Unlikely Meeting [story]

Rainier was crouching behind a fallen and decaying log, parallel to the ground, listening hard to the streaming silence that filled the forest air. Riding the wind towards her were the distant shrieks of night birds and a low, heavy panting and a slight tap-tap-tapping noise of something unknown.

Something new was on her trail.

She thrust her body upwards and took a look around in the dark. It dawned on her that she was becoming more and more like a beast; her senses heightened and the forest seeming more like a "home" to her. Suddenly and quite expectantly there was a slow craaaaaack behind her, like the sound she was waiting for. Rainier held herself together and took off running hoping her hunter would follow.

Something was wrong.

There was a solid cloud standing fifteen feet in front of where she once stood. Trying to slow down something collided with her head and threw her onto her back, moaning, bleeding.. Amateur senses.. And she slipped into a heavy sleep and the image of a hand closed in over her eyes.

"The answer is right in front of you.." Echoed in her brain as her head throbbed but refused to wake up. It felt like hours of being trapped conscious inside of her own unconscious head, and she had company with her.

Rainier opened her eyes slowly and was blinded by the light from the fire in front of her. Her hand shot up to her bruised skull and she let out a painful whimper. She sat up with dizziness trying to pull her back down, but she was determined. Her company was a rough looking man of her age with heavy sadness pulling at his mouth. He had dark hair that was in need of a wash and trim, and that's saying it politely; eyes cast down with thick lashes and a thin but able build. He was stirring a pot of something over the fire with his dagger. A peculiar silver dagger so sharp it made her wince at the sight of it. Its handle was made of a white stone with a carving in it, but his hand covered the image revealing only a claw.

She stood up and inched closer to him keeping her eyes steadily on him. She was behind him looking into the pot. A deep breath later identified the contents as rabbit. She crawled in front of him, avoiding the fire, to look in his eyes. They were a deep grey she had never seen before, still the same sadness lingered in them. She sat in front of him and took in his scent. A grave danger but no threat it told her-- As if he heard her, his eyes darted upward and he stared at her. She was back sitting beside the fire clutching her head with her hand, staring at him with a stunned expression.

"Sorry about that," he said pointing his dagger at her head, "I thought you were something else... Never mind." He said after her look turned from stunned to confused.

"Oh," She said softly and shyly looking down to distract herself from his gaze,
"I'm Rainier."

"William." He said with a smile that she didn't see.