PREY

☽ SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER ☾

Falla was nervous. She'd been nervous ever since her sister Vita passed the rumor on to her. Rosadis was going to ask her to share a cup of wine. She'd known Ros since they were both kids, prancing about the woods and playing with all the other satyrs. He had always been a bit obnoxious to her when they were young but over the last couple years he had gotten... mature. His horns had come in with fine curls, his face sported a smooth goatee of amber, and his body was filling out with muscle. He was handsome. Falla wasn't afraid to admit that her childhood friend was growing up to be rather pretty to look at, several of the boys were to be honest. But Ros was always the loudest as a kid, and now that he was becoming a man that was translating into a kind of charisma that kept her eye turning to him as he made the rounds with the other boys.

It wasn't anything. Really it wasn't, she just thought he was nice to peek at on occasion as she went about her work. Falla was a weaver for the clan and she worked hard to make sure they had what they needed. It wasn't a very important or difficult job, Fia was always keen to note that, but it did give her time to watch others and day dream, just a little bit. She had grown more aware of the boys of late, but it didn't mean anything! She may have smiled at Ros more often than before and sometimes he said something that just set her giggling. He was funny but it wasn't anything new! Surely it wasn't! Then Fia, that damn troublemaker, told her that she heard the boys talking. That Ros wanted to ask her out for a cup of wine. HER! And.... and it probably still wasn't anything. Differently not anything.

After all, he wasn't asking her to be his mate. He wasn't professing love to her. He just was asking her for a cup of wine. But Falla had heard that phrase all her life. When her parents wanted a bit of private time they would 'step out for a cup of wine' together. It was something everyone in the grove knew... it meant something. Which didn't mean that it wasn't anything. Which set Falla's mind teetering around all manner of ideas and gave Fia the smug satisfaction of seeing Falla panic between terror and joy. So... when Ros caught her alone a couple days later and ask if she'd share a cup with him, she had been thinking about saying no to tell the truth. Rosadis was still the obnoxious boy trying to be the loudest after all. But when he asked her... he smiled a little grin at her and tried to look taller but she could see he was nervous too. She had every intention of saying no.

But he was cute and she said yes. She didn't even realize she said yes until she was walking away from him and her sister ambushed her around a tree grinning ear to ear. Gods that had been embarrassing. She had said yes, they had planned to walk the woods together... alone... and share a cup. Falla had never been with a boy before. Not like that. Satyrs were known for their lusty nature and it wasn't as if Falla didn't have urges or know what all was involved but she hadn't personally done... it. Her sister Fia said it wasn't anything special but Falla suspected she was just as in the dark about the subject and just pretending to know. Falla was nervous. Vita helped her apply some paint to her face and lips to look prettier and the whole time the young satryss thought she might vomit all over her sister. She kept thinking she should call the whole thing off, then she'd spy Ros with the other boys and feel her heart skip a beat.

So then he walked up to her and held out her hand. She took it and they left the grove. Together. Alone. To share a cup. Which didn't mean anything. Really.

Falla was quiet. She was never as talkative as her sister but even just for herself she was quiet. She worried she would say something that would ruin the mood, or something that would speed things up, or that she would make herself look like an idiot and Ros would leave. She wasn't sure which she was more scared of. Away from the eyes of the other boys Ros seemed nervous too, his cocky grin turning into a more genuine smile. Falla noted his hand was sweaty, she told him so and she thought his face would catch fire with how red it got. That made her laugh and after that things seemed simpler even if they were awkward. They were going to share a cup, maybe it would be more or maybe it wouldn't. But she wasn't some young virgin being seduced... well she was, but so was Ros. That made her feel better, not perfectly fine but better. They found a nice shaded area and sat down together.

Rosadis had a pouch with fruit and he fed it to her. The touch of his fingers lightly grazing her lips just as the last of the fruit entered her mouth. It was.... exciting. She felt it in her stomach and soon the heat and smell of Ros was filling her head. She leaned into him and he put an arm around her. Where their skin met was like fire to her soul. She leaned forward and he matched her, their lips together. Suddenly it was all need and want and she couldn't really say exactly who was doing more or less. His hands were on her and while he wasn't skillful she wanted everything he offered. It was... it was wonderful in way.

Where his hands moved her body instinctively reacted. His hand brushed her stomach and her hips rolled to prolong the contact, all without her permission. Ros breath was hot and sweet with the smell of the fruits they had been eating. But when he pressed against her and she felt... well she felt more of him than she was ready for, she held his face in her hands and kissed him harder. She wanted his touch but just as much she wanted to try and distract him with kissing. Maybe if they kissed a bit longer she could find a way to back out of going farther. Her body screamed at her to let go but her mind was spiraling in a mix of pleasure and total panic at the idea of taking that last step with Ros. He seemed eager to kiss more and it distracted him for a time but eventually he leaned toward her ear and breathed against her skin, pulling a low moan from her lips, before whispering that he wanted her. Falla felt like her heart was going to stop or that she might cry, her feelings were all mixed up but she knew she wanted to stop. She liked Ros. She might have wanted to go farther someday, a bit of her even wanted to do so now, but she wasn't ready. She feared telling him so and frustrating him that he just left her.

All these thoughts were swimming in her head as she ran her fingers into Ros' hair with tenderness even as she screwed her eyes shut to keep from crying. Ros' hand ran up her thigh, moving through the fur of her lower leg and onto the cream colored skin of her waist.

Then it was terrible.

Shouting. Gods Rosadis heard it before she did as he pulled his head back from her neck where he had been kissing her. Fear crossed his face and for a second she wanted to tell him he was doing fine and reassure him, they could try again another time and she wouldn't mind, then she registered it as well. The calls, the shouting, then the loud thunk of an arrow planting itself into the tree closest to them. There was a line of thin rope tied to the end of the arrow. Hunters. Human hunters. Instinct took over next as Ros and her quickly gathered themselves and started to weave between the trees. Yet they were already surrounded. Humans with axes and swords stepped out from behind trees. Falla thought she might be able to pass them if she was fast enough but Rosadis stopped her as he put a protective arm between her and the men. As the hunters neared them Ros did something rash. He picked up a rock as big as his whole palm and threw it at one of the men.

The man covered up his head and then Ros and Falla were past him, her hand held tightly in Ros'. He was dragging her behind him and she hadn't expected the pull so she stumbled a bit, but still she worked to keep up. They hadn't gotten far at all when an arrow struck Falla in the leg, the pain was awful and she tumbled to the ground. Rosadis stopped and wrapped his arms around her, he looked ready to try and pick her up but before he could the men were surrounding them again. They were going to be caught, to be cut up and their antlers sold to some human noble. She knew the stories told... all satyr did. One of the humans walked forward with a wicked grin and Falla felt tears starting to roll down her cheeks.

Then 'something' stepped out of the wood.

It looked like a satyr, in a general sense. A mix of man and goat... It had hooves and fur on its legs, horns on its head, long arms and the upper body of a man. Yet none of it looked right. To put this thing next to a satyr like Rosadis it would be hard for anyone to claim they were the same species. This beast's skin had a grey color to it while its fur was black and wet looking. Its two horns were long and twisted in angles that seemed impossible to have naturally grown. It wore clean clothes and a shawl of red that reminded Falla of one of Elder Gran's old dresses, and carried a wooden staff as black as night. Its eyes seemed to glow a faint yellow and at a glance looked like actual goat eyes. The pupil long and horizontal... looking at the thing Falla wasn't sure what to feel. She was already scared and seeing this thing left her stunned.

Then came a feeling she had never known before. It was sharp and shattering yet unlike anything she could describe. On instinct she grabbed her head as she hunched over. Her eyes shut tight and the world was nothing but white.