The Animal In Me

For a long moment Lex said nothing, nor did he move. He stared blankly at Liliya for a long agonizing moment while drums of thunder echoed in the distance. The storm was heading west and losing momentum quickly. Soon it would rain itself out, leaving only soaked memories in its wake. When finally Lex did speak, it was soft and non-resolute. It was shaky and weak, like the sound a child would make who was too afraid to admit that the monster in their closet was real. "He means it. Every word."

Heavily Lex sunk next to the fire and set to the mindless task to rebuild it. They wouldn't need it much longer, but it kept his eyes down. If Liliya were to see them, she would see the fear behind them. "You don't know him like I do. He is easily more powerful than five of each of us. He controls most of the land. Anything he sees, he considers his dominion. He knows where we are, and knows exactly how to get us. I was a fool to involve you in any of this."

Their shadows danced on the cave walls, casting a dark and somber ballet behind them. He was close enough to smell Liliya, the smell of living, breathing flesh. It was refreshing, but bitter, as it reminded him that she was still alive, and her current path would only lead to her death.

He kept his gaze focused on the fire, intentionally avoiding her question about his mother. His thoughts began to wander into the past. The smell of flowers, a lullaby sung in a simple but beautiful alto, and the touch of soft skin. If he could still cry, he likely would have.

Liliya watched Lex, her hard gaze softening, but only slightly. To him, the doctor was his nightmare. If she were to compare, the doctor to Lex was Oleksy to her. And she more than understood that fear, but just as Lex didn't fear her father, she did not fear the doctor. "If I can survive Oleksy, I can survive him. You did not involve me, Alexandre. He did." Liliya moved over to the cavern wall, needing to lean against something, anything, as the throbbing in her chest grew.

Sliding down the wall, she sat watching him, her years of training picking up on the slightest of movements. If he was so worried about that man knowing where they were, why didn't they just move? She could walk just fine as long as she didn't push too hard; she was becoming used to the pain anyway. Liliya was fully aware he brushed off her question, but why? It was something she intended to find out.

"Do not avoid my inquiries. If there is something I need to know, then spit it out. Neither of us have time for games." Liliya didn't want to be too harsh, especially with the way he was acting, but she had asked a question and she did not like being ignored. It was purposeful, it was not an accident. He heard her.

"It's not a game," he replied, his voice feigning strength where there was none. "It was a choice. I don't like that story. It's bad enough that I must relive it everyday, but to tell it to one whom I barely know... You, of all people. I suppose that is the way of things. Marinus said it himself. He will see everything I hold dear left in ruin. That includes you, and any chance I ever had at feeling something other than hatred and distrust and..." Alexandre sighed heavily. Hearing it out loud made it sound even more like an excuse than if he lied about it. Judging by the look in her eye he was not going to be able to avoid answering the question. He averted his eyes, closing them softly as his head hung low. The fire was no longer a comfort.

"I went to my parents' home immediately after my escape. They had money and influence... I had hoped that they would smuggle me across the sea to some far away place where I could live in peace. But when I arrived, there was no welcome feeling. No fire in the hearth. My father cried out against me, calling me demon and monster. He tried to kill me and I just... I could not control my rage. I slaughtered him, like a calf at the butcher's block. Mother screamed and cried and... and I just stood their staring at her, bathed and dripping in my father's blood."

Again Lex's eyes returned to the fire as the grizzly scene played out in his mind's eye. He could not forget the feeling of blood as it slid down his body, or the way his mother trembled at his the sight. Horror ripped through his heart, forcing his chest to grip onto his body tightly. It hurt to breath. It hurt to feel his heart beat. To his audience, perhaps the thought of killing a family member wasn't so unpleasant. But to him, who had only known love from his own parents, it was an atrocity worse than rape. Inside, Alexandre wanted to die.

Liliya did not speak, she just sat and listened. To her, killing was not something that affected her too much. Growing up death had been all around her. Others would call her cold and unfeeling and it would not be a lie. Her jade hues watched Lex as he relived this horrible moment in his afterlife, no visible emotion on her own face. Her own mother died when she was very young, she did not remember the woman or how she had died. The only family she knew was cruel. Seeing his reaction to harming his own family was new, and it made a weird feeling twist her inside.

"Stop." Liliya finally said. "I did not mean to... make you relive such a horror." The former Huntress struggled to her feet once again, wincing as she did so. By no means was she compassionate, nor did she think she could ever feel anything like it, but that did not mean that she liked seeing others in pain. Unless they were a target, and she was the one inflicting said pain.

There was really only one thing he said that she didn't understand. Lex included her in what he held dear. Why? She was nothing to him, but the woman who tried and failed to kill him, the woman he saved from a horrid fate, the woman who burdened him. It didn't make sense. It made more unfamiliar feelings surge through her, and she frowned. Liliya did not like unfamiliar things, be it feelings or places. Unknown territory was dangerous, frightening.

Alexandre shrugged slightly. He was accustomed to reliving the horror that was the beginning of his afterlife. That didn't make it any less painful, but it did mean he was used to the feeling. "Now you know. I make no illusion about what I am or what I've done. Pain is relative, and a traveling companion who never leaves me." At that moment, Lex shifted his eyes to the black wolf that had been following him around longer than he could remember. "It's a constant reminder of what I am capable of, and the reason why I just want to live out the rest of my days in peace. But it seems the past will always haunt me." He spoke as if he were talking to both of them at the same time.

Watching her struggle to move brought his thoughts to another place, one not quite brimming with terror, fear, and loathing. Instead, there was compassion and sympathy. Lex observed how she breathed, how she struggled to stand. In her state, he wondered how capable she would be to travel at a pace quick enough to escape the grasp of the Doctor.

"Sit," he said softly, patting the ground next to him. "We will tomorrow night. Dawn will come soon. Even if we leave right now, you're not fit for quick travel yet." The monster knew that she might take offense to him pointing out her weakness, but he was done tip-toeing. "You need rest. You're more than capable as a Hunter and traveler, and one of the strongest humans i've ever met. But if we push too hard, you could collapse under the weight of your injuries and I won't allow that to happen." Alexandre turned away from her to give her some privacy. "Inspect your wounds. Look for infection or bones not setting. I will... give you some space."

Liliya was unsure whether or not to be offended. Sure, she knew that even moving a few feet was painful, and it was hard to breathe. She didn't need it pointed out, but then he'd thrown a compliment in, and she was confused. What was it about this monster man that made her so confused? No one else she encountered, conversed with made her feel so conflicted. On one hand, she didn't like it at all, but on the other she was curious to know other new things she could experience around him.

Slowly lowering herself next to Lex, she let out a breath, the movements making her head feel light. For a moment her vision blurred, but she brushed it off. She'd had worse, but Lex was right. She had to make sure her wounds hadn't gotten worse. At first Liliya was hesitant to lower the cloak, especially with Lex so close, but he had turned away and given her no reason to believe he would take advantage of her.

Liliya dropped the cloak and looked down at her ribs. Her skin was bruised and swollen. If she were being honest with herself she had no idea what to look for; she was apprehensive about touching them, too. The last time she examined herself she nearly passed out. With a shaking hands she felt along her chest, clenching her jaw to keep from making any noise that would indicate she was anything but fine. Biting down hard on her lip, she checked for anything nearly wrong. She felt none. Yanking the cloak back up, she spoke, her voice shaking and weak. "Everything look fine.." Liliya was not confident that she'd be able to travel quickly, at least not right then.

Hearing her draw the cloak back over her shoulders and her assurance that she was okay, though her voice was anything but convincing, the young monster turned back to face Liliya. Alexandre still had some herbs that could help with the pain, but he was running low and she may need them while they traveled. Mentally he made himself a note to watch out for more wild herbs to replenish his supply. He looked... stubborn, as if she were holding information from him. Normally he would have let it go, but given the fact that he had just divulged some of his history that he had hoped to never admit to anyone, Lex decided to press the subject.

"Does it look fine, or are you just saying that because you don't want to sound weak? Did it feel like the bones were still connected but sore, or were they disjointed? I'll believe you, whatever you say, but as a physician I was trained to look for more than just symptoms. I read your eyes. The bite marks on your lip tell me how much pain you're in. The shaking hands tells me that the pain is almost constant. Your voice... everything you are doing right now tells me that you need help.... more than I can give you without the proper tools." Alexandre sighed heavily; he hoped she wouldn't take offense. But, in life or in death, he trained in the practice of medicine to help people, not to sit idly by and watch them suffer. Such a fate was designed only for a select few.

With almost no food on his person, Lex figured she would be hungry soon, if she wasn't starving already. He straightened himself out and looked at her bow. "If you'd be so kind... I can hunt you something to eat. You need to keep your strength up." Lex's voice was soft, but resolute. Even if she didn't hand over her weapon, he would still go and try to find her something. He could not let her suffer. He didn't know why, but she was not someone he could just leave behind and forget about.

"I don't know." Liliya snapped. "It hurts. It's bruised and it's swollen. What do you want from me? I'm not a physician, or a-a shaman, or a medicine man. I'm a killer. I.. cause pain not fix it." She sighed and shook her head. "I don't meant to snap, but there is no good side for me. My ribs are broken, what does it honestly matter if I heal or not?"

Liliya reached to the side and grabbed her bow, holding it out for Lex to take. "Do you even know how to bow hunt? It's much more difficult than throwing around a large blade." She pulled her quiver over, the motion stretching out her ribs, making her grunt in pain. "I don't have many arrows left.. if you can, try to get them back. If not.. I'll make more.." Her breaths were heavy, just shifting her position was difficult. Much to her dismay, she was moving sluggishly. She wanted to believe it was nothing, but she was exhausted. Maybe while Lex was out hunting, she'd try to rest her eyes again. It couldn't hurt, right?

Alexandre's brow furrowed at her response. He dismissed the snappy attitude, letting it roll off him like a cool fall breeze. What bothered him was her indifference to her own health. "It matters to me. The more injured you are, the more careful we have to be while traveling. It will determine which paths we take, where we hide, how long and far we travel, and where we take refuge when we can go no further. If something goes wrong and we end up in a fight, your injuries will hinder your fighter's prowess greatly, which compromises both our safeties." His analytic approach may have seen cold, but the facts often were. Her injuries made them both vulnerable, and that worried him.

But, using his very next breath before she would have time to retaliate, he softened his tone and let his eyes fall to her hands. The fire was beginning to ramp up again, but still they shook. He took her hands into his, carefully, so as not to alarm her. Alexandre really had no idea how she would react, given her upbringing, but he could remember his mother holding his hands the same way whenever he was upset. "But more importantly, I don't want something to happen to you, whether it happened in a fight or because of illness. There is light in your soul, surrounded by darkness. The black presses in but that bit of brilliance still remains. I saw it when you stood up to the Doctor. Regardless of the consequences to your life, you defied everything you've been taught to help a... a monster. I can't... let anything happen to you. Not because of me." Lex turned loose of her hand and put his own in his lap. There was no reason to continue on that tangent, in his own mind at least. He had said what he wanted to say. Perhaps too much. But he was, at least, honest with her.

Liliya's eyes widened, and she felt her cheeks get hot as she openly stared at Alexandre. She flinched at first when he grabbed her hands, but she did not pull away. The gesture was new, awkward for her. She wasn't sure she liked it, but she didn't exactly hate it. With her hands in his, her shaking stopped momentarily, but when he pulled his hands away it resumed. Liliya hadn't realized how cold her fingers were until the warmth from his vanished, didn't realize how much she liked the feel of someone else's hands in her own.

"I don't.." She hesitated, frowning. "I don't understand why you care... I... I tried to kill you... twice, I..." The concept of kindness and selflessness wasn't new, she'd heard of such things, but it had never been directed at her. Not until Alexandre. "I don't..." Liliya was having a hard time expressing her own confusion. Yes, she had stood up to the doctor, but did he not realize it wasn't the same as him offering to help with her family. She was trying to repay a debt, he owed her nothing. "Why are you so... so different?" Liliya finally managed. "You are unlike any I have ever come across... you confuse me."

A look of deep confusion stretched across Alexandre's bruised face. She was right. She had tried to kill him. She cursed him as a monster, said hurtful things. And yet, despite all that, he found that he actually cared about her. He cared whether she lived or died, whether she was injured or not. He cared about her happiness. It had been far too long since he had felt anything resembling care or trust for another. But it was nice, so he chose to foster those feelings. Without hesitation his hands went back to her's, cupping them gently and resting them against her knee. Her skin, though tough from years of training, was still as smooth as silk to him.

"Why should we need a reason to care for someone? You are a human being, and so was I... we are built to care about one another. I don't believe people are born to violence. We are born to love and care and befriend one another. It makes no sense, you're right about that. But... does it really need to? Can I just care about you because it feels like the right thing to do? Could we...ca-" Lex closed his mouth before he spoke further. He had already made a fool of himself by speaking about such fantasy.

After a brief sigh, his eyes returned to hers, and spoke he softly. "I don't know why i'm different. I don't mean to confuse you. I'm just trying to... be. I like being around you, despite your previous attempts to end my afterlife." A playful expression overcame the confused face, coupled along with a small chuckle. The scarred-over hole in his torso was a stark reminder of her previous intentions, but even it seemed to fade away quickly.

Once again, Liliya found herself at a loss for words, the heat in her cheeks increasing, the red hue becoming darker. Why was he... saying all of this? What did it mean? His hands were once again on hers, but this time she didn't flinch, she welcomed the warmth, again wondering why. Liliya was a solitary person, she did not like other people. She never had. Why, after two conversations, was it different? Maybe it was because he was different. He had died, and come back as something else. Alexandre wasn't like anyone else she'd come across, he was not a typical target.

"That... is still different, but makes more sense." Liliya raised an eyebrow, still mostly confused. When she was younger, before her mother died, ideals like his were common. People born to love and be loved, happiness and caring for others. Kindness and sunshine. All garbage to her now. Her mother died, she became a Hunter, what use were ideals like that anymore? There was no light, or caring, just darkness. Hatred. Why did Alexandre need to challenge that? That's what was confusing, and she didn't like it.

Liliya turned her gaze back to the fire. "Is it really alright? To care about something? When the threat of having it taken away is so great?"

As the logs on the fire continued to crackle and pop, Lex turned his eyes to their feet, watching them curiously. His toes were constantly moving, it seemed, something he'd never really paid attention to before. "I think that's the best time to care about something. At any time, we could lose everything. Even if we think we have nothing, we all have something to lose. Our lives matter, whether we believe it or not. What we do, the relationships we build, the enemies we make... all of it teeters on the edge of a cliff, ready to slip off and descend into the abyss. But we can choose to fight for it, to grab it as it falls and risk everything to save it. And when we feel like we don't have the strength to pull it up on our own, we trust that our loved ones will come to help."

Alexandre was confounded even by his own words, but it didn't matter. They were said and done. Liliya's hands began to warm slowly in his, which comforted him, though he still worried about her overall health. She was likely exhausted and starving; he'd almost forgotten that he had promised to find some food.

"I should... go hunt. I can shoot a bow well enough. I hunted in my youth. I doubted it's changed much since then, except maybe the way I smell." Again he chuckled, though it wasn't very funny. Despite his words, he found himself still clutching onto her hands, unwilling to let go.

For better or for worse, he found himself wanting to spend more time with her, to continue talking while keeping warm by the fire. For the first time since his recreation, he felt normal.

"If you have loved ones willing to help, but some of us aren't that lucky." Liliya remarked coolly. "Some things aren't worth fighting for, it's better just to let it go." The only thing she'd ever had to fight for was gone. Ripped from her. She didn't have enemies, her family didn't exactly care for her, the only thing she might have to fight for she wasn't even sure about. Alexandre. Was he her friend? Ally? Did she have the right to call him that?

She sighed again, her eyes falling to her lap. He was still holding onto her hands, but they weren't as cold anymore. Her shaking had reduced considerably. Liliya didn't want to acknowledge that she liked feeling the warmth of his hands on her own, so she decided to ignore it.

"Don't break my bow.." she murmured. "I made it, and it's perfect.." The Huntress turned her eyes to him. He wasn't the only one with secrets and tricks. Her bow was specially made, specifically for her. Liliya's ability with the weapon enhanced it. The bow fed off her accuracy, making her shots truer, stronger. If she wanted to kill a target, the arrow placed on its string got sharper, faster. If she only wanted to make a point, the arrow dulled. No one could use her bow as well as she could. It would not fire in the same way, with the same accuracy, unless she handed it over herself. If her weapon was stolen, it would not work.

Alexandre tested the bow string. It was clearly well crafted, no doubt made specifically for her. It felt slightly awkward, but he was confident that he could at least hit something worthwhile. After one last careful examination, he took her quiver in hand and started toward the exit. His words echoed off the cold cavern walls as he departed the light and warmth of the fire, traveling down the dark corridor soft as the wind. "You are that lucky. You are worth fighting for." Without another word and without giving Liliya a chance to reply, Lex bounded off into the night with the need to spill blood filling his mind. But this was different.

Lex's need to kill was not murderous, nor was it vengeful. He sought only to help the only person who had ever shown him a lick of kindness since his afterlife began. The ground was still plenty soaked, softening the leaves which allowed him to travel more quietly. His prey was not stupid and loud like a human, but careful and cautious. He passed several birds, many of them large enough to hold a person over, but Lex was looking for something bigger. He needed enough meat for a few days, at least, so that meant a few birds, or a small deer perhaps. Or a bear, which he passed by without provoking the creature.

Lex suddenly halted his advance, crouching low and hiding behind some thin brush. Finally he had spotted something that would satisfy their need. In a clearing just ahead there was a pair of deer, still young but enough to feed them both until better circumstances could be secured. He hated to be impatient, but the wind was not with him. Soon they would discover him and their dinner would leap away, never to be seen again. Deftly he drew Liliya's arrow, pulled the string of her bow to her string and...

Fwip

Liliya watched Lex leave with a dumbfounded look on her face. He said she was worth it, but how would he know that? He couldn't. They didn't know each other long enough for him to be able to draw that conclusion. So, she was left in the cave to her thoughts, all of which kept circling back to the monster. Why? What significance did he have in her life? A life she wouldn't have if not for him. She shook her head and frowned, turning back to the fire. 'Why does it matter? As soon as his doctor is dead... he's free. We will part ways, my debt will have been paid.' She thought, with a sigh, wishing that her freedom was as easily obtained.

A few minutes passed, and she felt an uncomfortable boredom settle over her. Again, questions rose to the surface. She'd never been bored on her own, before, so why now? Was it because she had a companion? Someone to talk to, someone to break the silence? Liliya growled in annoyance and turned her back to the entrance to the cave, a glare on her face. Since he'd come into her life, everything was falling apart, being twisted and turned upside down. She hated it. With nothing to look at, her eyes fell on her clothes, still laid out next to the fire. They should have dried by now, and she needed to get dressed. Even with Lex's cloak covering her, she still felt oddly exposed.

The Huntress shifted her body with some difficulty, and pulled her pants and shirt over to where she was sitting. The dried mud, and blood didn't bother her so when she discovered that the garments were, in fact, dry, she stood up, and dropped the cloak. Taking her clothes off had been easy, it didn't take much effort, but putting them back on was proving to be incredibly difficult. When Liliya bent down to pull her pants on, her vision swam, as a wave of pain washed over her. Groaning, she forced herself to keep herself upright as she pulled the fabric over her legs. Her whole body shook, and her breathing had become ragged and strained. Slowly lowering herself to her knees she grabbed her shirt, and struggled to pull it on over her head, the motion making her feel nauseated.

Liliya sat there for a moment, without moving, until the sick feelings went away. Taking a shaky breath, she stood and gathered up his cloak, to lay it out by the fire. She didn't need it anymore, so it might as well be warm for when he got back. Shuffling drew her attention away from the fire and to the mouth of the cavern. She was expecting to see Lex dragging in whatever he'd caught on the hunt, but it wasn't him entering the cave. It was a group of one.. two... three... five men, she counted.

"What do we have here? A lonely little girl, all by herself in the middle of nowhere..." Bandits. Internally, Liliya groaned. This was not what she needed right now. Her ribs hurt, she was more than confused about a couple of things, and she was mentally and physically exhausted.

"Get out." Liliya commanded, rubbing her temples in irritation. No, she was definitely not in the mood to deal with anyone.

The bandits laughed, "Give us what we want, and we will gladly leave you in peace, little miss."

Little Miss? With a sigh, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, all of her patience gone. Without warning she flung a small dagger at the bandit in the middle of the group, the one who had been talking. The blade buried itself in his chest up to the hilt. It took a moment for him, and his cohorts, to realize what had happened. The man fell to his knees, then slumped forward, his body twitching slightly. "I said to leave."

All at once, the bandits shouted and rushed the tiny woman. This time, she groaned out loud and side-stepped as one of them got close. She watched him trip over his own feet, as he tried to stop, but failed. Her attention wasn't on him long, and she pulled two more daggers from her boots, holding them defensively. Two more rushed her. Liliya twisted out of the way, slamming her foot into the back of one's skull, slamming one of her blades into the others throat, before yanking it back out again. She turned again, but her reaction time was slowing, her exhaustion and pain barely being numbed by the adrenaline pulsing through her.


The remaining three were on her in seconds, and she was doing a good job of avoiding their swipes and jabs, until one of them connected with her ribs. Pain exploded through her chest, and her knees gave out, as she slumped to the cavern floor gasping for breath. "Looks like little miss is down for the count. Should have just given us what we wanted. Now we have to kill you and forcefully take what we want."

The hunt did not end with the piercing of the arrow. Lex said he used to go hunting, but he never said that he was particularly good at it. While he did manage to hit the doe, he missed the sweet spot, managing only to cause the animal to panic and take off into the woods. It's lung pierced, the creature wouldn't live much longer, but that didn't stop her from fleeing toward the rising sun. Alexandre was grateful that he had paid more attention to tracking than he had with the actual use of the bow. Silently he stalked the animal until he found her laying on a bed of leaves, its head resting on the ground with an arrow sticking out of its hide. She was still alive, but barely. A mercy killing was in order.

Quickly Alexandre plunged his dagger through it's heart and ended its suffering, then set to the task of field dressing the kill, leaving the warmth and smell of fresh death hanging in the air. It wasn't large, but it would be more than enough. Slinging the doe over his shoulder, Lex started back toward the cave, stained with the blood of the innocent deer.

When finally he arrived at his temporary dwelling, Lex took off into a sprint, having heard male voices echoing from inside the cavern. One lay dead at the mouth of the cave, another several feet in. Still there were three men surrounding Liliya, who was laid out on the floor and gasping for breath. The world behind him faded into blackness. The walls disappeared. All that existed were himself, Liliya, and three men who would very soon be dead. The bow fell from his hand. The animal carcass fell from his shoulder, leaving a streak of blood across his back. A feral roar bounced around the cave as the monster charged headlong toward the three. He brandished no weapon, but he didn't seem to mind. In fact, Alexandre cared very little about strategy at that time. Blind rage filled his eyes, narrowing his pupils as he focused on a single thought.
Kill.

In the seconds it took for Lex to make his presence know, Liliya managed to slice open the Achilles heel of the nearest bandit, causing him to collapse next to her, slamming his fist into her face as he fell. Spots danced in and out of her vision, still struggling to get enough air into her lungs to remain conscious. She heard him, though, before any of the other bandits did. She heard the bow fall, the animals body smack against the ground.. and then that roar. The one that had caught her off guard when they first met. The sound that made her curious about him in the first place.

The sound echoed off the cavern walls, startling the two standing bandits, and the one on the ground next to her. The three of them turned to look as he rushed them, all frozen stiff. Liliya tried to laugh at that, but ended up making herself cough instead. Three grown men unable to handle the roar of a monster, when she herself had stood against it.. and she fell to those men. With a groan, she rolled into her side, the movements alone making her black out for a few seconds. When she came to, the bandits were scrambling backwards, away from Lex, fear written all over their faces.

"Please don't..." She heard one begging.
"We're sorry.. we didn't know.." Another one tried.

They were pleading for their lives, but in the back of her mind Liliya knew it wouldn't do any good. She'd seen that rage before. When he almost killed her. If she couldn't stop that, these three pathetic excuses for men wouldn't either

In the short moment it took for Alexandre to close the distance between himself and the ruffians, he heard nothing. So deafened was he by rage that their pleas for mercy flew past his ears, completely bypassing the blood-thirsty monster. Two of the bandits were intercepted before they could move any significant distance away from the temporarily unconscious woman. Their faces met the palms of Lex's hands, held briefly until the backs of their heads were driven into the wall behind them, effectively crushing their skulls with a sickening sound that only a butcher would recognize.

Lex's rage continued as he felt something cold and sharp sink into the meaty flesh of his back between his spine and shoulder blade. The beast roared with anger as he whipped around to see the last attacker. The foolish man clumsily brandished a short sword, a butter knife compared to the monstrous being that stood before him. Alexandre's opponent swung at his neck, but was dodged easily. Before he could recover himself, Lex was on him, tackling him to the ground, causing him to lose control of his sword. The blade clattered to the ground hilt-side down, but managed to slice a deep gouge into Lex's forearm. Immediately he had his hands around the bandit's throat, mercilessly choking the life from him, all the while snarling and drooling over him like a feral animal. He would not stop until the attacker was well-deceased, despite the deep gash in his left arm and the dagger buried in his back.

Liliya's consciousness faded in and out, every strained breath causing her immense pain. She struggled to remain awake, her vision blurred. It was Alexandre flying past her and destroying the three remaining bandits that fueled her to sit up. As she moved, white hot pain slammed into her, and she almost collapsed again, black creeping in the edges of her vision.

"Alexandre.." Liliya gasped, pulling herself over to where he was suffocating the last bandit. The attacker under him was still, not moving and quite obviously dead. The life having left his eyes dull and clouded. Reaching forward, Liliya grasped one of the monsters hands in hers, prying his fingers away from the dead man's throat. "Stop.. it's over.." she wheezed. "Enough.."

Seeing him dispatch the bandits so easily was beginning to make her mad. This was the third time she needed his help! It was infuriating. On an average day she could have taken them all out before they could blink. Her damn injury was severely hindering her ability to take care of herself. Who did Alexandre think he was? Liliya was not a damsel in distress in need of rescuing every time she tripped or stubbed her toe. She was a feared Huntress, and she refused to be treated like a weak little girl.

Alexandre hardly noticed the fingers trying to pry at his own, trying to peel his grip away from the lifeless body. Whatever breath the bandit had was long gone, leaving only dying flesh, vacant eyes, and a look of horror on his face. Despite the tugging and pulling, however, Lex did not release his grip until several seconds later, when the lust for blood and killing had finally drained away. Slowly he released the attacker and plopped down on his rear, breathing heavily more out of rage than fatigue.  

Liliya's words echoed through his mind. 'Stop... it's over...' she'd said. Why shouldn't he be thorough? Why should he let go before he popped the head off the man's shoulders like a grape off the vine? Why would she, of all people, tell him to stop?

"That... vile bastard and his cohorts deserved no mercy. I just wish I could have made him suffer longer, but the thought of ending his life was just... too tempting." Alexandre looked down at his hands, the same hands that had just moments before choked the life out of a human being. Killing was a conflicted subject with him, but only under certain circumstances. Normally he'd question his motives. He would have to hesitate and insure that he kept himself in check. That morning, there was no hesitation.

Liliya had to wait before she could respond, since she couldn't seem to catch her breath just yet. When the bandits fist had connected with her ribs, he managed to hit the exact spot where they had been broken. As far as she could tell there was no more damage done, but the pain which she had just managed to get under control was now about ten times worse.

"It was not up to you whether they should have lived or died." She choked, her breathing ragged and strained. But she was right. Alexandre had no right to kill those men, even if it had saved her life. She was the one being assaulted, not him. Liliya didn't need a rescuer, a savior, and she sure as hell didn't need help from him. It frustrated her that he was treating her like she was weak, helpless.

Liliya shifted her body so she could sit up her legs folded underneath her. She was leaning forward, most of her weight on her arms. Her eyes were closed and she tried to force the pain to the back of her mind where she could ignore it, but to say it was difficult to do so would be an understatement. It was co start and unrelenting. Every breath, every twitch sent shocks of agony through her whole body.

Anger flared in the monster's eyes. He had just spent the early morning hours tracking prey to feed the young woman, and had saved her life a second time, evidenced by the damage she had sustained by their hands. Alexandre had never expected any kindness from Liliya, but a little gratitude wouldn't kill her, considering her state at the moment. Secretly he wondered if she would survive a second attack.

At that point, all he could do was guess. Pushing himself quickly to his feet with hands still shaking from the encounter, Lex stalked toward the mouth of the cave to fetch the bow, quiver, and kill. The carcass he dragged back toward the fire, depositing it on the side opposite of Liliya, then thrust her quiver and bow toward her.

"Then whose decision was it? Hmm? Theirs? They decided their fate the moment they attacked you. Or was it your decision whether they killed you or you killed them, is that it? Did I somehow rob you of that choice? Should I go find you some more rapists so that you can be free to make that choice?" Lex was fuming, and every word he spoke only served to stoke the flames of his frustration. All he had done was tried to help her, to show her that not everyone in the world is an unfeeling rock on which others could wipe their dung-covered heels. What reason... what right did she have to scold him for coming to her aid. In his mind, Liliya had to know that she stood little chance of surviving without his intervention.

Grabbing the doe by the throat, he pulled it toward the wall and plopped down on the floor so that his back was between Liliya and the freshly killed deer. It wouldn't do her any good to watch him slaughter it, though he doubted she had any qualms regarding the act. His words poured out again as he proceeded to break down the meat to get it ready for roasting. "They deserved everything they received, and worse. Men like that aren't men. They're cowards and scum, fit only to clean chamber pots. Their tongues are loose and easily bought; only a few coins would be needed to buy them. Then both our enemies would have our exact locations, and we'd have soldiers and sorcerers on our heels from here to kingdom come."

Liliya's face turned a bright red, and her anger numbed some of the pain. Her hands clenched into ritightght fists around her bow, the force almost enough to break it. Did be really think her so weak that she needed his help? Did Alexandre really think that lowly of her? Fury threatened to overtake her, but she still had a thin grasp on patience, but it was slowly waning.

"Let them come, then! I am not afraid of what comes for me. Do you honestly think those that want us don't already know where we are? Are you that thick? Your doctor was here not that long ago, and even if he wasn't truly here, do you think him that stupid? All it would take is knowledge of you and where you've been, where you might go, to figure out where you are. Oleksy is the best tracker in this hemisphere, do you think him incapable of tracking me down no matter how careful I am? Neither would waste coin on small minded low lives."

The longer she spoke, the louder her words became, until she was nearly shouting at him. The effort it took to speak, let alone take large enough breaths to get the words out was not helping in ease the mind numbing pain sweeping through her. "It was not my choice whether they lived or died and I'm not saying that I don't appreciate it. But I am not a damsel, I don't need rescuing, and I never asked for your damned help. Not once. You think you're so much better than me, more humane because of the profession I chose, but you barely hesitated before tearing them apart. You're no better than me, Alexandre, so don't you dare speak to me like that again."

Liliya was on her feet by the time she had finished speaking, her jade eyes narrowed in fury. She was not a child any longer, and she refused to just stand there while the monster spoke to her that way.

While Alexandre could see some of what she was saying as truth, it did not change his mind. Her anger burned like fire; Lex enjoyed playing with fire in his youth. The dagger he was using to tear into the deer's flesh stopped moving, blood dripping from the tip of the blade. Rage was building within him at a dangerous pace. His hands shook uncontrollably. What right did she have to speak to him that way? He'd just saved her life for a second time! Societal standards decreed that her life was his after that, though he had chosen to ignore them up to that point. This was the way he was shown gratitude for helping someone. 'God I am a such a fool. This is the thanks I get for being kind...'

Anger drove him to stand, bloody knife still in hand. His eyes burned with fury as he stalked rapidly toward Liliya. Lex's posture would have appeared to be very aggressive, with his shoulders hunched slightly forward and his pace heavy and deliberate. Saliva flew from his lips as he roared back at her, matching her volume with a deep baritone that flung itself into the morning air like a lion's trumpet.

"And if I hadn't intervened you'd be a lifeless heap on the ground, naked and raped of everything you had left. No one would have even had the decency to BURY YOU!" When finally he had reached her, he grabbed her by the wrist she had not injured, a coincidence to be sure, and held it tightly. "I NEVER claimed to be better than you! All i've done since yesterday is try to be nice to you, to help you until you recovered, and never ONCE did I hold that over your head! Not ONCE!" He squeezed Liliya's arm tightly, but not enough to do any damage. He wanted to break it, to hear her bones snap like twigs under his feet. That much was evident in his eyes. Only the last bit of humanity left in him held back his strength. Angrily he thrust the limb away.

"You're right," he said, his tone hushed but furious. "I had no problem killing them. They were scum. But I don't hunt people just to line my purse. You might have a heartbeat, but you are no more a human being than I. But no need to worry, this is a problem we can rectify." With a final angry glare, Alexandre took a step past her, his heading: the cave opening. He needed nor wanted any more to do with the hunter who'd stalked him, tried to assassinate him, and to have the audacity to slap him in the face for trying to help her.

So much for humanity.