Closed A Student's Student (Leith)

[Kaska Villahotes]

Kaska took her eating knife and gutted the beast. He slit it open from throat to groin, ripping out the organs and leaving them in a pile. "Thing about bucks..." he took the animal's testicles in hand and sawed them off. "Spoils the meat if you leave them in. Turns sour and you can only sell it to the poor." he pushed the entrails away, cutting the heavy bits of the stag up after he stripped off the skin. He cut off the head and threw it away as well, handing her the heavy haunches and pulling the rest of the carcass up over his back. "Urgh, least it's the same bloody colour. Roll up the skin. We'll bathe in the river after storing this and take the skin to the market." Kaska told her, sighing as he felt blood soaking through his hair. He followed her to the cave and slid through to the cave, feeling his hairs on his skin prickled up. He set the meat down and looked at her, looking at his long bedraggled, bloodstained locks. "I'm definitely going to take a bath..." he sneered. "Come, I'm not that hungry...we'll take a bath and get back to the city. So I don't lose my streets."

[Leith]

She did as instructed carrying it leading the way “You know it’ll be nightfall by the time we get there right? That’s if we run as much as we can, I’ll need to stop by the tree and get properly dressed.”

She didn’t think he’d want her showing up with him dressed as she was. She’d never seen the city at night and wondered what it was like. “Kaska? How am I supposed to act when I travel with you around there? I figure I’ll need to act a certain way, unless you want me acting like a person you are with? I wanna make it easier on you…”

Her eyes looked up at his open, innocent, trusting him totally, she was positive she’d need to do certain things and not sure what all that would mean.
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[Kaska Villahotes]

Kaska made sure the deer was dry and cool, and stripped off his pants. He stepped out under the freezing spray of water and wrung the cloth out, throwing them back at Leith. "Hang those somewhere dry would you?" he asked, taking his hair in hand and wringing the blood out of it. "Gods in hell, and to think this morning I was clean with cologne on my neck." he muttered, seeing the water wash away rusty pink. He washed himself, the red locks going from bright fire red to deep burnished umber with the wet. He was surprised to find he wasn't as dirty as he thought, but bathing was too tempting to give up. He ducked back inside to root around in his pack and grab his bar of soap and a shaving razor. Not about to miss the opportunity with running water, he shaved everything. His face, neck, chest, underarms, between his legs and his legs themselves. He absolutely hated body hair and when he was forced to work after weeks of being unable to shave more than his face he was miserable. He rinsed himself and stepped back into the cave, pulling on his wet pants. "Let's go then. We'll come back after dark, but that's the point." he told her, looking at the sun dying in the spring sky. It set late, but the hunting and fishing had set the day very late in the afternoon and amber streaked the sky. He wrung out his hair in the cave. "I'd kill for a cigarette. A full stomach, clean skin, the only thing I need is alcohol and good tobacco and I'd consider this the best day of my life" he chuckled.

[Leith]

She scrabbled up the wall through the hole that led up to the place she said they’d camp. She stored the bow and quiver well out of sight, his clothes in the sun. She watched him mildly amused, in some things she did the same as him, but she never recalled ever seeing her father do what he did. She figured it was for what he did, but didn’t ask, she learned that he got rather angry when she asked about it. “What’s tobacco and alcohol? Do they taste good? We could have a full belly now if we ate something here.”

While he had been bathing she had quickly arranged the meat along the coldest part of the cave. It was a narrow strip, but it made her fingers slightly numb. It always seemed like magic to her that such a cold place could exist, in the winter it was layered with frost. She bathed too, choosing to leave the tunic on to clean it along with herself, she dived under the water grabbing the coarse sand. It would have to do for now, she didn’t think he’d like her asking to use his soap. When she was done she wrung out her hair ignoring the dripping water that fell off her. “You never answered my question, how am I supposed to act?”
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[Kaska Villahotes]

Kaska pursed his lips. "I was enjoying a bath." he said, baring his teeth and using his eating knife to scrape away plaque and get himself fully clean. Once he started revelling in cleanliness it was a bit hard to stop at just a good shave. He took one of the tines from his pocket and washed it, sharpening it with his eating knife and beginning to clean his teeth. He almost groaned at the feeling. His mouth felt so fresh. He took a mouthful of cold water and spat out. "I want you to keep a distance, and for the gods' sake don't act like my mate or girlfriend or whatever it is you call it. You'll scare away my clients, thinking that I've got some spawn-like horrible little child to support, or that I won't fuck men now." He wrung out his hair again and dragged the comb through it, sighing happily as the sheet of deep red hair was worked out until it was damp but silky. "What I want you to do is act like I do. Don't get too close but don't stray too far. Don't meet anyone's eyes. When we get to one of my safe alleys we'll establish a few training rules and I'll teach you things. But we need to get to my territory first, and to get there safely we can't be interpreted as challenging anyone." he explained.

[Leith]

She nodded “What do I do if I’m grabbed?”

She’d do some nasty damage if he didn’t say she do otherwise, her teeth while not sharp could still draw blood. She’d go for the throat or any other vital part they were stupid enough to put within reach. While she couldn’t really fight she knew what places were best and if all else failed she’d go for the eyes with her slim, narrow fingers, her nails were almost almost as good as her talons. “I won’t presume to think you anything Kaska, but if it allows me freedom I’d pretend you owned me if I thought it could work.”

She decided it was different watching some other person do things than her family, he was more interesting. She supposed it was because in his own way he was attractive, didn’t mean she wanted anything from him, but she guessed that that was what was different. Other than herself she wasn’t used to being around another person just her flock and then briefly in the city, being in a cave with him was a lot closer than she’d ever been to a human. “You don’t even act like you are after my tail, I’ve seen human males chase females, you don’t act like that. Maybe its because of our working together, maybe I’m just not interesting enough, but I don’t think I’d mind. Your interesting enough I guess, you’re the first human I’ve seen naked save for when I was with my mother and father, but you are human and they are like me. I’m only a few years old by human standards, my kind grow faster after the fashion of our animal forms. I’ve got a lot to learn about humans and stuff, you’ll be a good example to learn from as you’ll show me what to be wary of. I’m not interested in children anyways, that’s what breeding is for and I don’t want any for a long long time.”

She combed her fingers through her hair with a sigh walking out past the water to lay on a flat rock. She let him be alone, the subject of the city was making him grumpy it seemed. She wondered why he stayed around if he hated it so much, it was easier to live in the forest…
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[Kaska Villahotes]

"If you're grabbed, you bite, kick, scratch, whatever you can do to get away. But don't utter a sound. It's like how foxes are attracted to the screams of dying rabbits. If a gang nearby hears a woman yelling, it brings them running." Kaska said grimly. He looked at the pieces of deer laying on the flat rock and picked up one of the legs. While they might be robbed going into the city, he knew someone who could use the food. He came out of the cave with the leg over one shoulder, looking her over. She was cute, getting through the city unscathed might be harder than he thought. He would have to take some very special routes, safe ones he'd marked out years ago as a child. Of course, he could only use half of them because of his anorexic figure; some of the thin gaps between buildings he'd chosen because adults with normal weight couldn't follow. He worked out the route in his head the same way she'd worked out the twin trails to the stream in the forest. "Come with me. We'll head back. I don't like to stay in one place for very long." he told her. "I think I can find the way back to your...nest?" Kaska listened to her as they walked back to the tree, noting angrily that when he walked through the forest with wet things on, things stuck to him. He moved a branch out of the way, trying to remember the location of the tree. They'd spent the whole day in the area, why was this so difficult to recall? He looked back at her when she mentioned men. "It's because we're working together, and I don't have any interest in sex, from anyone." he told her. "Sex to me means a punch across the mouth and blistering pain, or at the very least apathy. I never get anything out of it. If you learn one thing about humans, it's that most of them have it on the brain at all damn times. Which is why you will stick close to me. Some of them don't care if the other party wants to participate or not." He found the tree and pulled on his coat, grateful for the feeling of the warmth against his wet and cold skin. His pants were drying slowly in the late warmth of the day, which meant he'd probably have to deal with filthy trousers for a while. He picked up the mace, grateful it was still there. It was cold to the touch and burned slightly when he slung it across his back, as if punishing him for leaving it behind. Kaska, however, was in a good mood. He was comforted by the fact that he had a meal stored away, to eat whenever he liked. It was an unusual sense of security; more secure than gold could bring. He had a secret. He wrapped up the deer leg in his shirt and tucked it away in his pack, though he had to force the hock joint to bend to get it in. No one could see him coming out of the forest with fresh meat, they'd kill for the rest of it. He felt odd gifting someone he knew couldn't and wouldn't return the favour...but it felt good. Everything prepared, he slung his pack over one shoulder. "Get fully dressed, and put your hair down." he told her.

[Leith]

It gave her food for thought that no matter what happened she wouldn’t be smart if she made any sound. It was going to be almost dark when they got there, that meant none of the flock would be flying around. She was going to be truly alone, with the exception of him, in the city at night, she shivered. She hadn’t been alone since she left home, neither of her parents expected her back, nor had been bothered that she had left. That just wasn’t their way, in fact she thought about it and she figured her mother had been pregnant again. She ignored it, she had her own territory now and the human of hers would be teaching her, she just needed to pay attention. Reaching in to her bag she pulled out two gold mizas sticking them in the pocket inside her vest. She already had money there anyways, but it was always good to be safe. She buttoned it closed so it wouldn’t jingle then combed her hair, it would be dry by the time they made it.

She wasn’t worried about anyone getting close enough to look under the tree. There were nests, her flock would be extra protective and even a very hungry bear didn’t mess with a tree being nested in by her kind. She shoved her eating knife in to her boot adjusting it and its sheath so it was easy to reach. She stood up and waited for him, then followed him once he was ready. She hadn’t said a word so far, she eyed the direction of the city her stomach already in knots. She didn’t think she needed to say anything, just pay attention to what he said. He’d probably be able to see her fear, it wasn’t blatant, but for one like him who needed to be able to see the moods of those he was with, it would be easy to see. She kept close to him, watching him, he was doing surprisingly well and she decided that she’d let him puzzle out how they get to the city.

She wanted to ask how soon they would leave again, but didn’t ask, she didn’t think he would like her bugging him about it. She decided too that she’d have to find someone to teach her how to use a weapon. She’d pass it along to Kaska since he seemed to need it, especially with that thing he carried around. A sword would be too much to carry, but knives? She figured she could do that, knives were easier to carry. She’d be keeping her eyes peeled for someone to teach her, but for now she had to learn from Kaska.
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[Kaska Villahotes]

Kaska paid a guard a few copper to let him into the city without much fuss. Paying him required a lot less explanation and was much quicker, and he guided Leith in without a word. Once inside the city walls Kaska was very quiet, and what was more important very slow. His eyes scanned the darkened streets in front of him, here or there seeing a dark figure watching him. Other whores, pickpockets eyeing his weapon, gangs trying to evaluate strength and worth. Kaska knew his heavy pack was going to be a lure; he had to get rid of the meat. He slid along a wall and ducked into an alleyway. Like Leith, he moved with complete comfort through the filth, hardly batting an eye at rats who snarled at him or dogs who barked. He seemed to have a very specific destination in mind as he headed along the outer walls of the city. He alternated between short jogs, extremely slow sneaking, and flat out runs. He stopped dead at the exit to an alley, spotting a problem. Three men were sitting around an improvised fire, and Kaska could tell from their physiques he'd have nothing but trouble with them. Normally, he'd stride up and see if he could get a few coins out of it, but with Leith he was much more cautious. "Never throw rocks in a city. Rocks can come from anywhere....buildings, rats. Throw something humans would disturb." he told her under his breath as he knelt, his fingers curling around a bottle. Quick as a snake he threw his arm out and the bottle shattered somewhere in the distance. The men stood up like they'd been burned, slowly slinking toward the noise. This gave Kaska enough time to grasp Leith around the wrist, lead her out of their line of sight and into another alleyway. The alleys were full of twists and turns, enough dead ends to store bodies in, and indeed they passed a few with dubious-looking bundles. Kaska stopped at one and slid inside. It was a short alleyway, a dead end, with a small tent pressed up against the wall. He cleared his throat. "Calthus." he kicked the tent. "It's me." he muttered, his ear still on the men who would no doubt be returning to the fire soon. A hollow-faced teenager poked his head out of the tent, and Kaska didn't miss the glint of a small knife. "Since when do I poke out of my territory just to rob you?" Kaska said irritably, squatting down next to the teenager and opening up his pack. "Brought you some food. I heard about your leg from one of your regulars." he pulled out the severed deer leg and saw the teenager's eyes light up in greed. Kaska frowned. "Slowly. You're going to make yourself sick." he said, handing the meat over. Calthus didn't bother cooking it, he sank his teeth into the meat and tore great raw mouthfuls out. Kaska pulled the tent flap aside a bit and looked at boy. Even Leith could see he had a broken leg, but what made Kaska's heart fall a bit was the black veins running up from the wound. Blood poisoning. Kaska gave him less than a week. He'd watch over him, he knew he would, but even cutting off the leg wouldn't help at this point, especially with the way Kaska saw his shoulders shaking. "Thanks." Calthus muttered between mouthfuls, tucking the meat away in his tent. "Since when do you know how to hunt?" Kaska nodded his head at Leith. "She's teaching me." he said by way of explanation.

[Leith]

The streets went by in a blur after he had distracted the men, the tent they stopped at gave her pause, but the smell made her crouch down wary. The human within it stirred, him and Kaska talked, she eyed the wound then the boy. “I don’t think I’ll be able to find someone to help you…”

She looked up at her red haired companion her mismatched eyes taking in his face, she looked back at the boy again. “When the pain starts really hurting, find a way outside the city to the dead pine along the road. I cannot save you, but I can bring you to a pretty place, feed you and then…give you some mushrooms that let you die with good dreams. It’s the only mercy I can give you, should you wish it…”

She then stood up walking to the edge and started keeping watch, the sounds of the city making her restless. She hated seeing things suffer, it would be a kinder mercy to slit his throat now, she wiped her face taking in a quiet breath. She only knew of the mushrooms because she’d seen the look on a man’s face who had eaten some, he died not too long after. The only reason why she had stuck around was because she wanted to know why he’d been out so far. Maybe he’d been very desperate, maybe he’d been hurt, but this human would be suffering and it was all she had to give. It was too late to fix his leg now, it was too infected, it made her hurt thinking of him dying alone. Humans were such fascinating, but awful creatures, to allow their own kind to suffer so, at least in the wild the weak and hurt were killed cleanly.
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