As far as I knew, she was the only one I had ever gotten ‘hot and bothered’. And I couldn't exactly tell her that what I was thinking about was the fact that making a connection, and being close to someone, seemed to be the best way to fight her corruption. She hadn't looked down, hadn't examined herself - but to my eyes there was a clear difference in the size of the cracks. Not a significant one, not yet - but a difference nonetheless.
But. But making a connection went against everything I had been trained to do. So like her - I couldn't afford to. I sighed and stood up - I'd lost any appetite for salted goat. I headed outside after her-and ran into her, where she had stopped. To prevent her from falling over my arms shot out and wrapped around her, holding her to me. She felt small, and cold, and my arms tightened. Shit. Hugging her was the right idea - both to keep her from falling, and because it felt more right than I wanted to admit.
The parts where her dress didn’t shield me… the parts of her exposed skin and arms it burned. It was a contrast to the cold I could feel. And - well. I held tighter, shifting so she wasn't about to fall. Damn. I didn't want to let go - not with her trembling and burrowing into my hold. This was what you were supposed to do, right? Hold someone so they wouldn't fall?
“I didn’t think I was your prey this time, Midnight Man. Why are you doing this?” Despite saying that - she wasn't trying to get free. I paused. Damn it. Connections were for after you were done being a hunter. As nice as she felt in my arms - not yet. I let her regain her feet, then let go, and straightened up.
“I - did not want you to fall.” And still don't. But you haven't realized that just being close is helping you. I took a deep breath. “So. Dawn girl, lead on. To a drake.” She stared at me, thinking - then turned and headed out of town, walking towards the East. I pulled my hat off my head and ran my fingers through my hair - and followed.
-----
We’d traveled for nearly an hour in silence. After a certain point into the trek she had turned to me and told me to hunt - because she didn't know the young dragon’s exact location, just the general area. So, now, I was leading, silver eyes flicking and scanning. I had the Saw-Spear held, already out, in one hand - if we ran across the dragon suddenly, then we would have a slim chance of getting the drop on it. It would take a considerable amount of force to punch through even a young dragon’s scales - not that I minded. A Damascus blade, with my enhanced strength, was up to the challenge.
“She spoke, for the first time since I had let her go and she signalled me to follow. “You know. I wasn’t falling.” I turned to look at her, she looked thoughtful. “Be upfront with me Hunter. I’ve no time for lies. I won’t ask for clarification this time, but will not be lied to.”
She gestured with her chin for me to turn back around. I paused. Had I lied? I frowned. Ah. “I ran into you. Thought you would fall, so I grabbed you. As for why I hugged you after that - pure selfishness.” Then I turned around and pressed on. I froze.
That - had been a flash of gold ahead. “Dawn girl. What dragon are we hunting out here?” This was a rather crucial detail that I had neglected to ask ahead of time. I heard fabric shift behind me.
“Gold drakeling.” Well. Hell. I gave her a somewhat strained smile as I heard the crashing in the trees. She had time to blink as it broke the tree line.
I felt her push me, HARD. I fell to the ground just in time for her to be blasted with frigid cold air. The ground around her froze instantly and shattered - I couldn’t see her beyond the blast.
She… Had saved me? My eyes went wide. She had saved me. Even if she would come back - it wasn't guaranteed. I rose to my feet, the Saw-Spear snapping out to full extension. Then the air settled and I could see her again.
Scarlet shook it off as the last of the magic settled, she noticed my eyes on her. “Immune to weak ice magic. This is a baby. Even then..” She glanced down at her skin which was covered in frost. Her hands shook. “If it were any older I would not be moving now.”
The drake seemed rather surprised that she was moving at all. I snarled. She had thrown herself in to save me. Fuck. Fuck - fuck! I didn't care that this was young enough to just hurt her, instead of kill her-it would have frozen me. So she was hurt, because I had been caught off guard. Some fucking hunter I was. Fury boiled in my veins as the drake reoriented itself, and its mouth opened as it inhaled.
And I was moving. I shot past dawn girl, muscles straining as I threw myself toward the beast. The dragon tried to turn its head to track me - but I didn't give it time to do that. I leapt - lashing out with the blade. It scraped, skidding - then the jagged teeth found purchase and it bit in, tearing a rent in the scales. The dragon let out a bellow, and snapped its neck from side to side, trying to fling me away as I hung on. It worked - but it also made the wound worse.
I hit the ground and rolled, coming up into a low crouch. It bled. I could kill it. For hurting my ally.
“Oi. How good is your throwing arm?” The non-sequitor made me turn my head and look at her in confusion. The drakeling had pulled back and was now taking to the skies. That was a problem, because I doubted my spikes could bring it down.
“Accurate and strong, why?”
“Throw me.” She said pointing to the flying beast. “I’ll take the brunt of its attack and rip off its scales. Then, provided I’m not flung off I will tear through its wings grounding it. Then you do you.”
