Three days later Marcie hefted her pack onto her shoulders and set off from her house to the dead willow tree that leaned dangerously across the nearby stream, ancient roots still anchoring it to the shore, but for how much longer.
She had packed plenty of supplies and the pack weighed heavy upon her shoulders, she wore her hunting leathers, the season being warm enough that she should only need her furs when sleeping but she had added a large thick woollen scarf Luce had knitted for her years ago, the weight felt good around her neck and she snuggled her chin into its warmth as she walked.
She came upon the willow and spied Breen leaning against the lower trunk, shifting through his pack and murmuring instructions and advice to the men gathered around him. Although there were men older than him in attendance, the oldest being Far sighted Damnion who's stooped figure and gnarled hands hid strength and speed the like of which had become legend.
Despite the age and experience of the other hunters, Breen had risen to become somewhat of a leader and spokesperson amongst them, pleading their case at summer court and resolving disputes. He also arranged hunting parties and set routes. The men may not particularly 'like' him, his preference for men was a widely kept secret, but they did respect and trust him.
It was Far sighted Damnion who spotted her first, unsurprising considering his name.
His pale blue eyes stared at her for a moment before he turned his back and must have signalled to Breen somehow because he caught her eye which alerted the men, who one by one turned her way and looked at her with a selection of disgust, suspicion, anger and just the tiniest hint of fear.
She felt all their emotions towards her like a physical blow.
She thought she could handle a little suspicion but this was so much more. She slipped back into the trees and hid.
She listened to Breen finish relaying his instructions and waited until she heard the men holster their packs and make their way into the forest, their experienced feet padding softly upon the undergrowth. Then she followed equally softly behind them.
If the men were aware of her presence they ignored her, eyes intent upon the forest around them, fingers loose on their bow strings. All except Six Finger Freddie, who would turn to sneer in her direction whenever Breen was not looking and make rude gestures.
Six Finger Freddie was a rare unmarried man in the village, on account of his name sake, a small nub, half as long as his pinky finger which protruded near his thumb on his right hand. Childish teasing as a youngster had made him bitter and resentful and even the most open minded woman had been turned away by his unpleasantness. His hair was long, greasy and unkempt and hung around his face, hiding his beady and unsettlingly dark blue eyes, he had lost most of his front teeth in fights over the years and when he grinned it was a hideous mass of black gums, and one sharp canine.
He turned this feral grin towards Ketsa, who had been partnered with him today (Breen instructed them to work as pairs and rotated those parings, mostly so no one person had to put up with Freddie for too long) and whispered something to him which did not carry, he guffawed and slapped the poor man on the back with his six fingered hand, Ketsa grimaced and laughed weakly in response.
Poor Ketsa was quiet and unassuming but deadly with the bow and had yet to miss, ever. But he was not equipped to deal with people and was believed to be simple by most of the women of the village, including his heavy handed wife Stya, Marcie believed he and Breen had taken more than one tumble in the sheets together. He glanced back where she walked and looked away before she could catch his eye. She frowned, she had always liked Ketsa, and he had always been, not friendly maybe, just...kind, she did not expect him to act this way and that hurt her more than the stares from the others.
She walked on despondently, while Dara followed her progress from the skies and raged at the men who made her feel this way.
At the end of the first day they made camp alongside the stream. Marcie stayed out of the hustle and bustle as the men made the fire and setup their bed rolls, filled their water skins, prepared the animals they had caught on the way and set up their traps.
Long sighted Damnion shuffled up the tallest tree he could find and made his bed roll in the branches, attached with ropes to prevent him falling. He would take first watch as always, switching after a few hours then taking over again. Apparently he did not need as much sleep in his old age.
Breen oversaw the construction of the camp, then when everyone was busy he wandered in her direction and led her further away from the men until he was sure they would not be overheard.
"I shouldn't have come" she said miserably before he could utter a word, "It is worse than I thought"
Breen put his arm around her, "Its not too late to turn back darlin, no one would hold it against you"
"I know, I just didn't think that would act this way, even Ketsa..."
"Ketsa?"Breen said, surprised, "Even him? Don't pay him no mind, he's always scared of something, I can't stop the others from bothering you but I can make sure they don't act on it. For now, stay at the back of the party and cover our rear"
"I'm not afraid of them Breen" she said, crossing her arms,
"You may not be, but they are, and for now they want to blame you" he said seriously,
Marcie groaned and ran her fingers through her hair, Breen removed his arm from her shoulders and walked back to the camp, calling over his shoulder,
"I mean it Marcie, stay at the rear"
Marcie took her pack and walked far away from the camp, Breen had not said exactly, but she assumed it would be a bad idea to sleep near the men, so she searched with her mind for Dara and found him instantly, he showed her where he was hiding and she set off in that direction.
He was curled up in a gap between the roots of an enormous Great tree, he raised his head sleepily as she approached and puffed smoke out of his nostrils happily. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nipped at her side affectionately.
She felt mentally exhausted and lay down with her head on Dara's side, with the intent of falling asleep instantly when a stab of pain shot through her and she leapt to her feet with a gasp. The pain disappeared instantly but Dara made a low mournful sound in his throat and curled up tighter, dropping his head to the ground with an exhausted chuff.
"Goddess, whats wrong?" Marcie asked, anxiously, she placed her hands carefully on Dara back between his wings and felt his whole body tremble.
Closing her eyes she felt him with her mind but he was closed to her. Gritting her teeth in frustration she pushed at him, where he usually dwelled in the far reaches of her conscious, she pushed and pushed and gradually, as though pulling him closer to her bit by bit she perceived a dull ache in her joints and at her shoulders where she did not have wings, when she rolled her shoulders she felt pain shoot through her back, and yet it felt far way.
"Oh baby" she said sorrowfully to Dara, who opened one eye, looked at her, then closed it again.
"Why are you in pain?" she asked,
Dara, opened one eye again, rolled it skyward then closed it again, he did not know.
Marcie sat for a moment and thought long and hard, he was not hurt, well, he had no injuries that she could see. Maybe it was the growing pains people sometimes got when they were young. She tried to remember her own childhood when she had suddenly shot up to her substantial height but could not remember much from it. She tested the pain she felt through her bond and decided it should not be life threatening.
"Dara, I need you to listen to me alright?" she said, Dara opened both his eyes and regarded her silently, "I need you to go back to the cave" she sent him a mental image of the cave just to remind him, "I need you to stay there until you feel better, its no good you following me if you get hurt doing so" she told him,
Dara opened his drooping eyes wide then, with lots of huffing and chuffing, lifted his body with trembling front legs and then his back legs, he stretched out his wings and growled when pain tore through them. Marcie made her mind carefully blank to block the pain before it brought her to her knees.
He nuzzled her neck and placed his head on her shoulder, he was big enough to do that while she was standing now, then growled long and hard in anger, and sent her an image of Six fingered Freddie making rude gestures at her from above and the feeling of shame and hurt she felt when Ketsa ignored her.
"Hey, don't worry about me, ill be alright, and if i'm not" she patted her bow and grinned, "I am hardly helpless"
Dara growled again and curled his body around hers protectively. She sighed and patted his head between the two huge spikes, then wrapped her arms around him again.
"You can't protect me from words and looks you big oaf" she said into his neck.
After a long moment she released him,
"Go on now, get going"
Dara tensed and sank his claws into the ground stubbornly,
"Dara" Marcie said, her voice turning sharp, "Now"
The young Dragon unwrapped himself and, with head hung low plodded away sadly.
One day they would be able to spend all their time together, one day she would not have to hide him away.
When he had disappeared through the trees Marcie set up her bed roll and,after making a small fire, fell asleep to troubled dreams.