Lore: Behind Stone Walls

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:46 pm

Adonis looked back at her through the dark air, trying to tell if her offer was serious. "Is that what you want to do?" he asked, careful not to show any preference in his voice. To be honest, a rest sounded excellent to him right now. "If I have a stick of some sort, I can feel for him."

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:53 pm

"...Come back." she finally decided. He was injured. He shouldn't be walking on that leg. "Come back and rest... you shouldn't be the one looking for my brother..." It was true, and not just because she felt that he resented what he was doing, she honestly felt that way. Whether or not he hated humans, they had to survive together until they could find sanctuary.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:02 pm

Adonis hesitated for a long moment. He wasn't sure if he should really stop, nor was he sure he wanted to approach her again in his current state. Or maybe his head just wasn't working well because he was tired. He finally turned away from the deeper part of the cave and made his way back across the cavern. By the time he got halfway back to her, he wasn't feeling too hot. He stood on the thin ledge, still several yards away from her, and studied her thoughtfully. Now that he was close to the cave entrance and sweating less, he felt the chill of the night air outside. Clothes would really be useful right now. "Are we to sleep, then?" he asked, leaning stiffly against a boulder beside him.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:07 pm

She felt uncomfortable under his gaze, the way he was dressed... the way her kimono would no longer fit right...

"If you're tired, yes. I-I can... keep watch." she said, almost unsure if she could. She was tired and beaten as well, but everyone was taking care of her. She felt terrible about it, she wanted to change it. She dared another glance at him, and was rewarded by seeing his current state. Now she felt awful. She rushed to him and put his left arm over her shoulders. She didn't care if he protested her touch, because she was protesting it too, but he was injured and he needed this. The need to do right fought with her desire to stay away.

...Was she really that affected by it?

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:22 pm

Adonis was so stunned by her sudden offer of help that for a second he accidentally leaned his full weight against her. It brought the side of his body in contact with hers. He grimaced and tried hard to stand in her support without touching her. He walked forward, stepping with his full weight on his good leg and hesitantly using her as a crutch for the other. When they were safely back near the mouth of the cave, he stopped and moved his arm slowly off of her. He felt somehow that he should keep his movements slow and cautious, so he did. He stared at her and took a careful step back. She was afraid of him; he could feel it clearly. Or maybe she was just afraid for her brother.

The only way he could think to ease her fears was to explain why he'd hidden in his other form and followed her all this time. But unfortunately, he didn't know either. It had just happened, one thing after another. "I don't intend to hurt you," he said with an edge of frustration. Nothing he said seemed to be coming out well.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:27 pm

Neko grimaced, not because she didn't want to answer him, to explain why she was like this, it was just because she felt like he was blaming her. Was he getting short tempered with her behavior?

"I-It's not you," she confessed, hugging her arms. She thought for a moment, remembering a moment of insanity that had struck her after the... the rape. She so terribly wished to die, and thought she was receiving it when that horse--

"Was it you?" she asked suddenly, in a far off voice. "You took us away from that... that camp. Saved us... saw me..." she really didn't want to say the word allowed.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:34 pm

Adonis jerked his chin up - an instinctive reaction to the discomfort he suddenly felt, though the gesture made more sense on a horse than a human. He remembered what had happened to her. Oh god, was that what she was afraid of?

"I saw the things they did. I've seen them many times. I will never resort to such barbarism," he said with quiet resolve. He knew what it was like to rape someone, through no fault of his own. His soulmate had many disgusting habits. "I am not even of your breed, however I may look to you now."

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:38 pm

"Th-thank you," she said, truly. Maybe it wasn't really HIM she was afraid of. Just the memory, just because he was currently a man now. Not wanting to linger anymore on her problems, she gestured to the ground and said, "It may not be comfortable... but please rest. I wont have you hurting yourself more on my account." She offered a weak grin. A friendly smile, but it didn't hold for long.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:49 pm

Adonis didn't want to sleep. He knew the wolves were still nearby, and there was still a chance they might return after the scent of her blood. On top of that, now that he understood what she was worrying about, what she was remembering... it made him think he should be the one keeping watch. No one should have to remain awake to ponder such an unthinkable memory. But he could barely keep his eyes open.

"Just give me an hour," he said weakly, surrender in his voice. He dropped to the stone floor, lying on his side facing the mouth of the cave. "If you see signs of the wolves, wake me up. Kick me if you have to," he muttered. He pondered that she might not wake him at all. When the sun came, she could find her brother and, if he was healthy, leave long before his body woke again. Why did that scare him so much? He set his jaw and closed his eyes decisively. One hour, and she'd wake him up. He had no choice but to believe that.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:25 am

One hour, she remembered and watched Adonis unceremoniously place himself on the ground. Against best decisions, Neko sat herself behind his head and stared at his sleeping face for a long while. It was strange, he was beautiful but his eyes were sad, angry... very angry. He had the ability to be agreeable though. What had happened to him to make him this way to humans?

She idly brushed a lock of his hair back from his face. His hair was the same as his mane. Soft, dark, manageable. Almost like satin. Before she realized, she was already starting a small braid in his hair, just like she had done before when he was a horse.

Her mind drifted back and forth with thoughts and memories, almost herself falling asleep before she jerked back up again. She had to stay awake and keep watch.

"Stay awake damnit," she cursed herself and kept her eyes fixated to the forest beyond the cave mouth.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:49 am

Adonis was out. Truly and completely out. From the way he slept, you'd think lying naked on cold rocks was better than a mattress. However, the hard expression on his face did seem to ease while Neko was braiding his hair, though he wasn't conscious enough to really grasp what was happening. Wolves howled a few times in the hills beyond the entrance, but none came after them at the cave. After the cave-in earlier and the black magic that had been used on their kin, perhaps they had learned to stay away from that place.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:10 am

An hour had past and the light was growing brighter in the forest. Neko looked back down to the still sleeping Adonis. She found herself not wanting to wake him up.

"I'll give him another ten minutes." she decided to herself. With the sun coming out, she doubted that the wolves would come now, nothing had happened in the past hour. She knew she should still stay awake, but it was tempting to just lay down for even just a few minutes. She looked back down at Adonis and with the new light filtering in, he seemed more naked than before. Her heart skipped more in panic than in lust. She got up and left his side. She felt better when she was at the mouth of the cave.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:23 am

Adonis's eyes twitched slightly at the intruding light that filtered into the cave. He was able to barely register that the sun had risen, but when he tried to think beyond that, the world was a gray blur. He had a feeling he was forgetting something important, but then sleep pulled him under again.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:26 am

Another ten minutes went by, and then another. Neko sighed, it was time they moved.

"Ok Adonis," she said walking back over to him and kneeled in front of him. "Time too get up," she gently shook his shoulder to jostle him awake.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:30 am

Adonis murmured something unintelligible and rolled away from her, onto his back. He frowned as he did so, and then his face evened out again into the calm of sleep.