Carnivore

[Wolf]

Wolf stretched and sat down, placing a hot plate of venesin infront of herself, unwrapping her fork and knife from a kerchif in her coat pocket. She was alone, about an hour after most of the children had left after lunch, but the sun was still high in the sky. It felt good, the hot meat between her teeth, chilled water beside the plate to wash it down. The venesin had been from one of her most recent hunts. She had left part of the corpse in teh woods to feed the pack of wolves that had helped her, taking the tender flank and side meat home to the cook and taking the best peice for herself to eat now.

Not many knew that wolves could climb ladders, but Chloe had learned from a young age how and now climbed them, sure slower, but just as well as any human. She was curled up by Wolf's feet, her ears pricking at the sound of the door.

River?

I heard

The words were past in scilence between the two, a mental connection. Someone had entered the dining hall, but who? No one came in here this late but cooks, lost ones, or people seaking out Wolf. She was a suprisingly predictable creature, taking lunch at the same hour every day.

[Rook Blackwell]

Rook was neither lost nor actively searching out the girl known as Wolf. He was simply out for a stroll to ease the aching pain in his right leg. Fate had seen fit to wrack the twisted appendage with an arduous pain that prevented the weather teen from bending it, slowing his usual noble gait to a rather undignified hobble. As always, his usual, self prescribed, treatment was to attempt to walk it off. Despite six years of no outward change or sign of improvement he adhered to this practice religiously, going out for a stroll whenever the leg had one of it's more disagreeable days. Today's walk had guided Rook from the small room in the back of the Infirmary he called his office through various platforms. There was no rhyme or reason to the places Rook visited and he rarely spent more than a few moments in them, only sparing enough time to glance down and watch the others go about their day.

He smiled softly as he stood upon one such platform and watched as the younger children gathered herbs and such. It was always nice to see them smile and be so active. Thing had changed since when he was a child. When the adults had vanished things had been utter chaos. They lived in fear, wondering how they would make it from one day until the next. It wasn't until a few years passed that an order was made, a routine that they could adhere to. Once there was a sense of order the fears they had lessened, if not out right vanished. Children could laugh and play like they once had. Part of Rook longed for the sort of carefree existence he once knew, that he had been robbed of. He turned away from the scene before he could finish the thought.

Eager to leave the sight behind him he turned and made his way towards the Dinning Hall. There shouldn't have been anyone there at this time and he figured he could sit and indulge himself in his selfish thoughts. The uneven sounds of his footsteps against the wooden constructs and the usual chatter filled his walk with something other than silence as he made his way towards the eating area. He was grateful for it. It gave him something else to occupy his mind.

He pressed his unoccupied hand against the door of the Dinning hall and it gave out an audible creak. As soon as the door swung open the scent of food hit his nose, freshly prepared food at that. He arched an eyebrow at the scent, it meant that someone other than himself had thought to be alone here. His first instinct was to turn away but his curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to know who else had sought out refuge in the confines of the hall. His cane clicked against the floor as he stepped forward. A smile crept across his scarred features as he spied not only one, but two familiar faces. "Hello River," he said as he made his way toward the girl and her companion. "Chloe," he added as he stood a few paces away from the duo.

Rook seemed to be running into his past frequently this week. No more than a few days ago he had patched up Hayyel and gotten into it with her about his old habits and now here he was sitting with one of the few people he had actually hunted with. Wolf, or rather River, and Rook had an odd history. The young man and his volatile behavior had put him at odds with the girl frequently when they were younger. Though, their differences were settled when they were forced into a hunting group together. A band of misfits and lone wolves who frequently split up after leaving the safe haven of the camp. Though, there were a handful of times when they actually stayed together and they did develop a sort of comradery. Because of this Rook had taken to calling Wolf by her real name rather than the nickname that she had taken up shortly before his incident.

"Shouldn't you two be off hunting?" he glanced down and eyed the cooked meat that sat before River, "Or have you two finished for today?" he asked as he shifted his crimson gaze from the plate to the familiar face.

[Wolf]

Wolf smirked as she eyed Rook and Chloe got up as he sat down, sniffing the air and step toward him a few steps. She remembered Rook... one didn't forget the smell of one after half their blood is spilled on the ground. Chloe had not been there for his accident, but she remembered another wolf returning with this man's blood covering his coat. Wolf's eyes traced Rooks scar on his cheek and nodded, Hello Rook, you are the only one who calls me by that name anymore I think. Sit down before you fall down you bundle of scar tissue... She scooted the chair next to her out for him with a booted foot and leaned back in her chair.

I was out early this morning, brought down a deer, un-mutated. I think it is one of the few left if the last one around here. Its good to have un-mutated meat for once. After that prize, however, Chloe and I decided to call it quits for today. Have the rest of the day free. What brings you up here Dr? Shouldn't you be off beating our medical youth with that stick of yours? Wolf teased him because he was one of the few she trusted, and he knew it. Sure it had been a while since they had even been in the same room. Was it way back when the accident first occurred, Rook unconscious and bandaged while she watched over him through that first night? He wouldn't remember but she did, a nightmare of shallow breathing that still haunted her some times. Rook was used to her rough tongue, much like the animals she hunted with and was nicknamed for, she didn't worry about offending. Unless he had softened during his job in the infirmary.

[Rook Blackwell]

Rook rolled his eyes at River's comment. "I'll have you know I'm perfectly capable of standing." he said with the faint hint of a smile. He didn't take it as an insult as so many others would have. "Oh, well you should consider me rather helpful then. That mean's you'll have someone to remind you of what your real name is." he said as the smile grew into a full blown grin. Rook had never taken to calling her Wolf as so many others had. He had known her from a time before she was and in his mind was still that person. He crept forward with cane in hand before slumping down into the chair that she had offered up to him. Despite his statement about standing having no effect on him he felt a wave of relief flow through him. His leg had grown tender due to all of the walking and if he continued to force it to work it might have given out on him.

He rested his worn cane against the table and crossed his arms over his chest. He settled back against the the chair and let out a soft, content sigh. He tried to hide his relief though quickly turning the sigh into an impromptu yawn. "Well, I hope you brought back more than that. You know how the Council is when people don't do their share." he said as he rolled his eyes. When one was a Hunter they had a quota of meat to fill and if it wasn't met they were usually punished with half rations or things of that nature. "I'm off duty at the moment." Typically Rook was always on duty. He was one of the most skilled healers and had a way with a needle and thread that most of the others lacked. While most used their powers to heal Rook had a genuine understanding of the human body and the healing process. Today, he had just been lucky enough to weasel his way out of patching people up.

"And I decided that I'd had enough of bullying my healers and take nice relaxing stroll. I figured that I could have a few minutes of quiet in here." Rook never hit anyone with his cane unless they refused to listen to his medical directives. It was usually rather comedic for anyone watching though almost everyone had, at one point or another, been hit on the head by the hard knob of ironwood that was at the top of his can. "I wouldn't have guess'd that I'd run into you here. It's been quite some time since we've last talked." he said as he glanced towards her. Rook and Wolf had spoken a handful of times after the accident but never to the extent that they had used to. They had both changed since that time. "It's been years." he added solemnly.

[Wolf]

Wolf noticed the slight look of releif on his face as he sat down, and so had Chloe. She could smell the pain on him and she stepped foreward and rested her large head on her lap, sitting between the two. Chloe hadn't taken up this position in years with anyone but River but felt it was about time. Wolf raised an eyebrow, but Chloe replied with a wave of assurance only an animal can send. She nodded and looked up to Rook agian. Oh Chloe reminds me enough, the dog won't use my nickname, always 'River' this and 'River' that. Guess the old proverb is true, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Chloe gave a huff and smacked Wolf's shin lightly with her tail, masking it as a wag. She disaproved of being called old, even if she was getting on in years, she could run with the best of them. And of course I did, brought all that I could carry and a bit more, left the rest for the dogs and whatever hunter comes upon it. Marked it so others would know it's a hunter's kill. Besides I really don't care what the council thinks and they don't really care what I do, as long as I bring in meat.... Wolf felt herself back-sliding into a time before the incident, the familiarity with him... She had missed it. It's about time you took some time off. You'll run yourself into the ground sometime soon.... and yeah it has been River looked up into his scarred face an smirked. Too many years. How is the medical profession working out for you? We hunters miss you, you know. When d' you think you'll be healed enough to get back out with us or do we just have to take you out back and gut you like the sheep? It was well known among the Hunters, who had all the bloody jobs really, that when a sheep broke it's leg you took it behind the shed and killed it, and the hunters would all get lamb chops that night. Hunters equated themselves to sheep when they were laid up sometimes. Hunting wasn't just a lifestyle, it was a being, a part of one's soul. Wolf could see he missed the lifestyle, the way it ate at all hunters when they couldn't leave, but she had also seen him throw himself into his work just like he had hunting... but she had hardly seen him smile while he worked the way hunters did when they returned from a good kill.

Wolf clasped her hands together and agian traced his scar on his cheek with her eyes. It made him look aged, and almost handsome. She had seen where those scars spreaded, and she could feel her body twinge with a phantom pain as she looked him over. If she had only been there... She gave herself a little shake of the shoulders and masked it as a stretch and a sigh. There was no need to think that way while he was here. He didn't blame her... not that he would know any reason to.