Polo and Alpha :D]] Highwayman

He had woken up after a while of not moving his body was sore. He groaned softly in a canine way and his back felt tight, like it was sewn together. Reaching back he felt stitches and let them be. His ears perked up as he heard a fire crackle. He opened his bright blue eyes to the warm glow of flames and he felt his body begin to warm from the outside in. His energy was drained from his fight. He was grateful of the fire now. But who.. "S-Sathina?" He asked weakly and saw her with blurry focusing eyes.

"Mm." Sathina grunted in response, acting completely aloof - though inwardly she was deeply relieved that Gary had awoken.
She was crouched beside the fire now, roasting a piece of meat - what remained of the squirrel she had caught some minutes ago.
"Eat." She ordered, pulling the hot squirrel off her roasting stick and hissing in pain when her fingers were burned.
She tossed it to him, then got to her feet and stalked over to the river, washing her greasy hands.

In a sort of animalistic way he placed a paw on either side, the heat not bothering him in any way he began to eat. Not much meat was on the creature but it topped his stomach off for the night. Though his appetite wasnt really there. Once finished he tossed it away over a rock a few yards away and laid back down again. Curling up near the fire keeping his head turned away from the girl now. He felt like he owed her an apology but didnt know whether or not to speak just yet. She didnt seem like she wanted to talk. But he had to. Slowly he hauled himself up to his two back feet and sighed softly. He walked over to her, the tension rising with each step he took. "Sathina..I-..Im sorry about what i said. And what i did. That was me just being an Ass. A big flat out ass." He said and she turned away from him with a airy grunt (hmpf like XD) "Sathina please, Just hear me out. That before, after I showed you with the water..That wont happen again until you give the word. I know you're engaged. Im new to women okay? I mean i know how to treat them and respect them..but I've never had feelings for one. Im confused. Im scared. Im Lost" He said the last one with a soft velvety voice that held a little nervousness in his tone. "I dont know what im doing anymore." he whispered and looked at the sky as the flakes fell from the very clouds above them. Puffs of steam escaped his mouth with every long exhale. He honestly felt like the world was against him. "I just feel like everyone is out to get me. All because of the one who shared his blood with me. But he didnt share the same mind. I wish every day that i would find him and make him pay for what he's done. But more than anything I just want to get my life in order. He isnt worth my searching and energy." He couldnt tell if she was listening or not. But he prayed she heard some of it. "I guess i'll leave you alone. if you want food let me know. I'll find something more Filling" He said and limped back to the fire and sat down hugging his knee while his other leg was outstretched.

"Gary..." Sathina murmured softly, finally reacting when he walked away. "Relax. I'm not upset with you, okay?" She sighed and walked over to him, sitting down beside him with a grunt. "Listen, I know what it's like - being despised for something that isn't your fault..." Her hand travelled automatically to her stomach when she said this - making her seem almost like an ashamed pregnant woman. ((Could have some fun if he made that assumption, maybe? XD *Ponders*))
"It sucks. But you'll get nowhere by dwelling on it. And as for..." She coughed uncomfortably, " 'before'... Let's just say I'm not... How can I put it... 'Girlfriend material'. Truth be told, I've never even considered being in a relationship. Not a real one, in any case - my lifestyle doesn't allow for it..." She rubbed her hands together awkwardly in her lap, and spoke to her feet - refusing to meet Gary's wolfish eye. "I was mean before... There was no need for that - I'm sorry. You just surprised me, that's all... And then I got all angry, because I really like you, I think you're a good guy, but I just don't think I'm right for you - and I didn't know how to tell you that without upsetting you..." She trailed off, then smiled slightly and added "I guess I'm a little lost myself."
There was silence a moment, crickets chirping placidly, then Sathina could take it no longer.
She leaped energetically to her feet, ruffling Gary's furry head playfully, "This is depressing. Let's just forget about it, and I'll tell you what's going to happen here. You won't take me home. I'm going to travel with you from now on. I think you'll find I pull my weight just fine - and with a bit of luck, Ferenithe and I should be able to keep you from getting your ass kicked next time you get into a fight." She smirked challengingly, then began gathering her things - still talking over her shoulder, "It's not safe here any more, so heal yourself, transform back, and we can move on. There's no time to waste."

When she walked over at sat next to him he looked up then back down quickly and listened as she spoke. His ears indicating that he really was listening. "We'll see about that as time goes on" He said as his response to her saying she isnt girlfriend material. But he did what she said and dropped the subject. "Its hard for me to transform back. I dont have the energy to do so. But tell you what. If you wanna show me whatcha got. Lets hunt for some real food huh?" He asked and stood now on his fours with ease before standing up on his back legs. "I'll scent, you kill" He said with a smile.

There were a thousand logical reasons for her to say no.
He was hurt. He should preserve his energy so he could transform back sooner. They didn't need food just yet. The forest was teeming with spirits intent on killing them - more than she and Ferenithe could take alone.
But instead of listing these reasons like she should have, she allowed her judgement to be impaired by the desire to enjoy herself - and nodded hesitantly. A slight smile lifted her lips, and she picked up the little dagger she had used to kill the squirrel - slipping that into her belt, then swinging her quiver of arrows over her back and picking up her bow. ((She grabbed a lot when she went back to the house, okay... XD ))
"Let's make haste. And stay near the river - it's dangerous here at this time."

"Gotcha" He said and kept his nose close to the ground now on all fours and stretched out to stay low and unseen by any pray. Soon he picked up on a deer, a buck. He could tell by the tracks and the smell emanating from them. "Yumm food" He growled playfully and honed in closer on the pray and found it in a small clearing and stayed low in the bushes. "You got this one?" he asked quietly

"Please!" Sathina scoffed sarcastically under her breath, stringing her bow and aiming at the grazing buck. "Too easy..."
She positioned her arrow carefully, then let it fly. It whistled through the air, and embedded itself in the buck's heart. The creature gaze one spastic leap, then fell down, twitched, and lay still.
"Fetch." She ordered teasingly, glancing toward Gary with a half smile.

He chuckled and nudged her playfully. "Bark" He said with a wolfy grin and bound over the bush and landed in front of the buck. Removing the arrow he put it one hand before taking the buck by his antlers and lifted it up and carried it back to camp. "Lets get this over the fire, im starving" He chuckled and walked with her. Towering over her a good two or 3 feet now and soon the river and the fire came back into view.

Sathina gave a snort of laughter at Gary's dog-like response - then stood to walk back to camp with him. She did not much like him being in this form. It had her feel weak and inferior, and she hated that. The sooner he could change back - the better.
Weakness was no friend of Sathina's. In the life she lived, weakness meant death.
"Yes, get it cooking quickly." Sathina agreed as they reached camp, "Because I want to move on before they get here - and it's only a matter of time." Her hand tightened on Ferenithe's handle, resting comfortingly against her hip.

"I dont blame ya" He said with a smile and helped cut up the good parts and carried the bad uselss parts off away from where they were in case of other predetors during the night decided to stop by and investigate. Once it was cut and skinned Gary helped put them over the fire to cook. Alair was untacked and tied up asleep already. But he did have a place to put the excess meat for the days travels. "I think once i get food in me i'll be able to change back."

"Then for goodness sake, eat, man!" Sathina snapped - getting edgier by the minute now. She could sense her pursuers getting ever closer, and it made her nervous. She did not want to be responsible for Gary's death... Even the most powerful mage would be powerless against the more powerful of the dead spirits after her. It took a necromancer to banish them back into death. Any other attack was a stall at best...
Thankfully, she had Ferenithe.
She stroked the sword's sharp blade fondly, applying just enough pressure that it did not split her skin.

"Calm down im a quick eater jeeze" He said and shook his head taking a bite of meat from a cooked leg. He let the food fill his stomach and recharge him and soon after he was done eating he was laying on his side by the dying fire with one leg up and over the other and bent at the knee. Soon his bones began to shift and click and within minutes he was back to his CLOTHED self [ ]
and looked over at her. "Whats got you so worried?" He asked

"Good..." She muttered, drawing her knees up to her chest, and watching Gary with an unfocused expression.
When she saw him begin to phase back, she hurriedly grabbed her pack, flinging it over her shoulder and getting ready to leave.
At Gary's question, she looked back at him, an inscrutable expression on her face.
"The dead are coming. Fast." She explained quickly, "One came earlier, when you were off doing your wolfy stuff. It was a weak one, so I imagine it was just the scout, but since I didn't have Ferenithe with me, all I could do was flee. It's gone now, but others are on their way. Much, much worse ones. If they find us, they'll drag us back into Death with them. There are far more than Ferenithe and I can take alone..."

He stood and followed her over to Alair waking and tacking him up. "Okay, is there anything i can do to give you one more person to help? I mean will my magic help?" He asked with a slight hesitation and put Alair's bridle on and walked over to her holding him at his side.


[>.< short little posts lol sorry!]

"Only as a stall..." Sathina muttered, pulling a face. "You can't kill what's already dead... Well, unless you know necromancy?" She glanced at him hopefully, but she already knew the answer. If he was a necromancer, he would know. It was the sort of thing a person was born with - nor a sort of magic any mage could learn. Sathina sighed softly, tracing her fingers over Ferenithe's blade.
"Maybe you could help..." She muttered thoughtfully, searching through all the possibilities in her mind, "But I'd rather not find out just yet."

He shook his head, "Not one thing" he said and offered Alair to her to mount up first. As he waited he clipped the saddle bags on and the ones that held the few remains of the cooked meet that was still pretty warm. "You can get the horse, Im fine on foot" He said finally after thinking for a while about what he should do.

Sathina accepted the reins from Gary with a smile, and swung herself onto the horse. "I'll ride for now." She agreed, "Because I'm tired as anything from saving your ass back there." She offered a playful wink, nudging Alair forward into a trot, then adding, "Rest assured I'll be handing him back to you again later, though. I'm used to travelling on foot." She paused a moment, thinking, then added as an afterthought, "Maybe I'll get a horse of my own in the next town. It'll make travelling quicker."

"Mhm" He said and phased down to his feral self now on all fours. He shook out his fur and flurries soon piled back on again. "I'll be an extra pair of eyes I know i wouldnt be able to see them as a human." He said and began heading in her direction at Alair's side. Keeping up at a lope and leaving an extra set of footprints in the snow.

"Good boy." Sathina praised with a laugh, coaxing Alair on to keep pace with Gary.
For days they travelled, and the more Sathina got to know Gary, the more she found herself warming to him, and slowly letting her guard down.
Yet even now, it was obvious that she was hiding something. That something was bothering her... She was strange and mysterious, and somehow seemed to keep to herself, even when she had Gary beside her all the time.
She grew more and more edgy the longer they travelled, for she could feel the Dead gaining on them, even though they were travelling as fast as they could.

Then, one blissful day, the dead presence vanished - leaving behind a feeling of peaceful calm. At first Sathina was suspicious, but when evening came, she was finally ready to accept her good luck: They had lost their pursuers.
For perhaps the first time since she had met Gary, Sathina relaxed, and gradually began to act more like herself.
For the first time in days, she turned to Gary, and offered a faint smile.
"We lost them." She informed him, a shaky laugh breaking from her lips as relief coursed through her.

((I needed her in a decent mood if we're going to work on this relationship of theirs. Hehe! ))

[haha awesome hm though i might have another solution to make her be thankful for him xD]

"Well thats good" He said and phased back after shaking the snow off. He looked up at her then the sky. "We have to find shelter. A snow storms coming" He said seeing dark clouds beginning to roll in. He looked around as they walked and found a cave. "I dont know about you it looks like we are sleeping on rocks tonight" He said and walked towards the cave. As he walked though he gathered logs and sticks for a fire. Though he knew it wouldnt last long with the wind from the storm. He started up a fire after phasing into his anthro form with his powers he laid down and Alair laid down too after getting untacked inside the safety of the cave. There was no escaping this cold unless one had fur...

((Coolness! XD ))

Sathina had been so caught up in her relief that she had barely even noticed the snow around her. When she did, her face fell. "Geez, I just can't catch a break..." She muttered with an exasperated laugh, following Gary into the cave.
He set to work making the fire, leaving her feeling rather useless, but she did not object.
When he was finished, she lay down beside the fire - shivering in the cold.
"It's times like these that I wish I could use my magic..." She muttered, chuckling slightly. "It's way too cold tonight. Ironic, really... The Dead usually hunt best in cold and darkness.

"He noticed her shivering and sighed sitting up. "Listen if you promise not to bite my head off, I can keep you warm in the most platonic way I can." He said and began to get up on all fours and walk towards her slowly. "Forget it you need it or you'll freeze to death" He said watching her lips turn a sickly blue and laid behind her. His mammoth body creating a pocket of warmth around her as the fire began to die.

Sathina's eyes lifted as Gary approached, and she watched him thoughtfully. "What do you-" She began, but her question was answered for her as he lay down beside her, his body heat instantly warming her. "Good idea, thanks..." She murmured, shuffling gratefully closer to him - then going completely still - letting his warmth envelop her as she watched the fire's dying embers.
"But... What about you?" She muttered suddenly, glancing up at him and shifting away, despite the cold. "Gary, are you okay with this...?" She murmured, her concerned eyes flitting over him.

It was no worry to her, after all... She didn't care about this sort of thing. But Gary... Unless he'd had some miraculous change of heart, he still had feelings for her.
Now she wasn't sure, but she had a feeling that this situation would irritate those feelings like acid on raw skin. It wasn't fair on Gary...

"I dont mind Sathina. Believe me I dont" He whispered and laid his head close to hers almost like it was for protection as well as warmth. He looked into the dying fire and sighed as a puff of steam escaped his nostrils. Lying there he began thinking, why was she being so nice now and thinking of how i felt about this? He sighed again and his muscles rumbled as he began to relax with the heat and soon he drifted into a trance as the wind began howling outside.