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 Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 12:57 pm
 It was another night that Monte couldn't sleep. He had finally given up and took to the skies. Spreading his wings felt good, it seemed like they'd been folded against his back for forever. The sky was endless, the moon seeming like if he could get up just little farther he could touch it. He loved this feeling, the wind blowing his fur back, the endless feeling of freedom. He sometimes wondered what it was like to not be able to fly. He knew a number of 'giets with wing-envy but often found himself trying to imagine a life without them. He finally turned his eyes downward, looking towards the ground below. He decided on a small clearing near a stream and finally swooped down. He landed himself on the branch of a large tree and settled in. He could see all the way around from up there and decided that it would be a safe place to try to catch some more sleep. He settled in and listened to the sounds of the woods around him.
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Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 1:05 pm
Black paws clumsily walked through the dark, hitting twigs and rocks the owner of them uncaring as to how much noise she made.
She was broken.
A thick void held her chest to the ground, sucking the happiness from her soul. Her eyes stared slightly ahead, but seemed glazed over as if she weren't actually seeing the trees she slowly dodged.
She blinked, her eyes regaining some shine and she paused her noisy gait and perked her ears. A familiar sound was nearby. Water. Yes, water, it had been a while since she'd had a drink, and longer since she'd had a good meal.
Her fur clung to her ribs and she looked painfully unhealthy. She reached the stream and sat with an audible 'oof' before craning her neck to drink of it's splendor, not looking for danger before-hand.
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Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 3:43 pm
Monte sat up abruptly, the sound of paws crashing as if fleeing. He stood, prepared to jump from the branch to defend. He listened hard. No, that wasn't running. Just, crashing? No. At the moment he spotted the dark female come through the trees. She was thin, too thin. She looked half starved and sounded awful. He jumped down from the tree cautiously, worried about her, she didn't seem dangerous and ever fiber in his being told him that he should, no needed to help this poor female. He approached her, moving around to her side so that she would be able to see him as he approached. He watched as she started to drink and was worried that she would drown with as.weak as she looked. "Miss, are you okay?" he spoke quietly so as not to startle her, moving close enough so he could catch her in case she fell into the shallow but swiftly moving stream.
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Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 3:57 pm
Aria took another lap and looked up and Monte slowly, her eyes taking a moment to focus and water running down her chin. She squinted her eyes and turned her head ever so slightly to the left.
"Do I look okay to you?"
She stood, swaying from the motion and turned, facing this new male. Males. They were good for nothing but breaking your heart. Dashing your soul into little bits to spice up a salad. That was all.
She sat back down, still facing him, with a distasteful expression on her face.
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Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 4:18 pm
Monte stepped forward to catch her as she wobbled and stepped back when she seemed to find her balance. He flinched inwardly at her tone. "No, you don't, not at all." He knew he had to help her but he wasn't sure she was going to let him. He looked her over. She would have been beautiful if she hadn't been so starved. He nearly gasped out loud as he saw her ribs sticking through her fur. "When was the last time you ate?" He looked around them, eyes scanning the darkness for danger but also for rabbits or even a squirrel. He didn't see either, but did spot a couple of edible plants and a berry bush. He turned back to her, the worry that was twisted in his gut showed on his face.
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Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 4:29 pm
She tilted her head, deep in thought, "Yesterday," she paused, "No. It's been a few days. I think, Or maybe it was yesterday. The days have flown and crawled at the same time, I don't know what day it is anymore."
She eyed him curiously, "Is something the matter? You seem. . . concerned. Is something near? My senses have dulled since," she stopped mid sentence, her eyes clouding with pain.
She coughed a little, feeling weak. She'd not spoken in a long time, her voice came out husky rather than her normal chime.
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Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 4:50 pm
Monte's ear twitched and he dove into a bush nearby. There was a cracking sound and then he emerged with a rabbit between his teeth. He dropped it at her feet. "Eat, you look as if you hadn't eaten in weeks."
"No, we're safe. I don't hear anything dangerous nearby. I'm concerned for you..." She looked as if she were in pain. "What can I do?" He stepped forward, his ears flicking backwards with worry.
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Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 9:01 pm
Aria look quizzical, if not doubtful. He was concerned for her? That was a laugh. It's not in men's bodies to actually have feelings. Just faint ripples of what might have once been an emotion. That's all.
"Thanks, was all she could muster before she tore into the rabbit's soft flesh, the blood running up over her muzzle messily. Sickening crunches could be heard as she devoured the small mammal bit by bit.
She felt better, she wasn't going to try and deny this, but a full-grown 'Giet couldn't live on a rabbit here and there. She'd learned this from experience. She was tottering on the edge of the River Styx and she was sick of it. But, listening around, there didn't appear to be bigger prey nearby and she couldn't travel far without potentially detrimental health effects.
"I don't believe you, you know. I don't think you're legitimately concerned. Males have no formal emotions," she scoffed. "But... thank you all the same. It means a lot that you would feign compassion for someone you've just met. I'm Aria Chausiku, but please, call me Ari."
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Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 9:34 pm
Monte nearly sobbed from the sound in her voice. She was hurt, that was obvious. And it was the kind of hurt he wasn't sure he could do anything about. The ache in his gut for this poor hurting 'giet turned to anger at whoever did this to her. He stuffed the feeling down, stifling it from coming out, it was obvious that she would see it as anger towards her. He wasn't going to outwardly argue There didn't seem anything he could say to her to convince her otherwise, so he pushed it back.
"Well Ari, I will say that I am very concerned for you, truly. Also, I am Montez, call me Monte." He looked around, searching for movement in the brush. She needed more. She still looked as if she were going to fall over. "You need more. If you stay here, I will see if I can find something else." He headed for the brush. "Please, let me help you." He ran off, not having to stray far. He took down a medium size deer, being sure he could move it without too much difficulty. He dragged it back by the neck, praying that she was still near the stream. He dragged it through the brush, closer to the stream. He spread his wings, using the extra push to move it the last few feet.
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Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 11:55 pm
Aria watched him skeptically as he looked around. He was instilling in her a feeling she'd not felt in many a moon-- happiness.She wasn't convinced whether that was a good or bad thing just yet. So far, it was just a thing. And things made her uneasy.
She saw the flicker of anger in his eyes and took it to be anger towards her and her distrust of males. What did he know? She'd been given a wound that cut deeper than any tooth, claw, or horn could create. A wound that was caused by undying emotions. Or so she'd thought. Perhaps emotions were just as mortal as she or Monte.
She didn't like that thought at all.
"Well, Monte, it's a please to meet you," she drawled. Keeping still was having an unwanted effect on her. She was getting tired. And when you were as malnourished as she was tired was bad. She nodded when he asked her to stay, her eyelids drooped in warning for things to come. He needed to hurry.
She was nearly asleep by the time Monte had returned with his catch and the sight of the deer was a shock to her. "Well, would you lookit that. Nice catch, Monte," she smirked.
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Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 12:27 am
Monte couldn't help but grin with pride from her compliment, but he quickly stowed it away as he laid his eyes on her. She looked as if she were about to pass out, move on to the beyond. He pushed the deer towards her, "Please, eat." his brows arched upward with worry. He searched the shadows for danger, this seemed to be a fairly safe area. "You need to eat, regain your strength, maybe even sleep." He sat, looking over at her. "But eat first, and I'll wake you often. I don't want you passing for good on me...." Did he really just say that out loud? Man, his own sleepiness was influencing his words. He took a deep drink of the cold water from the stream, letting the water splash around his face a little more than normal. The cold woke him. He turned towards Ari, watching her carefully.
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Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 12:42 am
Aria nodded slowly as he asked her to eat but, what? What had he just said? Strange thing for a male to say. Strange indeed. He must be loopy as all-get-out. "Thanks again, Monte. Nice to know some men can still hunt for a lady."
She dipped her head, tearing open the deer's side and enjoying the bloody feast that lay just under the surface of fur. Crunchy bones filled with marrow, the tender and succulent organs and of course the tough and tasty musculature. A definite feast for a king-- or queen as it were.
She looked up for a moment, blood covering much of her maw, and raised an eyebrow, "You keep looking at me as if you think I'm going to up and vanish. It's rather odd," she ran her tongue across her lips in a useless effort to clear her muzzle of some of the blood. She stared only a moment longer before tearing back into the tender flesh.
After a few moments she felt full to the point of being ill. She'd eaten way more than one should eat in a single sitting and felt like she'd been blown up with air that wouldn't go away. Her stomach bulged, giving her a very humorous appearance to the common bystander. Skin and bones with a boated belly.
She backed up a few inches from the carcass and gently rested herself on the ground, "Food's all yours now, Monte, and I need to sleep this off a bit. Mind keeping an eye to make sure I'm still breathing?" As much as she hated to ask the help of a male she knew that if she wasn't careful as emaciated as she was she could easily slip off in her sleep. And honestly, she wasn't quite ready for that.
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Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 12:58 am
Monte grinned, inclining his head towards her, his gut making him think I would always hunt for you. He shook his head slightly, why had that thought just popped into his head? She must have been starving. The way she tore into that deer it looked as if she hadn't eaten in weeks. He probably should have given her food a little at a time, but she had seemed so starved...
He was sure he was looking at her oddly. He was worried she wouldn't wake, that she'd slip away. I'm worried you will vanish.... and I really don't want that he thought, but said, "No, I just.... am worried... ...you seem so starved.... .... almost broken...." he muttered the last so quietly he wasn't sure she'd hear him at all. He glanced at the carcass. There was a little bit of meat left, but not a whole lot. He was grateful that she had eaten as much as she had, but was still a little worried about her.
"Of course I will. I'll watch, make sure you're still breathing. I'll wake you once in a while, wouldn't want you slipping off into oblivion." He inclined his head towards her, taking up a position close to her, but far enough he wasn't touching her. He could see the woods around him and easily reach the carcass of the deer. "Sleep, I've got you covered." He nodded to her, memorizing the sound of her breathing so that he could pay attention to it as well as the woods around him.
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Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 3:55 pm
Aria lay her head on the ground, listening to Monte as he spoke, before her eyes closed and she drifted into a food-induced sleep she muttered, "If I seem broken. It's because I am."
She slept.
For the first time in months she actually slept for more than a few minutes. She didn't see his face, feel his paws next to hers, hear his heartbeat.
For the first time in a long time she felt relaxed. She didn't dream. For this she was grateful. Dreaming meant seeing his loving smile and kind eyes. It was enough to make her keep herself awake, sleeping only when she absolutely had to and even then she'd wake up soon after the dreams began. She didn't want to see him anymore.
The ghost of him, his ideas, his laughter. They haunted her still. She didn't know where he had gone. She woke up one morning and he'd left. Without as much as a goodbye he was gone.
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Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 4:46 pm
Monte frowned, he hadn't intended for her to hear him, but she had. His heart ached for her and he wanted more than anything to figure out a way to help her heal.
His eyes scanned the tree line, drooping from time to time with sleepiness. He thought about the female behind him, she seemed so hurt. After a long period of thought, he swore to himself that he would protect her for as long as she couldn't protect herself.
He found himself snoozing a little. It was a light snooze so if danger approached he would hear it.
As the sun rose, turning the sky a pale pink, he stretched, checking that Ari was breathing before going to drink. He took a deep draw from the water and then took a serious look at her. She looked better already. He figured she should probably eat again so he jumped into the bushes, finding a rabbit with a stroke of luck. He snapped its neck and returned to where Ari was sleeping. He dragged the carcass of the deer from the night before off into the bushes, clearing as much from the area as he could. He found himself picking berries off a nearby bush and gathering leaves from the edible plants nearby. He couldn't seem to figure out why he felt the need to care for her so deeply, but he couldn't help himself. Returning to the clearing, he laid back down near her, checking again to see that she was breathing.
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