The Raven and the Fox (AU,M/L,Adult) AN 1/24/16
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 11:33 am
amazing banner by my baby
Title: The Raven and the Fox
Author: jake17
Rating: Adult
Couple: M/L
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Summary: He was alone, a stranger to this world… until he met her.
Author's note: thank you, Carolyn and spitfire.
Chapter one
Worn boots continued through thick woods as he stumbled grasping onto branches and vines that formed like a maze in front of him like a cement web.
Hungry, alone, lost he wandered aimlessly searching for shelter, a place just to rest, to except the card that fate had handed him.
Covered in dirt and blood, weighed down by crushing grief and shock he carried on focusing on the flickering lights filtering through the trees.
The night that was lit by thousands of stars that were supposed to guide them on their journey seemed so far away now.
He felt so far away, from everything he knew… from home.
Barely able to go on his ragged breath pierced through the symphony of sounds around him.
Strange disturbing unfamiliar echoes of creatures flew above him, crawled in the thorny bushes beside him scattering like fluttering leaves around him.
Given into his fatigue and injuries he fell to his knees clutching the soft earth under his palms he closed his eyes knowing how dire his situation had become.
Grunting in pain he searched his pocket for the poison that would take it all away, that would make this nightmare vanish as if it never happened.
Ending his young life had never entered his mind before this moment, no matter how bad things had gotten, but this was different.
The only survivor on a hostile planet, hurt, defenseless, scared he grasped the small bag containing the magenta pill that would end it all.
Struggling he finally was able to pull the large capsule ripping it from its confines.
Tears filled his brilliant golden eyes as he brought the pill to his dry lips his stare focused on the dirt under his finger nails.
Soil from graves he was forced to dig.
The souls he was responsible for now laid to rest on a foreign world he was never meant see.
Wind rustled his dark hair from his eyes as his tongue reached out for the bitter tasting poison just as a voice washed over him in the distance.
At first he thought he was hallucinating, weak from days without food, the trauma of the crash, it was the only logical conclusion.
Then he noticed two ropes moving in sync back and forth attached to a limb, and the tips of wings, dark in flight appearing and disappearing from his riveting stare.
The voice continued in the crisp windy breeze floating all around him forcing him to find the strength to lift his face up higher to take it in.
It was soft, almost musical in tone, like the angels in the fairytale books his mother would read to him as a child.
He couldn’t make out the words she spoke only that it was hypnotic, soothing, drawing him in like an invisible force wrapping around his heart.
He wasn’t even aware of how close the clearing was, the forest was deceiving, endless, giving him the sense he would never be free of its claws.
Shoving the pill back in his pocket he braced himself against a large hovering oak forcing himself to take one shaky step then another.
Willing his body to bring him closer to the voice that sent chills rolling over his skin dulling the pain from the deep cuts and bruises that covered his body.
Straining his tired muscles he parted a thick patch of branches moving away the brightly emerald colored leaves giving him a clear view of the angel he had created in his imagination.
His filthy cheek fell against the rough bark of the towering tree as he clung to it breathless, heart stilling as if it too needed to take in the magic swirling in the air.
He felt dizzy, weightless; it was as if nothing existed except for the exquisite vision in front of him.
He thought he was dying, entering the next plane of life as he watched her swinging back and forth on a wooden plank.
Her hands gripped the ropes tightly as her bare toes pointed up to the sky, and the tips of her black hair he mistook as wings skimmed the edges of the dewy grass below her.
He could hear it now, she was softly singing, her wide eyes cast up to the stars above as if wishing she could somehow fly high enough to reach them.
His lips parted shivering in the wake of her beauty as she flew higher and higher to the heavens.
His eyes followed down every inch of her as the flowing short black slip of silk that barely covered her brushed against her golden skin.
He felt her longing, her sadness, her yearning to break free of something holding her back, but from what he had no idea.
The melancholy wistful tune that lifted from her felt personal as if he was spying on a moment not meant for him.
He almost felt ashamed for staring, but to look away was not an option, it was as if his life depended on her in those few seconds.
In the beauty, the mystery that she held, like a secret he had to discover.
She tethered him to the ground, breathed air into his damaged lungs, warmed his cold skin, lifted his heart from brink of death.
He wondered in his fragile state if she was a real angel, flying in the air, protecting him from harm.
A savior from the sky sent to take him to a better place.
Those were his last thoughts before exhaustion and deep wounds would thrust him into darkness pulling him to the ground in a heavy thump.
~~~~~~~~~~
Looking down at her list of groceries doodled on the back of an overdue bill Liz stood before the cashier flushed with embarrassment as she gazed down the line of customers waiting behind her.
"That will be forty eighty, ninety five hon."
Holding two crinkled twenty dollars bills in her hand she nervously picked up a carton of ice cream, a box of cereal and her favorite cookies.
“I’m sorry I changed my mind on a few things, is it possible you can take these off for me?”
The middle aged red haired lady nodded smiling comfortingly as she quickly deleted them from the computer.
“No problem dear, it’s no trouble at all.”
Practically running from the small store on the border of what seemed like an even smaller town, Liz jumped in her beat up rusted blue pick-up truck resting her forehead on the steering wheel her arms shading her watery eyes from the bright sun above.
Her mounting financial problems worrying her as she wiped the sweat from her face and headed home.
Turning off the paved road onto her the long winding dirt trail to her cabin she already felt calmer.
Her large ebony eyes lifted to the blue sky and the shimmering leaves of the trees that lined the path to her beloved home.
Letting her head fall back she stretched her hand out the window letting her fingers rise and fall with the warm summer breeze as her the first view of the little white house peeked through a patch of tall pine trees.
A small smile curved upwards as she came to a stop.
She was finally home, her haven, the only place she ever felt safe.
Stepping inside she kicked off her flip flops before setting the plastic bags on the kitchen counter.
Reaching for an orange she hopped up on the counter swinging her legs back and forth she began to play with a stray string hanging from her cut offs.
Suddenly memories began to cover her like a dark cloud making her feel even more alone, college and the life she left behind was beginning to fade, but the pain of what had occurred was still fresh, like a wound that refused to heal.
She wasn’t that girl anymore, not after everything she had been through, there was no going back.
That fact was the only thing she knew was real, the rest was just confusion, and a fear she could not seem to escape.
After peeling the soft shell of the orange she ripped away a wedge of the sweet fruit before skimming it across her tongue.
It was then that she noticed the muddy footprints in the hallway leading to the bathroom.
Cautiously she followed the mixture of blood and dirt that covered the floor before reaching a billow of steam floating out from beneath the door.
Her pounding heart gave out to relief realizing that it must’ve been Kyle, a friend from her childhood that would use the property for his hunting trips from time to time.
“Kyle? Are you decent?”
Fearing an injury from the lack of response and the blood smeared on the floor she pushed open the door with the tips of her fingers.
“K-Kyle?”
The orange fell from her hand rolling down the hall as she gazed in disbelief at the majestic stranger standing before her.
Naked, wet, shivering in pain riddled with gashes and dark purple bruises he turned slowly to face her.
He was beautiful, muscles toned to perfection, black hair kissing long dark eyelashes that angled downward, as if ashamed of the mess he had made.
Like a wounded animal he seemed vulnerable and scared as he lifted his brilliant amber eyes up towards her before clutching onto the edge of the sink for support before falling to his knees.
Startled she reached for a towel and flew to his side covering him before freezing as he raised fingers to her lips to capture the juice of the orange before it slipped from her skin.
He tilted his head as his stunning eyes became fascinated with her long hair as it rained down over her shoulder.
‘The dark angel,’ he thought to himself, before once again everything went black and he collapsed to the floor.
Cushioning his head just in time with the bath matt she leaned over him searching for a fear that she knew she should logically have but mysteriously didn’t.
A hoarse whisper left her as she leaned forward unable to take her eyes off of him.
“Who are you?”
