Damn. Damn. It bloody hurt.

My eyes stared at the man - apparently my rescuer rather than my other form’s - aka the unicorn’s - hunter, as he awkwardly tried to prepare a meal as he came to accept that I had just become a woman rather than a horse with a horn. It was not every day it happened, as I understood it, but neither was it that wolves attacked and chased me for a solid two miles, and just after I had escaped from the lodge at Chotoi.

I eyed him, and quickly surmised I could trust him. After all he had just clothed me, which had been generous. Well a cloak that was sort of a clothing. It was all I currently had and so I loved it.

Peeling back the side of the cloak I sought and found the bastard wound that had affected my attempt to stand. With my unicorn form in general more hardy than my natural humanoid one, I had been able to stomach the wound for so long until now. Now, the adrenaline was gone and I was more of a weaker person. Thus I took the pain and effects of the three inch gash full blown. Blood oozed from it but it was not as deep as I had first feared, only down to the first layer of proper flesh.

My eyes drew back to the warrior, the hunter. I watched him quickly try to gather things for a fire, and had not made to attack me again. It took a moment but I decided he was my current best choice of survival here and right now. Thus, I tilted onto my knees and began to shuffle along to gather wood from the ground. It was then I remembered the bites at my throat as the blood fell between me and the ground. Clutching a hand there and careful to not have the cloak expose me I began to make my living.

He turned around at the soft sound, and his eyes went wide. “Fair on- oh by the moon your neck.” He dropped everything he had gathered and rushed to me, gently pushing me back to my ass on the ground. He still didn't seem to have any malicious intent - instead his hands fumbled at the pouches on his waist, and he drew out bandages and a pale blue salve in a glass jar. The hunter cleared his throat. “I'm - to bandage the wounds, and they need to be. I will have to touch your neck.” His voice was soft, cautious.

I flinched at the last few words. Immediately, remembering that the rope still lay somewhere nearby, I drew back, a fear coming to my face. My hand remained where the bite marks were. But … well this was the man who had just removed the same rope from my unicorn, releasing me out. My breath went erratic before I took the brave decision and lowered my hands.

“Be quick,” I said fast. Only lovers and haters ever touched me there normally. He nodded - then his fingers danced almost impossibly fast as he unfurled the bandages, and set them down across my legs. Then he opened the jar, and scooped some of the paste inside out onto two fingers.

“This is meant to help the healing process, to rejuvenate the cells in the body and speed along natural growth. I say meant, because I have never had to use it on myself. I have an advanced healing factor that normally takes care of light wounds.” The apparently unimportant words, said in a rush - distracted me from the fact that he had already spread the salve across the bites on my neck. Hie eyes tilted - in a smile but I couldn't see his mouth or lower face behind the mask he wore. I could feel a tingling at the edges of the wounds - then he had lifted up the bandage, and smoothly wrapped it around my neck, sealing the salve against me and keeping the wounds ‘clean’.

When he finished he straightened up and stepped away, holding his hands up and out, showing that all he had was the jar of blue salve in one hand. “Done, fair one. Are there any others you need treated?”

I blinked for a moment rather liking this term ‘fair one’ as I guessed I was pretty fair skinned. Especially for him - I could see the nearly black skin on his hand. I paused before nodding and sticking out my thigh. “Big scratch, back a bit in the woods,” I said as I pulled back the cloak, careful to keep my holes covered up. I used my other hand to check on the work already done. He seemed to hesitate a moment, then nodded.

“Alright.” He pulled out another roll of bandaged and stepped closer, kneeling to examine the wound. I heard him draw in a sharp breath. “Fuck, fair one. This is nasty. Do you have - enhanced healing?” His silver eyes slid up to meet my gaze.

My eyes narrowed. “It's fine. It will be fine. I don't have my healing back yet, no. But if I die … well. That might be the fastest way actually,” the thought struck me as I tilted my head.

“Fucking.” He set the bandages and jar down, then stood up straight and removed his hat from his head. “Your body resets when you die then.” He didn't seem surprised by the concept, as most would have been. “Right. Well. Without some kind of enhanced healing, this will need stitches. Sutures.” He pointed at the cut on my side.

Frowning down at my thigh I signed, thinking about how much I honestly just wanted some meat. “I don't have anything at all,” I shrugged. “Lost my stuff back a week or something ago when I was chased by those bastards at,” I waved my hand in some random direction, knowing it would be not too far from here anyway. “People think they want a blooming unicorn in their stables.” I paused and looked up at him, who seemed to be taking my state and double identity very well. “If you've got a needle you can use my hair as thread?”