The Heart is a Lonely Hunter *Myka*

[Jaycen Remington]

Fuck it was cold! Jaycen blew on his hands as he left his ramshackle hut with his knapsack on his back. He had been surprised when he woke up to find maps on the table and Tommy gone. For a moment he had been gripped with a feeling of separation and panic.

Look after your brother, keep him safe. It was the only think he father ever asked him to do. It was his job to keep Tommy safe and he had done a good job of it since he was 4 years old. He had raised Tommy more than their own father did. Even if Tommy was now taller than him and all grown up, Jaycen was still his big brother and he never forgot his promise to his father...keep Tommy safe.

Jaycen's love for Tommy was more than that of a brother, he also had a parental bond with him. He was not about to lose him because he was bull headed enough to run off to New Vegas without him. It only took him a few minutes to pack his things. He didn't know how long Tommy had been gone but he knew he could only do one thing, go after him.

The moment the bite of the desert night hit his fingers he wondered if Tommy was warm enough. Did he take his cold weather coat, his gloves...his guns? It was frustrating to feel this helpless even if he knew Tommy could handle himself against Zombies. They were actually the easiest thing to deal with out of all the supernatural creatures in the area. But, there was also the threat of Worgens that had been seen in the area and the rumor of slags as well.

Jaycen sneaked into the stables and roused his buddy that worked there and secured him a horse and saddle, just as his brother did. 18 hour head start... damn him for spending so much time with that woman...but she was so fucking HOT! He groaned at his one weakness...

Jaycen hit the gate at a gallop, the dirt road that lead toward New Vegas glowed blue in the moonlight. He continued at that pace until the roan abruptly disappeared then slowed to a quick canter. After a few hours, he had to stop and rest the horse. He got off the sweaty, heavy breathing animal and lead him by his reigns while he looked for a safe place to camp. He found a rocky outcropping that had a natural ramp leading up. Bad luck seemed to find him this night as a rattlesnake suddenly shook its tale, startling the horse. It reared back with a shriek and kicked out, nailing him in the side of the head. He hit the ground hard as the horse ran off, his saddlebags spilling onto the ground as it ran back towards home.

Jaycen held his hand to his head, feeling the blood, he cursed. The smell would carry on the wind and bring unwanted company, and no horse. He rolled over and pulled himself to his knees and stood up on unsteady feet. He staggered to his saddle bags and hoisted them over his shoulder and jogged unsteadily the rest of the way up the ramp. He knew this would not do for him, zombies could take that ramp easily. Thankful for the blue glow of the moon on the rocks, he was able to see a place to climb to where he could have a fire, safe from zombies, since they can't climb. With a running start he jumped from one jutting rock to another. The third was a bit further but by far the safest. He nearly missed the jump but grabbed the ledge, pulled himself up and crawled into the little cave like groove in the rock wall.

Jaycen didn't realize how hard the horse had kicked him and suddenly found himself dizzy and nauseous. A quick crawl back to the edge of the ledge had him puking over it. He knew he had a concussion and that was not good. He needed a fire too but his head was spinning. He crawled back into the cave, at least he could be out of the wind. He lay there for what seemed like forever, fighting sleep as his father had taught him but soon he was nodding off. It was so cold and he was so sleepy.

Suddenly someone pinched him hard, "Hey wake up! No sleeping." he heard and his eyes flew open. The cave was lit up and it was warm. His vision was blurred as he tried to focus on whomever it was but it was not happening. "Who...?" he managed to mutter and tried to sit up. His head spun again and he pressed his hand to it, finding a bandage there. "Don't touch that!" the voice, which was obviously female commanded and a hand slapped at his hand.

[Myka Diamandi]

“Hey, wake up! No sleeping.” The redhead pinched the man hard on the back of the arm and stood. She gazed to the fire as it flickered softly. The cave had a tall ceiling towards the back of the cave opposite of where the stranger had slept, her own bedroll laying under his form. She looked over her well shaped shoulder to the man and lashed out with a quick cuff to his hand as his fingertips rubbed over the rough fabric of the bangage on his head. “Don’t touch that!”

Myka fixed the man with a hard stare before fetching a water skin and throwing it a little harder than necessary to him as it bounced off the wall and landed at his side. “Drink. That wound was too dry when I found you. You need fluids.”

She turned away again, turning a simple spit over the fire that held dinner. No need to tell the stranger that the waterskin was filled with freshly blessed water. If he was a demon, he’d sure tell her soon enough. She looked again to the flames and listened hard for the tell-tale sounds of drinking. Satisfied that he’d eventually take her advice and that just maybe one monster had been eliminated from her worries, she stood and watched him carefully. If the water wasn’t a sign, maybe that devil’s trap embroidered on the underside of her bedroll might be another indication.

Hair tumbled down her back in a severe tail that was braided and only slightly dirty. Dust from the sands clung to her like a second skin, her dark cargo pants and dirt tinted tank top showing much wear from the road. She had a look of exhaustion on her luscious lips and the pink in her cheeks were from wind-chapped skin, not a blush of a young maid.

Behind this woman, with her fiery hair and pale eyes, was a dark cave that held few belongings. Beside the fire held two saddlebags, one looking rifled through (his) and one stacked neatly beside a dark saddle(hers). Shuffling was heard in the deepest part of the cave, where light didn’t quite reach, but one could assume that it was the sound of hooves on muted stone.

Myka let out a soft sigh as she forced herself to relax. She had happened upon this cave by chance, the soft growls of the night forcing her to find cover. . She had come inside the cave, gun ready, as her muscles seemed tight and tired. She had ridden many miles on the back of her horse and her bottom felt the punishment she put them through.

At first, Myka was just doing a sweep of the cave in practice, knowing that some creature of the night could always be around the corner. However, when she came upon a male figure breathing lightly into the stone floor, she became worried. Never had Myka imagined that such a destitute cave would yield such an...’interesting’ hoard of treasure. At first, she feared the worst. Maybe this stranger had the virus. Maybe he was a deadly lycan with a hunger for pale redheads who talk too much. She didn’t know for certain, but her heart went out to the poor sod. After a bit of an inspection for the most obvious of the wounds, she came upon his wounded head. A roll of clean bandage did the trick nicely as she laid him on her bedroll.

Time seemed infinite in the darkness of the cave and outside recon proved that if there were zombies, werewolves or other nasties; they were not close. A bit of luck seemed on her side finally and Myka had then begun the simple procedure of creating a fire and waiting for the mystery man to awaken.

Now that he was actually awake, she felt bad about going through his things. She had been alone so long that she had forgotten how to be a decent person, only the angsty hunter inside her remained. She settled up opposite of the cave from him, her back to the cool stone as she watched him.

When Myka next spoke, it was with a cool voice that seemed restrained and distant. She was ready do do whatever needed to survive, she just hoped luck stayed with her a bit longer. "Feeling better?"

[Jaycen Remington]

Jaycen realized he was in an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar person. He jerked fully awake and sat up a little too fast, "Tommy!?" he demanded, looking around the lit up cave. It looked different in the light. He began to realize where he was and how he got there. That didn't explain the person who was now encrouching on his camp. He'd found it first.

Jaycen was suddenly hit with a waterskin and flinched away from it. What was wrong with this woman? She came into his camp, not vice versa, and to what? Smack him around? Well Jaycen wasn't in the mood and he wasn't about to get roofied by some woman he didn't know. He pushed the thing away as if it were filled with arsenic and crawled over to his saddlebags. He sat heavily on the cave floor next to it.

Great, she went through it...stupid bitch. Now he was annoyed. Thankfully, his waterskin was still in there and the hidden and locked compartments were still secure. His fathers journal was safe and sound. He popped the cork and took a good long drink before topping it off again and replacing it.

"Must be...since I'm awake." he grumbled as he straightened his things in his bag again. With the telltale signs of his condition beginning to make him shake, he checked one of the secret compartments in his bag and was pleased to find one of the snack packs the doctors at Haven had come up with for him and the few others like him whose blood sugar dropped if they did not eat every three hours. He held it, concealed in the bag since the thought crossed his mind that she might try to snatch it if she saw it was food.

As much as he would have shared, he couldn't, it wasn't food to him, it was medicine. Besides, she was cooking something she hunted over the fire. Looked like a rabbit. With shaking hands he pulled it out, tore off the top and poured the contents in his mouth. He chewed for a moment then chased it down with more water.

He scooted around so he was facing her and his back was too the wall then grabbed his saddle bags and pulled them as he used his legs to push himself up against the wall. He eyed the woman. She was pretty hot but he was already annoyed with her. "Look, I don't know what I did to piss you off, but in case you hadn't noticed, I was here first. I don't mind sharing the cave but I would like to make it till morning in one piece. Then I'll be on my way."

Jaycen was not in the mood for a fight, nor was he in any condition to get into one. This was Tommy he was going after so if he had to leave right then and travel through the dangers of the desert at night, he would surely do it. He pulled his saddlebags up against him then slumped over on top of them, making himself as comfortable as he could get.

[Myka Diamandi]

Myka nibbled her bottom lip, pinching the fullness of her flesh in punishment for the way she acted. Yup, she took a perfectly good man and made him distrusting. One day, when she learned to stop fucking up, maybe she’d make a friend. Today seemed just another day, certainly not one for change. With a soft sigh, she pulled the spit off the majority of the flame, the tiny body steaming as it did.

Watching him, Myka had just a glimmer of hope. The last time she had been holed up in some god forsaken area, surrounded by the night, she had been with the only man who had ever been important in her life. Her grandfather had been tempered in age, wise and abrupt, but Myka felt more at home with him than any four walls. Her pale blue orbs settled on the man as she pushed off the wall and settled down further away from the flames.

“Dinner’s for you. I’ve already eaten. Although, I understand if you don’t want to eat. I’m not exactly your best friend.” She lowered her gaze from him, instead focusing on a thread that seemed to work it’s way from her pants. Some peace offering.That little thread could have worked itself out anywhere. Might of been when she dragged this man’s ass further into the cave. Might have been when she cleaned his wound with precious water, stuff she was running out of and was like currency in some human reservations. Hell, that little thread might have wiggled out of the fabric when she bandaged his head, saying prayers gently in the darkness.

When she first saw him, lying on the cold stone, something in her heart went out to him. There was plenty of time in the last five years for her to claw her way, half dead, to safety with no one to take care of her. She hated knowing that somewhere else, there were people doing the same. Yes, this man looked at her like he would sooner gut her than talk about the latest survivor fashion, but sitting across from him in the cave, a few seconds of silence settled and she didn’t feel quite as alone.

Her fingers pinched that stubborn thread, yanking hard as it gave a soft snap and she cleared her throat. “I didn’t mean to crash your little party. I was just trying to find shelter. It’s not like I run into wounded men in caves often. I don’t really know the procedure for friendly conversation here.” She stopped herself, wincing as her own voice. Really? You’re still going to be a dick to him. Stop, for the love of all that is holy, Myka.

She gave a sigh and began softly, letting the sounds of the cave carry her voice to him. “I’m sorry.” Pulling her knees to her chest, her laid her arms out and fiddled with that little thread. “I shouldn’t have tossed your stuff, but I wanted to know the type of man I was dealing with. I met a few thieves up north who could look you in the eye and call you friend, but would cut your throat if you turned around. Once I was sure I wasn't dealing with that type, I stopped looking."

Silence enveloped the cave again as she tossed the poor thread towards the fire, smiling just a tad as she heard a crackle. "You can look through my stuff if you want."

[Jaycen Remington]

Jaycen watched the woman move about, her emotions seemed to be slipping back and forth on her, like she wanted to be nice but her mouth and actions kept fighting with her brain. Which meant she had a brain at least. His eyes narrowed at her. His father had taught him never to trust anyone and that humans could be just as bad as any other creature in the world. His mouth watered at the trought of eating the tastey little rabbit who had met its demise in order to complete the cycle of life by filling the belly of someone higher on the food change.

"I could eat." he muttered, staring at the golden brown, fire roasted animal. The protien would help his little snack keep his blood sugar up for awhile. He realized he had only focused on the negative aspect of what was happening. She had moved him onto a more comfortable place to lay and she had dressed his wound and cooked him food. He sighed and forced a smile, "I'm sorry too. I guess we got off on the wrong foot." he shifted his posture so he was sitting up more. "Thank you, for the food, and for this." he pointed up at the bandage.

He figured he better give her something to call him and something that would help her to believe he was not a nomad, if she could not tell by his limited supplies. "My name I Jaycen, I'm part of the Haven militia." he said and held his hand out in greeting. "I was just headed to New Vegas to find somebody." he wouldn't mention that it was Tommy since she might be a spy or something, even if that was doubtful.

"If you need directions to Haven I can tell you how to get there, they can help you get resupplied and offer safety if you need a rest. It's only a few hours away." He certainly didn't expect her to want to go to New Vegas, most humans out in the desert didn't have any plans for going there any time soon.

Jesus Tommy! Where the fuck are you? He felt the emptiness that always came when they were separated for any amount of time. He had that feeling of panic that a parent gets when they don't know where their child was. "My horse spooked and kicked me, I would imagine he is back in Haven by now, you could follow his tracks straight there." he offered.

Now with nothing left to say, other than the things he was thinking but would never say, like how hot she was and how he wouldn't mind sharing body heat if she was cold. He kicked himself mentally, that is just exactly what got him into this mess...

[Myka Diamandi]

Myka just nodded as he said his own piece. She felt as if a simple understanding was reached and watched him through her large eyes, listening to the cadence of his voice as it echoed slightly in the roundness of the cave. Although they weren’t to the trusting level, this was better than hostile. For both of them. She stood slowly, letting her body come to full height before walking over to her water skin and snatching it up from the floor.

She grinned, as if a sudden thought popped into her head. Her smile was wide and easy, almost shining from the inside but much too rare. “You know, with that dent in your head, I was hoping it was a horse and not some buxom babe with a good set of legs. You know, in case I need to watch out for them too.” She gave a chuckle, and let her smile drop into a shy curve. “Sorry. I shouldn’t joke like that. I don’t really know you.”

Myka felt her walls slipping. How long had it really been since she’d had someone to cut up with near a fire? Too long, she figured as she moved to sit only arm’s length from him. Too long to let someone else in, even for a few hours over a fire. Her smile stayed, although it was toned down. She popped the top on the water skin and took a long mouthful, careful to reserve what supply she had.

“So, the Haven? That’s the human settlement? I guess I didn’t catch it’s name. People weren’t too talkitive about it, but that can be a good thing. Trust doesn’t exactly run freely nowadays.” She offered him her water skin, satisfied that he wasn’t a creature of the night, but it wasn’t about that. For a moment, she felt as if a truce was settled and to her that meant sharing.

“Actually, I’m not here for the Haven, but I should probably go alert them. Officials would hate to know someone messing about their area.” She gave a little chuckle, laying the skin down between them. Her eyes looked thoughtful and just a bit sad before she looked away from him.

“Are you going to New Vegas to find Tommy?” She spoke barely over a whisper. Knowing the topic was probably way off the conversation list for the evening. But the way he called out the name from waking, as well as softly calling in his sleep, Myka knew Tommy was very important. Hell, she had been through the same thing only years ago, and the pain never got easier. Except, when she called out to the heavens, the silence was deafening. No hope of return.

She sat cross legged before the fire, arms draped in her lap and shoulders slumped just a bit. The fire was cathartic, and talking to someone other than her horse for the last month was more of a treat than she would ever let on. When her eyes swiveled back to his face, outlined in warm shades and cast shadows, she wasn’t sure how he’d react. She simply waited, more patient than she’d ever felt.

[Jaycen Remington]

Jaycen was not in the mood for humor so he did his best to force a smile at the joke that was at his expense. Honestly, she didn’t know how close to accurate she was. There were many instances when he was chased down by a woman just so she could slap the shit out of him for turning her down in favor of another. Other instances had him running from fathers, brothers and husbands with his pants down for being fool enough to think a woman was of age, single or free to make her own choices.

Jaycen shook his head impatiently. It was common among the people of Haven to get a little defensive about the name of their town. Too many people called it by the wrong name. “Not THE Haven..Just Haven.” He informed her. He looked toward the rabbit over the fire and moved to retrieve it before it could overcook. She had already said it was for him, and while he staggered to his feet and shuffled unsteadily to it he took it off the fire with confidence before returning to his saddlebags and sitting back down heavily, somewhat out of breath. “That horse… has hard hooves.” He complained.

“Why inform then you’re in the area, it’s free territory outside the gates. They don’t kill other humans for just any reason.” He wondered why she thought that. Were there other areas where people were stupid enough to think they had a claim on the lands infested with the undead and mutated creatures of the night? If so, they were fools and would probably die young. Then he heard the nickname he had given to his brother when he was little and stiffened, his jaw set. He looked away from the girl, not making eye contact.

“Don’t call him that.” He muttered and stuffed a huge chunk of meat in his mouth. He chewed a moment then swallowed. “My brother’s name is Thomas…and yeah, I’m going to find him.” He added and stuffed more meat into his mouth so he wouldn’t have to talk. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his grandfathers wind up pocket watch and looked at it. He swallowed what was in his mouth as he returned the watch to its pocket, “Four hours till sunrise, we better get some sleep.” He reached in his saddlebag and pulled out an empty leather bag and put the rest of the rabbit into it. “We can finish this in the morning.” He was finished talking. He needed to rest so he could find his brother and if he needed help, he would be in the condition to do so.

[Myka Diamandi]

"My brother's name is Thomas..."

Myka leaned up against the stone wall, willing herself to sleep as she closed her eyes. Thomas. It could have been any other name and not pulled at her heart so much. She didn't want to talk about her past as much as he wanted to hear it, and by the way he dismissed her to quickly for forty winks on a lumpy saddlebag, she was sure that conversation was never going to happen.

His name is Thomas. She couldn't let him go alone. It's not like Thomas was a terribly uncommon name, it wasn't, but the sound of caring that wobbled at the back of his throat when he spoke of his brother hit a chord with her. It's been five years, Pop-pop. I miss you. She let out a sigh, feeling her body grow heavy with the beginnings of sleep. In those few short seconds, Myka decided that she would help this stranger named Jaycen as much as he'd let her. Letting family wander off into the wasteland of virus and disease wasn't something she did easily, especially if they shared the first name of the greatest hunter she'd every known. Tears laid upon the inside of her eyelids, not yet escaped as she held them tightly. Right now wasn't the time for weakness, deserved or otherwise.

Seconds seemed to pass as her eyes opened wide, half expecting her "cave mate" to have high-tailed it out of the cave. The fire was nothing but red hot coals, giving the indication that the fire burned out less than an hour ago. Myka didn't have a fancy watch, or a family member, but she had energy. Stretching silently, she picked herself off the ground and went to investigate the state of the world outside. Just by the door, she reached for her handheld crossbow, an heirloom given to her by her grandfather. She loaded a bolt, preferring silence of attack over the quick kill. This was just to see if it was dawn, not a knock-out, drag-out fight.

A little bit of maneuvering gave her a view of the desert sky, heat already starting to rise from the sands, although the sun had barely moved. Senses on alert, she gave the horizon a scan and listened for unusual sounds. Sometimes, the best weapons in a hunter's arsenal were the ones they were born with. Myka just hoped that it would one day spare her life.

[Jaycen Remington]

Jaycen woke up ravenous, as he did every morning. His hands shook with the telltale signs of his blood sugar dropping, meaning he had all of about an hour to get some food in him but he didn’t plan on hanging around that long.

He noticed Myka had already moved to the door of the cave and was doing a security check, good. That left it to him to stoke the fire and take a small pot out of his saddlebags. He poured water in the pot and placed it on the fire. He rifled through his saddlebags again until he found small leather pouch and a larger leather bag tied lightly at the top. “Come eat.” He called quietly to the woman. “Don’t know when we will get our next meal.”

The pot did not take long to boil and he went about adding some of what was in the large back into the pot. It was ground grains of a mixed variety that he stirred into the pot. It thickened and bubbled in a short time and he removed the pot. He poured half the contents of the smaller pouch into the mix and stirred it.

He rifled in his bag again and pulled out two deep wooden plates. He looked at them and rubbed his hand over the carvings on the edges. ‘Jaycen’ and ‘Thomas’ were carved into them. He paused on Thomas’s name for just a moment before handing her the one that had his own name on it.

He scooped a healthy amount of the grain cereal onto each plate before mashing the rest down into the bottom of the pot and setting it onto a cold rock, away from the fire. Even if it was hot, he was hungry to the point of his hands shaking so he began shoveling it into his mouth. Jaycen didn’t talk while he ate, he was all business when it came to filling his gut.

The grains were designed to fill him up and keep him going for a few hours. The contents of the pouch were a combination of spices and sugar to make it taste pleasant. It didn’t take him long to finish his food then carry it to a patch of loose sand and clean the plate. He tucked it back into his saddlebags and rifled once again. It only took him a moment to find the rolled up paper. He carried it to the pot, spread it out on the rock then turned the pot upside down on it. The contents had thickened and cooled so it fell out onto the paper in one lump.

He took out his knife and cut the loaf into slices. He took half the slices and put them in the bag with the rabbit. He pulled a large chunk off the rabbit and placed it on the paper with the remaining slices, wrapped it up and handed it to Myka. “This will get you where you are going.” He said and began cleaning up and packing his things in his saddlebags.

[Myka Diamandi]

Myka headed back in the cave at the sound of his voice. It was gruff upon first waking and a part of her found that endearing. Just walking back to the fire left Myka to disassemble her crossbow in quick and methodical steps. Before she even sat, the weapon was inactive, carefully folded upon itself. She took another quick second to stow it in her bag, removing a handgun and it’s thigh strap before sitting to a plate of hot cereal.

She looked at it for a while. It had been a long time since she had much in the way of oats and cereal. Taking a warm glob of it between her slender finger, she dropped it in her mouth and stifled a moan of delight. Myka didn’t know what the fuck this was, but she was in love. Her sugar had dropped more than it should have, and another hasty shovel had her feeling warmer already. They ate in silence, only the slightly sticky sounds of the meal followed by chewing. Myka didn’t even dare look over at him, fearful that his face would be horrified at her barbaric eating. Grandfather did always say that chewing with her mouth open would be a downfall. She didn’t see how that made since until she was snuggled up in a cave with a stranger and she was quite literally licking the plate clean. A queen, she was not.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she went to clean the plate as well and handed it back. He, in turn, was handing her a package. “This will get you were you are going.”

“Thanks, but I thought I’d tag along. You might need backup.” She didn’t take the package, carefully wrapped. No, she dropped her hands to her side, firearm resting near her palm as if always did. “I can help. Besides, I need to scope out the lay of the land.”

Myka spoke with conviction, spine straight. She had a job to do, and if she could help someone reunite with their family, she was damned if they’d stop her. She crouched to pick up her bag, laying it over one shoulder with a smile. “Besides, you’ll be hard pressed to walk through this desert.”

[Jaycen Remington]

Jaycen was not bothered in the least by Myka's eating habits. Eating was an important means of survival, especially for people like him. Any way you get it in your gut, as long as it was fast was fine by him. He was not one to judge since he was well known for licking his plate and burping when he finished eating. Thomas often game him grief for it, even though he would do it too if no one was looking. They both suffered from hypoglycemia. The thought of Tommy and him being out there alone lit a fire under Jaycen's ass and he moved faster.

Jaycen pressed the package into Myka's hands, "Suit yourself, but you still gotta eat later." he stated simply, he didn't need any more in his pack than he already had anyway. "Just remember, the rules in New Vegas are strict." he added. He eyed her wearily. "I usually go in through the front gate, since I'm human. If you are a mutant or something, we need to try to get in through the Undercity so they don't make you register." He picked up his saddle bag and threw it over his shoulder. He didn't care if she was a mutant or not, even if Haven would.

Jaycen moved to the mouth of the cave and looked out, there was a horse down there in the safety of the small grotto below that was surrounded by high rocks but it wasn't his. He assumed it was hers. "I'll be hoofing it, since my horse is probably back in Haven by now. It won't be the first time I traveled this desert on foot." he turned and looked at her. "Don't worry, I can keep up with your horse."

Jaycen backed up into the cave and got a running start before leaping to the adjacent pillar of rocks. He would have to remember that this cave was here since there were no signs of anyone ever being inside it other than his and Myka's. "You know," he called back as he prepared to make the second jump to the jutting rock that resembled a ramp, "You never told you your name, should I call you 'Hey you' or do you have something else your prefer?" he smirked with that smart-ass grin that got him into more trouble more times than he could count as he leaped to the ramp and stopped to wait for her for a moment since she would have to retrieve her horse. He knew it would be safer for them to travel together so he waited.

[Myka Diamandi]

After exiting the cave with as much grace and balance as she could, Myka threw her saddle bag over her horse, Justice, with a grin. The dark socked horse nudged her with his head, blowing warm air on her shoulder until she dropped the finished lacing and hugged him firmly around the neck. Her arms dropped and her hands busied themselves with tightening the saddle to it’s proper girth and thinking. “My name is Myka Diamandi. You can either call me Myka or Mikes. Grandfather did.”

She turned away from him, hiding the smile that bloomed on her face while his shit-eating grin shined. She really did not need this. She had a job to do. “New Vegas is strict? I’m human, so that wont be a bother but what are their feelings on weapons? Is there a limit?”

She thought she asked absently, seeming curious instead of mentally calculating her weapon stash with furious speed. Should I tell him what I am? No. He’d just spill that little secret. Damn it. New place without partner or backup. Yeah. This’ll be great. Kicking a foot up into a stirrup, Myka vaulted seamlessly up the horse’s back and settled there, legs spread. Comfortable and trying to keep calm, Myka called over her back. “You can tie up with Justice. He wont mind the weight. Least we can do is carry that stuff for you.”

Justice didn’t seem to mind Jaycen, actually he seemed to warm right up to the man. Myka was satisfied that his loyalties hadn’t switched. She still knew that this horse was a warrior and a fighter and would serve her until the end, but his ears were all perked and his step seemed jaunty as he pranced for Jaycen a bit. Myka giggled, “I think he likes you but I can promise that his mating call is not a kick to the cranium!”

[Jaycen Remington]

Jaycen expertly approached the horse, greeting it before anything else to let it see that he was not a threat. He quickly tied his gear up to the horse and cursed his own horse for being a prat, mumbling his disfavor with it. He stepped back and looked at the horizon. New Vegas was not that far but far enough to make him groan at running the distance. He looked up at Myka before saying, "This way." and took off at a lope that no normal human could maintain for very long. Since Hunters were Homo Superior Superior, he had more strength, speed and stamina than other humans.

The sun was over the horizon and it was still cool out but Jaycen began to warm up fast. He didn't talk because he needed to maintain steady breathing to keep up his pace. As he jogged on, he pulled his shirt over his head and tied it around his waist. He was not worried that she might go ga-ga over his perfect sculpted physique, nor did he think that she might possibly know what his anti-possession tattoo on his chest was. Most people just thought it was a cool tattoo but he and Thomas both had one as well as most other hunters.

Jaycen covered 10 miles in one hour before he stopped. He leaned down on his knees panting, glistening with perspiration to catch his breath before pulling his water skin from his belt. "10 more miles to go." he informed Myka breathlessly. "I just need a minute." he added. He had run farther than this on many occasions, usually being pursued by someone so his clip had been faster but this day he was merely taking a long jog. "We'll stop about a mile out of the gates, I'll show you were we can stow our weapons. You can keep a knife, they'll allow that but fire arms are out." he had been through this all before. "Once inside the gates, we can retrieve the ones we have hidden on the inside but we have to keep them hidden. I don't know where Tommy...," he paused and corrected himself, "Thomas, will be so we might need to find a place in the Undercity to hold up."

Jaycen was worried that she would balk at leaving her weapons but if she didn't, there was no way they would get into the city. It's not like they would be unarmed since they had weapons in the inside.

[Myka Diamandi]

Myka wasn’t one to spy, so when she shirt came off, she adverted her gaze. Why? Out of privacy, of course. At least, that’s what Myka chanted inwardly to herself. Her eyes were firmly on the horizon, listening to the cadence of his voice when he was speaking. As Jaycen breathlessly spoke, she climbed off Justice and worked on the stirrups, occasionally looking down to his legs and back again. Putting the last of the leather through it’s buckles and pulling tight, she had lowered the stirrups by a couple inches.

She didn’t quite look at him, but she removed her short leather coat and stuffed it in a bag. “Up you go.” She gestured to the saddle, kneeling down to stretch her legs. She hadn’t paid attention to the miles they traveled. No, the only thing Myka knew is that she wasn’t looking at Jaycen and the large expanse of naked skin. She wasn’t a virgin, oh no. But after Grandfather had passed away, she had taken a long vacation from relationships with anyone, especially men good enough to eat. So when her eyes caught the spiked looking edge of the anti-possession tattoo, she let out a laugh.

She tried to stifle her giggled, smiling from ear to ear as she felt like she had made the best decision. Not only had she chosen to help him because of his brother’s name, now the man had a faintly similar tattoo to her. Her gut, if it could have spoken, would have been shouting the obvious to her. “Nice flash.” She managed to say before giving a light snort.

“Say, you don’t happen to be a hunter? Are you?” The question was asked out of humor, and on the off chance that he actually was, their chances would have sky rocketed. Myka expected a laugh and a gruff, “No.” But the seconds between her question and his answer stretched on way too long. She stood to her full height and fixed Jaycen a cool gaze. “There’s no way...”she said with unbelief.

[Jaycen Remington]

Jaycen watched Myka get off her horse and make her adjustments to the saddle. His eyes widened when she said, "Up you go." as if to tell him it was his turn to ride. His father would have his nuts in a sling if he made a woman walk or run while he rode. That would be a very disrespectful thing. He knew that women could do everything a man could do except write her name in the snow with their pee. And a man could do everything a woman could do except squeeze out a wet squirming little human. But that didn't change the fact that he was raised to be a gentleman.

He began to protest when she suddenly began laughing, her eyes settling on his tattoo. This could be good or bad. He froze and listened to her little joke before straightening up, ready to pull his gun if he needed to. There were only two kinds of people that knew what a hunter was and that was another hunter and those who wanted to kill all hunters.

He knew he could handle this two ways. He was not going to just laugh and say, 'Sure, yeah, I'm a hunter, nice to meet you.' That would be foolish on his part. She could try to kill him and if she succeeded, go on to New Vegas and go after Tommy. He worked his jaw, which was what he always did when he was thinking the opened his mouth to speak, then stopped again. All indications said that she was a hunter too, not the other. So very carefully he spoke. "I hunt a lot of things." he said slowly, "Why do you ask?"

In all actuality, he hoped she was a hunter. Female hunters were few and far between and with their breed slowly dying out, it would mean more hope for the survival of the species. That is if she chose him or Tommy for a mate or at least found another hunter to pair up with. Jaycen already liked her, which he just realized. His mind had been clouded by his need to find Tommy. He cleared his throat and stammered out, "Are...y...are you...ummm...are you?" he inquired with a look of bemusement, not noticing that he had put his hand over his tattoo.