Completed Won't Back Down

[Tallis Ishtari]

He eyes were on the forest in the general direction of the trading post. He was certain that a party of men would come in their direction in search of a killer wolf. If he wasn’t feeling bad enough Marx’s words about mating made his emotional situation worse. It would be a day to remember. He had the girl of his dream, with no close, and he played the gentleman instead of the wolf he was known to be.

Tallis tried not to kick himself too badly. He knew they had more serious concerns other than his need to mate.

He waited until Marx was finished then picked up her back pack and lifted it over his shoulder. Holding out a hand he waited for her to take it. Off in the distance he heard a few shouts but it could have meant anything. It didn’t sound like the normal sound the guards made when they were getting ready to move. It was more like… hunters. "We should really get moving." He said with a slight panic in his voice.

[Marxander]

Her ears picked up on the noise. She rolled her blue eyes "They are such silly humans. They think I eat you. I'm not nearly big enough to eat a full grown man in one sitting." Yep, she commented on the fact that she couldn't eat him, rather than she wouldn't. She figured that was an understood clause in the whole bondmate agreement, so he wouldn't have to worry about that.

It was so very ironic that these humans did worry. If she, or any other predator, really wanted to kill anybody, they would have slaughtered everyone nearby too. After all, you don't leave things to your back no matter how small or weak it could bit because it could come and nip you in the ass. Sometimes, she thought, people in general needed to take a second look about things.

[Tallis Ishtari]

Tallis smirked at Marx’s thoughts. “I think they are more afraid of you eating them and their children.” He watched as she thread some the last laces on her dress. “One thing should remember with humans is that we can come to some pretty irrational thoughts. Those hunters that may or may not be coming this way is that if they get it in their head to kill something, they probably will. And I wouldn’t want that to happen to you.”

He stepped forward to Marx, placed his hands on her hips and gave her a soft warm kiss. He bent down to pick up his shoes that were not close to being dry. He had to think about if he should go about barefoot, but his feet where not ready for too much trekking through the forest without them. Sighing, Tallis decided to toughen up a little and head to the boat with them in his hand.

[Marxander]

She shrugged. She'd stay in her human form she guessed. No one would would want to hurt a sweet, innocence girl that was holding her lover's hand. She took Tallis' unbusy hand, swinging it a bit. She knew he was more uncomfortable walking around barefoot, so she was sure to subtly lead him into the softer grass and away from any rocks or sticks that caught her eye.

She also listened carefully for the human hunters, leading them in an different direction when they came nearer. Which was just better for them, Tallis did say that if they really wanted to make sure they avoided the slavers, they would have to dock elsewhere, so they would need to go onto a different, furthur away boat. When they cleared the trees, she felt much safer and allowed Tallis to guide their direction now.

[Tallis Ishtari]

It had crossed his mind a few that Marx was picking a path that made walking through parts of the forest easier on his uncovered feet. For the most part soft tender grass cushioned his steps throughout most of the journey that he was leading toward the docks. Throughout the walk he kept his ears attuned to the sounds of his fellow humans. He never knew that they were such a noisy bunch.

He didn’t know much about bonding between Kelvic and human but he wondered if there was a possibility that some perception of information she received through her senses were passed onto him. It was a new experience and was not entirely sure that was happening. Even so, he did not have time to think about it as he wanted to get to a boat and head back to Ravok, and to safety. It occurred to him that that Marx may not have a place set up to stay.

“Do you have a place to stay in Ravok when we get back?” Tallis said as he continued to walk but turned his head slightly to look at her.

[Marxander]

She turned her head back to him "Not yet. I was going to find an inn for tonight, before I saw you. Do you know any good places?" She was really not one to intrude, especially with her bondmate.

Bondmate relationships, though fast were tethered only by an emotional connection. They could feel each others emotions quiet quickly, and in time, could get even a find on the other's general location. Humans had more control over the connection though. If needed, they could call out to their Kelvics simply by feeling the need for their presence. It was a remarkable thing, really

[Tallis Ishtari]

Tallis tried to hide his soft smile when he heard that she did not have a place to stay. He was feeling the excitement inside when he spoke. “I have a small apartment away from the docks. It’s not much but its home. And… you are more than welcome to stay there with me for as you like. Forever. If… if you want.” He said tentatively but also trying to contain his excitement.

He had never shared his apartment with anyone. Sure he might have had a girl over a time or two for a night, but they never stayed for one reason or another.

The noise the hunters were making gave him the sense that they were closer but not so close to hurt them. Not that they would. Marx was in her human form and she did not look like a threat which was a relief and he was thankful for. Not that he didn’t have any worries. There were still slavers out there that seemed to want young Kelvics for their rich clients.

Marx was smart and very wiley that much she learned just in the one day. She did have blind spots though. She did not know humans like he did. They were dangerous and unpredictable.

[Marxander]

She shook her head, "Not forever yet, silly human. If we want to travel for a while, we'll have to leave the place for a while. But when we do return, if you want to that is, then I'll stay there, forever, as long as I'm with you."

She could hear the hunters too, but she didn't mind them. Most of the time, her blindspots for humans was on. She couldn't help it. She was suppose to trust humans. It was literally ingrained into her genetics to love and befriend humans. Yes, she did know that some were bad, and that was why she reacted so terribly near slavers. She tried to force into her mind that they weren't human at all, but they were. And under all that hate for them, was just a hate for herself and wrongness.

She knew she shouldn't feel that way, but just knowing that despite their bad deeds, they were once children, innocence of everything, and they were human. And that was perhaps the worst thing of all. She could be as big and bad as she wanted, bite a human, hurt a human, but as long as Tallis' safety was assured, she couldn't kill a human.

She sighed "Take me home Tallis. I want where my forever yet will be."

[Tallis Ishtari]

Marx was right. His apartment for the moment was their forever for the moment. To travel their world would be an amazing thing when they got to that point in their life together. It was still too early to plan for the adventure of their lifetime so for now though his apartment of one week would be their temporary kingdom.

He smiled warmly at Marx and gave her hand a squeeze as they approached the dock. “I hope you’ll be happy there. Its close enough to the docks were a lot of work can be found but far enough to be away from the riff-raff that like to gather around the taverns and docks after dark. The docks can be very dangerous place when the sun goes down.”

A boat had just unloaded passengers and would soon be load more to head back to Ravok. Off in the distance he could hear a few shouts from where they had been. He could not help but wonder what was going on with the hunters, but at the same time he was happy that it was not Marx that had been at the end of the hunters weapons.

[Marxander]

She nodded. They waited by the boat, letting it unload before dropping a few coins in the man's hand and climbing in.

She leaned against Tallis as she did. On the side of the boat, she caught some writing on it. She stared at the word that read 'Miss Sandy'. She knew it would have to be the name of the boat, a boat without a name was a sort of bad luck kind of a thing. But she couldn't read the words, or recognize the letters of the Common. She made a face, giving up very quickly. She tapped Tallis' shoulder to get his attention and pointed to the inscription "Tallis, what does that say?"