Dark Arrow Ch. 06

Without time to think and with her hand losing feeling and its grip on the knife she swung high with her free arm, causing Ren to duck the wild haymaker. Unfortunately for him that only succeeded in introducing his face to her knee as she brought her leg up with a vicious knee strike. He moaned and staggered back as the knife dropped from her numb hand. He righted himself and stepped back staring at her, as he scrunched his nose and circled her trying hard not to limp. With a sigh he straightened up and backed away.

"You aren't going to let this go are you," he asked, eyeing her carefully. She smiled and stepped forward; planting her foot and firing off a kick towards his chest causing him dance back almost to the edge of the water. Ren's retreat turned to her advantage when his footing slipped and he stumbled back towards the lake. She charged, lining up a punch to knock him into the water. About a step before she reached him she realized her mistake. Ren suddenly stopped flailing and set his feet. She pulled up but Ren lunged out and grabbed her by the shirt. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his hip he pivoted and threw his hip into her, launching her into the water.

She came up spluttering to see Ren closing in on her again, she cursed herself for having gotten careless. Ren might be limping but he was still a marine and a special operations marine to boot. A couple knife wounds like that weren't enough to incapacitate someone like him and she knew it. Now she'd gone and thrown away her advantage by letting him toss her into the lake. Thrashing in the water to get her feet under her she managed to come to a fighting stance just before Ren reached her. The water hampered her movement and she knew this fight had taken a serious turn for the worse for her, but her anger still burned hot so with a scream of rage she launched a punch at Ren. He blocked it off and deflected the uppercut she followed with before grabbing her by the hair and pulling her head back.

The sharp tug on her hair made her gasp, and before she could recover Ren slammed his forehead into her head. Pain exploded as stars danced before her vision she could feel her consciousness slipping away. Her vision swam as she struggled against Ren and the darkness closing in on her.

Swinging a punch at his face she was rewarded with the feeling of solid contact and was pleased and surprised to hear Ren gurgle and loosen his grip on her. Shoving him back she staggered loose of his grip, thrashing in the water she tripped as she tried to wade back to the bank. As she pitched forward into the mud and sand at the edge of the water she realized she was going to lose the fight to stay conscious. Dragging herself forward with her arms she managed to get all but her feet out of the water before her body succumbed to the damage she'd taken.

Ren floundered in the water and for a moment the almost forgotten feeling of panic took over. Erillia had been nearly blind with pain and rage when she struck out at him. She hadn't seen that her punch had missed its intended target and caught him in the throat instead of the face. The irony was not lost on Ren as he struggled to shore that while he'd been pushing her to unlock her killer instincts and skills she might just have done that and managed to kill him. After every close encounter he'd survived and every fight he'd walked away from, this tussle in the lake might actually be his last.

He could feel himself becoming light headed and it was becoming more and more difficult to breathe as he reached the bank and saw Erillia collapse. Scrambling to where he had dropped his bag while she was working on the deer he ripped open the zipper and fumbled through the contents he'd brought with him.

Finally his hand closed around the packet he'd placed the two remaining nano injectors in. Ripping one out he contemplated only using half a dose, but the damage he'd taken was too severe. Much as he hated it he at least was going to need a full dose to be able to get up and function again anytime soon, and he suspected Erillia was going to need the other dose.

Slamming the injector home on his thigh he lay back gasping as the nanites rushed through his system. He closed his eyes as he felt breathing become easier finally as the damage to his trachea was repaired. As soon as he no longer felt light headed he set up and shook his head to clear the remaining cobwebs.

Ren had been in a lot of fights over the course of his military career and had been in more than one close call over that time. Still he was hard pressed to remember a time he'd come closer to being done in than by this slip of a woman. Scrabbling in the bag again he grabbed a light and the last nano injector before rushing to Erillia's side. Turning her carefully he checked her pulse and respirations quickly and was relieved to find they were both strong and normal.

He groaned and levered himself to his feet. Reaching down he hooked an arm between Erillia's legs and grabbed her left wrist. With a grunt and a heave he hauled her onto his shoulders and settled her into as comfortable a position for both of them as possible. Wrapping an arm around her right leg as it draped over his shoulder and down his chest he pulled her arm down until he could grab it with the same arm. With her situated and an arm free he quickly grabbed his bow and his bag carrying them in his left hand as he kept her secured with his right.

If he had to guess Ren would say that the lynx were solitary predators. The kind of animal that only gets together with another one of its species to fight or to fuck. He'd have to pray it was a male or that it wasn't in heat, but he didn't think they would be seeing another of the cats tonight.

Still it would not do to have himself or Erillia caught out while they were still recovering. With a grunt of exasperation Ren turned and headed across the meadow towards the cave. It was a ten minute trip there and back when they were walking, so he estimated he'd make the hike in less than seven minutes if he moved at his usual clip.

He was not far off as he arrived at the rope to climb up in eight minutes flat. Dropping the bag he knelt carefully to avoid dropping Erillia from his shoulders. Fishing rope out of the bag he quickly tied her to his back. The cords were tight and he could see it bit into her skin, but it would only be for a moment and it was more important that she stay secured to his back than anything. Quickly looping the rope through the straps of his bag and around his borrowed bow Ren grabbed the rope and blew out a breath.

It had been a while since he'd had to free climb a rope with anything but his own weight, and Erillia's weight kept shifting as he moved. Still it was not long before he clambered into the cave. Quickly removing the bindings he carefully lay her down. Her breathing was shallow and her pulse was weak as he checked her over again.

Ren cursed and quickly scrambled to the ledge pulling the rope up until he could haul the bag and bow into the cave. His fingers shook as he struggled to untie the rope and work the zipper on the bag. Grabbing the last injector from the bag he rushed back to Erillia's side. Grabbing her wrist again the color fled from Ren's cheeks.

There was a faint thready pulse but it was so weak he had to hope it would be enough to spread the nanites. Slamming the injector home Ren collapsed and sat there holding Erillia's hand as he tried not to contemplate the fact that he'd almost waited too long and that wait had almost cost him more dearly than he could accurately say.

It seemed to take an eternity, but finally he felt her pulse strengthen. He held his breath as her heart rate rebounded from the sluggish 35 beats a minute it had fallen to until it was sitting at a crisp 61. The low end of normal, but then that was common for someone as active as Erillia was. The color had returned to her cheeks and her breathing seemed normal. Deep full respirations that expanded her chest visibly, Ren could have practically shouted for joy.

He gave it another couple minutes to make sure she was comfortable and situated. Satisfied that she was on the mend with the nanites Ren turned back to the entry of the cave. Moving his bag inside and stowing it with the rest of the gear he'd brought he returned to the ledge and grabbed the bow. Slinging it on his shoulder he took a last glance at Erillia before picking up the rope and making quick work of the climb down.

They had gone hunting because they were going to need the meat and he'd be damned if he was going to let that meat go to waste after everything they'd been through. Erillia had already butchered the meat from the deer so all he had to do was collect it and get it back to the cave. He wasn't thrilled with leaving Erillia to mend without someone there watching over her, but he couldn't be in two places at once and she was out of danger for the moment.

Ren had pushed the pace bringing Erillia to the cave, but he'd been taking care that he didn't trip or fall while carrying her. Now however, relieved of that concern, he jogged across the meadow at a brisk pace. He reached the lake in a few minutes and glanced at the area. Erillia's bow and quiver lay next to the deer carcass where she'd discarded them when she started working on the kill.

Ren shook his head and sighed. If he'd just kept his hands off of her and let her stew they might be back in the cave right now talking things over rather than her lying there while the nanites repaired the injuries he'd inflicted on her. He'd seen what was going on. Seen her shaking and watched how unsteady her hands were. He'd known she was waging an internal war with herself over something, but he hadn't realized how sucked into the cycle of recrimination and anger she was when he approached her.

He'd thought she was angry with him for risking himself, but that was only part of it. He figured this was probably the first time since her father that she'd hunted with a partner and there were always dynamics to work out with a new partnership. Until now they had been running so smoothly it had left him slightly disconcerted. Two personalities as strong as theirs should not have meshed so easily, but now it was starting to shake out.

The problem was that by now it wasn't just a partnership. They were lovers and had opened up to each other about things they hadn't spoken or thought about in years. This wasn't just simple power dynamics anymore because they had feelings involved. He'd acknowledged his feelings to a degree, but he suspected that part of the outburst he'd just witnessed was Erillia being forced to face hers.

In retrospect he kicked himself for not thinking about her past before he pushed her boundaries. She'd watched her father die and been unable to do anything to stop it. Hunting and her foray into being an assassin had given her confidence back. Probably for the first time in her life she had felt like she was in control and able to deal with whatever came her way. Then he came along, but he'd presented himself as an equal not someone who had superior skills. Not until they had needed those skills and he had always acknowledged her abilities.

It wasn't until this fiasco that she'd had to confront the prospect that even with her skills, and despite all the ability and training that she had, there were still somethings she might not be able to prevent. He remembered the way his emotions had raged while he sat studying her unconscious form waiting for her to wake up after he'd hauled her out of the ally they first met in. Sighing he bent over and retrieved Erillia's knife from where it had fallen from her hands.

He should have done a lot of things different, but in the end she'd finally given him everything she had the way he'd been trying to get her to all along. Her all was almost more than he could handle, but now he knew that it wasn't lack of training or skill but something else that held her back before. The instincts that were there when she hunted, the awareness of her surroundings and poise. Some of that had transferred over to her combat skills, but until this there had always been a slight sluggishness to her that had given him a definable edge.

Still mental issues were harder to deal with then mechanical issues and often the causes ran deep. These were the kinds of issues it took years for people to overcome and he expected her to do it in a matter of days. It wasn't fair and it wasn't realistic, but it was her only shot at living through this. He shook his head and glanced around the area again. Retrieving her bow he moved over to the meat she'd butchered. Taking his knife out he skewered each piece and strung it on some of the line he'd brought back with him.

Soon he had two loops of meat which he twisted over each shoulder. Leaving the bones and antlers he rolled the hide up before turning to head for the cave again. It was the metallic gleaming black arrow that stopped him in his tracks. When Erillia had fired wildly at the lynx as he was crawling out from under it one of the arrows struck high on the shoulder. It now stood out proudly above the grass of the meadow glinting in the sun.

Walking over to the body Ren stared down at the cat for a moment, before he chuckled as an idea came to him. Kneeling down he fastened the cat's paws together binding them with the remainder of the cord. Granted the animal was far too heavy for him to lift, but by slipping the arms over his neck and letting it them fall so the weight of the front part of the animal rested on his shoulders he had a high chance of being able to drag it.

Now the only question was how fast would he be able to move while dragging it. He'd already been gone from the cave for right around a half an hour, and while Ren had no qualms about the abilities of the nanites to pull Erillia through after she had stabilized he didn't want her waking up alone. Still even with nanites he figured it would take a couple hours for the damage to be done and there was no guarantee that she'd wake up instantly. Often people who were knocked out simply transitioned to sleep from which they could be woken if need be but if he had his choice Ren was going to let Erillia sleep.

She needed time to think, and, in his experience, sleep was often when your brain worked out its most troubling problems. So if Erillia could work out her issue with him in her sleep he might be saved from another beating. He chuckled to himself as he leaned into the cat's paws and started trudging back to the cave. Somehow he didn't think he was going to be able to avoid another beating no matter what she decided.

It took him well over twenty minutes to make the trek back much to his irritation. While the weight was manageable he'd not been able to do more than a slow steady pace. For some reason the time it had taken him to get back chaffed him far more than he thought it should have. He shrugged the cat's paws off of his neck and leaning down unwound the cord from the paws, pocketing it before straightening up and glancing up at the cave mouth. He didn't hear any motion, but that didn't entirely mean she wasn't awake already. Grabbing the rope Ren took a deep breath and started climbing.

With practiced motions Ren hauled himself up the rope before rolling carefully over the edge of the cave and coming to a fighting position as he rose to a crouch. Silence greeted him as he perched there on the ledge. Breathing a sigh of relief he straightened up and walked over to the bed casting his eyes over Erillia's still form. Her chest rose and fell softly with her breathing, and he was pleased to see that the color had returned to her face.

Squatting down he took hold of her wrist and checked her pulse. A strong steady beat against his fingers brought a little smile to his face. She was a fighter, and this wasn't going to be her last round. Laying her arm back on the bed he was surprised, but immeasurably pleased, to hear her murmur and shift as his fingers slid off her skin. She might not be out as long as he'd expected, but then she'd been surprising him all day today so this would just be par for the course. He smiled as he turned away from the bed to the smoker and stove in the back of the cave.

The designs were a bit old, and Ren wasn't that well versed in smoking, but he understood the basics and Erillia had set up the smoker this morning, apparently she'd been busy before she woke him up so sweetly this morning. He quickly got out the racks and began placing the meat she'd butchered into the smoker. She'd done an impressive job of butchering and he saved out two steaks to cook for supper.

Moving to the stove he noticed an alcove next to it that he'd previously missed. In it were a selection of pans and pots, as well as a small box that peaked his curiosity. He'd seen Erillia pack this into her bag from the cabin, and was curious what she'd be carting around on a hunting trip. Grabbing a skillet from the shelves he set it on top of the stove, turning the stove on to warm up as he turned his attention back to the box. Inside he found several packets of ground spices.

He smiled faintly as he sorted through what was there, pulling out a packet now and then as he considered the steaks. Most of these came from the spice garden he'd found nestled up against the cabin while he waited for Erillia to arrive that first day. He smiled as he thought of how reckless he'd been in his desire to beat her and claim her. He still had to shake his head at her offering herself as a prize like that.

It was so out of character for her, and yet based on her reactions to everything they'd done so far she might have been even more excited to be caught than he was to catch her. He chuckled as he dusted the steaks with seasonings. Out of character could describe much of what had happened since they had met each other. It was out of character for her to risk herself the way she had to secure her kill. It was out of character for him to care what happened to another person if it put him in danger. It was out of character for her to make that bet, and it was out of character for him to push himself all night and use a stimulant injection he knew he might need later just to make sure he got to the cabin before her.

Now as he looked through the spices again, before putting them back in the box and placing the box back on its shelf, he had to add one more thing to the list of odd behavior. Erillia was a practical girl to the core. If it was a choice between a new dress and a new weapon she'd mend a tattered rag so that she could buy that weapon. She was anything but frivolous, and yet, in that box she had one of the most extensive, and therefor expensive, collections of spices he'd ever seen.

Some he knew she'd grown herself, but black pepper was not grown anywhere on terra as it had been made an exclusive product of Earth during the first colonization push. Likewise Saffron while not exclusive to earth was extremely restricted and very hard to come by. Many of the more exotic spices she had in the box were spices that required a very refined taste to appreciate or to notice if they were missing.

Clearly, despite being a rough and ready assassin who would sleep on the ground and preform a forced march with a full pack as quickly and as easily as any marine he'd met, she had experienced some thing of the cultured life. Given what he knew of her lineage he wasn't surprised. In fact, if he stopped to think about it, it all added up in a surprisingly neat fashion. She'd learned the appreciation of spices and how to determine which were real and which were fake from her father. A skill he no doubt picked up due to his love for her mother.

Thinking about the maternal half of Erillia's parentage caused Ren to grind his teeth together as a wave of anger and borderline hatred rolled through him. If she was who he suspected, and at this point the evidence was all but overwhelming that she was, then she had changed drastically since meeting Erillia's father. The woman who could disown her own flesh and blood after her daughter was raped was not the woman he'd heard of. Nor was it the type of woman Edward Laroch would give up the Marines for. Something had happened to change her, and he could only pray it had happened after Edward's death.