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"So you rather stay blind and ignorant till that moment where you are pressed in a corner and have to make that one choice."

Micheal stepped into the open window opened and lept down from the sill, landing lightly, barely making a sound. "Been in that box too long," he grumbled as he straightened up, looking around with eyes that seemed to gleam in the darkness. He walked to the outside of the stalls where Jay was fetching her horse.

"Hmm, so how does it feel?" Micheal asked, a prodding tone in his words as he idolized the sky like he was waiting for something more than the lady and her horse.

"So how does what feel?" the ranger asked in the middle of her task, pausing only a moment to consider from where he exited the inn before working on saddling up Dulcimer. She was having a smart time of it though with the elbow of her one arm wrapped and aching each time she moved it.

"And I never said I took the tales as truth," she said before she gritted her teeth and raised the saddle to the horse's backside. "I take them as tales and no more. Something worth knowing sometimes but not relying on. My experiences are what I derive truth from."

Which was essentially true. There were few people made it to a level of trust with her where she's take their word without doubt and for good reason, she thought to herself.

"Well, there is no doubt that you are in pain... and right now I am hearing your body ache. Truthfully it's just simply teasing me right now," he said as he looked around. "But then, I think the man found the true wolf and is trying to weaken it. With help of course," he laughed like he had earlier in their meeting. "It's just a game."

"Well I'm glad that at least one of us is enjoying the music," the rider said sarcastically. "It'll be playing for a while." After some awkward fiddling around, she managed all the straps before grabbing the saddlebags.

There was no reply to her comment other than a low inhuman growl that rumbled up from Micheal's throat as his eyes shifted and fixated on another direction of the stables. The ranger looked over her shoulder at him, remaining silent, listening for whatever signs that she could pick up as to what he might have been focusing on. When she didn't hear anything, she picked up the pace with attaching the saddlebags, taking part of her cape in her mouth as something to bite down on for when she jarred her left arm in her hurry. It wasn't so much that she couldn't hear or see what Micheal could that made her speed up, but quite the opposite - the lack of what she could see or hear, those notes that were missing from the sounds around her that should be there.

"How close is it?" she whispered to Micheal after dropping the cloth from her mouth, barely audible to even herself. If this guy could hear her injuries, she took a chance and figured he could hear her barely whispered words as well. "Is it the fellow and his group from town?"

In any terms, if she needed to fight here she could make due, though it wasn't her first choice of options. She didn't even know half of what was going on. Being on Dulcimer and in the saddle was fairly more appealing at this point.

The two other horses in the stable were now fidgeting and whinnying in their stalls - whether it was due to Micheal's presence, growling, or whatever it was outside was uncertain.

"I'd be more worried about a stray arrow hitting him," she quietly scoffed with a little pride. Dulcimer had balked some at Micheal's random appearance but was handling quite well under the circumstances.

Then again, he had been raised to tolerate the presence of dragons.

The ranger tried to keep the stable's woodwork between her and where the action was while finishing with the saddlebags. Having been on the receiving end of an arrow before, she preferred not to go through that sort of thing again - especially if the shooter wasn't even aiming at her.

Just as she began to wonder where the vampire learned her horse's name, he disappeared just as a few bolts flew through the air, one running through the bulk frill of his shirt.

"Now you're just being a bore," she heard him say to someone, followed by an eerie silence only interrupted by Dulcimer's huffing breaths.

A sharp cry rang out from the tree branches along with the sounds of people scattering. The second following silence was then broken by the thunderous noise of both metal and wood snapping, the ranger's eyes darting in the direction of the sound. Certainly some of the other townfolk had heard the noise which meant the more daring ones would be poking their noses about soon. She wanted to be gone from here before that happened. The last thing she needed was to be visually spotted at the scene though visibly leaving with Micheal from the tavern was probably enough to keep her out of these parts for a fair traveling year.

Micheal slowly walked out from the treeline with eyes closed, his habitual breath in a light pant while his fangs barely greeted the moon's light as he struggled with his senses to indulge himself.

"I am going to need a drink after this - a thousand times over," he laughed lightly to himself before returning to the stalls where he found the ranger just pulling herself upon her horse.

"They are a little hung up right now so no more flying arrows, I promise." His voice trembled as he spoke, but he tried to cover it up with a smile that only looked like a devious smirk from the accent with the fangs. He noticed the ranger's earlier nervousness return, however, his words putting her on edge instead of settling her uncertainty. He watched as she couldn't seem to keep her eyes from darting toward his mouth and barely visible fangs.

Forcing herself to move and break out of her staring, Jay gave Dulcimer a quick nudge with her heels, leading him up to a gallop exiting the town. She barely gave a glance back to see if Micheal was keeping up. She kept up the pace for some ways until she felt safe with the distance between her and the settlement.

It had been on the tip of her tongue. Am I next? she wanted to ask but figured it a waste of breath. If she wasn't, it was fine... for now. If she was, she would most likely be dead soon, and it wouldn't matter. His abilities were far beyond hers to counter.

When she dared slow Dulcimer, she bucked up the courage to ask a similar question. "Does a drink for you always have to involve people or are there other sources you can get it from?" Jay asked, not turning to look at Micheal while she did.

"Dulcimer," she started, absentmindedly resting a hand on the horse's neck, "was something I worked hard for a few years ago. I had been in the market for a horse at the time, a well-trained one that wouldn't spook easily." Her hand slid over the stringy mane a few times. "Even though he was costly and still is in some ways, traveling on the road has been much easier since then."

"So, your job must bring in lots of pay?" he asked, watching their surroundings.

"Depends on who's paying and how big of a job. Townheads and elites are the ones most likely to pay out coin, whereas with tradefolk it's a mix bag of coin and services. Villagers tend to toward anything from room and board to what they can scrap together," Jay explained as they continued down the road. "Reputation plays into it some too. Some rangers build up connections between towns by word of mouth."

"So, I probably wouldn't be the best on building your reputation, not unless you had something offered that involved me in the midst of it all?"

Which was exactly why she wouldn't be returning to the previous town any time soon. She'd be lucky if they simply forgot about her by the next time she visited - if she ever returned.

"If I pick up any tracking jobs or the like, you could easily partake in those while I be the front man. Your senses surpass mine at hunting even though you'd be limited to the evening hours. What I can't get during the day, is an option for you at night. If you do plan on staying close for the next batch of towns though, you're probably best staying out of sight, no offense," she quickly added.

"None taken." He was a bit thrown from the suggestion. With a slight chuckle he asked, "You want me to work for you?" He thought for a moment of how odd this was but then it did make things interesting for once. "If so, shouldn't we have some sort of contract where there is an agreement on the part of both halves? Sure enough, I do expect some sort of payment for being used like a warhound."

"It's far from being a warhound," Jay scoffed with an unusual certainty. "As long as we both understand what the other is asking for, no more no less, that's agreement enough for me. I don't deal paper agreements unless it's the rich ones." Squinting around in the darkness again, the ranger began to purposefully lead Dulcimer off the common road.

She watched him think the proposition over. "Besides, you said you had something to figure out, and for some reason earlier, you seemed inclined that I might be able to answer that. I have to keep working, whether it be for someone's coin or just hunting for myself, injury or no injury. Doing less of that work means a shorter stretch of time wrapping this thing," she said as motioned toward her elbow.

There was another pause as the ranger's mind grasped another thought from the darkness around her.

"Answer this honestly, if you would. How wide of an area out here have you made yourself known?"

He then thought. "You're not easy; I know you could harm me if you wanted to. You could have possibly killed me the other night right then and there, but you didn't and because of that I have respect for you. It's not common for me for me to have this kind of respect for some...thing took advantage of it." He watched as the ranger bowed her head as a motion of thanks to his credit before he continued. "I could of killed you that night as well, but because you don't give in your own fear of what you don't know... I think that helped."

He looked once again at the glass bottle in his hand.

"I will help with your work," he said decidedly.

"It's settled then. So, of those three dragons and a few vampires, is that knowing them on good terms or bad terms? Besides the regular folk like the one back at the other town, have you got someone else tracking you down as well?" Hesitant the other fellow might have been about the last part, but she wasn't going to avoid that topic if she could help it. If he had made enemies who might be following him, she wanted to know who these people -or dragons- were.

He looked back at her before he answered. "These dragons... one is Dark, my Tainted dragon. Then there is his mother who is just a regular dragon, though I don't think she would seek me out. And finally is this female enchanted dragon that ironically Dark cares for, and because of recent events, I am on this quest to stop killing females for my own pleasure and fun." He closed his eyes. "As for the vampires, I avoid them as much as possible so there should be no harm from them."

"In otherwords, nothing impending other than maybe human trackers. Good. As for the job, we can work out the details at the next town once I see what's open, if anything."

Micheal nodded in agreement in talking about work later at the next town.

There was a pause.

"So, are all the women in the paintings deceased?"

He looked at the ranger as she asked the question and then said calmly, "Yes, they all are."

He thought about how long this conversation was going. "Does it bother you? Or is the conversation we are having keeping your mind off the pain?" He tried to change the subject for he didn't want anything to change cause of his past actions.

"Does it bother..." she said as if she were fiddling with the words in her hand like one did with an unusual stone. "More so trying to understand it, though I suppose it is a fair distraction in its own right."

A small exhale escaped the ranger, reinforcing the look of deep thought making it obvious that the change of topic had slipped past her.

Both travelers were silent again, neither speaking a word until Micheal broke the quiet.

"Out of all the years, I can't believe how ignorant and rude I am," he said with a low growl as he looked at her arm. "Do you mind if I took a look at it, or possibility help?"

Not being human for so long, he suddenly was struck with his own rudeness of not trying to assist - that or he was enjoying her pain too much.

"Please, if anything," he asked apologetically holding out a hand.

It was apparent by the look of surprise on the ranger's face and the way she sat up straighter in the saddle she had not expected offer of assistance.

"Actually, I would prefer to wait until camp was made. The open road is just that - open. Too open, and I'd rather put as much distance between myself and town right now," she answered, trying not to shift her left arm that was hanging straight from her side. "Keep that thought 'til then though. Do you have some skills in tending injuries or the like? You never mentioned if you were always a painter or if you started out as something else before that profession."

"Where would you like to make camp?" Micheal nodded and looked at the sky as he thought about his past. "And to tell you the truth, I don't remember what I was before painting. I know I liked to record and feel, but I only do that when... well, when painting kinda."

He tried not to smile. "I know I am gentle when need be. Being able to sense pain, I can easily tell how major an injury is and hit the right points to numb and help heal it quicker." What hint of smile disappeared quickly as he distractedly ruffled his hair. "But, please don't ask who taught me that."

She couldn't help but feel grudgingly better about her own secrets when he requested her not to ask about something of his own life. Not pushing it, she continued on the rest of the conversation.

"We'll part from the road in a bit, and I think we'll skirt around the next couple towns before heading north. In an hour or so, we should hit a creek where I'll can give Dulcimer a short rest and take a closer look at my arm and jaw," she said, half sucking on her fat lower lip as she said it. "Camp won't be for a few more hours after that. Do we need to head toward the rocky hills for somewheres dark enough for you once daylight comes or is there something else you do when you're out on the road?"

Micheal smiled***unused to a female considering his own safety/surprised at the ranger's foresight/consideration***. "Glad you asked. As long as there is something I can make a den out of. I really don't need to stick to the mountains. Now if it were really cloudy, I could travel during the day, still staying to the shade in case the sun would like to temporarily shine through."

He soon caught himself bitting his lip as he realized Jay was messing with hers and quickly forced himself to stop.

Micheal waited for her to finish as a half smile came across his pale face again. "Strangely enough, if you feel you have too, please do so."

He gestured to the moon through the trees. "Key things to making it depend on what you believe in, but no matter how you do it, it will always come out the same. Water that protects you from that which threatens you." His smile slowly faded. "I used the natural elements, the moon, sea salt but regular salt works just as well, then finally water. The other ways involve ceremonies and prayer, but honestly, that wasn't what I felt comfortable with at the time." He then ruffled his hair. "But the true element in holy water is the person's intention to protect," he said, wondering if this might help settle her uncertainty of his presence a little.

So he was just asking her to hold on to it for an emergency and not use it now. For a second there she thought maybe was moonstruck and a might be going a touch delusional.

"Okay, let me get this straight. So what's in here is basically salt water powered by belief?" The water sloshed around the bottle as the ranger shook it up upon hearing what was officially inside.

He nodded. "If you think about it that way, then yes." He pulled out a bottle that was had a scattering of topaz gems about it. "I have some in here as well as it does come in handy, but..." He lightly opened it. "Watch." And poured some in his hand.

He bit his lip as on contact with his skin it made a sizzling sound, breaking his skin away like acid. Then it dried in seconds and his hand completely healed.

"...What..."

He was slightly taken back at how quickly his hand healed, and he slowly closed the bottle and put it away, still looking at his hand.

The ranger cocked an eyebrow.

"I take it that's not what you expected to happen?" It came out as more of a statement than a question as she started to doubt the reliance of the bottle of 'water' she held in her hand. "If that wasn't meant to be the end result, what ~was~ suppose to happen?"

"Last time I did that it took me at least one or two days to heal." He growled as he had an idea why. "It's funny when you think you know how strong you are, and then all of a sudden things change to where it seems like you barely understand your true strength."

Micheal just followed, in his own thought at the moment of what is really going on. "Jay, last time I tapped into Dark's mind was the other day. He is on the island with the fay dragons far from here. I don't think he would be able to fly that fast. let alone in day light."

"So he either used the fae to make a fast trip or it's not Dark," she pointed straight out, silently hoping for the former. While dragons set her off end, she was a little unnerved by Micheal's apparent uncertainty.

The ranger pulled back on the reigns and stopped their progression. "So is he really there? Or are we being played?"

He was silent for a long time. "It's hard to tell. But if I am right, he is testing your wits about you before he will hunt for you and me again." He looked at her. "I think it might be Kiru, but last I knew about him he went overseas to new lands."

"I'm certainly feeling the love tonight, I see," the ranger grumbled as Dulcimer's ears began to twitch more often. "And Kiru would be...?" Taking both hands off the reigns, the ranger grabbed her bow and placed it in the hand of her weaker arm to hold. She took the up the reigns again with some determination, her riding position shifted to something... more set, like something that had been practiced before.

He looked at her and his eyebrow raised. "You seem to be in these situations often I see." He then looked in the darkness- "Kiru is the one that betrayed me."

Then there was an empty laugh as the familiar looking white tainted dragon walked out and then sat down. "Now, Now you really shouldn't keep me waiting." The eyes of the dragon was purple and hand a heavy dark presence around it. "My Micheal, you have grown, but you're still a little slow."

That wasn't the dragon that belonged to the vampire beside her, and while she would have loved to have heard about this whole betrayal thing, that was the last thing on the list at this point.

"Kiru I take it," she half-said to Micheal as she whipped out an unusual arrow which was promptly nocked and held defensively. Micheal didn't move or say anything.

The dragon just lowered his head a little. "So you're the one corrupting my love." A slight chuckle slipped from the dragon's maw.

"Now, now, I need to speak to this black bird alone, Micheal. So go and run off." Kiru then glared at Micheal and growled. "You know you're still weak."

Micheal spit at the dirt as he growled while his long hair seemed to be standing slightly up.

Kiru chuckled. "Honestly you distaste dragons so? You might be useful indeed then." Then as quickly as the wind the image of the dragon dissipated like ink when water is spilled upon it as a cloaked figure appeared about 7' tall in height. "Probably this would settle your nerves a bit."

Kiru was waiting for her to slip just once or till she calmed. "So how bout it?"

The ranger's eyes narrowed. That was certainly not something she'd seen a dragon do before.

"As for the nerves, I would say less so, but the unusual has been the norm lately," she said with only a half-hearted mock though the bow remained level. Dulcimer continued to move back a pace at a time, prompted by an occasional nudge from his rider's toes. "If you've got something to offer, then offer and don't beat around the bush doing it."

Kiru still stood there as the bow was aimed at him. "Simple, split the path with Micheal now and you won't die tonight. Otherwise, I could offer you the dragon I just posed as a minute ago. Just leave Micheal now before he becomes any more poisoned by your human filth."

Kiru waited for her answer.

Lots of options there, Jay thought alone. There was a slight movement of the ranger's left foot and Duclimer started to back up at a slight angle.

"You had to have figured we would have eventually parted ways." The ranger's breath came out in visible puffs in the chilled air. Though the air had done a fair amount in numbing the tension in her arms, she knew she couldn't keep this up all night. Even in the cold air, her left elbow was not going to hold for too long. She was only lucky that she was using it for her bow arm and not the draw arm currently bent with the arrow.

"What has you bothered enough to step in? Certainly you don't think he'd turn human just from hanging around me for a couple of weeks?" Another puff of vapor escaped from the ranger's mouth as she tried to concentrate.

The moonlight caught the vampire's fang before he took one step forward and his voice sounded right next to the ranger's ear, sending an uncontrollable shiver running down her spine. "I am sure you think this could stop me." Then he took a step back. "But which knows they can?" Kiru then lift his hand. "Come now, I could kill that companion of yours first before you start playing games with I."

"I didn't say anything about stopping you." His words were already worming their way through her steadfast front though as she began to second guess what kind of being this "Kiru" was. Vampiric human? Tainted dragon? No matter what this fellow was, if he was comparable (if not better) than what Micheal was physically, chances were her bow wasn't much good here, at least less so in Kiru's current, smaller form.