Thar Shaddin

Nia sat still as the fox man used her for support. It was clear that he suffered from a great deal of pain. It showed itself in his slow movement, his face contorted and looked as if he would lose his balance at any moment.

But, he did not. He had been able to pull himself up to his feet with what looked to be a painful action. In his condition, he shouldn't have been trying to move at all. Though she had no idea how badly she had hurt him, she knew that he needed to rest while he tended to his injury. Too much movement and he could hurt himself even move, she had seen it before and it never ended in a good way.

"Home" he said as he pointed off in the direction of the man herd.

Home. Home was something she understood. Not home with men though, home in the woods, home with the animals. Home was where they were, not beyond the trees where men dwelled.

"No" she shook her head as she climbed to her feet. "Home." With arms spread to indicate the whole of the glen, Niabi showed him where home was. Home was here, and here is where he should stay.

Chrishton closed his eyes in mild frustration. It was more brought on by the pain than the deer woman.

"Unless you're hiding a doctor under that skirt of yours... I think my home is better."

Of course she didn't understand what he was saying. It didn't matter. He said it anyway.

Without hesitation or asking for permission, he put his arm over her shoulders and leaned against her completely for support. In this form he didn't weigh much more than she did.

"Stop being difficult... and help me get to town."

Raising his hand, he once again pointed in the direction of shim, and said "town." He then made a little walking gesture with his fingers. "We go."

"Chrish aon." The injured fox-man leaned heavily on her. Though he stood over a foot taller then her, he was surprisingly lighter then she had expected him to be. She still had to work at keeping them standing so that he did not knock them off balance.

It was obvious that he was injured, probably quite seriously. Not only was he leaning on her for support and seemed to be having trouble speaking but under his soft white fur were signs of bruises beginning to form. Instinct told her that these wounds needed to be tended to but the way in which he wanted to deal with them was alien to her.

She could understand it if he wished to curl up in a ball and lick his injuries. Or if he wanted to drag himself deeper into the woods to die, that made sense. Men? Men kill. Why he wanted to travel to the man herd was beyond her understanding.

"Men kill Chrish" she tried to argue her point but knew that her concept of language was lacking what was needed to be convincing.

She knew that she couldn't stop him if he was determined to return to the world of men but she hoped that maybe he would listen to her words of wisdom.

The kitsune grunted. "No, Niabi. They won't."

He wasn't going to listen to her warnings, and she couldn't understand his words. It was a real impasse. Walking into town alone was going to be difficult with broken ribs and, he feared, internal bleeding. If he did have some internal injuries from her stomping, it was probably going to take him out soon. Only a healer could tell for sure what damage was done, but the stabbing pain was more than any broken rib he'd had before.

Had she forgotten that he was a man?

With a moment of reprise to close his eyes and focus his mind, he shifted back into the large, burly man who had entered the woods initially. Still holding her for support, she felt his bulk bear down upon her as he suddenly weighed nearly twice as much as he did as a kitsune. The fur was gone, and he was naked again, exposing the dark bruises along his body for the nasty, purple and blue mess that they were.

"Ugh. Fuckin'... Hell."

Urging her over to a tree, he released her and leaned against it so that he could point a shaky finger at his pants.

"Pants. Get m'pants fer me... please..."

The two of them still smelled like sex, but at least he could be only half naked before begging for help from the first townsfolk he could find.

Niabi was more then a little disappointed when Chrishton decided to change back into a man. She preferred him better as a fox, he felt more a creature of the woods that way, like herself. Though he did not look like a fox anymore, she knew that he was still one on the inside, where it mattered. He would continue to be an animal even if he didn't look the part.

His soft white fur disappeared and was replaced with nice tanned skin, or it would be nice tanned skin if not for the dark purple hoof prints that marked his chest and back. He wasn't nearly as dark as she was but he had the nice coloring of someone who spent a good deal of time out of doors. The bruises were much more noticeable without the fur to hide them. Nia didn't want to look at them. They reminded her of the mistake that she had made.

She wanted to apologize for the mistake that she had made. She would never had attacked him if she knew what he really was but he, like herself, hid himself from others and she had attacked him by mistake. Niabi was unable to express an apology in the way that men did, such an act was unknown to her. In the woods feelings and emotions were expressed differently. Licking and nuzzling were common ways of communicating among her kind. Perhaps it would work with him too.

He pushed himself off of her leaning up against a tree. He could barely even stand and yet he wanted to make the dangerous trip back to the man herd. She could not stop him if he really wanted to go. He was no fawn and she could not control his actions, if he wanted to go that was entirely up to him. Though she doubted that he would make it far on his own.

She licked him on the cheek before heading off after his strange clothing. She didn't fully understand the reasoning behind the clothes but figured that he probably wore them to hid his true self from men much as he did. He might not have had the signs of being an animal about him anymore but maybe they could since it on him if he did not hide himself.

Holding up the strange thing he had pointed at, Niabi examined it. Unlike her simple wrap of furs, his clothing was so complicated. It was stiff and felt unnatural in her hands. She could not wrap it around herself like she did with the furs ans it had holes in it. Nia held the strange thing up to herself trying to figure it out. It was a complete mystery to her. With a shrug, she handed the thing to him.

Born human and primarily preoccupied with human society though he was, Chrishton knew a thing or two about being an animal. It wasn't as though he hadn't licked or nuzzled a few ladies in his time as a human either. But a lick on the cheek? It made him laugh.

Or, rather, he started to laugh and then cut it short with another grunt and roll of his eyes. It came out as more of a convulsive huff followed by several smaller convulsions he made while calming himself.

His generally mirthful demeanor didn't change despite the physical barriers to outward laughter. So what if she had tried to kill him, and so what if he thought he had a severe internal injury that he worried might kill him if he didn't find a healer to take a look at it? He'd just gotten laid by a sexy thing in the woods, and aside from her murderous streak she seemed pretty nice. Upon examining her behind as she bent over to pick up his pants, he concluded that she was a good find.

Once handed his pants, he began the arduous task of putting them on without bending over too much. This was accomplished by dropping them on the ground in front of himself, stepping into them, and then bending at the knees so he could reach and pull them up. When he was finished, he gave Niabi another look, pushing his eyebrows together.

"We go to town. Come."

Maybe directness would work.

He waved her over, and when she came he put his hand on her shoulder for support and started walking toward Shim, not giving her an option to refuse unless she wanted to let him fall.

Niabi had found herself split on what to do next; the fox-man insisted on traveling to the home of the man herd where he had come from but Nia knew that that place was not safe. She didn't want to leave him alone in the injured state that he was in but she was still quite worried for her own safety.

It was her desire to help the wounded creature that finally won through. She couldn't leave him to die, then she would be no different then the men who killed her herd.

With his arm on her shoulder, she walked with him. They set out at a slow pace, he seemed to be in much pain from his injuries and she was in no real hurry to confront men in their own home. Just the thought of it scared her to the point that she wanted to turn around and run for safety but she remained by his side.

Unlike when she had led him into the clearing, she took her time to carefully avoid hazards in their way. When a low hanging branch would make its way into their path, she would carefully lift it out of the way so it would bring no further harm to the fox and cause none to the tree. Niabi set a course through the woods that avoided much of underbrush that could trip them or otherwise tangle their feet. They still had a fair share of uneven walkway and rocks to travel over but she did her best to try to make it as easy for him as she could.

As they walked she remained silent. Nia spent most of her life without the use of words and so speaking didn't come naturally to her. It didn't occur to her that her companion might wish to talk and so she continued onward with only the sound of her hooves snapping the occasional twig.

Chrishton was fine with remaining silent for most of the walk. It was enough trouble for him to keep walking through the pain, he didn't want to deal with the additional breathing required to speak. And just as well. The deer woman was one of few words.

It was part of her allure.

As the town came into view, Chrishton was grateful that Shim was the quiet, sleepy place that it was. There was nobody around to notice the two of them clearing the underbrush and making their way into town. If anyone did see them, there would be a lot of questions to answer. Namely why anyone would be emerging from the woods, which were known to be haunted and full of all sorts of bad news. When even the elves stayed out of your woods, you knew they were twisted.

The two of them walked across the grassy field separating Shim from the Virdara Woods. An occasional grunt from Chrishton signaled that he was still in pain, but still managing. Their route took them dangerously close to Kaledin manor. Though separated from the place by a tall iron fence, another line of trees, and many yards of manicured gardens, they could see the building looming over them clearly from its place atop the hill. Chrishton didn't think it looked nearly as threatening during the day, though that might have been because he knew the real threat was helpless until sunset.

Finally they reached Main Street, across which the first houses in town were located. It was a quiet evening and still devoid of other souls. Not even the market square had anyone in it that Chrishton could see.

Good. He liked his chances of finding help further through the town, at one of the farms. Farmers were usually friendly, even in Shim.

He led Niabi through the empty streets. It wasn't until they were well into the town that they saw people. A woman carried a large basket of what appeared to be grain braced against her tummy and waddled along the road away from them. Not far from her a man sat on a step in front of his shop smoking a pipe. His face was a torrent of wrinkles and wispy gray hair, and he was the first to actually notice the two of them. All he did was stare, and continue puffing.

Further along there were a few others, but none were interested in stopping to say hello, and eventually the houses spread apart and became the farms Chrishton was looking for. Picking one at random, he led her with him toward it, down the path that led to the front door.

His mind started to work out a suitable cover story for whoever they met inside. It promised to be easy.

Niabi was filled with a confusing mix of fear and curiosity. Instincts told her that this place wasn't safe and even though they encountered very few men within their strange and dangerous territory. She wanted to run but the fox needed her; she couldn't just leave him to die in this strange place.

Beneath her hooves the ground was oddly firm, she did not kick up dirt with each step nor feel the brush of any plants rub up against her ankles. The mess of furs that served as a crude form of clothing slid across the path but did not gather the usual debris in its wake.

On either side of this strange path, odd structures sat on patches of grass. They resembled small mounds of tightly packed dirt or large stones or something like a cave but they had several openings. She imagined that it looked something like a combination between a burrow and a nest. Such strange ways men lived.

When deep within their breeding ground, Nia spotted the first pair of men and eyed them cautiously as Chrishton led her further in. The others must be hiding within their holes, waiting to attack. He may have been leaning on her for support but she moved closer to him for protection.

Further in, he decided to approach one such man cave with one of the larger patches of grass off to the back and side of it. Though she knew that it was men who dwelled within these unnatural-looking things, Nia felt the terror build within her as if she were instead standing before the cave of a hungry family of bears.

Humming a tune quietly to herself, Keris wiped the last plate dry and sat it on the shelf with the other dishes. She did not mind the washing... or any of the other chores around the house or farm for that matter. Her adoptive parents did so much for her that Keris enjoyed being able to repay them in any form.

They had left Keris to clean up after an early breakfast, while they hurried to market day in Shim with some of the squash and apples recently harvested. Their farm was a small one… but they managed to grow enough each year to provide them with food and a little extra to sell in the village. Keris, at least, never felt that their lives were lacking.

Except… there was the nagging thought that on occasion thrust itself to the forefront of her mind. It reminded her that she was adopted and that somewhere, maybe, her real parents were out there. That for some reason she had been abandoned… and that to seek any answers would take her away from the only home she had ever known.

Shaking her head as if to dispel the unwelcome train of thought Keris decided to head to the barn to feed the chickens. The fresh air would help clear her mind and restore her usually happy spirit.

Just as she reached for the handle there was a knock on the door. Startled, Keris quickly opened the door, and then gaped with her mouth open at the unusual pair before her.

The woman… she was exotic looking, and Keris could not help but wonder at her unusual clothing… or lack thereof. The man was large, and would have been dangerous-looking had he not been leaning on the woman beside him as if for support. Keris caught herself staring at his muscled chest... or specifically at the large, painful looking bruise discoloring it.

“Can… can I help you?” Keris asked uncertainly, a faint blush tinting her cheeks and her eyes flickering from the man, to the woman, and back again.

The girl who answered the door was younger than Chrishton had expected. As with most situations, he hadn't given much thought to who might actually answer, but somewhere in the back of the mind was the assumption that it would be some homely farmer's wife who he could fast talk into giving them shelter for a few days. Instead, it was a flustered girl who looked to be about 16 years old. The prospect of taking advantage of her presented him with a moral quandary. Should he do the right thing and ask to speak to her parents, or should he use his charming wit (if one could call his attitude charming) to pressure her at the risk of causing trouble?

"'ey darlin'..." he huffed while clearly struggling to speak through the pain his badly bruised chest was causing him. Suddenly his eyes lost focus and his large frame slipped away from Niabi's supporting hold. He fell forward, nearly caught the door-frame, and collapsed onto the floor in a curled heap. Grunting with the impact, he let out a lengthy groan and then stopped moving.

Chrishton never did have the strictest of moral standards.

Chrishton fell too quickly for Nia to even try to regain any sort of grip on him. His weight easily slipped off of her much smaller frame as he sagged and slumped forward. He crashed to the ground with a thump that almost knocked Niabi off her wobbly hooves.

Awkwardly, she had to lower herself to the ground in order to help him. It was a difficult task in itself just trying to bend over without falling on her own butt. Without the use of front legs, she had to lean forward to keep herself from falling backwards as she bent over. It was a slow process, much slower then Chrish's fall but it was better that she take her time and not fall herself.

With her slow movement, Niabi was able to keep both of her eyes on the man standing before her. Female man. Though the man didn't look to be in a threatening position, she knew the thing couldn't be trusted. At any moment it could attack. With Chrish in a defenseless position, he could be killed, she could be killed just by trying to protect them both.

"Chrish?" She nuzzled the soft part of his back, between the shoulder blades. Besides keeping watchful eyes on the dangerous predator in front of her, instincts told her that she had to reestablish her claim on her new mate.

For a moment Keris was stunned into inaction, merely staring open-mouthed as the man attempted a greeting then fell to the ground. Unable to grasp the gravity of the situation, Keris watched as the woman knelt awkwardly beside the man and attempted to revive him with a quiet word that was difficult for her to understand - and she could only assume was the man's name.

Finally, Keris shook her head quickly as if to dismiss the thoughts that kept her from focusing on the present situation. She knelt on the opposite side of the man from the woman, wincing at the sight of the welts and bruises on his back. "How did this happen?" She asked quietly, not looking up. "We need to get him inside..." Keris continued, motioning to the door with a half-hearted gesture. She could see that this man weighed more than she and the strange woman could likely handle on their own, and her parents were not due back for several hours.

Biting her lip, Keris reached out her hand and rested it over one of the bruises. I... I can't help him... she thought to herself, but I have to try... Her eyes fluttered shut in concentration and the muscles on her face tightened as if in pain. Her skin paled and beads of sweat formed on her brow.

Below her hand broken blood vessels began to heal, tissues that had been torn knitting themselves back together. The dark purple bruise began to fade ever so slightly, the edges becoming yellowish-green...

His impact with the floor hurt more than he had anticipated. It was a risky move in many ways, and a stupid move in many others. Indeed, it nearly had the serendipitous side effect of causing him enough pain to actually pass out, as opposed to merely pretending as he was. Waves of pain shot up through his torso, and he saw stars behind closed eyelids. He did his best to remain still, rather than impulsively clutch at his ribcage, which he was now absolutely sure was very, very broken.

Chrish?

Chrishton felt a pang of guilt for Niabi's distress. Even though she was the cause of his injuries - Knowingly attempting to kill him and all - he didn't like to hear her voice so distraught. She really did have a lovely voice.

How did this happen?

The girl was asking Niabi questions. That was one part of his plan he hadn't quite thought about. The deer woman didn't know how to speak... Well, not much anyway. His plan rested entirely on the shoulders of the girl, and his split second assessment of her personality that he made between the time of her answering the door, and his faint.

As the dirty grit of the wooden floor began to dig into his cheek, he started to relax, fully knowing that he'd done all he could do. There was no way he was going to get up again under his own power. Inari's minions were being eerily quiet about it.

That's when he felt a hand touch his back, and the pain of his injuries morphed somehow. It did not immediately subside, but rather felt like tiny fingers were playing with his nerves, knitting things back together the way they ought to be. It was the familiar sensation of healing magic.

His cheek - the one that wasn't pressed up against the gritty floor - curled up in a wry grin.

The female man was challenging her. She had placed her own hand on Chrishton's back in order to stake her own claim over the man. As odd as it was, Niabi found herself put into a situation where she was going to have to fight for her mate. Normally only males would do such a thing but she had a feeling that men had strange ways of doing things and if she didn't act on her inner emotions, she might lose the fox.

Nia flared her nostrils and snorted at the female as a return to her challenge. She lent over the body of Chrish and pushed the girl away. It was her mate and no man was going to take him from her.

"Chrish...on Nia mate." She was angry and let it be known in her voice.