He seemed to consider it, switching his eyes between her and the flying beast. Then with a grunt he hooked his weapon to his back, and moved over to her. Silver eyes studied her for a second, then he nodded and grasped her around her waist. With a slight grunt of effort he lifted her up, then shifted her to balance her better for a throw. “How in the hell did you come up with this idea?” He looked into her eyes.

“Another hunter, something about ‘jolly cooperation’” Scarlet mused as she drawed her legs up underneath her to use as a springboard. He adjusted his hands to grip her feet better, and she tensed.

“Jolly cooperation… That sounds oddly familiar. Hm. Right - we can worry about that later.” He turned his head, then began to run, picking up speed. As he got to a higher speed, she felt his body shift and tense - then his arm shot forward, starting the launch. Scarlet pushed herself off of him and used the momentum to launch herself.

Her corrosive body tore through the tree branches and leaves like they were thin tissue paper. Placing her foot on a branch she launched herself again up and above the tree-line.

The young dragon opened its maw and blasted her with fridgid air. Scarlet had to shield her eyes. The blast stopped her momentum and she had began to fall. The drake however, grabbed her with its claw and clenched down on her waist. Scarlet screamed as its claws tore into her skin. She reciporated and started clawing her own way through its scales. She felled Madison Fucking Briarheart. She wouldn’t tarnish that by letting a fucking dragon kill her. No. If she were to die it’d be on her own damn terms with her own damn hands. Snakes spewed forth from the assassins back and dug into the underside of the dragon.

Thick blue ichor showered her as the drake began to fall. Scarlet didn’t need to go for the wings. The underbelly had been a big enough blow.

Below her she heard a bellow of anger as the dragon fell.

The dragon let her go, it’s screeches of pain drowning out whatever the hell Hunter had going on. Scarlet fell, and fast. Crashing and tumbling through the trees. The ground was coming at her fast. What a way to die today.

Except life didn't let her. She heard a loud snapping as something broke - and arms wrapped around her, cradling her. Their momentum was wrenched to the side, and she felt a long, strong body curl around her as the two of them completed the fall.

“Focus on the dragon you fuckin- Fuck!” Scarlet cried as she again shoved him to the floor - a blast of cold wind hit her back. Scarlet inwardly swore. Her body was failing her. She wasn’t sure her immunity would survive another blast, but she wouldn’t let Hunter know that. That was weakness. She wasn’t weak. Her arms buckled.

She wasn’t weak.

Her head drooped.

She wasn’t weak.

Her blood pooled around her creating a crimson halo around her hunched and heaving form.

She. Was. Not. Weak.

Scarlet pushed herself up and turned to the Drake, ready to attack but before she could he shot to his feet - and she saw his silver eyes flashing. Anger. Pure anger boiled in his eyes - and he looked at her.

“Stay the fuck down. You got him on the ground. Now it's my turn. You did yours.” Then he was off - he shot up into the trees, that jagged blade flashing in the chill of the air. The drake tracked the motion, its head swing around - but when it unleashed its freezing breath, its target wasn't there - the Huntsman had kicked off of a tree branch, launching himself in a different direction entirely, clear and away from the way the drake had thought he would move.

The drow hit the ground and she saw his legs tense, bunch up - then he was in the air, spinning around once, twice - building up momentum. He reached the drake and lashed out, his bizarre sword biting into the flesh where he had already struck, deepening the wound on its neck. The Good Hunter planted his feet on the drake’s neck as his blade lodged into the flesh.

“The hide is valuable!” Scarlet screamed out after him. She winced as she bought herself to her feet, her shaking hand struggled to heal the wound enough to suture it shut. Why the hell was she struggling to revive and heal lately?

The drow looked over to her - a splash of silver in the shower of red and black that was his clothes and the blood sprayed across him - and he nodded. Then she saw him reach into the wound, shoving his arm in deep as the dragon shrieked in pain. His other arm drew the blade out, ripping tender meat free of the drake’s body. Then he plunged it back in, using his grip inside of the dragon to anchor himself as he butchered the inside of its neck.

It swayed, staggered - then fell to the ground with a heavy thud. The Huntsman threw himself free, and landed in a heap near her. His eyes were closed, but his chest was heaving as he sucked in air.

“Are - are you.. Alright.” His eyes cracked open and focused on her.

“Fine. Mostly fine. You did good.” Scarlet carefully drew her hand away from her wound and attempted to wipe the blue and red ichor from her face. It was a feeble attempt. “Ugh..” She looked down at the dress. “Suppose it’s blue now eh?”

“You're still dawn girl to me.” He forced himself to his feet, then stepped over to her. His eyes were focused on the injury. “I see. What do you need to heal. And do not even fucking say you need to die.”

Scarlet laughed bitterly at his concern. His actual concern. As though she really mattered. She shook her head. “Who fuckin’ knows. It’s healed enough to steep the bleeding for now.” She shook her matted head. “I will be fine.”

He growled - then he hugged her again. Ignoring the blood and ichor that covered them both. What the fuck. What was he doing? Scarlet stilled then hissed. Last time he said it was because he was selfish, what was it this time? “What, me being covered in drakeling blood turn you on or somethin’?” She asked.

“Your fucking cracks healed before. Shut up and get warm you brat.” His voice was a deep growl.

They had? Scarlet fell silent and instead rested her head on his chest. He shouldn’t be concerend with that. “You shouldn’t.” She said. “You really shouldn’t try to heal the corruption.” She couldn’t deny that the feeling of warmth was welcomed.Terribly and irrevocably so. But it was that warmth that had felled her before.

The warmth of Shinsou, the warmth of the tiny little shit of a fae Fenn, the warmth of Lye...no. It wasn’t going to happen again. She reached out to push him away.

“I'm the one who gets to decide that. I told you when you hired me. I would watch you, and keep you from becoming a beast, from losing yourself. I am your hound, your companion, your ally. If being close to you, helping you, is what will bring you back from that darkness - then you will never, ever be rid of me, until to is purged.” He pulled his head back and stared at her. “I do not speak of love, dawn girl. I don't know it, could not speak of it. But your ally? Your - fuck, your friend. That, that will not change. Not until l lie cold and dead in the ground. Or in something’s stomach. Now shut up and get warm.” And he pulled her back in.

“Fuckin’ prick.” Scarlet spat. She stayed, her arm shifted back to her side so she could concentrate on healing. If she did...if she healed herself then he’d leave her alone. His words shook herm more than she cared to admit even to herself. “The last man who promised such things is now fuckin’ a succubus.” Scarlet muttered. Golden light crackled beneath her fingers and her wound healed, enough. There was still a red gash but it was enough.

“And? I'm not your lover, dawn girl. I’m your friend. If you want to fuck someone, I don't care. I may as well. But this? Being your ally, being here to support you? Some tart won't change that.”

“You’ll end up hurting yourself if you stay close. My last friend…” Scarlet finally found the strength to pull away from him. She gestured to the vial of ash around her neck. “Died by my own hand, her heart crushed under the weight of my touch. Do….” Scarlet lowered her hand. Her cheeks flushed. This ….this was supposed to be a nice hunt. Kill a thing, make some quick gold and get the fuck out before its mother came back.

Not some emotional fuckin’ adventure through a mythical land. “Do….” Her voice had less bite to it. “Do what you want Hunter.”