Between Love and Hate [TakodaVega x Somniator]

[TakodaVega]

The land had always been fruitful to the people, maybe a little too fruitful. Even as Arik surveyed on his horse from high above the plains he could see the devastation would be high. He hated it, however there needed to be bloodshed. His feline tail moved across the horse before coiling about his hip. Strong corded muscles covered Arik's torso though he still maintained a boyish look about him, blonde hair framing his face, longer in the front than the back. Brown eyes, almost amber in color, peered along to the others.

This was war-country, the spoils of war would come as they always did, but at the cost of how much this time? Or the next? Being the General had it's blessings and curses, and in this case this was his curse. He had to provide safety to his people, and make sure that they had spaces to grow that the King wanted. His feline ears relaxed as he softly clicked to his horse. The hill down wasn't hard, but he was well aware that he could become easy target practice. Weaving his horse into the woods he looped the reins around some branches. He had heard rumors that the Amurjin, who were a proud race in their own right, were very skilled trackers.

Which in hindsight could propose a problem if he didn't fin-

Ah-ha. He hid behind a tree, before peering over his shoulders. He could see her, and he could tell it was distinctively a female by her scent. Being downwind of her had helped that notion as he looked her over. A scout. Whipping his head back away from her he waited, slowly waited for her to move. The soft footfalls made his ears perk carefully edging his way around the tree until she was about to pass. Next thing she would realize that there was a hand covering her mouth and his other arm was wrapped around her middle. "I don't want to hurt or kill you, kitten, but if you don't want to die today you'll have to co-operate with me." He growled softly in her ear. "Nod if we have an agreement."

[Somniator]

Nova's soft, white ears, with a single black stripe on each, twitched at the sound of hooves. This had to be the Leojin general she had been sent to track. Her striped tail curled gently around her bare left ankle. The Amurjin's normal cloth boots had been abandoned today for the sake of complete silence as she tracked him. Her long sleeved blouse and pants were dyed a mix of green and brown to help her blend in to the surrounding forest. Sapphire eyes watched as a horse weaved into the forest, the Leojin on its back. Yes...he was the one she was looking for. Nova moved slowly through the underbrush, keeping her body low to the ground as she stalked him. This was almost too easy. A twig behind her snapped and she spun around, only to see a small rabbit scurry away into the bushes. Then she noticed it. The wind had shifted suddenly, blowing her scent right towards the general...wherever he had gone. Nova let out a soft growl and ran her pale fingers through her white razor edged hair. It hung just above her shoulders and was naturally streaked with black. This was bad. She had completely lost sight of the man and the wind was blowing in very much the wrong direction. She straightened up and moved forward quickly, realizing her mistake only a moment too late.

A low growl rumbled in her chest as he grabbed her waist, a hand pressed against her mouth. He growled in her ear, making it twitch before they both laid flat against her head. Nova was an Amurjin. She was not going to let this man take her prisoner that easily. He might have been much larger than she was, but being smaller had it's advantages. She suddenly began to thrash around in his grasp, her strength surprising for her size and curvy form. Nova kicked backwards, hoping she had been able to put just enough space between them to hit the super sensitive spot right between his legs and make him let go of her.

[TakodaVega]

He had to admit that for an Amurjn she was certainly a handful. His tufted tail swung behind him, bracing himself and grounding himself firmly to the ground. Struggle as she might against him he was an iron grip on her. The advantage of the Leojin, they were larger and more built than most Amurjin, however his grip faltered when she went straight for the male jugular. The gonads were an off-limit territory and was a dirty move but the hiss the left his lips was a telltale sign she had aimed true. "That was cheap, Kitten." He growled out as his grip lessened.

Pulling at his resolve would be a miracle a he staggered backwards away from the offensive female, cupping his now injured manhood. But he wasn't done his tail snaked out of reflex to hook around her own tail, pulling her back to him when he collapsed against the tree. "Cheap, however has it's costs." He managed out before standing back up straight. "I told you that I would hate to have to kill you..." His brown eyes hooked into hers before he took a step towards her. He was still throbbing down there but he would be damned if he let this slip of a female win in this contest of wills.

[Somniator]

The hiss that escaped from the much larger Leojin's lips was music to her fluffy ears. It was indeed a cheap shot but, with her life on the line, Nova was more than willing to fight a little dirty. She had tried to make a run for it, but his tail had wrapped around hers and yanked her backwards. Nova yowled, falling hard on her butt. The Amurjin frantically scrambled into a crouched position, spinning around to face Arik. His brown eyes locked on to her own sapphire orbs, and she gave him an odd smirk. He might win this contest in the end, but Nova was not just going to lay down and let him win. She was going to give him a good, hard fight. Sapphire orbs looked to the trees behind him. Yes...that might work. Leojin weren't very good tree climbers. Now, if only she could find a way to get past him and up the trees, she might stand a chance at making it out of this fight alive.

"I am no silly little kitten." Nova hissed, then growled as she lunged forward at his legs. It was an attempt to knock him off balance and-hopefully-make him fall over, giving her a chance to run for the nearest tree.

[TakodaVega]

Arik flexed his hands carefully, pulling a deep breath as he pulled over some of his older training. For the Pride, it was always for them as he narrowed his eyes to the female amurjin. "You are still a kitten to some, Kitten." he said slowly moving slowly in the challenging circle that was surely a fight to the finish, at least maybe to some. He doubted that this would go down as cleanly as he had intended but they all took snaps and likely setbacks when it came to the Amurjin. The proud female was no exception. However he wasn't a stupid male and he could follow the path of her eyes now that he was focused primarily on her.

She may be a climber, and smaller than he was, but he was stronger than she was. Speed wasn't the issue right now, it was the take down. Side stepping over her attack he spun on his heel to move to the forest floor to catch one of her ankles, if he managed to succeed pulling herself up would be a challenge with his weight attached. Pulling her back down to his level on the forest floor he rolled with her until she was pinned beneath him, grabbing her wrists he pinned her wrists above her head. "Now that I have your attention I can do this proper." He growled softly. "I, frankly, don't want you or your people killed any more than they have been. So you'll tell us where they are so that they can at least be handled without causing any more bloodshed."

His brown eyes narrowed slightly as his tail whipped behind him, "Until you fulfill your purpose you cannot leave. I will release you once this is over, and my manhood feels like you have repaid it's debt. And that is not a sexual threat or promise before you think I'm going to rape you, little Kitten." Though if she kept struggling against him it would be hard to say he was telling the truth. "It is a matter of you playing dirty."

[Somniator]

As soon as Nova launched her attack, she knew it was a terrible, terrible mistake. Arik spun around, grabbing hold of her ankle. She clawed frantically at the ground, trying to pull herself free from his grasp. He was too strong. Before she could twist her body around to lash out at him, they were rolling around on the forest floor. She clawed and bit at him as they rolled, teeth eagerly attempting to sink into any piece of his flesh she could get to. With a grunt Nova was pinned to the ground. Her hands were pinned above her head, and his weight kept her from struggling too much, but she attempted to anyways. She was not going to give up. He spoke, asking her where her people where hiding at, explaining that he would not release her until she told him where to find them. The Amurjin hissed loudly.

"Do you really think I would give up the location of our home so easily? I will NEVER tell you, you filthy Leojin. Keep me prisoner for as long as you want-I will never tell you where to find the others!" She growled. Nova struggled harder beneath him, attempting to wiggle out of his grasp. Throwing the Leojin off of her was out of the question-he was much too large for that.

[TakodaVega]

It was hard to keep his temper in check when she lashed out at him. It was only natural for her after all, but the damn woman's claws stung when they cut along his arm and left small streams of ruby in their wake. Those brown eyes hooked onto his. "No, I don't expect you to tell me anything, but it was worth a try." He was soft spoken, though that growl was still in his voice as he let her squirm. "Keep in mind I could stay here all day and eventually you'll wear yourself out in your attempt to gain your freedom. Unlike my brethren, whom I'm sure you have heard many stories about, little Kitten, I have far more tolerance and patience for your kind and their needs. I do not want to cause bloodshed to you and yours just as much as you wish to rip my throat out and take it back to your people as a victory to our war. Am I wrong?"

He raised an eyebrow, letting her mull that over those rounded ears of a lion perked lazily as he listened to the woods. He was fairly certain that soon one or another party would be looking for them, but for now he was left with the overly stubborn female beneath him to contend with her miserable situation while he managed to keep himself in check. For now at least he had a form of distraction with the pain in his arm from a lucky handful of scratches. He was fairly sure though if he leaned any closer she would put those teeth of hers to good use.

[Somniator]

He was right. All this struggling was only a waste of her precious energy. She needed to conserve it for now. However, if he leaned in any closer, she would definitely put her elongated canines to good use. Nova was pleased that the energy she had wasted in her struggle to escape had not been in complete vain, though. The sight and scent of his blood nearly made her purr. The scratches were not as deep as she had wanted them to be, but she knew they hurt for a few days at the very least. Nova listened as he continued to speak. Yes, the though of ripping his throat out and taking it back to the others was a pleasant one. He insisted that he did not really want to hurt her or her people, but she did not believe him. If he did not want to hurt them, then why did he? She had heard many stories of Leojin torturing, raping, and killing Amurjin...there were even a few stories of Amurjin having their ears and tails removed.

"They will not come for me..." She mumbled. This was the life of a scout. If one did not return or was not heard from for twenty four hours, they were presumed dead. No other scouts were sent in search of them...not even for the one they deemed to be their very best, with the exception of Rose...but Rose wasn't heard from very often. Her scouting trips were generally into the very heart of Leojin country. She had actually promised to take Nova along next time...but it looked like that time would never come. The Amurjin laid still, giving him an occasional growl.

[TakodaVega]

"Do not be so sure," came his voice gentle like. Making sure her arms were still pinned above her, he rose into a crouch to hover next to her. "Our kind aren't all like they say, but there is one of your member that will have her head on a platter if we ever meet her personally." The one and only White Rose. The damned Bounty Hunter had caused several deaths now thanks to her skill, but still she had proved elusive to every single one of his scouts. Maybe using the kitten as bait would help.

But first things were first.

With his tail swinging back and forth for balance he reached into his pocket with one hand, the other holding her in place to pull out a rope and made quick work tying up her wrists before glancing down at her. "If you promise to behave I won't tie your ankles and force you to be carried." He whistled softly and the 'clack-clack' of hooves greeted their ears bring the brown mare to the foreground. She nickered at them as he reached for her reigns to loop them around the knot of his captives hands. "Minerva here will make sure you don't get away so I wouldn't advise trying it." He said before finally rising to his feet. "I'm Arik, kitten. Trust me though, you'll manage to fulfill your role one way or another. Until then, you'll have to get used to me."

[Somniator]

"She isn't stupid, Leojin. Rose is the best for a reason. She can sense traps from over a mile away. Use me as bait if you want...she will never fall for it." Nova growled as he moved off of her, hands still pinned to the ground above her head. The Amurjin knew that attempting to get away would be futile, so she laid still, glaring up at him as he bound her hands together with a bit of rope. Fluffy ears twitched as he whistled, eyes locking onto the brown mare as she approached. The mare's reins were looped over the knot of ropes that bound her hands. If Nova ever managed to get free...this Leojin would regret attacking her and tying her up like this.

"My name is Nova. I know you are only a year and a half older than me, so stop calling me kitten" Those sapphire eyes locked into his brown ones, a firey look in them. She was calm for now and would go with him without much fuss, but there would be hell to pay if the Amurjin ever got free and managed to pin him down.

[TakodaVega]

"No, Rose is very clever, however you underestimate how much she would care about her own people. Particularly the females, like the mother cat looking after kittens." Those brown eyes of his glanced at his latest charge, he could still defiant flare in them. Good, someone without any spirit was a horrid waste to keep under wraps. "So am I infamous among your kind as well? Or is it just that the name comes up in status reports?" He said gently, though Minerva seemed to think they had enough talking and started sniffing at Nova, butting into Arik with a nicker. Glancing at the mare, he took her reigns and kept a good pace for the lot of them to move and not trample each other.

"You'll have to see for yourself, Nova just what exactly Rose is truly capable of." He seemed so certain that Rose would come for Nova and then, only then, would the bitter feud stop.

*-*-*-*

"What do you mean she's missing?!" came that growl from the female that stood in the war tent. 'Rose' as she was called stood slightly taller than some of the females in the room. Those silver eyes glaring at the helpless general who stood there shaking his shoulders, "She obeyed orders, Rose, if you're taken to be presumed lost to us. Don't do anything foolish..." came his gruff voice but she was already out of the tent, pulling the dark hood over her feline ears. Ivory hair spilled over from the loose knot at the back of her head to fall over her shoulders as she made her way to the fringes of the woods where they held camp. Rose's eyes were determined as her steps were deathly silent.

No one was left behind, especially not Nova. Nova who she viewed as a little sister, and even it meant breaking the law to get her back, so help her she would.

[Somniator]

"Rose knows better than to search for a lost scout, no matter how close she might be to them. We have heard many stories about you, Arik, and the troops you lead into battle. I also studied your file carefully when I was assigned to search for you two months ago. Finding you was actually easier than I thought it would be." She spoke as they walked, watching the horse who she was tied to carefully. Nova had never been a fan of the creatures, but she did not hate them. She just did not like to ride them, and was very grateful that he had not bound her and thrown her onto the back of the mare. There definitely wouldn't be any more escape attempts from her...at least until the threat of having to ride the brown mare had passed. For now she was focused on keeping pace with them to keep from getting trampled, know she would have to patiently bide her time until the opportunity occurred for her to escape.

[TakodaVega]

"You seem confident that someone who you view highly, Nova, would not care to think two thoughts about you?" He seemed mildly surprised as he glanced at his charge before chuckling softly, "And? I have nothing to hide, kitten." He said gently his tail moving behind him as they walked into the woods. The sun filtered through the leaves as he kept his wits about him. He was not about to let his guard down that there may be more amurjin in the woods but for now it seemed she had been the only scout they had sent this far.

"I have also not been so terribly proud of how this is going with your people and mine. However orders are orders. You would understand that, wouldn't you?" He glanced at her with those almost golden eyes before returning his gaze forward. "I would not personally choose of my own conviction to do this to your people. Yet here we are." Arik lightly patted the cheek of the mare between them as they went on. It wasn't much longer when they broke out into a clearing and Arik grabbed a canister from the horse, unscrewing the cap and putting the canister to her lips, "Drink, it's water." If she didn't believe him, he would shrug and take a swig of it himself before offering it again. If she refused again he would simply put the pack away before continuing on. "We should make it back to camp before your appetite starts to get you." He said calmly as they made it through the open field with no trouble.

It would seem like ages, though it had been more like a few hours since they had left that they finally made it to the Leojin camp. Some men were off to one side sharpening their weapons. Others were roasting some meat over a fire. However Arik avoided these, instead making his way to the very tent that would become her home for as long as necessary. Grabbing her ropes, he would untie her from the reigns and drag her into the tent, clamping a manacle on her ankle to keep her from escaping though leaving her hands bound in front of her. "Now if you're good I'll go get us food and we can try our earlier discussion." He said, he hated, in a way, to do this to her. However, like her conviction that Rose had abandoned her, Arik had a duty that he was bound to till he was released by the King's word, or by death. Whichever came first.

[Somniator]

"Orders will always be orders." As they came to a stop, Nova watched as he grabbed his canister and unscrewed the lid, putting it up to her lips. She shook her head stubbornly even though the thought of the cool water nearly made her tremble. The Amurjin had gone most of the day without water to drink, but was too proud to accept water from Arik. She refused again the second time, knowing she would later regret her actions. He spoke of reaching camp before she got too hungry, and Nova knew she would have to eat when they arrived. She would definitely need water then as well.

As they entered the camp, Nova's body tensed. She would give a low growl and a hiss to whoever looked her way, making sure they understood that she was not one to be messed with. Arik untied her from the mare and drug her into the tent. She went calmly, though the sight of the manacle made her tug hard on the ropes that bound her hands together. He said he would go and get food for them both, as long as she was good. The Amurjin huffed, glaring down at the ropes around her hands, then the manacle around her ankle before looking back at him.

"Just because you are giving me food and water does not mean I will tell you anything, silly Leojin." Nova gave him a low growl before sitting down on the ground, trying to calm herself back down before she worked herself up too much.

[TakodaVega]

"The others will not touch you, there is no need to growl at them. This place is much safer for you as a prisoner than you think." He said quietly as he made his way into the tent and couldn't help but chuckle at her current predicament. "If I were a foolish man I would let you not have your hands bound. However you have tried, though at the moment failed, to kill me today. Until I can at least trust that you'll be smart enough not to, you'll have stay that way." He went back outside and grabbed the flask returning a moment later with it open, "Drink."

For a general there was no secrets about him that seemed to place him as being, well, a bad man deep down. He could have tied her to his bed and had his way with her, but he hadn't. He respected her enough, considering his bed was on the other end of the tent. "Now then, stay put. I will return shortly." With that he left her to her own devices for the moment as he disappeared into the camp. The first few things on his list were some fresh fruit, and a few good chunks of hot meat straight from the spit to bring it back to her. There were two separate plates, and he hoped that she hadn't tried to cause much trouble in his absence as he sat across from her once more.

"I'll let you off easy. I just want to know everything about your people, you don't have to necessarily give me the details of their camp, where they are stationed at. Just general information that you would tell a complete stranger to who had never met your kind."

[Somniator]

Nova huffed at Arik as he spoke. When he returned, she finally drank from the flask. The cool water soothed her parched, aching throat. The Amurjin let out a soft sigh of relief. His kindness was...mildly surprising...she thought as she watched him leave again. Nova immediately began to chew on the ropes that bound her hands. She didn't need to chew all the way through, just enough so that she could break them when the time was right for her to escape from this place.  Stopping when she heard his footsteps approach the tent, her ears perked up slightly. He moved to sit across from her, carrying two plates filled with some fresh fruit and chunks of hot meat that nearly made her mouth water.

His question caused her to tilt her head to the side a bit. It was a simple request, and she didn't think that too much harm would come from educating him about her people. She first needed to find out what he already knew, then take it from there.

"First, what do you know about Amurjn?"

[TakodaVega]

"Other than the stories of your infamous Rose, and from what we've gathered as basic knowledge, hardly anything." He shrugged absently, tearing a piece of meat for himself and nibbling on it, eyeing her carefully. "We know that your tribes are not like the Leojin and instead of great prides and sprawling cities your people tend to be more isolated and more like a tribe of some sort. The White variety of your kind, such as Rose and yourself, are rare, and you tend to be very territorial of your lands. That is as much as I know. I don't know what sort of people you are. Though I don't think that they are honestly the sort to abandon their own kin unless they knew they were safe hands."

Glancing at her wrists he reached behind him to pull out a knife, he was going his own better judgement doing this but at least it should build some trust between them. "If I release you, you'll have to swear not to attack me, you have until this conversation or you finish the food on your plate, which ever ends first." Should she swear he would break the bonds at wrists and place the plate in front of her. "Now the question do you know much different than we do about us as people?"

[Somniator]

"I'm not stupid, Leojin. I am well aware of just how outnumbered I am here in this camp. Even if I did succeed in killing you, there would be quite a bit of noise made in the process, and I doubt I would get very far from here before I am captured again." Nova rubbed her wrists after he cut her bonds, hoping he didn't notice just how easy they were to cut through. His knowledge of Amurjin was mostly correct.

"We have one major city, though I'll neither tell you its name or where it's located. Just know that it is grand-far grander than any city your people have ever created, and very well protected. Other than that, we do generally live in small tribes, usually made up of two small families. When the children are fully grown, they generally leave home to find a mate of their own and begin their own family. White hair like mine and Rose's are indeed very rare. I am the first in my family's entire history to be born with white hair, and the first to be born into the Amurjin race since Rose was born. Most die young, as white stands out more than orange does. It makes you an easier target for large predators, should you wander too far from your parents. Amurjin like me, who do make it to adulthood, make the most excellent scouts. We had to learn how to really stay hidden when we went hunting with out parents, or something might try to snatch us up, and we generally had to figure it out earlier than the other children." Nova picked up a small chunk of meat, eagerly ripping off a bite. She thought carefully about his question, realizing that she really did not know much about his people.

"All I know of Leojin is that you live in large prides and have many cities and large villages. You hunt in large groups, usually composed mostly of females." Those sapphire orbs watched him carefully as she ripped off another bite of meat.

[TakodaVega]

Arik nodded as he listened to her, never once interrupting her tell her side of how her people ran and worked. "I can understand that life style, when we try to guard our territories the Leojin males leave their families to the females, who we dare say can control us with an iron fist, and go to protect it. Females of my kind are highly respected, without them there would be none of this." He waved his hands towards the tents, "They take care of us males in return we protect them in the ways we know how, we train them to protect themselves when we are not there and to feed our children. They stay with the family until they're of age to move out and on their own, but they usually don't stray too far."

He grabbed a branch of green grapes and picked them off carefully, tossing one into the air and making it land in his mouth. "I have younger sisters that remained with my Mother and Aunts. It's to be expected until I come home and then they'll probably find someone among the army to go with so long as they know how to defend themselves, as well as hunt properly." He shrugged carefully before he eyed Nova across from him. "We live with our Families because it offers greater protection, the largest Pride is the heart of the Land and we all must listen to them in the end." His chatty demeanor changed slightly as he tore into a piece of meat again. "I didn't agree to this to your people however. Apparently the pride of our Peoples cannot coexist has happily as it does with our Chitrajin or Pumajin cousins."

[Somniator]

Nova continued to eat as she listened to him speak. His people were very different from her own, but she did notice a few similarities. They were both proud, highly territorial people. This war was not going to end soon, even if they did find the location of the Amurjin's main city. It would be a fight to the death between the two peoples This thought momentarily curbed the female's appetite. She nibbled on the chunk of meat, sapphire eyes watching Arik. Nova would remain silent as she finished eating, taking her time with the small pile of grapes on her plate. The Amurjin tried to find a way to extend the conversation and make her food last longer, though both seemed to fail. She was not eager to have her wrists bound again. It was inevitable, however, and Nova sighed as she finished off the last grape on her plate. At this point, sleep almost seemed pleasant. She had been up since the night before, tracking him. Normally she would have caught a few hours of sleep before sunrise, but sleep was dangerous being so close to his troops. They could sneak up on her while she was sleeping and capture or kill her before she was even fully roused.

"It seems the pride of both our peoples will be our downfall. I do not see this war ending simply by you marching an army into our Heart." Heart was what the Amurjin called their main city when in the company of outsiders. Only Amurjin ever knew the city's real name, and any outsiders who found either the name or the city itself were killed immediately and their bodies burned. They could not risk the information leaking to the other peoples who roamed the land. It would result in the loss of the entire species.