I wanna live, not just survive tonight

Deep breaths. One...two...three...

A sharp yell of pain remained smothered behind tightly pressed lips, the muffled sounds lost behind the beat of the music playing in her ears. She felt the pain as it rolled over her, both stabbing and piercing before it subsided into the dull ache she had become used to over the past two days. She slowly released the her clenched fist, the new half moon shaped cuts within her palm beginning to well with blood. She was used to injuries and to pain, but the way this blade had cut through her side had left her with a crude tear that reopened every far too often. So she had to cauterize the weeping wound. She had struggled to find the necessary items, curing her lack of vision as she relied soley on her sound and touch. With the last ebb of pain settling back into it's dull roar, she slumped slightly against the wall of the alley, her breaths slowly evening out.

Blind eyes closed, making the usual hazy darkness more a void of darkest black. Letting the stillness of the evening settle her, she felt her mind slip back to those moments about 48 hours ago. His hunters had found them within their little forest hideaway while they had slept. Kaloris had cursed herself every moment since then. If she hadn't been so comfortable, hadn't risked laying beside him, hadn't allowed herself to pretend that her life was normal then maybe they would have come out completely unscathed. Yet, even as she cursed herself, a part of her could not regret the moment. It had been so sweet even if she was sure they had both been a little awkward and unsure. He had laid down to sleep and she had heard him rustling before his voice rang out asking her if she would like to rest beside him, to rest with him.

She had been shocked by the lack of hesitation in her voice as she said yes. She distinctly remembered the way she heard him gently pat his arm, directing her where to lay her head upon him. Her ears had gently brushed along his skin, sending a small shiver up her sign and she was almost certain that a blush was warming her cheeks. She had laid down, her head gently resting upon his arm, the warmth of his body so close to hers. She was left to wonder how and why she had so willingly allowed herself to become so vulnerable. She had so willingly thrown caution to the wind and given into a feeling of comfort and security, something so foreign to her.

They had fallen asleep like that, her head resting upon his arm and their faces so close she could feel him warm breath kissing her cheeks as he slept. She had planned to stay awake the whole night, but something about the safety and the comfort he brought to her in this position had lured her into a deep sleep. A rabbit wrapped up in the fox's embrace.

They had awoken to the sound of thundering footsteps and angry shouts. Everything had happened so quickly that she could scarcely remember all the details. But she remembered how Niko had shoved her away, running in the opposite direction to lead the group of hunters away. Two had staggered after her while the rest followed him. She had fought them off, but not before one had gotten in a lucky blow due to her distraction. She had been so worried over Niko that she had let her guard down and it had nearly cost her.

After she had settled her own battle, she had followed suit in the direction Niko and the mob had gone, using her super hearing to try and keep up with their location. She had managed to make it to the town they had run to, but the loss of blood had her slipping from consciousness and she had been forced to stop and tend to her wounds before she could track them any further.

She sighed softly as she moved to slowly stand up from her position against the wall. She needed to find Niko, she needed to be sure he had survived. It was one of the only things that occupied her mind, this intense desire to find him. She cetnered her breathing, slowing down her mind as she focused on all of the sounds around her, even in the still night of the sleepy little town. It took her a few moments, but then...

There it was. The soft sounds of his breathing. She knew it was his by sound alone, but she grew more concerned as she listened to the sound, trying to pinpoint where it came from. He was struggling, that much she could hear within the pattern of his breaths. He sounded hurt and then she heard the other soft scraping sound, like something sharp dragging along the ground and rustling up soft fabric. The growl that came from her lips was nothing but predatory in nature.

Once the sound was pinpointed, she was off in it's direction, the dark hood pulled up and over her head, shrouding her within the darkness. She ran with practically silent steps, her speed spurring her on. She arrived within seconds. She could hear the slightly strangled breathing and that soft scraping sound and went into action, her daggers out and cutting along the vines that wrapped around soft skin. One sliced through the vine around his throat, her echo location helping her to avoid cutting any flesh. She moved on to the ones wrapped around his leg, snipping them off with a flick of her wrist. She moved then, grabbing him gently and trying to pull him farther away from the crawling vines. She gently laid him down, bending over to place her forehead against his for a brief second.

She stood up again, turning towards the rustling sound of the tangles plant like vines she had felt wrapped around him. "I'm afraid playtime's over. I don't think the fox is into your type of foreplay." She practically growled out.