The Zeal Of A Thousand Souls...

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Delam did not relax as she did. The beasts had been scared away for the moment, but he knew they would linger. The great wolves were savage monstrosities lacking in the nobler traits of their off-world kin. The creatures that survived here were the worst of their ilk - it was the only way they could survive in the unforgiving forests. This strain was particularly intelligent, and Delam had reason to believe they would return for revenge, if not for the sake of food. He and Vaela would make for a nice dinner, after all, and they had slaughtered the beasts' packmates.

His body ached from the bloody gashes gifted to him by the animals' talons, and now the shower of shrapnel that had fallen over him. He'd stood rigid over Vaela as the speeder was ripped apart by catatonic forces and paid for it. Bits of molten metal flecked against his skin and found embedded themselves within his torso. He'd wasted no time in tearing them out - charring his fingers as he did so.

When all was quiet save for the low crackle of the flames, he turned toward the river. He watched Vaela as she went searching through her pack, his eyes narrowed as he tried to ascertain her thoughts. He had saved her for two particular reasons: he had no idea how to get to the town on foot safely, and he would need her to keep watch while he slept.

That was, of course, if she did not shoot him in his slumber.

"A sound plan," he agreed, his tone rising with irritation as she spoke so casually of his would-be murder, "Charming choice of words."

When she had finished, he took to cleansing himself of the gore and vitae. It was all he could do to wipe the sticky crimson fluid from his face - it would never come out of the jacket. Accepting this, Delam pushed up to his feet and gave Vaela a once over.

She was everything his people were not.

"I don't think I would be entirely keen on driving you up the loading ramp myself, assassin." His words were barbed and venomous. He would not forgive her ill-fated mission so easily.

With a sigh, Delam slipped his rifle over his shoulder and turned toward the forest that seemed to lead up out of the ravine. This was going to be unpleasant.

"We'll need to find a place to bed down for the night," he nodded toward her and stepped off toward the treeline, "Come."

[member="Vaela Saboe"]

 

[Vaela Saboe]

Vaela kept her eyes on the treeline whilst Delam cleaned up. As far as she could see in the dim glow from the fire, the wolves had retreated. She knew it wouldn't be long before they realised the fire was localised and could easily swarm the pair without being scathed by the flames. If they left the fire, the wolves would come.

By Vaela's foot lay a stray branch. The tall grass felt dry enough to catch alight, so she pulled some from the soil and wrapped it around one end of the branch. Then she held the branch to the fire - the makeshift torch caught alight, but it wouldn't last very long, though it would buy them some time against the wolves should any make a dash for the pair.

"We'll need to find a place to bed down for the night," Delam nodded toward her and stepped off toward the treeline, "Come."

Vaela smiled back at him sarcastically.

'You don't say?' she murmured as she stepped to his side.

They needed to find a tree that could offer them some kind of comfort as they waited out the night. Most of the trees around these parts were oaks - tall, old with high branches. As they made their way into the dark forest she hoped they would find one suitable quickly.

Paranoia filled her with every crack of a stick and every fleeting shadow. Her eyes darted from tree to tree, searching for any low branches that they could make their way up from. For now, the wolves hadn't made another appearance but Vaela felt like she was being watched.

After what felt like an eternity, a large, gnarled oak loomed into view. In the dimming light of the torch, she could see that the branches above were thick, and judging by the gnarly bark, the tree was old which meant it probably had grown high enough to evade the wolves.

'Let's try this one,' she suggested.

As they drew closer, Vaela noticed she was definitely not tall enough to reach the lowest branch, but Delam would have no trouble.

'You're gonna need to boost me up, big guy,' she said to him, an amused smile forming on her lips.

A low growl rumbled several feet to her left. Twigs began to snap.

In one quick movement, she flung the lit torch in the general direction of the noises, and slid between Delam and the oak.

'Lift me up,' she said, panic rising in her voice.

Once she was up in the relative safety of the tree, she would be able to provide covering fire whilst Delam made his way up. Or not.

She debated leaving him at the foot of the tree. But when it came down to it, she didn't quite fancy listening to the helpless wails of the man as he was slowly devoured by the wolves all night. No, she would bide her time.

'Quickly!'

[member="Delam Mairev"]

 

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The various wounds marring Delam's form were beginning to take their toll. Dribbles of crimson dripped down his arms and fell in thick red droplets from his fingertips. Faint pain shook through his body with every step. The simple motion of lifting Vaela's fairly light form was enough to make him grumble a string of curses under his breath. He hoisted the blond up into the tree with ease, but his arms felt as if they were screaming out in anguish.

"Trying," he growled, chancing a look over his shoulder at the beasts that hunted them. The fire was beginning to die, and the beasts seemed as if they had figured out it was no threat to them. Not for the first time this night, Delam cursed his bad luck.

Had it not been for Vaela's covering fire, the soldier would have been ripped apart by the monsters' terrible claws. They pawed and snapped at him, but every time they grew close, a stray blaster bolt would catch them somewhere in the face.

Still, Delam knew he only had a few moments to scramble up the tree before they managed to grab him.

White-knuckled hands pulled desperately at stray branches and bits of broken bark. After a few moments of struggling he managed to find purchase around one of the thicker branches near the bottom of the tree. Praising whatever gods there might have been, Delam hoisted himself up into the tree, pulling up on one of the higher branches a moment later and dragging himself into the safety of the canopy alongside Vaela.

"That could have been worse," he sighed, chest rising and falling violently. Green eyes shifted meet Vaela's own. "You alright?"

[member="Vaela Saboe"]

 

[Vaela Saboe]

With help from Delam, Vaela managed to scramble up onto the branch. The ones above were easily reachable, so she climbed higher to make way for Delam. She drew her pistol and fired at the wolves which were now mere shadows in the dying firelight. She could hear their jaws snapping, and their welps as some of the blaster shots burned through their flesh.

With Vaela's cover fire, Delam had managed to pull himself up onto the lower branch. The beasts snapped their teeth and scratched at the bark with their sharp claws, desperately trying to reach him. Soon enough, the beasts realised that they had been defeated and resorted to growling and pacing the trunk in frustration.

Vaela sighed in relief as Delam joined her on the branch. She could smell the blood on his skin and felt his heavy breath on her face.

"That could have been worse," he sighed. His eyes glistened in the darkness. "You alright?"

He cared if she was hurt? Her mind whirled for a moment.

'I'm fine,' Vaela said, a little more snappy than she had intended. She shoved the blaster back into the elastic of her trousers and looked up into the branches.

The oak went higher still, with huge thick branches spurting from its trunk.

'Let's get higher,' she muttered.

She hoisted herself up onto the branch above her, and began to climb. After several branches, she settled on one that was wider than the rest. The leaves at the end of the branches above and below opened up to the night forming a large window - perfect for scouting at dawn. For now, the land was illuminated in moonlight. Vaela edged closer to the tip of the branch, captivated by the serenity of the view. She could see the lake beyond the treeline, shimmering softly, and countless stars twinkling above. Occasionally, the distant lights of ships streaked across the sky. She frowned as she thought about how messed up this job was; she could have been on one of those ships in a couple of days tops, flying somewhere faraway to enjoy her pay.

Vaela sighed and turned back to Delam. She could see him a little better in the moonlight - streams of blood flowed down his arms from his wounds and his face was covered in sweat. She stood for a brief moment, watching his face wince as he gathered himself.

Again, he had ensured her survival - this time by lifting her onto the branch, and not leaving her as dinner for the beasts. He had even asked if she was okay. She puzzled over the fact that Delam was more than able to fight his way through this forest and find his way back to civilisation, without her help. Vaela's mind wandered back to something that he had asked when she had recovered consciousness - who had hired her and how much had they paid.

Did he intend to use her as bait for the mysterious person that had hired her? Indeed, if he were clever enough, he would be able to intercept whoever delivered the cash to the locker on Nar Shaddaa upon job completion.

Vaela felt her assumption could be a viable possibility. And it would certainly provide her several easy chances to finish the job. Or escape. Or barter with...should her charm fail...but that was highly unlikely.

She sighed and began to untie the knot she had made in the green sundress. She then began to rip the fabric into long shreds until the dress hung as a loose tank top.

'Here,' she said softly, edging closer to Delam. 'Wrap them around your arms, you're bleeding.'

Vaela turned, and carefully set herself down at the tip of the branch. In the moonlight, she examined the tenderness of her stomach - a shadowy bruise had formed; it looked and felt nasty, but she had had worse. Her fingers traced the soft outline of a scar on her abdomen.

'Ugh,' she huffed; her head throbbed, her stomach hurt, she was tired, potentially 40,000 credits poorer, wolves had tried to devour her, and she was going to have to sleep in a tree. Frustration at her failure washed over her.

'So how about a truce,' she said, looking up at Delam. 'I promise not to kill you, you promise not to kill me - we both get out of here alive and go on our merry way? Granted we'll both be looking over our shoulders for the foreseeable future - somebody obviously meant business if they hired me, to kill you. You'll have a large bounty on that handsome head of yours, and I expect there will be a bounty for me too since I've basically stolen forty grand. You should have just let me kill you.'

Vaela shook her head playfully, a slight twinkle of humour in her eyes.

[member="Delam Mairev"]

 

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Delam was tired. Drained to the point of exhaustion, the assassin's words had barely registered. He Lazy green eyes shifted to take in the woman. Her countenance was unreadable - perhaps she was confused? She spoke of a truce. Delam lofted a brow, though his hand continued to rest on the butt of his rifle. In truth, he did not fear the woman. Come the morrow, that might be a different story, but for now he was rather sure she would leave him be. he kept his weapon close because of the wolves. High up though they may be, the monsters were cunning predators. He would not put it past the creatures to find some sort of way to wretch the two humans from their perch.

"Thanks," he mumbled quietly as she passed him the strips of her dress. That was needlessly kind of her - she must have been trying to even the score for his earlier antics. Biting back a curse, Delam did his best to clean out the wounds - he really couldn't do much at the moment - and tied the emerald strips about the deeper wounds on his forearms.

At the very least, he wasn't going to be bleeding out in his sleep.

"I'll take your truce, though I'm rather sure you're going to shoot me in the back once we're through." He stated plainly, his gaze falling to the prowling beasts below. They moved in slow circles around the tree, though Delam expected they would leave with the light of dawn.

The wolves were, after all, nocturnal beasts. He'd never seen one active during daylight hours.

"The bounty would be worthless if I wasn't a challenge, would it?" He asked quietly, green eyes boring into Vaela's own. He'd managed to wipe some of the sweat and grime from his face with an old rag he'd carried in his jacket, and now he just looked tired. Dried blood caked his limbs and lower neck, but that could be done away with later.

"Though you've shown me you're not without morals. You haven't tried to kill me again yet," he added, his tone lightening, "No clue why the bounty is there however."

He paused, cracking a thin smile that might have been fake as he gazed up at the stars. Vaela had almost done him in. It was by sheer luck that he'd managed to crawl away from the wreckage alive.

"I could let you kill me now, if that helped ease your mind," he shot back, a hint of challenge in his voice, though it was not at all malignant, "The wolves are nocturnal. We should be safe come morning - you can try to shoot me then."

Another pause.

"Are you flirting with me right now?" The last comment was spoken with an air of disbelief. To be frank, Delam couldn't wrap his head around such flirtations given their current situation.


[member="Vaela Saboe"]

 

[Vaela Saboe]

Vaela sat in silence twirling a piece of loose bark between her fingers as Delam spoke. It was at his last sentence, that she scoffed and shook her head dismissively.

'Oh please,' she said. 'I call you handsome one time and you think I'm flirting.' She narrowed her eyes at him.

Indeed her actions and choice of words were deemed as flirting by most, but that was a habit which greatly enhanced her career and success. In effect, it had now become a natural part of her personality during all interactions, but to her, flirting with true feelings behind them were rare. And once she had discovered true feelings for someone, they would soon be buried, never to surface. In turn, non work related feelings would spark various defense mechanisms to kick in. Most of her interactions were during work, or for personal gain, and several years experience had enabled her to become relatively numb. Only once had she shown weakness. And that memory was not something her mind thought about often without filling her heart with unbearable pain.

'It's my job,' she continued. 'To make weak men fall in love with me so that I can spy on their operations, or kill them in their sleep.'

A smirk formed on her lips.

'I hope you're a heavy sleeper. I don't quite fancy being flung out of this tree if I do decide to off you during the night.'

She rolled her eyes, and arched her chest towards Delam as she stretched her arms. It was just too easy. She liked the idea of his mind trying to decipher her every word and every move as flirting or harmless. The web was always intricate, and she knew that his uncertainty would play on his mind like any other man, thus her hooks would sink deeper. It would make this trip a whole lot more interesting, and up her chances of escaping. As ever, the internal debate of whether or not to actually kill Delam, raged on in the background of her thoughts.

'I'm too tired to kill you anyways,' Vaela chuckled. 'Rolling down a ravine and being attacked by wolves has certainly impaired my reflexes and cognitive function.' She yawned and considered her next move in silence. After a moment, she carefully slid across the bark to better hang her backpack on a thin branch jutting out from the trunk. Her move bought her closer to Delam.

'I've been an easy target for you however,' her tone became more serious as genuine curiosity drove her forward. Her eyes bore deeply into Delam's. 'You could have left me tied, to be eaten by wolves, or shot me any time, and what's to say you won't kill me in my sleep?'

She paused.

'I tried to kill you. Why haven't you killed me?'

Another pause. And this time new tone took hold of her voice - intoxicating like it had been in the speeder.

'Would you like it if I were flirting with you, Delam?' She leaned a little closer to him. In the brief intimate moment, little inkling's of feelings began to sprout inside of her - much like she had felt when he had untied her and stopped the wolf from ripping her apart. Admiration for his heroic nature, longing for his eternal protection, and a desire for his strong body, began to surface. She hoped her eyes didn't give her away.

Denial kicked in and began to replace the feelings as quickly as they had surfaced. She burst into a fit of laughter as she watched his face deciphering her intentions.

'Sorry, sorry,' she apologised between giggles. Vaela scooted backwards to resume her spot in the middle of the branch. 'I couldn't help myself.'

She frowned. 'But truthfully, why haven't you killed me yet? I do have one or two reasons why you shouldn't though, in case you were considering it.'

Again, her eyes bore into Delam's.

[member="Delam Mairev"]

 

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Delam drew in a deep breath and turned his attention to the forest below. Not once did his gaze explore Vaela's visage - her attempts at coercion were met with a wall of perceived disinterest. The soldier was no weak man, and women had never had any particular strength over him than any man would. He acknowledged Vaela's beauty in the way one might look at a poisonous flower: pretty, but far too dangerous to ever consider getting near. When she'd finished with her little show and drawn close to him, he finally looked up at her, green eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"Your job sounds tiring. I prefer to meet my opponent in open combat. Things are simpler that way," he replied dryly as he pulled at the makeshift bandages about his arms. The bleeding had stopped, or so it seemed, and he needed to make sure the flimsy fabric of the sundress wasn't going to simply crumble away after a particular amount of time.

Why haven't you killed me?

A question with actual weight. It was true - Delam had considered wringing her skinny little neck more than once tonight. It would be a simple thing, to wrap his hands around her windpipe and squeeze until the bones gave out in his iron grip. Such a death was a dreadfully intimate one; one that Delam would have reserved for a hated enemy. Vaela had tried to kill him, and he held her in a certain disdain for doing so, but he did not hate the woman. In truth, for the moment, he found her useful with the wolves, and he still very much intended to track down those who had chosen to place a bounty on his head.

Vaela was necessary to that end.

"I don't enjoy operating alone, and I'm confident I could stop you if you attempted something again," he explained, "My rifle would make a mess of you anyway. The mass accelerated rounds would render your body unrecognizable. I see no reason to give you such a grisly end for trying to do your job."

He paused as she attempted to prod at him again. She wore playful smiles and honeyed words in the way he did his rifle and vibroknife. He knew the game she was playing, and would not be so easily strewn about.

"I-" he paused as she apologized. His brow furrowed. "You enjoy your teasing, don't you?"

[member="Vaela Saboe"]

 

[Vaela Saboe]

The man would be a tough one to crack in those regards, but for Vaela, it made the challenge even more attractive. Life and everything it entailed was but a mere game to her, yet as she had almost lost her life several times that evening, she felt like her new lease of life might be made more enjoyable if she allowed genuine friendships and encounters. She assured herself that the inclination wouldn't last long; after sleep, and whatever damage her head wound had caused had healed, she would more than likely go back to her self serving ways.

'Perhaps,' she chuckled. 'Although I doubt there is any need for it now that you know my secrets.' Let him think it won't work on him any more - just another tactic. But slowly she would begin to knock down his walls for her enjoyment.

'I prefer to work alone,' she continued. 'But I need those big muscles of yours to get me out of this mess while my head is still foggy. And I know you need me alive to help you figure out who put the hit on you. So I guess, we are stuck with each other.'

Vaela looked down at the man's hand that rested on his rifle.

'It would be a terrible way to go, I'm sure.' her smile faded. 'But I have had to sleep next to men who were much more terrifying than you, and had to end their lives in ways that would make even your tough skin crawl. Just keep that in mind whilst you sleep with one eye open tonight.'

With a wink, Vaela carefully turned to lay on her stomach. She used one arm as a pillow, and the other hung freely over the wide branch. It hadn't been the first time that a tree had been her bed for the night, but all the same, she hoped she wouldn't roll off the edge in her slumber. She had a feeling that her sleep would be light given the uncertainty of the situation. Silence ensued for a long time - the only sounds were the faint grumbling of the wolves below and the man's breath. Was he sleeping? In Vaela's half conscious state, words came, innocent, and soft in the night. She wasn't sure she had even said them -

'Thank you. Thank you for saving me.'

[member="Delam Mairev"]

 

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She spoke the truth.

He watched her with a narrowed eye as she spoke of secrets and the need for her to live through this ordeal. It was true - Delam did need to learn the identity of his would-be killer's employer, but part of him felt he could find that information on his own well enough. While not a man of particular wealth, he did have his resources, be they old friends or those that owed him favors.

He drew into himself as he became sure that she slept. His thoughts drifted off to what-ifs and other possible futures. He could not remain on Zenith Prime. The people here were hardy and independent, but they served another purpose. He would find his time in the old village to relax, and then he would take to the stars once again. The Imperator's hand was upon his shoulder now. The great lord had delivered him from death at the hands of these monstrous beasts, and then done the same when it came to Vaela. The speeder crash really should have killed him, yet he still drew breath.

A soft voice like a chime on a windy day pulled him from his thoughts. He looked down to Vaela's visage and pursed his lips as he fought to formulate a reply. It was such a contrast to her previous behavior - he had no idea how to take it.

"Of course," he grunted, cradling his rifle close to his chest and turning his attentions back to the world below. Better he ignore the girl now, better that he did not allow himself to see her in any other light than a possible adversary.

As darkness swallowed up the world, consciousness left him. Delam fell into a restless slumber, his head resting against the old oak.

He awoke to the dawn's earliest light. Groggily, he raised a hand to rub the tiredness out of his eye and looked down. The wolves seemed to be gone. He adjusted his cybernetic senses to enhance his hearing, vision, and sense of smell. The sensation was uncomfortable to say the least, but it allowed him to see without his eyes.

After a moment's examination, he found them to be alone in the light of the morning sun.

"Vaela," he whispered, "The beasts are gone." He reached for his pack and retrieved a protein bar from its depths. He chewed thoughtfully as he mentally mapped their route and offered one of the bars the erstwhile companion.

"You should eat. We've a ways to go."

[member="Vaela Saboe"]