To Be Found... The Return Of Fear

[Saasha]

His screams through the ravaged throat clawed at her ears even though they lay pinned tight to her head. Her tail lay straight to the grasses, limp and lifeless. Even though she couldn't see the body that arched and convulsed in pain as the soul was ripped from it, in her mind, she saw the event as clear as day. The only issue was that she was not seeing the body, the voice as Byron's. At this point, she was certain that this was taking as long for her as it was for him.

Finally, the body fell still for the final time as lifeless and blood streaming eyes stared into the cloudless sky and the final finger twitch stopped. It was over. He was gone- this time for good. Never again would she be poisoned by his tyrannus reign over her. She was free at last. But it was not the joyous occasion she had been hoping for.

She finally turned and began her slow pace to Tony's side, kneeling next to the corpse with a sorrowful solemness that was etched into every movement she made. Her hands gently closed the open staring eyes and trailed over the gashed throat, healing the both of them instantly. More than that, she gave a bit more of her new found power and healed the rest of the body as well. All the internal injuries, wounds, and cracked bones that her beloved ward had passed away with were healed... He was whole. No rotten pieces, no missing flesh, nothing was misplaced. He was perfect- just as he should have always been.

But all this she did behind closed eyes, not finding the will to look upon his face for a third time. Her duties done, she rose to a single knee, but found that she was unable to rise beyond that. In her heart, she knew what she should do. For her own sake she needed to, but if she followed through with it, she doubted she would be able to rise for some time after. She needed to see him whole.

[dmc89]

Daikus stood there for a moment before patting her on the back. "I'll wait for when you're ready." He slowly began walking back towards the manor.

[Saasha]

But the two were not alone in the gardens. As Tony would turn, he would be met by yet another figure standing not but a few feet from the pair. His hands rested casually in his pockets of his hoodie and his ice blue eyes- partially hidden by a fall of jet black bangs- gazed softly over the pair. The bottom of his ripped jeans fell clumsily over the tops of his combat boots and a few light chains adorned his wrists, cuffing the bottom of his leather gloves. He was young in appearance- certainly no older than twenty or so. His stoic features softened as he gazed upon the kneeling woman.

Passing Anthony, his spectral yet corporeal hand reached out and rested upon his shoulder. A single set of words he would hear within his mind. A set that only the pair would understand the meaning of. A grateful smile was passed to the other and he continued on to rest his feet just behind the wolfen- woman. Then, with the same gentleness that she had used with him in the past, he bent and reached around to cover her eyes and protect her from the sight she was not meant to remember.

The sudden touch, startled Saasha. But the instant the hand settled, she found herself being gently pulled from her knees and turned. And she allowed it. Partly out of the shock of disbelief, partly out of the old habit of obedience she still carried for the guiding hand.

Slowly, it was lowered and her eyes slid open. There, standing before her, in the very image she remembered him best in was her ward. Anthony Redgrave. His sweet smile brought a single tear to her eye but was not permitted to fall as a gloved hand traced it away. She watched at the tear was gathered and expertly dropped in his palm intact. She looked to him curiously but all she got was a knowing smile. Upon looking back down, she found the tear now solid- crystallized and persevered before his hand curled over it and slipped it into his hoodie. The other hand cupped the side of her face and raised it to meet his own.

There was only one thing she needed to say. One thing that she had been dying to tell him. One thing that had been eating at her for decades but she never had had the courage to say... Now was as good a time as she was ever going to get, an possibly the last chance. But before the words could be born unto the wind, he spoke first-

You were never to blame.

She understood. Suddenly, a weight lifted from her shoulders. She understood. Saasha let a small smile slip form her lips and a nod of thanks be his response. He cupped the back of ehr head and leaned it down to tenderly kiss her forehead, just as she had done to him all of his life. A kiss that contained all the love possibly attainable by the loyalty of a man and his dog- and a hunter and his partner. A single word he whispered to her just after his lips parted with her skin...

Live.

She lifted her head- to find that he had vanished. In confusion she looked back to the corpse, expecting it to still be there. But it had vanished as well. She suddenly became aware of a pressure in her hand and looked down. There, nestled perfectly into the palm of her hand, was a dagger. An elaborate piece of brilliant craftsman ship. She stared at it for a moment at the parting gift... or was it?

Either way, a swift breeze brought a very familiar scent into her nostrils. So it was true... He was looking for her... She sighed and clenched her hand around the piece before belting it and looking up to Tony. Her work had only begun. Funny, long ago she had thought that dying would have been the end of her tale. Then she had thought that the coming of her new blood would have been only the start. But now she realized, it had only been the prelude. Now the real story could begin.

She laughed and shook her head pressing her palm against the side of her head. what else could she do? Well... there was one thing... Her feet launched her off of the grass, covering hte distance between she had her target in only two steps. The second was a push to send her slightly airborne- right onto Tony's back with outstretched arms. Her feet would land on the ground but nevertheless he would find himself being tackled by a goofily grinning she-wolf.