collaboration post with [@xxlyraxx]

Orren's head turned towards her voice when he heard her. He was in a tough place to be and he felt alone. If he let her get close to him and it wasn't enough to break the spell then what? He would turn full demon and hurt or kill her? His mind stayed amped up and worry filled his mind. He smiled slightly. She sure was a determined little thing. He held his breath and opened the door and turned and walked back to the window.

[color=00aeef]"It's lonely for me too." [/color]He sighed. [color=00aeef]"Why aren't you terrified of me? You should be, I'm half demon already. I could hurt you, kill you even." [/color]He opened his mouth to say more but he closed it and looked out over the city.

Adelina reached over and picked up the tray, carrying it into the room with her. She glanced around and spotted a table, walking over and setting it down before she turned to look at Orren. She remained quiet while he talked and once he had said his piece, she walked over to him, stopping shy of standing next to him.[color=f7976a] "I'm not terrified or scared of you because I have no reason to be. You expressing worry that you will do something terrible shows that you can control yourself. You were angered at James but you didn't raise a hand against him, did you? I don't fully understand how it feels to be in your place, but I want to do my best to help you out as much as I can. So please, don't hide away."[/color] 

Orren was overly frustrated and he wasn't sure how he felt but he was still feeling resentful of the spell in it's entirety. He turned to her in a split second, his cloak flying about wildly. It gave her access to see his entire demonic form and the pain in his eyes. 

[color=00aeef]"Do you know how badly people thought I was because of the spell? They spread rumors about me eating people. The doctors refused to come here for fear of being killed. James almost died last year, he got pneumonia and the doctor wouldn't come here." [/color]He leaned his face down to hers and his face changed, showing the hardness that he could be.[color=00aeef] "Maybe I should stop trying to break the spell and just make you both leave. I would be banished to hell as a demon, maybe that would be better for you both."[/color] 

Orren rose up and glared at her. He growled under his breath quietly.

Adelina straightened her spine and returned his glare, fists balling at her sides. She took a step forward, finger coming up and poking at his chest. [color=f7976a]"You're not going to give up, I won't let you and I highly doubt James will either. Even if you send me away, I'll come back, again and again. However many times it takes for you to see that I want to help and I'm not going to take no for an answer. I didn't run away before so I'm not going to run now. People will find anything to be afraid of and if they want to act like a lot of cowards then so be it. They won't get to see how nice of a person you are, or hear how beautifully you play. We're going to find a way to break this spell, do you hear me? I'm not giving up and neither will you, understand?" [/color]

She took a deep breath, staring up at him defiantly. 

Orren was about to say something when he heard something outside the window. Someone was shooting at him. He shoved Adelina away from the window and she landed on her backside. [color=00aeef]"Stay down!"[/color]

A second shot rang out and although pistols in those days were not very accurate this one entered the window and hit him in the shoulder. Orren roared loudly and jumped right out of the window.

Adelina let out a loud [color=f7976a]"Ommph!"[/color] and was quite confused to suddenly find herself on the ground. It took her brain a few seconds to process what had happened, and a few more seconds to realize why Orren wasn't standing in the room with her any longer. Crouching, she hurried over to the door as fast as she could and as soon as she was clear of the window, began sprinting down the stairs, nearly tripping over her dress. [color=f7976a]"JAMES!"[/color] She screamed at the top of her lungs as she raced into the main area and towards the front door. 

James didn't know which way to turn as he was already carrying a pistol. [color=orange]"I'm on my way out to the gardens. Someone is shooting at Orren!"[/color]

James ran to the door and towards the gardens in time to see the demonic side of Orren in full swing. His claws had come out and his eyes were glowing red in fury and he was about to tear the man in half. James aimed and shot Orren in the leg and Orren roared at him loudly. [color=orange] "Drop him Orren! You can't kill him. If you kill in demonic form you will suffer as a demon for all eternity."[/color]

Orren threw the man in the bushes and bellowed out a loud roar that shook the walls of the kingdom. Afterwards he ran towards the back of the property and his bellowing was heard for miles as he worked off some of his anger and frustration. Orren didn't come in for over an hour.

James ran over and took up the pistol from the ground and he dragged the shooter outside the gates so his friends who were no doubt watching could take him home. James locked the gates and walked back inside the main entrance of the house and kicked the door shut.

Adelina paced in a tight line in the foyer. She was fairly sure her pacing was wearing a line into the floor but that was the last thing on her mind. James had tried to coax her to come to dinner but she declined, her worry for Orren mounting as the hour passed. She had heard from James just what happened and she had begun her pacing when she learned about Orren's wounds. Finally, after an hour and still no sign of him, she marched over to the door and grabbed her cloak. She swung it over her shoulders then threw the door open. White flakes were beginning to drift from the sky and she shivered as a cold wind blew through the open doorway. All the more reason to go looking for him.

She called to James that she was going to look for Orren and hurried outside before he could call her back. He had said Orren had run to the back of the property and that's where she started looking. She scanned the open space but didn't see him anywhere. The forest it was then. She picked up the pace and ran into the trees. [color=f7976a]"Orren!"[/color] She called, huffing slightly as she jogged. The snow was beginning to fall faster now and she picked up speed, hoping to find him before the weather took a turn for the worse.

[color=f7976a]"Orre-"[/color] She cut off with a startled scream, the ground underneath her feet disappearing as she walked off a small hill, losing her footing and letting out another scream as she went tumbling down. She reached the bottom shortly thereafter and groaned, slowly sitting up. Nothing felt broken but when she tried to climb to her feet, her right ankle turned underneath her and she crumpled back to the ground. 

She lay there for a few moments, catching her breath before sitting up once more and looking around for a sturdy stick she could use as a crutch. She eventually found one not too far from her and she leaned over, snagging it with her fingers and dragging it towards her. She got to her feet again slowly, right foot lifted off the ground as she leaned heavily on the branch. She looked around to find a path to take and let out another groan. The decline she had tumbled down landed her in what was essentially a bowl. Steep inclines surround her and with her foot, she definitely wouldn't be able to climb up. And all the while, the snow fell down, settling on her cloak.

Orren had heard Adelina and he had purposely stayed out of her sight. When she fell he waited to hear her and when he didn't he crept down into the bowl shape of the hill. He saw her in the dark. She was okay but he guessed she had twisted her ankle. In the darkness that was getting darker still he sighed and went over to her and tried to be gentle with her as he lifted her into his arms and held her against him. For him it was easy to get out of the decline. He said not a word as he carried her back to the house. Once inside the house he put her down on a chair.

When she was swept up into someone's arms, she yelped, arm holding the branch swinging in surprise. In the darkness she couldn't see who had picked her up and it was a reflect to swing. Lucky for Orren, her aim was off since she couldn't see and she missed hitting him with the branch. [color=f7976a]"O-Orren?"[/color] She asked quietly, feeling the figure lean forward as they climbed easily from the bowl they had been trapped in. Adelina stayed quiet for the majority of the trip, relaxing slightly when they exited the forest and the dim light from the castle barely allowed her to make out Orren's features. [color=f7976a]"Oh thank goodness. Are you okay? Your injuries are greater than mine, I don't think you should be carrying me."[/color] When she got no response, she peered up at him in concern. She continued to look at him in concern  as he sat her down in a chair. Now that they were inside, she could fully see the extent of his injuries and she gasped.

[color=f7976a]"Hang on, I'll go get the medkit."[/color] She said, thankful she had kept hold of her branch the entire time as she now tried to use it to climb to her feet.

Orren stayed her hand as she tried to get up. [color=00aeef]"James! Adelina has injured her ankle. Can you bring the medical kit, please."[/color] Orren had barely raised his voice but he heard James bustling about in the other room getting what was needed. James arrived with all manner of medical necessities. He wrapped Adelina's ankle after checking to see if it was broken. James glanced up and took a peek at Orren to see what state of mind he was in. 

[color=orange]"Should I bother with you now or later?"[/color] Orren grumbled at him and James handed the kit to Adelina. [color=orange]"Maybe you'll have better luck. He isn't too pleased with me right now. He has one in the shoulder and one in the leg. I think they both went all the way through."[/color] James looked irritated and left them alone.

Orren was very aware that Adelina wouldn't have gotten injured if she hadn't come looking for him and it upset him.[color=00aeef] "You should have left me alone out there. It doesn't bother me at all. You could have been killed if I hadn't been close enough to hear you when you fell."[/color]

Adelina set the kit on the table and used her improv crutch to climb to her feet. She gestured for him to sit in the chair, waiting patiently for him to take a seat. When he did, she examined the wounds in his shoulder and leg. [color=f7976a]"James was right, they went right through so we don't have the painful job of digging the bullet out. Hmmmmm, It's going to need stitches though."[/color] She turned to the medical kit and began rooting around for what she needed. As she did, she addressed what he had said. [color=f7976a]"Yes, well, I would have minded. You were injured and it was starting to snow. There was no way I was going to leave you out there. And I'm sure I would have been able to find a way out of that hole, given time."[/color]

She poured some disinfectant onto a rag and hobbled over to him. [color=f7976a]"This will sting a bit."[/color] She warned before she began cleaning the wounds as gently as she could. Once done, she grabbed a needle, disinfected it before she threaded it and turned to Orren once more. Her tongue peeked out between her teeth as she focused on making neat, clean stitches. All that was left was to bandage the wound, which didn't take too long. Finished, she began cleaning up, starting to feel bruises form from her tumble down the hill. 

Orren watched as she cleaned and sewed up the wounds. He  couldn't figure why she seemed so concerned and then something occurred to him. She was cleaning up and he stood up and picked her up. Her surprise was obvious. 

[color=00aeef]"I should let you know that whether or not I die you will still be paid so you need not worry about my welfare so much."[/color] He carried her to her room. [color=00aeef]"I'll have James bring hot water for a bath. Your muscles will be sore." [/color]His tone was cold as he deposited her on her bed and walked out of the room.

[@XxLyraxX]