Hunting the Hunter Ch. 08

"You're welcome to stay on then." She pointed at the narrow bed. "I use this for people who seek my aid, so you wouldn't be in the way using it. I often sleep and work downstairs as it is." she turned away and disappeared around a paper divider which portioned off the bed from most of the room. A moment later she returned with a shirt and a simple pair of drawstring pants. The shirt was a bit tight across the chest, but was more than adequate for its purpose.

"Thank you." He murmured, tugging at the front of the shirt.

She shrugged. "If you want to pay me back later there's a couple chores I could use a strapping fellow like you for...but for now I suggest you get some rest."

He had to agree with that as well. His head was still throbbing dully, and his vision's clarity seemed to come and go as it list. He resigned himself to his fate, and counted himself lucky for the assistance. She wasn't all that she appeared to be, that much was obvious, but she didn't seem malignant either.

In the end he was forced to give into the fact that dangerous or not, he wasn't fit to go anywhere else. Eventually he drifted off into a fitful sleep.

%%

It was a weird trip south.

The weather was fine. Getting colder, definitely, but clear and dry. The beasties still seemed to be leaving her alone—thank Kynareth. Literally. The bandits and goblins she ran into were delightfully stupid, as always. But for all these little pleasures, everything felt off...strange. Very strange. C'est fucké ...as the Breton's say. But it was hard to put a finger on why.

She'd stayed off the roads, which were busier than usual. A lot of legion on the roads...unsurprisingly. And maybe there was that 'not quite settled in her brain' fact that the head of the Empire had been cut off...and the implications of that unexpected and frankly hard to believe news. Perhaps this was what was throwing her off.

But there was more to it than that. There was...a pull. Tiny at first, hardly even noticeable, but a pull nonetheless. That's the only way to describe it. Like she was being drawn in the direction she was headed...as if there were a string tied around her spine that was leading her to her destination, held by some distant and unseen hand.

Some might interpret it as an omen, like she was fulfilling her fate...but she'd played fate's bitch before, and it didn't feel like this. That was more of an oppressive, sinking feeling; it was an inexorable, slow drowning...this was definitely more thread-like. Something wanted her to come, and for some crazy reason she wanted desperately to follow.

She'd tried feeling it out with her magica...concerned someone had placed a spell or compulsion on her...but there was no signature, and no hint or evidence that she'd been messed with. It was like it did and didn't exist at once. Even the metaphysical left a kind of finger print, a lingering something one could latch on to. And while the most subtle practitioners might be able to hide such traces from most people...she wasn't most people.

As it was she might have been able to make herself ignore the 'weird' of it eventually, but the stupid feeling had been getting stronger the closer she got to her destination. So much so that instead of camping out near the silver road as she'd intended, she'd just kept going. She wasn't even tired. She was...excited. An inexplicable excitement that mixed uncomfortably with her growing apprehension.

Normally she was happy to be keyed up about something, to feel thrilled and eager...hell that was her bread and butter. However, she reeeeally liked to know why she was feeling that way first.

'Cause it sure as hell wasn't over visiting a Weald-witch. That she could do without.

By the time she'd reached the head of the river, she was practically hopping in her boots. Of course by this time she was almost light headed from exhaustion as well. She'd gone all night, all day, and all night again. Following one's gut was all well and good—until said gut was just being plain stupid.

She ended up camping herself next to a small lake, right across from a Deadric shrine. Lord Vaernima's, if she recollected correctly. The Deardra of dreams and omens...of nightmares. Should be an interesting sleep.

**

It was nearly afternoon when Feric awoke, feeling clear-headed for the first time in who knew how long. He blinked and turned his head toward the source of the warm afternoon sunlight. It filtered in through the thick, rough glass of the windows, catching the drifting motes in the air and giving the already strange little room a surreal appearance. He rolled to sit up, then stood and stretched, testing his legs and arms carefully. He was a little tight and stiff, but there was strength in his body again. He wasn't at full strength, but he was close.

He guessed that the witch's estimate for his recovery hadn't taken his healing abilities into account...not that she knew of them. Even without the ability to heal almost instantly with magica, his people recovered quickly from weakness and illness...it was no doubt what had kept him alive. The blood of Kyn.

He frowned, looking around the cottage for the woman. She wasn't there. He scented the air and determined she'd been gone some hours now.

He decided he needed to get out as well...to clear his head. He wandered out, looking around, and deciding to head north. He found a likely looking place and stripped, hiding his clothes and shifting so that he might move more freely through the woods. His senses were stronger in this form anyway.

The first order of business was to fill his stomach. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he shifted, but now he was ravenous. He slipped into the woods, and caught the scent of several deer quickly. He went for the first hind he sighted, too eager to be particular.

The poor creature went down quickly beneath his weight, its neck snapping in his twisting jaws. He made quick work of the rest, eating his fill and leaving what remained for the crows and scavengers which had already begun collecting around him. They kept their distance however, waiting until the much larger beast was finished before venturing into sight.

One small female mountain lion had ventured into the clearing with him, perhaps hoping he, as a lone male, might be inclined to share with a potential mate. He gave no indication that she was welcome, so she sat and watched from a polite vantage. He left her a good portion. She looked underfed. She might not have been one of his people, but he couldn't help but feel a certain kinship with her.

When he withdrew, she was the first to help herself, snarling at a possum which had also crept out from under a nearby brush. He chuckled as he watched them, then withdrew from the scene entirely, winding back into the forest. Now that he had satisfied his most basic needs, there was another that wanted to be addressed.

He took a final look around the quiet woods, and ran.

As he moved, twisting easily between the trees, bounding over boulders and fallen trunks, his muscles slowly loosening. He fell back into familiar patterns and he let his mind wander. He mulled over what the witch had said about the poison. The hunters had learned what was necessary to trap them, and though his pride had proven difficult and elusive prey before, their advantages were dwindling. They were finding them more quickly now, and had somehow anticipated their movements.

Feric had escaped the trap, but what about the next time?

And what of the others? Aina, he sensed, was still alive...but he knew nothing of the others.

The hunters were learning new tricks...perhaps he should as well. He thought of the witch again. Hadn't Desdemona said they used blood magic? He wondered if it weren't possible to learn to use it himself. If those with Daedric blood could use it, could one with Aedric blood also use it?

It was a strange thought. But he hadn't even thought to use magic at all before he met Inanna. And since then he'd not only healed her, something he'd never done, but activated the enchantment of that ring. Neither were that difficult once he understood how, but it was new to him...and it made him wonder what else he could do with the blessings of Kyn. If it were possible to use it to protect his family, then shouldn't he be doing that? Would that witch know how to use it? Would Ina teach him if he asked?

He warmed slightly at the thought...not of her teaching him...but just of her. Inanna. He saw her in his mind's eye, his memories and fantasies blending together. He could see her running and fighting, her lithe but powerful form filling his mind, his wild little huntress with her impish grin and fiery scent. The memory of her smell, of cinnamon and flame, filled his mouth and nose, sending a shiver of pleasure down his spine. He caught it again and the purr in his throat died. He stopped where he was, startled. It wasn't memory, but real scent. And not just scent he realized...

He had thought he'd been running aimlessly, moving for the sake of movement, but now he understood that he'd been instinctively following the pull without realizing it. It couldn't be. Could it?

A slew of possibilities presented themselves. Had Mirisa caught up with her and the cubs, and had she come after him? Could she have led the cubs here hoping to find the others? Or was she here for some unknown reason of her own? Was he just imagining it?

No. He wasn't imaging it. That he was sure of. Spurred by this last thought he continued again, this time consciously following the scent and pull.

He realized it was leading him up the river, and as he neared the lake, he veered to the left, knowing exactly where he'd find her.

When he arrived at the spot, he was more than a little confused. He scented the ground, and peered around the bases of the nearby trees, wondering if she hadn't hid herself in the crook of their roots.

He stood there unsure what to do with himself. Every fiber in his being declared that she was here...right here. His hackles rose suddenly...could this be another trick? A trap? Had their enemy somehow discovered the pull of mating and mimicked it....but how could anyone do that?

He growled in frustration, seeing and hearing nothing.

A small sound answered his growl. The tiniest murmur....above him. He looked up and his tense muscles relaxed. She was there, tucked into the half hollowed bowl of an old elm, where the massive trunk split into three smaller, but still thick branches. She was on her back, her body following the curve of the branches. One foot was propped up on a smaller trunk, the other dangling beneath her. It actually looked comfortable...at least from his perspective. Then again her face was turned toward him, and he couldn't help but notice she looked uncommonly haggard, as though she hadn't slept for a long while.

He had to wonder what she'd been through since he left them.

He decided not to wake her but settled under the tree, content to be near her and keep an eye out for trouble. It gave him a queer sense of satisfaction to play guard for her. But then why shouldn't it please him to look after his mate?

He had relaxed significantly, but remained vigilant. He hadn't caught the scent of the hunters, so he assumed they'd abandoned the area for the time being, but it was still wise to be cautious.

No one bothered them, but he occasionally heard voices across the lake. He knew there was some sort of shrine there, so he didn't let it concern him and let himself enjoy the afternoon sun as it slowly dimmed, casting long shadows through the trees.

A sound above him caused him to look up, and he found himself gazing up at the bedraggled, red-eyed Dremora that had become so familiar to him. She stared. He growled softly in greeting and she cocked her head at him.

"Green?" He chuckled to himself. Yes, Red. He thought. He got to his feet and faced her, backing away to give her room. Her legs wobbled a little when she hit the ground and he found himself pressing back in to offer support. She accepted it, slipping her fingers into his fur as she slowly knelt, letting him rub his cheek against her shoulder and neck. He still couldn't quite believe she was here...

He pulled away to see her face. The expression there unnerved him...or rather, the lack of expression. She wasn't saying anything, just staring back at him. He stepped back and shifted forms, eying her cautiously. She was still kneeling, looking up at him.

He felt cold fear tightening around his heart. "Inanna? What...what's happened?"

She shook her head. Her lips moved but no words were coming out. He swallowed hard and knelt before her, taking her shoulders in his hands. "Inanna, tell me what's happened. Where are the others? Has something happened to them?" He cupped her cheek in one hand, "Has something happened to you? Are you hurt?" He searched her face for answers.

She straightened, blinking and looking oddly startled. Then just as suddenly she propelled her body forward, knocking into him. He fell backward, surprised by her speed and force. He was reaching to pull her off of him before he realized she had wrapped her arms around his neck and was shaking. He gripped her, but didn't pull her away, and instead wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, settling back against the earth and leaves beneath him.

Eventually her grip loosened and he was able to sit up without dislodging her from his lap. She leaned away, still straddling him, and looked wide-eyed up at him...looking like she might bolt.

He didn't understand what was making her act like this, or what to do about it...so he decided to just go with his instincts. It's what she would have told him to do. He cupped her face, bending over her to brush her lips lightly with his own, stilling her more completely than restraining hands ever could. She relaxed into him as the kiss deepened, parting her lips and finally meeting his kiss with her own.

She pulled away only to bury her face against his neck. He caressed her back gently, hoping to calm her further. It seemed to work, and when he was certain the trembling had stopped, he tried again, his voice low and soft to keep from startling her. He'd never seen her like this, and it frightened him.

"Ina? Kitten, what happened? Are the cubs...Is my sister ok? Is she with the cubs?"

He let out a sigh of relief when he felt her nod against his shoulder.

"Th-they're fine." Her voice was hoarse and she had to clear her throat before continuing. "Everyone's fine. There was an attack, but the traps worked, and we got the little ones out. Bella insisted I take them and she led the rest off." Now that she had begun speaking, it seemed easier to continue, and the rest came out in a steady stream. He listened silently as she described the attack, the journey to Cheydinhal, the subsequent interruption and their flight west. She seemed to leave no detail out and it was a long time before she ran out of steam, finishing with very strange news about the Emperor...though "strange" was rather subjective when one considered the assassin, her "claiming" of Mori--whatever that meant--and the incident with the spriggans. There was a long pause and she took a deep breath and seemed to hold it.

"What of your journey here?" He prodded when she didn't continue.

"It...it was strange. There was this strange feeling. I came right from the guild hall. I didn't sleep until just now. I crawled into that tree...I couldn't sleep. Something didn't want me to stop...I didn't know what it was...and now you're here."

He expelled his own breath. He understood. She'd been brought here by the pull, confused by it no doubt, and was probably a little freaked out since she couldn't have known what it was or what caused it. She'd felt an instinctive need to come here, and since she was a creature of instinct...

"You felt an uncontrollable desire to come here. As though something were drawing your here, and you knew it was important to be here, that you wanted to be here, but you didn't know why. And now you're confused or scared because I'm here and you aren't sure what that means. Is that right?"

She pulled away from his shoulders and gave him a strange look. It was part shock, part wonder, and part suspicion. "Yes. Do...do you know what's caused it?"

He sighed again and nodded, feeling a little guilty. "Yes, I'm sorry. I didn't know if it would affect you. I guess I assumed it didn't since you'd never mentioned feeling it before." Something occurred to him, and he thought he understood why it might affect her now.

"What?" She was watching him intently, "What is it?"

"I think I know what's happened. Ina, do you remember when I told you I could tell when you were close and knew which direction to follow to find you?" She nodded. "Well, that's normal for us when we create a bond with another. It's like there's a..." he searched for a word to describe it.

"Thread?" She offered. He nodded.

"That's exactly it. A thread that ties us together. That thread also tells us when something goes very wrong with our partners." She was nodding so he paused.

"Bella told me a little about it before I knew about...about you and I. She said you could feel it if something terrible happened, or if they died or were in danger."

"What else did she tell you?"

She frowned, thinking. "I...I don't recall the rest. Why didn't I feel like this before though?"

"I think because the connection is mostly one way...you don't have the same innate abilities we have, so the connection is weaker. You didn't feel it until something went wrong. You didn't know how to recognize the feeling because it was new to you, but you followed your gut anyway and it brought you to me. It's my best guess, at least."

She opened her mouth, then closed it again with a frown. "Wait...but I was coming here anyway."

He raised a brow at her. "You were?"

"Yeah. I had something I needed to do, but...I remember feeling like something was wrong and strange...it wasn't until I left the city and started getting closer that the feeling got really strong. The thread feeling that is."

"That makes sense, I guess. If you're far enough away, I can barely feel it. It gets stronger the closer you are...and there are other things which can get in the way. If there are more urgent matters to be seen to, it usually fades into the back ground...unless something went wrong, as I said."

She had been staring off thoughtfully but her eyes shot to his, suddenly intense and burning. "What do you mean? What went wrong? The others..."

He smiled sadly. "I don't know where the others are, but I suspect they got away safely. They should be with Bella and the cubs by now. I'm surprised they didn't cross your path.

"I'm not. I was sticking close to the roads, though not on them. They would have been steering clear of them altogether. So...did something go wrong?"

"Ambush. They were expecting us."

Her face darkened. "Bastards."

He nodded in agreement. "Yes...but I should have been expecting it."

She cocked a brow at him. "Weren't you?"

"Not particularly."

She tutted him. "Silly Serjo. You should always expect an ambush."

He felt his first real smile in days flit across his face. "I know. Lesson learned."

"Tell me what happened."

"Well, we watched them through the night and into the morning, then approached in the early hours of dawn thinking to catch them half asleep." She nodded approvingly. "But we found only a scant few. I immediately gave the order to head back to you and Bella, knowing that they were probably attacking the lair...as you've confirmed. But before we could withdraw they appeared...well...in a manner of speaking. That mercenary, the hunter who was leading them in the Imperial city, he was there. But he had many hunters with him, all of whom were using enchantments to cover their scent and to mask their movements."