Starstone lay nestled in a cozy hallow, where she could watch the world pass by for the moment. It was a gorgeous day, she’d had a full meal of fish she’d managed to catch for breakfast, and she was more the comfortable. She had no plans to do anything but sit and relax for the next hour or so. She knew of a nice clutch of berries nearby, and a stand of tasty water weeds, so she wasn’t worried about dinner. Life was good right now, and it was an excellent day to sit and watch things going about their business.
She was enjoying the gorgeous trilling of some bird overhead when she noticed motion nearby. She turned her head, lazily, to see a buck looking around. He was on the tall side, and had glowing red eyes. She tilted her head, curiously studying him. This was her first encounter with a kimeti with glowing eyes, and it fascinated her. The rest of him was interesting but that was what caught her first. She watched him for a minute as he examined the clearing, then called out “Hullo…”
Arctic Waste had been hunting something… He wasn’t sure what, yet, but he’d caught a scent, and it had a spice to it he’d learned to recognize… It always meant ‘something he’d want.’ and he’d learned to follow it. Sometimes it was food, sometimes it was something… shiny… and sometimes it was a, shall we say, plaything. He often felt that last was the best. Such fun, getting what he wanted… And he had been wanting it. When he got to the clearing, he knew he’d gotten close. The scent was stronger, he had to be right near it! But he couldn’t see anything here that seemed to be of interest, and the scent had gotten blurred enough it felt like it was all around him.
When he heard the Hullo, his head jerked up, and he spotted a doe… a quite lovely doe, at that… hiding in a hollow. He stared at her, for a long minute, and then grinned at her. “Hullo, indeed, fair one… I am Arctic Waste, and I think I’m a bit lost… but perhaps that is to the best, since it brought me into the presence of such a beauty!” He put every ounce of his considerable ability to charm others behind his greeting, because he’d decided to make a conquest of this doe. She was exactly what he needed right now, as far as he was concerned.
Starstone blinked a little at his grin, and his words, then flushed, causing her white stripes to look pink and her black base to grow warm. She hadn’t been flattered like this before, and it made her feel both shy and very pleased. “I… oh my, you are very kind… I am Starstone, sir. And if you are lost, I will happily try to assist you in finding your way to wherever you need to go. I am familiar with this area of the swamp, as I live here.” She stood, and shook off any clinging plants and dirt, then moved towards the buck. “Were you heading for something specific, that I might be able to guide you?”
Arc pondered her as she moved. Yes, she was most pleasing to his eyes. And she seemed so innocent. Perfect, he doubted this conquest would be at all hard. He pondered her words for a moment, and then gave a slow smile. “Oh thank you, you are far too kind, sweet lady.” He gave a half bow, bending at the front knees. “I am heading towards the coast, I wished to see the water… I have heard there is interesting fish there.” He lied smoothly, as he’d not had a direct in particular until he’d caught her scent. The coast seemed a good choice, however, as he knew it was a decent ways from here, and he had a feeling that they were close to the center of her range. This would give him time alone with her, to seduce her.
And when he was done… well, he knew exactly the way to the coast from here. He’d be able to make his escape, once he was bored and ready to leave. He barely suppressed his pleased grin at this thought. All he needed was time, and this was perfect. As always, he had a good plan. He felt quite smug at his plot, and his tail slide back and forth for a moment, as he checked it over, just to be sure he hadn’t overlooked some hole. AH… “Is there anyone who you will need to tell, anyone who will worry if you leave?” He made sure his tone was full of care and concern, like he actually was worried some one would be upset. He just wanted to be sure there would be no one to interrupt them… He looked her over one more time, then waited to hear her response.
The coast! Well this fellow had a ways to go, and if he was lost, it was best that they get moving soon. And such a nice buck he seemed to be, and so polite and flattering! She nodded her head, and then blinked at his question, obviously surprised by it. “Eh? Oh no, I live alone these days… so there will be no concern on that issue.” She gave him a beaming smile in response to his concern, though, since it showed what a polite buck he was. “Follow me… We’ll stop at a place nearby that has berries and good water weeds, and gather them. We can have them for dinner.” She moved out, and made sure he was with her.
Obviously she hadn’t found that bounty this morning so she could relax, though. The Swamp must have known that she was going to meet this fine fellow, and wanted her ready to help him. She was pleased at that thought. If even the Swamp approved, he must be an excellent buck. Perhaps she had found her life mate… She’d dreamed long about a life mate, an idea that appealed to her romantic soul. She knew others didn’t believe in such things. Her own sibs had given her strange looks when she asked them if they thought about such things, and she’d stopped asking after awhile, realizing many others just didn’t feel that way. But she couldn’t stop thinking about it, and she found herself wondering if Arctic Waste felt the same.
They walked for a good half an hour before she had finished leading him to the place with the food stuffs. “Here we go… Let’s gather what we can.” She nods, and begins to carefully pull up the weeds, using some that were not fresh enough to enjoy to make a carry net. She layed the fresh ones down in such a way that the berries could be rested on them, and not fall out of the holes in the net. When she’d finished, she turned and found Arc had plucked several bunches of berries, but had stopped to watch her. “… Why did you stop?” She asked, puzzled and a little annoyed.
Arc had been pleased when she said she’d had no one to warn, and followed her happily. When they reached the food, he’d actually intended to do a good job of gathering the berries…. After all, this was his dinner too. However, when he’d run out of room to gather more, he’d turned to her to ask how they were carrying them, and had seen what she was doing… and then got distracted, enjoying the view of the younger doe’s body. When she turned and asked that question, he’d had to cover the startlement he’d had, as she’d snapped him from his zone out. “Well I’d run out of room to hold the berries… I was waiting for you so I could set them down.” He proceeded to do so, and got back to picking bunches. He was pleased to see the signs of annoyance fade from her face, as she decided he was telling the truth.
And since he had been… Even if it was only part of the truth… It felt quite satisfying. After they had enough, he oh so gallantly said “Let me carry the food… I will handle all burdens of this nature, when we have them. You are the guide, you shouldn’t have to worry about it.” Not that it was a heavy burden, but he knew it would make him look good. And the way she looked at him, like he was just so kind, made him grin inside. Oh this was going to be easy.
So Starstone led Arc through her area of the swamp, carefully and slowly. It took days, but as they went, Arc used every chance he could to flatter her, and do little things that looked oh so gallant, but didn’t actually put him out of his way all that much. Starstone, for her part, thought he must, truly, mean all of it, and started feeling more and more strongly for him. Finally, on the last full day they were going to be traveling together, she decided to ask him if he believed in life mates. She had thought about it, all along, and knew it was now or never… And surely this buck, with his sweetness, and warmth, wouldn’t laugh at her, at the least!
She took a deep breath, and said “Arc… I have a question for you…” She waited til he looked at her, then continued. “For a long time, I have believed in the idea that every one of us has, somewhere out there, a buck or doe who is their proper and true life partner… Life mates. So few of the other kimeti I have spoken to believe in it… and many have laughed at me. But I have to know… Do you believe in it? Do you think it could be real?”
Arc almost stumbled, startled by the question. He blinked at her, then smiled, slowly. Let her think it was because he was surprised and pleased by what she asked… It was that he was stunned and pleased at such an easy opening. This was perfect. He’d been frustrated so far, for he felt he hadn’t gotten an opening. Finally, she handed it to him, and he was going to walk right through it! “Life mates? Soul mates, perhaps, is what you mean?” He looked sidelong at her, and saw her eyes get excited. Oh he’d hit the head of the fish, here… And it was stunned and in his grasp. “How could I not think about it, with such a wonderful and beautiful doe before me? I’ve thought long and hard about the idea, through my years, and I know how I feel about it.” It was so well played, he knew it.
All the truth, all of it. Such careful truths, designed to make her think he was saying yes when he was saying no. And he saw she was buying into it, it shone from her eyes. “And surely, now, I can say I know how I feel about you… And it matches my feelings on soul mates.” He had to fight the urge to laugh, because she was caught, like a fish trapped on a rock. “I… had hesitated to speak of it to you, how I feel, for fear you’d not be… interested.” He made himself sound shy, as he spoke almost the whole truth. He was POSITIVE she’d be interested, after all. He was Arctic Waste, no one he wanted resisted him long! But that tiny lie was carried by all the truths.
Starstone’s mouth had dropped through all that, her eyes wide. He’d… really said it! He believed, and he felt so about her! She stared as he spoke, her ears flickering and trembling, then, suddenly, she stepped towards him and nuzzled him, softly. “Oh… oh!” She nodded off to one side, off the direction they’d been going down. “Perhaps we could… stop early for the night?” She wasn’t sure how to say what was on her mind, but from the smile on his face, she was sure he knew. She led him to a small cave, and they spent a long evening in one another’s company.
When she woke, the next morning, however, she was alone. She looked around, wildly, unable to believe her eyes. When she had convinced herself he wasn’t there, she began to hunt nearby… perhaps he’d gone to find food! Or maybe he was hurt, and unable to return. After an hour of searching, she finally gave up, her eyes filled with sorrow. She knew it… she was sure, she’d been played for a fool. She softly whispered his name, and swore if she saw him again, he’d regret it… She’d show him she was no toy to be played with.
