Hunted Panther 6-10/10 + Epilouge
Title: Hunted Panther
Chapter: 6-10/10, + epilouge(they are more drabbles - ficlets)
Author: sagaluthien/ sagas_stories
Fandom: Dark-Hunter, RP
Pairing: Sean/Orlando
Rating: Varies from PG to NC-17
Warning: Au, set in Dark-Hunter world.
Prompt: witches (and the following is; Bitter, Rough, Wet, Blades, Arse, Steel, Green, Chain and Fifty)
Word count: From 122 (total 2549)
Table: Is found here in my story journal.
Beta: Inwe
Disclaimer and Author's note: Not know them or own them. The stories are written for fun and for seans_50 challenge, so no thoughts of any profit. English is my second language so there will turn up chapters/stories that isn't betad somewhere during the challenge, so please have that in mind when you read.
Want to learn more of this you can read my story Silent as a cat, which I wrote as Merry Vigorli exchange. This will be sort of prequel to that story and you see the half brothers Orlando and Sean.
Previous drabbel 1-5
Summary: The line between love and hate can seem very thin and you never know when things can turn out in the wrong direction.
Chapter: 6/10
Prompt: Arse
Word count: 258
The sun had gone down, and Orlando had dared to come out of hiding. He changed between man and Panther and hoped it would deceive Aeronwy. She had to have a dog or some other animal that was able to follow his scent and he was happy she wasn't a Were-hunter. He knew, however, that there was a possibility that a Were-hunter could be with her and then his chances would sink drastically.
This time he seemed to have luck on his side and he was breathing more easily when he knocked on Sean's door and his brother let him in.
"Oh Sean, I feel like the biggest arse that ever lived. Can you tell me why I didn't listen to you from the beginning when I met that fucking, lunatic witch?" Orlando poured out as he watched his brother fix him dinner, which consisted of just meat.
Sean turned to him, the knife dripping with blood. "You are not an arse. At least you realised what she is and that is more than the rest of our family have done. There are those that are under her influence and therefore they believe her and not you."
"How will they ever see the truth? She really has infected them with her lies."
"I don't know. I will try as much as I can to help you, you know that." Sean went back to preparing the food. Looking back at Orlando, Sean decided to put the plate on the floor.
"Thanks," Orlando said and changed into his animal form.
Chapter: 7/10
Prompt: Steel
Word count: 451
The next time Sean saw Orlando was when he went out for a run. He usually went the same route that took him past the favourite spot he and Orlando had loved to play around when they were younger. It had both open areas along with those well hidden by trees. He chose the route because most of it he could run in his panther form.
This time Sean slowed down for stretch and just let some air into his lungs. When he did, he thought he heard someone whimper. It was very low and if he hadn't smelled the air he would have thought it was his imagination, but he smelled both blood and a familiar scent.
He went silently towards it. It came from where the trees and bushes were thicker and where he knew there was a small cave. As he moved closer he could hear the whimpering more clearly. It was also obvious that it was having trouble breathing. Not to scare the animal that clearly was hurt Sean crept closer to the ground and under the opening.
Sniffing the air told him it was Orlando. Carefully he changed to his human form so he could more easily exam Orlando and find out why he was hurt. Very quickly Sean noticed what was wrong. Piercing Orlando's right hind leg was a piece of steel.
"Orlando you will need to lie perfectly still. I will help you, but you need to help me as well."
Orlando didn't move, but projected he would try, but he also knew he was weak.
"Okay. If I am able to get the steel out of you and you do not to bleed to death I would need something to bandage your wound with, so I need you to help me conjure something I can use."
Sean waited until Orlando was ready. They managed to conjure a small cloth, which told Sean that Orlando was right in saying he was weak. He could not wait.
"If you move, you will probably hurt yourself more," Sean warned as he took hold of the end that was sticking out of Orlando's leg. He had to sway it a little to loosen it. Once Sean had pulled it out, he was ready to put some pressure on the wound. But first he looked at what it was - a knife. It really didn't look good.
As fast as Sean could he bandaged Orlando's wound and then put his clothes over to keep him warm until he could get back with better supplies. If there had been others with Sean they might have been able to move Orlando, but a grown panther you could not carry by yourself.
Chapter: 8/10
Prompt: Green
Word count: 312
Sean tended Orlando as well as he could. He had to be careful when he went to the place where Orlando was lying wounded. Sean tried to mask his brother with more branches and green leaves. He so much wanted to take Orlando to a doctor or veterinarian, but Sean knew he could not do either. A doctor would not treat him as he was in animal form and a veterinarian would probably cage him as he was a panther, not to mention if Orlando switched he would probably be close to death. With the small supplies he was able to bring and the circumstances Sean had to believe the cut would not be infected and turn gangrenous.
Seeing that all seemed to be well and Orlando became more responsive made Sean relax. He went out hunting for deer, so Orlando would not need to do that once he was able to move again. Not to mention that the food would help to heal Orlando.
When Orlando was able to speak Sean learned that the one that who had put up the fight and stuck the knife into him was their cousin Shaun. He had always been envious of Orlando and both suspected he saw Aeronwy as a prize, one that Shaun wanted to have and be seen together with. When Sean learned what their cousin had done the first thing he wanted to do was to inflict the same injury but Orlando, knowing his brother's temperament, had managed to get Sean to promise not to do anything, afraid it would only make things worse for them both. It didn't stop Sean, though, from letting their cousin know that if he ever tried to kill Orlando again Sean would not be so kind. Sean didn't care if things became worse; those against Orlando would learn that Sean was on his brother's side.
Chapter: 9/10
Prompt: Chain
Word count: 346
Sean was happy when Orlando was well enough to move from the park. Even though Sean had wanted his brother home earlier, both knew it would have been too big a risk. After Sean had questioned Shaun, their cousin had not shown himself, yet both Sean and Orlando were worried as to what he might do.
Orlando tried to keep close to the city. To placate Sean that he was well Orlando made sure that they met regularly. The first week was no problem, but during the second week Orlando had needed to change his route and it ended up being a few days between visits. After a few more weeks the visits became fewer still.
At first Sean didn't worry when it had been five days since he last saw Orlando. But when another three days has passed Sean became anxious. By the tenth day without a word or anything Sean was really worried. He started to search all the places he could think of where Orlando might be. When he did not find him Sean spread out the search and he visited their father and other relatives to see if they maybe were behind Orlando's disappearance.
When he was close to the barn that their father had let fall into disrepair, Sean heard a faint whimper. At first Sean thought the sound came from some unfortunate forest animal, though when he thought about it the only animals in the area were themselves. Hearing the whimper again he walked towards where it came from.
Behind the barn, in an enclosure, lay something black. Checking behind him so no one was watching him Sean walked closer. Almost hidden in the high grass he could see the black was fur and shifting with darker spots - fur which was very familiar to him. Sean moved around to find the entrance and at the same time he could not take his eyes off his brother.
What he saw terrified him. Their own father was not only holding Orlando captive with chains: Orlando had a metriazo* collar around his neck.
* A silver collar that dampen the carriers to wield magic and manipulate the laws of nature.
Chapter: 10/10
Prompt: Fifty
Word count: 493
If Sean didn't know better he aged fifty years at once. He jumped over the fence of the enclosure and was at Orlando's side. He let his hands roam over Orlando's body, but did not find anything else other than the collar around his neck and the chain embedded in the right hind leg. It sent shivers down Sean's back. Orlando had to be in so much agony.
With his amber eyes Orlando held Sean's. 'Please help me. Free me. Or kill me, I can't live like this.'
'I'll do what I can, though I can't get the collar off before I know what magic was used.' Sean swallowed deeply to keep his feelings to himself. 'Are you able to hold out for a little longer?'
'Do I have a choice?'
Sean didn't reply, both knowing that Orlando didn't have much choice. Sean would try to help him as fast as possible, but he didn't want to do anything that would make it worse. He stroked his brother comfortingly. 'I'll be back.'
He couldn't get back as fast as he wanted. Orlando was worse. Sean wished that his magical ability was greater than it was, but at least he had learned what he needed to break the metriazo. Doing it, it gave a fizzling sound and as soon as it wasn't there Orlando started to shake. Sean put both his hands on him to slow it down because the worst was to come and Orlando had to be still.
'Thank you.' Orlando's voice was weak.
'Do you want me to wait a little longer before I cut the chain?'
'Have we enough time before anyone discovers us?'
Orlando was right to worry. He had to have a will of iron in order to not scream when the chain was removed. Sean had prepared everything as well as he could so for him one or ten minutes wouldn't change anything. Even if Sean knew that he had chosen a time when no one else was at the farm, there was every possibility that someone could come back while Orlando and he were still there.
'There should not be a problem,' Sean said to keep his brother calm.
Not long after Orlando let him know he was as ready as he could be. Sean put his feet on the chain in the hope it would not move when he started cutting the links. Satisfied that he had managed to do it without moving it too much Sean threw the shears aside. Orlando had kept himself unusually quiet. Looking at his brother told Sean why. Orlando had fallen unconscious.
Sean was happy he was strong enough to be able to carry Orlando to the carriage. He would take him to a place their family hopefully didn't know about. Sean hoped that Orlando would manage to survive and, at the same time, try to not have been a part of it if he were to be questioned.