Aero and Tajy ~Birds of a Feather~

Seeing that she wasn't going to shoot him, and better yet that she was calming down a little bit, Talos walked toward her. "Naw, I don't show I could keep ya back even if I wanted to. You got wings, 'an that's enough to make ya hard ter pin down. 'Sides, I was plannin on leavin' soon anyway. I don't stick 'round fer very long, just enough to say 'hi' 'an catch up on what's been goin' on." He settled himself on the ground a little distance away from her, well outside the boundaries of what he perceived to be her personal space bubble, and conveniently didn't seem to hear the part about her escaping after darkness fell. Of course he did, but he simply chose to ignore the statement.

There was one question that he really wanted answered though, and didn't want to wait for Lena to bring it up herself. "So, where exactly are ya headin'? I s'ppose that ya had ter come from somewhere, so are ya headin' back? Or jus' wanderin' 'round?"

Lena grinned this time when Talos spoke. "A certain buddy of mine decided to double cross me and I think it high time to pay him a little visit. We are going to the eastern coast." Any traveler was well aware of the dangers that lay in the east. Pirates. And not the fantasy pirates of every child. Where a brave crew of men with puffy pants go adventuring on the high seas to gain wealth and fame. No, these pirates were dirty thieves who didn't think twice to kill an innocent man to get what they wanted or rape a woman. Their dirty packs littered the coast lines for miles and brought some sort of calamity wherever they landed their ships.

Lena looked to Talos. "We've still got a long way to get there." She added, relaxing herself to try and get some rest. She knew she'd probably find little rest this night, her back tensed painfully, a sign their pace would be much slower tomorrow.

"Pirates?" He echoed, raising an eyebrow in question as the sun began to set in earnest. Shifting slightly, he slipped his ever-present travel pack off of his shoulders and laid it down next to him. The worn sack of leather was beaten and bruised, but still holding strong. It didn't hold much... a few coins, a flint for fires, and a small wood axe. He had no provisions, having not had enough time to pack such things before running out the door after Lena. He would have to track down some game if he didn't want to go hungry... "Seems like ye've been around. I've never been ter the coasts, 'an I usually go explorin' out West, around the mountains 'an down in that evergreen valley between 'ere and the northern coast. I ain't been much for explorin' the East yet."

They spared a bit of awkward conversation before finally settling down for the night, a rather uncomfortable night that marked the beginning of all great and fun adventures.

!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡

A week on the wing later, and Talos could smell the salty tang of the ocean on the high winds as the two avians soared over the rolling landscapes of the South Eastern Coast. From their high vantage point, they could see the sea, and Talos, who had never been witness to the ocean before, was absolutely mesmerized by the vastness of it. There was simply no end! No shore on the other side or break in the never ending expanse of blue. "I can see why ye stuck to the East!" He yelled above the racket of the wind in their ears as they flew. The week spent exclusively in Lena's presence had served to dull the painfully obvious accent he had, though it would still be quite apparent to anybody that listened to him for more than three seconds that he did have some sort of underlying accent.

*~*~*~*

Mai inhaled and exhaled slowly, patting out a wrinkle in the front of her shirt as she left her house, heart racing a million miles an hour in her ears, the racked of her pulse seeming to be extraordinarily loud in her ears. She was wearing the best clothing that she could find after secretly raiding her house. Her current outfit had no moth holes, no rips or tears, nor stains or burns to mar the material. It wasn't even falling apart or exceedingly faded, which was also quite a change from her normal get-up. The light green shirt was slightly baggy on her thin frame, but that was something that admittedly she couldn't fix without her mother noticing the revision. She wore a pair of dark brown pants, similarly unstained by age and frequent usage, the material fitting to her form a little better than the shirt, but only around her hips. As she took flight, she almost instinctively started heading for that same meadow that she always met Kol at, her heart fluttering like a nervous bird at the very thought of him.

And what was it that had Mai in such a twitter? Well, quite simply, Kol had asked her on a date. Why she was so much more nervous for this meeting than any other was very nearly all mental. After all, hadn't she met up with him a hundred times and spent hours simply talking with Kol? What then was supposed to be so different about this date? Deep down she knew why... it was entirely possible that Kol would kiss her again, and she didn't have the heart to try and examine herself to find out whether or not she would enjoy that possibility. She was already blushing terribly at the thought, and she hadn't even seen Kol yet!

Getting her unruly thoughts in check, she arrived at the meadow, looking around pensively for Kol, her fingers twisting together and the silver bracelet had had given her on her wrist.

Lena grinned, pleased with his reaction to a land rather native to her. She inhaled deeply as the scent of the sea salt filled her lungs. This was most definitely her home turf. "I'm glad you like it." She yelled over the wind back to him. The sky was filled with huge, puffy looking clouds that looked as if you could touch them.

Tempted to do a nose dive though one of the fluffy masses, Lena looked down but was stopped short by the sight. The coast was filled with ships that flew the black flag. Pirates. "Talos, pirates!" She said and pointed down along the coast. It was imperative that he know what and who to look out for. This town they would be searching for her 'friend' in was a thieves town. Build of the morals of stealing and impurity. She was sure that Talos wasn't stupid in the street sense so, it should be fine.

Lena motioned for him to follow her as she landed on the out skirts of the town. Immediately the scent of alcohol and body oder hit the senses. Even this far from the main hub of the city, the pungent smell reached them. Lena looked to the sky in concern, the sun would be setting soon and her avian companion would be utterly useless.

"Stay close." She instructed hoping he wouldn't be annoying and insist on leading with his macho ego. She walked through the town, darting her eyes around every corner. Her crafty little friend should be around here somewhere. Distracted for the search, Lena had not noticed how dark the streets had become. She was used to sea side city and didn't think twice that her blind friend wouldn't.

A particularly large man eyed Lena and Talos from the shadows with an evil grin. Avian's always fetched for a high price. He scowled though as he seemed to recognize Lena. He had heard of a female avian from the sea side area who was as crafty as any pirate around. "Go 'round an septate them. I'll take care of the boy." He instructed someone behind him. The figure nodded and slipped back into the shadows.

The second figure drew his long sword and practically charged Lena into a near by alleyway, pushing her away from Talos as fast as he could. Lena got one surprised yell out before disappearing back into the shadows.

The rather large man stepped out of his own hiding spot from behind Talos and quickly sliced the avian open from shoulder blade to the meat of his wing. "No flying off on me now, birdy." Acting fast he took the butt of his sword, and slammed it into his temple. "Good night." He grinned.

~~~~

Kol stood in the field he had come to used to being in, but tonight it was special. He'd actually get to court Mai for the first time and he was damn sure he didn't want to mess it up. He held a box in his hand as he sat on the rock he had come so accustomed to. The box contained a simple white dress that was made to fit Mai to a T. It would reach just below her knees, the straps were around an inch thick and only a simple black ribbon on the waist served as an addition to the dress. It was simple, yet beautiful and Kol hoped Mai liked it.

A wide grin came to his face as he saw Mai land in the field. She was wearing clothing he had never seen, no rips or anything. How cute, she dressed up for him. Kol walked up to meet her and bowed. "Good evening, Mai." He took her hand and kissed it gently. "I have a gift for you, that I hope you would accept." He stood fully and handed her the box.

The sea left Talos speechless with it's grandiose beauty and the beautiful blue waters. Even the black-flagged ships dotting the coastal shores in the green/blue water were but small insignificant flecks of impurity when compared to the vast ocean. The city left him speechless in quite a different manner. Lena had given him some tips about the city, she he knew more or less what to expect from the town composed almost entirely of villains. He kept quiet as they walked, his eyes straying to every odd person that crossed their path and became worried when his vision started to wane. Lena's bright white wings were a blessed contrast against the darkness of the city streets, so he didn't have too much trouble following her around as she expertly weaved between main and side streets, hunting for this man that they were tracking down.

The only impressions that he received from the sudden attack was the white of Lena's wings quite suddenly disappearing from his range of vision, accompanied by a cry of surprise. Before he could even try and go after her, an agonizing line of pain erupted with fiery vengeance across his back, then darkness.

!¡?¿!¡?¿!¡

He awoke sometime later with a dry mouth and feeling like he had been chewing on cotton. A raging headache plagued him, and for one inane moment he thought that he was back at home and Lena had just hit him over the head with that blasted board again. However, once he had woken from his stupor a little more, he realized that there were quite a few differences, and though he couldn't see them, he could certainly smell them. Wherever he was had the overwhelming overtones of sea salt and the sweat of many bodies. Underneath these two prevailing scents was the smell of vomit and the sickly sweet smell of rotting wood and fruit.

Talos' stomach quailed as the floor moved beneath him in a gentle roll, and he very nearly emptied the contents of his stomach onto the wooden planks he was seated on, feeling nauseous and dizzy all at once, a terrible combination. Distantly, he realized that he had to be on one of the pirate ships that Lena had pointed out and tried to shift his weight, only to have a striking lance of pain arch across his back. They had gotten his back good, it seemed. He tried to flex his wings, but found that they had been tied together tightly at the joint, and his wrists had also been bound behind his back. For some reason, it seemed like his captors had bandaged him up. He could feel the irregular material against his skin, though he could not see it. Wherever they were keeping him, it was dark enough that he could barely see the bridge of his nose.

The ship rolled again, and it took all of his self-control to not simply vomit. Once the feeling passed, he rolled his head back with a wince and stared blankly at the ceiling. "Where am I?" He mumbled to himself, and, with a sinking feeling in his gut, also began to wonder where was Lena?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mai no longer squirmed when Kol kissed her hand, having accepted the action as part of his essential character. With the formal greeting out of the way, she examined the gift box with a cautious eye, glancing up at Kol before taking the box gently from his hands, as if it were something very fragile that she could easily break. "I'm sorry I dunn't have nothin' ter give ya, I didn't- Oh!" Upon opening the box, her eyes lit up with wonder, examining the beautiful white dress with huge eyes. She looked up to Kol quickly, that same look on her face. "Kol! Yeh really didn't have te! I-it's just so... it's gorgeous!" Gently, she picked the dress out of the box, examining it carefully, taking in the simplistic beauty of the garment. "Is this... are ya really givin' it te me?"

The giant man that had attacked Talos the night before came into the room where Talos was being kept with a candle that lit the entire cabin. The room was dirty, filthy even and several rats scurried into darker corners of the room fleeing the bright light.

"Oh ho, Es awake! Looks like we did good in gettin this one." The man grinned, looking over Talos. "Good muscle definition, healthy..." He nodded, pleased at the overall inspection of the avian. His gaze settled back on Talos' face as his lips curled into a wicked grin. "Boy, I've got something to ask ye. What where you doing traveling with the white wolf?" The man pulled up a chair as if he had all the time in the world to spare getting answers out of him. A cat-o-nine-tails hung on his large hips and was coated in dried blood from previous victims.

Not far down from where they were a woman's screaming could be heard along with the laughing of several men. The large man in the room closed his eyes, as if the noises were music to his ears. The slave trading ships wouldn't be in for another week so he had plenty of time to relax with his new catch.

~~~

Kol chuckled at her reaction. "Of course, my lady. The alterations where done by what I could eye of you, so I do hope it fits properly. Perhaps you could grace me with putting it on?" His look softened, seems he had done well in picking a more simple garment compared to the elaborate dresses his youngest sister had come to acquire.

Talos heard the huge man coming long before he saw him, his heavy footfalls on the planking capturing his attention above the other noises of the ship. The flare of the candle flame nearly blinded him, and for a while he simply sat, blinking like an owl as he tried regain his vision. Another bought of nausea hit him as the boat rolled, and he pressed against the wound in his back purposefully to dull the urge to throw up in front of this man.

The words of his captor fell on nearly deaf ears, for Talos was focused mostly on trying to keep down his breakfast and less on the appraisal he was getting like a horse at auction. When he realized that the man was actually waiting for an answer, he stared at him hard. White wolf? What could he possibly mean by that? He had never made any sort of acquaintance with anybody or anything that resembled a wolf, let alone a white one-

And then it clicked. His previously unfocused gaze settled sharply on the man, his eyes flicking once to the torture device on his hip to the door that he had come through and absorbed the general layout of the room he was in. The scream made him wince inwardly, and he sent a prayer winging to the gods and goddesses of the land that it wasn't Lena who was suffering, though he tried not to show his concern outwardly. For some reason, he wanted to know about Lena. Not like Talos actually knew much about the woman, but until he could figure out what his captor wanted, it was probably better to act like he knew more than he was letting on. "She's a friend." Talos replied curtly, trying his best to reign in his accent, knowing that it would probably be a dead giveaway to his origins. The heavy accent of native Turich townsfolk was fairly definable, after all. "We're just travelin partners, is all."

*~*~*~*~*

For a moment, Mai didn't register Kol's words, so caught up in examining the beautiful dress. However, when his words finally did sink in, a slight blush rose to her face, immediately realizing that it would make no sense at all to fly all the way back home, explain the dress to her mother while she changed and then fly back. That, and it was starting to get dark, and she would need Kol's accompaniment for such a thing. That left... "You can't look." She blurted suddenly, the blush on her face becoming increasingly red. "If I... go put it on, ya gotta swear to me on yer honor as a man that ya won't peek, or I'll never forgive you." Despite the rather childish way she put it and the horrendous streak of red staining her face, she had a look of serious business about her.

This time the man laughed, a deep laugh that came from his stomach. "Aye boy, friends? I be doubtin' that. The white wolf has no friends, and those who call themselves such usually end up either dead or being used by her...." His gaze looked unsettled as if he were thinking about the past memories with Lena. He then shook his head and gave an amused nod back to Talos. "Not much that it matters, white wolf up and left ye when she gave us the slip. Figured we wouldn't catch that one...but oooh the joys that could come with it if we did." The man dragged his arm across his mouth as if to wipe drool off of his face.

"Well, Me names Captian Howell, and we are pleased to have ye aboard." Howell held no joy, or welcome in his voice but more of a bite. One that only promised of unjoyous events. "We be tradin' ye out in a weeks time, so get comfy birdy." The man laughed, leaving the candle as he left the room, clicking in a heavy lock as he did so.

~~~~

Lena slipped through several alleyways quickly. A dark bruise formed around her right eye and she looked a hot mess. The sudden attack was over as quick as it started. The man she dispatched of was a slave runner that she had often seen in the city before. Dread filled her mind once she realized Talos was gone and a fresh spray of blood covered the spot where she had last seen him,

Lena knew exactly who she had to find, the same person she had to see originally. This was all his fault for betraying her a few years back. Oh, he would pay for it once she found the little rat. As if by sheer coincidence she finally spotted him. Finally! Lena peered around the corner of the building.

The man she was looking at was a small, meek looking fellow. He dressed in a plain tunic, black pants and boots and a simple sword hung on his hips. His black hair was slicked back and his steel grey eyes darted along the streets as if constantly on watch. He should be. The White Wolf was finally back, and he knew he'd be in trouble with her.

Lena stealthy made her way to where she was facing his back and in one lightening fast movement drew a dragger from her boot and brought it to his neck. "Hello old friend." she said bitterly as she dragged him into the alleyway. Once out of public eye she pressed herself against his back and whispered in his ear. "you better have a real good reason as to why I shouldn't kill you for betraying me, Droth."

Droth cleared his throat as if the ease the sharp pain of the knife against his exposed throat. He cursed inwardly, he knew Lena was about but didn't think she would find him so quickly. "Lady white wolf, please, I only did what I could to survive." A few years back when Lena had become almost famous in these parts, Droth friended her know their partnership would benefit them both, and he was all about benefits. But when the going got tough and the pirates figured out Droth was involved with her he betrayed Lena in a heart beat in exchange for his life.

This only angered Lena further. "So you betray me?" She hissed. But she knew he would come in use to saving Talos. "I will spare your life under one condition, Droth."

"Name it." He might have betrayed her to pirates the last time but he wasn't stupid enough to refuse her now.

"A friend of mine has gotten mixed up on a slave ship, invite good ol' captain out for a drink with the offer of a priceless slave. If you fail me, I will have no problem ramming an arrow through that greedy heart of yours." She warned and released him. "Also, do it within the next two hours." She watched as he quickly moved away from her and in the general direction of the docks. Good.

Lena got in position outside of the slave ship and waited for Droth to leave with the captain. That man was just as if not more greedy than Droth so she figured it wouldn't be an issue. Without the captain around if all hell broke lose at least he wouldn't be there to set the crew mates in order before they could escape. She needed to hurry while it was still day light out.

Running past the boat, Lena went for the back, rigging up a rope and tugging it several times to insure it was secure before climbing. As she reached the top she peered over the lip of the boat making sure no one was around. It should be been around dinner time so few crew mates were left on the top deck. She climbed on board and began looking for a staircase. No way was he kept on the deck. Having little trouble finding the stairs she descended and then heard foot steps rounding the hallway. Her heart pound in her chest as she his herself in a doorway hoping to whatever god was out there that she was not seen. As the two men walked past she let out a breath and continued until she found a bolted door.

Maybe? She unlocked the door and opened it slowly. She was hit with a smell of decay and pressed her hand to her mouth as her stomach rolled in protest. There was a dead body laying on the floor. A woman. She closed to door quickly and took a calming breath. She was raped and then killed. What a poor soul...She didn't have time to mourn the womans death as she continued to the next door. Luckily this one to be Talos'. She she unlatched the door she saw a dim lite candle on a table and then someone sitting in the back of the room with wings. Oh god, finally, Talos.

Lena closed the door behind her and quickly made her way over to him. "Geez Talos...what did they do to you..." She asked softly and withdrew the small dagger that was in her boot to untie him. She winced at the sight of the wounds on his back. Shit. They couldn't fly from here...

~~~~

Kol smiled as he held up his hands. "On my word, my lady, I swear I will not." He sat behind the large rock that normally was reserved as a seat and sat facing away from the forest behind him. "Just inform me when you are done." He said from behind the rock.

Talos didn't bother to correct the man's assumption that she was the one that convinced him to come along when it had in fact been the other way around. However, it stung a bit to hear that he would simply be used by Lena, even though he was fairly sure there wasn't anything he could be used for. The kicker was when this Howell man said that he had simply been left by her, and there appeared to be no way out of his predicament. 'being traded' in particular sounded like an extremely unpleasant event, and as soon as the man left the room, Talos began to struggle against his bindings, grateful that he had left the candle in the room for him to see by.

Struggling was a terrible idea, however, for every move of his wings and arms sent a lance of pain spiking from one shoulder-blade to the base of his wing. The pain, combined with his pounding headache and seasickness quickly made Talos a very miserable trapped bird, and he was forced to stop for fear that he would rip open whatever his body had managed to heal of his wound.

In the darkness with none for company save the rats, Talos lost track of time. He was uncertain if he had slept, or if he had stayed awake. The only way he knew that it had been a while was the candle's steady shrinking as the flame ate away at the wick and wax. It seemed a rather hopeless situation, the thought of having been abandoned here a particularly bitter taste in his mouth. So, when the door came open, the last person in the world he expected to see was Lena. So surprised by her appearance, at first he thought that he had slipped into unconsciousness, and was dreaming her arrival.

"You came back." He muttered, his voice hoarse from disuse and the constant struggle to keep down his food. Talos rubbed his wrists as soon as he was able, the new angle of his arms stretching his bandaged wound painfully, but he bore it, glad to finally be free. "I don't know what they did te me. All I remember was gettin' attacked in the alley, and next thing I knew, I was tied up here." He gestured to the interior of the room, but kept his gaze centered on Lena. "I'm so glad you came back." He admitted, a wealth of honest gratefulness in his voice that the tall avian didn't normally use, especially when Lena was in earshot. "They told me you'd run off and left me here."

*~*~*~*

Mai waited a few seconds to see if he would keep his word, then made her way into the forest, finding the largest tree she could and promptly hid behind it, stripping off the oversized clothes she had borrowed from her unwitting mother and slipped into the white dress, tying off the black ribbon around her narrow waist and folding her previous clothes before making her way back out of the woods.

It was... strange, to be in a dress. She hadn't worn such a thing in a very long while, or at least not without pants on underneath. It felt just so breezy around her legs that she wasn't quite sure what to make of it, and kept reaching down every few seconds to make sure that the dress hadn't somehow magically blown up to sit around her hips without her noticing.

Kol's observation skill had obviously proven to be very keen, for the dress did indeed fit her very well, following the slight curves of her body. Mai felt so very feminine in the outfit that she couldn't help the blush that seemed to be permanently etched on her face. "How do I look?" She asked timidly, looking up at Kol shyly through her lashes. It was painfully obvious that she was out of her comfort zone, and was putting on a brave face for him.

Lena felt humbled by the gratefulness that Talos' voice seemed to hold, though when mentioned that he was told she wouldn't come back she flinched inwardly. "Of course I'd come back...It'd not look very good on my conscious if I did.” She mumbled her words slightly as she looked away from him. What else did they tell him about her past? She sighed and stood straight, knowing it was a conversation for later.

“Okay, since you are unable to fly we are going to have to either swim…which I doubt you could do right now either or sneak down the rope I rigged up at the back of the boat. To get out we have to go down a corridor, up the stairs and around the deck to the back. Seeing as how their play thing is no longer alive and dinner is almost over we have to move fast. You can walk without getting sick right?”

Her last question held real concern. The avian was pale with a slight greenish hue to his face and he seemed like a general mess. “You really aren’t cut out for sailing…” She said before going back to the door and pressing her ear to it. Luckily, despite the thick wood the door was made from the men took no care or step lightly while walking about.

“We have to move fast once we get the opening, alright?” She prompted him as she clutched her dagger. Her bow would do her no good in close quarters. The moment she heard the footsteps stop, Lena opened the door quietly and slipped into the hallway.

~*~*~

Kol stood once he heard the slight shuffling of feet and turned to see Mai. “You look radiant, my lady. A dress really suits you.” He had to resist kissing the blush from her face as she came up to him. Her blush was always cute. Cute…he tasted the word in his mouth and was amused to actually be using it. “Shall we?” He extended his hand to her and opened his wings. He planned to take her back to the waterfall she so seemed to love and had a little surprise waiting there.

Unsurprisingly, the thought of swimming in the salty ocean with his wounded back sounded like a terrible idea to Talos, who swayed on his feet, clapping a hand over his mouth as his seasickness returned in full force, seemingly worse now that he was on his feet and not simply setting down. What he wouldn't give to get off of this ship... "What.. whatever you're thinkin' will get us off this twice damned ship..." He mumbled weakly, leaning against the wall heavily when the ship rocked again, his color paling instantly and he squeezed his eyes shut tightly, taking deep breaths to keep from throwing up. "If I never have to get on a boat again, I will be the happiest man alive..." Talos managed a weak smile, and straightened as best he could in the cramped ship quarters. "I'll follow you the best I can."

He followed Lena through the claustrophobic halls of the ship, the white of her wings guiding him through the dark smelly maze. Just when it seemed like they would make it clear onto the deck a man blocked their path to the stairs and ultimately freedom. At first he looked surprised and confused, but the dull expression was quickly replaced by rage. He yelled something indecipherable up to the crew, grabbing for his sword and swinging it with reckless abandon in an effort to keep Lena and Talos below decks where their large wings would be more of a hinderance than a help.

In response to the call for help, a man that had been relaxing in the crew quarters suddenly appeared from behind, armed as well. Instead of swinging wildly with his sword, he reached out suddenly, grabbing Talos' arm and turning him around abruptly.

The quick motion combined with his sea sickness was simply too much for Talos. The fragile control he had held over his stomach finally gave, and he simply vomited all over the front of the pirate that had grabbed him, painting the man's shirt a plethora of reds and brown with splotches of white that was probably the potatoes that he had eaten last night. For a moment he and the pirate simply locked eyes, dumbfounded by the turn of events. Then the man yelled out in rage and swung for Talos' head to get revenge for his now ruined shirt.

Talos fell more than dodged the blow, dropping to the deck with all the grace of drunk yak, landing awkwardly on his left arm and had to roll aside quickly to avoid being kicked in the face by the angry pirate. The adrenalin was pumping now, and he temporarily forgot about the massive laceration in his back, leaping forward and tackling the man to the ground, wrestling his still sheathed sword from him and slicing him across the neck, crimson spray splattering his face and shirt. Standing, he tried to get to Lena's aid, but stumbled on the way there, the dizziness returning as the pain in his back flared. Something wet and hot trickled down his back, and belatedly he realized that me must have ripped the wound open even wider in his bid to grab a weapon. Damn, now he really would be useless, the blood-loss making his head foggy and vision dim slightly.

*~*~*~*

Mai nodded her thanks, placing her mother's clothes in the dress box and tucking the package underneath her arm, placing her hand in Kol's extended one. "What 'ave you got planned this time?" She asked in almost a teasing manner, the blush dimming on her face now that the conversation wasn't totally focused on her, making the switch as calmly as she dared. It was very... odd... to feel pretty. Most of her day was spent getting sweaty and dirty and tired. But Kol had a way of making her forget the labors of her day, and had come to be far more relaxed in the man's presence.

Lena spat out a curse as she saw the man on the stairs, damnit they were so close to getting to the deck. Pulling her dagger in front of her, Lena was able to parry some of the wild swings the pirate was aiming in her direction. Stepping back from the low ceiling of the stair well, she backed herself into a corner. In such tight places it was back to at least have your back covered.

A flick of the place had caught Talos' action of vomiting on the pirate and quickly the small area grew with the stench of half digested food. Bringing her free hand to her mouth, this time she choked back a gag. Seeing Talos now stumble towards her and cursed again. The precious seconds she spent looking at him nearly got her head cut off her she dodged a blow from the first pirate.

"Talos, just stay back! I don't need you passing out on me!" Lightening quick movement enabled Lena to jab several deep cuts in the man before her. Blood ran down the hilt of her dagger and onto her hand. Ignoring the warm liquid, she reached back for Talos' hand. "We are almost off this thing, just stay conscious until then. I can't carry you." A hint of desperation clung to her voice as she pulled him to the stairs and up the first few. Another pirate descended upon them and Lena made quick work of the man by punching him in groin. As the man doubled over, she pulled Talos along with her around the fallen body and onto the main deck.

"Run!" She yelled back at him as she made for the back of the deck, with the rope in sight Lena felt her heart beat faster. Just a little more. Looking back at Talos she mumbled an apology before pushing him over the deck. Just as she was to go down a pain shot through her back as the hilt of a sword pounded against her, causing her breath to leave her. "Damn you pirates." She cursed at them and threw her dagger into the chest of the closest man who had attacked her. Not looking back to see her handiwork, Lena jumped over the railing after Talos.

~~~~~

Kol simply smiled at her question, and took to the skies slowly, so as not to surprise the woman he had in tow. He knew she might feel uncomfortable flying in a dress but it was only a short distance. Familiar landscape came into view and the sound of rushing water was apparent. They were back at the waterfall Kol at first shown her. The mid day sun reflected off of the waters surface which gave it a brilliant glow. In a small clearing near the bank of the water Mai could see a white blanket laid out. It had an assortment of food and drinks on it and several candles that could be lit at any time. Mainly for when it began to grow dark.

Kol simply landed not far from the set up and released her hand. "My lady." He bowed. " I'd hope that you may join me in a picnic near the water this evening." He said gracefully, allowing a flicker of a smile to grace his lips.

Through the haze that was clogging his brain, Talos couldn't quite define what it was the Lena was saying to him. All he knew was that she was dragging him along by the hand, and it was in his best interest to follow her urgings. The fresh air calmed his roiling stomach instantly, and by that time he was too tired to take in the fact that they were in an incredible amount of danger. When they reached the edge of the deck, he didn't have time to respond to her apology, finding himself suddenly cast out into open space, disoriented and not quite sure what was going on.

By instinct alone he managed to right himself and half glide, half fall the last few feet to the deck. The impact jarred his bones, and it took all of his willpower to stand and run off the docks, small droplets of blood splattering on the planking of the dock as he got the hell away from those damn ships and the pirates on them. Lena joined him in a few seconds, landing at a run next to him and the two ran off into the bowls of the city, stopping only when they had reached what appeared to be a dark deserted alleyway just on the outskirts of town. They stopped for a moment to catch her breath, and with the adrenalin high waning and the blood loss taking its toll, Talos was starting to feel decidedly woozy, though thankfully he no longer had the urge to vomit. Reaching out, he supported himself on the side of a building, his limbs shaking uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry Lena, I can't-" Whatever it was that he was about to apologize for would have to be left unsaid, however, because at that moment, his knees buckled and he hit the ground hard, simply collapsing in a heap, falling into unconsciousness without a hint of a struggle to stay awake any longer.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Mai refrained from asking questions during the flight, knowing that if he hadn't answered her at first, then he wouldn't be keen to answer her now when they would have to yell above the wind in order to hear each other. When they finally arrived at that waterfall, a smile lit up her whole face, taking in the scenery with apparent wonder. She returned to his side quickly, grinning with an almost childish glee. "Aw Kol, I'd love te. Thank yeh so much. It's really beautiful."

Lena found herself frowning as Talos finally collapsed on the ground. His back was covered in blood and a pang of sympathy hit her. His laceration was rather similar to her own wound. Sighing, she dragged him a couple of inches from the wall so she could have room to work. She couldn’t just leave him like this. Digging through her pack she pulled out an old pair of pants and ripped the material in several long strips and sat them next to Talos’ body. Wasting no time, she walked over to him, a foot on each side of his body and straddled his back. Peeling the material of his shirt from the wound she grimaced.

The entire back was covered in his life essence. Digging in her pack once more, Lena withdrew a canteen of water. Pouring it over the wound to wash the blood, an exasperated groan was drawn from her lips. He had actually torn the wound open father from the original wound. The skin and muscles were puffy and red from the agitation. “Oh Talos. Look what you got yourself into.” Blaming it on him seemed to ease the worry that had crept into the pit of her stomach.

After finally cleaning it, Lena brought forth a needle and rather flexible looking wire. If it wasn’t stitched he was only going to tare the thing open over and over again. And damn him if he died while following her around. With a determined look, Lena threaded the needle and leaned forward. It was a good thing he wasn’t awake…this was going to hurt. Poking the needle through the skin at the top of the laceration, Lena pulled it through, and tired a knot at the end. Satisfied that the wire was going to stay in place she began to stitch his back.

Several time she had to stop and pour water to clean the blood from the spot she was working on…but an hour and a half later he was completely stitched. The bleeding had stopped. Finally taking the strips of material she had cut earlier, she wrapped them around his back and shoulder. “You owe me…This is my best work yet…” She mumbled, turning herself so she was sitting against the wall, but her legs were still draped over his backside. In a state of half consciousness, Lena rested against the wall until Talos finally awoke.

~*~*~*~

“Of course my lady.” He said with a smile, he was more than pleased with her reaction. It seemed the best way to make her happy was to feed her. Kol wasn’t actually surprised, she was practically skin and bones. Walking her over, hand in hand, he sat down bringing out the assortment of food.

A couple hours of comfortable chatting and, of course, eating Kol sighed contently as he watched the sun dip down into the sky. He turned, lighting the candles around them. Several candles actually surrounded them, and they all had a light fresh sent of lavender. All of them combined cast a soft glow over the area where Mai sat. He sat back down with her and smiled. “I have no wish for you to go blind while we are still out here.” He confirmed his actions, leaning back on both of his hands.

It was probably a very good thing that Talos was unconscious for his stitching, or else he would have been in far worse pain than he was now. As he woke up, there was a dull throbbing in his back and, to his surprise, his knees. Apparently, when he had collapsed, he had hit them pretty hard. His face was also firmly planted in the dirt, laying uncomfortably on his cheek, small stones grinding into his face, stomach and chest. There was also some sort of weight draped over his back full clear of the end of what he supposed was the massive gash in his back. Struggling slightly, he managed to lift his front end and look around to see what was on top of him, and was surprised enough that he had to laugh when he saw Lena with her legs draped over him, slumping against what appeared to be the side of a building and dozing.

The laughter was short lived, however, because laughing was painful. Breathing was too, but not nearly as painful as laughing. Voice gruff from disuse and a lack of water, he decided to see if he could still speak. "Oi, Lena, wake up. I wanna see if standing will kill me." That, and his legs were slowly going numb. He could feel his toes tingling already.

*~*~*~*

She had been smiling and laughing all night, thoroughly enjoying the food and Kol's presence, and smiled gratefully when he lit the candles, her vision having begun to wane as night fell. Being in the candle light was a truly odd sensation. She could see everything within their little circle perfectly, but beyond the reach of the light of their flames, the world was dark to her. It was like the two had been transported to their own little world, where the ambiance of the night came from undefined points in that great dark abyss. She knew where the waterfall was, but it's steady roar was a disembodied thing, the beauty of the flowing silver river something that she could only picture with her mind.

Mai closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath to inhale the flowery scent of lavender as the candles burned. "Thank ya fer thinkin' of me Kol. I dunno how you got yer hands on all of this but... it was lovely. I can't thank ye enough fer doin' all of this." She gave him her most earnest and broadest smile, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She had become accustomed now to the dress, and had quickly learned that sitting cross-legged like a boy was a terrible idea. Instead, she was sitting on her knees now, and found that she didn't mind doing so for extended periods of time.

Lena stirred at hearing Talos' voice but was still semi conscious when she began to speak. "If you ruin your stitches I put in you, I'll kill you myself..." She mumbled withdrawing her legs from his back and rubbing her eyes. She couldn't exactly say she slept well, who could against a wall in an alleyway? Looking at him sternly she reiterated, "I mean it Talos. You'll end up bleeding everywhere and that wire is not cheap." She had a hint of worry in her voice.

After they were finally standing and able to move, Lena picked her path carefully avoiding going near the shore. The pirates would be more than happy to get their hands back on them. Leading towards the forest and away from the town, Lena finally let a breath go. "We should be far enough out of the pirates territory to where they won't bother us..." She commented more to herself than Talos. She still wasn't used to traveling with someone. Looking over her shoulder to him, she eyed him carefully. "You aren't going to die...right?" She knew she sounded childish, but she thought sounding concerned would be worse.
~~~~

Kol's stomach seemed to flip at that smile Mai had given him. What was that? Not taking time to think about his reaction he gently placed a hand on the side of her face and smiled softly. " Never should you have to thank what I will willingly give." He stoked the pad of his thumb against her cheek, a loving look on his face. He was truly happy to just be with her and he never thought just being in the company of a woman would sate him.

Standing up was the hardest part, since it required him to flex his back a little. It was hard work, but he managed to get upright without tearing the thin wiring out of his skin that was currently holding him together. He was a little caught off guard by her worried tone... The whole week that they had been flying together, she hadn't displayed much emotion toward him that wasn't either annoyance, anger, or neutral indifference. It was exceedingly hard to get the woman to open up, so seeing the switch in gears was a little unsettling. "Trust me, I don't want to rip 'em open any more than you." Experimentally, he unfurled his wings and tried to stretch them a little bit. Moving them at all was a pain, and he didn't even try to extend his wings all the way for fear of the consequences. So, it seemed that he wouldn't be flying any time soon...

Their trek out of the city was exhausting, and when Lena declared that they were out of pirate territory, he wanted to do northing more than collapse against the nearest tree and sleep. Something must have tipped Lena off to his worsening condition, for she gave him a long look that was followed by a hesitant question. Though somewhat pleased that she cared for him enough to be worried, he was unable to muster a grin or any sort of reassuring gesture. "Yeah, I'll live. You've got me patched up... Some rest and food would probably do me a world of good right now." Heaving a small sigh, he leaned against a tree. "Sorry I'm so useless right-AUGH!" Pain exploded in his left wing all of a sudden, and as he looked up, it was to find the feathery appendage welling blood, the feathered tip of an arrow sticking out of the muscle, the head of the arrow having broken clean through and was poking out on the other side.

Then, the forest erupted with motion. Figures clad in black descended from the trees, swinging chains with balls on the end, or equipped with deadly looking bows, crossbows, and other projectile weapons that would kill them in a heartbeat. Two of the strange silent people came directly at Talos, whirling their chains and throwing them at the already wounded avian. One of the chains caught him around the wing, the metal balls at the end swinging with enough force to leave a terrible bruise and rip feathers away. The second caught him around the legs, and he suddenly found himself on the ground, nearly unconscious for the pain and the coppery taste of blood in his mouth. He had bitten the inside of his cheek when he had fallen.

*~*~*~*

Her heartbeat doubled in tempo as soon as Kol touched her, a faint blush rising to her cheeks at the close contact. The rush of blood through her ears nearly rivaled the dull roar of the waterfall, her heart fluttering against her ribs like a nervous bird. But, she stayed her ground, not flinching away and resolutely meeting Kol's eyes, even going so far as to reach up and cup her hand over his much larger one. "Ya can if you want to now..." She said in a hushed voice, still meeting those bright green eyes unwaveringly. A silent moment, and a blush later, she elaborated on her statement. "I-I mean ye can kiss me if ya want. I... I won't run away this time."

Watching as Talos sat down, Lena turned from him to rummage through her pack. As she was about to respond and probably insult his uselessness she head his groan of pain. Turning to see what caused his sudden distress, Lena's eyes widen at the sudden blood spilling from his wing. "Talos!" Was all she managed to say before chaos began to ensue around them.

"What the hell?!" Confused, but getting her senses together due to being seasoned in battle, Lena bent down to withdraw the dagger from her boot. Her heart raced as she gripped nothing but her sock. Oh no. She had thrown her dagger at the pirate on the ship. Her momentary shock had left her unguarded as one of them men clad in black threw a chain and ball around her legs. The chain wrapped around her knees several times before the heavy ball smalled into the back of her knee. Falling over from the sudden loss of balance and pain, Lena hit the ground hard. Her bow and arrows landed on the ground just out of her reach.

Lena looked up to see Talos half dead. "Talos!" She screamed again. It was irrational, screaming would do nothing to aid him but she couldn't help the cries that seemed to spill from her mouth. She tried to push herself from the ground but felt the sudden weight of two or three sets of strong hands hold her down. Another chain was wrapped around her torso, pinning her arms to her sides. Struggling against her bind Lena turned to bite the nearest hand that got close to her mouth and bit down hard. She tasted blood just before another hand hit her hard across the face.

As stars danced in her eyes a gag was put in her mouth and she felt someone pick her up, throwing her over their shoulder. She gave one last glance to Talos before the man leaped out of the clearing and into the forest.

~~~~

Kol, for the first time in his life... had a light blush on his face. His heart skipped a beat. Her response was just so surprising to him he wasn't sure what to do for a few moments. Once he regained his senses a broad smile came to his face. "Thank you Mai...for being so brave as to say that." Kol leaned in, slowly inching his face closer until his lips hovered over hers...and then he leaned up and kissed her forehead. Pressing his lips against her skin for a long moment before pulling back to look at her.

From his position on the ground, Talos could only watch helplessly as the black bandits bounded off into the woods, going as silently as they had come. And then, his world went dark as he simply succumbed to the pain, falling easily into unconsciousness.

~!¡!¡!¡!~

For the second time that day, Talos woke up face down in the dirt, but this time it was grass in his face, and not pebbles. He was keenly aware of a dull ache all over, and with a groan flapped his wing enough to get the ball and chain to slip off of it, every move of the appendage hurting his back as he did so. The other wing was not quite such an easy fix. Struggling to sit up, he leaned carefully against a tree, hissing with pain as he straightened. Already, a cold sweat had broken out on his forehead, and his vision swam, reminding him uneasily of being on that cursed ship. Folding his wing slightly, he got a hold of the arrowhead and snapped it off, biting down a groan and nearly drawing blood from his lips. Then, with a supreme effort, he yanked the rest of the shaft from the meat of his wing, not even bothering to deny the yell of pain that escaped him as he did so. The opened wound bled terribly, and he used the arrow head to start a rip in the hem of his shirt to tear a strip off. Weaving the cloth through his feathers, he managed to tie it around the profusely bleeding wound, knotting it tight so that it wouldn't come loose.

He kicked off the chains around his legs and ankles, then rested again, panting hard after what should have been a relatively simple task. He could have stayed there and simply fallen back asleep, praying that the wolves and bears and whatever else in the forest would simply leave him alone for the night but...

Images of Lena bursting through the door in the dimly lit ship flashed across his mind.

How dare he even think about leaving her, even if it was to rest? With a mighty struggle, he was up on his feet and looking around for something, anything that would be of use. As luck would have it, Lena appeared to have lost her bow and arrows in the struggle. Picking up the weapon and ammunition, he looked to the two ball and chain weapons and picked them up as well, slinging them over his shoulder in a way that they wouldn't rub his wound. Now to find those silent bastards.

It took all of his skills as a hunter to follow their trail, and he only had a couple of hours before the sun set when he finally found their hide out. They appeared to be some kind of cultists, their worship taking place in an old ruin that had long dropped its ceiling to the earth, only the bone white stone pillars that held the structure remaining intact still. Talos couldn't afford to waste any time mulling over the ancient beauty of the ruins, and so began his plan of action. He gathered some dead dry wood and piled it neatly in a stack, a wealth of smaller branches and dry leaves around the base of the structure. Using a couple of his arrows, he somehow managed to get a spark, and from that built a fire. Once it was going strong, he left it and traveled as quietly as he could some distance away where he could monitor the rising smoke without being in the immediate area, watching the trees always for the black-clad people that had taken Lena.

When he finally caught a glimpse of her, he was horrified even more by these cultists. They had placed her on an old crumbling dais which had probably been a table at some point. Her legs and arms were bound to the corners of it, her wings stretched out as well. In that position, there was simply no way that she would be able to defend herself from her captors. There were all sorts of odd-looking swords and what he supposed were ritual or torture devices laying on another flat slab of stone next to the first that Lena was tied to. Several of the black-clad cultists were gathered around the dais, chanting some sort of prayer that Talos couldn't even have begun to understand. One of them went to the weapon strewn table and picked up a particularly wicked looking dagger, and the chanting increased in tempo and frevor, the cultists swaying side to side.

As he nocked an arrow to shoot the man with the dagger, another black-clad fellow suddenly appeared, his tone and gestures depicting that he was frantic. A few of the other black-clad people left, but there were still four, the one with the dagger a part of the remaining group. Cursing that all of them hadn't left, Talos drew the bow, ignoring the pain by gritting his teeth and aiming with a steady precision that told of much practice. He let the arrow fly, the high-pitched whizz interrupted by a soft thunk as the arrow struck home, the head burying directly into the closest man's back. He couldn't make a noise as his lung was pierced, arching backwards with a surprising degree of dexterity and toppled over backward, pushing the arrow all the way through his chest so that it made a tent in the black fabric on his front. The other three snapped their eyes to the trees. Two more arrows whizzed out of the dark woods. One struck a cultist in the direct center of his chest, the other in the throat. The final one standing got smart and tried to run away, but he too met wit a grizzly fate. One arrow took him sideways in the ribs, and when he turned, a second got him in the heart.

Weary and in pain, Talos shouldered the bow and sprinted from the woods, scooping up the dagger from the first man on his way over to the dais, using the sharp blade to cleanly slice through the rope binding Lena down. "Your calvary has arrived." He managed to grumbled through clenched teeth, not even bothering to hide his pain in front of Lena.

*~*~*~*~*

Mai closed her eyes instinctively when Kol started leaning closer. She could feel his warm breath on her lips and mentally prepared herself for the kiss, but it never came. Instead she felt the soft press of his lips against her forehead, and immediately snapped her eyes open, watching with confusion as he sat back to watch her carefully for her reaction. At first, she didn't know what to say. She was sure that he would take up the offer. He'd been so keen before... Then, a smile broke out on her face, and she began to laugh. Not a mocking laugh, but the kind of laugh that wells up from your toes, infused with so much joy that Mai was very practically radiating with it. When she got herself under control, she touched her forehead lightly, a smile on her face so large that she was sure her cheeks would split right in half. "Yer a good guy, Kol." She leaned forward quickly and gave him a small peck on the cheek, folding her hands in her lap and continued to smile, apparently so happy with the results that she just couldn't help herself.

Lena awoke to a rather uncomfortable table that she was now strapped onto. She tested her arms, legs, and wings to no avail of escape. She felt a dull throbbing in her head. Half way through their trek back to wherever this place was, the man carrying her finally got sick of her struggles and knocked her over the head with something. She felt the dried blood on her face and groaned.

Looking around her several of the men clad in black suddenly surrounded her, chanting something she didn’t hope to understand. Swaying back and forth, as their chanting became louder so did her own heartbeat in her ears. She saw a man move to grab a terrible looking dagger and hold it above her. Closing her eyes to prepare for the stabbing that was forthcoming she waited. But it never came. Over and over the whoosh of a projectile took down every man that was around her.

Confused but grateful to whom ever her savior was, she looked in the direction of the rustling trees. The last person on Earth she expected to see was Talos. She starred at him while he undid her bindings. Then rubbing her wrists she sat up. “You…. You’re alive…” She had counted him as dead after she saw the amount of blood loss he yet again endured. Though his current look of pain was enough to bring her to spring into action. After Talos told her about the fire he started as a distraction, she nodded, pleased with the plan and took to running. She let Talos lead and kept pace behind him to one make sure she didn’t run faster then he could keep up at the moment and two in case any of those men came after them.

An hour or so of running later Lena called up to Talos,. “Oi….lets stop I think we are okay…” She was tired but she knew that he would be ready to drop any second now…

~*~*~

Kol grinned at Mai. “I’m glad you think so. I doubt I’d have any luck at all with woman otherwise.” He teased her a bit, but took her hand and just simply entwined it in his own. “Shall we get you back for the night, my lady?” He asked knowing it was getting rather late for her to be out. Her idiot brothers would end up giving her hell again.

Talos wasn't entirely sure if he let Lena know that he was going to pass out before he did so or not. The last thing he could clearly remember was her mentioning saying something about stopping, and immediately his body went into lockdown. He wasn't even consciously aware of when he had hit the ground, so completely lost to the world as he was.

When he woke up again, it was feeling like he had just been trampled on by several dragons, but overall, the soreness was a drastic improvement from the half-concious state he had been in for the most part of the last time he was conscious. As his mind cleared of the heavy haze of sleep, he came to realize a few things. First, was that something smelled absolutely delicious, and from the scent of it determined that someone was cooking meat over a fire. The second thing he realized nearly at the same time as the first was that he was absolutely ravenous. His stomach gurgled loudly at the thought of food, and he thought that perhaps he was the hungriest that he'd ever been in his life. The last thing that he noted was that someone had taken his traveling cloaked and draped it over him like a blanket. He would have to thank this someone when he found them, especially if they were the ones cooking that meat.

Stifling a groan, he managed to sit up, the stitches in his back hurting far less now that he had actually gotten some quality time to rest, and looked around, taking in his surroundings slowly.

*~*~*~*

Mai nodded and sighed to Kol's comment, looking toward the sky a little regretfully. "Yeah... Talos is out now... gone 'an run off with that Lena... But I'm sure that Arthulur'd be happy ter make up fer it if he gets goin'." Heaving a little sigh, she stood carefully and patted out the wrinkles in the white material of her dress. "Thank ya again Kol. This was really nice."

Her house was dark when she walked in, as was to be expected. The Estoen's didn't make a habit of staying up late at night. Candles were fairly expensive, and they would need plenty of them since they suffered visually so much at night. Her first step in the door she was sure that she would have been ambushed by Arthulur, or one of her younger brothers. However, once she was over the threshold without any sign of her family come to bombard her, she walked a little more confidently to the room that the girls shared, piled up on top of one another like a huge dog pile in the limited beds that they were allotted. Just as soon as she thought that she was home-free, however, a small noise like the clearing of a woman's throat caught her ear, and she whipped her head around to search for the noise.

A shadow detached itself from the wall, and came close enough for Mai to recognize the short figure as her mother. Mai breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she was off the hook, but her hopes were quickly dashed when her mother pointed toward the door back outside, indicating for her eldest daughter to follow her out. That sigh of relief turned into a sigh of despair and resignation as she followed her mother out side. Well, if any yelling were to happen, it would be stupid to do it inside where they would wake up their siblings who were practically trained to wake up at the smallest noise, plagued as they were by the infamous dog whistles employed by the Serenoa clan.

"And just where have you been?" Her mother asked curtly as soon as they were out the door.

Mai didn't even wince at the accusation in her voice, used to far worse of a lecture from her brothers. "Just out 'an about ma. I've been seein' somebody, a friend." It felt like a small betrayal to call Kol a friend, but she wasn't entirely sure how she would present him as otherwise to her mother. It's not like they were lovers. Just thinking of doing something so innocent as a kiss sent her heart beating into overdrive.

"Some friend ye've got, keepin' ye out after dark." Her mother studiously examined Mai, looking her up and down. "An ye even stole me second best pair o clothes for 'em. 'An don't you go denying it's a him, girl! Yer mother may be old, but she ain't daft. Whose this lad that's keepin' my girl out at all hours of the night, 'an takin' up her time ev'ry free minuet she gets?"

Mai was taken aback by her scarily accurate deduction of Mai's recent behavior. Even Talos and Arthulur with all of their worldly wisdom combined had not figured out that she was seeing someone. If they had, she was sure that one or both of them would have simply followed her to her meeting place with Kol and held him up until they were satisfied with his character. "He's... well, I jus' met 'em one day on accident, ma. 'An I got into a bit o trouble with a rogue dragon in the area, 'an he came 'an saved me life. I've been... tryin' ter pay 'im back fer the favor. I owe 'im, ma."

For a long while, there was silence between the two women, then the elder one nodded her head, as if this were an acceptable answer. "Well, wot's 'is name, 'an wot's he look like? Better yet, when can I be 'spectin grand-babbies?"

"Ma!"Mai nearly shrieked, her face lighting up immediately. If the thought of kissing him got Mai's feathers ruffled, than the idea that she would be having children with him was very nearly heart stopping. "I-it's not like that! I ain't even kissed 'em yet!!"

"Well get on it girl! Yer only young once! 'An 'sides, yer old enough to 'ave been married years ago. It's 'bout time ye found a man fer yerself."

Mai was silenced briefly by her mother's care-free view on the getting married and having children viewpoint. Clearing her throat and trying to calm down, Mai started answering her other questions. "His name is Kol, Ma. 'Ee's always real well-dressed... blond hair, green eyes 'an black wings. He's a real nice fella ma, ain't been nothin' but nice to me since we met."

If she could see properly, Mai would probably have wondered why her mother blanched when she had described this Kol man. Her complexion had briefly gone completely white, the blood draining from her face thoroughly. "I see..." Her voice was distant as she considered Mai's words, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Well, get the weddin' band afore you start planin' on gettin me my grandchildren. Lord know yer gonna be the first o my children' ter be gettin married. Arthurlur 'an Talos, bless their hearts, but they just ain't the marryin' family men that yer father was. If they get married at all, it's gonna be a while yet."

Mai sighed in an exasperated manner at her mother's persistence that she hurry up and get pregnant, shaking her head. "Yeah ma, I'll keep that in mind. Can I go ter bed now?" She was dismissed, and as the two walked back inside their tiny little home, both were worried, though for far different reasons.

Lena sat around a small fire pit where slabs of meat were cooking. She seemed to stare at the fire, not really seeing anything in particular, her eyes unfocused as she cooked the deer meat she had hunted earlier. She couldn't sleep knowing Talos was in such condition and those men weren't far off. Once he had finally collapsed Lena went to work, covering him in a cloak, hunting, refilling their water canteens, and double checking on Talos' wounds.

Not really noticing he was up until he groaned, she put down the meat and walked over to him. "I see you lived..." She said as she knelled down. Dark circles were under her eyes and she was pale which made the dried blood stand out against her skin. As bad as she looked, Talos was a hundred times worse. His skin was an ashy white color and he almost seemed like he didn't know where he was.

Standing back up slowly, Lena grabbed some of the cooked meat that she had put on a stick and walked it over to him, placing the stick in the ground for when he was ready to eat it. Not saying anything, she did the same for his canteen of water, placing it next to him and then sat next to the fire. She was running on auto for the moment.

~~~~

Kol sighed contently as he walked into his home and to his room. As he kicked off his shoes and flopped into his bed a thought crossed his mind. How far did he intend to take this before he told Mai who he really was? Every time before when he had considered such an option, the thought was immediately eased from his mind with terrible images of Mai's horrified expression.

Shaking his head, he draped an arm over his eyes. It would have to be soon, if she was going to continue to see him she would want to know. This is why he never got attached to one woman. It always seemed to get complicated in one form or another. But Mai had seemed to find a spot in his heart that he couldn't deny. With his lasts thoughts of her in his mind, Kol dozed off into a light slumber.

He watched Lena get up and hand him the canteen and meat with groggy eyes, still half conscious. He was feeling better now, but was far from well. After devouring every last bit of the deer meat he had been offered and taking a generous swig from the canteen, he got up and stretched carefully, testing to see how far he could go before the twinges of pain started inhibiting him. He could get his hands out in front of him now, at least, and stretch his cramped wings without being in dire pain.

Walking over to the fire, he placed his hand gently on Lena’s shoulder and sat down next to her, offering the canteen. “How long ‘ave I been out? More importantly… how long have you been up? You look like you’ve seen better days there, Lena.” Truth be told, her deadened stare worried him. He had no idea how long he had been passed out for, at least long enough to have recovered a little bit of his strength. Obviously, Lena had been the watchdog for that time, and from the look of things, she hadn’t gotten any rest herself, or had only allowed herself quick snatches of sleep.

*~*~*~*

The next day, Mai was ready to work again. The conversation that she had held with her mother had worried her a little bit. Up until this point, she hadn’t expressed any desire to have her precious children leave the nest just yet. In fact, she was wholly against the idea of Talos going rogue and starting out a life on his own that was so far removed from their close-knit family. Her apparent eagerness had unsettled her, and raised some question of her own.

The two had talked a lot of each other’s families, and Kol seemed to have already had some general knowledge of her family. It wasn’t entirely weird that a stranger knew about them; the Estoen clan had lived in the Turich region for longer than Turich had been a settled area. That, and they were always out and about, doing work with anyone who would help them. But, for all the times that they had been together, she hadn’t met any of his family, nor had he expressed any interest to meet hers. Not to mention, if he had a last name, he wasn’t sharing it with her, which she also found to be quite suspicious. Just what sort of secrets was Kol keeping? His family seemed nice enough from the stories he told… perhaps he was embarrassed to have his family meet such a low-class woman such as herself?

Whatever the reason, next time they met, she would ask. It seemed like high time to do so.

Lena continued to stare at the fire as he moved. “You’ve been out for a day and a half.” She answered his question flatly and raised a hand to rub her aching temples. Grabbing the canteen he offered, she took a small swig of it and then sat it down next to her. When did she last sleep? She didn’t know herself. Two days? Maybe three? She was unconscious when she was being tied down to that stupid sad excuse for a table…that counted she supposed.

She looked over at him. “You callin’ me ugly, little man?” She tried to put as much conviction into her voice as she could muster but she knew he was telling the truth. Her eyes felt if they had sunken into her face and all of her movements felt as if they were not her own. Looking him over, she was satisfied that he looked as if he recovered somewhat.

Lena sighed as she looked at the rest of the meat that she had not used. If it wasn’t wrapped or thrown away half the carnivorous creatures in the forest would descend upon them. Lena stood. That was suddenly a bad idea. An abrupt dizziness over took her and the edges of her vision went dark. She took a step back to balance herself, but to no avail. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fell to the ground in a crumpled, unconscious heap. It was as if her body finally felt the obligation to watch over Talos was over and needed to rest that very second.


~*~*~*


“Kol! Where have you been big brother?!” A small avian child complained as she looked up to her big brother. She had large blue eyes and brown bouncing curls. She may have looked nothing like Kol, but he could not deny her pouting was rather adorable.

“Forgive me, Ren, I’ve been rather busy lately.” He apologized to her, taking a hand and gently tousling her curls.

“You were off with another girl again, weren’t you?” She puffed, crossing her arms over her small chest and tapping her foot. She acted as if she were his mother. A grin spread across Kol’s face that gave her the answer she was looking for. “You really should treat them better, big brother. One day they will come back to get you and I will laugh.” Even though she was the fourth youngest, being only the second female in the family (and the only one that acted like one) had caused her to grow up with a quick mouth and wit.

“I think you would like this one, Ren. She is beautiful, of course…” He waited to the usual dry look his sister would give him and then continued, “but she is so much more then that.” Kol was unsure of how to even describe Mai to her. “Perhaps one day you will get to meet her.” The smile slowly faded from his gorgeous face. That was, of course, if she didn’t try to flee from him after he told her who he was. He wouldn’t be surprised if she left him.

Ren looked at her brother with confusion. Never had she seen him with such a pensive, sad look on his face. “Kol?” She asked, concerned.

The hint of concern in her voice brought him back. “It’s nothing.” He grinned and then grabbed her by her small waist, hoisting her in the air. “No sister of mine will have such a frown upon their face.” He spun around in circles until she began laughing. Contented, he set her back on the ground and patted her head.

He managed a chuckle at Lena's weak attempt at pretending to sound offended by his statement, and shook his head. "Naw, you probably don't look any worse that what I do." Talos watched with a hooded gaze as she stood, to do what he couldn't figure out, and then with a little surprise and a decidedly slow reaction, he watched her fall. He was so shocked by her sudden collapse, he couldn't even comprehend that it had happened for a moment, much less try and do something about it.

When he finally got his head around the fact that yes, Lena had just passed out, he stood quickly and made sure that she hadn't died due to lack of sleep or something equally foolish. When he was satisfied that she was still breathing, Talos began to form a plan of action. She had taken care of him while he was out cold, and now it seemed like he would be returning the favor. He brought his cloak over and untied the strip of cloth around the hole in his wing where the arrow had sliced through it. The wound had started to scab over, so he wasn't too concerned about it breaking open and bleeding out again. After a brief examination of the material, he determined that he could sill use parts of it, and so dabbled some water from Lena's canteen on the fabric that wasn't stained with his blood. He would have preferred to have warm water, but her canteen was only leather, and he didn't dare throw it in the fire to heat it up.

Kneeling by her head, Talos smoothed back Lena's ebony hair, examining the tired face with a critical eye. As he cleaned away the blood and grime that was on her face, he bean to slowly realize that when she wasn't yelling at him, she was kind of pretty. It was an odd thought, since he had known her for over a month now and the thought had never crossed him before. Maybe if they just got along a little better... But those were thoughts best left until she wasn't passed out from exhaustion.

Once he had her face cleaned up to his liking, he inspected the rest of the downed woman for any more injuries. She didn't seem to have suffered any damage that he could see right away... A few scratches here and there, a minor cut, and some rope burn around her wrists where she had been tied down. He regretted that he couldn't do much more than wash the wounds, but made due and once he was done, draped his cloak over her, the massive amount of material meant to cover his much larger frame easily fitting around her much smaller one.

Satisfied with his work, he located her bow with his eyes, noting that a few more arrows were gone from what he previously remembered, and briefly wondered what or who had been on the receiving end of the missing arrows. Settling down in front of the fire, it took him only a moment of observing the meat still left standing over the fire to decide that he was still hungry. Well, it would be a shame to let it go to waste, after all. Glancing once over his shoulder at Lena, his expression softened slightly, and he gave a little sigh. "I guess I'll have to thank you when you wake up, huh? Rest easy, I've got ya covered this time." Pausing as if to see if she would respond momentarily, he went back to the meat, munching away at what was left with gusto.

*~*~*~*

Exhausted, but with money in her coin purse, Mai returned home, her mind far more active than her feet as she turned the problem of Kol's identity over in her head. All day long she had been trying to figure him out, wondering if there had been some clue as to what he was about in their earlier conversations... and then something had clicked, and she remembered her brother Talos commenting on their family's eternal rival, the Serenoa clan. He had called one of them a blonde good-for-nothing narcissist, and with suspicion worming its way into her stomach, she realized that if he had ever met Kol, that's probably how he would have described the man.

Walking in, she found the person she was looking for in the laundry room, folding the never-ending pile of laundry that the Estoen clan was constantly producing. Her mother looked up at the intruder in her self-imposed prison, smiling tightly when she realized that it was Mai. "Come ter give yer ma a little 'elp afore you go flittin' off ter see yer man?"

Mai mustered her best weltering glower at her mother to no avail, and stood next to her, helping fold the clothes. "Ma, I know this migh' seem like it's outta the blue, but what do the Serenoa's look like?"

Her mother paused mid-fold, glancing a Mai curiously. "You ain't never been on a raid, righ'?" Mai shook her head no, and her mother fell into deep thought. "I ain't seen 'em much either but... There are three older ones that all look alike. They all got blonde hair 'an green eyes, two boys 'n a girl, a 'lil older 'n you, I think, 'cept the younger boy. The rest of 'em don't exactly match the first three, but they all got their black wings in common, most of 'em 'ave got white patches on their wings too, but a couple of 'em just got pure black wings, like a raven."

A cold weight dropped into her stomach at the description, but she merely nodded her head slowly, absorbing the information. "Thank ye ma. I'll be off now."

"Take care sweetie. 'An remember! Get the weddin' ring afore you let 'im touch ya!" She called after her eldest daughter, who slumped her shoulders in response and smacked herself in the forehead with the palm of her hand on the way out the door. "Maybe we'll get this bridge gapped after all, eh?" She muttered to herself, resuming the duty of folding.