Three days have passed, her legs wounds were getting better, but this whole time she haven't had much of a chance to see how He looks like in full light. She heard stories about him, but they didn't said anything specific about his look. Sometimes she could see his skinny, thickset body with scars wrapped in bloody cloth, and his wings with attached feathers and firmy covered in bandages. Muscules on them were a lot thiner than on the rest of the body.
*Looks like he's not using them much often or even at all, I wonder why.* She thought. The one thing that was the most mysterious was his face, she never had a chance to see it, because of the skull mask which is his hallmark. Sitting like that and munching a leaf, she also thought about getting away from him at this moment when he's not looking, but... Then what? She didn't had any place to return, so staying in cave of a relentless killer was an horrible option, but still better than dying from starvation in forest. She was tired of running away. And even though he was just waiting for her to regain strength, she felt that they are somehow simillar, because talking with him every day was kind of relaxing despite his cold tone and wild gaze.
Actually, he was the only person who really listened to what she says. No one in her previous lair ever took her seriously for her childlish personality. She was deep in thoughts, sitting in front of the cave looking at the raindrops, when she felt a presence behind her back.
"You'll catch a cold sitting there." He said with sinister voice, but with also somehow caring tone.
"God, you startled me! How come you're so quiet? Hmm, but still, could you possibly be... Worried?" She looked at him and smirked.
"Hmph." He turned his head and seemed kinda ashamed.
"Say... If you could have enough power to retaliate... Would you do that?" She quickly stopped. He DID seemed very talkative today, but she definitely didn't saw question like that coming.
*How on Earth am I suppose to respond to That?!* She didn't want to angry him with her stupid response, so she said what her parents used to teach her:
"Wasting my time for something that already happened is pointless. I can't do anything about it anyway." She turned around, and saw that he sat down and deeply sighned.
"Guess that is a one way to live..." He quietly said and looked up at the rainy sky.
He woke her up and said to meet him in front of the lair. She knew what he meant, so she got up and slowly went outside. He was standing near the descent of the mountain, looking at her and waiting. When she was approaching him, she was shaking more and more with every step. His eyes were looking at her every move. When she standed in front of him, he said:
"...The deal is a deal. I'll give you 10 second advantage. Say when you're ready. You know the rules. If you win, I'll let you go but if I win... that's it." His voice was different than usual, it was more lively. She gulped and said:
"I''m... ready" He closed his eyes waiting for an attack, when she immidetally jumped above him straight down the hill. She decided to follow her plan, because she didn't want to fight him at all, even if it was just few days, she grew a little attached. She continued to run with full speed, dodging all the trees and rocks, when she noticed something behind her back.
"What? He's faster than I thought." She said to herself and jumped above a small brook.
She felt that he jumped right after her and deeply scratched her tail in the air, it hurt a lot. She landed on the other side and heard a loud thump behind. She might have nowhere to return, but she wasn't ready to die yet, so she picked up the pace and the footsteps behind became thiner.
*If I won't play that right, I'll be done for. But how can I get away? I don't know this area...*
Just when she thought about that, she remembered what she noticed the other day. On the horizont, an edge of a cliff appeared, so when she approached it she stopped immidetally. Surprisingly, he stopped as well, just as planned. They were breathing heavly, but still looked at each other.
"Why are you running away? It wasn't a part of the deal."
He said with same grave dead voice and came closer to her. She stepped back.
"Give up already and fight me. You have nowhere to run."
She was confused that he didn't thought about that she could just fall to the sea from that cliff.
"I don't want to hurt you." She said and noticed that his eyes widened on that moment. She didn't thought that he'll overreact so much, but seeing that she smiled as cheerfull as she could, and said:
"Thanks for everything." Then she took a one final step backwards and began to fall down. Just when she was about to think that plan suceeded, she saw something completely unexpected - he jumped right after her.
She couldn't believe it. Her wings spred and she tried to glide down near him, he was falling very fast, but when he strighten his wings, she could catch up.
*Is he an idiot or something?!*
She reached out her arms, and caught him by his slender arms and chest.
"What on Earth was that?! You could've die!" She shouted. She kind of lost herself for a moment, but then heard:
"I'm well aware of that.. I cannot understand why I did that ether. I knew that you could fly, and yet I jumped to save you, how foolish of me." She looked and him in surprise and saw something impossible, a smile - a very thin, but still rad and honest smile. She couldn't believe what she's just seeing right now.
*So he is soft on the inside... How ironic.* She grinned and flew trough clouds. She looked at him again, and saw that he reached out his paw and tried to touch a cloud.
*It must be new for him*. She thought, and saw a mountain peak.
When they landed she realized how tired she got and lied down on the grass, gasping for air, said:
"You're.. gonna pay for that trip. *huff* Do you realize how...*huff* heavy you are? In the end I thought that I'll drop you." She was breathing heavly but was happy as well. He leaned down on her and reached out his bandaged paw. She looked at him, and grabbing it she standed up. They sat next to each other near the edge, and looked at the sunset in silence.
"Sorry about your tail." He said to her hesitantly. She looked at it. It's tip was bleeding, though this whole chase she completely forgot about it but now the pain returned.
"Eh, it's fine, it's fine, really! Don't worry about it, haha." She awkwardly scratcher her head and laughed. He slighty noded in answer.
Sitting like that, she could see that the look in his eyes changed - it was more tired and thoughtfull.
The male mirror deeply sighned and said:
"You don't have anywhere to return to, correct?"
"Nowhere at all." She answered with entusiasm.
He looked at the botomless pit below and continued:
"...I hope you do realize how dangerous I am, but if my unforgivable actions and stiff personality does not discourage you at all and you can take that risk..." He slowly looked at her:
"You can consider staying in my lair."
The wind howled. She was surprised with that sudden change of mind:
"Why are you suddenly so... calm?" She didn't knew how to even call it.
He looked back at the sky:
"You saved my life, so think about it as a payment."
She quietly laughed:
"I was just joking about paying. You don't have to take me so seriously." He looked at her, and titled his head:
"So you prefer to live outside, in the wild? That's fine with me."
*Was that just a joke or?* She was confused, but then saw him slightly smirk.
"...I think I'll stay with you. Thank you mister." She turned to him and deeply bowed. He turned his head and said awkwardly:
"Don't thank me if something will happend to you. And also... That's... Too formal." She honestly didn't knew how to call him.
"I'll be fine Crow. " She tilted her head.
"I hate that nickname." He said with slight irritation in his voice.
*Well, aren't you fastidious, huh. I'm trying to be polite here! If you want something "less formal" than maybe something cutesy like - *
"...Pancake." She didn't intend to say it out loud. Silence occured. Even trough a mask, she could feel a wave of annoyance coming from him. She quickly looked down, but then he glanced at her and said with a sharp tone:
"... We will work on that." Silence returned, but then he looked back at the sky, and continued:
"Do you want to know why I gave up on hunting you?" He said with strangely peacefull voice. She looked up in confusion. Maybe it would be better to not know? But then again, she was kinda curious.
"But you already said why, right? Because I saved you." She turned her head to him, and he continued to observe the clouds above them:
"That's also true, but the main reason is that...You have made my dream come true."
That day clouds were burning with intense red colors, and the Sun completely sat down.