Dominion had been walking through the swamp when she came across it, a snake whose body was mute testimony to a fight it had likely won, though at a terrible cost. Where many might turn away from the sight, it drew Dominion closer, until she stood quite near the dying serpent, watching it move and writhe as blood flowed from gashes along its body. There was no dithering at helping the snake or worrying about finding someone to heal it. The snake had sustained rather severe wounds, and although it still moved, in Dominion's eyes it was already dead. All that remained was for the poor creature to realise and accept its fate. She leaned in a bit more, glowing orange-gold eyes looking ever closer as her hair trailed in the mix of mud and snakeblood left behind."An interesting study," came a soft voice, a midnight-dark buck stepping through the trees and roots to join Dominion. "I would expect most kimeti to just put it out of its misery -- or eat it. But you just study it."Dominion glanced up, impassive eyes regarding him for a long moment before the doe turned back to the snake. "It's natural," she said quietly. "I don't understand why others are so uncomfortable with nature."
Neverwhere flicked his tail absently, his gaze on the snake. "Death is something most fear. The finality of it, the mystery of it, the knowing that once you experience it, you can't come back."
As the snake went still for the last time, Dominion hummed a faint agreement. She leaned in close, her nose almost touching the snake's head. "You don't fear it."
"Oh, I fear it. But I won't let it stop me from inspecting it," Neverwhere countered. "What are you trying to learn?"
At the question, Dominion's eyes glinted warmly, her lips curving in a feral smile. "Everything."
Neverwhere chuckled, eyeing the doe thoughtfully. "One of those types, hmm?"
"And what type would that be?" Dominion asked, her voice soft and smirking as she lifted her head finally to look at him directly.
"The types that want to know all the mysteries."
"What's the point of a mystery if no one's going to struggle to solve it?" Dominion countered easily, turning to make her way back toward Neverwhere, interest in her eyes. "Are you not similar?"
"I never excluded myself," Neverwhere cheerfully agreed. "I collect stories, myself."
"Stories?" Dominion asked thoughtfully, her eyes warming a bit. "Do you know any of death?"
Neverwhere leaned down, nosing at the snake and smelling the essence of it. "I do. Quite a few."
Startled by the unexpected move, Dominion found herself lowering her own head, sniffing delicately at the snake before looking up to meet his eyes. "Tell me one?"
"In a bit, perhaps. Right now there's a snake to inspect."
"There's not much left to inspect now," she pointed out, nosing the snake until it rolled a bit.
"Yes, there is. Decomposition, decay, whether or not something else is going to come along and eat it... There's plenty more to death," Neverwhere offered, "than simply dying."
She looked back up at him, thinking about that for a moment before offering a soft smile. "You make good points," she said. "But I daresay it won't be eaten for a while, at least. Our scent is all over it now."
Neverwhere chuckled. "Then maybe we should eat it."
"Far less wasteful that way," she agreed, moving to settle down in the brush nearby while making no effort to actually bother the snake. "Food, an evening sunset," she noted, nodding up to the treetops, where the light had changed to a warmer gold. "Conversation, and perhaps even a story before I sleep... all would be quite welcome."
"Welcome indeed. My name is Neverwhere, in case you were interested," the buck offered, ignoring the snake in favor of joining Dominion in the brush. "Who are you?"
"I'm Has No Dominion," she offered in return, leaning her head around to look at the snake from a different angle. Her temple brushed against his neck as she did so. "You may call me Dominion, though. Some say death looks like sleeping."
"Dominion, then. Considering some of the dead things I've seen, that is a rather painful sleep indeed. I wouldn't want to sleep like them."
"Why do you suppose they feel the need to liken it to sleep?" she asked, looking at him again.
"To make it more palatable, I think," Neverwhere mused.
"What if someone wanted to die?" she mused softly, more to herself than him.
"That's up to them, I think."
"You wouldn't fight it?" Dominion blinked. "Not even a question about why? I'd be curious, at the very least."
"Oh, I would certainly want their story," Neverwhere countered. "I would want to know about their life and what drove them to want death."
Her eyes shifted over to him thoughtfully. "But then... you're a storyteller, aren't you? Finding stories is... a passion?" she suggested, the light in her eyes dancing.
"It is definitely my life's work."
Dominion found herself looking away after a moment, back at the snake as she considered the words. "I don't have such a thing yet."
Neverwhere nosed lightly at her flank. "You'll find it," he assured her. "Just give it time."
The touch startled her out of her thoughts, and she looked back at him, laughing a bit. "Oh, I've no doubt I'm going to find something important to me. I'm just... not sure what it is yet."
"Good attitude to have." Neverwhere sank down into the brush with a sigh and nipped at the very tailtip of the snake. "I'm feeling hungry. Maybe we should eat it."
Dominion moved to join him, settling down just at his side before leaning a bit further to take the snake in her mouth and drag it toward them. "We shouldn't waste it," she agreed. "Not when we're presented with such a fine gift."
Neverwhere shot her a small grin. "You take half and I take half?"
"Clearly you know the way to a doe's heart," she quipped, nodding and nosing the snake closer to him, too. "And then maybe you can tell me one of these lovely stories you've collected."
* * *
"Fancy seeing you here," Dominion quipped as she glanced up at Neverwhere, nearly two weeks after they'd first met. "Walking again today?"
"Yes, I am. Hello there," Neverwhere said cheerfully as he nosed at Dominion's side. "Not come across another dying snake, have you?"
"Looking for an easy lunch?" Dominion returned, his presence shifting her mood to good humor.
Neverwhere just grinned. "Easy lunch and good company, yes."
"Well, I've no idea where to get either, but if we work together, I imagine we could come up with one of the two," she laughed softly, nudging his side. "Besides... it's been a while since I've done some hunting. Shall we?"
Laughing easily, Neverwhere nudged back and started down a path worn into the ground. "Let's."
"I'll want another story over lunch, you know," she informed him, as she walked alongside him down the path. "Since I'm sure you know several more." The words were barely a request, really.
"Oh, I figured you would. I'm not about to give you all my stories at once, after all, since I know you're going to be demand-... ah, requesting more every time we meet."
Dominion threw back her head in laughter at that, eyes dancing. She seemed somehow easier with him than she had at first, far more comfortable now than she'd been in the beginning... and a little more open to flirtation. "I want a story about you this time."
Neverwhere glanced sidelong at her, his own eyes sparkling. "About me, hmm? What is it you're wanting to know?"
"Tell me of your first hunt," she invited, brushing up against his side. "What did you catch?"
"I was still all rickety and bumbling," Neverwhere admitted with a chuckle. "I have to say it was more an accident than any real valid hunting, especially since I had no real idea what I was doing. I was running after a snake and I ended up stomping on a fish. It was terribly exciting, I assure you."
Dominion burst into laughter at that, stumbling a couple of steps before stopping. "And here I set you up with the perfect opportunity to rewrite history," she teased, when she could finally draw a breath again. "I can tell you're going to be a wonderful hunting companion..."
"Oh, yes... because I learn from my mistakes," Neverwhere pointed out, cheerfully waiting for her to gather herself again.
"So you say," she teased softly, watching him for a moment before finally beginning to move again.
"I do indeed say. And what about you? How did your first hunt go?"
"I caught a bird," she said, rather proudly, looking at him disdainfully for all of ten seconds before a smile cracked on her face. "For just a bit. I think I dazed the poor thing, because it lay there for a little before taking to flight again... and scaring me senseless in the process," she admitted wryly.
Neverwhere just shook his head, laughing helplessly at the thought. "I can just imagine you as a gangly filly, being all proud of yourself before your dinner flies off again."
"And you'd be quite well accurate if you did," she nodded, chuckling. "Seems neither of us were born hunters, were we?"
"No, but we're doing well enough from the look of things," Neverwhere pointed out, a sparkle in his eye.
"That depends entirely on what it is we're hunting," Dominion shot back, cheerfully. "What did you have in mind?"
"There's a nest of snake eggs up ahead a bit. Easy meal. And there's always plenty of fish about, as well."
"I don't know, my dear Hunter... Surely you require more of a challenge than snake eggs." Because there was certainly a challenge in her eyes, bright and gleaming as they were.
"Oh, and this is about a challenge now?" Neverwhere flung back, grinning. "Shall we go after birds, then? They're not my usual preference, but since you've shown from an early age that you like them so much..."
"Oh, yes... I love them so much I eat them as little as possible," she countered. "But yes. Birds. Say... two, to see how well we grow to hunt together?" she suggested, leaning up against his side warmly.
Neverwhere whuffed at the side of Dominion's neck, then nipped lightly at her ear before springing off. "It's a challenge, then!"
Startled at the light n**, Dominion glanced off after him, eyes thoughtful. And then she darted after him, throwing caution to the wind as she pushed herself forward until she ran alongside once more.
* * *
Dominion was waiting in a clearing when Neverwhere stepped out of his den a few days after their hunting trip together. She'd stretched out half-dozing contentedly, a dead rabbit draped against her side and a turtle shell of blackberries nearby. She was decorated with blackberry juice in small splashes that seemed to blend a bit with her skin, giving her a faintly mottled look that was amusing indeed.
Well this was certainly a surprise. Neverwhere came up to the dozy doe and leaned in, studying her with great amusement. After a moment, he leaned down, licking berry juice from her ear.
Dominion jerked like a whip, looking up at Neverwhere in surprise for several moments before laughing softly, awkwardly, as her eyes dropped. "I was out hunting," she muttered, her ear still tingling.
"I can see that," Neverwhere pointed out, voice bubbling with repressed laughter. "How have you been?"
"Good," she said, nosing him hard to cover her embarrassment. "A little..." She trailed off at that, hesitant to say too much.
Neverwhere tilted his head, then plopped himself down on his haunches so he wasn't towering over her. "A little...?"
"Ah, forget that. I'm hungry. How about you?" Dominion asked, getting to her feet and catching up the rabbit's ears in her teeth.
"Talk to me, Domi," Neverwhere encouraged, growing concerned. "What is it?"
The nickname startled her, and she looked up at him again, her eyes thoughtful. "I just haven't seen you in several days, that's all," she finally said quietly. "I... like your company." There was a long pause before she added softly, "...Nev."
Neverwhere brightened, ears lifting a touch. Having a nickname felt good. "I like yours, too. I'm glad you've come around, I was hoping I'd see you soon."
Dominion's eyes softened as she leaned in, nuzzling. "You're always welcome to come see me, too," she pointed out softly, feeling oddly shy.
"I'm glad." Neverwhere licked at her ear again, contentedly, then nudged at the rabbit. "So shall we eat?"
Dominion smiled, settling the rabbit near him before moving to nudge the turtle shell into a more comfortable position for both of them. "Rabbit and berry are good together, I've found," she offered, enjoying the odd little flip of her heart at the way he licked her ear.
Contentedly, Neverwhere settled in, tearing at the rabbit to get it open for her to eat from. Good companionship, good food, and a good day ahead -- did it get any better than this?
