User blog:Roastedman511/A Lone Hunter, Chapter Five

POV: Serena (First Person)

I woke up to the sound of coughing. At first, it seemed subtle, as if someone was clearing their throat. It didn't stop though as I heard the sound of wood being chopped as well. I bolted straight up and went outside, running as fast as my leg would let me as I limped outside into the snow covered ground and windy air. The coughing became louder as I went behind the house to see Rain holding his chest as another fit wracked him.

"Rain! You aren't supposed to be out here!" I said worried about him. He shook his head.

"I'm-fine- just a little-" He didn't get to finish as he continued to cough some more, each shaking his body.

His face was pale, and his eyes wet with moisture. I put my hand on his shoulder and guided him back inside, my fur moving to cover any part of my body that was bare to the elements. He put his arm around me to help himself as well. It was strange to see him in such a weakened state. He begrudgingly took off his coat and gloves and set his boots by the door. He walked over to the table and covered his mouth as another coughing fit took its course.

I opened up a little wooden door, a cabinet he called it, and got the vial of purple powder. I had been used to doing this multiple times this past week. I was still surprised on how he knew when he was going to become sick, the time and everything down to the smallest detail. I poured some into the warm water and handed the cup to him. He drank it and let out another, smaller cough.

I put my paw against his forehead. He was sweating and I could feel his muscles tensing up as well.

"You shouldn't strain yourself so much. You're sick and need to rest. Even I'm not as stupid to do something like that." I said, chastising him.

"I know... But I need to hunt food and cut firewood for us. Someone needs to do it, and I don't think your leg is quite healed yet for you to do your usual hunting." He said. He then grimaced as he went to stand up. I rushed over and helped him into his bedroom, and let him get himself comfortable. Part of me wanted to stay by his side and help him, but I also needed to do what he had for me. I needed to care for him while he was in this state.

"Don't worry, I can do that while you're sick. Just tell me what I need to do and I can help the both of us." I said, trying to soothe him. I smiled as I looked at him sigh and give in.

"Fine. There should be some meat in the preparing room, the top shelf is the stuff that needs to be cooked first. Just get a pan, some salt, and cook it till it smells done. There shouldn't be any pink in it. We humans can't eat raw meat."

"I'm well aware of that Rain. Now please, get some rest." I pleaded.

"Don't worry, I will... Honey." He said a bit slyly. I felt my face burn up.

"Shut it you big idiot," I muttered as I closed the door to his room.

I went to the room where he would take his catches and skin and gut them. As soon as I set foot in the room my nose was filled with the scent of blood, animal fat, and Rain. It was hard to describe, but as soon as I stepped in and looked around it was if the whole room said one thing. "This is where Rain spends his time."

It was a strange smell. If I had to describe it as a smell, it was like the forest itself. Even his aura seemed to have a natural feel of the forest and nature itself. I looked around for the shelves he was talking about. He had taken upon himself to get me familiarized with the terms he used. Such as "shelf", "book", or the "forks" and "knives" he used for eating. I then smelled raw meat, the looked a bit old, but the smelled fresh.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">There was a jar of white powder next to it. I grabbed a bit went to lick it, and recoiled at the bitter taste in my mouth. I put it back in the jar and tried to get rid of the taste, my mouth now dry. I just hoped that stuff wouldn't get me sick like Rain. He needed someone to help him right now, and I was the only one close enough to.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">It seemed the caretaker had now become the one needing care. I took the meat and brought it to the stove he had. It was already filled with wood but needed a fire. How had he done it again? I looked around for the two rocks he always used to make a fire. I saw the two stones not far off and grabbed them. I struck them against one another, sparks going into the wood but not setting it ablaze. Seemed I wasn't cut out for this sort of stuff. Maybe it needed another thing as well?

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I looked around but saw nothing that could help. I then smelled a bit of smoke and turned my head to the pile of wood. A small shape of red and orange glowed on one of the logs. I quickly tried to remember what it was Rain would do next after this. What was it? I remembered and began to blow on the ember, causing it to get bigger in size. It wasn't long before it was now a decent sized fire.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">After some cooking and eating my own pieces of raw meat I brought the plate into Rain's bedroom, who was sitting up calmly and seemed to be expecting me. He gave me a strained smile. He then let out a sharp cough, covering his mouth making sure it was contained.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Never thought I'd have a beautiful woman bringing me food in my life." He said, that smile sending goosebumps down my back.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"You're only saying that because of the fever aren't you?" I asked him as I set the plate down and more of his medicine.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Maybe, maybe not. I say a lot of things." He said before cutting the meat into strips as he usually did.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I watched as he ate the food making sure he at least got something in his stomach. Yesterday he could barely eat anything at all. Most of what he ate was either coughed back up or left him in pain. He set the plate on the table next to him, this one significantly smaller than the one we would eat at. He then let his head hang low and looked at me.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"That was some good food. Not as good as my cooking, but still good. Let's just hope I can keep it down this time."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Yeah..." I agreed. I looked down

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Something wrong Serena? You look a bit down" He said.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Why does he have to be so observant?!

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I looked at him trying to not look like anything was disturbing me. I didn't want to show any weakness in his presence. "Nothing's wrong. I've just never seen you like this. You're usually a pain or taking care of me, but..." I tightened my paw into a fist. "Now you're nice and caring, something I didn't think humans could be. I never understood how my mother could fall in love with one." I said finally.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Why's that? I mean not all of us are bad, it's just some of us are better than others when it comes to morals." He said. He put his hand over mine. I wanted to smack it away, but it felt right having it over mine for some reason.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"How would you know anyways. You said you've always been alone!" I shouted, tears forming in my eyes.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Yes, but I know what it's like to have a family as well. To lose them and wish they were still with you so you'd know what to do. Don't think I'm so ignorant to not know I wasn't the only who's lost family in this forest. We all have scars." He let out a breath he must've been holding in. "Some more visible than others..." He added at the end. I looked at him confused by what he meant. He coughed a few more times before speaking. I handed him the cup of medicine, which he drank quickly.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"We all have gone through some things, but that's what makes us who we are. Everything happens just to make us stronger for tomorrow." He said, giving me that smile of his.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">He was right, someone had at least lost one person that night. Just about every Mamono knew of the family that lived in the woods, and the husband of the Sahuagin leader who had brought them here. They were said to be have followed him and even had set up numerous things in the forest. The pier near the lake, the platforms in the trees the Manhunter would leap to and fro when he hunted. It was a story many knew.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Yet, even more, knew of that fateful night. It had been terrible no matter how involved people were. A small skirmish between two camps of Order soldiers and those of a neighboring Zipanguese village. At first, it was just a few broken trees or hurt Mamono. Next, it was a raging fire that had burned down a portion of the forest. It was Mara and Quilla who had told every one of the catastrophes, both wanting claim over the human child who had been left unscathed except for the runes etched on his arms. He was raised by the Sahuagin and now sat here in bed before me. The so-called Manhunter. My father had told me that boy would one day become a competitor for territory, and to watch out for him when he did hunt. Because I might fall for him and become his prey, and his wife.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">It was how my mother fell in love with my father. He was strong and had shown he was a more than a capable fighter in the times they met. He had been a wandering hunter, and she having lived in the forest her whole life, just like me. They ended up falling for each other over how strong they felt together, not alone in the cold night. It was the same night Rain lost his that I lost mine. They had been more worried about me getting out of the den alive than themselves.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Why, though? I just wanted to be strong, but now I might as well be your wife. I wanted to fall for someone like the stories I was told. Two people falling for the other over a couple of months, maybe years, and only when one had to leave did they realized how much they loved each other." I felt more tears come down as I set my face against his lap. His hand drifted to my head.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Really? You see yourself as my wife? Well, isn't that something to think on..." He said, a smile on his face possibly thinking about what I said.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I glared at his choice of words and dug my claw a bit in his leg in annoyance.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Okay, sorry. Still, you don't have to always be strong. You aren't showing weakness, you're just showing you've been strong for too long. Trust me, I know the feeling all too well. If you need to cry, do it. I won't judge you. Hell, I'll comfort you if you need me to."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Really?" I asked him. He nodded before going into a coughing fit. I lifted my head up and rubbed his back, trying to ease up his muscles. He then did something unexpected. First I was up on my feet, then in the air and next to him in the bed. My face was scarlet as he looked into my eyes with his. They were a piercing blue, almost like the sky. He had a hand on my shoulder and was looking down at me. He was right on top of me then settled down into the bed and held me close. A still felt tears in my eyes as he did what I least expected him to do in his condition.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">He was right on top of me then settled down into the bed and held me close. I still felt tears in my eyes as he did what I least expected him to do in his condition. Rain's black hair glowed in the faint lantern light. My whole body felt hot as if it was burning from the inside out.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">He really was trying to still care for me while he was sick. I looked at him, and he smiled.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Just because I'm sick, doesn't mean I lack endurance. Plus it's a bit cold, so mind keeping me a bit warm?"

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Part of me wanted to protest, but I didn't. I brought my body closer to his and covered myself with the blanket we were no both using. I put my arm around his body as he did the same to mine.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Only because you're sick. Don't expect to do this again in the future." I said.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Rain let out a laugh. "I know, Serena. Now let us get some sleep. And don't try taking advantage of me while I'm asleep. I know how comfortable you like to get."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Jokes on you, I'm wearing a shirt this time," I said before I smiled and let his scent fill my nose. I felt his hand on my shoulder pulling me closer. My heart began to beat faster. Was he finally making a move on me? Was he going to-

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Don't worry, I'm not gonna try anything either." He whispered. "You're too precious to me to do that."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I then felt him relax as the medicine took over, making him fall asleep as it worked to cure his fever. I buried my face into his chest to hide how red my face was with what he said. Was that him talking or the fever making him a bit delirious? I felt my body become unnaturally warm as I laid in bed with him.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Those words of his echoed through my head as I tried to sleep. Did he care for me? I then thought back on all the times we had argued, where he usually took the blame. The times he would promise he'd be back. Sometimes he would even shorten the time he'd be out just so I wouldn't worry. When was it I began to worry about his safety when he went out to hunt? What was this warm feeling I had in my chest? What was it he was doing to me?

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">That's when I decided. As soon as spring came around, I'd see if these feelings for him were truly mine and his. It would be when my mating season would come. It would be the only time I'd be able to see if I still had these feelings for Rain Nolan, the Manhunter.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">The man who had apparently captured my heart, and I was starting to love.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">'''A/N: Ohhohohohoh! Next chapter is gonna be good boys! As of right now, I'm probably typing it up while I'm still eager with what I have in mind. After all, how else would one see if they truly have feelings for another person? Through a stressful event that's how! By the way, is it me or does Rain take catching your waifu to a whole new meaning? I mean by how much this series has got my inner writer going it's un-bear-able!'''

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">'''Yes, the puns are now a thing. As always, peace out guys.'''