Savage bursts of wind screamed across the exit of the Warrens and he stepped past it, heedless of his direction or physical presence. Angry thoughts both blinded and deafened him to what he would normally embrace with the enthusiasm of greeting an old friend.
Rain sizzled in heavy horizontal sheets of icy water while the air surged around him in harsh bursts of sound and movement.
"Hey are you the shyte licking Dek's sister from yesterday?" an angry voice suddenly yelled from somewhere behind Dash and he turned to listen to the outburst.
Kitt! Was she following him? Priskil dammnit!
Dash sprinted back to the entrance, plowing into the trio of bullying Chiets with all his pent up rage and teeth bared.
"She's MY DEK, back off!" Yellow eyes blazed fiercely, and his skin shimmered on the verge of a wolf shift. Faster than the average eye could follow, he put himself between Kitt and the trio. His hands clenched tightly at his sides and he struggled hard to keep on to his temper. Dash knew he could shift forms and kill them if he chose. Just because he could, it didn't mean he ever would.
"Why you want her ugly ass so bad? Is this bitch gonna warm your furs, dog? Is that the best you can get--a skanky ugly dumb bitc--"
Dash punched the loudest guy in the mouth. Just once. With an extreme show of self control, he turned his back on them. He grabbed Kitt's arm, nearly dragging her along beside him at a fast walk to get her away from the stupid troublemakers.
"I keep my word. They won't harm you."
Driving hard rain slashed at their faces and he continued to pull along the bedraggled woman till they reached the somewhat protective shelter of a large tree with low branches. With swift motions, he removed the pack from his back and shook out his sturdy Katinu to place it over Kitt's shoulders.
"Deks need better coats if they're expected to work well outside in this weather." He paused and looked at the shivering woman, her worried face and dark eyes eloquent with unspoken thoughts and feelings.
"My shirt's here in the pack too if you need to borrow it for now." Dash paused for a moment, a memory of past interactions surfacing. His expression closed down and his cheeks flushed red.
"If you don't mind smelling like wet dog, you can use the clothes. If you do, put them back in the pack. Take a chime to get your bearings." The last part was probably more talking to himself rather than advice to her and he looked down at the ground for a moment.
Her feet were so disgustingly filthy that even the driving rain was having a hard time cleaning the multiple layers of filth. After a few chimes, it revealed more. Infected blisters, scratches and bruises covered her feet like a pair of ill fitting shoes and it gave him pause.
"There's new boots in the pack you can use too, I only use them in snow. Again, if you don't mind the wet dog smell, that is..." His voice trailed off, still unsure. It was stupid that he had sturdy boots of good quality that he rarely used for a season and a half at most. She obviously needed a warm Katinu and boots and he didn't. Dash shrugged, not sure what else to do or say. Dek were still humans with needs and he was not. Nor would he ever be human.
Kitt gathered the heavy, beautifully crafted Katinu around her shoulders, her slim fingers trailing along the material with a soft touch. Digging through the pack, she crammed her feet in the boots so fast, she started falling over.
Dash whipped out a quick hand under her elbow to steady her and she jerked back in sharp fear, falling back heavily. Her dark eyes were pools of nerves, glued to his face for a clue to figure out what he would do.. to her. Her dirty little face was a picture of uncertainty, hunger and naked terror.
She looked like a bedraggled starving dog that had been beaten too many times to trust even a helpful touch anymore and he slowly withdrew his hand back to his side. Slowly, he shifted his weight to move sideways to her, squatted down to make himself smaller and faced another direction entirely. His position shielded her from the worst of the wind and he spoke quietly. He heard her standing up, but didn't look at her.
"There are two food rations in the pack as well if you're hungry. I don't need them."
Again, he was deeply ashamed and this time, even his ears turned red hot. He wasn't hunting enough if their best Dek was starving. As an Avora and a hunter, he wasn't providing enough. Kitt was evidence that he didn't hunt enough food for his pack if the best of her caste was in this much need. And was so damaged.
Dash tried to think of something to say while he heard her eating so fast he thought she'd choke for sure. Her fingers trembled over the dry tasteless rations like they were the finest gourmet meal life could offer.
"Drink from the water skin too so you don't choke. I'm gonna shift when you've finished eating. All you have to do is follow me while I try to track. I know you can track too, and you're good at it so if you see anything let me know. In the pack, there's a bar of soap that has a really strong scent. Throw it toward me to get my attention when you need to. You can keep it. I hate the smell and I'm never gonna use it."
As he finished speaking, the rain slacked off to bring some relief, thank Priskil!
The faint sound of her soaking hair slapping up and down in answer, let him know she'd nodded a yes. Dash glanced at her from beneath his lashes, careful to be as subtle as he could without moving to face her directly.
She'd smartly draped the quiver belt in a loop around her hair both to keep it close to her smaller arms and make it a roll band to stop the rain from dripping into her eyes.The boots were a little big but looked to make her very happy and she held the soap to her nose with a smile. Kitt showed that a quiet life was a smart one and he knew she'd be alright to continue.
*CS note, 2 rations & new katinu, given away.
Word Count: 1102
Total: 1587
