The Young Are Usually Wounded

[viggoslayer]

I sit on my stool looking at the canvas, the tip of my paintbrush between my teeth, examining the colors. I've moved over by the large window allowing the moon light to stream across the splay of color I've been working on these past few days. Deciding on softer shadows, I take my brush and continue my work, singing absently, pausing every so often

Comments

[st4v]

I hear Viggo and turn to look at him, a low growl of warning issuing from my throat, the thrill of the adrenaline still coursing through my blood. He has an arrow in his shoulder and one in his arm and another sticking out of his chest.

I move to him and yank the one in his shoulder out ignoring his cry of pain. I follow that up with the one in his arm. I stop and check the one in his chest. It must have been fired as he took the guy down because it's trajectory was angled up and not in, it went under the muscle and not through the chest wall. I yank it out. By that point Viggo has passed out.

I look down at him worried. I'm not sure if it's the arrows or from the pain. My neck feels as if it is on fire and I notice a drained feeling in my muscles. I pick up one of the arrows and look at it, the smell is quite strong, the stench of silver gets stronger as something drips from it. I look down on the grass and see liquid, silver liquid. I think it's the arrows that made him weak enough to pass out.

He said something about a salve. I need to move before I succumb to the silver as well. I throw him over my shoulders and head back to camp.

I can smell both our blood as it drips and runs down over me. By the time we get back to camp I am back in human form and really feeling the weakening set in.

I drop him next to the fire and go down to the water and splash some up on my neck hoping to wash the silver out. I need to make sure I don't pass out. Then I go back up and pick him up again and take him down to the water and lay him half in it and start to clean out his wounds.

[viggoslayer]

The cool is most welcome. I can smell Stav, feel his hands and water on me. He is smart, cleanse the silver out. Once the salve is on it should take but a day to heal. He was shot as well, he needs to tend to his own wound.

I fight to open my eyelids and speak, my voice weak, "Good, clean yes... apply the salve to your wound first. Won - won;t take long to heal."

[st4v]

I look down at him, see his eyelids fighting to stay open, hear how weak his voice is. I feel like I just want to lay down and go to sleep myself. I need to do what he said.

I leave him laying on the bank as I am too weak to carry him up any further then I stagger up to the tent and search through his bag. I have to keep shaking my head to fight off the stars that pull at me. Bad things happen when you pass out.

I find a round flat tin. I take the lid off and it is full of gooey stuff that stinks. I guess that means I found the salve.

I pull myself to my feet and make my way back down to Viggo. I practically fall to my knees becide him and scoop the salve out and apply it to his wounds. I know it hurts him for me to be pressing the salve into them but I have to make sure.

Once that is done I rest my head on his chest. I am so exhausted and trying desperately not to give in to it. I have to do myself. I manage to get some on my fingers and my arm moves slowly. I think I get it to the wound on my neck before the weakness overtakes me completely.

[viggoslayer]

I want to tell him to do his own wound first, he is young he needs to heal first. He is stubborn though and cares for my own wounds first. It burns like hell but he does a good job. The burn eases after a moment and I lift my head enough to see he has past out and his fingers lie limp on my belly, still covered in salve.

Taking a few deep breaths I raise my arm and wipe his fingers with my own and lay them on his wound. He moans softly in pain, but does not move. Making sure it is covered I let my arm relax on his arm and let the weakness take me. I know when we wake we will feel stronger.

[st4v]

I wake with a start. I lift my head up and look around, it's dark, the moon is high, the sky clear and full of stars. My neck twinges and I remember why. I look down and realise I am laying on Viggo.

I pull my arm out from under his, still heavy with what I hope is sleep, and sit up. His stomach is slick with my drool and I wipe the rest off the side of my face with the back of my hand. I see his chest rise and fall. That means he is alive at least.

I reach out to touch him and he feels cool. That might be because he is still laying half in the water. I feel a bit sore but nowhere near the pain of before and maybe slightly a bit like I have a hangover.

I stand and stretch then move up toward the tent and hunt round in the bags for something to light the fire. I find some matches and get to work on it. Once I have it going I go back down and lightly shake Viggo being careful not to touch his wounds. "Viggo... you need to move up near the fire and get warm." I will carry him up if I have to but part of me is feeling a little afraid now and would like to see him at least awake so I don't feel so alone.

[viggoslayer]

His soft voice stirs and the invite to warmth pulls me from my sleep. My eyelids flutter, "Yeah," I cough slightly and clear my throat, "yeah good."

I sit up and look around. It has to have been well over twelve hours. I look down at my wounds and see they are but purplish marks. I pull my legs from the water and slowly stand. A bit unsteady I reach for his arm.

"Damn fool hunters."

Leaning on him I make my way to the fire he has made, "Thank you Stav," I look at his neck and can only see a small part of his wound due to his hair, "your neck seems to be healing."

I sit on the piece of tree next to the fire and let is warm me. I look up at him, "You are a fine fighter Stav, very strong. I like the way you snapped that bastard's skull, very gratifying."

Sleep still nagging at me I shift into form and feel the comfort and warmth of my proper form and fur. I snuggle down licking my paw. I would offer to groom him, to give him comfort, but I have yet to see him participate in this. I cut my eyes up to him letting him know he is welcome to lie near if he would like.

[st4v]

His mention of me crushing the hunters skull brings my mind back to the scene. Dealing with bringing him back and our wounds it had been pushed from my mind. Shit. I look at my chest. My camera, it's gone. It must have come off in the attack. His will still be out there too.

I look down at him. I can see he is still tired but seems not in any danger anymore from his wounds which are mostly healed. I look out into the woods and the darkness. "I have to go get the camera's." I glance back at him. "You rest." Shifting back into form I head off calling back to him. "I'll be back soon."

[viggoslayer]

I am thankful for his concern. I would not like to lose my best two cameras. I lay my head down and rest. I can hear him run through the woods, the night bird singing and the crickets serenade.

The smell of the burning wood is comforting as is the knowledge he has taken care of us and will soon be back. I have grown accustomed to his company.

[st4v]

It isn't hard to find where the attack took place. The smell of the human carcasses is strong. The sounds of the night slowly start back up as I stand back in human form once again and look around. I am thankful for my wolf eyesight or I would not be able to find the cameras in the darkness.

I find his first laying next to a tree near his shredded pants. This must be where he was standing when they started. I check his pockets and retrieve a few memory cards. The more I move around the area the more creeped out I get. Dead bodies that stink in the darkness really will do that to a person I suppose.

I can't find my camera but I know it has to be here. I kneel down on the ground and use my nose to sniff around. Down this low it doesn't take me long to find it by smell. It's laying half under the headless body.

I retrieve it and with goose bumps all over me I start back. I stay in human form as I don't want to chance dropping anything.

By the time I get back I am completely spooked. Every noise has me jumpy and anxious. The firelight comes into view and I welcome it so much. I walk into camp and Viggo is in form asleep in front of the fire. Maybe I was a bit longer than be back soon.

I put the cameras and cards inside the tent then go sit by the fire. I look across at him and then around me and feel so alone being awake all by myself. I don't have any excuse to wake him again.

I chew on my lip for a while then shift back into form and move closer. Then closer again till I am lying right next to him. I lay down and curl up, in the process I end up bumping into him. He huffs in his sleep and I freeze. He goes quiet again. I don't want to move though. Having his warmth against me is comforting and makes my nerves settle. I don't feel all alone.

With that I close my eyes and let myself fall back asleep.