#cairnivore

[appalachiannightmare]

PARTIES: @cairnivore; @appalachiannightmare TIMING: A few days before Hazel leaves. LOCATION: The Pines SUMMARY: Hazel meets Cairn to tell her how she really feels. WARNINGS: None!

It had been months since the kiss. Months since Hazel had really seen Cairn. They had briefly talked online, but it hadn’t been about anything too serious and definitely not about the kiss that it seemed neither one of them could fully understand. It had been a subject that had weighed on Hazel ever since it had happened causing stress and anxiety, but had shifted to something of warmth and love after Hazel had been subjected to nearly two weeks of torture thanks to Ms. Betty. And had been one of the few moments of Hazel’s life that had seemed to get her through what she assumed would be her ultimate end.

But now, here she stood, face-to-face with Cairn once again, with the proposed intent of actually talking things out. Discussing what had once caused her so much anguish, only to be replaced with a gratefulness for the soft kiss they had shared on their picnic, “I’m sorry it took so long for us to meet up again…Some things happened, and I just needed time.” Her soft brown eyes shifted from Cairn’s to the ground, clearly changed from all that had taken place over the past few months, “I thought maybe we could talk.”

—

Cairn had been wanting to meet with Hazel again after their picnic. Yet, she was hesitant to press—had she frightened Hazel away? Did she notice the wrong that was in her too? So, she carried the weight of Hazel in her thoughts, checking local postings frequently for attempts to contact her. Casual. Light. Even though the fire that ignited that summer still roared in her chest.

So when Hazel had been the one to set up a meeting point, Cairn was quick to accept. 

Although now that she was actually there, she felt that same tightness in her chest, the same doubt. In her time in the library and with no one to ask questions to, she searched. Kissing. Girls. Girls Kissing. The latter gave information that caused a librarian to be flagged over and Cairn learned to be mindful of 3 sequential Xs on weblinks.

Hazel looked different in the snow. Different than she did during the summer when they first met and when they had their picnic. Her breath fogged the air when she spoke, drifting away before anyone could catch it. The cold had brought color to Hazel’s cheeks and nose, the same place Cairn recalled warmth blooming in the summer.

The hilltop was open and white around them, the world slowed and softened by snow. No place to hide. No need to run.

“I…” Cairn swallowed her own words. Still learning not to do that. She took a breath. “I’ve been wanting to see you again. I hoped you would reach out when you were ready.” She was still confused about what had happened, and what was happening now. Why was Hazel apologizing for taking the time she needed? “Your arm,” her eyes flicked down to glance at both. “Has it healed?” Whatever happened at the picnic, whatever Hazel did, whatever Cairn did—that didn’t matter. She just needed to know Hazel was okay.

—

It was like a rush of warmth that had filled her entire body the moment she had laid eyes on Cairn. A fire that cut through the frigid air that blew around them. And she could still vividly picture the kiss shared back when the weather was warmer and more inviting. But hearing the familiar sounds of Cairn’s voice is what had almost made Hazel melt into a puddle in the snow. Despite having been made to believe she was worthless, being in the presence of the person that Hazel was falling in love with, caused those thoughts to temporarily drift away, until mention of her arm had arisen.

It was then that the reminder of everything that had happened, had come flooding back in. But Hazel’s arm had been much better once she had let her mutt out for the first time in a long time, “I’ve been wantin’ to see you too. It just wasn’t the right time, but…my arm –” She held up the one that had been broken during the fight to get back to Ms. Betty, “it’s doin’ so much better. Thank you for askin’. How’ve you been, since…um…well…since the last time we saw each other?” She wanted to bring up the kiss, but she just wasn’t ready.

—

Cairn hadn’t realized just how much worry she had been carrying for Hazel until it loosened all at once, simply because Hazel was standing there now, and seemed okay. Since they last met, Hazel hadn’t left her mind—not in a way a thought stayed but in a way a sound did after it ended. A pressure that would return at odd moments, without a warning. Half-remembered. Half-felt. “I’ve been…” Cairn wasn’t sure how to describe herself. But she wasn’t one to lie. “I’ve been moving around. Where I used to stay… it… stopped being safe.” Her eyes averted from Hazel, unsure whether or not to reveal what had happened. The wounds were hardly present on her skin aside from some faint scarring.

Her own breath formed in front of her as she exhaled, mouth willing to say something but she hesitated. In Hazel’s absence, Cairn tried to make sense of her feelings. Tried to place it. She replayed the details the same way she’d retrace tracks in the dirt. The warmth. The contact. The way Hazel had pulled away so quickly. That part unsettled her the most. “Did I… do something wrong, last time?” Cairn's eyes flicked back to Hazel, wanting to pay closer attention this time, wondering how could she have missed it?

—

At hearing that Cairn had been in danger, Hazel’s heart dropped. If she had known, she would’ve been there for her, but before she could even say anything, the words caught in her throat. Would Hazel’s cabin had even been safe from the wrath of Ms. Betty and Jean-Ralphio? Hazel wasn’t one for false promises, and if anything had happened to Cairn, because of her, she never would’ve forgiven herself, so instead, she opted for a safe answer, “I’m so sorry, Cairn. Are you okay? Is everything okay now? Do you have somewhere safe to be?” Though the thought of offering her a place back then would’ve been more likely, Hazel didn’t feel safe now knowing the risk of her mutt coming out and possibly hurting Cairn.

The conversation was somewhat awkward, and it had turned even stiffer when the question came out of if Cairn had done something wrong. Immediately, Hazel replied, “No…No, you did nothin’ wrong. I feel like I did…Like I put you in a situation that didn’t give you much of a choice. I just assumed that…Well…” Hazel stammered and looked at the ground; her cheeks growing warmer and redder, “I just assumed you liked me…like that…and so, I thought a kiss would be okay. But I had never kissed another girl before, and I got scared…” She sheepishly looked up at Cairn, the harsh critic living inside her mind berating her even harsher now, than it would have, before Ms. Betty had wormed into her brain like a parasite.

—

Cairn responded with a simple nod of her head, not having expected Hazel to respond with urgency, not sure what to do with the way it made her chest flip. “I found a spot before winter fell.” It took some time to ensure the den was abandoned and to figure out the kind of animals that roamed around the area. Mainly prey. Whatever foxes had lived there once had moved on. “It’s warm. Safe.” Nothing could be entirely safe, Cairn knew that much and she got the sense that Hazel would understand that as well. Not the safest, but safe enough and Cairn could handle the rest.

It felt like the words hit her all at once, yet not all in a line she could follow but tangled in a way she couldn’t separate. Her mind snagged on each thing Hazel had said, tried to hold them and failed doing so. Even though Hazel had verbally told Cairn she did nothing wrong, everything that came after that made it clear something definitely still did. And then it hit her that Hazel said she had been scared. That single thread, once pulled, snapped the rest of them into place. Silence had settled for quieter than most would be comfortable with and while Cairn wasn’t sure how to respond the right way, she knew how to speak what was true to her. “I didn’t feel trapped,” Cairn started, her voice low and careful as if trailing over thin ice. “I just… didn’t know what it was. I’m still figuring it out. I don’t know what’s happening here.” She put a hand to her own chest as she took a step closer, eyes open and looking at Hazel's. Her words couldn’t have fixed anything—not Hazel’s fear, not Cairn’s confusion, but they were honest, and hers.

—

There had been a sense of relief that had come over Hazel, when she heard Cairn had found a new place to stay. One that was safe. At least that would be one worry off of her shoulders. Though her own life was falling apart, deep down, she had still worried for the safety of those she considered important, and Cairn had definitely been one of those people, “I’m mighty glad you were able to find a safe place to be, especially before all this snow moved in.” She didn’t dare want to think of Cairn not having a warm place to sleep at night, and she had hoped it had been anything, but hard and cold like the floor she had grown accustomed to sleeping on herself.

I didn’t feel trapped. An audible sigh of relief escaped Hazel’s lips, “I’ll be real honest, and say I don’t know what’s happenin’ either. This…liking someone like me…it’s all new, and the family I came from always told me it was wrong. But it’s just hard, cause how could somethin’ feel so right, and be considered so wrong?” She took in a quiet breath as Cairn moved in closer; their eyes once again locking in place much like they had the day of the picnic. Only this time, Hazel dared not to move. She wasn’t risking this moment, because it had been months since she had been in Cairn’s presence, and she didn’t want to lose that opportunity again, so soon.

—

Hazel’s inexperience should have comforted Cairn. It should have made her feel like she wasn’t alone—but Cairn was unfamiliar with not having someone to turn to that could give her some answer, some sort of clarity over what was happening inside her. Kisses in the fairytales her pama showed her, they were glossed over, something she didn’t have to worry about and Cairn believed them. Yet, here she was over a year later, put in all these situations her pama never taught her how to navigate. “Wrong?” Cairn echoed, dropping her head at that.

Cairn knew wrong. Knew it in the hollow of her stomach, the ache in her chest. She had learned the weight of it from the choices made in the wild, from every lesson her pama had forced upon her. And now, somehow, she had tangled it up in something she didn’t have a word for. She hadn’t meant for her wrong to seep into this with Hazel. She wanted to understand it, name it and maybe—just maybe—put it down without hurting anything. “I’ve always known wrong. And I–I think I brought it here.” It was then she looked back up to Hazel. “It’s me… that’s making this feel heavy for you. I didn’t mean to Hazel–but now… now it’s inside both of us, isn’t it?”

Yet, this didn’t feel like any wrong Cairn had ever felt before. “To me, wrong feels cold,” Cairn said quietly, her voice almost a whisper. “This… this is warm. Light. I can’t deny it.” She felt it in her chest, a weight and a warmth that made the world closer—something she could finally understand. “But I don’t know what it means.” There was so much Cairn had to learn, so much she wanted to know—but she didn’t want to hurt Hazel. Maybe Cairn was wrong, in the quiet ways that only the forest would know. And yet… this warmth that the two of them created, Cairn believed it was the most right she’d ever done.

—

When the word wrong came out of Cairn’s mouth, Hazel’s breath hitched. She didn’t want the other person to think that about themselves. They weren’t wrong. What Hazel had been taught was wrong, because like Cairn, she also felt the warmth and light. It was one of the reasons she held on with the hope of surviving Ms. Betty, because not seeing Cairn again was an impossible thought to have. So now, standing here face-to-face with her, Hazel was grateful for the way things went down with Ms. Betty and her friends. And though it might have been hard to believe, grateful for all she had endured and come through since then. Especially after everything that had happened with Daniel in the woods.

“I want you to know right here and now that you are not wrong and you did not make me feel this way. The people that were supposed to be my family did with all the things they put in my head at such a young age. Things that clearly weren’t right. You’re one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, Cairn, whose last name I still don’t know…” She laughed as tears began pricking at her eyes. “The past several months have been like hell on Earth, but knowin’ you were still out there got me through so much. And I think I’m startin’ to fall somethin’ kinda fierce for you. But there’s still so much I need to find out and learn about myself, before I could ever begin to consider somethin’ more, because I don’t want to hurt you.”

Hazel was falling in love with Cairn, but she didn’t want to say it to her. Not yet. Not until things were better for herself, and she knew more about her berserker. Which was something she had been giving a lot of thought ever since she had found out about Talia’s friend who just happened to be the same thing as Hazel. But how would she tell Cairn this? How would she explain that she was leaving Wicked’s Rest for a while. She didn’t want to lie to her. She wanted her to know the truth, but how do you tell someone that you can change into a massive wolf?

Instead, Hazel reached out for Cairn’s hands, caressing the back of them gently with her thumb. Her skin was soft and much cooler than the heat that radiated from Hazel. And though she was nervous, she wanted to prove to Cairn that she truly did love her, and more importantly, that she was in no way wrong, so without hesitating much longer, Hazel let go of Cairn’s hands and gently placed hers on the brunette’s cheeks, before pulling her in and laying her lips once again on Cairn’s, but this time, she didn’t pull back in fear. In fact, this time, she let one of her hands slip behind Cairn’s head as she ran her fingers through her hair, before finally pulling back for air, “You are not wrong, and you never were.” Her hands were back on Cairn’s face as she looked lovingly into her eyes to reaffirm her feelings.

—

Cairn listened the way she always did when something mattered—still, intent, like the words could slip away if she didn’t hold them carefully. She felt a familiar tightening in her chest seeing the tears bright in Hazel’s eyes, the kind of tightening that came when someone showed too much truth all at once. Not wrong. That was the phrase that hit harder than anything else Hazel had said. Wrong was learned the way one learned the weather, by the pattern, by absence, by what was never corrected. Her pama never named it outright, only let it exist in the quiet corners where reassurance should have lived. So to hear someone say it, someone like Hazel, to put it so clearly, so firmly like it were fact—it made something falter inside of Cairn. A belief beginning to lose its footing.

Cairn breathed in, slow, grounding herself in this moment, in the sound of Hazel’s laugh breaking through tears, in the honesty being laid bare as can be in between them. While she didn’t know what falling meant in the way Hazel did, nor did she know what came next or what “more” was supposed to look like, she knew that she was still here. Still standing. And she wasn’t running. That meant something for Cairn, even if she didn’t have the words for it yet.

When Hazel’s hands moved to her cheeks, Cairn held her breath from the physical touch, from the anticipation. Skin-to-skin always felt like a warning to her. Too close meant danger, meant reaction, but Hazel’s touch was careful, like she was holding something fragile rather than cornering it.  Cairn’s heart fluttered, fast and unsure, yet, she stayed. The kiss came softer this time around. Slower. Like something offered instead of taken. Cairn’s eyes slipped shut on instinct, her body leaning before her thoughts could catch up. Hazel was so warm, impossible so, heat bleeding into Cairn’s mouth, her jaw, all the places where Hazel’s hands rested like anchors.

When Hazel pulled back for air, Cairn followed her without meaning to, just a fraction, as if reluctant to let the space return. Her eyes opened slowly, lashes damp. She hadn’t realized she was crying until the cold kissed her eyes. Cairn swallowed, breath uneven, hands hovering uselessly between them—then her lips curved, small and real, the kind of smile whose existence surprised even herself. “Woods,” she said quietly, voice still rough, but steadying. “Cairn Woods.” Her smile wavered, softening, and she lifted one hand, tentatively. It brushed Hazel’s wrist as if asking for permission without words. The flame was alive now, warm, bright and frightening in the best way.

And this time, when Cairn leaned in, it was all on her own.

—

The words were brief. It was simply a full name. Cairn Woods. Hazel repeated it over and over again in her mind quietly as she looked into the other woman’s eyes. She didn’t want to lose this moment. To never forget this moment. It was easily one of the best and most meaningful memories she had ever made, and when Cairn leaned in to meet Hazel’s lips, she was taken aback, but in the most amazing way possible. Her heartbeat racing swiftly in her chest as she laid a more passionate kiss into the soft, pink lips of the person standing in front of her. It was like a movie moment, and she never wanted it to end. Just a little while longer, until she couldn’t.

But when she pulled back again, tears were falling quietly down her wind bitten cheeks. Hazel knew it was time. It was time to explain her decision, and then she would work in the reason for why she was leaving, “You are so beautiful, and you…” She lowered her head, “I don’t…I don’t want to leave, but I’ve gotta go away for a while. To figure some things out about myself and my family. And I would ask you to come with me, but I couldn’t promise that it would be safe, and if anything ever happened to you, because of me…” She raised her head slowly, setting her focus back on Cairn’s eyes. If Hazel was about to tell the person she was falling madly in love with that she was going to have to go away because she was something more than just a human, she wasn’t going to be a coward about it, “Cairn…There’s somethin’ about me that I’ve never told you, and for you to be able to understand why I’m leavin’, I think I need to be honest.”

Hazel sucked in a deep breath trying to prepare herself as she let her hand move back to Carin’s cheek, but just as she was about to say something, she felt a sharp pain run through her shoulder and come out the other side, merely inches from Cairn.

—

She closed the small distance, still learning the shape of it, wanting to understand every inch before it disappeared. Her hand came up first, uncertain, fingers brushing against Hazel’s sleeve. They settled on Hazel’s wrists, grounding herself in the warmth there. Their lips met and Cairn felt herself give. Her fingers curled as the sensation bloomed through her, her heartbeat loud and alive in her ears, her mouth tingling with the pressure of the kiss. It stirred something deep and unnamed inside of her, a pull that made her want to stay, to linger, to understand this feeling with her whole body rather than run from it. This is what she wanted. This was something she had chosen.

Cairn didn’t want the distance to return, but it had to and as her eyes fluttered open, she saw the tears fall along Hazel’s cheeks. Her brows knitted together for a moment, trying to understand what was happening, what Hazel was saying. She had to leave? Cairn understood—there were things Hazel had to figure out. Questions that needed to be answered. Cairn understood that better than most. Yet, it didn’t keep her chest from tightening. She dropped her head, passing it off as a nod, unable to face Hazel at the moment. Just for the moment while she processed. Safe? Cairn didn’t need that. She had never been safe. What did it matter now that they were together?

But then Hazel said there was something she hadn’t told her. That made Cairn still completely. Secrets, she understood. Whatever Hazel was about to say, Cairn could already feel it hovering between them, heavy… but not hostile. “You can tell me.” Cairn said, voice low and steady despite the ache settling in her ribs. She looked to Hazel, searching her face, not for reassurance but for the truth. “If you need to go… I won’t chase you.” Cairn would stay put so Hazel had something to come back to. “But I want to understand.” She didn’t pull away. She didn’t brace. Cairn stayed. Even if it meant learning how to let someone else go.

Then, a sound cut through the wind, Cairn blinked, trying to place it, to track it and felt it rush past her a heartbeat later. She stepped back on instinct, pulse spiking, only then noticing something had struck Hazel. “Are you okay?” She asked, already moving closer.

—

The pain radiated through her shoulder and then down her body. But it was more like an annoyance; a hindrance that sent a surge of rage through her body triggering her wolf, “C-Cairn…you need to leave…” Hazel was panting at this point as she could already feel the berserker arranging her insides. But even through the pain of the shift, she didn’t want Cairn to be a casualty of her wolf, “NOW!” She hated raising her voice. It felt mean, and Hazel didn’t like to be mean, but her wolf did. Her wolf liked to be more than mean. Her wolf liked to be cruel.

Stumbling backwards, the sounds of crunching and grinding bones filled the air as fur and fangs sprouted. Hands became huge paws with extremely sharp claws. And soon the massive black wolf stood on all fours, no trace of the shoulder wound apparent. With its crimson red eyes, it scanned the area landing on Cairn, recognizing the goodness in her, before looking further around to find what had attacked Hazel. An overgrown looking dog about the size of a bear, on all fours, made out of nothing, but ice. And without second thought, the berserker lowered her head and began to growl; the black fur on her back and tail sticking out as a warning to show dominance to the other animal.

Standing with its chest puffed out, tall and proud, the pupsickle looked confident in its fight, but only because stepping out from behind it were three more pupsickles that looked exactly like it glistening in the sunlight with their own razor sharp teeth bared and their sickle shaped tails raised at the ready. It was going to be a fight from Hell, but the berserker was ready, and without holding back any longer, she lunged forward and began to tussle with the four other wolf-like creatures.

— 

Cairn didn’t understand; her only concern was Hazel. “Hazel, what are you–” The yell cut through her words, not frightening or offensive, but heavy with the weight of what was happening. A wave of severity washed over her. She took a step back, struggling with herself. She had promised to herself that she wouldn’t run anymore and that Hazel was someone she wouldn’t leave behind. But, Hazel wasn’t just  Hazel anymore.

A large black wolf erupted from Hazel. Cairn had never seen a creature so large, so dark. Their eyes met, and in that instant, an unspoken assessment passed between them. Hazel was in there, somewhere, but… something else was too. A predator, powerful and aware. The wolf broke the gaze first, letting Cairn be as it turned to something else. Cairn was still caught up taking in the appearance of the wolf when her attention snapped elsewhere.

Movement at the edge of her vision drew her eyes from the trees. Four beasts emerged, glinting with frozen menace. Her chest tightened. Even though Hazel was immense, she was outnumbered and the ice coating the creatures provided them with both protection and danger. Cairn stayed rooted, taking in the scene, wondering how—if she needed to—she could step in and help Hazel.

—

Ice had been a lot tougher to break through than the skin of most of the other things the berserker had fought. Her claws were sharp and could leave marks, but the wolf was starting to realize that if she had wanted to defeat these things, it would have to be in pieces. But first, she was going to have to watch out for – seeing the sickle type tail come down from one of the pupsickles, the animal rolled out of the way just in time, before getting stabbed, but down came another catching the berserker on the leg leaving a deep gash, before she managed to latch on with her teeth and bite through the ice severing one tail as the pupsickle in question seemed to retreat.

As she climbed back to her feet, the berserker limped forward maneuvering between the other beasts until she managed to ram into one knocking it on its side. Knowing she’d have to stay sharp as to where the other ones were, the wolf latched onto the lower portion of one of the legs and began gnawing away at the appendage until it was a nub, before rolling out of the path of another tail that managed to come down hard and shatter on its packmate. Two tails gone and two to go as the tailless iced over animal fled leaving one pupsickle with a bad leg and one that wasn’t injured at all.

Now back on her feet, the berserker opted to take out the fully intact pupsickle, but it hadn’t come without a cost. Caught off guard, as the animal made from ice came charging from the other side, the massive wolf felt the air release from her lungs as ribs cracked from the icy impact, and a loud yelp escaped from her lips. As she lay stunned on the ground, the three-legged pupsickle had managed to find its footing and was now hobbling towards Cairn. All while the pupsickle who had started it all was stalking the berserker waiting for the right moment to run its tail through her side to finally end the fight.

—

Cairn could only watch as the wolf tore into the iced beasts. She winced when one raked across Hazel’s leg, a flash of red spattered against the white. The thought of what would happen when Hazel returned struck her hard and fast. Her mind jumped to the memory of Hazel’s broken arm. Did it happen while doing something like this? In the middle of something violent and unfinished? Cairn’s stomach fell at the thought of Hazel getting hurt on account of her. Despite being injured Hazel managed to drive two of them off. Cairn stayed where she was, pressed back behind a tree, trusting she’d given enough distance for Hazel to finish it.

Then came the yelp. Her heart kicked hard in her ribs. She had to grip tight onto the tree to stop herself from running toward the sound. She shifted, just enough. Too much. One of the remaining creatures caught sight of her. It wobbled as it turned, favoring one side, but still fast. Still coming. It came at her in a burst of white and red, snow kicking up beneath its weight. Too fast to outrun, too committed to stop. Cairn pivoted sideways instead of back. The creature reared, tail slicing through the air. It struck bark instead of bone—the sickle edge biting deep, lodging for half a breath. The half-second was enough.

Cairn was already moving, breath locked tight in her chest. She didn’t look back, she scanned the ground as she ran, roots half-frozen, half-petrified with the winter until she spotted what she needed. She slid to her knees, gripping on the trunk and pulled herself to it. The uneven thud of three limbs hit the ground again and they were nearing. She peeked around the trunk just long enough to gauge its line. Her fingers closed around a thick, buried root. She gave a sharp tug. It didn’t budge. She looked up once more and met its eyes, the contact made the creature surge faster. Using both hands now, she dug her heels in and instead of trying to tug, she fell away, letting her weight do the work. The root dislodged, snapping up a few inches above the ground. The beast saw it—too late. Its paws tangled, momentum sending the beast toppling over, skidding onto its back unable to stop itself until it collided into a tree, shaking loose a heavy cluster of snow that collapsed over it.

—

Panting from both exhaustion and pain, the berserker gathered her bearings, but when she realized that Cairn was being targeted, she fought like hell to climb back to all four paws. However, when she did, the healthy pupsickle sent its razor sharp tail in her direction, nearly slicing the wolf’s belly open, but she had moved just in the nick of time before the blade of ice could pierce her. Rage only seemed to grow knowing that she couldn’t get to Cairn, but the pupsickle in front of her wouldn’t let up. And managing to dodge another attack, the animal barrel rolled onto the ground and back to her feet, despite the immense pain that was sent through her ribs at impact.

With red eyes trained on the pupsickle, the berserker spotted her opening and started running fast and hard, before maneuvering in the snow and quickly turning back to latch onto the animals tail, and once she had it, the wolf dug her claws in to the ground for grip and started to shake her head back and forth in an effort to break the tail of the iced canine. And just like that, the tail snapped off and shattered as the berserker released it from her mouth; which in turn, left the pupsickle in a vulnerable position. But instead of continuing the fight, it, too, made a beeline for the rest of its pack; all while the black furred wolf ran desperately toward Cairn hoping for the best.

When she spotted the small human, her eyes scanned for any sign of the other pupsickle, but when she didn’t see the creature, the berserker let out a hard, quivering sigh as she collapsed in the snow in relief. The wolf’s eyes on Cairn, she moved her head forward and began to sniff her gently before nuzzling her with her large snout.

—

Cairn let out a breath she’d been holding after seeing the beast get pummelled with the snow. She stayed with her back pressed to the trunk, heart pounding hard enough she could feel it in her throat. Hazel. Where’s Hazel? She started to move, then froze at the sound of heavy footsteps. For a moment, instinct screamed at her to brace—but the sound was different from before. Slower. Familiar in a way she couldn’t yet explain. Then she saw her.

Or rather, the wolf.

It seemed to scan for any remaining threats and Cairn knew she should be doing the same. But with the danger gone and the wolf so close, her focus narrowed. The coat was impossibly dark, like she could be swallowed in it. Still, Cairn lifted a hand without thinking. A cold, wet nose met her palm. She smiled before she could stop herself, fingers sinking into the thick warmth of fur, grounding and real.

“Hazel,” Cairn said softly, uncertain if Hazel could understand her now, or speak at all in this form. For a fleeting moment, an old story surfaced in her mind—the one her pama used to tell her differently than others did. Red riding hood, the big bad wolf. How everyone remembered the teeth, the danger, the fear—but forgot the parts about how stories twisted based on who was telling. Wolves weren’t villains. They were protectors. Survivors. And standing there, hand resting against Hazel’s snout, Cairn knew which version she believed.

—

The wolf’s ears perked at her human’s name being called, and a warmth filled her entire body, before she let out a gruff snort blowing hot air in Cairn’s face. Acknowledgement that she knew of Hazel and that she knew of Cairn’s importance to Hazel. But the small hand running its way through her thick winter coat, made the animal nuzzle in harder.

The sun was starting to set, and the wolf knew that it would be getting colder as soon as the sun went down; which had been fine for her, but not for this furless two-legged human that stood in front of her. So a decision was made. No rolling or playing in the snow after a successful fight. Tonight’s celebration of victory would belong to Hazel, and her human friend that made the wolf feel warm inside.

Slowly rising to her feet, as the pain that had been present earlier was now starting to subside, the wolf lowered down the front half of her body with her butt in the air, hoping Cairn would take the hint to crawl onto her back. Humans were slow in their travels; this the wolf had learned over the years being stuck inside Hazel, despite how aggressive and fast she could be in her human form. And with a bark, she indicated her impatience to Cairn.

—

Cairn let out a soft, almost awkward laugh when a huff of warm wolf breath puffed against her face. The sheer absurdity of it— the fact that this enormous wolf was Hazel, that she was so soft and… cute! It tugged at a place in Cairn’s chest that she hadn’t felt since childhood. A warmth that quickened her pulse, that pulled an unguarded, toothy grin out of her.

The bark startled her, but Cairn knew it wasn’t one of aggression. The pitch was a touch higher than one would expect a dominating, threatening bark would be. Its only purpose was to alert. She stepped closer, hand running along the wolf’s spine, fingers sinking into the thick fur. She wasn’t sure what the posture meant, only that the wolf had lowered itself, steady and still. Close enough that Cairn could just…

The origin of that instinct was unsure, but Cairn swung her leg over the wolf’s back. The warmth emanating from Hazel was comforting and grounding. It made Cairn want to lean in, to trust the beast beneath her without needing to understand why.

—

Once Cairn was on her back, the wolf slowly raised up making sure that her passenger was secured and not going to slip off. And then, without hesitating any longer the large animal took off trotting back towards home. Her pace was steady, but not fast enough that she would lose Cairn. And as she made her way through the woods avoiding humans at all costs, the wolf pushed through snow drifts and fallen limbs as the moon began to rise in the sky.

By the time they had arrived at the small cabin in the woods, falling snow had coated the wolf’s black fur. She had desperately wanted to shake, but she held off. Lowering herself down slowly to make the hop off as easy and as safe as possible, the wolf soon raised back up and let her body shimmy, sending melted water droplets flying everywhere. And then her focus was back on Cairn. Lowering her head, the large creature gently nuzzled her in the back giving a slight push forward hoping she would get the hint to enter the house.

—

Cairn held on tighter as the wolf moved, worried of being thrown off. However, there was an awareness in the way it took off, as if being completely mindful of who it was carrying. The wind brushed against Cairn’s cheeks, pushing back her hair. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of moving fast, yet careful. It had been a long time since she felt safe like this.

As the speed slowed, Cairn opened her eyes to see a small cabin coming into view. Hazel came to a stop and lowered herself, allowing Cairn to get off. It didn’t seem like anyone was home. Where were they? She felt a small nudge along her back and turned to look at the wolf—at Hazel. “Is this…your home?” Cairn turned back to the cabin and headed toward the door. It was getting cold outside and she was missing the heat from the wolf. If this was where Hazel lived, then it had to be safe. Cairn opened the door and entered, feeling a comforting warmth settling on her as she did.

—

The wolf had given a soft nod to Cairn in answer to the question. Reassuring her that it was safe to enter, and retaining her southern hospitality in the process. But once Cairn was inside, the wolf staggered forward, collapsing. She was tired and shifting back into Hazel’s human form was going to be a task, but nonetheless, the animal made the effort as a once massive black fur ball disappeared into that of a small, thin woman, shivering as she lay in the snow.

It had taken a few minutes for Hazel to get her bearings. To know where she was at. And when she finally realized she wasn’t entirely covered in blood, like most fights tended to end, she was able to focus on her surroundings; her home. 

Crawling to her knees and using a nearby tree to support her weight, Hazel climbed to her feet and made a beeline for the house. And when she finally made it inside, she had been surprised to find Cairn waiting inside for her. All memories of what her wolf had gone the moment she had shifted back to her human form, “C-Cairn…” It was a quick realization that she was standing there naked, and she immediately padded towards the couch snatching up her blanket to wrap around her shivering body, “W-What are you doing here?”

—

Cairn walked further into the cabin, taking in the scent, the sights—it all pulled her in. She wanted to learn more of this place, she wanted to know more about Hazel. See more of her. She heard her name followed by faint footsteps behind her and turned back toward the entrance. At the sight of Hazel in a blanket, shivering, confusion flashed across her face. Did she not remember? Cairn shrugged off her jacket, feeling a chill settle on her but Hazel’s chill had to be worse.

“You brought me here.” Cairn explained, coming closer to help drape her jacket over Hazel. Cairn had yet to associate the naked body as anything other than information. While Hazel was covered up with the blanket, it was clear she was nude underneath—or at the very least not fully clothed. It was interesting considering she had run into a shifter that did have clothes on when they turned back. It was something important to note, something to consider later. Not now.

Cairn shook from the cold, shoulders raising. The cabin was definitely warmer than the outside—but her body was still adjusting and it hadn’t yet melted what the cold froze. “Is there… somewhere warmer?”

—

“I…” Hazel paused. Her wolf had done this. Her wolf was aware of what Hazel felt? It was a new bit of information that the young woman was just now discovering, and what better person than to have that revelation with. It still hurt that she couldn’t remember what her wolf had done anytime it took control, but just like any traumatic event, the beast within her knew that protecting Hazel from the truth was more important. And maybe one day, she’d actually be able to handle it all.

Until then, Hazel would just try and put her focus on other things. Let the wolf be the wolf, while she was the girl falling in love with someone she couldn’t have. And as Cairn moved in closer and put the jacket over her shoulders, she couldn’t help, but rest her hand on Cairn’s until she had pulled away. Revealing her own discomfort in the drafty cabin, “Thank you. And yeah. The fireplace.”

It didn’t take long for Hazel to build a fire for them, not thinking about anything else, including clothes, as her body was already warming up thanks to the berserker’s high body temperature and the jacket that Hazel had slipped her arms into and zipped up. Plus, the jacket was warm and smelled like the other woman. And it made her feel even closer, but she would remedy that even further with the pallet of blankets and pillows that lay just in front of the fireplace, “I hope this is…okay. It’s colder the further back into the house you get.” She motioned towards her bedroom, which seemed dark and uninviting, unlike what Hazel had laid out on the floor for them.

Ears perking at the sound of the wind picking up outside and the snow blowing harder against the windows, Hazel looked from the coldness outside to the warmth that was right in front of her, “And if you want…I thought maybe you could stay the night, since it sounds like there’s a snowstorm a brewin’ outside.” She picked nervously at a hangnail as she waited for Cairn’s answer.

—

Cairn watched as Hazel put on the jacket and something in her chest skipped, sharp and sudden. It looked different on her. Better. The thought startled her more than it should have. Despite the fire just starting, heat had already creeped up to her neck. She didn’t know why the sight tightened something low in her stomach. She tried to focus on what Hazel was saying but her heartbeat had reached her ears and she just tried to steady her breathing before anything else. It was a good thing, long pauses were a common pattern of hers.

“This is good,” Cairn finally said, her voice a little tight. She looked at the blankets and pillows then down to her feet. Riley’s place came to mind, she remembered what she had to do there. Remove her boots. Stepping to the side, she began unlacing them. She wasn’t sure why this mattered indoors—it wasn’t always a rule. Maybe it was just the homes of others. Once the boots were off and placed neatly against a wall, she came back to Hazel with a small smile.

She had considered the offer. To stay the night, stay inside. The last time she’d done that, it hadn’t felt like a choice at all. Outside hadn’t been an option. Inside had felt necessary, inevitable. This wasn’t that. Cairn didn’t feel any heaviness at the thought of going back out, no pull toward shelter. There was only the quiet, steady want to stay with Hazel. “I’ll stay.”

The fire’s warmth welcomed her. She stepped onto the blankets, still settling in the heat, wobbling a little before she found solid ground. Her hand reached for Hazel’s—not to pull, just to meet, to guide them together.

—

Upon the words, ‘I’ll stay.’ Hazel could feel a rush of excitement well up in her body, but she didn’t outright express it, except for her already flushed cheeks burning a little redder. And as she noticed Cairn’s hand, she reached out and took it; grateful to feel the same warmth she had felt earlier in the day, before her wolf had taken over. The thumping in her chest, a little harder than before.

It was the first time she had ever had someone spend the night that she had felt attracted to. Never, in her life, had she gotten to experience this sensation and what it could potentially mean, and though the regret hung low, of her knowing that she’d be headed to the Ozarks soon, Hazel now knew she had a reason to come back. A reason to return to Wicked’s Rest, because it’s where her heart was beginning to linger. And to want to reside, when she could successfully say she knew more of who she was, and not who she thought she was. But the start of this explored relationship with Cairn, in all its delicacy, was something to be cherished.

Meeting the other woman on the floor, Hazel scooted in close and pulled a blanket around her, before looking Cairn in the eyes, “You’re the most beautiful and delicate thing I’ve ever laid eyes on, Cairn Woods, and I’m comin’ back to you.” Pushing a strand of hair off of her cheek, Hazel leaned in and let her lips gently meet the other woman’s.

[appalachiannightmare]

PARTIES: @cairnivore; @appalachiannightmare TIMING: Late May LOCATION: Siobhan's Spot in The Pines SUMMARY: Hazel meets Cairn and takes her to explore Siobhan's Spot. WARNINGS: None!

The lot was mostly empty, cracked concrete sprawled under the early dusk. Cairn crouched near the back tire of a rusted pickup, not hiding exactly, just... waiting. Watching. She stayed low, close enough to the truck's shadow that it cloaked her without effort.

It wasn't fear that kept her there, it was a habit. Movement made you a target. Stillness made you part of the landscape. She glanced over at the tree line, eyes scanning the dark, not sure if the person would come out from the forest or pull up in one of these vehicles. Cairn wasn’t sure how these boxes of metal worked and she brushed her fingers over the metal frame of the truck before returning her attention back to the world around her.  

Cairn remained still, the way a rock does. Just part of the world. Just waiting.

Then - footsteps.

Not hurried. Not panicked. Just one set, steady, crunching softly over gravel. Alone. That was important. She listened for a second pair, but nothing followed. Cairn gently rose and stepped out from behind the truck, her small frame emerging from shadow like it had always been there. Her head tilted slightly, watching the other person approach.

Just one. Just as it should be.

“I said I’d be here.”

—

Somehow Hazel had found herself a temporary gig as a tour guide to The Pines. Well, at least the group of tents that sat deep in the forest, not too far from where she lived. Which was fine, if this person she had only spoken to on the internet wanted to learn more about the young woman’s strange neighbor. But Hazel hadn’t been too fond of this person, possibly knowing where she lived, so the goal for the day was to lead Cairn to the tents and then steer her away from Lupine Holler as far as she could. Surely it wouldn’t be that hard considering how vast and wide The Pines really were.

Slowly coming up a path from the woods that led into a small gravel parking lot, Hazel let her eyes scan the area looking for anyone that might resemble her internet friend. And when she didn’t see anyone, she had almost turned around and went back, until she heard a voice.

“I was startin’ to wonder when I didn’t see ya.” She sent a soft smile in the other person’s direction, before sticking out her hand, “I’m Hazel, yer tour guide for the day.”

—

Cairn kept her gaze on the other, taking in the details, weighing what she could read in a first glance. No visible weapons, which could be a good sign but she knew people liked to keep things hidden so she wasn’t going to let her guard down that easily. Even with the smile, Cairn was unable to give one back of her own, unaware a smile was an attempt to seem warm and welcoming, to put someone at ease.

The other’s voice had a certain rhythm to it, not quite familiar but it was close enough to make her wonder. A fleeting memory brushed against her thoughts but quickly faded as Cairn returned her attention back to the present. At the outstretched hand, Cairn reached into her pocket for something she was willing to part - a half-crushed violet stem. Cairn handed over the fragile plant, positive it would be an agreeable trade.

“Cairn,” she noted, looking from the flower to Hazel. “What’s a tour guide?” She asked, not having the internet at her disposal to look up things she didn’t know and while Cairn liked to observe and find out the answer herself, this was one thing she didn’t quite understand. 

“Are you going to take me to the tents?”

—

The last thing Hazel had expected was for Cairn to pull out a flower and hand it to her. It wasn’t the typical response she was used to when introducing herself, but the gesture had been sweet nonetheless, “Uh, thank ya for the stem. I uh…” Not wanting to be rude, Hazel quickly walked over to a small patch of grass and plucked a dandelion. Moving back towards Cairn, she extended the flower as a peace offering, “It’s mighty nice to meet you, Cairn.”

So the introduction had been different, but there had been something endearing in all of it that Hazel liked. So far Cairn didn’t seem threatening, which was a checkmark off the list of things the young woman kept a mental tally of when interacting with new people, “A tour guide is…well…they just show ya around and tell ya ‘bout things. Ya know, kinda like a teacher a sorts.” She had hoped the explanation was enough, but before she could even finish, the question about the tents came up, “Right. The tents. They’re a bit of a walk through the woods, but I’ll get ya there.”

With pursed lips and a soft nod to the other person, Hazel began a slow trek back the way she came.

—

Cairn accepted the dandelion with both hands, glancing over to where Hazel had grabbed it and back to her hands. A dandelion for a violet? She hadn’t expected receiving something so precious in return and deduced that Hazel must really like violets. Something to note if she wishes to pay for her guidance in the future. She gently placed the dandelion in her pocket, careful not to crush it too hard.

“A teacher?” That intrigued Cairn as she walked beside her, feeling comfortable in the environment to walk alongside. “What exactly do you teach, then?” Cairn asked, genuinely curious although her question might have been taken as a challenge. “Do you often guide people to the tents?” Cairn wondered who would have multiple tents in one area - that alone made her invested in not only to see them but to figure out the owner. Maybe they would know who is behind the random tents in the forest that she would come across. 

—

Hazel caught sight of Cairn in her peripherals as they began walking into The Pines together. It had been a beautiful day. The perfect day to guide someone to the Tent Palace, as Hazel had liked to call it. The birds were chirping and the smell of honeysuckle reminded the young woman of her home back in Tennessee. And though it might have been premature to say, the company wasn't half-bad either. Though she cherished being by herself most, sometimes it was nice to have someone else around.

“It was more a joke. I don’t really teach anything. I mean I can, if there’s somethin’ you’d like to learn, if I know enough about it I guess.” Hazel delicately danced around the confusion not wanting to hurt Cairn’s feelings for not understanding what she meant. “As for the tents, you’re the first person I’ve led there. Nobody else has been quite as interested.”

Hazel continued to walk along taking in all the sights around her. Wicked’s Rest in the springtime was proving to be a favorite season for her. Still relatively new to the area, she had lots to explore, and now that it seemed like she was finally making friends, maybe they could explore more with her, “You been in Wicked’s Rest long?”

—

A joke. Cairn was still figuring those out. Her mind went over the interaction again, trying to recall any tells Hazel would have given that would have told her she didn’t mean it literally. Had she changed her tone? Stressed a word differently? What about her face? Were her eyes sparkling, was she smiling again? She recalled the ways her pama used to joke, the glimmer in their eyes, the bite to their lip to contain their smile. But this was different. She didn’t have the comfort of a quiet understanding.

She kept her gaze on Hazel this time, not wanting to miss something that would go unspoken –  maybe going a bit too hard on the eye contact. “What do you know enough about?” Cairn clarified, having tried to get that question answered the first time around, curious as to what Hazel knew, what insight she could give into this strange new world.

She noted that she was going to be the first person brought to the tents. She didn’t know how she felt about that. Her eyes drifted as her thought settled, but snapped back to Hazel. “I arrived in the winter.” Now the thaw had come. The forest was waking up again, full of quiet song. She’d missed that.

“Do you know what the birds are saying?”

—

She could feel Cairn’s eyes watching her, and though she didn’t want to say anything, her heart had started to beat a little bit harder out of nervousness. It felt much like being back in high school having the teacher staring daggers at you for looking out the window during a test waiting to accuse you of cheating, when you were simply trying to think. But Hazel knew this was different. It had to be right? Cairn couldn’t accuse her of anything, because the two had just met. Don’t go there, Hazel. Don’t let your mind accuse her of somethin’ that’s not even true.

“I know about music and drawing. And soccer. I used to play soccer. I like books too.” She had refused to look in Cairn’s direction trying to shake off the eyes watching her, “What about you? What do you know enough about?” Maybe if they just kept talking it would ease the tension that Hazel was starting to feel.

Weaving in and out of bushes and trees, the twenty-three year old put her eyes to the ground to keep the path clear in sight, “You hadn’t been here that long either. Where’d you come from?” Was that too much to ask? Was she getting to personal with the questions? She almost corrected herself, but was cut off by the question about the birds, “Birds? No, I don’t think so. Can you talk to birds?” Had Hazel been anywhere else in the world, the question would have sounded absurd, but since coming to town, she was easily discovering that not everything around here was what it seemed.

—

Cairn listened to Hazel’s answer. Music, drawing, soccer and books. Music was among the many things that intrigued Cairn. Her pama would whistle and taught her how to but actual music like she has heard since arriving into town, it was something else entirely. What did Hazel know about music? Could she create some? Cairn’s interest showed in the way she stared, the way Hazel captured her attention and wouldn’t let go.

“Do you make music?” While intrigued, Cairn’s voice remained even not betraying her curiosity. Cairn didn’t feel like she knew enough about a lot of things, not like her parent did anyway. There wasn’t ever a question they didn’t have an answer for. But as for Cairn, “I know enough to survive.”

The chorus of birds caught her attention once more and she allowed her thoughts to drift with them as they flew away. “I came from the forest.” Cairn answered simply as if that was a complete answer, as if she had given the name of another town or state or country. “Talk to birds?” Her attention went back to Hazel, eyes scanning over her, wondering if she was joking again this time. “We’re too loud for them. You can try talking to the birds but I don't think they’d understand.” A pause. “If you listen, they always have something you need to hear.”

—

Maybe it was curiosity? Maybe that’s why Cairn kept looking at Hazel. Was Hazel really that interesting? There was that one part of her, sure. But she didn’t always know too much about her devil or what it got up to when it took over. All she knew was the aftermath of carnage and destruction and thankfully, as far as she knew, she hadn’t got caught. At least her devil was sneaky in that way. But it didn’t ease her nerves, and Hazel found her nerves to be the scariest thing around. Not someone or something threatening her, but what she couldn’t control in return to their threat.

“I play the guitar some, but I mostly like to listen. I like all types of music though. From all time periods. Helps to take my mind offa stuff.” Right now, Hazel wished she could listen to music to put her focus elsewhere, but she had offered to show Cairn the tents, and she wasn’t going to back out now, “In this world, I think that’s quite a bit. Surviving isn’t always the easiest thing to do, is it?” It was an honest question, and between the external threats and the internal threats of her own mind, Hazel was surprised she had made it this long on her own.

“Oh, like me? Well, I mean, my hometown is surrounded by forest and hills. I didn’t come from the actual forest.” She had, she just didn’t know it. “Yeah, I know people have different gifts, so I didn’t know if you could do, like, bird calls and stuff.” Good save, Hazel. Maybe now she won’t think you’ve lost your damn mind. “I do enjoy listenin’ to birds sing though.”

She continued to push through the brush, before coming out to a clearing. It was like an entirely different world when you went far enough into the tree line, and it easily became her domain, “The tents are just over here.” Thankfully the trees were in full bloom, because the real possibility of Hazel’s cabin being seen in the winter time, when the trees were bare, had lingered just in the back of her mind.

—

Music from different time periods? Cairn was fascinated by the idea of that and wondered if Hazel would be willing to share. Still, she listened intently, noting how she played guitar, how she listened to get her mind off things. What kinds of things, she wasn’t sure. What plagued this person’s mind that they wanted to escape from it?

Her eyes moved from the path before her, mindful of any trees or other obstacles that may block her path but for the most part they stayed on Hazel, already picking on some things about her. Mostly the lack of a glance in her direction, to the point it seemed almost on purpose rather than prefering to keep attention forward. She was curious as to why.

—Like me.

Cairn felt her heart race for a moment, believing she had actually met someone who understood but then realized it was not quite the same. She never had a town to call home.

“If surviving in the forest were easy, more people would do it.” A beat. “And more would still be alive.” As she spoke her eyes trailed forward, recognizing they had gone deeper into a part of the Pines she’d yet to see. She’d have to make a note to come here again and get a better feel of it without her tour guide.

“It’s always a good sign when the birds sing,” Cairn noted as a few sung their melodies above them. Her eyes moved up to scan the trees. “It means things are calm.” Her eyes flickered in recognition as she scanned the trees. “There’s a red-eyed vireo somewhere up there. They argue with themselves all day, fighting to be heard.” She kept walking. “So when it stops, you know it saw something worth keeping quiet for.”

After the clearing she was able to see tents up ahead. And there were far more than she had anticipated. She turned her head back to Hazel, as if she would be able to give her some explanation. “Are there a group of people who live here?” Cairn knew the dangers of people this deep in the forest and judging from the amount of tents this would be a large group. She kept her eyes on Hazel, wondering if she had been brought here to be ambushed. For what, she wasn’t sure but she’d stopped trying to figure out why people did things a long time ago.

—

There had been very few people that Hazel had grown close to since leaving home. In fact, the number could be counted on one hand. A woman back in North Carolina. An elderly man in Virginia. And then there was Caleb, whom she had met when she first got to Wicked’s Rest. And now, Maggie. If facing giant gummy worms together wasn’t a trust building exercise, she didn’t know what was. But here was Cairn. Somebody that somehow Hazel was starting to feel a connection too, even if they had just met in person, but still apprehensive about trusting. Maybe because they were inching closer to her safespace that only existed to her and well Siobhan, but Siobhan was a different story. Siobhan just happened to be in her house eating her Boar’s Head 43% Lower Sodium Provolone Cheese when Hazel had least expected it, and she was sure that she had insulted the woman enough to keep her away. But it still didn’t mean she had felt comfortable with the idea of another stranger entering her personal space. Lucky for her though, there would be enough tents around to keep them busy until nearly nightfall.

“You seem to know a lot about the forest from survival instincts to how the birds sing.” Hazel couldn’t help but look up at the trees hoping to spot the birds Cairn was talking about. “Did you grow up in the woods or somethin’?” Somehow, survival in the forest had come naturally for Hazel. Maybe it was growing up on a farm and all the time spent outdoors or maybe it was something more innate. She had been born to two berserkers who had called the Appalachian mountains their home. Hazel just hadn’t discovered that part of her history yet.

Inching closer to where the tents were all set up, Hazel finally let her eyes shift back to Cairn, “I don’t think so. I’ve never seen anybody around these tents before. But somehow stuff just keeps showing up. As a matter of fact, I feel like there’s a new tent here I haven’t ever seen before.” She couldn’t be sure. There had been so many, and she had yet to really explore them all, partly out of fear of getting caught and partly because they just kept multiplying. But maybe she could discover some things she had yet to see with Cairn being there too.

—

Definitely not like me, Cairn noted. Despite Hazel saying she grew up around the woods, there was something about the way she regarded Cairn that felt like it was highlighting their differences. “Wicked’s Rest is the first town I’ve stepped foot in.” Cairn admitted quietly but didn’t allow silence to hang. She stepped forward toward the tents instead.

She hadn’t grown up in the woods, she'd been fortified.

As she neared the tents, Cairn dropped into a squat, eyes scanning the dirt. Her fingers traced over the lines of few faint footsteps. Not crisp, not fresh. Maybe from early morning; it was hard to say. Could’ve been another curious visitor like them, or maybe one of the people who stayed here. The grass nearby wasn’t flattened, which meant there wasn’t a lot of traffic. That was worth noting. 

The forest hadn’t claimed them. While not pristine, they were cleaner than they would have been if they were abandoned. 

Cairn glanced over at Hazel. “Come on.” Rising, she headed for a tent with its flap partially opened. That felt like an invitation of sorts.

Her nose took a few short inhales. Just forest air. No rot. No decay. As she tugged the zipper down, she let the tent flap fall aside. Inside were mirrors. Dozens of them. Interesting. Some she could see had some dust on the glass, others though were relatively clean as if recently used.

“This isn’t abandoned.” She finalized. Someone came here. Whether they resided here or this was just some… storage. At least one person had to be coming here. But judging by the amount of tents and items in there, Cairn was hesitant to say it was behind one person. “I think the tents I found in the woods and the tents here are the same ones.” Cairn added, her eyes still scanning. “Not sure how they’re getting to other parts of the forest.”

—

Hazel had known of people who lived off the land back in her hometown of Jasper. And considering the nearest Wal-Mart was another town over, she could understand why. It’s not like her town had much to offer in the way of shopping. But it was still hard to believe that Cairn had never set foot in a town before. Had she seen a doctor before? Had she been to a movie? Had she eaten in a restaurant? There were so many unanswered questions, and as much as Hazel wanted to ask, she just didn’t, especially not when her own paranoia seemed to get the better of her at times; like now, “Really? Sounds like you gotta lot of discoverin’ to do.”

And with that, Hazel dropped the conversation and followed Cairn closer to the tents; her own eyes scanning the area to make sure nothing or no one was about to sneak attack them. But when all seemed safe, she focused her eyes on the person in front of her who so bravely began to explore one of the tents. Choking down her own fears, Hazel found her way over to one of the unopened tents to explore – the one that had looked newer and to her surprise had found an entire tent of Billy The Big Mouth Bass animatronic fishes piled nearly to the top. And while most of them were dusty and old, some melted and horrifically disfigured, half of them still worked and so did their motion sensors.

“Oh no, no, no…” Hazel could feel her heart pounding in her chest as the fish started to sing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and “Take Me To The River”. Some of the fish sounding more demonic in their tone as the batteries strained to squeeze life into the green rubbery flopping fish.

“Cairn!” Her voice was a loud whisper as she rushed past different tents of all shapes and sizes, trying to find the other person, “Cairn! Where are you?” Her whispers were becoming more strained as the fake fish still sang in the distance.

—

The sound was wrong.

It started sudden, a chorus of garbled voices. Cairn froze where she stood, spine straightening, hand hovering near her knife. It sounded like... croaking? No, too rhythmic. Mechanical. Something she couldn’t name, but her body knew better than to trust. She turned her head slowly toward the noise. She didn’t understand the words. She didn’t even register them as words. Then–Hazel’s voice. Hissed, panicked.

She called for her. Cairn moved, low and quick. If something was coming, the noise would cover their retreat, but only for so long. She ducked into a tent. It was packed wall to wall with bundles. It took her a moment to realize–sleeping bags. Some rolled, some crumpled, some stuffed carelessly into corners. Then she heard movement. Footsteps. Close.

The flap stirred. Cairn didn’t think, she just reached out and grabbed. Hazel was yanked inside and Cairn’s hand clamped instinctively over her mouth. They landed hard against the sleeping bags, the bulk of them shifting underneath. Hazel’s breath hit her palm. Warm. Unfamiliar. She kept her eyes trained on the tent’s entrance, one hand slowly sliding away from Hazel’s mouth but still hovering, just in case. Her body was coiled to listen, every hair alert, and in that silence she whispered, “Something’s out there.”

Cairn only noticed that the sound hadn’t returned. The mechanical voices had gone still. But something had moved. She was sure of it. Her small frame barely disturbed the nest of fabric as she settled in, eyes fixed on the tent flap and ears straining for the strange sounds outside. Even when Hazel was pulled in after her, Cairn didn’t flinch or shift. She was too focused, too used to survival to notice any closeness.

—

As Hazel frantically searched for Cairn her panic only set in even more. What if whoever lived in these tents had found her? What if she went full berserker on them and Cairn found out? What if…What if…WHAT IF…Hazel was so caught up in the “what ifs” of it all that she didn’t notice herself being pulled into a nearby tent until it was too late.

Finding herself nearly on top of Cairn, Hazel’s eyes were wide, but the scream she was about to let out had been suppressed by the warmness of the other person’s hand resting against her mouth. And the only sound that could be heard was the pounding of her heart in her ears along with the heavy breathing of both of them lingering in a tent full of sleeping bags; which Hazel was grateful wasn't a tent full of knives or more talking toys.

But she found herself focusing on something else. Rather someone else.

The way their bodies were right next to one another and the softness of Cairn’s hand; a surprising fact considering just how experienced in and with nature the other person had been. And as she let her eyes carry over the brunette in front of her, Hazel couldn’t help but take in every inch of their face. From their inviting blue eyes to their full, pink lips. Lips that Hazel, for the life of her, could not figure out why she wanted to feel gently pressed against hers.

Maybe it was animal attraction from the excitement her devil was feeling. Maybe it was the way Cairn was with nature or the offering of the violet earlier in the day. But whatever it was, Hazel was craving it. Not in a forceful way, but more so out of curiosity. An exploration she was never allowed to experience or feel at home.

But right now, as she sat shivering in a tent next to someone she was finding herself more and more attracted to by every second, Hazel could only hope that whatever was possibly lingering outside of the small tent city would just leave so the twenty-three year old could escape before trying to lean in for a kiss that would probably never amount to anything.

—

Cairn held still, eyes fixed on the curve of the tent wall as her breath slowed. The sounds had faded, no more warped music, no shuffling just beyond the nylon. Just wind again, creaking soft against the fabric, and the sound of two people breathing too close together. It was gone. The threat had passed. But she didn’t say it. Not yet. Because Hazel was still looking at her. Not out of fear. This was something else, something focused and too open, uncertain in a way that made Cairn feel like the air had gone too still. She didn’t know what to do with it.

Hazel’s breath brushed warm across her collarbone. The space was too tight, Cairn realized dimly, though she was small, she hadn’t noticed how little room there was in here until now. A tent full of sleeping bags didn’t leave much space to flinch without brushing against someone else. And Hazel was close. Warm. Solid. Looking at her like… Cairn didn’t have the word.

Cairn’s mind was quiet now, the danger dismissed, but something in her chest still beat unevenly. It wasn’t panic. It wasn’t comfort. Still, she didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Not until her gaze flicked to Hazel’s lips, then back up, uncertain. “I think… it’s clear,” she said, barely above a whisper.

She shifted carefully, slipping toward the flap of the tent, not looking directly at Hazel now. Her hand brushed the edge of Hazel’s sleeve, deliberate, but light. No pressure. No demand. Just a signal. “Come on.” Cairn slipped out first, crouching low, eyes already scanning the camp. The hush outside matched the one inside. Just a darkening sky, still and waiting.

She listened for Hazel’s steps. And once they were both outside, Cairn adjusted her pack and glanced toward the trees. “We should head back,” she said quietly. Not because of danger. Because standing still felt harder now than walking. She didn’t look back to see if Hazel was following. She didn’t have to. The quiet between them had already shifted–too full, too charged, and far from over.

[appalachiannightmare]

@cairnivore

[pm] You're welcome. Nothing is owed. But that's not what I was talking about. [del: at least I dont think so.] [del: I don't know ]

[pm] No, no. I think something is. I just don't know what. Maybe that kiss. Shut. Up. Hazel. Maybe a meal. I'm a pretty good cook. Or your bushes trimmed. I'm good at trimming bushes. Lawn bushes. Grass. I can mow your grass. I have a new lawnmower and everything. Runs real smooth.

[appalachiannightmare]

[pm] Hi Hazel. I keep thinking about the tents. What was that? [del: And why did you look at me like that]

[pm] Hi Cairn. Oh sweet corn nibblets. I knew this was coming. The tents, what about the tents? Somebody was out there and you pulled me in and I was so incredibly close to your face and I felt these things that I've only ever felt with one other person, but I made a promise to God and my parents and myself that I would abstain from having any kind of sexual relations before marriage, but this is totally different, because you're a girl and I'm not supposed to have feelings for a girl. I already got the devil living inside me, but I can't stop thinking about you we were safe. You saved me from any potential danger, and I owe you for that. So thank you.

[bazzledazzle]

@cairnivore replied to your post “Baz. It's Cairn. Do you still remember me The...”:

No, no art yet. Have you? I think bones are useful. But that was too many bones. Have you ever seen anything like that before?

​Why not? Haven't had the time? I'm always creating something, yeah.

The only useless bones are the ones I've got inside of me! [user isn't sure they have bones, because of the goo.] Never seen anything like that before, no. Hoping not to see it again! How about you?

[vengeancedemon]

@cairnivore replied to your post “Is your leg better?”:

[pm] Oh. I thought the... hellhound did it. I am fine. I haven't ran into the same... thing. I am being careful.

​[pm] Hellhound just [...] fucked up something that was fucked up for years. Made it worse for a little while, but it's fine now. [...] That's good. It's getting warmer out, so that shouldn't be as much of a problem. Hellhounds will still be around, though. And other things. Do you [...] know how to fight? When you're not half frozen.

[bazzledazzle]

Baz. It's Cairn. Do you still remember me The bones... did you ever find them again?

Hello, Cairn! Lovely to hear from you! How are you? Have you made any new art?

Oh, I haven't gone back to look. Found enough to complete the exhibit, anyway, so what's the sense in searching for more, yeah? I've always found bones a bit boring.

[vengeancedemon]

Is your leg better?

[it takes a moment for user to realize who this is and what they're asking.]

[pm] My leg is always bad. Old injury. Doesn't really get better. How are you? Are you [...] staying warm?