Here we have Rayne trying to figure out why Gaerwn is helping her out and find out one of Rayne's fears.

MINE.

~Angel~

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Rayne kept her focus on the roadway as they started their trek again. She tried not to think about the way Gaerwn said her name, but she felt the sudden familiarity in the voice.

It wasn't Magnus, HE wasn't Magnus. As far as she had learned fire breathers—or any dragons were incapable of shape shifting into smaller beings. Why would they want to turn into something far less powerful and insignificant than themselves? But for a moment...It was too similar to handle. A wave of guilt pulled her standing and the fear of talking about what happened kept her voice in her throat. She saw the holes in Gaerwn's answers, but she couldn't bring herself to ask about it. Every time she seemed to try to find out more about him, they would end up...

She closed her eyes for a moment, beginning to realize that she might not see Magnus for a long time. That hurt more than she'd care to admit to anyone, especially to her new—traveling companion. He would laugh at her if she were to talk about a dragon being her teacher and friend. She would never mention the ridiculous notion of her crush on him for fear of Gaerwn calling her crazy. She was absolutely crazy, but she didn't want to admit it to him.

Gaerwn seemed to enjoy the silence as they kept moving. He seemed touchy about her asking too much about him but there was something there, something hidden and she wanted to figure out what that was. Why? Because it had to do with her. His presence around her had become far more than him looking for a job, otherwise he wouldn't be following her away from the hunt he desired in the beginning. Rayne going to Sagewynd would have been the perfect opportunity for him to slip into the woods and try to get his kill.

No, this really had nothing to do with Magnus anymore. She supposed he could be looking for a map or something in her things while she slept but her instincts told her his intentions had to do with her. And the question was why?

”I can't...help myself...”

The words rang in her ears like he'd said it right behind her. But what did that mean? She couldn't deny the over all connection between them even though it wasn't logical. This was the fourth time she had even spoken to Gaerwn...So where was this connection coming from? He didn't act like she was something fragile and gentle, he didn't treat her like she were just a female in need of protection even if that was his excuse. It had to do with those words...

“Rayne.”

Her tail exploded as the familiar tone brought her attention immediately to him. No, he really couldn't be Magnus. It was all because she still felt guilty that his voice sounded so familiar. He put his paw around her wrist and pulled her from the road.

“Sun is setting, we should get off the road,” he replied in a smooth and collected voice. “I know a place we can stay for the night.”

“Alright,” she responded. Great, she thought, what was she going to do now?

He didn't let go of her wrist for some time as they made their way down a somewhat steep and craggy hill. He didn't have a firm hold, just one to lead her. The grasses were in patches and the trees were straight and tall but sprinkled about the land. He stopped as they reached where the ground evened out, before beginning to clear away a few larger rocks in a seemingly normal pile of them. There were several around the bottom like some of the higher ground let their rocks give way and tumble towards the bottom of the valley. The sun yielded itself to the horizon, it becoming hard to see during the dusk light but Rayne saw the void before he had moved the last few larger rocks.

A cave, leading down into the earth, into darkness. The cool air from the earth came into her nostrils and over her face.

“In there?” she asked, pointing at it even though it was somewhat obvious.

“Yes,” he answered as he straightened.

“Snakes, that looks like a very nice place for snakes...” she muttered.

“There are no snakes in there,” he replied and rolled his eyes in response.

“How do you know that?” she asked defensively.

“I just would,” he answered before slowly making his way inside. “Come on, then. You need to rest before morning.”

“I'm not going in there,” she declared loudly. His head came out before he sighed heavily, rubbing black hair from his forehead and climbing back out. He scooped up some dried branches and grasses and walked back into the small hidden den. She glowered at where she assumed he was in the darkness, when light erupted inside the underground room. Her face turned to immediate curiosity and she walked close to the entrance.

He had the little fire going quite nicely, but how had he done that without striking stones? Or rubbing the sticks together?

“How did you do that?” she demanded, still lingering outside the entrance.

“Come in and I'll tell you,” he replied calmly, beginning to build the little pyramid of flame up and rest large rocks around it.

“What if it collapses on us while we're sleeping?” Rayne asked, still wary about the little alcove intended to keep her out of the night. She was used to sleeping under tree roots, or in the high branches that could hold her weight. She didn't like this idea of sleeping under the ground where the rocks themselves were so easily moved. His face told her all she needed to know, that she was being ridiculous and that he knew this place well enough.

“I wouldn't put you in danger, Rayne,” he replied as he began to wipe his paws on his pants. “Can't that be enough?”

The guilt card, very effective. Rayne breathed in and out heavily but quickly before getting the bravery to climb down into the small lit cavern. She could stand comfortably as Gaerwn slouched a little, and the cavern didn't go back very far into the hill, the fire easily lighting the back wall. It looked more like an air bubble in the earth, roots of small plants dangling above her head like small stalactites. The dirt and damp scent wasn't bad, in the dragon's lair it was far stronger and the heat from the fire warmed the smaller space nicely.

“No snakes?” she asked him again. He shook his head slowly before taking her pack off of her and setting it aside.

“For someone who studies large reptilian beasts, you don't like small reptilian beasts,” Gaerwn noted.

“Snakes have venom, poison,” Rayne stated. “They sneak, they don't announce themselves and flame the place to bits. I could fall sleep and never wake up if one bit me.”

“I see your point, but they won't show,” He reassured her, which made her even more skeptical. A hunter might know about snakes because of the traveling, but for him to know this particular spot wouldn't have snakes...no one could predict that without real proof.

“Stop over analyzing,” he stated to pull her from her thoughts.

“I'm not analyzing,” she snapped at him as she settled next to the fire. “I'm taking into account.”

“You do that often,” he replied as he pulled his vest off and handed it to her. “For warmth. I need to step out for a bit.”

“Where are you going?” she asked, looking up at him with slightly nervous eyes. His grin turned clever as he stepped around her.

“I'll be back in a bit, try to get some rest,” he answered calmly, before crawling out of the cave and into the darkening night. By herself, in a cave, that could collapse on her or get bitten by poisonous snakes. Bringing Gaerwn along may have been just as treacherous as walking on the road with the bandits.

She pulled her pack closer to her as she slipped on his much larger vest, pulling out some dried meat and a few of the fruits she picked earlier for her dinner. She drank from her canteen and set it all aside to watch the fire. Before she really had time to “analyze” anything else she had curled up on the soft dirt, her pack under her head and fallen asleep next to the warmth from the firelight.

She didn't know when he came back during the night, but she knew when she stirred in her sleep he'd returned. How had she known? When she tried to shift a little in the morning light, a paw held her firmly in place and woke her from her somewhat light slumber. Her eyes slowly opened, blinking a few times to wake them up as she looked to the arm draped over her hip. She tried to shift again but the paw clasped around her tightly, and a growl-rumbling came from behind her. She tried again, the same result but the growling was more adamant that time.

“Are...you growling at me?” Rayne asked in a firm voice.

“Yes,” Gaerwn responded easily, pulling her back to his body and forming around her. “Because you keep moving before you ask a million questions to find out why.”

“I was going to ask why you were holding me in the first place,” Rayne stated as she pushed her annoyance aside for the moment. When there was no answer, she continued, “Why are you holding me?”

“To keep you warm,” he responded. It was a valid excuse but why was it always the same with males?

“I thought that's what the fire was for.”

“The fire went out,” he stated in a grumble, clearly mornings weren't his best time.

“Then why didn't you make another?”

“This is more practical,” he responded.

“You mean you were too lazy.”

“No, I mean I wanted to keep you warm myself, now please stop with all the chattering...be quiet and go back to sleep,” he groaned as he tried to keep his angry morning voice in check. She snickered, before trying to shift away again. The way his growl came made her snickering turn into laughter as he pulled her back firmly.

“Female, you are trying my patience,” he grumbled in her ear. She rolled her head towards his on her pack, a look of amused disbelief there.

“You don't scare me,” she replied with a small giggle.

“Clearly, that seems to be the problem.”

“Are all girls afraid of you then?” Rayne was almost laughing again with the thought. “That would explain a lot!”

He either moved very fast for his size, or Rayne had been laughing harder than she thought. One moment he was beside her and the next his arms pinned her in as he looked down at her, eyes barely seen behind almost closed lids. She still snickered, but bit her lip to try to stop herself.

“Are you quite done?” he asked, but his voice read slight amusement. Rayne nodded a little but...no a lot of people used that phrase. “I don't believe you...”

“I am, I swear,” she replied trying to hold in her giggles.

“I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep,” he responded, before putting some of his weight on her, sighing heavily.

“Mmhmhmhmhmhm,” she snickered slightly. “I haven't laughed like that since...” Her face suddenly changed as a memory of Magnus popped up, her eyes looking from him.. “Nevermind, lets just pack up and go.”

“No,” he stated, catching her eyes again. “Tell me...tell me what's wrong?”

“Just worried,” she replied in a little mumble. “About a...friend.”

“Is this friend in trouble?” He asked with some genuine concern there. Her brow drew down at him, why did he care so much?

“No, not that I know of. I just thought he was my...friend and he thought I was...property,” she replied barely moving her mouth. His face read true shock, before his paw swiped a little at her wavy hair on the pack. Her eyes looked down his neck and to his shirt, letting out a heavy sigh before looking back up to him. “Can we get going, please?”

“Did I just hear you say PLEASE?” he asked in a playful shock. She scowled up at him before smacking his shoulder hard, although it didn't seem to phase him much.

“Go, go! Get off!” she pushed on his shoulders but her smile had returned as did her laughing.

“What if I don't want to go yet?” he growled with his predatory smile.

“That doesn't matter,” she stated, putting her paw on his mouth and pushing back as she wiggled free from under him. “I'm leaving, and you are following ME if you remember.”

With that she forced her pack from under his shoulder and watched him fall on his back, swinging it over her shoulders and smirking at him. He was smiling, although Rayne could tell he was trying not to, slowly standing up and stretching his tall frame forward to avoid the low roof of the den.

“Can I have my vest back?” he asked. Rayne had forgotten about that, but returned it to him by throwing it in his face. And now his laugh rung in the morning light.