Breaking rules, breaking free (bxb)

Chapter 13

13- A dark and mysterious stranger
   The thump of hooves on the soft earth came slowly towards me filling me with unexplained excitement but also fear. Anything that could scare the violent men of the hunt that badly had to be a formidable foe it had saved me but that could just be so it could kill me itself. Somehow though I didn't think so. I lifted myself to my feet in a pathetic attempt to hobble away but as soon as weight landed on my injured leg I crumpled like paper with a yelp of pain. This only made the creature quicken it's pace and then I saw it. 
   It was a stallion yes but this was not your ordinary horse. It's whole body was the perfect image of  speed from it's long slender legs to it's lean muscular body, if it raced a cheetah I wouldn't bet against it. A thin layer of fluffy down covered it's body in a sleek black shadow darker than coal, shinier than oil causing your eyes to simply slide off it as if the creatures whole body wasn't there.
    His muzzle was a little lighter than the rest of it's coat making it's face look softer but also drawing your attention to his pearly white teeth that defied the normal laws of equine animals by having two small but no less needle-sharp canines on each row which should have looked odd but it worked in making the creature look more deadly. It's eyes were a strange swirling gold colour telling a tale you couldn't quite follow but I just wanted to melt into them and become just another meaningless character. For some reason it made me feel safe and happy, I was as ever confused. 
   "Hello," it said in a a beautiful rich tone that was unmistakably normal English not an accented shifter. I tried to speak but I felt incapable both through weakness and sheer awe. 
  "Eh sorry about the hunt that might have been my bad." He said sounding almost nervous, for some reason I hoped it was because he wanted to make a good impression on me. The hunt was long forgotten I could only think about this creature.
I was going to try speaking again but since he spoke English I couldn't guarantee he would understands so instead I sent him a random memory of me asking Jarred who Lara was when she had first arrived. He looked surprised, frowned then got the message. 
   "Oh that was you, huh probably not just a little fox shifter then eh? Well I am Donovan but that's a stupid name so call me Don or Donny or something,"  he said staring at me intently now analysing every part but I was enjoying just looking at the horses golden eyes. 
"Are you hurt?" He asked absent-mindedly but froze as his eyes went to my leg. I glanced down at it and saw the bone sticking clean out of my leg blood already forming a crust around it. I thought I was going to faint but instead as all the adrenaline left my body it changed slowly melding back into human form. I was surprised to find my clothes still on though as a gust of wind sped past I felt the wind blow through my hair. My hat had fallen off!
   I leapt to my feet thanking my lucky stars it wasn't one of my back legs that broke and my arm that instead lay useless at my side as I sprinted away. He had seen me, this mysterious, powerful creature had seen my ears and now who knows what he'd do. For some reason though I feared more rejection than actual pain inflicted by him. I heard hooves changes to footfalls on the ground but they soon caught up to me and left the ground and I was tackled to the floor. 
       I fought to get away but he pinned me down and I soon felt the classic smothering feeling of an oncoming panic attack. "Hey hey, calm down look at me," he said soothingly and I did relax a little though why that was I didn't know. I looked up into his face instantly obeying the command. 
  Donovan the horse had turned into his human side. He was tall and thin towering above me just like his horse form with the same silky black hair but this time longer flopping around his face clearly in an effort to conceal it. His eyes too were the same swirling gold colour but this time they looked a little tamer and hardened from life's hardships. They matched pleasantly with his sun-kissed skin. He wore dark clothes mostly greys and blacks a leather jacket with a plain t-shirt and jeans followed by some running shoes. All of his clothes looked worn and weather-beaten with holes and smatterings of mud covering him from head to toe though he didn't seem to mind. It was difficult to guess his age, his body looked around 17 but his eyes were somehow older not too much so but it was still noticeable.  He looked me straight in the eyes and pulled down his hood to reveal two black horse ears. They were beautiful just like mine. 
   It took a moment for either of us to fully asses the situation but he beat me to it and all of a sudden his eyes filled with fear and his mouth dropped open. 
  "Oh my God your a Kitsune. I am so sorry elder forgive me for my actions I didn't know who you were. If I had known there was a kitsune in the area I would never have brought the hunt here." He said in a rush his eyes darting around noting all the escape routes around us. A pang od sadness echoed around my chest. Why was he scared of me?
   "What are you talking about," I asked in concern though I was chuckling internally at the idea that this huge guy could be afraid of me. 
  "You don't know what I'm talking about do you," he gasped looking somewhat relieved. He looked over me sceptically but his face soon lit up with joy. "You're new," he laughed in delight. I shook my head smiling despite my injuries at his enthusiasm. "Stick with me kid you've got a lot to learn." Oh I certainly would be. My heart sunk at the mere idea of us parting ways why I did not know but at the moment I didn't care.

"C'mon kid lets get that arm fixed up."