Post by creamwolfgurl on Apr 30, 2007 5:27:38 GMT -5
When I came to, we were in a forest and I was lying on the ground, un-gagged and being watched over by the enormous cheetah. I moaned and it changed into the bo— Jak.
“You OK?” he asked, watching my face intently.
“Why?” I said sullenly, raising an eyebrow. I was afraid but determined not to show it. He was around my age after all, and didn’t look mean or cruel.
“Jeez, be that way. Sairon’s getting food.” He sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. I needed you to come and—“ he shrugged, “I got you to come.”
“You stole me. So untie me. Come on, I bet I couldn’t find my way home and a freaking winged-cheetah would catch me before then anyway.” My voice sounded resigned and carefree, but an undertone of steel ran through it.
“Well, I dunno.” He eyed me carefully. “This is an enchanted forest, so we’re part way to the village. And promises here are unbreakable. Not even crossed fingers will break them. So I’ll untie you if you promise to stay by my side until I say you can go.”
There went my plan. Dammit, I wanted to be properly free but I supposed this was a start. “Fine. What do I have to do?”
Repeat after me: I do vow to stay by the side of Jak Cheetah, until he, and only he says I may depart.
I looked askance at the horse. “But now you do.”
Jak only grinned. “Repeat what he said. Sairon, you’re free.”
My eyes smouldered. “Fine. I do vow to stay by the side of Jak Cheetah, until he, and only he says I may depart.” I huffed out a breath. “Happy now? Untie me.”
Jak bent down by my feet, took out a carved pocketknife and slashed the rope. “Oh man.” I moaned. “ Mum’s gonna kill me for that.”
Jak ignored me and cut the rope around my wrists. I staggered to my feet, briefly entertaining the idea of attacking him, knocking him out and- if I had to stay by his side- dragging him with me. I figured I could do it, but the horse was watching me.
“C’mon.” Jak said. “Let’s go.” He stared to walk away and I found I was dragged with him. There was a thump as I fell over and kept dragging across the ground. He looked around and a laugh lighted his face.
“You gotta keep up you know. Swift.”
I growled at him, a fierce rumble. Then I looked surprised. That had never happened before.
“You must know about shapeshifting. Except it’s more like you are an animal, instead of just turning into one.”
“You know that sounds like an insult.”
“Probably does, to you.” He looked up at the ever-darkening sky. “Bugger, this took too long, we’ll have to make camp.”
Within an hour he’d set up a sizable tent-ish thing and made a circle of rocks- “for the fire.”- and he was sitting out side the tent while I stretched the tether of my promise and tried to hide away. No hope. It wouldn’t let me that far. He grinned every time he saw me trying to pull away, severely annoying me. “What!?” I snarled at him after he burst into laughter.
“You look funny when you’re getting dragged back. Kinda like you’re moon walking.”
“Shaddup. Where’m I sleeping?”
“In the tent. “ he sent a ‘well, duh’ look at me.
“Uh…No.” I said with finality. “I’m not sleeping in a tent with two guys. No way in hell.”
“Well then, sleep outside.” He pondered a moment when I wrinkled my nose. “Except I have to be able to see you. Plus I can tell by your face you’re looking forward to that.” He said sarcastically. Unfortunately, he was right. It wasn’t high on my list of fun things.
“You guys sleep outside, leave the lady the tent.”
“What lady?” Jak laughed. “Anyway, same problem.”
“I’ll leave the doorway open.”
“Still, I’m afraid not.”
“Why.” My voice went all high and irritating. Man, I hated when it did that.
“Because Swift, you idiot, I don’t trust you, even with the promise. It would be like you to run away somehow.”
I think my eyes glinted angrily, because he looked taken aback. “Cripes, I’m not gonna look, and Sairon is a horse. He’s way not interested in that. He’d get a ‘yeuch’ look if he saw you accidentally.”
Indeed. I once was human but even so, I am not that way inclined, Swift. I was a gentleman and I’m more interested in mares now.
I eyeballed them. “Promise and if you break it, not only will the forest hurt you, I’ll hurt you.”
“Promise.”
Promise.
“You’d better.” With one last backwards glance, I crawled into the tent, curled on my side and slipped into sleep. I ignored the hunger in my stomach, seeing as I’d turned my nose up at their offering of roasted hazelnuts and lapwing mushrooms.
In the middle of the night, I woke snuggled against Jak. His arm was thrown around me and his brown hair merged with mine. As I drifted distantly, he shifted slightly and murmured something. I couldn’t hear what he said so I slid back into dreams.
When I woke in the morning, I’d forgotten and I kept my eyes closed, expecting to hear Mum calling me in a minute. After a while, she still hadn’t called, so I opened my eyes. Then jerked back in shock. Last night I’d been too sleepy to properly realise but now I was wide-awake and face-to-face with Jak. Luckily he was still asleep and I managed to wiggle out from under his arm without waking him.
Free, I let out the breath I hadn’t been aware I was holding and turned to get out of the tent. I nearly screamed.
Sairon was standing silently, watching me.
“Cripes, could you warn a girl?” I hissed.
Sorry, I’m on guard.
“Oh.” I gulped. “Sairon…”
Yes?
“Was I…um…right by Jak all night?”
No—
“Thank—“
While he was on guard, you were sleeping on that side, he nodded toward the left side, and then when he went to go to sleep, you moaned, rolled over and shivered. So he pulled you to him to warm you up, intending to move. But he fell asleep too. Sairon finished drolly.
“Oh.” There wasn’t anything to say, really. “Does that mean he’ll know?”
It doesn’t, no.
“Um, Sairon, could you not tell him?”
Ok. He nodded. I won’t.
A mutter and a stirring sound made me shoot outside (Well, as far as I could go). I didn’t think I could face him just yet.
I could hear Jak and Sairon talking behind me and trusted Sairon to not tell him where I slept. As I thought of that, an embarrassed flush graced my cheeks.
He came out and looked happy when he saw me. “Hey Swift.”
I turned away, cheeks burning. “Hi Jak.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
I figured I could get away with a half-truth. “I miss my family. You stole me remember!?”
“I did not! I er….borrowed you.”
I looked around slowly. “I’m going back home?”
“Yeah. Time’s really slow in your world so you’ll probably get back a couple of minutes after we left.”
I nodded then froze. “My world?”
“Yep. We changed worlds right after we’d grabbed you.”
I bristled. “That’s right. Grabbed me.” I said angrily.
He shook his head. “I’m not arguing.” Jak got to his feet, annoyed and strode off, without another glance at me. That was just another blow to add to the homesickness that was welling up inside me.
Then I was jerked forward and dragged along the ground for a few metres before catching hold of a sapling and lurching to my feet.
That day, I trailed a distance away, as far as I could be without falling over and getting towed.
Although I did spend a lot of time being hauled along the ground, Jak suddenly delighting in striding faster unexpectedly and pulling me over. He never listened to my pleas for him to slow down, didn’t turn a hair when I threatened.
So when we camped that night- “We’ll be onto the Plains tomorrow.”- I was ridiculously tired. Jak kept glancing at me with a wicked laugh in his eyes, forcing me to glare blazingly at his back when he turned away.
Again I was forced to retire to ‘bed’ early and first, again fell into the deep well of sleep quickly, after actually eating the mushrooms and hazelnuts.
This time I did not wake in the night, but dreamed of being near a blazing fire that pleased me when it grew hotter.
But once more I woke entwined in Jak’s arms. The difference this time was that he was awake, watching me.
“We’ll need to leave soon, Sleeping Beauty.” he said, softly.
I blushed, a hot reddening of my pale skin. I liked him and almost trusted him, even after only two days, and after being kidnapped.
“Go.” He murmured and loosed his arms. I stepped away shakily, and then suddenly understood.
He trusted me too.
I blinked at him, grinned and ran free into the coming dawn. But a mutinous light shone in my eyes as I ran.
*****
Was that wise? Sairon asked Jak.
“Who knows? But she won’t leave. I trust her that much.”
Hmph.
They stood and watched Swift run- like her name- swiftly into the leafy depths of the forest.
She was already comfortable in the trees, half elf or dryad. A wood-maiden.
“She’ll come back.”
“You OK?” he asked, watching my face intently.
“Why?” I said sullenly, raising an eyebrow. I was afraid but determined not to show it. He was around my age after all, and didn’t look mean or cruel.
“Jeez, be that way. Sairon’s getting food.” He sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. I needed you to come and—“ he shrugged, “I got you to come.”
“You stole me. So untie me. Come on, I bet I couldn’t find my way home and a freaking winged-cheetah would catch me before then anyway.” My voice sounded resigned and carefree, but an undertone of steel ran through it.
“Well, I dunno.” He eyed me carefully. “This is an enchanted forest, so we’re part way to the village. And promises here are unbreakable. Not even crossed fingers will break them. So I’ll untie you if you promise to stay by my side until I say you can go.”
There went my plan. Dammit, I wanted to be properly free but I supposed this was a start. “Fine. What do I have to do?”
Repeat after me: I do vow to stay by the side of Jak Cheetah, until he, and only he says I may depart.
I looked askance at the horse. “But now you do.”
Jak only grinned. “Repeat what he said. Sairon, you’re free.”
My eyes smouldered. “Fine. I do vow to stay by the side of Jak Cheetah, until he, and only he says I may depart.” I huffed out a breath. “Happy now? Untie me.”
Jak bent down by my feet, took out a carved pocketknife and slashed the rope. “Oh man.” I moaned. “ Mum’s gonna kill me for that.”
Jak ignored me and cut the rope around my wrists. I staggered to my feet, briefly entertaining the idea of attacking him, knocking him out and- if I had to stay by his side- dragging him with me. I figured I could do it, but the horse was watching me.
“C’mon.” Jak said. “Let’s go.” He stared to walk away and I found I was dragged with him. There was a thump as I fell over and kept dragging across the ground. He looked around and a laugh lighted his face.
“You gotta keep up you know. Swift.”
I growled at him, a fierce rumble. Then I looked surprised. That had never happened before.
“You must know about shapeshifting. Except it’s more like you are an animal, instead of just turning into one.”
“You know that sounds like an insult.”
“Probably does, to you.” He looked up at the ever-darkening sky. “Bugger, this took too long, we’ll have to make camp.”
Within an hour he’d set up a sizable tent-ish thing and made a circle of rocks- “for the fire.”- and he was sitting out side the tent while I stretched the tether of my promise and tried to hide away. No hope. It wouldn’t let me that far. He grinned every time he saw me trying to pull away, severely annoying me. “What!?” I snarled at him after he burst into laughter.
“You look funny when you’re getting dragged back. Kinda like you’re moon walking.”
“Shaddup. Where’m I sleeping?”
“In the tent. “ he sent a ‘well, duh’ look at me.
“Uh…No.” I said with finality. “I’m not sleeping in a tent with two guys. No way in hell.”
“Well then, sleep outside.” He pondered a moment when I wrinkled my nose. “Except I have to be able to see you. Plus I can tell by your face you’re looking forward to that.” He said sarcastically. Unfortunately, he was right. It wasn’t high on my list of fun things.
“You guys sleep outside, leave the lady the tent.”
“What lady?” Jak laughed. “Anyway, same problem.”
“I’ll leave the doorway open.”
“Still, I’m afraid not.”
“Why.” My voice went all high and irritating. Man, I hated when it did that.
“Because Swift, you idiot, I don’t trust you, even with the promise. It would be like you to run away somehow.”
I think my eyes glinted angrily, because he looked taken aback. “Cripes, I’m not gonna look, and Sairon is a horse. He’s way not interested in that. He’d get a ‘yeuch’ look if he saw you accidentally.”
Indeed. I once was human but even so, I am not that way inclined, Swift. I was a gentleman and I’m more interested in mares now.
I eyeballed them. “Promise and if you break it, not only will the forest hurt you, I’ll hurt you.”
“Promise.”
Promise.
“You’d better.” With one last backwards glance, I crawled into the tent, curled on my side and slipped into sleep. I ignored the hunger in my stomach, seeing as I’d turned my nose up at their offering of roasted hazelnuts and lapwing mushrooms.
In the middle of the night, I woke snuggled against Jak. His arm was thrown around me and his brown hair merged with mine. As I drifted distantly, he shifted slightly and murmured something. I couldn’t hear what he said so I slid back into dreams.
When I woke in the morning, I’d forgotten and I kept my eyes closed, expecting to hear Mum calling me in a minute. After a while, she still hadn’t called, so I opened my eyes. Then jerked back in shock. Last night I’d been too sleepy to properly realise but now I was wide-awake and face-to-face with Jak. Luckily he was still asleep and I managed to wiggle out from under his arm without waking him.
Free, I let out the breath I hadn’t been aware I was holding and turned to get out of the tent. I nearly screamed.
Sairon was standing silently, watching me.
“Cripes, could you warn a girl?” I hissed.
Sorry, I’m on guard.
“Oh.” I gulped. “Sairon…”
Yes?
“Was I…um…right by Jak all night?”
No—
“Thank—“
While he was on guard, you were sleeping on that side, he nodded toward the left side, and then when he went to go to sleep, you moaned, rolled over and shivered. So he pulled you to him to warm you up, intending to move. But he fell asleep too. Sairon finished drolly.
“Oh.” There wasn’t anything to say, really. “Does that mean he’ll know?”
It doesn’t, no.
“Um, Sairon, could you not tell him?”
Ok. He nodded. I won’t.
A mutter and a stirring sound made me shoot outside (Well, as far as I could go). I didn’t think I could face him just yet.
I could hear Jak and Sairon talking behind me and trusted Sairon to not tell him where I slept. As I thought of that, an embarrassed flush graced my cheeks.
He came out and looked happy when he saw me. “Hey Swift.”
I turned away, cheeks burning. “Hi Jak.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
I figured I could get away with a half-truth. “I miss my family. You stole me remember!?”
“I did not! I er….borrowed you.”
I looked around slowly. “I’m going back home?”
“Yeah. Time’s really slow in your world so you’ll probably get back a couple of minutes after we left.”
I nodded then froze. “My world?”
“Yep. We changed worlds right after we’d grabbed you.”
I bristled. “That’s right. Grabbed me.” I said angrily.
He shook his head. “I’m not arguing.” Jak got to his feet, annoyed and strode off, without another glance at me. That was just another blow to add to the homesickness that was welling up inside me.
Then I was jerked forward and dragged along the ground for a few metres before catching hold of a sapling and lurching to my feet.
That day, I trailed a distance away, as far as I could be without falling over and getting towed.
Although I did spend a lot of time being hauled along the ground, Jak suddenly delighting in striding faster unexpectedly and pulling me over. He never listened to my pleas for him to slow down, didn’t turn a hair when I threatened.
So when we camped that night- “We’ll be onto the Plains tomorrow.”- I was ridiculously tired. Jak kept glancing at me with a wicked laugh in his eyes, forcing me to glare blazingly at his back when he turned away.
Again I was forced to retire to ‘bed’ early and first, again fell into the deep well of sleep quickly, after actually eating the mushrooms and hazelnuts.
This time I did not wake in the night, but dreamed of being near a blazing fire that pleased me when it grew hotter.
But once more I woke entwined in Jak’s arms. The difference this time was that he was awake, watching me.
“We’ll need to leave soon, Sleeping Beauty.” he said, softly.
I blushed, a hot reddening of my pale skin. I liked him and almost trusted him, even after only two days, and after being kidnapped.
“Go.” He murmured and loosed his arms. I stepped away shakily, and then suddenly understood.
He trusted me too.
I blinked at him, grinned and ran free into the coming dawn. But a mutinous light shone in my eyes as I ran.
*****
Was that wise? Sairon asked Jak.
“Who knows? But she won’t leave. I trust her that much.”
Hmph.
They stood and watched Swift run- like her name- swiftly into the leafy depths of the forest.
She was already comfortable in the trees, half elf or dryad. A wood-maiden.
“She’ll come back.”
