Stalking the Wasteland (Open)

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[atrb=border,0,true][cs=7][bg=000000] _____________________ He only awaited an answer for so long before he turned and began walking away. Isaac could hear the woman begin walking behind him, though he was unsure if she had actually accepted his offer or simply continued on her own way. Now that he was back on his way, Isaac's mind began to wander once more. He replayed the events of the day and the appearance of this strange female. He was still unsure of her nature but at least she hadn't tried to kill him yet. His attention then turned to the origin of his "companion", noting that he hadn't really met anyone from the other packs and only a couple Havren. He dismissed the thought quickly as he probably wouldn't see this woman again after she went on her way. Ever since the death of his sister, Isaac kept a revolving door of connections. No sooner than people came into the picture, they quickly left again. It wasn't neccessarily a bad thing, but the few words he spoke to this woman were the most to any person in the last twenty years. This however was the price to pay for being a rouge, even in a pack. He wondered if he would come to be more sociable with the Havren, for the ones he met were found to be honorable in his eyes. It was always extremely difficult for him to change his ways however, but perhaps he would come to it in time. As his mind snapped out of the reflective state it was in, Isaac returned his attention to the woman behind him. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as if she was staring a hole through the back of his skull. This was presumptuous however and he needn't turn around to look. Something caught his eye off to the left of them, and he twisted his head slowly to see the last of the humans taking shelter for the night. They scurried like mice to get into their makeshift homes before the darkness of night completely devoured their poorly lit streets. Luckily, Isaac and others of his kind had excellent eyesight. He wanted to shift and run the rest of the way but that wasn't a very wise decision in the presence of these humans, the possibility of wayward eyes being too great. He stopped suddenly as the silence between them was broken, listening to the woman speak on a situation to which he was also aware. The growl once again surrounded them as a large cat lept from the shadows, pinning the woman to the ground. Isaac was about to move towards it when he realized another cat coming from the shadows, clawing at his face as he lept back. He lost his footing in a patch of loose rocks as the cat lept through the air towards him. He swung his hips forward as he kicked his feet into the air, catching the cat in the chest and kicking it over his head. As the cat flew by, an outstretched paw came down and scraped the side of his cheek drawing blood. The cat had succeeded in pissing Isaac off. He quickly turned and lept towards the cat as it rebounded from his kick, catching it around the neck with a vicelike grip. He swiftly broke the neck of the cat as he turned to see the woman lying next to the motionless body of another. She was shaking and scratched it seemed, but he noticed another pair of eyes in the dimly lit street behind her. He scowled in annoyance as the cat swayed behind the woman. He thought of yelling to her, but he was unsure of her wounds and the time it would take could afford the cat time to reach her. He flicked his back foot as he lept towards it, his momentum accelerating as each foot touched the earth for the briefest of moments. He took his overcoat off as he passed the female, throwing it in her direction. He didn't have time to ask her to hold it as he lept only inches to the right of her, nearly clipping her shoulder as he caught the cat. The closeness was needed as the cat was little more than a foot from her back, finding not prey but a foot dug deep in its side. The cat flew back a few feet as it dug its claws into the soft earth, favoring the certainly damaged side as it landed. Regaining its balance as it growled and thrashed at the dirt, the cat seemed to attempt to scare him away. Isaac lowered his eyes to meet the cats, a golden glow meeting its own as a deep growl accompanied it. In an almost primal show, Isaac puffed his chest out and showed his teeth. The cats ferocity disappeared as it turned and lept back off into the shadows of the wasteland, using the remaining stamina it had to gingerly scale a pile of rubble. The blood dripped into and down the corner of his mouth as he turned around to face the female. He had seen enough corpses to last him another hundred years, and hoped he would not find another as he spoke. "You alright?" _____________________ 0:words.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,343,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=B0C2C2] The woman didn’t have much time to sit and mull over what had happened. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a quick golden streak moving beside her and turned to watch in horror as another aggressive feline rushed out of the shadows and hurled itself at her companion. Her eyes were wide with fear as the animal clawed at his face, wounding him enough to allow a few streams of blood to trickle down his cheeks. Emma knew that she needed to intervene. Despite her own injuries, she was temporarily fueled by adrenaline, which now coursed rapidly through her veins. But before she even got a chance to get to her feet, the male had retaliated and within a matter of moments, the beast was dead, lying lifelessly on the ground with a broken neck. Sighing quietly in relief, she studied the man’s face but was unable to see the extent of the damage that had been done. She hoped that his injuries were superficial and that the animal’s sharp claws hadn’t reached his vulnerable and irreplaceable eyes. She placed a hand on her knee and gazed down at the ground and prepared to pull herself upright. She never noticed the last of the cats lurking behind her, waiting for the perfect time to attack. The male however noticed the beast before it got a chance to take advantage of Emma’s vulnerable position and reacted accordingly. When he removed his overcoat and tossed it in her direction, it landed on her lap with a faint thump, and she clutched the soft material in her hands. Before the alpha could turn around and at least position herself in a defensive posture, the male had already injured the feline, ramming his foot into the animal’s tender side. Fortunately, the cat had had enough, and decided his best bet would be to high tail it out of the desolate city. At this point, the woman was riled and tense. Her entire body was stiff and rigid, preparing for another attack. Though it was unlikely that any cats remained, Emma had been taken by surprise and wasn’t willing to allow it to happen again. Her shoulder throbbed and beneath the thin white material of her shirt, she watched as blood oozed from the deep bite wounds. When her companion returned to her side and asked her if she was all right, she nodded in response. Even if she hadn’t been, she never would have told him otherwise. The young woman saw no sense in complaining and she certainly didn’t need someone else worrying about her well-being. As of now, her attention was on the male and the wounds that had been inflicted upon his face. She peered upward and narrowed her eyes, trying to get an idea of the damage that had been done. But with such a large distance between the two of them, she realized she needed to stand upright in order to get a good look at his injuries. Shakily, she pulled herself onto her feet, her body quivering as she tried to regain her composure. His coat now hung loosely over her right arm as she took a few steps forward, inching her way toward the currently unnamed male. The sun had finally set and the brunette was forced to inspect his wounds beneath the pale glow of the rotund moon. Though there was a significant amount of blood drizzling down his face, as far as she could tell, the animal’s claws had missed his eyes. And for that, Emma was grateful. Clearing her throat, the female began “how badly did he hurt you? We need to get out of here. You need to get those looked at. Let’s go.” Her voice was calm but unmistakably commandeering. For the moment, she dismissed her own injuries and focused solely on those of the young man. She was confident in her ability to care for herself without the assistance of others (perhaps stupidly so) and kept her attention on the male who’s injuries were likely more severe than her own. Without bothering to ask him how he felt about the whole thing, she gently removed his coat from her arm and reached up to lay it softly over his right shoulder. When she felt it was secure, she nodded wordlessly and began walking ahead. Her gait was slightly unsteady and her movements were a little slow but she managed to continue onward anyway. Emma knew that it was possible that his injuries had weakened and exhausted him, but she saw no other choice but to push onward. The duo still had miles and miles of ground to cover before they reached civilization, and the closer they got, the better. Emma herself wanted nothing more than to lower herself onto the ground and sleep for a few long hours but she refrained from voicing her desires aloud. She needed to get the male some medical attention before his wounds became infected. Turning around for just a moment, she barked bossily “let’s go.” Emma probably sounded like a domineering brat but she knew what needed to be done and she was hell-bent on getting it accomplished whether the male liked it or not. Her shoulder continued to throb as she began moving onward, but she did what she could to ignore it. Her body had been weak before the attack but now she felt as though the very last of her energy had been drained. Her feet were heavy but she shuffled along as best as she could. She tried her best to conceal her exhaustion and pain from the male, not wanting him to fret over her. She didn't like drawing negative attention onto herself, and did what she could to avoid or avert it. Besides, her attention needed to be on the male, not on herself. She was tough and invincible (or so she liked to think). He needed her assistance, and she would give it to him.

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[atrb=border,0,true][cs=7][bg=000000] _____________________ Isaac awaited the females answer, his eyes transfixed on her as she slowly responded with a nod. She looked up at him, her eyes seeming to focus on something. He let out a sigh of relief as, at least for the moment, they were both alright. He caught himself before he spoke, wondering why he cared if this random woman was alright. He usually didnt like to get involved in the affairs of others, but this woman's wellbeing was as his own until she decided to go on her own way. He reached up and brushed his hair out of his face, his hand resting on his forehead as he thought about the situation they had just gone through. As he gazed up at the moon, Isaac could almost hear his sisters voice in his ear. He shook it off as the woman stood to her feet, though in obvious discomfort. As she attempted to steady herself, Isaac could see that she didn't want him to notice. He decided to keep quiet about whatever injuries she might have gotten, figuring that she would tell him if she wanted help. The female then approached him, inspecting his face as she asked how badly he was hurt. He reached up and dabbed his fingers in the blood on his cheek as she spoke, thinking almost aloud that she should be more concerned with her shaky highwire act of a walk. Before he could respond to her question, she placed Isaac's overcoat on his shoulder and turned to walk away. He watched closely as she labored to walk, though he said nothing. He reflected back on the way he had turned and asked the woman to walk with him, as she did the same albeit more sternly. He walked silently behind the woman as he began to take in the scenery. They had since put the oppressive landscape of the city behind them, trading it for beautiful rolling hills and open plains. Isaac removed his shoes and carried them, placing his socks inside them as he dug his toes into the soft dirt road with each step. He thought back to the walks with his sister, wondering how after all this time he still remembered the feeling. Even after all the heartache that those years brought him, those moments made it all worth it in the end. It seemed that no matter how many years in time separated them, the memories still remain. Isaac matched the strides of the woman for a time, though eventually he came up alongside her. He looked over at her as he lazily dragged his feet, opening his mouth to speak. He felt at ease, and though he hadn't planned to he broke the silence. "You know you can stop pretending you aren't injured..." Then Isaac did something that he had rarely done in the last hundred years, smile. His eyes narrowed and then closed as he inhaled the fresh air and smells of the wild. He slowly reoppened his eyes as he continued his statement. "...or continue that shaky walk in an already failed attempt at concealing it." The tone of his voice would show the lighthearted nature of his comment. Though, as he didn't know the woman, he wasn't sure how she would react. He didn't particularly care what happened next because for the first time in a long time he was in a good mood. It was odd that a chance encounter, random attack, and long walk home sparked this feeling. He looked off as he realized he might have been better off keeping that comment to himself. Without turning back to look at the woman he spoke sarcastically. "And the name's Isaac, since you asked." _____________________ 0:words.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,343,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=B0C2C2] The young woman forged ahead, trying as best as she could to ignore the throbbing pain in her injured shoulder. She didn’t know how much damage had been done, and though she was putting on a brave face, she was a little bit concerned. She could feel the warm liquid trickling over her skin beneath her shirt that had long ago been stained red from her blood. She could hear the male walking behind her, his feet lading lightly on the ground as he moved forward. In time, his steps began to match hers and rather than walking behind him, he walked beside her. Though she didn’t make it known, she would have preferred having him walking behind her where he couldn’t see her wounds. Fortunately, the sun had set and when Emma moved a little to the right, the bloodstains from her injury were barely visible. The young man was quite close to Emma and she was having a difficult time adjusting to it. Though they had some space between them, she could feel waves of heat radiating from his body. As her body continued to lose blood, her temperature dropped, and she trembled in discomfort as the wind brushed against her slender form. Despite the fact that the man emitted enough heat to offer Emma some warmth, she stayed away. She wasn’t comfortable with physical contact felt more secure when there was a bit of a distance between herself and other people. The two walked in silence for some time before the man finally filled the air with his voice. When he let her know that he was well aware of her injury, her eyes widened. She had gone to great lengths to seal the wound and her discomfort and was dismayed to know that she had failed. Out of the corner of her eye she watched him smirk before making another comment. As if she wasn’t already disappointed in herself enough, the man decided to make it loud and clear that she had failed. Not one to take criticism and failure lightly, her brows furrowed in frustration and she emitted a small but easily recognized sound of annoyance. Evidently he didn’t have a filter between his mouth and his brain, and if he wasn’t careful, he was going to get on Emma’s very last nerve. She knew that his comments weren’t malicious, but she was a little on edge and easily riled. He was likely trying to lighten the mood, but Emma wasn’t having any of it. She didn’t offer him any response and continued moving forward as quickly as she could. She listened as he offered his name, albeit, sarcastically. Her voice was flat and emotionless as she responded “Emma.” Before long, the young woman was overcome with exhaustion. She didn’t know much further she would be able to walk, and she didn’t know if it was a good idea to push herself too far. Stopping suddenly when she caught sight of a small lake glistening beneath the moonlight, she wondered if she ought to stop for a while and tend to her injury. She needed to clean it and find some way to stop the bleeding before she either lost too much blood, or the gash became infected. But what was she to do about Isaac? Just because she needed to make a pit stop didn’t mean that he needed to do the same. She knew that he likely had somewhere he needed to be and that it wasn’t reasonable to expect him to veer off of the path and adhere to another delay. After clearing her throat the young woman began, “I need to stop here and take care of my shoulder. But you don’t need to come with me. I can see that you are capable of caring for yourself and as far as I can tell, your cuts are superficial. So it would probably be best if you just went on without me.” Though Emma would never admit it, she was a little forlorn about letting Isaac off the hook. But she saw no reason to make him stay and suffer along with her. Without bothering to bid him farewell, she slowly shuffled toward the lake, anticipating the cool water numbing her angry flesh. As soon as she reached the shore, she knelt down beside it and turned to look at her bloodstained shirt. She assumed Isaac was long gone and aside from the crickets and owls, she was completely on her own. With that in mind, she carefully gripped the bottom of her white shirt and lifted it over her head. She winced as the material ripped from her shoulder and she dropped it onto the grass as quickly as she could. The brunette brushed her waist length hair away from her shoulders and over her back so she could get a better view of the damage that had been done. Her white bra strap covered the very center of the largest puncture wound and she gently slid it aside and gazed down at the blood-covered hole. She knew she had a lot to contend with and that she couldn’t waste any more time mulling about. Leaning forward, she dipped her right hand into the frigid water and carefully brought it close to her body and poured it as gently as she could over the wounds. She gasped quietly as the water struck her tender skin and washed away some of the newest pools of blood. Her eyes watered throughout the whole ordeal and she didn’t bother brushing the tears off of her cheeks. She was determined to take care of herself and return home as quickly as humanly possible. When Emma could no longer bear the pain, she paused and decided to wait for a few moments before she began again. Her mind wandered back to Isaac who was probably long gone by now. Though he had a bit of a walk ahead of him, his strides were long and he would be home before he knew it. As much as Emma didn’t want to acknowledge it, Isaac had come to her aid when she was in a vulnerable position and hadn’t thought twice about it. And though he had a way of getting under her skin, she knew he was kind and generous, and she was thankful for his intervention.

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[atrb=border,0,true][cs=7][bg=000000] _____________________ Isaac walked with Emma for a short while after she gave her name, although not too happily. His mind was clear and his body loose as they trekked further down the road. He loved being out in nature and even though the night was somewhat cold, it was beautiful. He had often thought of leaving the pack shortly after joining it to freely roam these fields, but these thoughts quickly subsided. He glanced over at Emma as she suddenly stopped walking, wondering what the reason behind it was. He listened as she spoke and told him that she needed to stop and tend to her wounds, saying that he needn't stay. He figured it was good at least that she could admit she was injured, even though he couldn't tell the extent to which she was. Isaac had gathered thus far that she was a tough person, and the fact she would admit this showed in his eyes that the pain was significant. As these thoughts were running through his head, Emma turned and walked off towards the lake without so much as a word more. Isaac watched as she slowly walked over to the edge of the water, turning himself to walk casually through the loosely packed soil. He reached his destination shortly as he was not headed further up the road, instead crossing it as he layed on the grassy hill on the opposite side. He was not so quick to sever the only connection he had made in countless years, the time roaming in relative solitude caused him to forget what the company of another was like. He had seen the attack Emma endured, and was certain even before that she was in rough shape. He wasn't going to leave her to die by some random lake. She could die own her own time, but not while he was around. The cool grass tickled his face as he stared up at the evening sky, infinite stars littering the black canvas. A brisk breeze blew across his face as his hair flew into view, yet he cared little to reach up and brush it away. He instead leaned back and clasped his hands behind his head as he closed his eyes. He listened to the rippling of the water in the lake as Emma began to clean her wound. The melody of nature played all around him as his heightened sensed picked up an orchestration of pure genius. He waited for a few moments, inhaling shortly before he spoke in a still lighthearted tone. EASTER HUNT "I hope you don't think i'm leaving you here alone." He paused for a moment, not awaiting a response but undergoing a change. His voice was now stern and completely serious as he continued, a tone that would command the attention of anything within earshot. "I'm making sure you get to wherever you are going, and making sure you get some medical attention. You can dislike it all you want but you are stuck with me until then." _____________________ 0:words.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,343,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=B0C2C2] The alpha was bewildered when Isaac chose to come along with her rather than heading off on his own. She knew he was an independent man and was perfectly capable of caring for himself, and perhaps for others as well. But Emma didn’t want his care or sympathy. She found such things degrading and certainly didn’t want to appear weak in front of a man she hardly knew. Emma was always careful not to display any signs of weakness, but tonight it seemed, it was inevitable. Isaac had seen the side of Emma that was physically weak; she was having a difficult time coping with it. And though it wasn’t Isaac’s fault, Emma resented the fact that he was and always would be physically stronger than she was. She hated any loss of control and tonight, she felt as though she had lost a significant amount of it. She wanted to push Isaac away because being near him exposed her weakness. She felt degraded and patronized and though her feelings were irrational and unreasonable, they would not subside. So when he lowered himself onto the grass not far from where she sat, she made a conscious effort to remain calm and levelheaded. Whether she wanted to acknowledge it or not, Isaac was probably not out to get her, and she was fairly certain that he didn’t mean to be condescending. Emma was simply overwhelmed and on edge and she would need to find a way to deal with Isaac and his looming presence as gracefully as possible. After a few moments of sitting idly in the cool grass, Emma resumed cleaning her wounds, trying her best to make the whole ordeal appear as painless as possible. The young woman could tolerate pain to a large degree but the cat had sunk his teeth deeply into Emma’s flesh and muscle. Her shoulder throbbed and ached, and even the ice cold water provided little relief. She knew it would be in her best interest to see a physician as soon as arrived in the nearest city or town, but not surprisingly, she didn’t relish the thought of going to a doctor. The alpha was stubborn as stubborn could be and liked to behave as though she were invincible. But the attack had proven to her without a shred of doubt that she could succumb to the same injuries and illnesses as anyone else. Being in charge did not give her any immunity. Emma continued splashing water on her wounds, washing away as much blood as she possibly could. But regardless of how much water she used and how many times she used it, the blood continued to rush out of her body. Her clothing was filthy, covered in dirt as well as fresh and dry blood. She felt dirty and unkempt and wanted to crawl out of her skin for a few hours to escape the discomfort. She wished she had thought to bring a satchel of extra clothing on her trip, but it was too late to go back and change things. Hindsight was always 20/20. The woman knew she needed to seal the wound as quickly as possible. Having lost so much blood, she was already weak and lethargic. She knew that if she lost much more, she would find herself in a potentially dire situation. She had one choice and one choice only; she needed to utilize the clothing she DID have, and make a wrap out of the material. Her pants were far thicker than her shirt, and she knew immediately that tearing a pair of jeans was out of the question. Her shirt on the other hand was thin and loose, and had enough material to adequately hold the injury. With a great deal of effort, she managed to tear the sleeve off of the left side of the shire (the side of the injury) along with the very bottom. As carefully as she could, she wrapped her shoulder over and beneath her arm and used her mouth and right hand to tie the ends of the sleeve in the tightest knot she could muster. With the bottom of the shirt, she created a makeshift sling that held her arm tightly against her upper half. She knew that the less she moved her arm, the less the wounds would bleed. When she was finished, she hunched over in exhaustion, then proceeded to chuckle quietly at both her situation, and her peculiar fashion statement. She was pleased however at her innovation and hoped that her makeshift bandages would stay in place. For a moment she forgot that Isaac was still present, and was reminded of his close proximity only when he finally decided to speak up. And when he did, the very first thing that came out of his mouth was an order. Well, it wasn’t a blatant order, but it was implied. He was making it perfectly clear that he had no intention of leaving her alone and that if she had an issue with it, she would have to find a way to deal with it. Because she was on the defense, she found his tone slightly condescending and at that moment, she wished she had been in her canine form, where a good show of authority would have been possible. She wanted to make it clear that she was the one in charge and that whatever she said was law. But Emma was not in her territory and for that reason alone, she had no say in what the male chose to do. The young woman scowled as Isaac told her that he was going to make sure that she got the medical attention she needed. After muttering a few obscenities under her breath, Emma shakily rose from her seated position. The first time she lifted her body, she fell back onto the ground, her legs weak from the day’s strains. But after another try, she managed to get up on her feet, and as sassily as she could, she walked over to where Isaac lay and peered down at him with her right hand on her hip. Her face was ashen and her stance was unsteady, but she cast him the unmistakable stinkeye and let him have it as best as she could, “listen here. I don’t need a babysitter. I have been on my own for the past however many years and I have managed just fine. These wounds are minor flesh wounds. And as you can see, I bandaged them up without any assistance.” She glanced over at her shoulder to eye the wrap, and frowned as she watched the material begin to slip off of her shoulder. Evidently the knot wasn’t tight enough. After clearing her throat, she moved her hand from her hip and allowed it to fall limply at her sides. Her long dark hair hung forward, sticking to her face that had been splashed in several places from the lake water. Her dark brown eyes studied Isaac, scanning his face and body, wondering why he was bothering with her at all. Perhaps he was just as stubborn as she. She observed his features, looking for any signs of malicious intent or insincerity; but she came up with absolutely nothing. He was giving her no indication that he had anything but her best interests in mind. Emma was quickly growing tired of standing but she wanted to prove a point. She wanted to show Isaac that she was absolutely fine and that she could lead both of them back to town. So after a few more seconds of watching him in silence, she turned in a half circle and began heading toward the dirt road. Unfortunately she didn’t get very far, and unbeknownst to her, she was heading in the wrong direction. She grew tired after about fifty seconds of walking and decided it was time to take a break. Once again she lowered herself onto a small patch of thick grass and sat with her legs bent under her bottom.

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