[ PRP ] Like Drawing Blood [ Shishio Gen & Cetra ]

[Celeanor]

Table of Contents

1. Indebted
2. --
3. --
4. --

 

[Kyaishi]

Cetra was still not convinced that this situation wasn't some kind of ironic life lesson that would blow up in her face. A joke from fate, perhaps. She failed to see the humor in it.

Late afternoon found her trekking determinedly through the woods, golden eyes set in a fierce glare as a slight limp hindered her walk, snorting in irritation as her feathered wings snagged on twigs and thick brush. In all honesty, Cetra would rather be anywhere but here, but there was little choice to be had in the matter, and her pride would not let her turn back now. The borders of her herd's homeland were fast approaching, and her destination hovered in sight like a dark cloud over a stretch of open plain. Her wounds from the previous week's encounter had not completely healed, but she had given her word to Tiernan and the kalona that she would assist in the patrols of their herd's borders until her debt had been repaid. Not that a life-debt could be repaid with such trivial chores, but she'd never have the opportunity to be rid of it if she was never present to do so. She hated being in anyone's debt, but this was just... deplorable.

Willingly cooperating with her most hated enemy bordered on one of the most self-depreciating and shameful tasks she had ever undertaken... though, to be fair, she supposed it was uncalled for to place that label upon a soul she barely knew. And one that had saved her life, to boot. The designation of 'hated enemy' had originally applied to all kalona, but as this one had proved not to be hostile, she supposed she might have to amend that title to 'all ill-meaning kalona'. To Cetra, that seemed rather redundant. Not her choice anymore, it seemed. 'Damn.'

While self-preservation had played a part in Cetra's own involvement in owing her life-debt to the kalona stallion, she still largely blamed him for the indignity of it all. She was grateful for her life, of course, but she was still not entirely convinced that saving her had not simply been collateral from whatever he had intended against the skinwalker. Not that that changed anything... but it did justify the distaste she continued to carry for him, despite the very limited contact she'd had with him. Grandfather would not approve... but somehow, Cetra found this time that she did not care. Her dislike for kalona went far beyond whatever gratefulness she might have for this dark stallion, and it was not without cause. The savagery that he had employed to fend off the coyote skinwalker was evidence enough; that he had not turned it upon her was simply a turn of luck in her favor. And a temporary one, at that.

She had bitten her tongue, though. Her sense of honor was all she had had to live by in the early years, with no father to teach her morals and values, and her mother only steps away from falling into a dark abyss. Grandfather lived and breathed by his code of honor, and she could do no less under his eyes, as the only father she had ever known. It was more than personal pride... it was the meaning of her life. Not even a monster could force her to abandon that particular facet of her life. The dark silhouettes of nameless, faceless demons always gave voice to her distrust and hatred of the kalona breed- she could only reconcile them as monsters, after her family had been torn apart by not one, but two of the beasts.

A noise of frustrated annoyance lilted the air, and Cetra continued on through the thick brush with a slightly more pronounced limp, and a distinctly aggravated set to her shoulders.

Might as well get it over with, then.  

[Celeanor]

Perhaps Gen should care more that he was being saddled with what amounted to a hostile partner on his patrols. As it was, he didn't understand what all the fuss was about, even after Tiarnan had tried to explain to him that some people felt obligated to discharge 'scores' and 'debts.' In Gen's world, there was his job, and his job was what he did. Saving Cetra from Seethe wasn't what he patrolled these woods for, but saving anyone from Seethe (and other numerous threats) was his job. And if nothing else, Gen took his job quite seriously, being told that this was somehow exceptional and required one he had saved to follow him around and attempt to 'pay him back' was just baffling.

Either way,here he was waiting for her patiently at the border, motionless, keeping to the shadows out of habit as opposed to actually intending to avoid her. He heard her before he saw her, and noted with a twitch of his ears the inconsistency in her step. Lame? Perhaps... or she just had an odd step.

No, as she came into view it was clear that she was still limping. Green eyes narrowing, the big stallion remained where he was until she was closer, then just spoke.

"Injuries remain. Why?"  

[Kyaishi]

Although she was tense, alert, and keeping a keen eye on the shadows surrounding the narrow path she was following through the dark forest, the voice that broke the stagnant silence still took Cetra by surprise- and while she was proud of herself for limiting her reaction to a flinch instead of an outright jump a foot into the air, she cast a fierce glare in his direction for the slight. His affinity for darkness and his stealth might have been a character trait more than a learned skill, but that didn't excuse the lack of common courtesy. It did not escape Cetra that she was conveniently choosing to ignore the fact that she was not extending him any politeness, either, but validating her hatred of his kind seemed so easy at this point. This kalona... she wanted to hate him, wanted every excuse and every reason on her side to keep her dark opinion of his kind.

Belatedly, she registered his undue scrutiny of her form, and unconsciously tensed, half-expecting an altercation, mind already whirling for some semblance of strategy, though she was clearly outmatched if he decided to attack. Still, her wings raised threateningly, neck bending in a high arch as she returned the stare- but only blinked at his... bluntly-worded question.

Well. He certainly wasn't one to beat around the bush. Or perhaps he had never learned to speak in complete sentences. That rather surprised her, since Cetra felt she could spot intelligence from miles away, and this kalona had seemed far from dumb. His tactics against the Wolf had not been... smart, per se, but they hadn't been recklessly stupid, either. No, he probably wasn't unintelligent, perhaps just socially stinted. She got the feeling that she wasn't the only one he spoke this way to, if at all.

"Not one for words, are you?" the sentence, rather than teasing, was spoken with a scoff of distaste, still eyeing him with wary distrust. "I'm fine. Your healer did as I asked of him, no more and no less."  

[Celeanor]

Socially inept was a good way to describe Gen in some situations, though he had been well schooled in the art of polite exchange. The problem was... this wasn't a polite exchange, this was work. And Gen worked while he was on duty. It really was just that simple.

Ahhh, yes he recalled her handling of Tiarnan. Or rather, refusal of Tiarnan's full powers. Baffling, that. Why refuse treatment and be forced to endure unnecessary pain and lameness when help was offered? It was at best inefficient, and downright deadly at it's worst. Gen was far from stupid, and his mind easily came up with situations where her stubbornness could get them both killed. None the least of which was Seethe happening upon them on this very patrol. Unlikely given the Beasts track record, but Gen had seen lightning strike a place twice, and Seethe was swiftly becoming something like a force of nature in the young kalona's estimation.

Meanwhile, as those thoughts worked at the back of his mind, he studied the mare carefully, deciding to outright ignore her first comment on the basis of not having anything nice to say, while the rest of his brain pondered how to handle the second.

Eventually, after a long moment of pondering, he spoke again.

"Do not fall behind." He said simply, sincere in the seriousness of the request. Her falling behind would require extra attention from him, which could lead to something nasty getting through when it shouldn't. He wouldn't leave her behind for any reason, and while he wished he could express that, the words (as usual) eluded him.

"Today, woodland. Bad bear likely, scent strong." He went on, straight to business.

"We go." He said after another moment, before he just... melted into the shadows, his soft footfalls the only sign of his passing.  

[Kyaishi]

She had not expected a positive reaction to her haughty words, but the silence that followed her irritated declaration put the winged mare on edge, and she shifted as her eyes met his once again. Cetra returned his intent stare unflinchingly, posture straightening in defiance, though at this point, she knew her stubbornness was making her slightly reckless. If she angered him badly enough now, she was in no shape to fend off another attack, good intentions be damned. While she had always considered herself practical, her biases seemed to be playing more a part of her behavior than they should have.

When he spoke again, she had prepared herself for something nasty in return, but a complete change of subject caught her off guard, before she realized just what he had said.

'Fall behind?' The cautionary warning seemed more like an accusatory jab, and Cetra bristled visibly, drawing her wings up. He thought her weak, did he? Her shame and indignity in the 'rescue' she had endured from him before wasn't bad enough, now he would assume that she would simply cower behind, or fail to pull her own weight in this task? She opened her mouth to set him straight, ready to lay into his chauvinistic, pig-headed-- and then he spoke again, and she bit her tongue.

It didn't matter. Whatever he thought of her, his opinion did not matter, and she would revel in the opportunity to shove it in his face once her debt was repaid. For now, she had little choice but to follow him, and she would only make things worse for herself by railing at his ignorance. Instead, her ears flattened as he warned her of the bear's scent and turned to go, grudgingly following at a jerky, stilted pace. It was not difficult to keep up, though her injured shoulder did protest the accelerated movement, but she kept silent, mouth pressed into a firm line.

As much as she would have liked to keep her mouth firmly shut and leap on any excuse to ignore the Kalona's existence, curiosity had been creeping up on the mare since their encounter weeks ago, and the information that she craved could well be useful down the road, if the Wolf and the Kalona were both going to be recurring problems. She didn't have any desire to converse with the hulking male, but practicality and curiosity won out in the end.

A quick glance to the thick brush around them, and a delicate sniff of the stagnant air around them told Cetra that speaking here would not do any harm, so she didn't mince words- something, she thought belatedly, that he might appreciate. Not that she cared.

"The Wolf. He knew you. Why?"  

[Celeanor]

Gen wasn't one for small talk, but information regarding Seethe was hardly small talk, and he had been tasked (along with every other member of Cerezo) to give due warning to those who may be affected by the Beast.

Still, that didn't mean they were going to take a break for this little chit chat.

Pressing on through the underbrush, the big stallion did pause for a moment to sniff an area of disturbance before answering. "Wolf is Seethe. He is a recurring problem in our territory." He said, straightening to level Cetra with a stern look. "He does not know me as much as he knows I am Cerezo. For him, that is enough. For me, that is also enough. I will kill him for his actions."

There was a ferocity in that simple assertion that Gen would not attempt to hide or apologize for. He hated Seethe with every fiber of his being, and he fully intended to keep the edge such powerful emotions gave him. Every second Seethe lived, he plotted... and with several years worth of plotting between the last time he had attacked Gen's herd and now, Gen was confident his mother's prediction would prove correct given time. If allowed to fester, the skinwalker would not simply grow disinterested and wander away... he had tracked Toujours hundreds of miles, staked out the weakest members for months prior to successfully killing his chosen target, he'd forced a herd of considerable number to move entirely... and had now found them in their new home. The Beast was, if nothing else, persistent and vengeful.

"For you he will also come, in time. When he is done here. The Beast does not tolerate insolence." Gen continued, still staring at Cetra intently.

"Why did you fight? Skinwalker scent unfamiliar?"  

[Kyaishi]

The first thing that Cetra took particular notice of was the thinly veiled fury in the Kalona's speech that arose at the mention of the Wolf-- Seethe. Much of what words he had given her were spoken with indifference, no inflections to speak of, but here he sounded as if Seethe had done him a personal wrong. So it hadn't been coincidence, then. She filed away that information for later before addressing the rest of his answer.

"Cerezo?" she repeated, though it wasn't a question so much as an affirmation. She knew of them- not by name, but that there was a rather large herd not far beyond the mountains that bordered her own herd's lands. "You are the herd that occupies the lands south of Hakanu territory, then." Sukari had known one of them, she remembered. There had been other encounters between their herdmembers over the years, but nothing that had been unfriendly. Grandfather might have regarded them as friends to Hakan if he had known any of them personally... but to Cetra, they seemed a reclusive lot. Understandable, she mused, since it seemed they harbored kalona halfbreeds. She fought to keep her disdain at bay. Grandfather had thought to do the same, once, and Hakan had paid a dear price for it.

She listened to the rest of his explanation, mind jumping from detail to detail of the encounter as the Kalona confessed that Seethe was not simply a wandering rogue, but a self-imposed, unwelcome occupant with a grudge against Cerezo. Well, that was perfect. Of the dozens of herds she could have been indebted to, dozens of breeds that could have saved her life, she had to have run into the one group with a 'friendly' kalona watchdog and a skinwalker pest. He couldn't have been a wanderer, noooooo... and now that this seemed unlikely to be an isolated incident, Cetra had a feeling she'd be spending more of her time here than at home. Especially since it seemed that Seethe would be out for her blood, as the Kalona informed her.

Her posture stiffened at the warning as they continued their quiet trek through the forest, barely noticing the twinge in her shoulder at the rigidity. If Seethe had a personal vendetta against her, what was to stop him from wreaking havoc on her herd? If he had shadowed her after the Kalona's rescue, followed her home, she might not have had a home to speak of, now. They had border patrols, of course, and defenses not unlike Cerezo, but only a scant few years ago, they had been torn apart by a kalona halfbreed. What was to stop a skinwalker from doing twice the damage?

Cetra fell into contemplative thought for a moment, considering her options before the Kalona's last question breached her thoughts, and she, for some reason, felt compelled to answer.

"I didn't fight. Not at first." Her eyes narrowed as her mouth pressed into a thin line, no longer focused on him, but the recent memories of her harrowing encounter with the Wolf. "I was tracking him along our southwestern borders. Bloody idiot was leaving a trail a mile wide," a derisive snort here, "though it turns out he knew, and just didn't care. Wasn't sure who- or what- he was at that point, but he was too close to Hakanu borders to leave be." Her mouth closed itself again as she realized that she was being rather chatty- some of this wasn't strictly necessary for him to know, and she didn't feel like divulging more than she had to.

"When I found him, I knew I couldn't win. I led him away. As far from the heartlands as I could, before he caught me." She fell into sullen silence again here, glaring at the underbrush that they continued to traipse through. He knew the rest- she had stood her ground once cornered, but had barely been able to wound him before her luck had run out, and a black shadow had swooped in to her rescue. She snorted at the thought- as if she were some helpless damsel in distress. The subsequent memory of her pinning him, and his helpless expression afterwards, bolstered her spirits a bit, but the persistent weight of her life-debt hung over her like a dark cloud, and Cetra heaved a quiet sigh.

She didn't pretend to be benevolent or humble, but this was a time that she wished for Grandfather's clarity- her prejudice would only serve to alienate the only help she could rely on here.

"What is your name, Kalona?" The words were forced, grudging- she didn't care to know his name so much as she contented herself with 'beast' or 'monster', but she could hardly work through her bias when in her head she associated him with the same monsters that haunted her nightmares.  

[Celeanor]

"Brave act. I would do the same." Was his lonely comment in response to her explanation for fighting. His tone, however, spoke volumes. There was a hint of pride layered with the acceptance granted equals. Gen had no reason to disbelieve her, not when the scene he had encountered matched her summary so well.

As for his name...

"Gen." And that, apparently, was that.

Well, until he shouldered through more brush. "Though Monster, Kalona or Beast not ill suited. I have detected comfort in your speech for those labels. May use if you prefer."  

[Kyaishi]

Although at first, it may have been on the tip of her tongue to scoff at his claim, something in the dark unikalona's expression stilled Cetra's mouth. She may have been loathe to believe that there were truly kalona beasts with honor, with justice and an instilled sense of moral right, but he had done no wrong in her eyes, and she could not bring herself to outwardly disagree. Despite what misgivings she may have had about trusting him, the mon-... Gen seemed intent on asserting himself as trustworthy; and no matter what grudges she held against his breed, she could not bring herself to disbelieve him- there was no valid reason, no logical evidence to the contrary. The small note of pride in his voice did not go unnoticed, and though it surprised her, she let the notion settle as a comfortable acceptance between them- certainly not friendly, but not malicious either.

"Gen," she stated aloud in acknowledgement of his admission, pointedly disregarding the offer of the more derogatory labels as a proverbial olive branch. Although she knew that he had not intended as anything but an offer of reconciliation, at least in the most basic sense, the words did strike a chord of something like guilt deep within her. If he was truly a creature of honor, she wondered how many times he had borne the burden of a beast in silence, though the thought was shaken off almost as soon as it came. It was no business of hers what his life had been- and she still wasn't completely convinced that he was as good as he seemed, as the others of his herd insisted he was. How were they certain that he was not simply a ticking time bomb, as good intentions fell prey to predatory instincts?

"I am Cetra," was all she offered in return, keeping her intent gaze focused upon the path before them and refusing to let it wander. His presence at her side was solid and steadfast, and for the first time since their encounter a few days prior, she allowed the slightest bit of tension to bleed from her aching muscles, allowing as much of a drop in her guard as she could manage as a show of faith in her temporary... ally. He may not have been the most welcoming of partners, but the winged mare could at least admit that she appreciated the single-minded focus he applied to whatever the task at hand was- and... perhaps, that she could believe he would step in to assist her, should trouble arise. He had done so before, after all.

A stilted breath was caught, held, and expelled in irritated exasperation as she came back to the crux of the issue at hand, and her inability to address it directly. She may have been able to acknowledge the reason for her presence here now, but making it known to him was another matter entirely. Still... her pride and her honor, while conflicted, refused to allow her to remain silent, now that she had acknowledged him as a person.

"Thank you... for saving my life. Gen." The name was added on almost as an afterthought, but in truthfulness, it was an offer of respect. A small one, but there none the less.  

[Celeanor]

Along with a general aversion to lying, Gen possessed what appeared to be a true allergy to candying words. It had never occurred to him that word choice could affect the outcome of conversations or others perception of him. He only spoke when needed, and unnecessary conversation was rightly dismissed as unimportant.

Luckily for Cetra, he did not find her conversation lacking in importance.

Instead he half turned to study her for a long moment, his massive neck arched and green eyes flashing briefly in the dappled forest light as he walked. It was difficult to miss the thoughtful look, or the bunching of the thickly corded muscles along his shoulders and wing joints as he neatly refolded his leathery pinions. At length, he replied.

"Well met, Cetra. Saving you worth risk to me. Seethe very, very bad skinwalker. Very old." His gaze turned back to the path, his breath coming out short and fast in a harsh snort. "Very old, very cunning. Evil, evil creature." He rumbled, then pulled to a stop to turn and look her square in the eyes.

"Stay behind me in case of trouble until injuries heal. Watch back. Will not guard it with you there. If still around after healing, you fight well? All help appreciated." His clipped speech could be confusing, but his tone shifted from one of command to genuinely curious inquiry.  

[Kyaishi]

At his hard-earned offer of praise, Cetra paused a moment to study the dark stallion- Gen- as he met her own stare, contemplative as she considered the weight of his words. It was obvious he did not speak often- never without cause, at least- and she suspected even rarer that he offered such sentiments, especially to those outside of his own kin. He certainly wasn't the type for niceties, and the gesture of respect seemed genuine. Whether this would bear any consideration in the future was yet to be seen, but she could do no less than take his words to heart. Holding the heavy green gaze with her own, the winged mare slowly dipped her head in acknowledgement of his words. Speaking seemed unnecessary.

The mention of the Wolf, and the evidence of a personal connection to the creature, made her hackles rise involuntarily. She took his warning seriously- it was obvious that Seethe was not to be trifled with, and she was lucky to have escaped a gruesome fate at his paws. She would have to let Grandfather know to double the guards on Hakanu borders, lest they be taken by surprise again. She wondered for a moment if Gen's herd was similarly prepared, but the moment she opened her mouth to inquire as much, it was snapped shut at his direction of their patrol.

Once again, almost immediately, an objection was reigned in before it could be voiced- Cetra's pride had little appreciation for being the object of protection, and she fought to keep her indignation to herself. She knew that there was logic in the decision, and he was hardly making it for selfish reasons- she was injured, whether she wanted to admit to it or not. While it chafed that he deemed her too weak to protect herself, she also knew that offering her his back was also a rather large display of trust and respect, and one that she would not overlook, no matter her personal hangups.

Swallowing her protests, the rosette mare only offered a firm nod, though she was unable to keep a scowl from marring her features. She didn't like it, she knew it was obvious- but she would allow him the lead on this without complaint. Once she was healed, however, she had no intention of being sidelined, and when the time came, she would voice her opinion loudly.

"I will remain at your back. Only until the entirety of my strength has returned," she asserted, glaring off into the distance. "I will fight to the last for those under my protection." This wasn't strictly speaking an answer to his question- yes, she could fight, but strength wasn't to be measured in a battle of wills, wits, or skill. Whether or not he would deem her to 'fight well' was undecided- she would allow him to make that determination himself.  

[Celeanor]

She sounded an awful lot like a lot of the young hothead colts he'd met over the years attempting to prove themselves to their peers; though he doubted she was the sort to seek out unnecessary fights. She carried her pride in her eyes, and he met that spark steadily, possessing little of his own. He was not proud of who he was or what he did, he was a entity that existed, and he did the best he could with what he had.

"So you protect. That is different. I ask if you fight well." He replied, forging ahead along the trail. "I protect, and I fight. Defense. Offense. Do not always wait for first strike to hit me first." While it wasn't a warning, belatedly he realized it could be taken as such. He paused, thinking, then gave a mental roll of his shoulders and continued on. "Seethe has had too many opportunities to strike first, his turn to be on the run. I will see to this myself. May not wish to be at back during that conflict. Guaranteed mess. No one to protect but a fool."

Now that... was a warning.  

[Kyaishi]

Although she could hear some measure of warning and rebuke within his words, Cetra immediately zeroed in upon the claim he made. "You speak as if fighting and protection are not synonymous. I fight to protect. My herd, my life, your life. I will fight for nothing else, but I will fight to the last." Despite the vehemence with which she spoke them, the assertion was not angry or defensive. It seemed, for the moment, that he believed what he spoke was the truth, and she sought only to correct him- at least as far as where she stood.

"I will initiate fights to protect if it is needed. Seethe is dangerous, therefore I will fight him to protect what lives he may seek to take. Yours, mine, theirs." Her tone left no room for arguments, and even her posture shifted to one of obstinance as she shouldered past some brush. "Even a fool who throws himself at a Wolf's mercy will have my protection if he trusts me at his back." She did not look at him as she spoke, staring resolutely into the darkness over his shoulder. No matter if he tried to discourage her from participating, she had a life-debt to repay, whether he believed in such a cause or not.

"I am a fighter- defense or offense makes no difference. I will let you decide whether my skills warrant the word 'good' or not." She punctuated this with a pointed sideways look in his direction, but did not say anything further on the matter. She was well aware that he could easily best her in size or strength, but he had not seen her at her best in wits and tactics. She may not have been able to defeat an enemy under power like he, but she could certainly fight with the best of them.

Best to let him discover that on his own, she supposed.