Beast Tamer

XV

Fauna rolled over in her sleep and her eyebrows furrowed as she felt something digging into her back.

She groaned before arching her back and sticking her hand under to feel a cold stone right under her.

She quickly picked it up before chucking it in some random direction.

"Thanks for nearly hitting me with a rock," Nico said from the other side of the room.

They'd had to find shelter somewhere and after much wandering they'd found a little - as in tiny - wooden cabin in the forest.

It had clearly been abandoned a long time ago and was very unkept when they arrived but Fauna was so tired that she pretty much collapsed on the floor and told Nico to wake her up never.

"I'm still asleep go away" she mumbled as she clutched the blanket - not sure where it had come from - before promptly curling up into a little ball.

"I gathered some food and water while you were asleep-"

She jolted upright. "You went out without me. You should've woken me up."

Nico raised an eyebrow from where he sat across the room. "You don't think I tried? It was like trying to wake up a rock."

She pouted. "Don't be mean."

He rolled his eyes before chucking her an apple. "Eat up, I've got some more food if your hungry since I managed to catch and cook a squirrel."

Fauna took a quick bite into the apple. "Why don't you eat?" She asked as she fiddle with the pendant Brody had given her.

Nico shrugged. "Wasn't hungry."

She lowered the apple from her mouth and was about to lecture him on the importance of eating when he held up his hand to silence her as if she'd already started speaking.

"I did eat a bit while you were asleep don't worry."

She smiled and nodded before finishing her apple in silence and chucking the core out the window.

It was biodegradable anyway and it's not like she was chucking a whole load of them out the window. Nature would naturally get rid of it besides, it was better then leaving it in here where it'll just sit here.

"What's next?" Fauna asked Nico as the door opened; Orion and Sage walking inside the cabin together.

"Hmm, we head to Intimation Proffer I guess and see what happens there, apparently you made an acquaintance named... Austin Aldwyn."

She raised an eyebrow, imitating Nico. "I thought you couldn't read my writing."

He shrugged carelessly. "I've learnt to decipher it."

She titled her head and scrutinised him. The way Sage wasn't going anywhere near him, the way he was sitting so straight it was like a wooden plank had been taped to his back.

She discreetly moved her hand up to her neck just as the door opened again, this time a black haired, steel blue eyed boy walking through the door.

"Fauna I-"

She drew her sword just as the person sitting opposite her launched itself at Nico. It didn't even make it half way before Fauna sliced her sword downwards and it fell to the floor before it's body flashed blue.

Its body wavered before disappearing all together.

She looked around frantically. "Where did it go? What happened to it?"

Nico sat down as Sage ran over to him and rested her head on his lap. "You banished it back to the Variant. It won't bother us again until another Rift opens and it manages to get through."

She sat down as well and put her sword away. "How often do Rifts open?"

He shrugged as he stroked Sage's fur and Orion sprawled himself across Fauna's lap.

"Depends but we do know that more Rifts open near and at Hallows Eve because that's the time when the Variant and our world is closest together."

"But, that's mere weeks away," she said with evident worry in her voice. " so every vampire and that thing, whatever that was, will all be back and chasing after us in a few weeks?"

He sucked in a deep breath and flashed her smile. "Yes."

Fauna groaned and threw her heads back, hitting the wooden walls. "Great, fantastic, just what we needed."

"Well," Nico started as he moved next to her. "We'll be better prepared next time, if you beat an entire group of vampires by yourself then we sure as hell can defeat them together. Nice reflexes by the way and fast thinking."

She smiled. "Thanks."

"I guess that all the rigorous and painful training I put you though was worth it then."

"Eehh."

She didn't think that waking up every morning as not being able to move without a muscle screaming would ever be 'worth it'.

"Yeah, yeah," Nico said. "But it will save your life everyday."

She shrugged. "No comment. Anyway, are we actually going to Intimation Proffet to see Austin Aldwyn?"

He nodded, not even questioning where she got the information from, and picked the blanket he had given her up off the floor while Sage and Orion nudged their backpacks towards them.

Fauna quickly got out the dog biscuits from her bag before giving some to Sage and Orion.

"Thanks."

Orion didn't regularly use the link between them and neither did Fauna, it was mainly when they had something private or important to say but other then that they didn't really speak just because of the mental energy it took.

She leaned down and stroked Orion's midnight fur before picking up her backpack and swinging it over her shoulder. She yawned tiredly and tried to stifle it but failed while Nico did the same.

Fauna was groggy from just waking up but she quickly looked at Nico. "Did you sleep at all?"

He looked at his feet. "Well..."

Sage came padding up to Nico and rubbing her up against his legs. Nico blinked before looking at Sage and smiling sleepily.

Fauna felt stupid for not realising earlier that Nico needed to sleep.

"Sage?" She asked and Sage barked happily before looking at Nico.

Fauna always did think that Orion and Sage acted more like dogs than wolves.

Nico shook his head and muttered under his breath about 'annoying wolf' before climbing on to Sage. Fauna smiled and ruffled his hair as his head drooped before resting on Sage.

Fauna opened Nico's backpack and brought out the map before leading the way.