Follows directly after the previous Outlands drabble
“You don’t mean… you’re not going to leave me alone with that savage!”
Snow looked up from the stream where he was washing his mouth out. Seifer was dealing with the bodies and the captive soldier, giving the seer time to collect himself. They would have to move to a new camp site, there was no way any of them would be able to sleep here, and the smell of blood was making the birds edgy.
“I’m going to pretend not to hear a damned word out of your mouth or else I’ll have to rip your tongue out, you got me?”
The soldier that had surrendered was tied to a tree, seeming far more worried about the slim brunette half leaning on his small red steed, than the very large, very angry blond who had just killed four men.
This wasn’t the first time they’d been attacked, though it was the first time Snow had failed to see the enemy coming. They’d been lucky, so very, very lucky. Uncaring of his robes, he stumbled into the icy water and fell to his knees, dunking under and scrubbing at himself as though he could wash away the blood that was on his soul.
“Snow? Damnit Fryer! Get him out of there!”
The red chocobo warked, staring at the water with wide eyes. Grumbling, the massive black female stalked forward, shoving the smaller bird out of the way and striding into the shallow water unhappily, far more comfortable on land and dry than in water and wet, before getting a beakfull of soggy brown robes and hauling her spluttering load back to shore.
As soon as he was clear of the freezing water the black let go, returning to her blond master. Fryer warbled happily and proceeded to sit on the soaked seer, grooming his hair and making woeful sounds as he tried to warm the human up.
“Maab, guard.” The black glared at the trussed up soldier, an evil glint in her obsidian eyes, razor talons ready to eviscerate the fool if he tried to move from his spot dangling from the tree branch.
Cursing and muttering Seifer finished piling the bodies up and setting them on fire. There was nothing to show who had hired them or even who they were, but he didn’t really care. The one who lived would tell them what they needed to know, one way or another. The trouble was Snow, and his overreaction. The guy had killed before, had never hesitated to put a blade in someone who deserved it.
The whole journey had been a series of disasters one after another, from the earthquake to the noble woman seeking a marriage alliance, to the ball, to the Church and now an attack that caught them unawares. They just hadn’t caught a break.
Grabbing their gear he headed off to find another sight. The birds would look after Snow.
When he came back a little bit later the brunette was shivering with cold and huddled under his beast as though he were a chick, clinging to musky feathers with the desperation of someone on some kind of edge. Fryer was doing his level best to treat the Outlander like a baby bird, and didn’t mind a bit the death grip on his neck, but if the brunette didn’t get warmed up soon his name was going to be a lot more appropriate.
“Come on Princess, I got a fire going and everything, we need to get you dry and warm before I end up cuddling a popsicle to sleep.” Seifer shoved the bird to one side, enduring hurt puppy eyes and frigid silence to pick up his companion.
“What the, you mean that’s a woman? I thought the commander was joking!” Blazing blue eyes fell on the soldier. The only thing keeping the blond from pulling the man’s intestines out through his nose was the too light body shivering in his arms.
“I told you to shut up.” The captive was young, maybe in his twenties. Blond and blue eyed as most Acadians, he either didn’t think Seifer would kill him, or he was zealous and stupid enough to believe dying for some glorious purpose would make him a martyred hero. Either way he was too stupid to live.
Seifer left him hanging and went to warm up his best friend. “Come on Princess, I know it’s been a rough couple of months but you shouldn’t listen to people like him. That brand of stupid is contagious and gives the rest of humanity a bad name.”
Gray eyes squeezed shut and Snow shook his head, unable to talk about whatever was driving him nuts. With a sigh Seifer set him down in the new camp, tossing a few more logs on the fire before pulling off the brunettes soaked clothes. Sometimes Snow did this, retreated into silence and servile mannerisms when he couldn’t figure out what else to do or say. The worse things got, the harder the situation became, the more he resembled a shadow of a person. It was something Seifer had been trying to help him with but there was only so much they could figure out on their own. After all, the man had been a slave in every sense for most of his life. A few years of freedom weren’t going to erase that much.
It didn’t help that almost all the people they came across seemed to have these bizarre ideas about Outlanders. Savages, brutal ignorants, heretics, Snow had even been accused of being a cannibal at one point. And the seer had just as many misconceptions about the ‘outsiders’ as he called everyone.
“Kweh?”
“Yeah, yeah, get over here you feather head. Snow? Look, I’m gonna take care of that guy and then we’ll get some sleep and get the heck out of here at first light alright? I think we both need to take some time off and relax in Galetha. Maybe talk to that priestess if she’s around, see about the church and temple connections.”
A shaky nod was his only answer, two pale hands grasping at him before he could stand to get another set of robes from their packs. Snow had never taken to the leathers that Seifer favored, preferring simple cotton or woolen robes in dark brown. It took a while for Seifer to figure it out but eventually he’d learned that Outland slaves weren’t typically allowed pants, unless they were flimsy thin things. It was just another weird tradition to get used to. But Snow was very firm in the color. Anything but white.
“Princess, sweetheart you have to let me go so I can get you some clothes okay? Not that I mind the view but it’s cold out here and…” He cut off as cold lips settled over his own, tears tumbling down Snow’s cheeks, gray eyes staring into shocked blue.
By the time his brain kicked him to breath again the seer had backed off, shivering. He looked like someone had died. Or well… like someone *important* had died and the only time he ever got that upset was with his gifts and, and, shit Seifer was lost again. Because Snow didn’t want him, not like that anyway.
If there was anything Seifer knew, it was how very much the idea of having sex with someone hurt Snow. Physical pain. The one time a barmaid had tried to get to frisky the poor guy had tossed his lunch. With men…. No. He wouldn’t drag Snow back there. Not through those memories.
“I’m not going anywhere okay? I swear, just… just get dressed and get some sleep; I need to deal with that coward.” Pale hands finally let him go and he reached for the pack, digging out Snow’s clothes and turning back to his other tasks. “Fryer, guard.” The red chirped and started nuzzling the brunette again as soon as Seifer was out of the way.
Face blank of everything but anger and hate, Seifer decided he was going to send a message back to lord Hestrit Gromlinch about attacking what was *his*. Maab was still there, patient and lethal as only a mother predator could be. “Hey girl. I think you get to sharpen your claws tonight after all.”