Huntress (Steve Rogers AU) 18+

3

The snow has fallen over the last few weeks, blanketing the city and everywhere that surrounds it, the crunch that it makes under my feet satisfying with every step I take - but an annoyance when it comes to trying to hunt. The kills lately haven't been too great, especially as some of them migrate to other places across the border or hibernate.

It's not long before I see a potential target. Not great, but good enough for this time of year.

Lining my arrow up, I pull back to try and take the shot I have, releasing my grip so as it flies through the air, hitting the target square where I want it. The animal falls straight to the ground and I head over to retrieve it.

"Hale?"

My head snaps up from where I'm now crouched beside the animal, seeing the Lord of Auburndale watching me from next to a tree. I quickly stand and take a few steps back. Mother warned me, but this isn't even the same part of the forest that we first met in. "It's ok..." He tells me, moving a little closer.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, pulling my hood back so he can talk to me properly. "I didn't think people of your class hunted in this kind of weather".

He chuckles. "Whatever it takes, I do it", eyes meeting mine. "But the rest of the truth is that I've been out here everyday. I wanted to find you..."

I feel my blood run cold. "You said you wouldn't..."

He nods at this. "I know I did, but since meeting you? I just couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to repay you. So I've been out everyday, to different parts of the forest hoping that I'd run into you again".

I take him in fully now, noticing things that I didn't before. For a start he's quite muscular, his longish hair actually more of a dirty blonde than a perfect one, neatly trimmed beard.

"I already told you that I needed no repayment". I stress.

"Hale, please..." He says in a rather calm but firm manner. "Just one thing,. If you come back to the city with me then after you can go back and live your life - but while this debt goes unpaid I'm just gonna have to keep coming back here until you say yes". There's a knowing smile on his lips.

He knows what he's doing.

"Carry my kill?" I ask, knowing that mother is gonna beat me to the deepest of waters and back again.

He now comes over and picks it up. "A good shot, where'd you learn to shoot?"

"Myself, it's the only way I can eat". I shrug it off. I've had to fight for worse that's for sure.

He makes his way through the trodden down paths to where a horse is waiting. I stop, knowing I really shouldn't be going with him, but also realising that this ends here if I do.

Cautiously, I approach the animal and Steve helps me onto it, then mounting it himself and sitting behind me.

Soon we're trotting through the forests until we reach the main road that runs through it, a group of men waiting patiently. One of them being the dark haired man that was with him weeks ago.

"I thought I told you not to do anything stupid?" He now states, eyes falling to me. "You found her then".

"I do have a name y'know". I glare with some annoyance. Had this been back at home then he'd be dragged under the water by now and devoured.

Steve laughs lightly, "Bucky this is Hale, Hale? This is Bucky - he's a friend, he won't hurt you, no one here will". He now looks around at the group of men. "Hale's a friend to Auburndale, you treat her with the same respect that you treat any other woman at court".