The Kindness of Strangers (Eachann, Orion)

[Renalee]

36th Day of Summer, 512 AV (afternoon) Continued from Supply and Demand and Is There a Doctor in The House Chimes trickled away slowly as the forest sounds settled down in their medley. Wherever the terrible hound was it was keeping its ground and remaining quiet. Only its scent drifted down into the shelter and between the tent’s flaps to make sure the young Kelvic huddled inside would remain alert. Ren had curled up on the ground, injured arm pulled close to her chest, with a hand over the ugly wound attempting to prevent more blood from seeping out. She couldn’t tell if there were any major vessels damaged, but the red liquid wouldn’t stop and the girl was starting to feel dizzy. The pain had settled over her like a dull throb, her whole body feeling beaten and broken. At least it looked like most of her other wounds had stopped bleeding or would very soon. Every single scrape, cut and bruise seemed to be burning and slowly torturing her nerve endings. Renalee’s main concern was the dog. After that came her torn arm. She knew she had to stop the blood or she would be dead before the young human returned. Moving however, seemed like an impossibility at the moment, when the slightest shift of her body sent a new wave of pain. She waited a bit longer, but when the bleeding refused to stop still she forced herself to pull herself up. The blonde had noticed some rope that had been pushed aside when the human had been trying to set up the tent. He hadn’t seemed to have anything else useful in his possession, but that would do. Ren had witnessed a bar brawl once, after which the owner of the establishment had used a long piece of cloth to tie the leg of one of the men involved, which had been cut rather badly by a stray knife. The bleeding had stopped almost immediately and the injured sailor was sent to seek medical attention. But the technique had worked then, so why shouldn’t it now? Ren pulled herself to her knees and crawled awkwardly out of the cover of the tent. The rope was easy enough to spot and she slowly managed to get herself to where it had been thrown and forgotten on the ground. What followed was a painful, tricky business that left the girl panting and exhausted. The moment she had let go of her arm to reach out for the rope the blood seemed to rush out quicker than before. She had to be efficient, but her fingers were slippery with the red liquid and tying the rope only using one hand and your teeth was incredibly hard. Ren finally managed to get it in position just above the wound and pulled hard. An anguished scream left her mouth as she clutched at her arm. It hurt! It hurt! It petching hurt! But she knew that it had to be tight or it wouldn’t work. If she understood it correctly it was preventing the normal blood flow from reaching past the point where the rope was tied and making it out through her torn flesh. And indeed, soon enough, the blood slowed down, becoming much more manageable, even if it didn't completely stop. In the mean time Renalee had been listening carefully, and while she was sure the canine beast out there must have heard her howl it didn’t rush towards her to rip her to shreds in her moment of weakness. She thought she should try making it back inside the tent, but when she attempted to move her head spun unpleasantly and tipped her over the edge into darkness. What followed was a horrible succession of unconsciousness that provided no rest or relief and waking moments filled with fear and suspicion and spent checking up on her makeshift tourniquet. It was during one of the latter when a sudden thought almost sent Ren into hysterics. What if the human male hadn’t gone to get her help, but was in fact seeking some slavers that would come and take her away? He had seen her shift and the girl knew her animal form made her valuable. What if the human was going to sell her freedom and she ended up a slave for the rest of her life? The memory of shackles around her wrists and neck made the Kelvic try and struggle up. Unfortunately, it proved too much and she was plunged into darkness again. The next time she regained consciousness she could make out the sounds of someone approaching. It was too late now.

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Summer 36, 512 AV The young doctored kept mostly quiet as he was led back into the forest he'd left only days before. Of course, none of it looked familiar at all. He'd only been out here a handful of times, and well, it never really turned out the greatest. A tree was a tree and a rock was a rock. Sure there were herbs to be found, but that didn't do him any good if he couldn't get back with them. So onward the young physician went, led by the recovering youth, through the woods towards some cave where a wounded Kelvic was. "You know," the doctor mused, "It's been a better part of a year since the last time I dealt with a Kelvic. I've a cousin in Sunberth who's a puma of all things." He sighed as the continued moving. It was a bit more exhausting than he'd expected, lugging the heavy medical bags throughout the uneven grounds of a forest. His first patient was already doing too much, so any offers to aid would be quickly turned away. As they arrived at the cave, Orion was thankful for Eachann being there. That was a vicious looking dog. "I can only imagine the damage.." he muttered, a larger sense of urgency taking over the doctor as he made his way into the cave. A horrible scene met him. Scratched up, a severely gnawed arm, with blood all around her, there laid the blond woman, naked as he said she was. Orion's medical instincts took over quickly. As he ran up to her, dropping his bags beside her. "Go get me water," he ordered Eachann. "And if you've something you can warm it over the fire with, please do. I want it warm, not hot, not boiling. Warm." Her arm was in a bad way. He ran his hand through her hair. "Ma'am, you're gonna be okay. I'm Doctor Michaels, I'm gonna make everything better." He dug into his bag and pulled out a blanket, carefully wrapping it around her lower body and covering her feet. "Let's have a look at you, okay?" This blond woman looked vaguely familiar to the young man, but he pushed those thoughts aside. There would be time to figure that out later. The young man grabbed his waterskin and put it to her lips, forcing her to drink. "First things first, you've lost a lot of blood. We need to get some back in you. We'll clean you up," he smiled reassuringly down at the blond Kelvic and turned back to his bag, pulling out a cloth to place his instruments on. Gauze, bandages, an empty glass container, and small glass container, which he opened, causing a strong scent of lavender to spread throughout the cave. "Once the wound is flushed out, we'll get you covered up." He hoped he wasn't too late. Orion realizing sending an injured man to fetch the water wasn't his best call, but he had to get ready to treat her. "For now just drink up, okay?" He would have to treat for infection first and foremost. There had been too much time between the bites and his arrival, so Orion planned to flush each wound time after time after time with water and soap. The severe injury on the arm would actually be easiest to clean. The puncture wounds of the shoulder and chest had swollen, making it difficult to clean down into the injury. The bicep was bitten, but the tearing had occurred on the skin, sparing the muscle from serious damage. Thank goodness. I don't have the facility to treat a torn muscle. He'd figure it out somehow though. He had a way of coming through for cute naked women. "Where is that boy?"

[Eachann Marshall]

“Even my mother was never this bad.” Eachann thought as he lead the doctor back into the Bronze Woods, the freshly stitched wound in his hip pulling with every step and the tattered remnants of his clothes held to his hips with a length of knotted chord whose origin he could not account for. Their pace returning was slower than his own had been coming back, but then he had set his own pace, and was alone.

Now the Doctor dictated that by virtue of a) being along, b) refusing to share the carrying of his medical bags in spite of the fact that he was sighing heavily as they made their way. He was always grateful and gracious in his refusals, but at the same time steadfast in saying that Eachann was doing too much already. It was only the surety of the plight of the Kelvic woman that kept the squire from sticking a javelin in the doctor.

“Then you should have some insight into this patient.” Eachann replied as the doctor commented on the nature of his cousin. “They're the same beast.” He couldn't recall whether he had commented on that before, but maybe it would sooth the man's obvious nervousness at being away from the city. The doctor balked noticeably at the sight of Hafiz, who was laying just where Eachann had left her so he was certain that no one had been in or out of the cave either. Still the thought was not as comforting as it should have been. He hoped that they would not find the woman dead.

They did not.

But it was a near thing. The doctor took charge as soon as he spied the woman, even forgetting his own prohibition on Eachann working as he ordered the youth to fetch water, although with the unreasonable request that it be warm. Unfortunately, the squire had nothing to warm the water with, so he had to settle for scooping it from a sunny spot in a nearby stream. The water was nevertheless bitterly cold. But at least it was fresh and clean.

“...boy?” He heard the last of Orion's question as he made his way through the shrub which screened the cave the water carried before him in glass jars usually intended for other purposes. Unceremoniously, his pride stung by the relegation of himself to the role of 'boy', Eachann sat the jars down near the doctor and grunted something which might have been 'best I could do.' Before he found a likely rock to seat himself upon, to allow his wound the rest he would not admit that it needed.

“Is she gonna live doc?” He asked brusquely, the ache in his hip spreading into a burning pain in his thigh and lower back. “Damn that doctor for being right.” he thought as he waited and watched.

[Renalee]

The first thing that made it through the haze of her returning consciousness were sounds. Two pairs of feet were crushing the twigs and dried leaves that covered the forest floor, looking to find secure footing as they progressed over the deadfall. Two voices could be heard, still too far away to distinguish the words they were saying. Her sense of smell came next. Blood - her own and too much of it, was covering her body and spreading on the stone surface on which she was laying. The horrible stench of the dog that was the reason for her current condition was wafting into the small shelter and with it - the scent of the two humans approaching. There it was - the smell of the stranger she had attacked and tried to maim and kill over the body of a dead deer; the stranger who had seemingly chosen to forget that, showing her a kindness she wouldn’t have expected or asked for. Unless, of course, he had brought a slaver with him. But the scent of the second... There was something painfully familiar in the way it painted the air. Something which made the young Kelvic think of Sunberth, and home, and being with family. Something which fluttered just at the edge of her consciousness and should have been recognized immediately, but was escaping her now because... Third came the pain. There was the throbbing of her head and the burning of her skin where teeth and metal had managed to break it. Her body felt weak and completely drained and somehow, at the same time, heavier than ever before. The nauseous sensation rose in her stomach again and the world was seemingly spinning beneath her, even as she was lying on the ground. Ren squeezed her eyes, keeping them shut, and hoped to loose consciousness again, just so the horrible onslaught of sensations would stop. She wasn’t allowed such mercy however, because the hand in her hair and the softly spoken words in a voice that belonged in her memories of a Summer at home were demanding her attention. It required sheer willpower to force her eyes open and to try and reign in her drifting mind. Ren blinked a couple of times, trying to clear the mist and the black snowflakes that danced in front of her. Only once they were mostly gone she could try and focus on the young man kneeling next to her. Shock and relief crashed over her simultaneously as she took in the familiar features. Out of all the people the young hunter could have brought - out of all the ones she could have hoped he brought - for it to be him... ‘Doctor Michaels’. “Orion!” Ren tried saying, but what came out of her mouth was more an indistinguishable, breathy rasp than her beloved cousin’s name. The girl suddenly realized how dry and raw her throat felt. Some of it was no doubt due to dehydration but the rest was the result of her voicing (or rather screaming) her pain. Orion’s reaction was immediate - that of someone used to working under pressure and remaining cool and composed. Ren thought she had never loved him or appreciated him more than she did in this very moment. She gratefully accepted the water he offered her, taking the waterskin from him in the hand of her uninjured arm. The cool liquid slid down her throat - almost painfully at first, but then bringing much needed relief. She drank slowly, in small gulps, scared that if she rushed her body would try and reject the water it needed so much. Her stomach certainly felt like it would. While she was drinking Orion had managed to pull an assortment of things from a bag he had brought and arranged them neatly on a cloth in front of him. Ren returned his waterskin and then regarded him quietly for a few moments until the hunter returned with the water requested. Orion hadn’t recognized her - that much was clear. And now the girl found herself wondering if she should tell him who she was. He would certainly worry. Perhaps he would get scared or angry. He might end up shouting again like he had that one time. After all, she had done exactly what he had told her not to when she had left Sunberth on her own last Winter. She had broken her promise to him. And in the end, he had been absolutely right to warn her off her plans, even if the examples of possible dangers he had used hadn’t included being captured by slave traders or mauled by a huge dog. But when she weighed her options, Ren quickly realized she would take an angry Orion any day, if that meant she could lean on her cousin right now, rather than just ‘Doctor Michaels’. She cleared her throat and made an attempt at a light and jovial tone, ignoring the distinct impression she was failing miserably. “Ma’am? Is that it now? ‘Little one’ no longer sounds too bad,” Ren smiled, the memory of the first time she had seen the man clear in her mind. “The Seasons have been kinder to you than to me, Orion.” She managed to shift a little and placed her hand over her cousin’s before turning to face the other human. “Thank you for bringing him to me. Even if this isn’t the best of circumstances, I have missed him terribly.” Ren gave him an appreciative nod, not realizing how cryptic she probably sounded. She struggled after that, trying to straighten up, but found her head spinning too much again. “Now - won’t you help me sit up? You can’t work on this -” She gestured feebly towards her torn up arm. “- like that.” Ren met the blue of Orion’s eyes - the blue of the sky over the Sunberth docks. Did he realize just how happy she was that he was there?

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Summer 36, 512 AV The doctor looked up at Eachann has he entered, taking notice of how he walked on a still severely injured leg. He would likely need to work on him again after he treated this woman. It was an imperfect situation, but he was the only one who knew where the injured Kelvic lay, so they'd made due. Still, he wouldn't allow this normally. "Thanks for the water," he said before sliding it over closer to him. Cold. Of course. He wondered if maybe his Common was poor. It would have to work, though. He supported the woman as she drank of the water. Who knew the last time she'd been refreshed? He raised an eyebrow at the sound she made, as her eyes looked shocked in...recognition. Orion wondered, pausing as she drank to watch her. It couldn't be...could it? She quickly confirmed his suspicions. What were the chances of her being a different blond haired, green eyed puma Kelvic than the one he already knew? "Ren..." He said, his face betraying him no expression, his voice quiet and emotionless. Internally the doctor was happy to see his cousin, but also becoming increasingly agitated that it was under these circumstances. He'd told her not to leave Sunberth. Now by some joke of the gods, he's in the middle of the woods near Syliras treating her for serious wounds. "Let's treat your injury." Looking back to Eachann, he addressed him as well. "Yes, thank you for bringing me here. This one has a knack for getting into trouble." He nodded to the young man. "How are you holding up?" he asked, as he soaked a rag in the water while digging into his pack with his free hand to grab for soap. "It was a tough walk over here. I don't think I'd have been able to do it in your condition. And yeah, she'll be fine. As long as she listens." He lingered on that last word for a few moments before turning his attention back to Renalee, addressing the wounded Kelvic. "This will hurt, and I'd rather it not have been cold. You'll just have to bare it." His tone had the slightest bite to it, as the doctor began to work at cleaning her arm. The cold cloth and harsh soap would burn as he attempted to save her arm, but infection was always the worry first and foremost. In a brief moment of tenderness towards the girl he allowed his blue eyes to meet hers and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before continuing to work. After completing his efforts with the soap, he took the lavender oil and poured a few droplets into the water itself, mixing it. "Brace yourself, Ren," he commanded, holding her arm out and slowly pouring the liquid over it to finish rinsing out any impurities. There's no way he'd be able to close up this injury, so instead it would require frequent cleaning and changed bandages, but until he was sure of it's purity, the wound would remain open and cleaning would continue. "I've heard it from him, but let's have it, Ren. How did this happen?"

[Eachann Marshall]

As he reclined against the wall, feeling the cold stone beneath and behind him, Eachann watched as the doctor and the kelvic woman renewed their acquaintance. He was confused as to the exact nature of it, but it was obvious that there was history between them. The world he mused, is a small place. Apparently.

“In my experience,” Eachann replied, “all Kelvic cats suffer the same affliction non magical cats do. Curiosity is their death.” It might have come across as a joke, but it was not how Eachann intended it, his sense of humor was still developing in Pavi, and was utterly hopeless in Common. “As for me,” he concluded, “I will live, as I said in the city, if it doesn't kill me. I'll be petched if you weren't right about it hurting though.” He turned a thin smile toward the Kelvic woman, whose name apparently was 'Ren'. “You do good work kitty cat.” Deciding that the conversation no longer needed him, the young squire leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes to think, to try and tune out the pain.

'Ren' made the second Kelvic woman he had met in a week whom was emaciated and bore the tell tale marks of abuse. She unlike Ayti, was not collared to restrict her ability to shift, and he wondered how similar the woman's stories would be, but did not feel up to asking, and felt that it was not the proper time to be conjuring such memories for her anyhow. Though he had resisted declaring vengeance against Ayti's tormentors, he felt that there was something afoot that bore investigation and he resolved to do his best to do so. Despite his apparent lack of attention, Eachann was attentive should the pair need him for anything.

[Renalee]

Orion hadn’t shouted. He hadn’t gotten up and started pacing. He hadn’t moved at all or looked any different from a moment ago. If he hadn’t spoken her name, Ren would have been convinced he still hadn’t recognized her even after she spoke. She had to admit that his apparent calmness and unreadable expression were more frightening than any angry outburst she could have been faced with. A terrible feeling of guilt came seemingly from nowhere and started gnawing on her insides. She had betrayed her cousin’s trust which was bad in and of itself, but things had also somehow turned out in such way that he was left fixing her mess... and it wasn’t for the first time either. The girl let her gaze fall away from the young doctor’s face and fix on the ground instead. Suddenly Orion’s presence there, which had seemed like such a blessing not a tick ago, became the worst possible development for her current situation. Her eyes drifted to the other male in the small space of the natural shelter. If the human had looked bad when he had left her, now he looked like he had been dragged to hell and back on his hands and knees. How far away from here was Syliras? She didn’t know how long she’d spent out here, as disoriented and out of it as she had been, so couldn’t even try to make and estimation based on the time it had taken him to go there and come back. The unpleasant feeling in her chest grew and she was just about to open her mouth to apologize when the boy decided that referring to her as a ‘kitty cat‘ was appropriate. That was reason enough to forget she had been feeling guilty about injuring him and Ren glared at him instead. “And I suppose your beast just wanted to give me a friendly hug, but stumbled?” The retort sounded bitter in her own ears. She might have delivered another scathing remark, if Orion hadn’t spoken again. Ren visibly flinched, not so much at the promise of pain (or had he meant it as a warning?), but rather the biting tone in which the words were delivered. Yes. He was definitely unhappy with her. The tenderness of his next gesture was completely lost on the girl and she could only hold his gaze for a tick, before her guilty conscience forced her to look away. And that unfortunately meant that she was taken completely by surprise when Orion took a hold of her injured arm and started running the cold, wet cloth over the wound. Ren cried out in pain, arm jerking slightly on reflex before she could stop herself. She hurried to bring the fist of her free hand to her mouth, biting down on it hard in order to stop herself from screaming again. Her eyes watered from the pain and she squeezed them shut, trying to focus on her breathing which was suddenly coming out short. Orion’s hands were rather gentle, but even the smallest movement of the rag against her torn flesh was sending a new wave of agony through her body. Ren didn’t know how long the torture continued, just that at some point everything became numb and she was in some sort of semi-aware state. What brought her out of it eventually was a slight shift in the type of pain she was experiencing. Instead of the cold burning sensation that the damp cloth had brought on this was sharper - biting and pinching her flesh as if a hundred small needles were at wok. The girl hissed and then whimpered around her knuckles as Orion let the strong-smelling liquid wash the wound and drip, stained in red, to the ground. After that the man stopped his work for a while and fixed her with his eyes again. Ren wasn’t sure if he wanted to give himself or her a break, but appreciated it either way. Her now thoroughly bitten fist fell limp to her side. She would have been perfectly content to sit there and wallow in her misery and pain, but it seemed her cousin had some questions he wanted answered. Ren just blinked at him at first, the words taking some time to register their meaning in her still hazy mind.Was he asking her what had happened? Yes, it appeared he was. Good. It would distract her from the fact that - her arm was going to fall off! The girl cleared her throat, feeling as if she had spent the last few chimes screaming silently. She probably had. Why had all of this happened again? It felt like this morning of hunting alone through this forest was Seasons away from the present moment. “I was starving,” she started after a while, voice sounding rough before she cleared her throat one more time. “I hadn’t had any luck with hunting for a few days. Until I caught the scent of a deer. I was ecstatic.. I... I didn’t want to have to go into Syliras for food.” Ren didn’t elaborate on her reasoning behind that, but rather glanced towards the young boy seated across from her. “He got to it first. I didn’t really think what I was doing afterwards - just acted. And then came his dog” The last word was spat out with as much contempt as the Kelvic could muster. She didn’t think she would ever be able to regard the species in quite the same way. “You could have left me die,” Ren whispered after a moment’s pause keeping her eyes on the hunter. “You didn’t. Thank you.”

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Summer 36, 512 AV She hadn't changed a bit. Defiant. Feisty. Quick to lash out. And never listening. Ever. "Hold your arm, still, Ren," he demanded, grabbing her wrist tightly. It was too important that this wound was flushed entirely. She'd have to cooperate, at least this time. "Not one of your strong qualities, right?" He spoke plainly and cool. He wouldn't call her out directly. There were more pressing matters, and that boy was here, too. He was certain she knew he wasn't happy with her choice. Upset though he may be, he was being as tender with her wounds as he would with any patient. It had to be painful, no doubt, and he didn't wish to make the injury any worse. Satisfied with the cleanliness of the wound, he grabbed the dressing from beside him and began to cover the wound. "Ren. These will need to be changed. I'll leave you with some, but you'll need to procure some as well. Change them daily. Watch what I'm doing." His instructions were very mechanical, very dry. "The dressing is going to act as your skin for now. It will keep your blood from flowing and allow it to begin to heal. It will also drain itself to purge." After covering the wound in its entirety, he began wrapping gauze around her arm as well. "The dressing is going to soak up discharge from your wound. Don't let it get to the gauze. Change it as often as needed. Seek a doctor if it becomes inflamed and red." He next words were spoken crisply as he looked directly into her eyes. "If you don't, you'll lose your arm. End of story." He could only hope this message would stick. He'd had minimal experience with teaching people how to take care of their own wounds, but he doubted she'd be anywhere near a doctor, so she needed to know. He was irritated with her, but he still loved his cousin. He began pouring the same solution on her other injuries. Starting with her shoulder, he had to be much rougher with her, pressuring the bites in her skin with a clean, water and lavender oil soaked rag, while pouring the same solution at the same time. "Stay still," he ordered." Orion glanced back at Eachann. "Not many truer words. Plain as it may be. And yeah, it'll hurt for awhile, I'm sure. I don't know what it is you do for a living, but I hope you can afford a little bed rest." He had a brave quality about him, Orion had to admit. Or was it stupid? He'd never had made the trip for someone who tried to kill him. Even if she was naked and unconscious. He repeated his actions for her chest wound. This one was a little easier to work, so he was able to be more gentle. He was eager to wrap this up, because the prospect of a naked woman was considerably less exciting, given it was Ren. "You know," he commented, "you would bring me to the one naked woman in the world that I'm related to. If it were any other, I'd be fine with you looking." He began to wrap bandages around her chest. It was more difficult to cover a wound on the side like that, so he would need to go completely around her body several times. It would compress the wound, cover it, and help out if there were any rib injuries. He could help but be glad it had the added benefit of giving her the slightest hint of decency. "It's not like I'd have anything to worry about." He shot Eachann a look. "But this happens to be my cousin. So don't let me catch you gawking. I've got some pretty nasty tools in this bag." The doctor began to pack up his things. It was time for him to get out of here quickly. Now that she was treated he found his patience quickly growing thin. He wasn't able to completely contain himself, a small barb coming from his lips. He spoke quickly and quietly, hoping the young warrior wouldn't hear. "You're so petching stupid, Ren.[/i] He shook his head, giving her a disapproving look he was sure would irritate her to no end.

[Renalee]

As Orion proceeded to bandage her arm Ren couldn’t do anything, but try and sit as still as possible to accommodate his work. Every time he spoke, the dry tone in which his words were delivered served as an almost physical hit, sending a blow directly to her chest. She hadn’t looked up once since the last time she had spoken, her story having been met with nothing of the understanding she had hoped for. If anything, it had only served to deepen her cousin’s resolve to treat her with apparent indifference, which did nothing to hide his true feelings towards her. Gone was the Orion she remembered so fondly, who would reach down to ruffle her hair and laugh loudly at her antics and her silly jokes. Instead, at a time she most needed that version of him, Ren was stuck with this one; this version which could apparently barely stand being around her and was only really helping her out because of a sense of duty towards his profession. By the time the young man unceremoniously informed her that she would be losing her arm, if she didn’t follow his instructions - instructions which she had barely follow and would surely be unable to comply with, considering the unpredictability of her journey - the Kelvic felt very little of the guilt that had been maliciously gnawing at her insides not a tick ago. It had been swapped for her own version of the irritation and disappointment Orion was displaying. What right did he have to act as he did anyway? If he wasn’t going to treat her as the dear cousin she had thought him to see her as, he might as well have treated her as he would a stranger. It would have been preferable, all things considered. By the time the doctor had moved on to cleaning and bandaging the rest of her wounds Ren was making a point of not listening to anything he was saying, be it directed at her or at the other human. She was suddenly grateful for the pain she was experiencing, for it served to keep her distracted and unfocused enough to be mostly able to ignore him. Whenever she did pick up on Orion’s tone she had to grit her teeth in order to keep from bursting out with a retort she was sure none of them would appreciate in the current situation. She could only hope her cousin would soon have enough of torturing her under the pretense of healing her and would deem it appropriate to pack up his things and leave. The blonde already hated the bandages, which not only made the throbbing of her wounds seam stronger and more pronounced, but would also prevent her from shifting, unless she wanted to do herself even more damage. The memory of shackles and chains was still too fresh to tolerate anything resembling constrictions, which made the whole experience even harder. As Orion finished up his work she struggled to sit up a little more, managing to press her back into the nearest of the shelter’s walls, and effectively pulling away from the young doctor. Her knees were drawn towards her as she raised a hand to tug futilely at the gauze around her chest. Between the dog outside, the restrictions of the bandages, and her cousin’s disapproving, judgmental stare she felt as much captive and prisoner as she had ever felt in the slave traders‘ caravan. Mistrust had found its way into her eyes as she carefully gazed upon Orion, who was now busy packing his belongings. All Ren wanted in this moment was to be left alone. She had had enough of humans for one day and while she realised she wouldn’t be able to return to her animal form for a while she was ready to be rid of her companions and face whatever dangers the forest held alone. If they went, the dog would at least go with them. She should have never allowed the human boy to go and fetch her a doctor. She should have never revealed who she was in front of Orion. For that matter, she should have never allowed herself to run out of food in the first place and be forced to take desperate measures. In the end she got nothing for her efforts and would be leaving this encounter much worse off than she had entered it. Ren had completely shifted her attention away from Orion, too focused on her own thoughts, so she was quite startled when she realised that he was suddenly kneeling by her side. The man whispered furiously in what was finally an openly hostile voice: "You're so petching stupid, Ren. At first all the blonde could do was stare blankly at her cousin, not fully comprehending what he was saying. When the words and his expression, and that terribly condescending shake of the head finally sunk in, a low hiss escaped her chest before she could stop herself. She displayed all of her teeth in a threat that would have been much more impressive had she only been in her other form. “How dare you treat me like this!” Her voice wasn’t strong enough to convey all of her resentment appropriately, but the feverish flame in her eyes, which was only partially caused by her injuries, was impressive enough on its own. “You’re not my father and I’m not a child, Orion Michaels. You can’t speak to me in such a way!” The words were leaving an unpleasant taste in her mouth, but she felt like a cornered animal more so than ever and it wasn’t in her nature to sit back and allow herself to be reprimanded in such a way. The young human whose name Renalee had yet to learn must have suddenly decided he didn’t necessarily want to be present for what was clearly quickly escalating into a fight, because the Kelvic saw him retreating towards the entrance of the shelter from the corner of her eye. It didn’t matter. An audience or not, she wouldn’t stand for this any longer. Couldn’t Orion see that this was the last thing she needed right now. “I can’t believe you!” She sounded strangely hurt, instead of angry, as she had wanted to appear. She quickly tried rectifying this by adding another bitter comment. “If you are so unhappy with me, perhaps you shouldn’t have helped me at all.” Whoever this new man was, he wasn’t the cousin she knew and loved.

[Orion Michaels]

Orion Orion stood there silently as she retaliated. He'd watched as the pressure built up, his words, his barbs, his anger poking and prodding her until she'd had enough. The child was defiant as always. Always doing what seemed right to her, not what was really right. Ever since they met at Sunberth, she'd always had this determination to do what she would. Sometimes it was good. Other times she would end up..well, mauled and bloodied, needing someone to fix her up. So no, he wasn't her father. Her guardian. Any of that. He was her cousin, and a man who'd see the horrors of man right along side her in Sunberth. How could two people look at the same thing and come to such a different conclusion, he wondered. She would fight tooth and nail about everything, and it seemed this would be no different. She had hissed at him, she had 'how dare you'd him. Orion took a deep breath, trying to keep cool. She was the one who had gotten hurt being stupid. She was the one who got hurt because she hadn't listened. She'd brought it on herself, and here he was, saving her life. This was his repayment? "You selfish petch," he said through gritted teeth. Orion's pale white skin had gradually darkened to a red as his own anger had brewed. He was irritated before. Now he was pissed. "You're treated. Now I'm done. Try not to get yourself killed. Not that you'll ever petching listen to anyone." Quickly throwing his supplies in the bag, he was ready to leave in a but a few ticks. "It appears my guide has left, so I will, too. Goodbye, Ren. Next time you won't be so lucky as to have someone like me to help you." With that, the doctor turned and stormed from the cave. The girl was hopeless, so there was no sense in wasting anymore energy over it. Yelling at the man who was making sure you wouldn't die? Unbelievable. She wanted to do it her own way? So be it.