By Moonlight Met (closed)

[DrStein]

Roark stood on the hilltop looking over the city. Despite its walls, it had eventually fallen in the seige. A pity. He had been born there. Smoke rose up into the inky night sky while the fires of burning buildings illuminated it in stark shadows that slowly softened as the light stretched to the surrounding farmland. It was not yet a full moon, but it was a clear night and the light from the stars and the waxing gibbous was enough to see by.

Faint specks of activity were barely visible at the city's edge beyond the walls that had proven so ultimately futile in the effort to defend the people within. Soldiers were on the march or looting. Civilians being rounded up as prisoners or butchered. A part of Roark's stomach turned to think of it all, but he watched in silence.

He gave up his life among those people years ago. He would never again be a part of them. Too much had changed. At best he would live a double life until he was found out and would have to flee anyway. By this point, it would be pointless to go back there and try to help. By the time the army had arrived it was already too late. Strong though he was, Roark knew better than to believe he alone could take on an army or shift the tide of battle in any meaningful way. He was and forever would be a part from them. He just had to keep reminding himself that none of this was his concern... Not anymore.

He turned to leave. He knew in his head that all of this was true. His heart was still heavy though. Perhaps it was only natural. He could after all understand the plight of those poor people. Even if...

Roark hesitated. Something was coming toward him. Or... towards the tree line? He looked out into the darkness, focusing his eyes in the moonlight and allowing them to flash yellow for the briefest moment. He saw a figure. A white (or perhaps blue?) dress partially hidden by a dark cloak and hood. She was running on unsteady legs toward the forest and away from the city. A refugee of some sort, apparently. That dress belonged to no farmer's daughter, so perhaps a merchant's daughter or wife?

As he pondered this, the girl noticed him and froze in place. She was terrified. She thought him a soldier maybe. Or a highwayman. Not his concern either way. They stared at one another, vague shapes in the moonlight until finally Roark turned and walked away toward the forest.

He stopped however when he heard the girl running to catch up with him. He silently sighed. He had hoped she would leave. Now he needed to figure out how to turn her away without hating himself.

 

[Virgininneed]

The smell of burning buildings and the sounds of screams and cries surrounded her as she fled the city. If she was caught and found out, she would be killed or worse. Althea was the prophetess and a priestess at the temple of Diana, goddess of the moon. But now the city had fallen to the Craetenes, followers of Apollo, god of the sun, who despised anyone who followed Diana.

She stumbled towards the forest, clutching her stomach, bleeding from a very bad knife wound. Her best option was to head to the city of Aeruquae, where she could seek safety and protection. As the prophetess of the temple, the soldiers were no doubt searching for her already. She had to get away quickly, and the wound wasn't helping.

Then she saw him, a figure in the dark. She was unsure who he was, friend or foe, and talking to him could be dangerous. They stared at each other until he turned away. Looking down at the wound, she realized there was no way she could make it on her own. She had to risk it and run after him.

She sprinted, following as fast as she could, relieved when he stopped. Crying out in pain, she fell to the ground behind him, the blood now staining her dress, her hands completely red. She looked up at him, tears running down her pale cheeks. "Please help me. I have to get out of here... please..." She was growing weaker and weaker as she lost more blood, coughing up some more as she trembled on the ground in front of him.

 

[DrStein]

Roark smelled the blood before he turned and saw the wound. Without help, the girl wouldn't make it through the night. A voice in his head told him, 'Walk away. It's not your concern.' But he also remembered a time when he still had a home. And before that a family when he was still a boy. He couldn't just watch her die. She was neither a threat to him nor a beast to be made a meal of.

He knelt down beside her and turned her onto her back. He couldn't see anything through the bloody fabric of her dress, so he grabbed the ends of the fabric and ripped open the midsection of the garment. It looked like a stab wound. He touched the area around it and narrowed his eyes. Difficult but not impossible to fix. Roark had become an expert in cures mundane and magical out of necessity. There were times when he could not wait for another full moon to heal and had to take matters into his own hands. He had never tried his cures on another, but right now he was the best this girl was going to get.

He tore away more fabric, leaving her whole belly exposed. He reached into his back and first drew out a small, dried white mushroom. "Eat." He instructed her. It would dull the pain and stop the internal bleeding, but he also needed her calm to tend the wound.

Once she followed his instructions, he withdrew a leather pouch full of dried leaves and berries. He crumbled a handful to powder in his hand and sprinkled it over the wound. The blood bubbled slightly and began to dry quickly. It would be... unpleasant. But it was better than the alternative. He took his waterskin and poured a small amount of water on the wound. It mixed with the dried blood and powder. Roark gently rubbed his hand on it, turning it into a thick, reddish brown paste. "Lie here and wait. Do not move." He sat cross-legged beside her and closed his eyes as he waited patiently. It would not completely heal her wounds, but it would prevent any bleeding and keep the wound from reopening as long as she didn't exert herself. She just had to wait for the paste to set.

 

[Virgininneed]

Althea whimpered quietly as he gently rolled her onto her back, her cloak opening to reveal the dress of a priestess. On her slender arm she wore a gold band marking her as the prophetess of the temple. It was bound to her by magic and could never be removed, making her journey all the more dangerous. A sharp cry escaped her as he tore open the dress, her body tensing in pain. When his fingers touched the wound she almost screamed. It was deep and very painful.

"Eat." Althea chewed the mushroom, fully aware that her life was in his hands. Despite the blood and dirt covering her face and body, she had a distinct beauty. Her skin was pale white, almost transluscentm Her hair was long, wavy, and as black as the night sky. Bright blue eyes dulled with pain stared up at him. She was small and thin, but still had cuves, and her stomach, whiite with dark splotches of blood, was completely flat.

It hurt as he made the paste and rubbed it in, but she tried to remain still, focusing on his face instead of the pain. "Lie here and wait. Do not move." Her small hand moved to his, squeezing it gently as she closed her eyes, her breathing sharp and ragged. "Thank you," She whisperd to him as she lay on the ground.

 

[DrStein]

If Roark heard her thanks, he gave no indication. He simply sat and patiently counted the heartbeats. He needed to keep himself calm and focused. If they moved too soon the wound would open again.

Time crawled by. The moon was at its apex when Roark finally opened his eyes. He stood and looked down at the young woman. "Do not exert yourself and you will live. Get yourself somewhere safe and find a real healer."

At that he turned to leave. Getting involved in other people's affairs would only end badly for him. He'd already done more for this girl than he'd done for anyone else in years. If he were to become entangled in the politics and messy business of civilization again... he really didn't want to think about it. He needed to just leave.

 

[Virgininneed]

"Do not exert yourself and you will live. Get yourself somewhere safe and find a real healer."

Seeing him turn to leave, she grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Wait! Who are you? Please just tell me your name?" Suddenly she froze, hearing voices and footsteps of enemy soldiers coming closer. They knew she had left the city and they were searching for her, probably hoping to put her on trial for heresy.

"He said the bitch came this way. Navy cloak and hood, white dress, bleeding stomach. Should have a gold armband on her." Althea stood, backing away, hoping to escape unnoticed. "You two! Stay where you are and don't move. If you fight us or run, we will kill you."

They ran to her and the man who saved her, one of them grabbing her wrist and twisting it. A smirk came over the soldier's face as his two men stared at Roark. "So you must be Althea. I wasn't aware they let whores become priestesses here." They laughed as he tore open her dress completely. "Our king wants you delivered to the city so you can be put on trial. The temple of Diana here has fallen, as will all of the others."

Tying her hands behind her back, the soldier turned to Roark. "Who are you? Were you helping her escape?"

 

[DrStein]

Try as he might, a spark ignited in Roark's chest. A soldier kept a spear trained on him the whole time. Roark watched as the men insulted the priestess, he heard the name Althea, and stripped her naked. His face was a mask of blank stoicism but inside him the embers were being stoked into a bonfire. Images flashed in his mind of the men fleeing in terror before him. The tearing of flesh, the snapping of bones, the gush of warm blood in his mouth...

"Who are you? Were you helping her escape?"

"Who I am is not important," Roark answered. His voice was low in his chest, a menacing tone with a soft growl. "I'm warning you for the first... and last time. Let her go."

That visibly angered the soldier. He shoved Althea into the arms of one of his comrades who had a sadistic grin as he groped at her breasts while restraining her. Roark's lip briefly twitched into a sneer. Three of them in total. Hardly a fair fight for them.

The commanding officer strode up to Roark, getting right into his face. "I'll have you hanging from a noose for that. Either you're one of the slut's parishioners we missed or you're a poacher in these woods. Either way..."

The man didn't have time to finish the sentence. Roark snapped his head forward. He could feel the crunch of the offider's nose breaking when Roark's head collided with it. He immediately wheeled out of the way of the spear that came for him and wrenched it from the hands of his attacker. He spun around and swung the shaft in a wide arc. When it hit the skull of the soldier who previously possessed it, the wood shattered under the impact.

The remaining soldier threw Althea to the ground and drew his sword. That would be his last mistake. He charged but Roark ducked under a broad swing of the sword and slammed his shoulder into the man's stomach. He straightened up and used his opponent's own moment to flip him over and splayed on his back. Roark stomped on his chest, breaking ribs and killing him almost instantly.

He took a deep breath in and exhaled with a deep, bestial growl. He blinked his eyes and they returned to their normal hard, grey color. He turned and looked to the girl. "They hurt you?"

 

[Virgininneed]

Althea looked at Roark as the soldier held her trembling form. She squirmed against him, eyes wide with fear, thinking there was no escape. Roark didn't appear to be armed, and there were three soldiers. If he did fight them, she'd only get in the way with her injury. Tears ran down her cheeks, mentally preparing herself for what lay ahead.

Hearing Roark's answer, the commanding officer became furious, determined to show the man he was not to be trifled with. Althea watched helplessly, wishing she could help the man who had saved her life. But then he showed how powerful he really was. Watching the fight, she understood that this was no ordinary man, no farmer or merchant. Not even bandits fought this well.

It was over as quickly as it began and she looked up at him from the ground, amazed and relieved. She struggled to stand but eventually got to her feet, her hands still tied behind her. "Thank you... How... You... They... Who are you?" The question ad now been asked three times.

 

[DrStein]

Roark drew a dagger that he had kept hidden under his cloak. "Like I told them, who I am isn't important." The commanding officer and the soldier with the spear were only unconscious. They would come to and send trackers after him and the girl. Unacceptable. Without a hint of emotion, he cut their throats where they lay.

He rose back up to his full height, wiped the blood from his blade and replaced it in its sheath at the back of his belt. He then looked over at the girl. She was now naked but for her cloak and slippers. A stirring in his blood came that he quickly suppressed. "Are you fit to travel?" he asked simply. "There will be more. You need to leave."

He knew better than to just leave the bodies like this. He grabbed two by hte wrists and began dragging them toward the tree line. He would clumsily hide them, take a few of the valuables and let their fellows believe that it was a bandit attack. If they even bothered to check the woods that is. A few constables or bounty hunters looking for a bandit camp would be easy to avoid. The less they suspected the presence of... of Roark's kind, the better.

 

[Virgininneed]

Remembering she wa naked, Althea blushed and quickly concealed her body with the cloak. He didn't seem to want anyone to know who he was or how he knew those skills, but she wished to know more about him. As he slit their throats and plled them into the foest, she looked away, towards a river in the distance.

In the temple, she was kept inside, away from the eyes of all men except the eunuchs who worked in he temple. She was never let out into the city, only into a garden inside Diana's shrine. She'd always been jealous of the other priestesses who did not posess the gift of foresight. Although they were guarded and unallowed to speak to men outside the temple, they had a great deal more of freedom.

Althea was an oracle, a seer or prophetess, very valuable to the city and it's allies. In the hands of an enemy too, she could be exploited and tortured to use her gift when Diana did not send visions. There was a process for seeing into the future without the aid od the gods, but it was extremely painful and dangerous.

"There's a cave in these woods that's well hidden that no one knows about. We can hide there." As a test to see if she was the oracle, Althea had been left in the woods as a baby, still at the age of nursing, for a week. A wolf had returned her alive, perfectly healthy, with the marking of gold on her shoulder of a wolf. It was the sign of the oracle, given by Diana herself. Unknown to anyone elese, Diana had provided a cave only they knew of, in case of attacks like this.

 

[DrStein]

"We?" Roark asked. "You need to get away. They're not after me." He disposed of the third and last body and began taking some of the lighter valuables. He'd steal two of the swords, but didn't have much need for them. Perhaps he could bury them somewhere.

He kept telling himself that the girl's fate wasn't his concern. Yet he had already healed her and killed three men in her defense. He tried to rationalize that the killings were as much for his own sake as hers, but even in his head that sounded hollow. He didn't look at her, now. Whether out of respect for her modesty or because he wasn't sure of his ability to keep from getting tangled up in her problems he wasn't sure.

 

[Virgininneed]

Althea swallowed, nodding. He'd done so muc for her, and it would be unfair to him if she asked for more. Still, she'd never been out in the wilderness except for that one time as a child. She gave him a small smile before turning and walking in the diretion of the cave. "Well, again, thank you for helping me. Be careful."

 

[DrStein]

The girl made her way toward the woods. Roark watched her go for only a second before turning away. His eyes rested on the orange glow off in the distance of the city burning. He felt a sharp pang in his heart. For the first time in a long time he could relate to another person. Both of them had lost their homes, though she in a more dramatic manner than him.

Against his better judgment, he turned back toward where the girl had gone. "Wait!" he called out. His long stride allowed him to catch up with her quickly. "There's a hamlet a few days from here. Deep in the forest, but if you take the roads the army will find you before you ever get there. I can take you there through the wilderness." She was alone with only a cloak for protection against the elements. She was wounded and had no supplies, and if the fear in her voice was any indication, she had no idea how to survive on her own. If he left her now, it would be no different than if he personally cut her throat himself. If the army didn't pick her up, then she would surely die alone and afraid in those woods.

No matter how hard Roark tried to tell himself that this wasn't his problem, he still remember enough of his old life to know that he would never forgive himself if he abandoned Althea now. "It will... be a little difficult going. And I'm not much for conversation. But I will guide you there. Beyond that I make no promises."

 

[Virgininneed]

"Wait!" Althea turned around in surprise, waiting for him to catch up, which he quickly did using his longer legs. "There's a hamlet a few days from here. Deep in the forest, but if you take the roads the army will find you before you ever get there. I can take you there through the wilderness." She smiled up at him, her fears receding once she knew she would not be alone. Without him her chances of survival would be slim at best. It wasn't that she was unintelligent, for she had a bright mind and an excellent education. But her life had been much too sheltered.

"It will... be a little difficult going. And I'm not much for conversation. But I will guide you there. Beyond that I make no promises."

Althea stood on her toes, hugging him and kssing his cheek. "I wouldn't ask any more of you. You're a good man. You've already done so much. Follow me to the cave and we can rest. It's almost dark and we'll need our energy." Guided only by instinct and her faith, she walked with him to a rocky area, surrounded by thick brush. Pushig branches out of the way, she found the cave, vey well hidden.

It was spacious, but not too big, with a pool of clear water in the back. A small shrine to Diana stood by a bed of pillows and silk cloth, warm despite the lightness of it. She was surprised by how nice it was. Diana was watching out for them.

 

[DrStein]

She called him a good man. That hurt more than he would admit. She would take it back in a heartbeat if she knew what he was. He followed her to the cave. He had come across it several times wandering the woods, but never disturbed it. The last thing he had wanted was to let anyone know that he existed. At least, until tonight.

They couldn't risk lighting a fire. They were too close to the tree line and the smoke would give them away. They'd have to be at least a day's journey into the woods before it would be safe to attempt. He sat on the floor of the cave and took out his dagger. He sharpened it on a whetstone with slow, smooth strokes. He eventually drew back the hood of his cloak to full reveal his features for the first time. He was surprisingly young. He couldn't have been a day past 30 at the oldest. His dark hair was unruly and over overgrown, but framed a handsome face with grey eyes, a square jaw and a pale scar running across his cheek. "Do not make a saint of me. You don't even know my name... I live alone for a reason."

 

[Virgininneed]

Althea walked to the pool and dipped two clay bowls into it that were nearby. Walking to him, she sat down, shoulder to shoulder, before giviing him water. It was pure and clean, cool and soothing, leaving a good taste in the mouth. "Perhaps you are not as terrible a man as you think you are." She drank sowly, closing her eyes as she set the bowl down and undid her braid, letting her hair fall loose down her back.

She looked up at him an her breath caught in her throat, and a blush crept over her cheeks. She hadn't expected him to be so attractive. There was a roughness to his looks and a scar on his cheek, but it only made him look better. She took hi hand and led him to the bed, ying down with him before he could protest. She shut her eyes and curled up against him, relaxing.

 

[DrStein]

Roark said nothing. He drank the water in silence. When she pulled him down to lay with her, he grunted in protest but stopped at the feeling of his hand on her bare skin. So soft, so smooth... His heart thudded in his chest and his blood heated up. Her slender form pressed against his and it took a little squirming to prevent her from feeling his rapidly stiffening cock.

He heard that familiar voice in his head. 'Take her.' It was always stronger this close to the full moon. In two days it would be hard to silence. 'If she has any sense, she wants you to ravish her and make her moan like a bitch in heat.'

"My name is Roark." He realized too late he said it out loud. Normally it didn't matter if he spoke aloud or not. There was no one to hear it. Reminding himself of his name, that he was still a man, was his first defense against the curse. Only through sheer willpower had he succeeded all these years in retaining his mind. He said no more. Now the girl knew his name, and he knew hers from when the soldiers had said it. It gave him little comfort.

 

[Virgininneed]

"That's a beautiful neame," she smiled,her head resting against his chest. She felt his warm hand on her cool skin and sighed, snuggling closer to him as she pulled the blankets over them. Wolves howled outside, and it was a comfort to know the animal of her goddess was with them, though in more ways than she knew.

"They're beautiful animals. You know, they say Diana sometimes comes in the form of a wolf to help one of her followers."She kissed his cheek gently. "Maybe she's out there watching after us."

Slowly, she fell asleep, her body molded into his. Thee was a certain innocence about her, the smile, her eyes, the way she trusted him so easily. Though smart, people could take advantage of her naivety. She'd finally stepped out o the temple into the world, but it was a dangerous place.

In her sleep, she saw a vision of herself lying beside a large wolf, warmed by its fur. "If the temple of Diana is to remain, the moon and the wolf must become one. Know this my daughter, or Apollo will prevail.

 

[DrStein]

Roark slept lightly. He didn't sleep much in general. He was up long before Althea was and had set about roasting some wild vegetables on a low fire by the time she finally stirred. "I hope you got enough rest. We have a long journey ahead of us today."

He handed her a serving of the vegetables on a broad, flat stone. That was when it became obvious that he had taken his shirt off. His shirt was bunched up and sitting next to her. His body was lithe and muscular, a layer of dark curls on his chest and leading a trail down his stomach underneath his trousers. "Eat and put on the shirt. You'll need it more than me."

 

[Virgininneed]

Althea stirred, slowly opening her eyes and reaching for Roark, but he wasn't there. She sat up, looking around the cave before seeing him preparing food. Smiling she walked to him and sat. "Don't wory, I had enough sleep. Did you sleep well?" She took the food and began to eat when she noticed something, and her eyes grew wide.

His shirt was gone, and she saw his hard body. He was very strong and muscular, and she longed to touch him, explore him, kiss him... She shook her head, surprised by her own thoughts. She never thought like that. Realizing she was staring, no wanting to appear rude, she blushed and finished eating.

Standing, she smiled down at him. "Thank you Roark." She walked to his shirt and removed her cloak before putting both on. If he glanced behind him, he would see her slender body slipping into his shirt before hiding herself beneath the cloak again. She returned as he finished eating, still blushing as she prepared to leave.

 

[DrStein]

Roark doused the coals and put on his own cloak. He made no attempt at conversation as they left the cave. The forest was serene and seemed largely oblivious of the two people walking through it. Wind whispered half-remembered songs in the tree tops and birds sang and flitted about.

Roark moved through all of this with a practiced confidence. This was his domain. He moved with the silence of a predator and repeatedly had to stop and let Althea catch up. They stopped once at a stream at midday to eat. Roark retrieved some crayfish from the water and gathered some berries and mushrooms. He wrapped them all in broad leaves soaked in the stream and roasted them in a fire.

He looked up at the sky and realized the day was half over. That's when he heard that voice in his head again. 'Don't be a coward. Fuck her. If she is as grateful as she claims then let her prove it. Demand she wrap her lips around your cock. Spread her legs, pin her down and...' Roark shook his head to clear it. The full moon was tomorrow night. He had to stay in control just long enough to bring her to the hamlet tomorrow before nightfall.

 

[Virgininneed]

Althea was smalller and had to walk quickly to keep up with him. For every step he took she took three. Luckily, she had kept herself fairly fit, so she didn't grow tired or need to stop for breaks. When they got to the stream, she helped gather berries, not wanting to be a total burden.

When the meal was ready, she sat beside him, eating and listening to the birds singing songs passed down for generations. It was beautiful outside, and she couldn't help but smile. There was a rustle in a bush nearby, and she looked up startled until a small wolf pup came out and walked to them.

It was unusual to most, but priestesses of Diana had a special connection to wolves in a way no one ese did. She laughed lightly, almost like music, as it jumped up and started licking her face. She scratched it's ears, giggling until its mother came and the pup ran back. The wolf bowed her head before disappearing into the trees.

 

[DrStein]

Roark was surprised by the appearance of the wolf pup and its mother. He knew priestesses claimed some connection to wolves, but he had always regarded it as a superstition until now. If anyone knew wolves better than him, he hadn't met them. "That happen often?" he asked.

The voice came back. 'You see? Show her your strength. Make her get down on all fours and...' He tuned it out again. Unfortunately it came back swiftly. 'When she sees what you are, she'll beg you to ravish her like a whore. She'll be pleading to feel your seed on her face, her breasts...' It was rare that he had this much trouble blocking it out. He spared a glance at Althea, unaware that his eyes where shifting back and forth from grey to yellow.

 

[Virgininneed]

Before the mother left, it stared at Roark through the bushes, its eyes flashing to a pale blue for a moment. "She is yours. Protect her and donot fail. The lives of my people depend on this." The voice whispered into his head, feminine but powerful. "Be careful when you take her. She will bleed the first time." With that the wolf left.

 

[Virgininneed]

Althea laughed, smiling up at him, touching his cheek. "We have a connection to wolves. They know who we are and they do not fear us. They guide us through trouble and keep us safe from harm."