Sacred Dawn Ch. 01

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"You're... beautiful." He managed to croak out. She looked at him with wide startled eyes. He felt his brain realize something, he was safe. He could rest.

As he drifted off to sleep again his body felt something besides the pain that plagued him, a burning desire to take care of the woman, to make her his. Things were going to be all right. He just hoped he was well soon, he couldn't let this woman get away.

Sarah placed the owl she had been carving on her lap, and stretched. Her muscles spasmed lightly under her skin as she raised her arms over her head, trying to ease her body to relax after having it in the slouching position she usually took. Whittling was not what she wanted to be doing right then, but it was something to pass the time. At least it would keep her hands busy. She looked over at Alex to see if he had moved since she had last checked. She looked over at Alex to see if he had moved since she had last checked. All that had changed was his hands now laid upon his chest.

The way they rose and fell with his breathing was hypnotizing, her mind wondering back to when his hand had gingerly squeezed her breast. Her hand flexed at the memory, forcing her fingers against the rough surface of the carving. With the new sensation she immediately snapped out her daze, her cheeks growing warm at the realization of what she was doing. Frowning at herself she bit her lip and forced her head to look down at her lap. She felt her innards start to turn as if they were being made into knots as the memory continued to play in her mind. If she had been thinking right at the time, the second he started to move she should of moved away from him

She shrugged and stared off into the distance. It was not like she had started it, or even enjoyed it for that matter. It had just happened and was nothing for her to get worked up about.

What she needed at the moment was information. Information about him and what had happened. Then she may be able to figure out what may happen later. At the moment, all she knew was that beneath all his wounds was an overwhelmingly handsome man.

Each time she looked at him, besides the beauty that lay hidden beneath his wounds, she had to smile. She had healed him. She had gotten her powers back and was able to save him. She felt like she was living for the first time in years instead of just letting life pass her by.

When Sarah had been young she would go around and try and innocently touch as many people as she could, mesmerized by the emotions and the feelings coming through. Her mother had taught her how to use her power more precisely, specifically in healing. By the time she reached her early teens she could heal most small wounds with a slight touch to someone. She would inject life force into the persons body, healing them at enhanced speeds.

She had to be discreet about it, people were mistrusting. Her situation had been an ironic one. On the one hand, she could heal people. On the other, they feared her mother and her. They called them witches, and cursed their names.

Shrugging, Sarah looked up at the sky. She had only received the healing powers back, a gift from whom or what ever had bestowed it upon her in the first place. It used to be that she could see people in a different light. They would shimmer with energy and color. She had learned to be able to decipher the colors and learn what they meant. Just from looking at someone she had been able to tell if they had bad intentions or were lying. Now the only light she could see from Alex was the light from the sun.

Even with her powers back she could not discern anything about Alex. She could not tell his personality or his his intentions. All she could do was sit here and whittle away at this stick. Even when he woke up she would have to choose to believe his story or not, which seemed like a dangerous idea, especially for her, someone who had trust issues already.

Sarah was worried, she had never tried to heal anyone as far gone before. Her powers had been gone for at least four years. What if instead of helping him she had sentenced him to death? Or screwed him up permanently? What if the universe was out to screw her again? His body hadn't stirred since this morning, and even then he didn't seem particularly conscious. Every now and then he would groan and she would give him some water, but that was the extent of any signs of life he showed.

The only thing keeping her hopes up was the fact that the wounds did seem to be mending. But until he woke up she would have to sit here. She clutched her knife and cut into the wood. She was afraid that she would fall asleep and wake with a berserk criminal strangling her.

Her eyes lingered on the clouds above her, the dark looming clouds threatened snow. They had to get moving soon. Normally it wouldn't be an issue. She could survive in the wilderness long enough to get to safety. 'Normally' didn't entail having a man near death with her. She had enough food to last them awhile, but if they did not move soon the weather would be the death of them both.

Even if she had a horse to put the man on, she didn't know if he would be able to stay on it. Horses moved slowly in this terrain, but still faster then not moving at all. She had searched the grounds around them but had found no signs of the man having a horse or even any supplies.

Sarah let out a harsh sigh. At this point she didn't even know if this man was being hunted down. Maybe the person or person's who had done this would come after him. She had no wish to die for a stranger.

With how bad his wounds were she would of been surprised if he had wandered for more then a mile. She hoped that who ever had hurt Alex just left him for dead. Ignoring the wounds, being left out here with no supplies was almost certainly a death sentence. However the person could still be nearby, waiting to kill them both.

Standing up she began to pace and look around her, straining to see anything out of the ordinary. The knot in her stomach tightened even more. Damn it. Damn this man. She had her own life and this man had invaded it. Someone had come into her own private world. Again.

Sarah let out a long forlorn breath and steadied her breathing. She despised the helplessness she felt, a feeling she had not felt in so many years.

She heard a moan that snapped all her attention to the still lifeless body. But he had only moved little, still asleep. Lucky guy. She wished she had gotten a better night of sleep the night before, but it could not be helped.

She wanted Alex to wake up, they needed to have a chat and to get a move on. So far she couldn't put together what had happened. All he had talked about was her... her beauty and something about being a gentle spirit.

She snorted. Not that she didn't have low self esteem, but she was realistic. When she had lived in a city she realized that she was handicapped when it came to men. When they heard about her and her mother, about what powers they had, most people never wanted to talk to her again. She had not been brought up in a traditional manner. She could read and write, and she liked to think she was smart, the thing that shocked people the most was the simple act of speaking her mind. She preferred to be outdoors, not in the middle of a city. Men didn't like this, she was not what they wanted.

When she had moved away, she had experienced her first taste of life without a web of suspicion and fear. Her self confidence had a grown, She'd even had a few boyfriends. Two had turned into lovers, only one worth remembering. A pleasant, ordinary man named John. Their relationship had lasted even after she had to move back home. It had slowly fizzled out and they had parted good friends. Sarah still considered John one of her best friends, though they lived far away from each other. She still visited him every now and then, when the mood struck her. He was puzzled by her refusal to move back into a city, especially since her mother had died two years ago.

Sarah shook her head, clearing her head of thoughts of the past and concentrated on the Alex and the present situation. This man had been forged to tempt good women into deviance. With his sandy skin, the rippling muscles and full lips that just tempted her to bend down and nibble...

The pleasurable sensation she had felt while healing him was new. Confusing and weird. Normally she only felt pain after a healing. She had not expected to feel pleasure and excitement. It had felt good. Really good.

She shook her head again and glanced away. Bad Sarah. But it proved her point, he tempted beyond rational limits. Which meant that he was definitely not going fall in lust at her at first site. Men who looked like he did were habitually attracted to their equally stunning blonde counterparts. She was not that. Though her wanderings kept her healthy she was not a shining example of beauty. Her hands were calloused and her face windswept. She was not quick to warm to people and usually sported a stoic face. People would often call her cold.

Glancing over at her naked companion she carried her dagger with her, setting it down as she ruffled through her supplies for food. She felt a lot more comfortable with her knife by her side, it gave her a feeling of having control of the situation.

Picking up the Owl again she leaned forward and cut into the wood.

Chapter Three:

Alex woke slowly to the heavenly smells of burning wood, sizzling meat and the lingering scent of a woman.

Shit, he hurt. The kind of hurt that ached down to the bone. Oddly enough, he felt heaps better than he had the last time had been sliced open. How long had he been unconscious? Last time he had drifted in oblivion for weeks before he woke up feeling like this.

He pulled the soft materials closer to him, not wanting to open his eyes. He wanted to hang on to the feeling of being saved by Spirit. The way she had put him at ease had made the whole world seem right. He didn't remember exactly what had happened, but he knew that it was something special.

Slowly opening his eyes he stared up at the tree canopy above him, damp gray light drifting through the bare branches. He breathed in deeply, relishing the cool refreshing outdoor air.

Propping himself up he looked around. He was in a large forest glade with only a single woman. A large grin spread over his face. The woman was the same Spirit from last night and the same one he had woken up to. It was her luscious breast his hand had felt. Scarcely believing his luck he sat and stared at her.

She was sitting facing him, cooking something he had not smelled before, the firelight dancing on her face. Watching her he felt his pulse accelerate. He hadn't realized just how amazing her body was. Her perfectly rounded curves were highlighted by her knitted sweater. Her hair hung loose and reached her mid back, swinging slowly as she moved with purposeful movements, cooking what ever smelled so foreign and enticing.

His cock pulsed, giving him a reminder that it was there. No Alex. That's not the way to act here. Though he was extremely grateful for the sign of life. If he could be turned on this quickly he couldn't be wounded too badly. He let out a content sigh.

She twitched and glanced over to him, the pan clattered down onto the fire, all but forgotten. Her eyes gave the impression of a spring field, sparkling with an intensity not on her face.

Entranced by her beauty, he was surprised when he spotted a dagger appear in her hand.

So his Spirit was armed? Just by glancing at her face he could tell she knew what she was doing, the dagger was held ready to attack him if he so much as moved.

Damn. Everything about her was hot.

He smiled, despite every muscle in his face stinging and aching when he moved. "Hi." His voice came out in a rasp, instead of the seductive tone he had hoped for. He realized his mouth was dry, as if it was full of cotton. "Could I have water?"

She stared at him, her eyes not moving from him, slowly moving to the side she picked up the water skin with her free hand. Slowly walking towards him she held the water skin before her. Once in arms reach she placed it down, backed up and waited.

He tried to move his arms to reach for it, but his arms were not obeying him. He loosened his muscles, trying to make himself appear non-menacing. Laid out, weak as he was, he didn't know how he could be perceived as a threat.

The way she was watching him gave him shivers up and down his spine. Slowly she approached him again, sheathed her knife and knelt down in front of him. Gently she picked up his head and grasped the water skin in the other.

The moment the water hit his parched mouth he eagerly swallowed, feeling the cool feeling spread through his body. If he could, he was sure he would be purring in pleasure. Her ample chest was close enough to his face for him to simply raise his head and rest it against her supple breasts. He didn't want her to reach for her blade and leave him, so he laid there, content with the water.

She slowly lowered his head until it rested comfortably on the ground, grasped her knife and stood back up. The knife remained a fixture in her hand.

He felt his cock throb. He hadn't known that tough women turned him on so much.

"Hello." His voice came out clearly and deeply this time.

She licked her lower lip. "Hello. How are you feeling?"

Like someone who had been dropped off a cliff and landed on sharp jagged rocks before a horse landed on him to make sure he was dead. "Not terrible."

"Oh?" She said in an unreadable tone of voice.

He tried to smile but his smile turned into more of a scowl, his muscles were too weak to work.

The woman continued to look at him, her look turning to a glare. "Close your eyes."

Typically, Alex was not one to take orders well. Especially orders he did not understand. This time his instinct told him it would be unwise to not comply. He closed his eyes which felt as if a giant strain had been lifted from his head.

The next moment his head started to feel warm. Heat spread from his head through his entire body, leaving a pleasant tingling feeling. He felt energy surge through his tired body. The ache disappeared and his head seemed to clear instantly. Confused, he opened a eyes only to watch her hand drop from his his head to steady herself as she almost fell. She looked pale and worn out.

"Are you okay?" His voice was stronger, he felt loads better then he had even less then a minute ago. He didn't know if he could get up steadily just yet, but his entire body no longer ached.

"Feeling better?" She spat out in between ragged breaths in a pained voice.

He could hear her breathing slow in a controlled manner. Trying to breathe through the pain, something he had done enough of. Letting out a single large breath, her breathing stabalized.

"Yes." He decided not to question her just then about her condition.

She looked at him again and, in the same stony voice as before, said, "I hope so." She glanced up at the sky. "It is going to snow soon. If we are not in shelter soon we will both die out here. Can you walk?"

His mind still felt muddled, it was felt like dozen of thoughts tried to spring out of it at once. Silencing them he concentrated on what she had asked. "I think so."

"We will eat first, but after that, we need to leave immediately." Her voice softening a touch.

His stomach rumbled at the mention of food and he realized just how hungry he was. "Food would be amazing."

She took the pan that she had been cooking in and forked a large piece of meat onto a steal plate. She glanced hesitantly at him before rummaged through her bag, removed a knife and handed it to him. "It's not much, but it should do."

Too hungry to ask questions he wolfed down the piece of meat. It was the best thing he had ever tasted. Warm, tender, a bit seasoned. He figured to the starving man anything could taste delicious, but he had the inkling that this was still decent food.

Finished, he put his plate and knife down which was promptly snatched up. She had begun to pack while he ate.

"We need to get going." The voice was cold again. "But first you need to get covered up." He saw her glance down at his body before averting her eyes.

Only then did head realize he was completely naked. His ears turned beat red. "Where are my clothes?"

"I had to cut them off of you to bandage you correctly. Could you wrap the furs around you for now?"

He nodded. It would be better then trumping around a near freezing forest naked.

Gathering his strength he slowly managed to push himself up, staggering to his feet. Slowly picking up the furs he draped himself in them. It was good enough, they kept him warm.

"We are not too far from my cabin," she said walking away.

"What's your name?" He asked once he caught up.

She paused for a moment before she kept walking. "Sarah."

He smiled. It suited her, both soft and alluring. "Sarah. I'm Alex Toren."

"You said that the first night." Her voice still hard as stone. "Don't worry about trying to remember it, you were out pretty bad."

"I imagine I was. Where are we?"

"Still in the Opacom Forest."

He looked around the seemingly endless and deserted woods. "Where is your home?"

"Closer to the mountains." She pointed towards the ever looming mountains.

He knew these woods were huge, miles and miles of almost unexplored and wild country. More than a couple of people at the village had warned him from entering it. According to the villagers, a few people had gotten cursed by some demon. And this woman lived here. Seemingly alone. "Any idea how I got here?"

"You should tell me, not the other way around." Her voice now had daggers in it that made his spine tingle.

"I honestly have no idea."

He waited for a moment but she made no reply. "What day is it?"

"Friday." At least her voice no longer had daggers. It was back to the stony tone.

"How long was I out? A week?"

"I healed you last night."

Last night? He checked himself to make sure he was alive. Last time he had received a single wound that bad he had been out for quite some time. How was he even walking? "I don't... how am I able to move around already? What did you do to save my life?"

"Nothing special. Just cleaned your wounds, bandaged you, and put on some herbs. When were you hurt?"

It was possible he hadn't been cut up as badly as he'd first thought. Or those herbs she used worked miracles. Or maybe it was her touch that had revitalized him. "Late Wednesday. I was riding my horses when I saw what looked to be a stranded coach. I stopped to offer them my help."

"That was... nice of you." Her voice had a hint of surprise in it.

He smiled inwardly but did not let it show. He didn't help people to score pretty women. But he liked that it sounded like she approved. "I don't remember much. I remember seeing someone and stopping. I think I was clubbed in the back of the head because because of the lump that is still there."

Her gaze drifted to the back of his head.

"When I finally came to, it was night. All that I could comprehend was that it was cold and I needed to go somewhere. I crawled into the woods, the rest is just fog." He remembered a bit more then that, but the details weren't worth remembering. He didn't know exactly how he had managed to have the energy to keep moving the next day, but he had found it. He had all but given up hope when later that night he had spotted the smoke and glimpses of the fire. All while combating horrible drowsiness, random fits of unconsciousness, as well as the enduring feeling of hopelessness.

"You have no idea who did this to you?"

"There has been a lot of talk about bandits and poachers in this area. That's my guess. I imagine they wanted to rob me for money." He felt no need to mention the uneasy feeling he got for awhile after he had came to, as if the people had come back and were watching him. It was probably just the injuries and lost loss of blood playing tricks on his mind. His job, since he had moved out to Middle of Nowhere consisted of nothing more then being a figurehead. Lots of talking and idle pacing. "I can't wait to hunt those bastards down and get my hands on them."