahlian borders she would stay there, most likely until the litter was born. Onus' talk with Anu flashed into his head and all her talk of parenthood. The coyote still did not believe he was equipped for such a position, but he would do his best. Though he had talked about none of that with Cwmfen. He had said that he would be there for her, but he wasn't sure how much she wanted his involvement in this matter once they were born. Perhaps she would want to handle the raising of those pups on her own. He simply didn't know, and he felt as if he had no place to ask. He loved her, more than anything, but when it came to this all the decisions were in her hands. What grew inside her were not of his seed and so he had no voice.
"And I will come see you as often as I can. I'll try not to stray very far from your lands, so if you ever need me you can call for me." Of course he didn't want to hover over her, but he felt compelled to be by her side in this as much as he could. While the seed that grew inside her did not belong to him, he still considered himself at least partially responsible for what had happened. Though even if he hadn't felt any guilt over the situation he still would have wanted to be there for her. Onus only hoped that she would continue to accept his presence and his help. He knew how hard it could be for creatures like them to accept assistance from another. He didn't want to smother her. "I insist," he said as he laced his fingers through her own. A faint smile was on his lips. He wasn't happy that she was leaving, but he was happy that she would allow him to go with her. Not that he was about to have it any other way.
Those dark eyes watched her for a few moments as she slowly rose and made her way to the door of the room. Stretching his arms he rolled off the bed as well, going to the corner where he kept his clothes. His hands deftly tied the cloth around his eyes and then he donned his coat and his hat. Usually he liked to remain undressed around her, but he did not like any other eyes seeing him in such a manner. The male moved to her side as she reached down for her sword. He gently placed one hand around her right arm, ready to catch her if her steps faltered. Then slowly and at her pace he lead them down the stairs of the building out into the open air.
As they made their way north his gaze settled on that weapon. "Would you like me to carry that for you?" He didn't want her to stumble and accidentally cut herself with the blade. She needed to focus on keeping her balance and not aggravating her wounds. If she would allow him to, he would carry it gladly.
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Multi-tasking makes me slow, hahahah
700+
His words calmed the woman and were reassuring. They were reassuring not for the fact that he would come to see her, although that was a great relief and a great gift, but for the assurance that he still loved her. The black fae was a simple creature, and she required no intricacies in life. Simple thought and simple action was enough for the female to live. And in her recent and coming moments of weakness, there was nothing more that she desired than him. For a moment, the woman watched the male dress with quiet eyes and with that unexpecting love. Just as the patterns of war brought a fierce passion within her soul, the familiar movements of the coyote invoked those strange patterns of emotion within her—a flutter of her heart, a catch of her breath.
With her sword in hand and the male about her, there was a tranquility that fell over her, calming for a moment the waters of her uncertainty. He moved with her, following her set pace, and for that she was grateful. There was no hurry within her. She would reach her destination in due time, and the journey was time she could spend with Onus. The prospect of the stairs had crossed her mind several times. She stood before them now, those white eyes calculating the distance, the height of each step, the energy and care required on her part. It was strange that such a simple task would require so much thought. But only a moment had passed as she made her assessment before she made her way to them. The first step was taken slowly, and the rest followed with relative ease. The fluidity of her movements was disrupted at regular intervals, the wound upon her right leg unwilling to allow her the usual freedoms of motion. When her balance grew uncertain, she gripped his shoulder firmly. But she never fell or stumbled, and soon they had reached the outside. As she walked alongside the masked coyote, the world seemed to breathe easier, to sing easier. Or perhaps it was that she was able to listen more easily without the shadow of the crow wolf looming before her.
As they moved through the concrete edifices, the white orbs involuntarily turned back, that quiet curiosity turning within her mind. She found the building in which her father had been waiting and in which she had sought shelter from the rain. The evidence of a burning had licked with sooty tongues the frames of windows. The eyes turned silently to the hidden eyes, filled with a timid wonder and sadness, before she turned back to the path ahead. The black fae was silent as they traveled and chose to revel in the coyote’s company before she would depart him. When the silence was broken, the woad bound ears turned swiveled and she turned to look upon him. "Yes," the soft voice replied, and she lifted the short blade, her fingers flowing naturally as she adjusted her grip to present the blade properly to him. And as the blade left her, the song of war grew quiet. "Thank you." The blade was held with ease, but she knew the danger of that biting edge. A sword would obey its master, but she was not capable of properly wielding it, and the blade was dangerous to her now, dissatisfied with the weakness it felt within her—or was that her own dissatisfaction?
The city fell away and the vestiges of the human city gave way to the patience of the forest. The familiar scent of the boarders came to her upon the wind of the overcast day, bringing promise of rain but also the scent of the Dahlian boarders. As they entered the forested terrain, the black female increasingly leaned into the Her breath was silent, but it began to hold the patterns of labor. The weeks of quiet healing and the proximity with Death had stolen much of her endurance. They were not far from her den, but they had not yet come along the stream that ran near her home. But for a moment, the woman paused, the dull throbbing in her leg protesting. A small breath escaped her, almost like a sigh, as she said, "I need a short rest," and leaned against a nearby tree. The woad marked female put her weight upon her left leg to alleviate the pressure. The white eyes turned toward the masked man, her gaze tentatively seeking the hidden eyes of black ink. The day grew late—she was sure that noon had passed some time ago, but she was unsure for the hidden sun and the dimmed light. They were so close, but she could not finish the length.
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He would never stop loving her. For a long time he had believed himself incapable of such an emotion. Incapable of any emotion really. At least not anything powerful enough to change his life. But that had all changed with her. She had taught him a language (or perhaps they had taught each other) that he had never imagined and now could think of her in no other form of communication. Their's was the language of the heart and soul. The light in it all was blinding, but for once he was perfectly content to be blind to the faults in another. Though even saying he was blind to them was incorrect. He recognized her flaws, and he accepted them. They were what made her who she was and he would never want to change her. While he could tell her that his heart would never turn from her, words only did so much and he was determined to show her that as well.
Onus was glad to take things slow. Not only was it more time that he could spend with her, but the last thing he wanted was for her to overexert herself and her healing body. It was something she needed to be extremely careful about in her wounded condition, but doubly so because she was pregnant. Though he found himself doing his best to push that fact from his mind when it was not necessary to consider. It wasn't that he was at all disgusted by it, it just made him more nervous than he had ever felt before. He had no idea what to do or what to expect, and for the man who wanted to always be prepared for everything, it made him unbelievably anxious. Besides, he knew she must be worrying about it enough on her own without having to sense his own hesitations on the matter.
The coyote was impressed, and glad, that she did not once stumbled or fall on their way down the steps. It meant that he hadn't botched up tending to her wounds and that he had done a fair job of taking care of her. It filled him with a silent pride, knowing that he had been able to take care of the woman he loved adequately. For if he hadn't been able to care for her in that time of great need, then that would have been his biggest failure of all. He was still working on forgiving himself for what he believed to be his failure to prevent what happened, but not being able to help her through all this would have been something he would have never forgiven himself for. He sensed her look to the partially burnt hotel and then back to him, but he made no recognition. He did not want to talk about it. Though when she allowed him to carry her blade he smiled softly. "Of course."
They had made it much further than he had expected without her needed to stop and rest. Another testament to her healing. They were well into the forests of her pack when he began to feel her put more of her weight against him and heard that change in her breathing. They continued for a bit longer and just when he was about to suggest that they stop she saved him from having to speak those words. Onus nodded his head. She leaned against the tree and shifted her weight off her bad leg, but it would be better if she rested it completely. "Here, let me help you sit down." The vigilante rested the sword against the same tree and then placed one arm under her thighs and the other around her shoulders, gently helping her into a sitting position with her back against the tree. He then took a seat next to her, placing a hand over one of her own. "Take as much time as you need."
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