[Thunder Bay] Commiserating Hunters (Azira)

[Kovac]

It had been nearly two bells since the hunters' ill-fated venture outside. The storm had resumed, with renewed fury, beating against their little refuge. Kovac had tried to measure out the pieces of wood available for the small brazier. There was not much, but after a thorough search of the shed, he found some wooden floats and other things that could help keep a fire going. Nevertheless, the light of day was waning, and even the small brazier would be hard pressed to heat the shed enough for comfort.

Kovac's search had also produced a small rusty knife, A long wooden pole with an iron hook on the end, a small box of tools and a ratty canvas tarp. He set those all aside, not sure if they would come in handy or not. As night fell, the light through the window faded, leaving the small fire to cast a small circle of orange glow about it. Azira and remained mostly quiet, staring into the fire, hunkered down against the cold.

"Are you hungry?" He asked the sullen huntress. "Of course you are." Kovac answered himself. Going to the corner, he dug through his gear. His supplies were low, having been used on his recent hunt, the bread they ate earlier about the last of the foodstuffs. he did find a couple strips of jerked deer. Returning to the brazier, he handed Azira a length of meat and sat across from her, clutching his nearly dry katinu around him.

After tearing off a bite with his teeth and gnawing on it a while, Kovac broke the silence, looking up at the teenage huntress. "What else do you do, besides hunting I mean. Certainly its not your whole life, you must have a hobby or socialize, or have a boyfriend, or girlfriend, right?" As beautiful as she was, Kovac wondered if her brusk personality put off potential suitors.

[Azira]

   

The storm was raging with new fury outside, the cold seeping in through the walls despite the fact that the brazier was lit. The heat from the small fire was hardly making a dent in the chill that hung in the air and the huntress found herself shivering in her katinu as she huddled by the flickering flames. Not a word came from her  as she sat staring into the fire but her fellow hunter wasn't talkative either so she had no reason to speak.

Kovac seemed unable to sit still. He moved around the little shed, gathering things up and going through the supplies available to them. He checked their wood supply, a pile that looked worryingly small to the teen's eyes. The storm didn't show any sign of letting up again any time soon which meant that they would be spending the night here with hardly any warmth. It was looking as if they might have to share body heat, a prospect that Azira wasn't looking forward to. She'd already been on top of the man today and that was enough humiliating contact for one day as far as she was concerned.

When the man spoke and broke the silence, she found herself jumping in surprise. She shrugged, not willing to admit that she was hungry despite the fact that her stomach was trying to make itself known to her. The man assumed that she was hungry in spite of her moody silence and so he handed her some sort of jerky. She had no idea what sort of meat it was but she bit it into it without complaint, chewing it thoughtfully. Deer, she decided swallowing the first bite. The meat tasted wonderful on her tongue, her stomach grumbling loudly at the prospect of the food to come.

Kovac interrupted her eating experience by asking her a question. She tried not to roll her eyes at this sudden interest but when he reached the end of the question her eyes widened  she very nearly spat out her food. Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Was he joking? She felt her cheeks warm. She didn't like this line of questioning very much.

"I shoot and I read. That's all I do really. I read books on hunting and sometimes other peoples. Mostly hunting though..." she trailed off. It really sounded as if she had no life. "What do you do outside of hunting?" she asked, her voice flat with disinterest.

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[Kovac]

This was not going well. Kovac usually had little trouble gaining the attention of the women of Wind Reach, at least the ones that did not disdain his foreign appearance, but found it exotic. He was a merciless flirt, or had been. Lavira had tamed much of the Avora's fraternizing, not by demands and threats, as Shayth had tried, but by her love. She gave him affection and attention, such that he did not need to seek it elsewhere. But still, a little flirting was harmless. But Azira seemed immune to him. It wasn't that he wanted her to jump him or anything, but she was not even interested in befriending him. Maybe she was one of those Inartans that didn't like half-breeds. The teenage huntress was a hard nut to crack.

Kovac had tried to get her to open up, even about the basic things, like her favorite pass times. It was obvious Azira would rather stare into the fire in silence for the balance of the evening than talk to him. But Kovac just could not resist. Azira replied reluctantly. Seems she was not a social person at all, no surprise there. A bookworm hunter, go figure. That was about the extent of her answer, and so desperate she seemed to avoid having to talk more, Azira actually asked Kovac about his life, certainly to tune him out as soon as he began to speak.

But speak Kovac did. The pretty little red headed huntress with a razor tongue would have to learn to be social. They were going to spend a lot of time together. When Azira asked what he did outside of hunting, he was tempted to answer 'Lavira'. But he was not ready for the death glare again, so Kovac decided to behave. As he answered, he spread the old canvas tarp on the floor, a thin layer of insulation from the cold wood decking. He gathered his katinu as well, preparing a place for them to sleep.

"Well, I play the lute, and write some music. I like to go to the Inclement Weather, and hang out with friends." Kovac shrugged, his hobbies were pretty typical for Wind Reach, and certainly tamer that what he once got into.

[Azira]

   

Like her, the hunter didn't answer immediately. He moved around instead, doing other things first. He placed an old tarp on the floor and his katinu along with it for no apparent reason that she could see. She had no idea  what he was doing but she didn't particularly care either. The huntress just wished that he'd stop moving around, it was stopping her from zoning out. How was she to be left with her own thoughts if he kept rustling and shifting things around.

When he replied, his answer was as short as her own. He gave away more information than she did though but that wouldn't have been hard considering how little she'd given away about her own activities. He obviously had more of a life than she did too, again not a difficult feat to achieve. Looking at him though, she was surprised that he was a musician. He didn't look like he was a musician but then neither did she, Azira supposed. Though the young woman wasn't much of a musician. True, she could play a bit of music on her ocarina but she didn't play it all that often, once a year definitely and when the mood took her, which wasn't all that often. The rest of his statement didn't surprise her.

"That's nice," she replied, her voice suggesting that she couldn't care less. "I've never been in the Inclement myself. Never been interested in going to it to be honest," she told him, picking up on the only thing that she could really comment on. The young woman didn't add that she had never had any reason to go to the club, never having had anybody to go with her. That would just sound pathetic.

Glancing at the man, she tried to work out something to say. He would only keep trying to make conversation if she didn't. An obvious question sprang to mind.

"What are you doing?"

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[Kovac]

Everything in Azira's demeanor and tone plainly declared her disdain for a conversation. She stared into the fire, only firing off quick answers and comments with as few words as she could manage. Kovac suddenly felt a bit sad for the teen huntress. She didn't seem very happy. From the little of herself that she did share, the hunter imagined she didn't have much of a social life and, he imagined, few friends.

Azira managed to hang in though, the replies and questions obviously dragged out of herself with great toil. "Geez, we really need to get you out. You might find having a little fun actually feels good." Kovac jibed with a smile.

When the redhead asked what he was doing as he laid out the tarp and gathered his katinu, he stopped and looked at the seated girl. "Well, we have to sleep somewhere." He stated, gesturing towards the tarp. The he lifted an eyebrow, knowing what he was going to say next was not going to go over well with the snippy huntress.
"You know as well as I Azira, that it is going to get cold."

Kovac moved to his pack, pulling it over to the tarp. Then he laid down, on one side, pulling his katinu over himself and laying his head on his pack. Then he patted the empty half of the tarp next to him. "We are going to need to stay warm. Don't worry, I promise to behave. I hear you have a reputation with a knife." He offered her a small smile.

[Azira]

The hunter made a jibe about her needing to get out and have fun, a remark that the young woman responded to with a venomous look. He thought she was incapable of having fun but that wasn't true, she could have fun although she couldn't remember when she'd last enjoyed herself. Just because her memory was shoddy didn't mean that he was right but she had no way to prove otherwise so the huntress kept her mouth shut, her lips pressed together into a thin line. When he brought up the dreaded subject of sleeping, she regarded him warily, a narrowing of her eyes seeming to dare him to voice his point aloud. He skirted what he meant to say by commenting on how cold it would get instead.

How did I ever end up in this situation? she wondered gloomily. Stuck with a man who won't say aloud that we need to share body heat to stay warm. Gods even to be stuck in this situation is a nightmare!

He came closer the next time but he still wouldn't voice the necessary action that they needed to take, only saying that he'd behave himself. She scowled. His mention of her use of a knife caught her off guard though, the unexpected remark making air hiss out from between her teeth as she stared at him. Her expression was suddenly guarded, her face paling as she wondered how he had heard of such a thing. Was the incident with Marrin that widely known? What had he heard about her? The Avora had a burning desire to find out but the thought of asking, of confirming a rumour made her feel ill. If the tale had been wildly exaggerated (as often happened) then it would be better to set the record straight but she wouldn't know what to say unless she asked him. Azira didn't like feeling backed into a corner like this but there was nothing she could do about it.

Moving cautiously towards the mongrel as if expecting him to spring at any moment, the huntress sat down carefully on the tarp, keeping a few inches between herself and the man. "A reputation with a knife, you say? And what is it that you've heard about me where knives are concerned?" she asked him, trying to keep her voice casual, disinterested and failing. Her voice was slightly higher than normal, her anxiety colouring her tone.

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[Kovac]

Kovac inched back a bit as Azira tentatively settled to the floor next to him, if only for the appearance of propriety. Everything about the huntress' demeanor spoke of her suspicion, as if she were a wary rabbit encountering a snare. But this rabbit was ill-tempered and carried a dagger. She seemed to take offense over his comment about the knife, which Kovac hastily addressed.

"Oh, nothing really. I overheard something about you and a knife. The inference seemed to be you were not at the pointy end of it. I don't know anything more." The hunter smirked slightly. "Whether I heard the rumor or not, something about you just suggests you would not hesitate to brandish a blade should the situation demand." Truth was, knife brandishing was not uncommon among the hot-blooded Inarta. Kovac himself had waved a knife a time or two, though had never resorted to stabbing or slashing anyone...yet.

Kovac grabbed some scraps and tossed them on the brazier for good measure, then settled back down on the tarp. He unfastened his belt and tugged it through the loops on his bryda, pulling it free, also releasing the hunting knife sheathed at his side. The half-breed laid them both next to him. He offered Azira a raised hand to ensure her that was all that was coming off, aside from the boots he kicked off.

Kovac's mind wandered a bit. This was not the first time he had found himself huddled together with someone on the ground for the night. Twice he had done so, both lead somewhere. Three years earlier, he had shared a tent with Aidara on a long hunt with her sister and another Endal. They kissed that night, and a long, volatile friendship started. Just last season, he and Lavira had spent the night together in a shelter at one of the forward camps. That lead to something more. This time, Kovac thought as he watched the attractive, surly huntress, the mongrel hoped to simply survive the night without making an enemy, or sustaining an injury.

"Now, look, its going to get cold. We may have to get close. Don't freak out, I am not looking to cop a cheap feel or make any moves, I am just trying to make sure we don't freeze to death. Okay?" Already, he could see the vapor of his breath in the crisp air of the shed.

[Azira]

Azira glared at the hunter. He was lying through his teeth, she was sure of it. He'd realised that he'd struck a nerve by mentioning the knife and now he was trying to rectify his mistake with his transparent excuses. Well there was always the possibility that she was reading too much into it but she doubted that. What had he really heard? It was unlikely that she'd get anything out of him now so she'd just have to take his word for it. Didn't mean that she truly believed him though.

When he began to remove his belt, her body tensed, her eyes darting between his hands and his face. He must have seen her expression because he made a gesture to show that nothing else would come off. It didn't help, her body relaxed slightly but she was still too anxious to fully relax. The huntress watched as he slipped his boots off and then did the same thing herself, leaving her knife belt on. No way was she sleeping beside him without the knife; it made her feel more at ease especially as he was unarmed now. If he tried anything, his size and weight would be advantageous for him but hopefully the fact she was armed would even things up.

Kovac's words made the young woman snort. Did he really just expect her to take his word for it? Fat chance of that. If he tried anything inappropriate then he might find himself missing something if she had anything to do with it. Her knife wasn't just for decoration after all.

"Fine but I'm warning you. If you try anything I don't like, I'll make you regret it," she explained through gritted teeth, still keeping her body held slightly away from his. The Avora wasn't ready tone that close to the man yet.

x

[Kovac]

In reality, Kovac knew next to nothing about Azira's incident with the knife. But he saw how it seemed to irk her, and so he had gone with it. Then Azira's paranoia had compounded with the realization they would have to sleep together. Kovac had spent enough time with the huntress to understand her complete lack of interest in him. Part of the prideful hunter felt slighted, as if his charm had somehow failed. Not that he was attempting to seduce the teenage Avora. Before Lavira, he may have considered it at first. But even back then, the icy cold stare of the attractive woman would have cooled his lava. Alright, the randy mongrel admitted a little cuddling would be nice. But no one wanted to cuddle a porcupine, which Azira had made herself out to be. Still, the snarky half-breed found a chink in her warning, one he could not help but exploit.

"So, if I try something you do like, I won't regret it?" Kovac twisted Azira's words against her, unwisely teasing the humorless girl. He may end up getting cut just for being a smart arse. "Okay, Okay, I promise, no funny business. But if you try something I don't like, you won't regret it." God's shut up! She was too easy to tease.

Kovac's smile flattened a little, maybe feeling a bit guilty for giving the huntress a hard time. He remembered the hurting she got from the archery contest with the Yasi, and he cut her some slack. "Azira, on my honor, nothing is going to happen, except we stay warm and alive." Kovac held up his hand as if taking an oath.

[Azira]

When Kovac spoke, Azira stared at him in horror, her lip curling in disgust. "Ugh please just no. About the only thing I'd like you to do right now is shut up," she told him, looking at him in distaste. Had he really had to say that? His tone... She found herself shuddering at the very idea of what he was suggesting. Why did men have to be... men? Were they not capable of any other thought? Could they not think of something a little less... raunchy? Heat began to flood her face. The huntress put her face in her hands, wishing that she could claw the words from her head so that she wouldn't have to think like this.

As Kovac kept talking, she tried to concentrate and find some way to distract herself from the horrifying possibilities that her mind was starting to conjure up. She could feel the heat beginning to creep down her neck as well. Her brain managed to snatch something out of what the hunter was saying that didn't conjure up vulgar thoughts.

"Your honour? The words came out in a sneer. She'd uncovered her face when she spoke and so he could see the way her lip curled. A memory of a rumour drifted through her head. She laughed nastily. "Do you even have any honour? How would I know? You probably don't, probably lying through your teeth. I just remembered that you have a reputation, don't you? Kovac, the lady's man. More like lady killer," she told him, muttering the last part before she glared at him, her embarrassed colour beginning to drain from her face. Now that she knew who he really was, she wasn't sure that she felt very good about this situation.

The teen frowned, trying to work out how to sort out this situation. Yes, she needed the warmth but she knew he couldn't be trusted, he was very very untrustworthy in fact. Sneaky probably too. Great, this was just getting better and better.

"Okay I'm going to go asleep. If you so much as lay a finger on me I will hurt you," she warned him before lying down cautiously, her back to him. She didn't like not being able to see him but she didn't want to have to see him either. What a wonderful day she was having!

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