Dark Arrow Ch. 07

Hello again dear readers. You spoke loud and clear last time and as such here is the next installment of the story. School and life have been a bit rough so I apologize for the length of time between posts. Normally I have more to say, but I believe this chapter speaks for itself, though I will warn everyone now that the next few chapters can be quite... dark... at times.

One caveat there is a torture scene in this chapter. I devoted as much time and attention to it as I do to any sex scene or other important portion of the narrative. I believe it is well done but may be too graphic for some. It is contained to page 6 if you wish to avoid it.

So with thanks to all who encouraged, gave suggestions, and as always helped me with the dreaded editing and without further comment I present Chapter 7 for your reading enjoyment.

Sincerely ~ Dark Terra.

Nam mea iam leaena

*****

Erillia woke with a start. Shifting in bed she stretched and froze as she realized what had woken her up.

Ren wasn't in bed with her anymore. She stretched her arm back searching and met only the cold wall of the cave. The sheets were no longer warm so it was clear he'd been gone for a while. Sighing she swung her legs out of bed and stood stretching one last time.

She scooped up her pants from where Ren had dropped them last night and shrugged into them. She was in desperate need of a bath, but that required a trek back to the river since bathing in the lake was a sure way to drive away the fish and disturb the lake environment.

Odds were that if she used sand and scrubbed down it wouldn't be an issue, but it had never been something she'd been willing to risk. If she was wrong and it did impact the animals that depended on the lake her hunting as well as the fishing could go up in smoke and god only knew how long it would take to return to normal.

Slipping on her shoes she padded softly to the cave mouth and glanced out. The sun was up, but not by much. If she had to venture a guess she'd place the current time at around 0900 and while that was a couple hours later than she'd normally wake up there was still plenty of the day left.

Her mind drifted back to last night. Ren had said he had big plans for her, and yet he'd been gone out of bed when she woke up. She felt her ass twitch, and her pussy spasm as she thought of what they'd been doing before Ren had made that comment.

Shaking her head she grabbed her bow from its resting spot against the wall and slung on her quiver. Striding quickly to the door she grasped the rope hanging from the opening and leaped lightly over the edge.

She slid down the rope with ease, reveling in the stretch of her muscles as she went down hand over hand. Stepping down softly she crouched and examined the area. She saw a bloody streak where something had either been dragged to the cave or away from it. Following the tracks she noticed that the depth of the drag marks indicated a fairly heavy weight and frowned as she considered her next course of action.

She'd gotten up with the intention of finding Ren and enjoying the day, but now she wasn't so sure that was in the cards. The drag marks and the blood had her switching to combat mode and glancing around cautiously as she unslung her bow and nocked an arrow to the string.

She dropped one hand from the bow to pat her knife and assure herself of its presence as she unsnapped the strap holding it in the sheath so it was ready for use.

She knew those marks weren't from Ren dragging her here, and there was no carcass laying around so she knew whatever it was had been dragged away rather than being dragged to this spot. The way the grass lay confirmed her judgement. What exactly had been there or been drug out she wasn't entirely sure, but given that Ren was so convinced that someone was going to be coming after them she wasn't taking any chances.

Her attitude shifted as she moved through the meadow following the trail, and she felt herself slide into hunting mode. Whatever had happened if this was someone here to hurt her or Ren she was going to kill them, and for the first time she found she was almost looking forward to the kill.

Stalking through the grass she moved towards the lake careful to prevent the grass giving away her position. She went slowly on high alert until she heard Ren softly whistling to himself. Moving quicker knowing that Ren was not currently in acute distress. She rounded a little copse of trees and saw Ren kneeling down next to the carcass of the shadow lynx.

Moving as silently as possible she moved forward until she was close enough to see there was no one else around and no evidence that there was any danger around. She glowered for a second that Ren had left enough signs for her to think something might be seriously wrong, but then she paused and smiled.

He was so engrossed in what he was doing he hadn't heard her approach, and for the first time she had a chance to get the drop on him. But as she moved forward she found herself simply watching Ren work.

She shook her head. Getting the drop on Ren was tempting, but she didn't feel like a fight this morning. They'd damn near killed each other yesterday and, while she felt a new confidence in her skills, she was still sore.

Plus jumping Ren right now and taking him by surprise was likely to result in him going off on her the way she'd gone off on him yesterday and she was pretty sure he was almost out, if not completely out, of the nanites. Dying in Ren's arms might be appealing from a dramatic standpoint, but she wasn't quite ready to shuffle off her mortal coil if she could help it.

Standing she stepped down loudly to make sure Ren knew she was there. She saw him stiffen and grip the knife he was working with tightly. She glanced at what he'd been doing and saw with a start that he was skinning the shadow lynx. She realized that he must have hauled the body to the cave intending to do this last night until she'd woke up and they'd ended up fucking eachother's brains out.

He'd woken up early and hauled the carcass away so that the blood and body wouldn't draw scavengers or stink up the area.

She was a bit shocked he'd woken up early at all given what they'd done yesterday. Between the beatings and the orgasms she'd been wiped. She shivered as she remembered the feel of Ren's cock sliding in and out of her ass as she shuddered and shook with pleasure.

Her lips had suddenly gone dry, so she licked them reflexively. She saw him relax after just a second and he continued with his work.

Most would have missed that quick and stormy change in his behavior, but she wasn't most people. She'd caught him off guard, and they both knew it. That was almost as good as actually jumping him, and it had the added benefit of not being likely to lead to her being killed.

"Sneaking up on me are you little one," he growled over his shoulder while staying fixated on the task at hand.

"Well you fucked me so good I didn't expect either of us would be up and about. Guess I'm not a good enough lay to wipe you out. I'll work on it. I promise I'll get better Sir." Ren's head whipped around and stared at her opened mouth for a second. She could only hold a straight face for a few seconds before she felt her lips begin to twitch. He caught it and let out a soft chuckle.

"Ok, I'll give you that one. You got me good there." He pinned her gaze with his and his grin turned hot and predatory, making her pulse kick up and sending a surge of awareness through her system. She fought the urge to press her thighs together as she felt herself getting wet as he gazed at her. "To put it as bluntly as you did little one, you're a wonderful fuck. I've never had a partner as responsive and open as you."

"Stop teasing," she said as a blush bloomed in her cheeks. She shook her head. She'd like to believe him, but she knew Ren must have had his fair share of lovers while he was in the military. He was too skilled and too confident not to be vastly more experienced than she was. Given some of the things he did to her she figured that some at least of his conquests must have been experienced in their own right to be willing to explore those things with him. She trusted him, but to be comfortable enough with someone on a short term basis to do those things required experience. Most women weren't in the business of making split second decisions on who was a threat and who could be trusted like she was due to her profession.

"Teasing?" The lilting humor in his tone as Ren turned to face her fully tugged at her emotions, urging her to believe what he was saying. "Little one you know I'm no virgin. Trust me when I tell you there's never been anyone anywhere who has held a candle to you." He raked her body with his eyes causing a shiver to travel through her. Her lips were dry again, and based on the throbbing she could feel from her nether regions she'd bet she knew where that moisture went.

"Alright then," she said, not sure what else to say after what he'd just told her. He just smiled seeing the reaction to what he's said and turned back to his work. He whistled lightly as he worked and she noted that he had nearly completed the process. She sat back and watched his deft movements and within a matter of moments he stood and lifted the skin free laying it to the side. Reaching in to the bag he had brought with him he sprinkled salt on the hide then rolled it and stuffed it into a hemobag and sealed the sack.

"Can't leave it in here very long," he said tossing her the bag and carrying tube. She caught the two items deftly and slid the bag into the carrying tube before slinging the tube over her shoulder. When she straightened back up she noticed that Ren was collecting some of the entrails from the carcass and then he turned back and hefted the back onto his shoulder. Stooping down he retrieved both fishing rods he held one out to her. She moved forward, grabbing the pole even as questions swam through her head.

"So what all have you planned for the day since you seem to have an agenda this morning?" she asked trying to figure out why Ren seemed almost in a rush this morning.

"I'll tell you as we fish," He said with a chuckle starting to walk away. "Oh, I almost forgot!" With quick motions he turned and drew his knife again. With a quick blow of the handle he knocked out both of the lynx's upper canines. Flipping the knife he caught it in a normal grip and with a few well-placed blows he severed the claws from one of the paws of the cat. Pulling out another sealed bag he dropped the teeth and claws into the bag and sealed it, depositing the bag back into his go bag.

"Right... Now then, on with the fishing," he said with a chuckle as he strode off towards the lake. She hustled to match his pace as he forged ahead.

"What's with the teeth? Going to make a trophy out of that kill?" She asked as she fell into stride with him. He glanced at her and smiled as he nodded his head.

"Something like that," he said with a chuckle as she glanced at him again.

"I thought you said we couldn't leave the skin in the bag very long, so why are we going fishing?"

"I guess long is a matter of perspective," he said with a nod of his head to acknowledge he was considering her question. "In terms of this I wouldn't leave it in there more than half a day or so. We need to get it stretched out by this evening, but I fully intend to be settled with it stretched long before sun down tonight." He glanced at her and smiled so warmly she felt herself blushing.

"Any particular reason you want to be settled in so early tonight?" She asked in a husky voice, finding her mouth suddenly dry as she squirmed under his gaze. He chuckled and reached a hand up to tip her chin up to face him.

"Probably for exactly the reason you're hoping and squirming for." She opened her mouth, but nothing would come out so she closed it and licked her lips to rewet them.

"Right, let's get on with this then." She said, suddenly nervous and anxious for this evening to arrive. Ren had given her so many new experiences, but from the glow in his eyes when he looked at her he was planning on rocking both their worlds tonight. He chuckled as she increased her pace and he matched hers. She smiled softly as she thought about how easy it was being with Ren.

They understood each other, and could communicate almost without words when hunting or moving. The silences were comfortable with him, and, while she felt unbalanced around him on a regular basis, she never felt unsafe. She glanced to the side and saw him watching her carefully as they tramped through the grass and broke out into the open near the southern bank of the lake.

Looking to the left she could see off in the distance where she and Ren had fought the day before. Normally she'd have recommended that they fish there as the area was usually teaming with fish. However after the fight yesterday it was likely the fish had moved a little bit away, though not completely across the lake. Glancing up she realized Ren had figured this as well and had decided on a new spot to fish before starting off from the lynx. In fact given where he'd chosen to skin the carcass she wouldn't be surprised if he'd decided on this before ever setting off.

They settled on the bank and baited up their hooks. Tossing out his line Ren settled back placing his bag under his head as he kept a hand lightly on the rod.

"I could do this for the rest of my life and be happy. There's nothing quite like fishing to give you time to think and let you relax." He sighed and a smile spread across his lips. "Of course doing so with a beautiful woman who's mine to tease and please for the time being is an added bonus." He said, turning his head to wink irreverently at her. She snorted with suppressed laughter as she cast her line

"So why don't you," she said after a few moments. He glanced at her, confusion dancing in his eyes. "Why don't you retire and go fishing like you just said. You said you were hiding from the Advocacy but if that's the case why didn't you just go off grid." She gestured around her. "Clearly you have the skills, and like you said you enjoyed it."

"I do," he said quietly as he gazed out over the lake. The surface rippling and shifting throwing sparkling rays of sunlight off. He took a deep breath of the clean air and sighed in pleasure. Closing his eyes for moment he let the warmth of the sun play across his face. She was right, he did enjoy this kind of life and if he'd been thinking only of himself he'd have disappeared exactly like she was suggesting.

Then he opened his eyes and looked over at her. He'd come here because of her father. He'd been too late to save his idol, but Ren had vowed on the man's grave that he would protect the family that had meant so much to him. One warrior to another he'd given his word and he intended to keep that word. Of course at the time he didn't realize just what he'd signed himself up for.

Erillia was a ticking time bomb before he'd met her. She was becoming jaded and at the same time she was increasing her risks significantly. He knew she wanted to get off planet on a colonization attempt. He'd hoped that she'd accomplish that goal because if she got off world on a first round or second round population run she'd have been safe. The Advocacy might have picked up on her trail eventually but she would have been somewhere where she'd be in no position to cause them problems.

It would have been easy to eliminate her, but odds were that they would have considered that the hardships of a frontier world life would be a better punishment for her.

Unlike others Ren knew she would have been happy in that life and he'd hopped she'd get that chance. Her skills would have made her a valuable member of the colonization attempt with the need to hunt and subsist at times between supply runs. The worlds would have been seeded with animals if they'd had to completely terraform the planet. If the planet already had an eco-system it would have been stabilized to earth standard and then animals for food etc. might have been added if they were not present or abundant enough.

She would have become a leader in the shadows, much like her father had. She'd never have openly challenged the leadership of the colony but people would have turned to her for practical leadership. She'd likely have been made a member of the police force and possibly even entrusted with being part of the planetary defense plan. While that would have made her a potential target it would not have likely triggered a termination order.

The man who was threatened by Erillia and her father couldn't stay alive that much longer without a major upheaval, Ren was certain of that much. There had been too many forces at work for too long and there were too many forces that would gladly put hand to a dagger or rifle. If it hadn't been for the timing Erillia would have been safe and he could have retired. Hell even a few years could have tipped the balance.

For a moment bitterness washed over him as he thought of what could have been if only.

Then he blew out a breath and glanced over at Erillia, smiling as the sun glinted off her hair. It was true he would have stayed alive longer if things had played out different, but by the same token he never would have met Erillia on a mutual level. Sometimes it wasn't about how long you lived but about how well you lived and who you spent that time with. Even if he died right this second he couldn't regret the time he'd had to spend with her.

He sat up as he felt a tug on his line. Giving a twitch to set the hook he quickly landed a fish. Stunning it he pulled out the make shift stringer Erillia had made the last time they'd gone fishing. There was a splash, and he glanced up to see her landing a fish of her own. They rebaited the hooks, recast their lines and sat again. He glanced over at her and sighed.

She deserved an explanation. If he was honest she deserved a hell of a lot more than an explanation, but that was going to be the best that he could do. He needed a few more days to solidify the killer instinct she'd woken up during their fight. He needed to give her the ability to turn it on and off and more importantly give her the confidence that she could do that. She was still skittish of that side of her and he hated that he was going to quash that last vestige of her innocent nature.

A killer she may have been, but her soul was still gentle. She could shut off and operate logically and coolly, but she couldn't tap into the rage that fueled her in that fight. It was one thing to convince yourself that you had to kill, or that the people you were targeting were evil and needed to die. It was another thing to take a life because they were in your way. The ability to not just shut off but to actively seek the kill and to want to harm those you deemed a threat. That wasn't something that came easily, and it came with a lot of baggage.

Switch on that instinct without the ability to control it and you had a serial killer and monster. If you couldn't switch it on you were in for trouble if your enemy could because you weren't as quick to take advantage and incapacitate your target. The ability to turn it on when needed and suppress it or turn it off when it wasn't was what set him apart from the rank and file. It was what made him a predator rather than an operator. He didn't just have to kill someone. Under the right circumstances he WANTED to kill them.

It wasn't something he relished, in fact he hated that part of himself, but it had kept him alive when he should have died. That ability to dissect an opponent's fighting style and figure out how to wound and hurt them with least risk to himself. It was what made him so dangerous, but it had also made him feel empty, almost soulless, at times. Now he was going to force Erillia to be the same way, and the thought tore him up.