Testing the waters-19

I nervously put my hand over my heart as the suspense was still tense within the air. I scratched my arms aching to have a cigarette but to no avail.

The unfamiliar male spoke up, his tail lashed out impatiently.

"So we just gonna stand here in a awkward manner or are we going to fight it out? Personally I prefer fighting it out, but to each his own." The male stepped forward, a cold smile graced his lips as he looked at Roy.

Roy let out a frustrating growl to which the male responded in one of his own, the growl much lower and threatening.

"So, you lied about me attacking you. To cover your own flank, why don't you tell her the truth."

"It is the truth your to ashamed to admit in front of your spouse that you took on a male with his back turned." He spat, the stranger scoffed and tilted his head coldly.

"That's not how I saw it, you were stalking him into the forest were you not. He was gathering wood when you pounced on him."

Roy's face snapped toward the male, a dark glare appeared on his features.

The male just flicked his tail and picked up the bags that Roy dropped when he got slapped.

He cracked is back and handed the bags to Will before glaring at Roy again.

"If you follow us, expect more than a blind eye next time." He hissed coldly, he motioned Will to move, Will glanced at him before nodding.

Will moved me out beside him, holding me by the waist gently but his face he was fuming.

I didn't notice it before but he was covered in mud, so was Roy…

I looked back at where Roy had been, he was now gone. A uneasy feeling rested in my stomach, I glanced at the new male.

His face was stuck in though, his lips weren't too big and not to small his nose was perfect.

I sighed, our eyes made eye contact.

He narrowed his eyes in a gentle manner but behind those eyes was a person who didn't trust with any ounce of his soul.

I adverted my gaze and continued on the way Will was leading us.

•8 Hours of walking passes•

The stranger male was now carrying the back pack, while I was riding on Will's. We bickered a bit about whether or not I should since he was wounded but, he retorted that he had stopped bleeding hours ago.

I eventually gave up and hugged his neck as he carried me, we arrived to a huge oak tree in the middle of the thick brush.

There wasn't much mud around the tree, a few leaves scattered about here and there.

Will examined the area before gently slipping me off his back.

"This should be a good place." He muttered, grabbing the bag from the unnamed male. He got out my pelts and settled them between two of the huge roots.

I helped as the two males gathered firewood and started a small fire, which I was surprised happened on the account of it had rain the previous night. The sun had began to die down, as Will had came back from deeper in the woods when he returned he was clean from blood and dirt he came over and handed me water in what looked like a giant leaf.

I drank the water in gulps before handing it back to Will who drunk a bit before handing it to the male who sat by the open flames.

"So, where are you two lovely people heading." He said setting aside the water, looking at us with plain curiosity.

"Deer Tribe." Will replied digging around in the bag trying to find something but sighed unable to find anything, my stomach clinched in slight pain as hunger started to set in but I bit my tongue not wanting to put stress on Will.

My eyes caught the wounds in his chest, I bit my lip and thought to myself.

"You never stated your name…" Will said as he burned the end of a stick in the fire.

"Well you never exactly stated yours either, bear." The male said looking at the stick before looking back up at Will.

"Is it not curtesy to give a name when someone ask for it?" Will said looking at the male his eyes displayed a untrusting tension.

"I never claimed to be 'proper' give your names and I may consider telling you returning my name." He said crossing his arms a small grin applied to his face.

"As you wish…" Will took out the stick and flicked off the charred end of it on a clean leaf before placing back into the fire.

"I am Will and this is my spouse Maria."

The word spouse, made my heart skip. I smiled warmly, before getting up off the ground to go sit on my pelts.

"Hm." The males eyes met mine for a split second before he looked back into the flames.

"I suppose that's suitable enough, Seb is what most call me but I don't care what you decide to call me." He said leaning back on his arms.

Will grunted in response before another thought crossed his mind.

"Why did you help us?" He said glaring up at Seb.

"Well… I have seen you wandering around this forest for a while now. That lion…" his eyebrows furrowed for a split moment before he shook his head in disgust.

"Anyway, I suppose you could say I just like lending a helping hand to those who need it, yes?"

"Hmph." Will glanced at him before going about his business.

"So, you two are heading to the Deer Tribe yes?"

"Yeah." Will said blandly, I yawned grabbing one of the pelts and wrapping it around me.

"Well I'm heading to a mixed Tribe just before you get to the Deer Tribe, you wouldn't mind if I tagged along now would you?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"If your going to try any funny business. I don't care if you pursue Maria, but do not harass her." I almost died out of embarrassment, why in the world Will would have brought something up like this I had no idea but he did and now I was in shock.

"W-Will!" I squeaked

"Oh?" Seb smiled and looked over in my direction.

"I wouldn't dare test you, Will was it? But who knows I may take you up on that offer."

"What offer?" Will said in a confused tone, my mouth hung open as I listened to their conversation.

Seb just laughed and shrugged to himself as I was dumbfounded at the whole ordeal.

After a long silence Will got up and came over, the leaf with the charred stick ends in tow.

He plopped down in front of me and the looked like he realized something, and he looked over his should.

"Seb, can you get me the water leaf?" He said Seb looked up from the fire and nodded.

"Sure thing."

He picked it up and tossed it over the fire, I was expecting it to hit me straight in the face but Will caught it and poured some water into his charcoal leaf hold before putting the water down.

I watched as he took a stick, and opened the leaf mixing the charred stick and the water into each other creating a paste.

"What are you doing?" I asked in question wondering why he was doing such a thing.

He looked up and smiled a shy smile.

"I'm making blackened wound serum." He said as he poured more water into the paste making it softer not so clumpy.

"Oh, so are you going to put it on your wounds?" I said my eyes moving the the slashes in his chest.

"Yeah…If I had some basil leaves it would be more helpful but this is good for now."

He said putting the stick off the pallet and he went to stick his fingers in the substance.

"H-here I can do it!" I said sitting on my knees, I don't know what made me do it but I figured I can be at least a little more gentle.

"I-it's f-fine I can." Wills face flushed as he looked me in the face but I shook my head.

"I got this."

I grabbed the leaf from him and looked at it.

"So I just put it on the wounds?" I asked, he nodded and sat up straight.

I put my fingers in the cold substance, and gently brought the to his chest.

He stiffened when my fingers touched the fist long gash.

"Sorry if it hurts…" I said softly, Will shook his head.

"It's fine just stings."

Seb butted in the conversation, with a remark.

"Means it's working."

I glanced at him, he had done made him a small bedding made out of leaves and brush.

I adverted my gaze and continued my work on Wills wounds.

His warmth on my fingers was comforting as the bracelet buzzed in comfort.

Once I was done I had a idea, I stood up.

Will went to follow me but I put my hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry I won't be long, stay here I got a idea."

"Where are you going?"

"Just a little into the woods,I'll be okay."

Will shook his head and tried to get up again.

"Will stop you need to let the paste dry."

"But there are beasts in the woods you don't need to go in there alone." Will said grabbing my hand.

"I'm sure Seb wouldn't mind accompanying me." I said grabbing his hands in mine.

"I'll be fine stay here and let the paste dry."

Will sighed in defeat, I turned around and looked over at Seb who was watching the ordeal with a amused face.

"You wouldn't mind would you?"

"Of course not, little doe." My eyes widened at the words coming from his mouth, 'little doe'. That was what Roy had called me not to long ago, on the first day I arrived in this world.

In my shook Seb got up and walked into the woods not phased at, I slightly slapped my cheeks and went in after him.

"Does it matter which direction we go?" He asked his tail flicking, I was stumbling around not being able to see.

"I-it doesn't matter." All of the sudden his foot steps went silent, in the darkness I could only see the silhouette of the male.

"Seb?"

"Hm?"

"W-What is it?" I whispered nervously and looked around thinking he had seen something. Sounds of crickets chirped around in the air.

"Oh nothing I just realized…"

All of a sudden his silhouette disappeared, my heart raced as I shakily looked around.

"You can't see can you?"

"EPP!"

His deep voice sounded in my ear, goosebumps ran up my spine making me shiver.

"Hahaha, I'm just messing with you." He chuckled grabbing my hand and started walking, his boldness made me nervous.

"Not funny!"

"Oh but it is!" He retorted with a snicker.

"Hmph!"

I let him lead me further into the woods.

"Oh by the way you never said what we are looking for, so we are just walking around blindly right now." Seb said, continuing on his merry way.

"Really! And you didn't think to tell me?" I asked frustrated, Seb just shrugged.

"I mean I figured sooner or later you would have told me."

I looked at him in annoyance.

"Sooner or later? So you were just going to walk all around and just wait until I told you."

"Pretty much, also you still haven't told me."

I heaved a sighed and looked up at the stars.

"We are looking for big leaves and a couple of vines."

"Ah, your gonna wrap his wounds up with that huh?"

"Yep! I'm hoping that it will keep dirt out of it at least." I said looking at his dark figure.

"Mm, well we gotta turn around then I suppose." He said and cracked his back when he came to a stop.

"Huh? Why?"

"We past a tree with some big leaves earlier, I think I saw some vines near it if I'm not mistaken."

I sighed as he went along and dragged me around.