• He had no idea how long he had been traveling...weeks...months....years? Did it really matter? The days after a time just blurred together one after another in an unending stream. Once it hadn’t been like this. Once upon a time he had been an avatar of choice...but now..now he trekked the world a mortal. he didn’t dislike it but at times it was a true irritation, he was in the form of a white wolf moving through the forest silently blue eyes flicking left and right but not in a predatorial way..no he was mentally cataloguing what he saw putting it away in the mental rolodex of his mind, this form was useful for him, it was fast...strong...able to cover distances with a fair amount of ease and blend into its surroundings as well as any white creature could....that however was something he had to deal with all of his forms were white with blue eyes, it was as the humans put it, a tell, but his mind was rambling and he was thirsty, he paused lowering his muzzle to the chilly water of the river he had been following his attention on that so much that he didn’t notice the hunter until it was to late the arrow had been loosed, gathering his muscles he twisted in a desperate bid to avoid the arrow but it buried itself in his side the fiery pain lancing through his body, yelping he bolted running into the underbrush as fast as he could putting distance between himself and his attacker ears laid back, for perhaps half a mile he managed to run but blood loss and pain eventually had him looking for a place to hide. he crawled into a thorn bush and lay there barely conscious each breath burning his lungs...

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    Valon

    he'd snuck out of the house again... well, it wasn't really a house, more like an elaborate underground burrow, but, as the only non-shifting shifter in a family of various breeds of feline, and one wolf, he was often alone and didn't mind it, since he could be as happy doing nothing as he was with any of the activities his well-minded relatives tried to interest him with... he could hunt enough to feed himself when he wanted, but he gathered just as much, and even now with snow on the ground there were things to find... he scented the blood, the pain, long before he reached the form hiding in a bush of thorns... you'd made it to the edges of territory guarded, protected, by his family and most hunters were wary of being caught even there, so you were safe enough, apart from being injured, just as he had been safe enough until he came forward to try and peel you out of the thorns... he smelt... feline, and also a little bit like sugar, but that was from the tree Kumi had helped him tap a year ago that was giving off some syrup right now... several thunks as arrows hit the tree above his head earned a yowl of surprise and he let go of the hiding branches, not sure what to do, but, also unwilling to leave you behind to be hunted...
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    Hikage

    He roused when you started moving the brush his eyes focusing slightly...who were you? The first thing he was aware of was a large set of eyes when you let go of the branches...he stirred a bit, perhaps it was the fact you had been trying to reach him and were attacked....perhaps the last effort of a dying creature but when he pulled himself from the brush swaying drunkenly he’d move a few steps towards you the arrow in his body matching those that had been fired at you, he gave vent to a whine, he couldn’t speak proper common in this form but as he moved between you and the hunter his intent was clear...but he couldn’t keep his footing it was obvious without help of some kind he was a goner, he looked over his shoulder at you his eyes though pained, seemed oddly wise and knowing, not an animals eyes at all, as smart as he was he couldn’t understand why you would help a stranger his travels had shown him the callous nature of men*
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    Valon

    he couldn't believe that you were trying to get in front of him, defend him, when you were injured like that yourself... he'd quickly yank one of the arrows from the tree, throwing it with a fair amount of accuracy at the hunter in question, hitting somewhere in the shoulder area... along with the throw would come the chiding Felin, hisses and growls that proclaimed just what he was and at the same time where the hunter was... would it make a difference? he wasn't a healer, but, he wasn't about to let anyone be hunted, killed... he'd grab the other arrow, though it was harder to get from the tree, but it would give him a second weapon to try and deter the hunter with... again he would chide, demanding the hunter leave, to leave you alone... he'd have to trust, to hope, you could hold on long enough, as long as it took...
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    Hikage

    The hunter was not trained..he was not an assasin..he was merely a hunter trying to feed his family , a family he couldn’t feed if he was dead...he’d back off, the pelt was a prize but not one he was willing to die for, if you didn’t pursue the hunter would move off glad for his life, Hikage turned his head to look at you giving a low whine before taking a single step and sinking down, there was a dignity to the move his eyes falling closed, his form shimmered shifting and bending until in his place there lay a pale skinned human the arrow remained in the flesh staining the ground red beneath him, he was dressed in a simple cream hued tunic snowy hair spread out around a delicate, nobleman’s face, he looked young perhaps in his early twenties physically his breathing faint but there
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    Valon

    bundled up for the colder weather he didn't look like much, his overly large eyes about his only outstanding feature... he'd take his coat off to wrap it around you shoulders, using the arms to tie it on rather than try to move you too much, knowing that you'd need the warmth in order to get through this, if you got through it at all, he wasn't a healer and he knew it, but, the healers there were didn't live within the shifter territory during the cold season, and it would take him too long to find somebody... he was fairly thin, built for lean strength, like a cat, and graceful... without the hood of the coat to hide them a pair of feline ears would be visible resting in short, messy hair, the tail was less noticeable, wound around his waist like some kind of furry belt... so, he'd see what he could do about the arrow now, but, he had nothing to bind the wound, so, it was better left in until he got you to a safe place... he mentally ran through the choices; the abandoned cabin... the cavelet that was his cousin's 'secret' place... the cave behind the waterfall... the last was likely better, for the fresh water, so he would carefully pick you up, staggering a bit under the weight at first, but he adjusted and soon seemed to have no trouble but would pay for it later with sore muscles... the cave he'd chosen hadn't been used for a while, was empty and relatively clean, and a bit warmer than just being outside... as evening progressed it would be cooler, but, he could start a fire with the driftwood from the shore but other than that his focus would be on you, on getting the arrow out, cleaning the wound and having to shred his shirt sleeves a bit to make bandages, though, once the fire was lit and going the loss of fabric wouldn't be all that noticed... and he'd wait...
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    Hikage

    He didn’t move the entire time eh was limp. eyes closed barely even breathing the entire time but as time passed and he warmed up he would move slightly more finally giving a soft groan his eyes opening, they were a brilliant ice blue, he didn’t say anything at first he just took in his surroundings and you before he pulled his head up slightly and whispered* ...thank you.... *he would have died out there he knew that...if you hadn’t come along..the realization was a strange one for something that had never considered death as an option in thousands of years as an avatar....now as a mortal he would have to think of it more now...*

    ...why did you..?

    *did he really want to know? he was surprised to find he did..he wanted to know why*

    ..my name is Hikage..
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    Valon

    his command of the common tongues was shaky at best, he had trouble with some sounds due to lack of familiarity as well as an adorable set of baby fangs, more feline... It is nothing... since you were awake now he would check the injury, , then help you to sit up carefully that you could take a drink of the water he had waiting in a crude kind of bowl... he'd made it one afternoon he'd been out here before, but never finished... that marked a lot of his projects, the waning interest, the continually attraction to something new, almost like he was looking for something that never seemed to be what he'd just found..

    . Hurts, I know... drink? Will help... then, food. I have to get...

    he'd pause, trying to think of the words to get his meaning across, figuring you wouldn't know Felin as you had both a human and wolf form that he'd seen so far

    ... Valon. I am Valon.
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    Hikage

    *he gave a soft sound of pain when you pressed him upright a hand touching the wound with curious fingers*

    he shot me...why...?

    *he was honestly curious as he touched the wound again before taking the bowl from you and smelling the contents before taking a sip his eyes on you the entire time, you moved oddly, obviously not human...he smiled at you and finished the drink bitter or not before he tried to stand wincing he sank back down pressing the wound with the palm of his hand*

    ahh... its bleeding..

    *he looked at his bloody hand the way a child might look at a shiny stone, awe and a little curiosity, something he had never seen , his own blood*

    so strange...somehow I didn’t think it would be red...
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    Valon

    Hunter hunts... meat... pelt... Need to live... survive...

    the bowl contained only water, pure and fresh, but icy cold, he hadn't thought to warm it by the fire first

    ... Wounds bleed... is... clean... makes clean? Air makes red... makes alive.

    yes, that was right, and he'd smile, pleased with how he'd communicated it, though, now that you were up and awake he'd unbind the wrapping to try and clean the wound a bit, wanting to see how bad it was... he thought a few moments, then leaned in to lick it, cat-like, primitive, but effective in ensuring that the wound was clean... also, some of the supernatural properties would speed healing, at least enough to ensure there wouldn't be a chance of infection...
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    Hikage

    ahh..alright...I understand...

    *he bit his lip against the pain as you unwrapped it..what were you doing?...he didn’t move except to draw back slightly away from you*

    ..but..

    *he watched you..lick him? it stung at first making him emit a soft sound of pain but as you continued he’d relax a bit move finally just holding still for you*

    ..thank you..for everything..

    *your tongue was warm a little raspy like a cats, when you finished he would sit himself up on one arm*

    Valon...do you live alone out here? where is your family?

    *he closed his eyes with a soft sound when you stopped licking, it burned*

    I will repay you..
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    Valon

    Is nothing... you would do same?

    he'd put the strips of cloth into the water you hadn’t drunk to both clean them and cool them, then would rewrap the wound and cover you with his coat... partly sitting up you'd be comfortable, he hoped, and both able to see him easily and converse for as long as you were able... he liked listening other people talk, it helped him to remember what the words sounded like, that he could say them better

    ... Family... is in other place, close... here is... haven? Safe. You needed warm... here, fire. Fresh water. Fish? I can catch, cook.

    he enjoyed the fresh company, someone new and interesting, something to hold his attention again, hopefully he wouldn't lose interest, but, by then you would be healed, maybe even will have moved on...
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    Hikage

    I would yes...

    *with the wound rebound he relaxed more, you were a strange companion...no stranger than he was to you he was certain of at least..so your family lived elsewhere, this was a safe house of sorts you had taken him to, again he felt a rush of gratefulness and would hold out a hand, if you took it he would shake your hand as he had seen humans do in the towns he passed through, the fire was good, the warmth would seep into him*

    I hope your family doesn’t....mind...my...presence...Zz...

    **he had fallen asleep unconscious from blood loss, it wasn’t a steady sleep however...he murmured softly in his sleep from time to time his smooth face contorting as he fought his way through his dreamscapes lashes brushing his cheeks delicately in fluttering patterns, eventually though he would settle and sleep a healthy..recouperative sleep*
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    Valon

    he watched your sleep until it turned peaceful, only then would he bank the fire to burn a while, keep you warm and still be able to be relit by the time he got back... he'd need food, proper bandages, and a couple blankets, though how he was going to sneak them out of the den without getting caught would be the question... in the end he'd told most of the truth, that he'd made a hunter stop from taking a wolf, not one from the pack, and he wanted to nurse it better... that got him supplies, advice, and free reign to do what he wanted, at least for now, though the warning that his newfound wolf had better not cause harm or all the healing done would be swiftly undone...

    he'd had watched you for a while, but, after carefully getting you wrapped in the fresh blankets and resting on a pillow, and he'd curl up beside you, giving added warmth, but, he would fall asleep there, and would still be there when you woke in the morning...


    chapter 2 can be found here

    http://www.gaiaonline.com/arena/writing/fiction/vote/?entry_id=101060533#title