Blindsided | Vilkas & Breena
Ah, there we go.
Those eyes, those doe-like eyes, bold and beautiful and a pale-green, finally coming up to meet his own. They were lovely in their distress, and by now his annoyance at her had almost completely melted, volatility shining through as his ‘change of heart’ did not retreat.
He did not know what a knight was, but if he did, he’d almost fancy himself as one, however mocking he might have been. But what knight would ride a steed so dark and wear armour so black?
Her touch was gentle as her hand was placed upon his shoulder, too finely boned and delicate in comparison to the ragged pelt he wore and the dirt-laden and carelessly made clothes underneath that came from living in a pack of beings that were more animal than man. She was like porcelain, flawless save for its nature to be easily cracked, but he didn’t intend to see her break.
Or at least, not when she carried such fanciful promises as food.
He smiled, inclining his head, apparently to address her teasing tone. He didn’t really care what her tone was, to be quite honest; she could be speaking in some deadpan monotone and he wouldn’t pay it much heed, so long as he was able to quit himself of a protesting stomach, for right now at least, he was as single-minded as the wolf that bayed for blood and meat inside of him.
However, it seemed it would be forced to make-do with more pitiful fare. He knew not of what a faun might stock within their quaint tree-trunk homes; he highly doubted it would be the more superior fruits of the forest that his pack survived upon day and night. Still, he couldn’t help the stirring of curiosity begin to well within him- he’d never been inside a faun’s residence, much less been invited inside one, and he knew that such opportunities would not bother themselves with him again any time soon.
"So tell me, fauness," he started as he took up his strides to follow her to the Grove, falling into sync beside her as they started walking. "Is it a habit of yours to allow unknown men to escort you, to invite them back to your home? Or am I simply the exception? I’m flattered either way."
Really, he knew it was because of how her heart drummed in her little chest. It was because she was scared, and for some, the only escape was their better nature, as contradictory as it may be.
How ridiculous.
She could hear the faint chirping of the birds surrounding them as they walked through the forest, though any urge to sing seemed to be extinguished by her current company. It wasn’t as though he removed the very joy from her, simply gave the fauness an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach. As though a warning to be cautious of her actions. She was unsure as to what precisely the cautious feeling was for; though she knew it could simply be an overreaction to her earlier scare.
As the skinwalker increased his strides so that they were walking side by side, he spoke, and Breena couldn’t stop an incredulous laugh from escaping, hand quickly covering her mouth in the hope of muffling the sound. She saw nothing wrong with aiding strangers, and wondered if the skinwalkers held some form of distaste for doing so. Lowering her hand, she shook her head at him, almost ruefully. “It is not a habit, though if someone is in need of shelter I surely won’t deny them that.”
She looked towards him then, brows furrowed in question as his words repeated within her head. The young fauness couldn’t tell if it was a good thing for this man to be flattered at her invitation, as foolish an invitation it may have been. He was unlike any company she had previously kept. Not simply because he was a skinwalker. It seemed as though it was his entire presence that made him so dissimilar from others Breena knew. As she scrutinized his dirtied clothes, the fauness couldn't deny that he was certainly a unique man.
Not wishing her gaze to seem impolite, her eyes quickly moved forward, focused solely on the path ahead of them. She continued her trek in silence, though only for a moment, seemingly unable to quiet herself, to stop her curiosity from getting the best of her. “And what of you? If you had found someone in the woods, perhaps cold or hungry, would you simply turn them away? Refuse them shelter?” She’d like to think that no, he would not, despite the unnerving first impression he had left upon her, but her doubts were many.
She was not accustomed to the civilities of skinwalkers, though even if she were, the thought of this man complying with them seemed unlikely. As she inspected him from the corner of her eye, Breena thought it doubtful that the skinwalker adhered to anything that didn’t in some way benefit him. She knew it was crude to assume such things of a man she barely knew, but it seemed as though her thoughts grew more uncivil the longer she remained in his presence.
She disliked the way he made her question things she would previously assume. Such as one offering another shelter or food to fill their stomach. As far as she knew, all creatures of the forest were just as courteous. Minus a select few, such as the older mermaids, though they seemed to have lost their humanity long ago.
He made it seem as though she were the odd one for offering help, and though she realized there were some situations where it may not be in her best interest, doing so seemed only right. Just as she had wished to flee from his presence earlier, instead she offered entry to her home, and food to fill his stomach, and all because it had seemed like the right thing to do. She was not so naive as to thing that the kind choice was always the smart choice, but it was one she would make regardless. She only wished others were more inclined to do so.
