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[dadication]

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[dadication]

He didn't mind that Gabriel was going to just eat that rabbit whole, figuring that was what would happen. From what he could tell, no one in the caravan had wanted to risk feeding the creatures until the spells to bind their wills were in place, which meant starvation and thirst for most of them. Injuries would heal slower without food, so he wasn't at all disgusted that Gabriel was going to eat quickly and without much fanfare.

No, he busied himself making a fire, doing it the old fashioned way even if he could use magic. He already knew that his magic would be necessary for other matters that were far more pressing. Soon enough, he had an infantile fire coming to life that he was feeding. "I'm blind, remember? I don't technically watch you do anything." A lie. His magical sight allowed him outlines and insights.

"I have rations in my pack," he murmured simply. "I can give you some if that rabbit doesn't satisfy." He was willing to share as Gabriel had once shared a meal with him. More fuel to the fire, building it up. "I think we can risk staying here a week. Are you alright with that?"

[gr1m]

That was a raspberry blown at Jack- "I know you have another means to see, you gave it away yourself while recovering in my home in that one mine if you'd recall." Could shove that technicality, apparently. The gorgon had a very good memory.

Soon enough that rabbit was being eaten whole, jaw unhinged and his mouth splitting far wider than it could appearing to in order to take it down no problem. Did lay amongst his coils again once it was down far enough so that it could be digested better, letting out a small breath. e'd know if it was going to be enough soon at least.

"... Yeah, should be alright so long as we don't have to worry about anything stumbling across us." Last thing he wanted was for the hunter to be caught out with him, whatever trouble tat could bring to Jack.

[dadication]

"I've been hit in the head a lot, so my memory isn't so good," he replied dryly as he built the fire up so it was actually starting to chase away some of the chill in the rocks. It also cast shadows across the walls, allowing him to get a better gauge of Gabriel's size. He was impressive like that.

Rabbit eaten, fire built, and Jack was settling down with his big pack, pulling out some supplies where he could eat some nuts and dried berries. That would tide him over until morning and he could check the snares for hopefully a bigger meal. He was also going to need to sleep once he had finished with his magic, and it was clear Gabe too would need rest.

"The wards I have up will deter anything living from coming up here. They will feel like they need to be elsewhere," he remarked as he moved back over to the gorgon and lay a hand on one of the deepest injuries. Words like when he had healed Gabriel's thumb fell from his lips, and he went to work expending energy to heal the gorgon so he could at least be more comfortable and on a faster track of healing.

[gr1m]

"You remembered me well enough."

Certainly was a lot of him like this, and it was no wonder he took out so many hunters when they came upon and for him. Also told that the gorgon could easily make himself a danger if he actually wanted to, but he didn't. Something of a peaceful life was all he wanted, but it would never stop him from defending himself or picking up the odd job for coin whenever necessary.

Gabriel hummed a little, "Good... good." He could rest a little easier knowing that, or so he hoped. The forced rest in that cage was not something restful, had worn on and exhausted him to the point actual sleep was needed. The snakes watched more than he did, more concentrated on keeping still as he was healed and knowing that this did exhaust Jack himself.

It was only one the hunter was done with healing what he aimed to did Gabriel speak up again. "If you need a moment, you can rest against me- I'm in the warmest spot, at the very least." With the fire and all.

[dadication]

"You leave quite the impression with your warnings."

Jack could appreciate the beauty of this form, especially as his fingers traced over scales to check for wounds that needed healing more than others. He could touch and get a sense of things, but he was a tactile person by nature anyway thanks to his lack of real sight. So as he healed, his fingers caressed scales as he moved along that large snake tail.

His breathing began to deepen as he gave up energy to help the gorgon, pushing his own limits in the process. Healing was a magic he knew, but it wasn't one he was best at. In this case, it would be enough to knit together the deepest wounds, leaving the skin and scales to come back on their own.

He shuddered as he stopped, wavering before shaking it off and gathering himself together. Being bone tired wouldn't help either of them right now. "It's alright. I've done this kind of thing before, and I've worked through it." He moved to the fire, feeding it gradually larger sticks before digging in his pack for a leather bag that had something very special in it: lumps of sugar.

He popped one lump in his mouth, needing the quick energy. Then he offered on to Gabriel. "Here, a treat."

[gr1m]

There was a slight huff, but the sound of it was far more amused than annoyed at the very least. Quite the impression indeed.

At least with the mix of any food at all and the bit of healing done, the heat from the fire all meant that what was left of the poison could work the rest of the way out of his system. Could heal, would heal, even if he likely felt only half a exhausted -in his mind at least- than the hunter felt after pushing himself visibly like that. "Should still take it easy," injured or not he still worried about Jack.

He did watch curiously after a moment, moving a little closer as he eyed the offering before letting his tongue flick out briefly- then he was taking that lump to settle on that tongue in his mouth. "It's sweet."

[dadication]

With the healing done, the fire stoked for now and the gorgon seemingly settled for the time being, Jack allowed himself to sit down as he leafed through his lumps of sugar. The corner of his lips twitched when Gabriel investigated and then took one. That was a quick way to get energy - and foul tasting medicine - into young and old alike.

He shifted so he could lean a little on the gorgon, taking out two more lumps of sugar before putting the rest away. He offered one to Gabriel and kept one for himself. "Sugar. This stuff will lump up when exposed to humidity, so it's easier to carry around."

It was... companionable like this, reminding him of that brief conversation they had had leaning against the cart weeks ago. "It's a quick boost of energy, though you should probably try to sleep. I don't have a spell to neutralize the poison in you." Though he was probably going to be looking into it now.

[gr1m]

Part of his coils shifted just to press a little more in against Jack to better prop him as he leaned. Already warming thanks to that fire, taking that second lump to pop in to his mouth and let it melt. "It's good." Sweet like fruits were in a way, and he had noticed bits of it for sale in the few places he stopped but never really purchased any for himself.

That might have to change in some future.

Gabriel settled in amongst coils again, head pillowed against his arms and the snakes of his hair settling. Eyes half closed as he watched the fire. "It will burn out with some rest and warmth, anything I had to held is still stashed away where I'd been taking shelter." Hopefully it was all still there, at least.

[dadication]

He shifted his body a bit to lean lightly against Gabriel's coils that were pressed into him. They were warmer currently than the cave, and he mildly regretted that he hadn't brought more blankets, but he had had to pack light and bring more medical and food supplies as he was uncertain Gabriel's condition. Perhaps he would head to a town to pick up supplies for their needs.

"It is," he agreed, sucking on his lump of sugar. Normally it would go into tea, but his mama had used it to bribe them with, keep the kids in line and helping. She was more carrot than stick sort. "We'll need another blanket at least, especially if we're going to stay here. I don't want you sleeping without one."

His version of suggesting he go to town anyway.

He nodded his head when it came to the poison, and as long as Gabriel was certain he would heal from it, that's what mattered to him. "I can take you back to where your supplies are and let you make your way beyond that if you want." He was kind of committed to keeping the gorgon safe now.

[gr1m]

"I'll be fine for one night." The tip of his tail brushed against one of the hunter's legs in a slight flicking curl of it, head turned on his arm to better look at Jack rather than just the fire. "That can be a trip for tomorrow at the very least, and you can see if word has spread quickly or not while you're at it."

A trip to town was the only way to get a blanket after all, and Gabriel wasn't sure if he cared enough about the cold. Let alone if he wanted to let the hunter risk going out after expending as much energy as he had, eating sugar or not.

His eyes were drifting closed slowly. "We'll get there when we get there."

[dadication]

"I'll keep the fire going tonight," he murmured softly. He knew that heat would help with healing but also it would probably just plain make Gabriel feel better. The gorgon along with all the other creatures that had been captured had not been treated kindly, and they would all need some warmth and food to recover themselves. "Alright, I will head out tomorrow if you're feeling well enough to be on your own."

And right now, they could share body heat together if it was necessary. He wouldn't mind that, wasn't going to put up a fuss when it came to comfort and survival. It was why he leaned a little more against Gabriel's thick coils of a body, letting himself relax a little. It wouldn't be safe for him to make a journey tonight, and they could make it through he knew.

"We will. Get some sleep. I'll keep watch." And he would, feeding the fire, and leaving only long enough to get more wood, stacking more and more up in the entrance so he could just pick from that. Always returned to Gabriel's coils.

[gr1m]

He was coiled on the large blanket Jack had laid out, the least he could do was offer the warmth of his own coils and generating body heat in return. Wanted to. "Have that talk in the morning," because with how exhausted he was between the poor treatment and using what he had left to get them this far? It wouldn't be long until he was out.

"Rest a little yourself, you have your wards up." It was murmured as his coils shifted enough to make a welcoming place amongst them for the hunter to lean and then return to. Gabriel remained like that even once he eventually dozed off and slept deeply.

The snakes of his hair were coiled in a bunch over his shoulder, heads together, black unblinking eyes watching both Jack and the entrance of the cave beyond the fire's light.

[dadication]

Jack kept the fire well stocked and warmed and he did keep watch as promised. He found himself distracted by the snakes that made up Gabriel's hair, noting that they were a big coiled mess. They were apparently on watch too from what he could determine, and he snuggled down when the exhaustion of healing pulled at him.

In the wee hours of the morning, Jack actually lay his head down on... well, he expected it would be where Gabriel's hip or ass would be, but he couldn't tell aside from it being close to where scales ended and a human torso began. He cuddled in there, crossing his arms and tucking his legs, letting himself doze.

Soon dozing turned into sleeping, his sight spell stopping to allow him better sleep. That's when the young garter snake came back, apparently immune to the wards. It snuggled in against his belly where it was warmest between so close to both himself and Gabriel.

[gr1m]

They functioned well as little guards, active and watchful while still allowing for the gorgon to sleep. It was moments like these that allowed them to function entirely on their own, every now and then when Jack moved to settle against coils one of them would stretch to check on him. That head lowered down and tongue flicking out, bumping a little against his temple before retreating to coil back amongst the others once satisfied.

The end of Gabriel's tail curled over Jack's ankles even while he slept, as if to better secure him in amongst coils. A small unconscious gesture that he would be safe there, and was even welcome in that place.

Slept on, deep and silent, a needed dreamless slumber that would at least mean that Gabriel wouldn't be pushed out of sleep by some nightmare. No, he'd sleep on through morning, even as the snakes of his hair stirred about and raised to better watch the mouth of that cave. Ready, even though nothing came and light from outside crept in more and ore as the hours passed by.

[dadication]

If he was aware of the snakes checking on him, he gave no sign of it. At that point, he was committed to getting some sleep, so he was aware that the snakes would keep watch over them both. That his little 'friend' had decided to come back now that it had fed wasn't unheard of, and he did nothing to dislodge it either.

No, much like Gabriel, his exhaustion from expending so much energy traveling and healing kept him sleeping beyond the touch of nightmares. He remained nested in against the gorgon and allowed the hours to pass him by. Being blind, he had no reason to think the sun had begun to rise at all aside from the slow gradual rise of heat from the sun.

He kept sleeping for another hour before slowly beginning to stir, tipping his head so it slipped from where it rested on Gabriel's hip to the gentle curve that made the small of his back. A hand reached out as if searching for a blanket but gave up when one wasn't in easy reach and his hand curled over Gabriel's broad shoulder instead. Very close to the head full of snakes.

[gr1m]

The snakes were not immune from noticing, but they remained only watchful as the cave warmed naturally from the sunlight. It was only once it had started moving more in to an early afternoon that they acted, hissing softly as a few stretched their way to that had on the gorgon's shoulder. Tongues flicking out and nudging against fingers and the side of the hunter's hand, another catching at Jack's sleeve with a tug.

Gabriel had turned his head as soon as one tried to disturb him by flicking his nose with it's tongue, murmuring something as his coils tensed for a moment before relaxing once again. Not one to normally sleep in, but exceptions were very much made whenever he was so bone tired and injured- or sick. Things that weren't often to happen.

[dadication]

Who was he to deny such a wake up call when it began? Jack's fingers twitched the with flick of tongues and nudging, but not yet aware of his surroundings as he was heavily groggy with sleep, he made a move. His fingers shifted to stroke at the nudging heads, touching them and following them to the bulk of their coiled forms so he could touch those warm smooth scales.

He was shifting his body though, stretching out what he could despite being cuddled into the coils of Gabriel's long body. He yawned and came awake slow and heavily, groaning softly as he pulled himself back to the land of the wakeful enough to summon his sight. He then took some seconds to drink in his surroundings and how damn odd it seemed he was sleeping on a snake man with snake hair in a cave...

Oh. Right.

Jack finally pushed himself to sitting up, rubbing sleep from his scarred up eyes and checking on Gabriel. The gorgon was alive, sleeping but apparently being nudged awake too.

[gr1m]

It seemed, at the very least, that the snakes suffered no ill effects from the poisoning that had happened to get the gorgon in this situation. Soft hisses, moving under the touches and even pressing up against Jack's hand with pleased movements. Waking up and getting attention, win-win for the snake hair as far as their little heads were concerned in this matter.

They did rear back to watch the hunter move as he stretched and moved that much more, remaining that way as he sat up, their bodies swaying a little as if it better keep themselves upright as they were.

The gorgon himself? Curled and coiled more as if to make up for the loss of heat in places once Jack had sat up, but never moving enough to dislodge him from where he still sat. It was only when one of the snakes trying to rouse him flicked it's tongue directly in to one of his ears did he wake up with just a little displeased hiss, rubbing his ear with a grumble to go with it.

[dadication]

Jack was awake, and he had apparently been bold enough to pet snake hair in his quest to wake up, which was something he was definitely going to have to think about on his way to town. He shifted and moved from the coils of Gabriel's body so that he could rouse the fire back up with some wood. The cave was still warm enough to be comfortable, but this at stage, he wasn't about to risk the gorgon becoming cold.

He noted that Gabriel was awake based on that hiss, having missing the antics of the little snakes. His own garter was under his clothing and squirming to be free so it could once again to and bask in the sun. It had been awhile, not since before their journey began. "Your hair has a mind of its own. I think they resented us sleeping in."

He was feeding the fire and then digging in his pack to pull out some rations to warm by it. "I'll check the snares in a minute."

[gr1m]

Gabriel was stretching, back arching and a few joints popping just from getting stiff in what little bit of cold had crept in during the night. Some color had returned to him at the very least, even if still clearly injured and not back up to his best. Likely was something, a gorgon stretching out from head to the very tip of his tail, coiling back up to reserve heat and use his own body as a seat of sorts.

Helped him sit up a little easier as he moved fingers through his hair, careful of the snakes and trying to get it all back in to some sort of order. "Probably knowing I'm getting hungry," it was still a bit grumbled, using one of those snakes like a tie to put it all back in some semblance of a ponytail. No snake harmed in the process of it, getting everything up off his neck and shoulders.

"Are you feeling better?" Of course the injured gorgon was the one asking, because he knew how he felt at the moment already.

[dadication]

Jack paused in putting out some of his rations when Gabriel stretched and without the heat of needing to go pressing in on them, he could get a good gauge of how long and bulky Gabriel was. An impressive sized gorgon and likely could do a nasty spit of venom too if threatened or just plain wanted to. Still, it was good to see Gabriel move, and it assured him that his healing helped.

He was offering dried meat and fruit before adding some bread and cheese to the mix as well. He'd need to pick up more soon, and none of it was extremely fresh, but it will fill an empty belly. "Eat some of this. It should be easy enough on your stomach and give you some energy while I get the fire built and check if I caught anything."

He shrugged at the question, mostly not used to being asked. "I rested, and I'll be alright. I need to get better at my healing magic clearly."

[gr1m]

No wonder the hunters had been so very thrilled over catching him, would have surely been a prize and something to boast about not just amongst themselves for that prestige. The Western King likely would have seen him as a prize as well for his army. A lot of muscle throughout that tail, and in his body as well; with nothing covering him likely easier to make any of it out. Did settle at least.

"Shouldn't it be your own energy you should be worrying about?" Gabriel wasn't refusing the offering of food, taking some of it as he places meat and cheese on to that bread to eat. Slowly of course, just in case having that rabbit had been a fluke of being kept down.

He picked at the bits of dried fruit he took as well, eating them between bites of the meat and cheese on bread. "You're still the one who is going to be going out there while I remain here." Seemed to make sense to watch to be sure that Jack would be alright and wasn't pushing himself too much for the gorgon's sake.

[dadication]

It was true that there was plenty of reasons that Gabriel would have been a prize worth a King's ransom. He was big and muscular and also terrifying, and he knew that if he didn't have the actual benefit of being blind, he would have long ago turned to stone. What a way to defeat one's enemies. All the same, Gabriel was impressive and should be allowed to go free and continue to live his life. That's what Jack believed anyway.

"I'm not the one who was assaulted, drugged, tortured, starved and denied water," he pointed out as he took a few slices of dried fruit to chew on as he worked the fire to a good size. That would last for when he needed to go out anyway. "You're a bit of a mother hen, you know that?"

He really wasn't used to people asking after him and pressing about forcing him to consider his own well-being. He was rising and moving over to check Gabriel's bandages to occupy himself. "I'm first going to check if there is food to cook by fire and then I'll be going to town. If I leave in an hour or so, I can make it for sundown." He glanced at Gabriel's face. "How are you feeling?"

[gr1m]

Didn't doubt that whatever bounty there was on him would be raised- or that there would simply be an entirely new one made nearly worth a king's ransom or more. They knew what he looked like, could describe and get an artistic likeness for it and everything- at least in his current form. Would be able to still sneak amongst people when in his other one, but even then there would be the same caution as before.

His nose wrinkled a little at that list of things he'd gone through put in such a way. "I'm not used to anyone wanting to help me with anything, and you've done so in at least two of our encounters," one of which Jack had literally hunted for him to save him out of worry he'd been the gorgon captured. "You're the first."

Shifted enough that Jack could check over the bandaging without trouble, some of them having bleed out a bit through the night but had also stopped within the same frame of time. "I'm tired and ache," truthfully. "Take more than overnight to heal up from what happened."

[dadication]

It was strange to think that he was the only one to bother caring in such a way for the gorgon. He wasn't that type of person after all, keeping to himself, doing his job, and otherwise, making his way through life with as little regard for other people as possible. He didn't train others, didn't engage much in conversation, and yet he also knew that he was deeply lonely for it.

Honestly, it had been in that day of recovery with the gorgon that he actually considered how he treated and was treated. While he didn't question Guild practices of forcing them out barely healed, he took more time to get to his jobs rather than just hurrying in as always. It had almost felt for a few hours that someone might actually care and miss him if he died. Such a strange feeling, and yet when Gabriel pointed it out in relation to him, he could relate immediately.

"I know. Neither am I," he said softly as he ate a little cheese. "People don't care about me, just about what I can do. You were the first to question why I lived as I did, and you... took care of me." He had been mended of course, but it didn't feel the same. It was strange to have someone to level with on such a subject.

He removed the bandages in order to replace them with fresh ones, intending to soak and boil the ones he just removed. He washed those wounds again, stroking his fingers over scaling. "It will. Aside from basking at the cave entrance, I'd like for you to stay here."