Wontcha Be My Neighbor?[Jaeden/Hex]

[Jaeden Kincade]

With a bit of a huff, Jaeden set the body sled down near the fire pit as his hands fell to his knees and he took a moment to catch his breath. He then slowly straitened himself, stripping his body of excess weight as his pack, sword, bow and arrows were then set next to his tent. He slowly looked up to the fading sun, noting how much light they had left before he began rummaging through his pack, first pulling out the flint and steel as it was tossed next to the fire pit. "If you would be so kind as to get a fire going and begin unpacking the meat, I can begin setting up the defensive snares around the camp?" Jaeden requested as he began pulling out sever small strands from one of the pockets of his pack. "It's not likely that these things will stop all the predators that decide they are brave, but it will alert us to their presence." Jaeden then proceeded to move around the camp, setting up various snares about thirty feet out from the center of the camp, marking each of their locations with subtle breaks in the long grass more visible from inside the camp than from without. Several of the snares he had to anchor to the ground with pegs from his own hunter's pack, as the tall grass along wasn't strong enough to hold it to the ground if an animal was snared within it. It took him a little over half of a bells chime before he was finished as he slowly sifted back into camp, slipping his hands into his pack once again before pulling out some soap from within.

[Hex]

The demand for a fire was high as the sun wilted, bleaching out the air through the horizon and consequently, it distorted objects in its path to give them a smoldering texture - a reminder that without the heat from the sun, the night would get very cold. The thought of returning from the river to a cooked meal and a fire drove Hex through her weaning energy from the past two days events. Charcoal from the previous night's fuel supply was cast aside in long strokes and sweeps to get it out of the fire pit. Dried grasses were chopped and laid along the pit bottom like a nest for the fire's birth and some thicker stalks of grass were stood to lean towards the centre, supported by each other, sticking up through the nest from the dirt floor like the beams of a tent. Striking the flint stone over the fire, sparks flew several times and diffused in mid air while some sparks made contact with grass but fizzled almost immediately leaving only a burn mark and a puff of smoke. A fourth time, fifth time, sixth time passed as she attempted to light the fire; it was a tricky thing that was fully dependent on specific circumstances but a solid stroke of her wrist squeezed out a lump of flame that fell from the flint like a teardrop, splashing onto the nest as tips of thin grass coiled in pain, retreating into themselves. Huffs of gentle breath were blown onto the nest, feeding the flame with air as it reached up to stretch its arms towards the slow emerging stars above. When the thicker grass stalks were successfully writhing in flame, Hex threw in rolls of dung that the beast had left for them to track it by. The vegetation they ate served as an excellent source of long lasting fuel for a fire and so they had decided to pick some up as they traveled back to their camp. Looking at the small sled weighed down by luscious cuts of meat, Hex began by cutting the meaty ribs width wise and made short strips of meat that could be used for drying and jerking. The cuts weren't perfect and some had sections thicker than others, but the practice was worth the patience when Hex saw an improvement in her cutting when she was half way through the second side of ribs a solid bell later. Several times the A huge amount of meat was stocked into piles on the sled as the legs lay untouched on the ground. "Which cut do you want to cook tonight? Something off the ribs or the leg?" Hex regarded Jaeden, covered in meat juices and a knife in hand.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden slowly looked over the selection of meat as he gave a slow nod to Hex. "After out encounter there, I'm hungry enough that I won't be picky. You gave the killing blow to the beast, you go ahead and select which will mark the celebratory feast," Jaeden replied before slipping over to his trusty pack and rooting through it again before pulling out a small box and handing it out to her. "Here's some herbs and spices I collected from up north to season it with." Jaeden then pulled out long slender rods, grabbing one and piercing it through the first cuts of meat that Hex and slected before sticking it into the ground to leaving it hovering over the fire, allowing another one free for Hex to choose additional meats she wanted to cook. His hands slowly fell to his knees as he took another moment's breather before opening the box as a wave a scents of various spices tickled their noses. "It has quite a snap to it," Jaeden claimed as he grabbed a couple of pinches and began gingerly applying it to the meat.

[Hex]

Hex looked up from her work by the fire rubbing down a mixture of herbs on the flanks of meat they were to eat that evening. Using a simple salt solution, Hex covered the other slices of meat before laying them out on a collection of rocks near the tent and within their camp perimetre. They would have to watch guard over the dried meats until they were completely dehydrated, at least a few days. Eventually with all of the moisture gone, the meat slices would shrink to a fifth their size and be able to be crumbled and stored in pouches for a long term food supply. A small structure was built over the fire with snare wires and rocks to support the heavy slices of meat with herbs as they sat cooking over the fire. It would take almost an hour for the meat to cook and with the perimetre set up, they would be free to wash in a nearby river and still be in ear shot of the campsite. Hex knew of a small stream only about a ten chime walk from where they camped and would lead them there once all preparations were made for the night. The remaining meat on the legs was stripped and also laid out for drying, they were fortunate to have camped near a wide collection of rocks. Left over bones and skin was piled together off to the side and the large hide was stretched out and pinned to the ground with heavy rocks. The pelt would make an excellent cloak and would be sold for a fair price. Covered in sweat, blood and dirt, Hex was a complete mess. It didn't much bother her as she was accustomed to going for long periods of time without washing up, but the thought of soaking her skin in a chilled river made her whole body tingle. When she tilted her head back and let her nostrils meet the soft wind, she could even smell the icy aroma of clear water that trickled in the distance. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out her cloak to dry off with and a bar of unscented soap to wash the dirt from her skin and hair. Approaching Jaeden from behind she passed her hands along the curve of his back as she bent to nuzzle her face against the side of his neck, "Are you ready to go mountain man?"

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden gave a subtle but playful growl as he soon rose to his feet, taking a step over towards his pack grabbing his own soap before stepping back over to Hex, his head dropping slightly as his lips brushed along the edge of her shoulder despite the grime and blood that covered her skin, his hand slipping into hers. "Absolutely," Jaeden then said as he allowed her to begin leading the way. In a quick motion, Jaeden scooped Hex up into his arms, carrying her through the tall grass as she gave subtle directions verbally. It would take only a short time to reach the stream, the cool waters running it's downward path as it reflected light in from the waning sun, creating a sparkle effect like a bed of diamonds to the careful observer. Jaeden stood in front of Hex, the tips of his fingers slowly gliding along the skin of her arms as he head was leaned forward, gingerly kissing the nape of her neck. Both of them slowly proceeded to removing the clothing from the other as they slowly made their way into the river, the cool water brushing past their skin as a trail of goosebumps rose to voice their approval. As Hex slowly began washing herself, Jaeden slowly grasped the soap from her hand. "You relax," Jaeden whispered into her ear, his lips brushing along the uper lobe of her ear as he did so, "and let me handle things from here." Jaeden dipped his hands and the soap into the water, washing them clean first before he circled around Hex, pressing his hands and the soap softly along her as he proceeded to wash away the impurities that masked the true beauty of her skin. He took his time doing so, slowly kissing her every now and then as he maneuvered around in the water to make sure and get every inch, the dirt and blood covering his own body casually washing away as well in the flow of the water and when their own bodies touched each other here and there. When he was finished with the soap, he tossed it to the river bed near the rest of their clothing as once again found himself behind Hex. His hands slowly began working over the now clean and fine skin, using what little he had learned at the Soothing Waters to work away any further stresses that the activities of the day had brought her. Every time his fingers found a knot of tenseness, his palms would apply light pressure as the warm from his own hands helped to loosen the tightening. He slowly worked over her neck first, thumbs pressing lightly along the muscles the ran along the sides before both hands came to the soft tissue and muscle that linked her shoulders and neck as deep, slow grasping rubs were given while he leaned forward, kissing the back of her neck this time. Finally, laying Hex along the shore, he slowly began working his palms and fingers over her back as the cool waters washed up along the shore, slowly brushing along her front and sides. For some odd reason, perhaps because of the events of the day and the beast that they had brought down, Jaeden got a weird image into his head of himself being replaced by the beast itself performing the massage in Jaeden's place. Jaeden quickly shook this image from his head as his hands when he heard a soft moan escape Hex's lips and continued to rub up and down the skin of Hex's back, lightly dragging his lower lip along the mid of her back every now and then. His hand slowly slid along the slide of her buttocks, his thumbs lightly grazing along the top before he began moving further down, now working out any tenseness he found in her thighs and calf muscle. Hex slowly rolled back over to her back as Jaeden looked up into her eyes with a smile before slowly kissing down the length her leg. His thumbs then began to slowly pressing along the souls of her feet, washing away any feel of fatigue they may have had over their long day of travel, hunting and battle. Eventually, both of them came together in an embrace as Jaeden slowly slid his arms around Hex, their lips coming together in a long kiss as the sun began to slowly set below the horizon. Time seemed to stand still as the two of them slowly floated out towards the center of the stream. Jaeden slowly tipped Hex back as the back of her head dipped into the surface of the water, her hair flowing around like it was blowing in the wind in slow motion. His hand slid down the side of her body, eventually find it's way to the back of her knee as he slowly lifted it, sliding it around his waist. His kissing found it's way from the lips to the tip of her chin, before slowly making it's way down the front of her neck and to the skin around her collar bone. Jaeden pulled her forward again as their lips met, both of his hands wrapping around her waist as the water slowly became deeper until Jaeden was kicking his legs lightly to keep them afloat. Eventually, it didn't matter as the two of them slowly sunk under the light waves of the streams crystal blue, their passion leading them underwater. Time would slowly pass as they fully explored the benefits of this environment as any worries melted away much in the same way the sun's light faded from the sky to mark then end of that day.

[Hex]

62nd of Spring, 510AV Morning hit like a spoon on the shell of an egg; dawn cracked the atmosphere open and spilled the yolk of the sun up towards the heavens like a phoenix licking the earth with sunlight. Hex emerged from the tent before Jaeden, feeling surprised at herself for spending as much time as she did in the tent; where Jaeden went she followed and knew their journey wouldn't last past the short days they were crossing paths. At least she would have the memory, those never fade. In her contemplative meditation while the sun rose, she felt blessed for the stock of food she and Jaeden had acquired; she'd have food for at least half a season if she rationed it right. Opening her eyes, she glanced around the camp and noted the fire that cracked and hummed near her. Its heat radiated a screen of warmth that fell over her left side, leaving the right side cold; a strangely pleasant sensation. Looking around at the trip wires Jaeden set up, she was thankful for the luck of not waking up to any intruders during the night. With a stick she poked at the fire trying to revive it as she threw more dung piles to catch the dying embers. Unsure if Jaeden was awake yet, Hex turned to look at the tent entrance when she caught the image of Jaeden's bow and arrows in her peripheral vision. Her eyes traced the lines of its form; smooth and long with a firmness of solid but flexible wood. Wanting to put her hand on it she inched closer but hesitated as she didn't want to break it or disturb Jaeden's sleep. Her fingers ached to touch it though and she instead opted for looking at it very closely, close enough to breathe on it. The surface was delicate and smooth, like skin but glossy and wet from morning dew. Unable to fight curiosity, Hex stuck the tip of her finger into the wetness and enjoyed how it fell and then beaded down the long shaft. A drop of dew that stuck to her finger was raised up as she tilted her head back, popping the finger into her mouth and suckling on the tip to let the dew drop moisten her dry mouth. Actually use the bow to shoot something? Hex was much more familiar with close combat than with weapons you could use from far away. She didn't at first picture herself using a bow, deciding right there and then that she preferred her hunting knife, but had second thoughts when upon moving sore muscles, remembered her pounding session with the beast they hunted.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden slowly rose from his slumber as he dug his palms along closed eyes to rub away any heaviness that remained within them. His gaze slowly fell to the sliver of light that shined through the front flaps of the tent, flashes of light dancing through his eyes. Eventually, Hex’s crouched form came into view as he watched her curiously examine his bow. A little flutter down below him resurfaced as he watcher her finger slowly slide down the shaft of the bow itself, before she brought that same finger up suckled away the condensation that had been collected by the bow’s surface. Jaeden slowly slid his pants on and slowly crawled out of the tent. He slowly offered one hand to Hex while using the other to pick up his bow. “Come on,” Jaeden said with a smile on his face as he handed Hex the composite bow. “I’ll teach you. Or rather I’ll teach you to the best of my ability. I’m no master with the bow myself yet.” Jaeden grabbed his pack and quiver of arrows, letting Hex carry the bow herself, before slowly lacing his fingers within hers. He traveled a short distance away from camp, being sure to avoid any of his snares along the way as he did so, until they were at an area of flat enough ground that there wouldn’t be any obstacles for Hex to worry about shooting. Setting his pack down, Jaeden pulled out a three leg stand along with a practice target that looked as though it had been used more than once. Traveling a distance of twenty yards down from where Hex stood, Jaeden slowly set up the target, making sure the legs were firmly embedded into the ground. He then stepped back to where Hex waited, slipping his hands into his pack one more time before a small leather wrist guard was pulled free from it. “Let‘s just make sure that beautiful skin of yours is covered,” Jaeden then said as he began strapping he wrist guard along Hex’s forearm. “I learned the hard way that when a bow string strings your bare skin, that it can leave a sting that will linger for a short while.”

[Hex]

Colours ranging from red to violet painted the sky as the sun appeared further and further past the horizon spreading a relentless light over the fields of grass. As the light stretched over the small target practice Jaeden set up, Hex stood with feet planted in the ground and the bow clutched in her fist. She raised the bow and without an arrow, pulled back the string and closed one eye to look down the length of her arm. She swayed the bow back and forth, fictitiously aiming in different directions; including Jaeden's backside as he bent to fix the target in place on the ground. Hex smiled deviously to herself, waiting for Jaeden to return. Jaeden then took her arm in his hands, pulling the leather wrist guard over her hand and strapping it to her wrist. For a moment Hex marveled at the difference in their hand size, Jaedens were almost twice as large as hers; she felt strangely delicate around him, heck the man had nearly broken her in half over the previous two days. As she felt his hands smooth themselves over her forearm they met eyes momentarily and a familiar flutter of butterflies rose in her gut, accompanied by a batted breath and blushing cheeks. Images of their night together in the stream clouded her mind, pulling her away from their target practice. As he spoke, she watched his lips intensely and simply could not get it out of her head. She wanted him to run his hands through her hair and slant his lips over her again and again. Light perspiration broke out on her skin and she grew more moist by the minute, nearly ready to shove him into the grasses and rip off his breeches. Jaeden, who had been instructing her as to the basic of using bows laid his words on deaf ears but when she snapped out of it, Hex looked into his face and sheepishly asked for him to repeat himself.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden smiled, the corners of his mouth sharpening as he slowly slid beside Hex. “I was just saying, it would be a shame if the bow string left a welt on that beautiful skin of yours.” Jaeden said as he pulled an arrow free from the quiver. “The bow can be anyone’s friend.” Jaeden then said softly as he notched the arrow into the bow for Hex on the first time. “It can, with the right aim and type of arrow, slay what you hunt from afar. Risk of injury to yourself then becomes almost none. These are normal arrows, which is why we had such a tough time with the beast yesterday. Had they been armor piercing arrows, it would have penetrated the beasts hide easily.” Jaeden the slid around behind Hex, his chin resting along her shoulder. The fingers of his right hand slowly slid down Hex’s right arm, until his hand came to rest under the hand she gripped the bow with. “For this distance, you’ll want to raise the bow until your arm is held out strait, even with your shoulder.” Jaeden explained, his form hunched over slightly as he spoke his instructions softly into her ear. “Make sure your elbow is locked tight, as you don’t want it bending as you draw the bow.” The fingers of Jaeden’s left hand then slid lightly along Hex’s left arm, until it was resting along the back of Hex’s left hand. He slowly raised her hand, slipping her index and middle finger along the string of the bow as the rear of the arrow nestled lightly between them. “Only use the two fingers to draw. Using all of them will send a vibration along the string that could slip the arrow from the string before it’s been loosed. Now, slowly draw the string back.” As Hex did as he instructed, Jaeden slowly shifted the position of his head to her other shoulder. His hand lightly brushed her hair out of the way as he looked down the shaft of the arrow. His left hand then came to rest lightly along the underside of her forearm. “The arrow should be lined up just below your earlobe,” Jaeden then said, turning his head slightly, now whispering the instructions into Hex’s left ear. His hands making sure her arms stayed level so her aim would be as strait as possible. “Now, focus your eyes on the target and line the arrow’s head where you want it to hit.” Jaeden slowly raised his head as the side of his face rested along Hex’s head, just behind her ear. “Slow your breathing down, giving one last slow exhale when you are ready. On this final exhale, release.” Jaeden finally said, waiting to see how Hex’s shot flew.

[Hex]

Her hands shook as she held the arrow in the bow's taut string, partially aiming for the target but more concerned about keeping the arrow from possibly flying in a random direction. With her body rigid in place and her breath held in, she remembered the breathing instructions and tried her best to time the exhale with the release of the arrow. The fingers holding the arrow flicked from their position and let the arrow go and they both watched as it soared through the air shortly before settling in a spot just short of the target. "I missed" frowned Hex, her brow furrowing in conjunction with her tightened lips. The target stood untouched, even after Hex let go of four more arrows, all getting slightly closer to the target but still out of reach. By the time Hex had slipped the fifth arrow onto the string, she shook her head and took a deep breath. Self doubt, anger, and annoyance all kept her from focusing long enough to actually hit the target and it wasn't until she fought these feelings out of her heart that she managed to hold the bow without shaking and deliver a shot that sped through the air and popped through the dummy target, sticking out on the edge. It was far from where she aimed but it was progress. Jaeden's guiding words of looking down the length of the arrow and the arm helped her immensely in learning the difficult art of archery.