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She does, tying the makshift bandage tightly. "Let's go up to my tent and I'll fix you up properly," she says and leads the way.

"It looked like it hurts. I'd guess you stepped on it at some point while you were in your cougar form. It probably caught in your fur and then wedged itself down under your skin or something," Lael says.

They reach her tent and she opens the flap. Inside is a small, neat area with a bedroll, several bags, and her med kit. She lights her lamp and sits down, taking her med kit out from it's corner and motioning Westley to sit across from her.

Lael takes his hand. Noticing his stiffness she says soothingly, "Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you or anything." Taking something out of her medical bag she adds, "Well, not unless it's good for you. This might sting some, but it'll clean your hand."

Lael carefully applies the medicin to Westley's hand. As she works she thinks of everything she'd learned about him that day.

Thinking back to when I met him at the inn it all makes sence. When he freaked out when I told him that he looked like a cat in the sauna. When he hinted at lunch that he wasn't fully human. I remember now, I had suspicions that it was something to do with cats, although I really had no idea what. And of course all of Nathan's hintings that he wasn't all human. Of course he knew, with his telepathy. And his eyes were yellow. It must come from the cougar in him. That's why he always wears those tinted glasses. All the scars must come from when he's been hurt for being what he is. That's why he's so careful about not letting anyone know unless he must. It all makes sence now.

She leans back, satisfied, and puts the medicin away. "Well, it's pretty bad, but I don't think you'll need stiches. For now we'll just bind it up properly," she says, taking out bandages. "It'll probably be best if you let me see it again tomorrow, just to make sure everything's going all right. And don't use the hand more than you have to. Other than that, I think you'll be fine."

Lael does follow him. Knowing how it feels to have people be scared of you she doesn't want Westley thinking that she feels that way. "Westley!" she calls after him. Grabing his arm to stop him she says, "I'm not scared of you, Westley. I mean, when I first saw you in your cougar form I was scared witless, but that was because I thought you were a wild cougar. I know you better than that. I know you would never hurt anyone on purpose. I... Don't think I'm scared of you because of what you are. I know you can't help it any more than I can help being what I am."

Lael's eyes widen at this confession and for a few seconds she stands there stunned before once again following Westley, knowing that if she doesn't stop him he'll leave and, although she doesn't completely understand why, knowing that she doesn't want him to leave.

"Stop running away from me, Westley!" she calls after him. "I don't know what happened to Sam, but you told me how I looked like her at the inn to. I'm not Sam. I won't pry. I won't make you tell me things you don't want me to know. I don't know what happened. I don't. But just because something went wrong, just because you made a mistake with her, doesn't mean that you'll make the same mistake with me. I... I want to get to know you better. I want you to trust me. I... Please don't go." Blushing in the moonlight at what she just said she whispers, "Please..."

((Aw... I think Lael likes Westley. wink ))

Lael smiles, knowing that he's not going to push her away any longer. "I would like that very much," she says. "Can you wait a few minutes? I should probably change." She motions to the nightgown that she ripped in order to bind his hand originally.

She goes into her tent and dresses hurriedly. On her way out she pauses. She sees the picture of Devon that she still keeps lying beside her sleeping bag. She gazes at it for a moment, remembering her first love and the pain he caused her. Taking it, she rips it in half. It's time I stopped clinging to the past, she thinks. Perhaps I am ready to move on. Letting the pieces fall to the ground, she goes back out of her tent and joins Westley.

"I'm ready. Let's head down to the beach."

((Right after Westley told Lael about him being part cougar I went back and reread some parts of the Snowed In thread, although I didn't read that particular one. Just to remind myself. It was fun ^^

I'd forgotten about that. *goes to reread it*))

"It's okay," she says. "No harm done. I can understand you not wanting anyone to know. Most people probably wouldn't take it very well." The two of them reach the beach. The tide is almost all the way out and seaweed is strewn everywhere. Lael finds a dry spot large enough for the two of them to sit and does so.