The Owl House (Hunter x Reader)

Chapter 9: Healing

Eda shifted uncomfortably, groaning as her joints protested stiffly. She blinked the sleep from her eyes, prepared for the dark, grimy surroundings. 

Jolting in surprise when she saw Belos sitting a foot away from her, observing through the empty black pits of his mask.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up," he chuckled, leaning forward. Eda glared daggers at him, saying nothing. Belos tilted his head in confusion. "I was under the impression that you're a rather talkative witch, Owl Lady."

"Not when you're involved," she snarled. Belos stayed silent.

"You know, everyone here is afraid of me. I wonder why you aren't?" he murmured. 

Eda scoffed. "It takes a scammer to know one, pal. I could see through that 'United Magic' front within a day. You're just some over-glorified coward."

"Be that as it may, Owl Lady, there is something pressing I came here to ask you about," Belos sighed.

"Why don't you tell me about this wolf of yours?"

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Y/n stirred awake, an itching sensation at her abdomen. The Golden Guard leaned back, a cloth in one hand. "You're awake. Good."

He dropped the cloth in her hands. "You can do this now."

She looked down at her stomach. The hem of her shirt had been rolled up to reveal a long gash along the side of her hip. The surrounding skin shone with whatever salve he had been applying. 

"Oh thank Titan, you're alive!" King stuck his head in front of her face, his eyes red from crying. "The guard went to go trick the ranger and left you with me but you were bleeding out and I thought you were dead!" he wailed.

Y/n sighed and hugged him. "I'm fine, King. I'm okay."

The little demon yawned, and curled up in the bend of her knee. "Now that you're safe..." he trailed off, his sentence fading into snores.

She chuckled, then reached around him for the roll of bandages in her bag. Sticking one end over the cut, she began wrapping it around her middle.

"Jeez, have you ever bandaged anything before? Because that is pathetic"

The Golden Guard was sitting across the camp, watching. His hair, without the cape, was falling in strands over his mask. Didn't take him for a blonde

"It's a little hard to when you're bleeding out," Y/n retaliated, trying to tie the fabric tightly. She groaned in frustration and let her back fall against a tree.

She heard shuffling, then jolted when she felt the brush of hands against her skin. "I'm not getting my gloves bloody for this," he warned, untying her previous attempt and unwinding it.

Y/n nodded and let him grab a new roll, ripping off a length of the cotton fabric. 

"You're gonna need to sit up," he muttered, and she complied, inclining forward. He knelt between her legs and wound the cloth back and around her torso, occasionally pushing the hem of her shirt up so he could cover the injured area. 

"Thanks, for earlier." she said softly. "I could've died if not for you."

He froze. "You shouldn't thank me. I'm still taking you to the Emperor after all this."

"Oh my god, Goldie, learn to accept gratitude," Y/n scoffed, wincing as he knotted the bandage. 

"Don't call me Goldie." he hissed, feeling around the length of the bandage for any loose ends. Y/n rolled her eyes. "You haven't given me anything else to call you, excuse me for finding the next best thing."

He leaned back, backing away from her. "The rest of the army calls me sir," he stated matter-of-a-factly. She laughed. "I'm not calling you that."

"Why not?" he asked, offended. Y/n raised one eyebrow. "Because it'd be ridiculous to call you that. You're barely older than I am."

The Golden Guard sighed in annoyance. "Fine then. While we're out here, you can call me Hunter."

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Eda sat back, surprised. "Why'd you think I'd say anything?" she asked. Belos laughed slowly. "My dear Owl Lady, who said anything about speaking anything?"

He raised the end of his staff, crackling with light, and pressed it to Eda's forehead.

She gasped as her eyes lit up from the inside as the memories he was searching for came to life.

A younger Eda, listening to the screaming from her window, wincing with each explosion as if it was attacking her instead of them. 

Guards swarmed throughout the city, chaining and immobilising werewolves together in cages, dodging claw swipes and teeth. The cages jerked forwards, carrying them away.

The next morning, Eda, ever the scavenger, rummaging through abandoned wreckage, pocketing whatever shiny item drew her fancy. Coming across a hatch behind a bedframe, where a small baby lay nestled away from the damage.

Picking up the baby, Eda noticed the sharper canines, the sharp barely-there infant nails, and the realisation that this child was alone in the world. Wherever the parents were taken, Eda knew for sure that they weren't coming back.

The baby woke up, squirming around in her arms, opening up her big e/c eyes to stare into Eda's amber ones. "Looks like you're coming with me, kiddo," she whispered, rocking her gently.

Eda gasped heavily, the glow dying from her eyes as Belos lowered his staff.

"Isn't that interesting?"