A Welcomed Friend [Hex]

[Vanator]

Dragging the clanging lantern closer, Vanator watch the male Glassbeak track the distraction. He turned his head to see the mother drift back towards the nest, praying Hex had got out. His heart jumped to his throat as the mother screeched. She had spotted Hex. The big male stopped as his head swung towards the nest. Moments later Hex burst through the grass and laid hold of his arm in a desperately strong grip, dragging the large man up and urging him to flee. Dropping the rope, Van took off in a hunkered run, having already lost the fleet woman ahead of him. The horrifying cry of the predator spurred him on as he careened down the hill, his legs pounding. the Drykas was powerful, but built to ride a horse, not run the grass. He saw Hex, who lost a few steps looking back at him, eyes wide. He knew the vicious Glassbeak was right behind him. Somehow gaining on Hex, Van heard the rustle of the monster's talons in the grass behind him. He knew this was it. It was not a terribly unusual way for a Drykas to die, just a death he had hope to postpone for a few more years. His only solace would be that his death would give Hex a chance to escape. He hoped she would enjoy the eggs. Suddenly the world turned upside down as the ground gave way and the grasslands disappeared. He half crashed, half rolled across the tunnel floor, twisting to avoid landing on Hex. In an instant he saw in the dim light a tunnel, extending away from them in either direction. A terrible breath later the glassbeak toppled through the sinkole, grazing the tops of their heads as it landed with a thud in front of them. Van let out a startled growl and back peddled, wrestling the bow from his shoulder as the disoriented beast struggled to find its feet. Fumbling for an arrow, Van dumped the contents of the quiver on the stony floor. To his horror, the arrows were a tangle of broken shafts, smashed in his fall. The screech of the glassbeak was deafening in the tunnel as it tried to get up on a twisted or broken leg. it lashed out at Hex with its razor-edged beak, the woman only barely scrambling from its attack. Vanator frantically sifted through the mess of broken arrows until he found one whole. Setting it to the string, he raised it towards the glassbeak, who had managed to squirm towards Hex and nearly pinning her. Van let the arrow fly, the missile impacting against the animal's skull and lodging just below it's eye. With an ear- splitting shriek, It flailed towards Hex, still powerful enough to rip her open with its glass-like talons and beak.

[Hex]

Hex thrashed with her feet at the floor of the cave, throwing her legs in different directions as she tried to avoid the claws of the dying beast. She yelped a few times as the claw scratched her her forearms when she raised them to protect her torso, the sharp claws of the glassbeak rupturing skin and making her flesh peel away and curl. Out of fear, anger, and a desperation to survive Hex weaved her hands around its snapping head and grabbed the base of it, fighting the kicking arms until she was holding the neck straight. In a few grunted twists of her body, Hex thrashed with the bird, both trying to drive the arrow into its brain and twist its neck at the same time. With all her efforts to get its muscular neck in the right place, she finally felt the snap of the predator's neck and cried out in relief as it relaxed limp in her arms. Her arms and legs ached, her ears rung, and her head ached - all she could manage to do was put her head down against the damp tunnel floor and rest. But she was oblivious to the blood that seeped from her arms and her own dwindling energy.

[Vanator]

Vanator watched in horror as the raging glassbeak flailed wildly, battering Hex. His friend was trapped against the tunnel wall, desperately dodging the deadly beak and talons of the mortally wounded beast. There was blood, Hex's arms were covered in it, while more ran from the arrow wound in the animal's head. Van dropped the bow, useless without arrows, and looked frantically for his battle ax, finally realizing it lay on the other side of the creature. He fumbled with the hand ax in his belt as he moved closer to the wrestling woman and predator. Hex had wrapped her sinewy arms around the glassbeak's neck. Van could see the pain and exertion on her face as she strained to end its life before it shredded the flesh from her bones. Van raised his ax and looked for an opening to strike, but, with a surprising loud snap, the monster ceased to move, slumping to the floor lifeless. Hex too slid to the ground, the adrenaline that fed her fight now gone. Van could see she was injured, weak and losing blood. retrieving his bow and ax and stashing them on his back, he took the pack full of eggs and slung it over his shoulder as well. Stooping down, the Drykas scooped Hex up in his arms. He needed to get her outside, where he had better light to judge the extent of her injuries. Looking down the ancient tunnel in both directions, he thought he saw a faint glow of light at one end. Vanator lumbered down the tunnel cradling Hex in his arms, until the corridor sloped up and sunlight reached his face. He maneuvered through the narrow opening and into the open plain. Gently laying Hex down in the grass, Van dumped the weapons and supplies and carefully laid out his friends arms. There were cuts and scratched covering her skin, but what caused Vanator immediate concern was a deep gash on her left forearm. The laceration was bleeding profusely. Stripping off his leather armor and casting it aside, Van tore off the tunic he wore beneath it and ripped it into a few strips that he tightly wrapped around the wound. He knew it needed stitched. Van knew a little about treating minor wounds, but this was serious, beyond his experience. He did not find the irony amusing, that he would have to stitch up Hex only hours after she stitched up him. He glanced at his own mended injury, throbbing but still tightly closed. He leaned down, brushing a stray lock of sweat soaked hair from her face. Pain etched the usually confident and alluring features of Hex's face, and she was fighting to stay conscious. "Hex, I...I don't know how to do this." He had to get her back to his camp. Her supplies were there. Checking the bandage, already blood-soaked but tightly tied, Van picked her up again. He would return for his things later. Getting Hex's gaping gash closed was critical. He ran back to camp, brushing past Backlash and laying Hex down again next to her supplies. "Hex" He spoke firmly, his voiced edged with concern. He leaned down, placing his lips on her forehead, speaking against her skin. "Hex, you have to help me do this. I have to stitch up your arm, you have to tell me what to do."

[Hex]

Warm blood drenched the front of Hex's torso as she held her arm tight against her body, trying with all of her strength to put pressure on the wound as her consciousness slipped listlessly over the back of her hand. Hex mumbled something about the value of a glassbeak's hide, and regretfully expressed her distaste over their leaving it in the tunnel to begin rotting. By the time Vanator could get to camp, fix her up, and then return the get the corpse, it would likely be crawling with scavengers and devoid of value, or worse. As a delirium washed over her, Vanator pulled them both out of the tunnel, breathless and anxious as he pleaded Hex to keep talking to him, to stay awake long enough for them to get back to camp. A mix of anxiety over his straining wound, and exhaustion from the loss of blood set in. There, Vanator could be seen running through the grasses at full tilt towards his camp, desperate to get her medical pack and stop the bleeding. He fell to her side in the grass by the smoldering camp fire, closing her eyes for a moment as Vanator retrieved her supplies. When he saw her drifting, he fed her water and spurred her back to consciousness - he needed her to stay awake and not leave him to figure out on his own just how to sew her arm up. She responded sporadically, slurring her words until they were a twisted sequence of repeated phrases and random instructions - the dark green vial...boiling water, mix them...theres a...dark vial, its green...bone needle, thick thread...clean it....mix the water and the needle...gotta clean the wound...I'm feeling dizzy. Hex's mind was racing, trying to stay calm and at the same time recite vital instructions of how to perform a suture procedure.

[Vanator]

Vanator attempted to follow Hex's instructions, though she was at times incoherent. He was still panting and weak from the dash to the camp, his own wounded arm throbbed. He wouldn't rest though, until Hex's bleeding was staunched. He had cleaned Hex's wound with water and the strange compounds from her pack and was working on the sutures. His stitches were not neat like those Hex had put in his arm, and he grimaced as he saw each puncture of the bone needle bring a wince to the young woman's face. As blood continued to seep while he ministered to the wound, Van's concern for Hex spiked. She had lost a lot of blood. He needed her to remain lucid, to help him finish closing the wound. "Stay with me Hex, don't leave me, I'm going to fix you, I promise." He encouraged her, pleaded with her in her ear, pressed his lips to hers, hoping to keep her conscious. With a final firm tug that puckered the edges of the gash, Van tied off the last stitch, having to go from memory how Hex had tied off his sutures. He raised Hex up gently, enough so he could hold her in his arms. She was pale and fragile-looking. After putting the waterskin to her mouth again, he held Hex close against him, pressing his cheek against hers. Her skin was cold and clammy. Laying her gently down into the grass again, he retrieved a blanket and an extra pair of pants. Van rolled up the pants and placed it beneath Hex's head, then covered her in a blanket. Taking the pot of water, he set it on the white embers of his morning fire to warm the cold river water. Once the water had lost its chill, Vanator took a blue cloth and the water pot and set next to Hex. His friend was covered in her own blood and that of the glassbeak, her face spattered with crimson drops. The Drykas removed the blanket and her stained bone and leather breastplate and set them aside. Dipping the cloth in the warm water, Van gently washed the blood from Hex's face, neck and shoulders. Wringing out the bloody water from the cloth, Van soaked it again in the water and continued to clean the sweat, grit and red smears from her arms, then moved to breasts and stomach. Then he turned the rag to his own bare torso, trying to remove Hex's blood from his skin. Running low on usable clothes, Van grabbed the linen shirt he had lent Hex and used it to dry her skin, softly caressing as he went, hoping to give her some comfort. Her eyes were closed, fluttering occasionally with a low moan. He leaned down towards her, speaking softly near her ear. "Hex, love, how do you feel?"

[Hex]

Every needle prick sent waves of pain through her skin, and although it was agonizing, it kept her awake enough to recall what was happening around her. Vanator had gotten them back to his camp and was already mending her to health, but she was uneasy to be in such a vulnerable position - Hex was accustomed to doing the healing, not having it the other way around. Vanator, though strong and brave, had showed her an especially nurturing side of himself, something Hex had never witnessed as long as she knew him. It was irresistibly endearing to watch him fret over her, and it made her heart throb in such a way that she experienced pure bliss in that short moment. Her skin was clammy and cold, and she rested her head on the roll supporting her, head swimming until she took a drink from Vanator's waterskin. As he touched her pale skin while trying to keep her lucid, she smiled in response to his touch, raising her good arm until it rested gently on his chest. Hex didn't use her words to reassure him, but instead ignited the space between them with a blink of auristic djed, communicating to him that she was going to be fine with a little rest. Eventually she would need food, but for the time being she just laid her head down and closed her eyes.

[Vanator]

The soft touch of Hex's hand on his chest gave him the answer he needed. She was going to be alright, but the wounded girl would need some rest. Vanator did not put her bloodied breastplate back or, nor his linen tunic, since it was still damp. Instead he simply pulled the blanket over her bare breasts and gently placed her injured arm across her stomach. Moving to Hex's pack, the Drykas carefully pulled out the glassbeak eggs. Two had broken during the fiasco, but amazingly, four remained intact. Vanator took two large eggs and laid them next to the small campfire. Laying more tinder to the warm coals, and some kindling atop it, he blew on the embers until the fire sparked to life. With an occasional concerned glance towards Hex's sleeping form, Van scrambled up the glassbeak eggs in the pot and set it on the fire to cook. He had just a few spices, but he sprinkled some herbs he used for stew into the egg mixture. When the deep orange eggs were thoroughly cooked, Van allowed them to cool a moment before carrying the pot over to where Hex lay. He picked a hunk of the food out of the pot with his fingers and popped it into his mouth, chewed and swallowed. Satisfied, he leaned down to press his lips against the mystic healer's own. He did not want to wake her, but she would need some nourishment. After all, they had risked their lives to get these eggs. "Hex..." Van gently brushed the stray, sweat-soaked strands of hair from her face. He saw that her warm complexion had returned to her cheeks as he stroked the soft skin with his thumb.. The day had taken many surprising turns, all beginning with the unexpected arrival of Hex, unexpected in so many ways. "Hex, you need to eat something."

[Hex]

The worst of the pain subsided as Hex rested, and more discomfort could be felt in her back over sleeping stiffly than the sensations she felt from her injured arm. She raised her head at his voice and struggled to sit up, which Vanator kindly helped her with. The blanket cascaded off her bare chest and left her exposed to the chilled air, her skin puckering at the temperature and her hair standing up on end. The egg smelled delightful, and Vanator only got through half of his sentence of offering her some when she plunged her hand into the food and pulled out a handful, skillfully fitting it all in her mouth gradually, chewing, savouring the taste, and swallowing it with a sigh. She had been absolutely starved, going back to before they even approached the glassbeak nest - so her stomach was desperately aching for nourishment. As barbaric as Hex acted at times, she was meticulous in licking up every last drop - every bit was worthy of being appreciate just the same. When she had satisfied the water organ in her system, filled her stomach, and had her rest, Hex examined the wound on her forearm and smiled. He had taken such dedicated care to make sure it was properly closed and , even if the stitches were not exactly equal in every space between them, she was happy to see that they held it all together very well. The swelling had come down a lot and the reduced balm that was smoothed over her skin lay in broken down bits and was ready to be cleaned. And Hex had a surprise up her sleeve for Vanator, as she had planned the events in her head in a way, all along. Not that she had measured out every detail, but that she paid attention to the energies of a situation and constantly challenged herself to take leaps of belief. Belief to Hex, was the foundation of life, was the stone and mud that paved the road as you walked it. To Hex, the pieces of the road were scattered about randomly and she merely only needed to engage her mind into each new stone for them to fall into place and form her path. Hex had gained the ability to heal almost four seasons ago on this special day with her love Vanator and she was keen to heal him when she knew he was injured. But because of the non life threatening nature of his injury, Hex wanted to take her time patching him up. It proved to help him immensely because when the time came, Vanator was able to push through, bleeding and all, to get Hex back into working condition. She had taken a big risk making herself open for the glassbeak to strike her, lost a lot of blood, and could have been rendered completely unconscious. Without the conscious will to prolong Rak'keli's healing affect, the mark might have healed her; Hex hung on to her consciousness just so that she could give Vanator the opportunity to experience a life and death situation, and what he had to do to survive. To travel the grasslands alone, medicine was a vital skill, literally. Colour bloomed in her cheeks and the sunset cast an orange glow on the pair, sitting by the fire enjoying each other's presence. They had once again weathered a storm of the grasslands, the one that included claws and tunnels and heat and danger. Hex had never felt so alive in her partnership with Vanator, he had met the challenges ahead of them with the same vigour as her and that aroused her to no end. She looked upon him then and narrowed her eyes cheekily and the corners of her mouth twitched into a smile, as if hiding something devious. Hex got up onto her feet and rose both her arms above her head to take several deep breaths, she had been laying down for several bells and needed to give her body time to circulate blood. After a good stretch she gathered a cloth towel from the camp and grabbed his fingers with her good arm, urging him to follow. "The river" she simply said, not smiling with her mouth but with her eyes, exhibiting that same mischievous look from before.

[Vanator]

Van was encouraged to see Hex eat so vigorously, a healthy appetite bode well for her healing. He found a satisfaction in caring for her, the opportunity deepening the bond between them that had already plunged deeper that day. The Drykas found that bond touching on something akin to love. It was different than the others he had found affections for. Hex had been...was a friend. The two of them had already learned how to communicate, an unspoken language of expressions and movement and contact that so often took the place of words between them. On the long trip from Din to Endrykas, he became enthralled by her very nature. She dwelt in the grass as a swift antelope, as comfortable in the perilous Sea as a great cat. She was exotic, unlike any woman he had ever met. The rare tales she would tell of the desert fascinated him. She was mysterious, and her mystical aura made her seem unapproachable in some ways. Certainly not romantically. Not that he had never pondered the thought. Above all, Hex was sensual and beautiful, and it was far from unnoticed during the long journey alone with her to Endrykas. Hex and Vanator had history, shared experience and already the love between friends. It seemed only natural for that to flow to a deeper connection, a connection he felt keenly as he held her at that moment. When her eyes looked up at him, he did not miss the mildly surprising mischief in her gaze. Van stood as Hex stretched, unashamed to look at her bared torso, a smile gracing his tanned face. As the healer grasped his hand, he saw the unmistakable intent in his lover's eyes, and, with a widening of his smile, Van turned to Backlash and uttered, "We'll be back." Before stepping up next to Hex. Once again at the river, Vanator did not hesitate this time to strip off his boots and pants. He stood behind Hex, gently kissed her neck, then reached around to unfasten her skirt and let it drop to the river bank. The Drykas took the half-blood by the hand and led her into to the gently flowing water. his skin prickled with bumps at the touch of the cool stream. Turning to face Hex, he reveled in the chance to look upon her closer, to see the smoothness of her cheeks, the strong line of her jaw, the dark thick lashes that lined her brilliant green eyes. He traced the inviting bow of her lips with a damp finger, then leaned in to press his lips against hers, slowly taking each of her lips between his own before gently brushing them with his tongue. He nuzzled her cheek and shot her a soft smile before moving behind her. Van reached around Hex to take her wounded arm in one hand while gently cupping water with the other and rinsing the sutured lacerations. He carefully caressed the injury, just enough to help loosen the resin that had helped keep down the swelling. He pressed himself closer, until he could feel her skin touching his from his chest to his thighs. As he cared for Hex's wound, he covered her neck and shoulders with kisses. His heart had begun to flutter at the intimate contact they shared, his pulse quickening even as his desire stirred below. He drew his attention back to Hex's arm, making sure all the debris was gone. When he was satisfied the gash was clean, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close in an embrace from behind. leaning his head over her shoulder, Vanator whispered in her ear. "How does that feel my love?"

[Hex]

A hissing sound escaped Hex's lips as her legs met the chilling water of the stream, the heat it took her body to fight off infection had stretched from her head to her toes and feeling its contrast against the river water roused her alert. Vanator's hands flowed over her body, tickling the nerves around her hips and setting the space between her legs on fire as he planted kiss after kiss along her neck. A shiver passed up her body, puckering her skin and standing her buds at attention. And when she felt him grow against the small of her back while he marvelled over her bare body, she nearly crumbled and disintegrated into the rushing water, to let it take her away into bliss. With her good hand, Hex reached behind her and felt the tense muscles of his legs, abdominals, and groin, all yearning for her and grinding against her spine to urge her to open up for him. Hex needn't answer his question with words, as when he pulled her back against him and thrust into her exploring hand, she let out a gasp and moan that permeated the sound of rushing water around them. He only needed to explore her body more to discover that she was ready for him and feeling completely ecstasy.