Blood Feud Ch. 02

Why did he bring me here? Perhaps because the environment is ideal for purifying the body of toxins. But then.. it must have been difficult to move me this far.

"Hey!"

I glared over at Argetlus coolly. He was standing on the other end of the bank, holding a pile of familiar looking clothes with a strangely timid expression on his face. Traces of white smoke trickled up behind him. I started his way, drooping my head so my eyes were shaded. He walked to meet me on sandaled feet. He was short for a Remulan, but not below my own height. The top of my head could have fit below his chin if we were standing closely enough. I tried not to think about it.

"I figured you wouldn't wait around for me. How are your wounds?" Argetlus chirped with his usual sleepy half smile.

There was a hint of color in his cheeks, and he was avoiding direct eye contact. I glared narrowly at him. He better not have seen anything.

"Fine." I muttered, blushing involuntarily.

"I would prefer at least to check the one on your back."

"No."

"Oh? Why not?"

"..."

He shifted his feet and tilted his head at me. I enjoyed the idea of making him uncomfortable, even if it felt like an excuse for my own lack of social skills.

"Whatever pleases you... Here are your clothes. I mended your cloak for you, but it was so damaged I had to patch it."

He returned a pile of clean, neatly folded garments to me. I reached an arm outside the blanket's warm cocoon and snatched at it. My hand brushed his, and I felt a strange tingle flow between us. He didn't flinch away from my touch, but instead seemed to linger in it. Clutching the bundle impatiently to my chest, I distracted myself by pulling out a pant leg. The dark green fabric had been cut very, very short. I stared at it while Argetlus dropped my boots to the ground with a clop.

"What is this..?"

"Hmm? The cloth is similarly dyed, so I used your trousers to mend your cloak... Is there a problem?"

I released all the irritation that had been building up inside me at that backward Remulan man for the last few minutes by delivering a swift punch to his face. My hand avoided his beautiful eyes, of course, but also seemed to stray from his nose and jaw. My knuckles cracked against his cheek, and he fell back, clumsily landing on his ass.

"What the fuck was that for?" he demanded from the ground, a hand over his bruised cheek and one green eye screwed shut in an adorable wince.

"You disgust me."

I turned my back to him and lowered the blanket down to my waist. I secured it as snugly as I could to preserve decency and unfolded my tunic with a flick of my wrist.

"...This is the thanks I get?"

He sounded more sarcastic than angry.

"In return for your services, I shall allow you to live." I bluffed.

I didn't look over at him as I donned my thin, black tunic and straightened my collar. I had expected him to think I was joking, maybe even laugh. Then he would get the idea that I was serious when I didn't say anything, and maybe he would leave me alone after that.

"So you're more than a simple bounty hunter. You're a murderer of innocent people, like those you hunt."

His tone was dark and acidic, when before he had sounded so carefree, so different. It was as if his voice had changed suddenly, deepening in pitch and lowering in temperature. The hairs on the nape of my neck began to stand on end, and my instincts were telling me that my back should not be turned. I heard him stand, take a step closer, hesitate.

My breathing stopped momentarily. I could feel his eyes boring holes into the back of my skull.

"I only kill rapists and murderers. Those who take things that can not be replaced."

He paused, but the mood seemed to lighten. When he spoke again, he sounded as he normally did. It was almost as if I had imagined the frigid voice from before.

"I didn't touch you in any way I did not have to in order to save your damned life."

"In case you haven't noticed, the doctors in these lands do not strip their charges naked and bathe them while they are unconscious."

"Maybe not. But I only did what I was taught to in my home country. I do apologize for not wearing a fucking blindfold."

I released a long, slow breath.

"You're a long way from home, Remulan." I mused out loud. "Give me some damn privacy."

"...Right."

He decided to drop the argument and obediently turned, scratching at the back of his neck fitfully.

"Perhaps I will tell to you my story, if you're curious." he called back as he walked away. "But only in return for your own."

I tilted my head to one side very subtly and watched him with narrowed eyes as he paced back to the fire. He walked with a lazy swagger. What a dick. I pondered his earlier words. He had sounded like a man ready to draw blood, which didn't suit his lax, sympathetic personality. Was what I had said really that offensive? He had defiled my body. I was the one who had the right to a grudge. Even as I mulled this over, I couldn't keep my eyes from straying to his strong, dark legs sprinkled with strikingly contrasting fair hairs as they rippled with movement. The wind brushed his cloak to one side, and I watched his pretty little rear dance behind the tail of his tunic as he ambled forward. There was something like a hidden grace in that stride. I gasped quietly. A memory flashed across my mind's eye. A figure shrouded in darkness. A bolt of lightning leaving its puckered hand and alighting on Razo the bandit. Razo's eyes turning white, mouth wide in a soundless scream.

I finished dressing in haste. He had returned my belt, but not my quiver or bow. I turned my belt in my hands checking each of the hidden pockets and loops to make sure all of my possessions were accounted for before strapping it on. The only vials missing were the antidotes Argetlus had taken to use for my treatment. All of my vials were unmarked, and I was grateful he knew his poisons so well or I would have most definitely died. I matched the missing bottles to the suspicious ones I had swiped from the cavern and replaced them. I didn't seem to be short any knives either, which was impressive considering sometimes even I couldn't manage to retrieve them all after a sloppy battle in the forest. I lingered on the pocket that contained the small bone bladed knife. I had not checked it since my last anniversary, almost a year ago. Slowly, I pinched it open. The handle looked dark in its shadowy pouch. I didn't take it out. I couldn't with him around.

I approached Argetlus casually. He was sitting before the low burning fire with his legs curled before him, back turned. I had a good view of his nicely shaped shoulders, but I didn't allow my eyes to wander to their liking. It annoyed me to no end how gorgeous the man was. He had two pots surrounded by flat stones that were still glowing red hot from a recently steadied fire. My mouth began to water as I drew close enough to see inside. One pot contained three freshly caught fish boiling with mushrooms and little red herbs. The other bore a thick, brown broth floating bite sized chunks of meat. I was astounded. Nothing I cooked on my travels had ever looked nearly as appetizing. For my daily meals I would catch small animals, such as rodents or lizards, and roast the meat on skewers. That was when I was lucky. And as for gathering, I would eat any edible berries or nuts that I found on the spot. No need to save them for garnishing shit.

I spotted my bow and quiver resting in the grass near him and moved to take them.

"Look tasty? I hope you like long eared rat and Tano fish." Argetlus said cheerfully and sipped some wine from another bowl.

"'There's no such thing as a free lunch.' I believe that saying comes from your people." I said as I slipped my quiver over a shoulder.

Argetlus chucked quietly. "You must have been exposed to plenty of Remulans before me. Have you ever been to Remula?"

"No." I lied.

"Ah... Well. Your grave wounds are enough of a penance for this meager lunch." he offered cryptically as he stirred the delicious smelling broth. "Please, sit with me."

"I can't accept this." I said quietly, lowering my eyes. My own words somehow caused my gut to despise me intensely. "I have burdened you enough already. While I am grateful that you saved my life, I must be on my way before I cause you any more trouble."

He turned to look at me, and I felt miserably guilty. Yet another feeling I wasn't used to.

"As your physician, I insist that you stay long enough to have a meal precious to your health." Before I could wedge in an objection, he continued.

"You are in no condition to travel alone." his tone darkened. "You have been severely cursed, my friend. The magic you were attacked with is still active and stubbornly refuses to relieve you from its grip of death. Which reminds me. I am certain you have plenty of questions about your situation that you are eager to hear answered?"

I narrowed my eyes at the back of his head as he poured some stew into a bowl. However tempting his offers, I hated such manipulations. Argetlus appeared to be sharper than he let on, which made me uncomfortable enough. But combined with the predicament I had awoken to, I found that I lacked even a sprinkling of trust for the man. Most people probably would have felt completely the opposite for someone who had saved them so indiscriminately, but he was a man who appeared to be hiding behind a mask. What made me the most wary though was the small part of me that insisted on wanting to trust him. I decided it would be easiest to pretend that my guard had been lowered by his talk. That way I could accept information from him and compare its authenticity with what I already knew happened. All the while I was trying to internally reassure myself that I hadn't actually become at ease with him.

"I do have questions. The bandits Kutka, Ha'zok and Razo, Nortahn. What became of them?"

I pulled the hood of my cloak up as I walked around the low, smoking fire to sit across from him. I sat as I usually did— legs curled, stacked, and knees facing forward with my hands resting against them.

"And where are their weapons?"

I draped the tail of my patched cloak over my exposed skin as I finished speaking. He stared at me with smiling eyes that reflected an eerie red and orange glow from the embers.

"Weapons? I have stored a brutishly large sword and a collection of other very illegal trinkets in a safe place."

"What are you, a tree rat?"

Argetlus' unrestrained musical laughter struck a cord of surprise in me. And another of something else. A sweet feeling like drinking the nectar from inside a honey lily that was also bitter as losing a favorite friend. Nostalgia.

"It isn't far, if that's what you're worried about. I'm having a friend look after them. I suppose you have someone to report to with them?"

He handed over a warm bowl of the meat stew, and I mumbled my thanks as I took its rim on either side in my spread fingertips. The steam pouring off the bowl carried a delicious, hearty scent.

"There is no hurry."

My post and every other bounty hunter in Chesl'mineio probably thought I was dead by then, but as long as I returned with the weapons, the silver was mine. I searched the ground for a moment and picked up a twig. Setting the bowl down in my lap, I drew a throwing knife a little too sharply, and Argetlus stiffened. I looked over at him curiously, but he was already tipping his own bowl and loudly slurping at the stew. And his kind called mine barbarians?

"Ahh..." he sighed, then cleared his throat.

I gawked at him indignantly.

"As for the bandits' location, I know not. Are they who nearly killed you?"
"...You were there." I cued, peeling the twig with the edge of my blade.

I turned the wood around until I had formed a clean, white point; perfect for fishing larger morsels into my mouth before sipping the thick gravy.

He furrowed his brow. "You remember seeing me? Are you certain?"

"It was slightly difficult to miss you striking my opponents with lightning."

He frowned as he took another drink from his bowl, but his green eyes were smirking as if taunting me. I ignored his clueless tactics and began stabbing the tender meat chunks out of my stew and shoveling them into my mouth. It was so good, I almost moaned at the first taste.

"So that is what you saw? T'wasn't me." he coolly claimed. "I would guess that you suffered some hallucinations from the nasty sort of poison you were inflicted with. However... it was a sound like thunder that drew me to you."

I had wondered earlier if he could have been the same man who had swatted the Dragonspell Bandits off me like flies. I was then certain it was him.

"When I heard it the first time, I looked up at the sunny, cloudless sky and was baffled. I thought there might be some casters having a pissing contest, so I decided to go see if anyone was in need of first aid. Wine?"

He offered me his own wine cup, and I assumed it was a custom to share drinks that way in Remula. I raised my hand in refusal. I wondered if he intentionally kept trying to change the subject in order to think on his lie.

"More for me."

He took another heavy gulp of spirits and licked his full lips with the tip of his pink tongue before continuing his tale. My groin tingled. I froze with my stake half way to my mouth, unable to believe I was beginning to feel aroused again.

"I found you lying in a heap bleeding to death and suffering toxin induced seizures. There were scorch marks on many trees, and the ground was blackened in patches from a potent thermal energy. I suspected that the reason there wasn't a roaring brush fire by then is because the magic used was so swift and directional that it put itself out on contact. However, I discovered some shifted clots of dirt coating the scorched vegetation that did not appear natural in origin. The fellows who attacked you must not have been the sharpest if they were using fire magic that recklessly in the middle of a wooded area."

I sighed. Only a caster would have been able to give such thorough commentary on a fight involving magic.

"Am I a fool to you?"

"Oh? Is that your name?"

I glared hotly at him, directly into his tantalizing eyes.

"Fuck you."

"Would you?"

I nearly spat back into my bowl at that remark. Straightening, I didn't allow him to throw me for a loop and held my ground against his entrancing gaze. It was like staring down a cat. The nostalgia I had been hiding from touched me again. I forfeited our undeclared contest and scowled into my bowl.

You wish I would. I thought moodily.

"Are you still upset about how I managed you while you were unconscious?"

I perked up, startled by the accuracy of his inquiry. I narrowed my eyes at my stew.

"Would you like to see me naked? So we will be even?"

I pulled my hood lower and forced on a hard frown while I blushed helplessly at the suggestion. Heat surged into my groin, and I felt myself ripen. Ordinarily I would respond to such outrageous talk by lashing out, but I was beginning to get used to his antics.

"I hope you're proud of yourself for asking such an inappropriate question, you sodomite."

"That's your favorite epithet for me."

I heard the smirk in his tone as he drank down more ill behaved spirits.

"I can show you how there is no dire consequence of being naked before another man. Honestly. You are sensitive as a woman regarding the issue."

"It was you in the forest that day. Why lie about it?"

I felt him looking at me, but I dared not look back and portray my inner turmoil with a potentially frail expression.

"I'm not. Want a fish?"

I smacked my bowl to the ground and scrambled to my feet. All my life, I had been too weak to do anything myself. No matter how hurt or lost I was, there was always someone there to help me back up. Everything I had ever accomplished had been the gift of a shadow lurking over me. I began marching into the needle armored trees as green as Argetlus' eyes. The warm breeze was pulling me forward with familiar caresses, encouraging me in my choice.

"Hey!" Argetlus yelled, sounding flabbergasted.

I tracked him with my ears as he raced after me and stopped to hover a few steps behind.

"Look." he said lowly. "I'm not—"

I spun and slashed at him with a dagger. He sidestepped it with his eyebrows raised and knocked it out of my hand with a straight aimed fist. He followed up by grabbing my collar in one hand and rearing the other back in preparation to block my volley of counter strikes. I snapped his own collar up and attacked him with aimless punches.

"What is your problem!? Cut it out you crazy bastard!" he shouted at me.

We collapsed onto the ground, and he immediately locked me in a choke hold. I would have thought of it first, but the tumble had hurt my injuries. I struggled to breathe under his brawn. I could have drawn another dagger, but I didn't want to severely harm him. He released me easily, and I went limp in his arms.

"I know you're upset, but please. That's enough. I won't tease you anymore, okay?"

He helped me up, and I ducked my head and turned away before he could see my swollen, watery eyes. He grappled me into an embrace from behind.

"You must be going through a lot in your life right now. I know it's hard, but sometimes you need to allow others to help you."

I wheeled away from him and glared angrily.

"I'm just fine. I don't need a disgusting sodomite like you chasing my ass."

I began to stomp away. I had taken no more than four steps when he spoke again.

"You tried to kill yourself."

I halted in my tracks.

"There was a knife clasped in your hand when I found you. You were pointing it at your own throat. That's why I didn't leave your clothes with you. I thought your nakedness would act as a mental trigger of self preservation."

"I had received the mark of a coward on my back. I might as well have died like one."

"Honor nothing. You tried to die because you wanted to."

I could have ignored him and just left. I could have demanded him to take me to where he had stashed the weapons and stolen a mount from some nearby mountain village to give him the slip. Instead, I stood there facing the forgotten meal with tears that I couldn't control streaming down my face. He approached me cautiously and rested his hands on top my shoulders to turn me around. I looked at him wretchedly. He thumbed the tears from my cheeks and embraced me again. His body felt firm and strong as a seasoned warrior's and not soft and yielding like a simple doctor's. He was so warm, like falling asleep in the sunlight. When he ran his hands over my back, my heart melted.

"Let me help you heal." Argetlus pleaded, holding me closer.

He pointedly kept his hips away from my own, and I wished he wasn't. I felt like I was having a sudden remembrance of losing something important after leaving his embrace. We walked back to our food in silence that felt more companionable than awkward. The first thing he did was pick up his wine.

"My name..." I started.

But I couldn't tell him. He was so much like Klarsi that I couldn't bear to hear the title of endearment he had given me on Argetlus' lips. If I didn't separate him in my heart from the daeman prince, I would go mad.

"It's Klarsi."

The clay bowl slipped out of Cares's fingers and an arch of wine splashed from its rim as it dropped to the ground. It shattered into dense, jagged shards, and the red, translucent drink inside swam into little streams atop the mud. He seemed to bend his head toward me in slow motion. His usually lazy green eyes were wide and ablaze with intuition.