[Flashback] The Warm Touch of Winter (Cypress)

[Nustril]

Timestamp: 44th of Winter, 509 A.V.

The cave was warm and dry, and that was all that the big man could ask for. Floor and walls had been swept clean by Cypress and a hole had been dug in the earthen floor. Inside the hole was a fire pit, situated near the entrance so that the smoke would not fill the cave when staving off the cold. With his wounds recently cleaned he lay with a blanket wrapped around him, shivering.

Once they had escaped from the Yukmen the two had hoped they would be fine. Unfortunately neither was a skilled healer. The kelvic's wounds had not shown any sign of infection, but they would leave angry scars for the rest of his life. It is very hard to conceal a face wound that was never properly stitched. Perhaps the change in his features would be a character building exercise.

Cypress had been so good to him. She had been ranging out each day to supply them with more firewood and food to sustain them while they hid, and he healed. Cupped in his hand currently was a bowl of broth that the young woman had made for him, and insisted he drink. The stuff did not have any of the body or flavor of red meat, and he disliked it immensely. As he sipped it he shuddered with revulsion.

Looking over to the horse and oxen he contemplated eating one. They had been more trouble than they were worth already. It had taken days to find a cave that would fit all of the animals inside, along with he and his mistress. The smell was something awful. Cleaning their muck out of the cave was about all the exercise he had managed to get between naps.

If Cypress were not a Drykas he would have eaten the horse. Horse makes a fine meal. Licking his human chops he grimaced. Broth would have to do for now. There was no telling what trouble he would get in if she returned with her firewood to find a glutted kelvic and a gutted horse.

[Cypress]

Cypress entered the cave, hidden from sight by the hood of her cloak. She sidestepped the fire and emptied her arms of the firewood she'd collected. She stacked it out of the way in an effort to keep as much space as possible open, recalling the pained look on Nustril's face when they had crammed everyone into the cave. A sweep of the rest of the cave gave her a feeling of relief, all were still present and accounted for. Her eyes settled on Nustril, watching him choke down the broth she'd made.

"I appreciate your restraint.." She smirked. "As does Dolanne." Her brow raised, his secret wishes for alternate sustenance could not have been written more clearly on his face. She began pulling at the fingers of her gloves to remove them, moving toward Nustril to take a place at his side. With a touch the could rival that of a feather, she laid her hand on his cheek, her pale blue eyes following the jagged line that now bisected his face. Without a word, her lips replaced the touch of her hand, in spite of the appearance of being chilled, his face felt hot against her mouth. She hoped that the heat was from the fire and not some underlying problem with his wounds. To ensure that she was doing all she could, Cy took a piece of cloth and doused it in water. To relieve any heat she could, the cloth was pressed softly over his face, and held there until it began to wick away the heat. She repeated this until the heat seemed to subside, testing once more by pressing her lips to his skin.

"How are you feeling?" She drew the blanket more securely around his shoulders. "The wood should last us through the night, I will gather more in the morning." She pulled a pack toward her and dug inside, finding a small loaf of bread that she tore in half. Next she took a block of hard cheese, shaving some thin pieces off the flattest surface. After placing the cheese on the bread, she handed it all to Nustril. "Try this, it might make the broth more palatable. " She smiled sweetly, the taste of it still in her mouth when she'd forced it down earlier. As he was distracted by eating, she took the time to clean the wounds. Reaching into her pack once more, she removed a small bar of soap, with her cooking knife she shaved a small amount of the soap into a bowl of water, letting it dissolve into a solution she could use for cleansing. With some grousing from Nustril she peeled away the old wrappings from the wound on his ear and used the dissolved soap solution to clean it. "I'm sorry love." She whispered as he winced away from her. "It needs to be done." She quelled her emotion, wincing along with him each time she caused him pain. After cleaning the wound she checked the signs that it was healing. It had finally closed, the trauma of taking away that much flesh had not made it easy. Taking a clean piece of cloth that looked oddly like her chemise, she tore it into two long strips. The first she slipped between the wounded ear and his head, trying to offer it some shield from rubbing, hoping that it would keep the wound closed. She took the other strip and secured it around his head, tying it to hold what was left of his ear flat against his head. She could see the pain in his eyes, and gave a silent thanks for his tolerance, it would be so much more difficult had he fought her as she ministered to his wounds.

[Nustril]

"I'm starved. You're killing me with this broth." Though he complained with his words, his tone and body language showed that he was thankful to her for taking such good care of him. He accepted the bread and cheese with much enthusiasm. It may not be good raw meat, but it was something with much more substance than could be found in this bowl of flavored water.

As she tended his wounds he looked from her to the snowy terrain outside. If it were not for the stinging cold which the wind brought into the cave every few minutes, it would be a pleasant day. The sun left dappled traces of light on the snow through the boughs of the trees. A rabbit could be seen scampering passed them with a leaf still clutched in its mouth. Peace was a welcome sensation after their recent combat.

"I thought about eating the...oxen. You think we could make it without them? We could just kill one. I'm sure that we could make it back to Syliras and purchase another one before you even began to miss it." The nonchalant way that he mentioned it showed quite clearly that he knew she would not accept. In spite of this it did nothing to hide the fact that he really would kill and eat one of the oxen with her permission. Nustril had never had oxen before, but the idea of it made his mouth water.

[Cypress]

She cut additional pieces of cheese while she listened to his proposal, remaining quiet as a mute. As the last of his words left his lips she lifted her gaze, the rest of her body remaining still. "No." She smiled sweetly, offering no elaboration. After producing another small loaf of bread from her pack, she offered him both the bread and freshly cut cheese.

She stood, shrugging out of her cloak, laying it down as another layer of cushion for him to relax onto. She smoother her hair, casting a look outside the cave before she sat beside him again. Using the same cleaning water, she began to rinse the wounds that were not so deep. The water had gotten quite cold so she set it in the fire for a few moments to warm it. When she began again, she distinctly heard a quiet purr that relieved a little of the pain in her heart. When the open cuts and gashes had been cleansed she began to carefully knead the muscles of his arms, trying to gently work out the tension in muscles that must have been screaming in painful aching. Working the length of each arm, she moved on to his legs, he offered no resistance. When she leaned over his leg, a thick curtain of her dark hair slipped free and acted as a veil between them. He grimaced uncomfortably, freezing her movement for a instant, but she continued, knowing that his muscles needed to be relieved of their tension. To distract him from her pulsing fingers, she began to speak, her face still hidden from his view.

"Though I love you with everything that I am, you cannot eat our companions. In spite of their apparent tastiness.." She would never say aloud that the prospect of a thick steak had plagued her thoughts since entering this cave, but she knew that her mate would recognize the reflection of his own feelings on her face, were he able to see it.wearing a knowing smile, she pushed back her hair and looked at him. She moved close to him, running a soft hand over the leg she'd just massaged, feeling less tension already. She poured them each something to drink, setting one cup in front of Nustril. I will not come back tomorrow until I have found some manner of meat to add to the broth...will that do my love?" She reached over and lifted a strand of hair from his forehead.

[Nustril]

"Yes. That will do nicely." Taking his cup he drained it quickly. His overlarge teeth made quick work of the bread, but had a little trouble with the cheese. Munching occupied his next few moments. When she touched his face to adjust his hair he leaned into the touch and smiled. "Thank you for the cheese. I like it."

The moment his food was finished he set his bowl and cup aside. Edging closer to her he rested his head in her lap and closed his eyes. "You know Cypress, if I were not injured this would be a romantic get away...Alright, well, I guess it wouldn't. We would be having a lot more fun here though." As he shifted his head in her lap it pulled the skin on his face tighter to one side and he hissed in pain. A little bit of blood seeped from the wound and down his cheek.

"You know my face is going to look crooked now. Any chances of making me into a handsome rug one day are ruined." Reaching up he dabbed at his face with a finger and then wiped the blood onto the dirt of the floor. His funny looking teeth glistened in the firelight as he offered his mistress a bright smile. Which once again made him wince in pain.

[Cypress]

Every wince and hiss out of him made the breath catch in her throat. She curled over him, as if using her body to shelter him would somehow ease the pain. Her hair slipped over the two of them, shrouding them in a veil of darkness.

"Be still, my handsome rug." She warmed his cheek with her breath, letting her lips glide over his skin without really touching, offering only pleasure, no pain. "It is my turn to take care of you, so, still.." She remained as such, blanketing him in her until his breathing was calm, and there were no more hisses of pain.

"There will be time for romance when you are healthy and strong, otherwise.. how would you ever keep up with me?" Another whispered kiss danced over his cheek as she sat up, wearing a playful smile. She picked up the piece of soft cotton she'd been using to cleanse his skin and after dipping it in a bowl of cool water she dabbed it over his face, her touch as light and gentle as her kisses.

[Nustril]

The big man, just as when he was a big cat, grumped and fussed at the tenderness and affection. Finally he relented and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, along with a smile. Though he enjoyed cuddling and spending time with her, it often made him feel awkward and gangly when she was so sweet with him. Its not that he was not used to the affection. He would have difficulty explaining it if he tried.

Reaching up with his hand, which showed scratches on the palms from the battle, he tickled her neck and then leaned into his human blanket. It actually gave his injuries some discomfort when she was this close, but he would not tell her that. Whatever it cost him in pain was made up for by morale. How could he have felt discouraged at a time like this, with a beautiful mistress on top of him.

"When we return to your home, it will be worse you know. Those glassbeaks are a little tougher than men with dirt on their face. Not that tigers have anything to fear from birds. We eat birds for breakfast. Especially big fat flightless birds." The disdainful sniff he gave, along with the toss of his head, was distinctly cat-like.

[Cypress]

"Indeed..besides, how tough can anything be when it's made of glass." She teased him, not ready either mentally or physically to even consider their next battle. "Enough talking now, it is time you rest." She carefully extracted herself, moving to get another blanket to cover him.

Fresh logs were placed on the fire and adjusted to burn cleanly. She crouched there for a moment, her hands extended, palms reflecting the fire's warmth, then she moved back to Nustril and laid down. She kept a fair amount of distance between them, taking care not to touch him so as not to disturb any of his wounds while they slept. She rolled herself up in her cloak and closed her eyes.

"Sleep well."

[Nustril]

Five more days passed in this manner. Nustril was becoming steadily less pathetic with each passing day, and had begun ranging throughout the entire cave for exercise. Twice he had even shifted, though he resisted doing that too often. His hunger was ravenous on such occasions, and with him being unable to hunt that put too much strain on poor Cypress.

This morning he was dressed in his sandals and toga. He stood next to the mouth of the cave looking out at the slightly muddy ground and the melted snow it bore upon its shoulders. They had agreed to go on a walk this morning. He needed to stretch his legs and make sure that everything still worked the way it was supposed to. The scars on his face had started to form, slowly erasing the wounds and leaving behind only the toughened flesh.

"Don't forget your bow. I'm not any use in this condition. It would be a real pain to run into something dangerous and have to wait for you to come all the way back here." Whenever he smiled, it became quite apparent that his teeth did not quite fit his mouth. The grin that he flashed her after speaking downright advertised them.

[Cypress]

With a nod and a smile she hooked the curve of her bow and slipped it across her shoulder. She threaded three long tails of her hair together into an intricate braid, gave the cave a final look, then joined him at the mouth.

"Do you want to lean on me, or try things on your own?" He was taller than her by a foot and then some so it would be akin to him placing his arm around a fence post were he to use her as support, but she was happy to oblige if he wished her to. "Your wounds are healing well." A scan of his face gave her a preview of the character their fight with the Yukman would add. If she squinted a bit, it took away those parts that were not healed and showed a view, albeit a distorted one, of how his appearance will have changed.

"Shall we?" She stood close enough for him to seek her support if he chose to do so.