It had been a quiet day today, as he woke, Rena had not come home. He wasn't sure where she was, but at times, she would find refuge at the Den. It was a place where she and the other Daughters of Decadence would go when they needed a place to get away. As he got ready to go about his day he puzzled over why she had spent the night away.
A good breakfast and out the door for the days deliveries. A tiring but enjoyable job within the village of Rhydin. Delivering for various businesses, he got to meet a lot of the merchants as well, many of the different inhabitants and customers. Having finished up the day, he decided to make a stop at the Inn for one of those drinks. The one with the all hell and sexy label on it.
As many coined, a badsider, from the Badsider Brewery, sporting PJ. He moved to the bar engaging in a bit of conversation. It seemed a lady name Jade was giving Darren quite a time. Enough so, he wouldn't even respond to getting a drink for a good friend. He was after all, behind the bar, mostly with his eyes glued to the woman's breasts.
Jade ended up getting Val the Badsider, as she did, he asked, "Darren, have you seen Rena lately?? in which Darren responded with a long hard thought. "No, not since Sunday, nope!? Having thanked Jade for the drink, he decided to see if Rena had made it back to their place yet.
Arriving home on his horse Scratch, she was no where to be found, nor had she come and gone. A meal fixed and devoured, he decided to go hang out where he usually hung out. He was really pretty easy to find. Most of his time was either spent at the Arena or Outback, on occasion the market or to quench a thirst the Red Dragon Inn.
But tonight, he planned on meeting up with Rena at the Outback. He was rather disturbed most of the night, as it seemed, she wasn?t going to be coming. He dueled against G'nort and Vinny, both easily making the best of their duels with him. Then he started to Duel with the Cat woman. He didn't know her, but figured if he was giving them away, he might as well give them all away.
But after the final conclusion, Dioxane, the official caller of the duel announced, "And Val has finally learned how to win one!", which he did win. Of course, he thought it was more like and the law of averages that pulled him to victory over Maetel. Having finished the night of duel, he proceeded to finish off another one of the Badsiders. Curious to the taste, they were very good and packed more than the typical ale "Punch!?
After having finished off the drink, he was ready for another as well as another duel, but the crowd had mostly thinned, so he decided to head back to the home he and Rena stayed at. Perhaps she would have found her way back there by now. Or perhaps not, as Koyliak came bursting into the Outback. It appeared that she had ran from one end of Rhydin to the other, gasping for breath, leaning against the door seemingly trying to catch her breath, Val called over, "Hey Koy.. Man, you need to work out more", he chuckled, though as he did, it was odd to see her so disheveled and frankly quite a mess.
"Want something to drink?? Val questioned figuring she needed something by the way she looked. "NO! Ye gotta come with me.", came the reply, a little shocked, he stepped over toward the door where she stood, "Ok... so what's up Koy? Where do you need me to go?", and back out the door she started, "Just come!? Val took a casual sip from the bottle; he pondered a moment thinking something had happened to Matt. Why else would Koy come looking for Val? He decided whatever it was; it had to be something urgently important. So off he took, out of the Outback. He saw Koy quite a distance and easily caught up with her only to slow at a mere jog running beside her.
As they ran down the street, "So what's going on?? Val asked, then taking another sip from the bottle. Her ragged breathless response as she seemed to be sprinting, "It's not good!? was all she said. "What did something happen with Matt?? curiosity getting to Val, as he hardly knew Koy, and why would she need him to follow her anywhere? She was married to Matt; surely he could handle such important matters? Couldn't he?
"No, no. Beans, Val, its Beans.", and as she said it, Val reached to her arm taking it bringing them both to a halt. Koy half flipping back around at him, her face wild-eyed staring at him like he was a madman. His heart pounded with terror and the complexion of his face turned ghostly pale, "What about Rena? What's happened??
"I'm tryin' ta show ye! Stop wastin' time or I'll clock ye and drag ye the rest of the way!", spoken adamantly as she yanked her arm free and started sprinting again, as she started to run through the alley she collided with some garbage cans, but managed to stay afoot, moving as quick as she could. Not long after, Val had already caught up with her and followed her, his mind raced wild. As they ran, he yelled to her, "what's happened to her?", but Koy wasn't stopping to talk so they just continued running, to where, Val hadn't a clue. It was in a part of the village he was unfamiliar with, as well, were the people they ran past, Koy almost slamming into an older man and his companion.
They were close, and he could tell, as they slowed, Koy making a turn off the main road, as well, Val followed, slowing behind, his heart pounding from the worry. The woman he cared for, as life itself, loving her, worried knowing something dreadfully wrong had happened. What though? Koy reached the door to a place and started banging and shouting through it shouting, "Tula! Let me in! It's Koy! Tula!? AS Val watched, he near almost just busted through it. He knew it was something that could be fixed later and wasn't sure what was happening, but just knew, he had to get to Rena.
While Koy continued banging on the door, once again, Val questioned, more demanded to know, "What the hell happened to Rena, Koy?!", and finally the door opened, Koy nearly smashing her hands into the woman that had opened the door. Tula, stepped aside, to avoid being yelled at or getting in the way.
Koy slumping to the wall, let Val see inside, where he saw Rena curled up on the couch, her back to him, covered in a blanket. Val quickly moved lowering to the edge of the couch, "Rena.. Love?? his hand gently pressing over her arm to her shoulder, her back to him, as she lay curled up beneath the covers.
Koy spoke after having caught some wind, crouched watching Val, her voice drawing his head to look at her, "I...I found her tha way earlier.", his brows creased with deathly concern, "What on the couch, like this?", then the groan from the couch, and a flinch of her shoulder drawing his attention back to Rena. "Rena.. hun.. What's going on?? his mind racing, still not having anything to hold onto other than the fact, she was alive, which brought some relief to him.
Koy was quiet, as she spoke from the crouched position just inside the door, "No. Outside like that.", again Val turned and looked at Koy, "what she was curled up outside?", not waiting for an answer, he pondered why couldn't women just spit it out, after all, he was a man, and what more, than a man that loved the woman on the couch right now. Turning back, he tugged lightly on her shoulder, a soft gentleness, within his voice the caring love he held for her expressed as he tried desperately with a tenderness to find out what in the hell was or had happened, a whisper of his voice, as he leaned to her trying to get a look for himself. "Rena.. Love.. What?s the matter.. What?s going on?? the sounds of Koy spoken but unheard as he listened to Rena whisper, "My head hurts."
His hand moved to her head, lightly touching her hair as she winced, "Why, what happened to your head?? A moment as he gazed at her, still wondering what had happened, ?What did you finally fall out of that tree?". She replied, "I don't know.", and then Koy spoke up, "There are other injuries.? Val looked at Koy, "Aye, Where?", then turned back to Rena, "Where.. What happened to you Rena?? his voice a little more firm and insistent, as if he could command her to answer direct. For certain, not knowing what had happened was certainly a draw on his patience. She shook her head at him then winced whispering, "I don't know."
Koy quietly stated, "Underneath the blanket.? which seemed, she already knew exactly what had happened and could have just been frank about it. If there was a time he'd rather deal with Charlie, it would be now. She never has that timid, reserved attitude toward him. His last dealing with her was enough to tell him that. With concern about Rena, he turned looking at her, noticing for the first time, that she didn't appear to have anything on and after Koy's words, he just lifted up the blanket a ways, of course, he didn't see anything unusual except that of an extraordinary body. He loved Rena, heart mind and body. And what a body it was.
She had rolled over toward Val, a glance to him then buried her head against him, as she did, his warm hands caressed over her shoulder and back, his voice filled with concern as he spoke softly, "Are you hurt Rena.. I mean aside from your head?? she mumbled, as she stretched out her legs, "I'm so sleepy, And I'm cold.? He drew the covers back up after having a look at her he whispered, "Ok.. Love.. You just rest.", then leaned to place a soft kiss on her forehead, "You rest now.. We?ll figure out what happened to you??
Koyliak spoke up, a look from her as she watched Val caring for Rena, "Do ye think she should stay here tonight or mebbe we should take her somewhere else?", as they talked a bit, Koy didn't think it was a good place for them to stay, since Rena had been rolled off in front of the place. Which, Val realized, whoever it was, knew them and knew them better than he, because, until now, even he had never been to the Daughters of Decadence Den.
While Koy and Val talked about what to do, Rena shifted, and the covers revealed her legs as they slid off and there it was, the injury that Val had missed. It wasn't any ordinary injury; it was more deliberate, precise. Something sick and disgusting as bile from Val's stomach rose; he swallowed tasting the bitter disgust he already had for the foul creature that could do such a thing. Koy whispered, "See?"
With determination, and since he knew she wouldn't be safe in Rhydin, he made ready and had Tula help get her ready to ride. As Rena drifted off to sleep, Val stepped to the door, calling for his horse, Scratch, with a whistle.
"Okay Rena, we're getting out of here now.", as he wrapped her up into a blanket, the woman Tula helping out, he pulled the blanket up over her fanged bit legs, a look of deathly anger burning flames within his eyes as he swore on his breath to Rena, "I don't know who did this to you.. But to the Gods I'm gonna kill em..."
He carried her on his war horse away from the damnation village, and as they rode, Rena slept while Val held her close delivering her to the safety of his men and the house he had built upon a ridge.