The Birth of a Ranger

Chapter Two

Yuki had walked for days with no contact from anyone. No one found her nor did she hear anyone around her and for once in her life she accepted that she was alone. She was ready to die in the wasteland that was the snow covered forest and yet, somehow she kept going even when she thought she was done for.

She was starving, being a vampire meant more than just that she had to feed. It meant if she didn't she would go insane from not doing so. Her body was sickly looking and the starving sensation she felt overwhelmed her every time an innocent animal ran past her. She refused to kill to feed and maybe it was her being stuck up in her ways or maybe it was her wishing for death. It wasn't clear.

She was brought out of her thoughts when a man came out from behind a tree, cowl and hood up. She wanted to yelp, but felt frozen in place. She couldn't and wouldn't do anything that may otherwise get her killed.

"Miss? Are you hurt?"

She glanced up further at him, her gaze on his weapons as well as his on hers. She was scared for what he could do to her. He was older, probably faster and clearly had some age on him despite the young appearance he held.

Yuki could only do one thing in that moment and began to back up from him slowly. She wanted to flee, to do something that would allow her to just run away and sap the last of whatever energy she had but she couldn't.

"I-I" Yuki couldn't get her words out and eventually backed up straight into a tree and shook her head. Her body dropped down into a sitting position, clinging to herself and her daggers for dear life. She was scared that much was clear. It didn't help that she was just a mere child. That must have been answer enough because the man dropped his weapons and approached her.

He didn't say much of anything at first and settled for taking his cloak off and wrapping it around her. She was quick to cling to it for the warmth it brought and noticed it didn't soak through like her clothes had already done. She did recoil when he ripped part of the cloak for a cloth bandage, not that she recognized that at first.

"You're bleeding, if you show me your arm then I can fix that." As he spoke it felt more like he was just telling her than anything. It was no demand nor was it a question. When he returned a bird call her eyes lit up at him and she seemed to understand in that moment. It was no bird making that noise. It was a person.

It didn't change how reluctant she was to offer up her arm but she did it anyway after untangling herself from the mess that was a sapphire necklace on a silver chain and her daggers as well as clothing. As she pulled her arm away from her clothing it peeled, the dried blood having long sense somewhat glueing her skin to her dress.

As he wrapped her arm she watched his movements more closely than he was probably aware of. Going so far as to even eye his hands as they neared her daggers that now rested on the forest floor. He brought snow up to her wound to clean it and then wrapped it, which was more painful than she had wanted it to be though, never once did she recoil from him. In fact, she was probably one of the stronger children in Arthedain and could handle pain fairly well, not including her current circumstance.

When he was done she noticed he leaned away from her and let her sit in quiet for a while before he spoke up again. She hadn't said much of anything since he found her and was clearly hiding in a shell, locking her emotions away in a place no one could see them.

"We can't stay here, if you want we can walk but I can also carry you. My home isn't too far from here, and you need proper medical attention." His words were somehow calming to her but she didn't move to get up just yet. In fact, she didn't want to move. She noticed as long as she sat there, he was there too. Unmoving.