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He too felt a connection to her. It was like his act of saving her had put them together and they were now linked by fate or whatever you wanted to call it. He didn't know the state of their blankets, though he did know that if she were using two for him and the cat, there wouldn't be that many left over. He would gladly give his up to Tisha though, later, if she needed to be warm...or she could use him as a blanket, with that thick coat of his.

Tisha wasn't sure how they would situate things later, but she was more concerned with right now. She gave a playful squeal when some of the water he shook off his head landed on her, and nimbly jumped backwards. Everything was set for the night. The horses fed, watered and brushed down, the saddles removed from their backs and the packs stationed near Brute, since he acted like a guard dog. No one would get to anything while he was on duty.

A few minutes later, a pitiful sight entered the cave, shivering. It was Selina and she was drenched. Like most house cats, she detested water, at least in the form of rain falling on her. But when it came to a creek or pool of water she could wash up in, she was as happy as a tiger. She tossed a pouch at Tisha, then grabbed the blanket left for her and wrapped it around herself before collapsing into a crouch near the fire to dry off and warm up.

Tisha took the pouch and emptied out the different ingredients Selina had brought. Wild thyme, carrots, onions, potatoes, even some wild growing spices. Glee rose in her, and she started chopping and throwing things into the pot, letting the ingredients boil and cook, then lifted the pot higher over the fire, letting it simmer. "Dinner will be ready soon."

She gave Selina's pouch a last shake, a couple pieces of greenery falling out, then she tossed it back to the cat. Picking up the green leaves, she sniffed, then grinned. "Selina, would you hold it against me if I told you I love you right now?" she asked as she held up the leaves she'd just removed from the pouch.

The cat hissed and then settled back down a bit. "I don't care what you say as long as you don't try to hug me," she snarled, though it was a half playful noise. She shuddered and shook off a bit herself, then tightened the blanket further around her shoulders and hunkered down.

Marco laughed at the exchange, and sniffed the air. "Smells good, Tisha. If it tastes half as good as it smells, I think I'll keep you." He grinned and shook his head, then scooted closer to the fire and used the blanket to dry the fur on the back of his neck and on his head. Indeed, the dinner smelled delicious and he was looking forward to tasting her stew himself.

The weather outside didn't seem so bad when they were faced with such a delicious smelling meal.

Tisha blushed at Marco's complement, and she stood up to look in the pot and test to see if the stew was ready. Before they'd left, she'd tossed a few hard rolls into the cookware bag that she'd been wearing, and she divided them up, seeing they were going to be gone faster than she'd imagined. She'd only grabbed a few of them.

Soon, she dished up the meal into the bowls she'd unpacked and passed both Marco and Selina their bowls before getting her own. While she really didn't want to eat, not after the day she'd had, she knew she needed to so they'd make it to the cabin tomorrow. She took a bite, her eyes closing as she savored the taste of the meat and the vegetables, then set the bowl down next to her as she put the rabbit up over the fire, low enough that the heat of the fire would cook the meat into jerky, but not so low that the rabbit burned.

Once that was done, she started eating again, devouring the first bowl, then dishing up a second one for herself. Riding always got her eating more. She looked to the other two to see if they were ready for another bowl, but since they were both still eating, she left the ladle next to the stew pot for them to use to get more if they wanted it.

After she was done with her second bowl of stew, she pulled the rabbit down, then set a flat grated rack up over the fire, still out of range of burning the meat, and started "shaving" the meat from the rabbit and setting it out to dry on the rack. The pieces were wet so they only started with about a centimeter of distance between them, but during the jerky making process, they would shrink some as well.

Marco took his bowl of stew gratefully and began to eat, slowly taking it down, spoonful by spoonful, or sipping it straight from the bowl. She was a good cook, and it did taste as good as it smelled. He was eager to eat as much as possible, but didn't want to rush through it, so he forced himself to slow down.

He got his second bowl when she began to make the jerky from the rabbit, ladling out some for himself, and then sitting back down and sipping on it while eating the roll she had dished out to him. He dipped it in the stew, and then chewed on it, his canine teeth flashing in the flickering light of the fire. "How far to the cabin from the cave?" he asked.

Tisha looked up from her bowl and shrugged. "I can't tell you miles, but at a trot, we'll be there by tomorrow night, before dark. But that means we have to leave early, even if it's raining, and I would prefer not to trot the horses in the rain."

Selina scooped out another bowl while eyeing the drying jerky, then turned to look at Tisha. "Just how many rabbits did you get, girl?"

Tisha grinned and said, "I only got two, and Marco got one. I figured it would be best to make jerky out of one for tomorrow, and we'll split the meat before heading out."

The cat sniffed, smelling the scent of the rabbit meat, and purred, "Good. Just don't think I'm going up with you. I might meet you up there sometime later, but I'm not going up there now."

"Good. I got too much to deal with when we get there to have to deal with a moody kitty. But if you end up nearby before you want to really come in, you're welcome to stay a night and have a home-cooked meal. Just bring us something in return, something we wouldn't have access to, like wild thyme, wild onions and stuff like that."

The tall husky nodded, "Alright, so a full day's ride then, gotcha." He sipped more at his stew, and glanced over at the cat as again, the two females spoke. He finished the second bowl, dished himself out a bit more and soon finished that as well before putting the bowl down near the ring of stones, "That was delicious, Tisha...One of the best stews I've had in ages."

"Do you have to tend to the rabbit all night? Or can we hit the hay now so that we can get up early?" He stood and, with the damp blanket around his shoulders, walked to the edge of the cave to look out. He sniffed the air and then snorted and turned back around to walk back to the fire.

"With as high up as I have the rack, we can hit the hay. And thank you, Marco. I'm glad you like my cooking, since you'll have to deal with it for the most part," she said with a laugh. Getting up, she headed to the packs and got the last two blankets, and handed one to Selina, who'd gotten her second bowl of stew, finishing off what was in the pot.

The cat took the blanket, purring, "Looks like rabbit jerky and rolls for breakfast, along with whatever you plan on making to drink." She lifted the stew pot from the fire and poured the last of the water into the pot to make it easier to wash out in the morning before the three of them split up and headed off in different directions.

Tisha looked at the two of them and pointed to an area off to the side. "Lay the two wet blankets over to the side of the cave. They'll get dry by morning with no rain coming near them. I'd normally say closer to the fire, but we need the warmth of it tonight." She looked at Marco, then walked over to him as he padded back to the fire.

Her voice dropped as she spoke to him, and Selina offered them privacy as she started getting her wet blanket set up on the far side of the fire. "Since we're short a blanket, and I know both you and Selina got wet from the rain, and I'm going to freeze without a blanket, why don't we share this one?"

At her words regarding the blanket, he took it off of his shoulders and shook it out, then laid it down in a dry spot, near the fire but not too close. He stripped his shirt off as well, since it was soaked, and he laid it out too. Once done, he padded over to her and bowed his head closer to hers so that he could hear her soft words. He glanced at Selina, then back at her, "I don't want to impose on you...if you want to take the blanket..." he trailed off.

True enough, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable with him, though the thought of sleeping with her was rather....enticing? He wouldn't have minded in the least, "Though I suppose that my fur would help keep you extra warm"

Tisha smiled up at him, her already generous lips curving delightfully into the wide smile that seemed to light up her face. He'd gotten something that was close to this earlier, but never in his wildest dreams would he imagine such a look on the girl who'd been so abused today. Life had given her a rough time of things today with her rape, and the unknown, to her, circumstances of her family, but she showed a strong resilience to not just survive, but thrive from the happenings. She wasn't going to be one of those rape survivors who just hid from everything.

"I trust you, Marco. You'd never hurt me. You were protecting me even before we knew each other's names. And... I promise I won't molest you," she finished with a laugh, her eyes gleaming with the gentle teasing.

He chuckled, shaking his big furry head and nodded back at her. "Alright, and I promise the same..." he sighed, softly, realizing how much trust she had already put in him. He felt his heart warm at the knowledge, and further at the smile she had on her face. It was a glorious, delicious, beautiful smile that made him want to gently touch her. His paw came up and perhaps without even realizing what he was doing, he stroked it over the side of her face. He ran it down her arm then, before stepping back, "We'll share the blanket, and you can hold onto me to keep warm."

Tisha smiled and leaned her cheek against his paw for a moment, then barely held back a strange quiver that raced through her as his paw lightly travelled down her arm. She'd never felt like this before, but before she could let her fears rise up, her hand gently tangled with his paw and she led him to the better of the two spots for them to sleep.

During the trip up, they had stopped to take breaks as they needed to, using the bathroom, taking a drink of water, giving the horses water, and while he was out, she'd used the bathroom in the back of the cave where a natural chute was, taking all the waste and smell far from the cave they were staying in. She was more than ready to catch some sleep, half wondering if this day had just been some kind of surreal dream with seriously nightmarish qualities to it, or if it was indeed real. She wouldn't know until morning, though.

He followed her over a bit further into the cave, where they would still be able to feel the warmth of the fire if they wanted. He too had felt a fluttering in his chest when he had stroked the side of her face. It was a strange feeling for him, and especially when directed at Tisha, whom he had just met earlier that day. He reasoned that maybe it was just his protective streak, but something inside said it was much more than that.

Once they had reached the spot where they were to sleep, he laid down on the floor of the cave. It was chilly to lay on the hard stone, but he would get used to it, and probably forget entirely about it, he was quite tired.

Tisha crouched to lay down with him, her own body slightly against the cold stone floor, but she was used to sleeping on the stone floor of the cave, since her family did that every year when they came up to the cabin. But this was the first time she was not with her parents and brother, and with someone.... intriguing.

She settled herself with her head on his shoulder as she pulled the blanket over them, letting Selina settle in on the other side of the fire. The fire would deter any wild animals from entering the cave, but it would not keep out any two legged, power-loss-crazed lunatics. Between the two of them, under the blanket, she set a knife, still sheathed, in case any violent human or fur came in and tried to have their way with the girls, or kill him. Both would be bad things in Tisha's mind, especially after what she'd already been through.

"Good night, Marco," she whispered in his ear, before turning her head and calling to the cat, "See you in the morning, Selina." The cat huffed, finally able to come back to the fire, and settled herself down easily enough, then fell asleep within moments of her eyes closing.

Marco laid awake for a short while after she told him good night. He wasn't sure why, he just wasn't tired enough to drop off immediately. He sighed out and wrapped an arm lazily over her middle, holding her close to his furry body to keep her warm through the night. It was a gentle, comforting, loving gesture that he showed her. He sighed out softly and then, at last, closed his eyes and slept.

During the night, Tisha shifted a few times, stifled cries slipping from her as the nightmare of the earlier part of the day visited her, but then, she inhaled, catching Marco's scent, which seemed to keep her mentally stable enough to stop the nightmares as she slept. She snuggled close to him, rubbing her cheek in his fur often through the night.

Day 2 After the Pwer Outage

Before the sun was even up, Tisha had woken up and gone to the bathroom corner, making sure everything she needed to do before the others woke was done, then scrubbed out the stew pot and dishes and started the coffee on the fire. The blankets were folded up and rolled up, stuffed back into the duffel bag. She pulled on her chaps then sat down, quickly dividing up the jerky from the rack for the three of them.

She eyes went to the husky, pondering how things could have gone had he not been right down the road when the thugs were raping her. She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize when the two furs stirred, the sun still under the horizon. A shudder started running through her at where her thoughts were taking her.

Marco slept straight through and even after Tisha woke, he didn't wake up immediately. It was quite some time before at last he stirred, rolling over and realizing she wasn't next to him. He startled and sat up, then glanced over to where he could see her sitting near the fire. She looked like she was nearly crying, rocking back and forth and shaking.

He got up quietly and moved to kneel behind her, putting a hand on each of her shoulders, "I'm here Tish...shhh..." he said, not intending to scare her or anything, just wanting her to know that she wasn't alone.

Tisha felt his paws on her shoulders, her fear sky-rocketing until his voice sank into her mind, reminding her that she wasn't alone and who he was. She leaned back against him, her body trembling as she turned to look at him, letting his presence soothe her. She knew they needed to head out soon, and he helped her regain the strength she needed... they needed... to make it to the cabin before she just broke down.

After a few minutes of just relaxing against him, she smiled as she looked up at him. "Thank you, Marco." She rested her head against his shoulder, then nodded to the embers of the fire. "Coffee is done, as is the jerky. I've gotten the wet blankets folded and rolled up, and the dishes from last night all done, so the only thing left is getting the horses ready, the blankets we used last night, and the coffee cups and pot."

"Sounds good, let's eat and get out of here." he said, smiling down at her, not even mentioning her near break-down. He wondered if it would be possible to never tell her what happened to her family...but no, she would want to find out sooner or later. He sighed and kissed her on the forehead, moving his lips against her for a moment before he slipped to the side and sat down next to the fire to partake of the coffee, jerky and rolls that she had out for their breakfast.

Across the fire, Selina was stretching and clawing at the ground as she got up. "You two comfortable over there? I didn't hear you fucking but I couldn't tell," she teased and hissed softly.

Tisha growled at Selina and shook her head. "You're as bad as a bunny, Selina! Marco and I aren't fucking now, nor did we last night. We slept all night. We have a long way to go still! And I don't plan on sitting around all day like a certain cat I know." She could give as good as she got, and the twinkle in her eyes showed that this teasing between the two of them was common.

"Get up, lazy kitty, and get your breakfast," she said as she gave Marco a shy nuzzle under his jawline before rising to her feet and taking the blanket they'd used and folding it and rolling it up for storage in the duffel bag. While she was comfortable with Selina, she really didn't want to give away the weapons that were in that duffel bag to the cat, so she took care of packing it herself.

"When you're done with your blanket, Selina, just fold it and roll it up and tie it to my bag, please. And if you two need to relieve yourselves, there's a hole in the back of the cave. It leads to another cave, a rather small hole. The scent doesn't rise up here, and animals can use this cave in the winter." With that said, she turned to start saddling the horses, starting with Brute, then going to Snowflake and saddling her.

Marco didn't pay much attention to Selina, except to growl at her when she made her comment. Aside from that, he stayed quiet, nuzzling Tish back when she did it to him, then eating up quickly and going to the back of the cave to relieve himself. It was only a few minutes and he was back, and he went over to help her saddle and get everything loaded on the horses again.

After they were done, he went back, dumped the last of the water on the fire, kicked it out, and then moved back. "Alright, I think we're ready to go now, unless I'm missing something. I think we should get going and get out of here...I'd like to get to the cabin ASAP."

Again, Tisha had tied off the mares to Snowflake and the gelding to Brute, the horses falling in easily enough to the routine set up the day before on the trip to the cave. She gave Marco his remaining jerky, took her own, and nodded to Selina that the rest was hers. "You know where to find us, kitty. I know you prefer living out here, but if you get an urge to stop in, do so."

The cat nodded, waving a paw as she watched them lead the horses from the cave, then mount up, her eyes focused on them as Tisha fixed the crossbow to her arm again, ready to shoot for a meal or to save them from something worse. She hadn't missed how protective the husky was of her human... friend. Tisha was more than just an acquaintance to Selina, but things were too strained between them for them to be anything more than friends... or so they thought. Life has a way of changing things.

Again, Tisha started with the language teachings, but this time, she took it a little easier on Marco, seeing that he'd not only figured out the translations to the English version of the words, but also understood the benefits of having a special language that was there to protect them from whatever might happen. As the sun started to rise over the horizon behind them, she pointed behind her and said, "Kisecawchuck." Peering over her shoulder, and seeing an eagle flying, she smirked to herself and again said, "Antinanco."

Marco mounted up on Brute and after adjusting his own crossbow, rode out of the cave with Tisha. They rode in silence for a short while before the sun rose some more and her teachings began again. He nodded to each word, repeating, "Kisecawchuk" and then "Antinanco". He paused a moment then laughed and said, "You and Selina don't always get along, do you? I mean, you acted like your bickering was a normal occurrence." He grinned.

Tisha smiled and shook her head slightly. "Selina is a good friend, and we do bicker a lot. We're actually a lot alike, but she prefers the wilds to city life. I'd hate to say anything, but after yesterday morning, I can understand why she hates city life. But the best thing that came from yesterday was meeting with you."

She couldn't really hold his paw as they rode, but she was able to turn her attention to him and give him the brightest, biggest smile she had. "And I should warn you about something. The cabin.... Well, it's not just a cabin, but I'm not exactly sure how to describe it without you seeing it. Just don't expect something small and log walls and stuff."

He blushed. He knew he did. There was no way to stop that reaction to her words. He looked down and then back up at her, only to be met by that smile. He would forever think that that smile could literally brighten a room. He tilted his head to the side and smiled back, throwing all of the warmth that he possibly could into it. "So... you mean like a mansion almost? Something of that size? Like a big home?"

Tisha let out a giggle, and shook her head. "Think old Southern plantation home, with plenty of smaller homes. Only since we're not in the South, it's not really a plantation. It's more like a ranch, only less. Many years ago, it was a ranch that my father's family had. My mother's people were on a nearby reservation, and instead of leaving them to suffer, my father's family brought them to the ranch, paid them decently, gave them a home. In return, the family horses were better trained and better bred than most of the competing ranches."

"Gotcha...wow, that actually sounds nice. Here I was thinking it would be a small wooden cabin like you said." He grinned and shook his head, then snapped his fingers, "But damn, that means that I'll have to sleep in my own bed..." He clucked his tongue and then licked his lips. Though it was a friendly, very, very playful jibe, there was some measure of longing in his voice that he had tried not to express.

Tisha thought about it for a moment and gave a shudder that made Snowflake toss her head and prance in a way he hadn't seen the day before from her. Tisha reached down to stroke her neck, murmuring a soft, "Shh, it's okay, Snowflake," to her to settle her down again. Lifting her eyes after the mare settled down, she looked at Marco and shook her head. "Do you really think I could handle sleeping alone after everything? I mean, last night, it was you who kept me sane when the nightmares hit me. Your scent. I don't really feel that sleeping alone, only to wake up screaming and bringing in everyone that's there. I.. I feel safe with you, Marco. And more than that, I trust you."

Marco sobered up when he saw how his words seemed to affect his young companion, and her horse. He wondered why Snowflake would have been affected by it, but that was a question for later. He seemed thoughtful now, and when he looked into her face, she was the same. He nodded slowly, "I was only poking fun, but...I'm glad that you trust me so. I know I saved you, but you could have still been wary of me, and you aren't. I thank you for the trust, and I won't let you down. And..." he smiled again, "I would be very happy to sleep with you, completely innocently. I..." he got a far off look in his eyes, "Let's just leave it at that."