Uwu

How long has it been?

Lots of inspirations lately, I crave blood. Someone's been praying for an update I can feel it.

LOOP THE ABOVE MUSIC OR ELSE

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RECAP

      Ravon hummed in agreement, lifting a hand and completing two motions as he gave the compass back. In moments, two human figures soared overhead, powerful wings pumping hard, lifting them effortlessly into the sky.

     I watched, grinning, wondering what it was like to have such freedom. Perhaps I would find out once the Valkyries had time to entertain such notions.

     "The needle has been wobbling lately but keeping up a steady arc. I predict we will cross his path soon enough; he's steadily heading northeast."

     "Hmph, I hope we don't run into him while we are galloping about like a circus. We'll need stealth."

     "Once the needle is straight ahead, we can travel on foot, can we not?"

     "If we haven't trampled right over him first." Ravon shot a smirk at me, and I rolled my eyes.

     "Very well. Let's send out scouts every morning and evening to circle ahead and look for signs of flight. If they manage to spot him, we'll travel cautiously from that point on, and begin tactics to surround him."

     "I like your thinking; I'll inform my warriors tonight."

     We were closing in...

END RECAP

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The Shield

DAMON RIVERS' POV

     "...this matches the color of the compass."

     I was kneeling beside a patch of red, nestled in the hollow of a stone on the frozen forest floor. Blood... dark and inhuman.

       Beside me, Ravon's feathers rustled as he knelt, "Indeed... It seems our quarry isn't doing quite so well as I thought."

      Wind rattled branches solemnly above us, cold and piercing as it mourned. Breath fogged from our mouths, and the nostrils of our horses. Snow lined the ground in soft, delicate patches of white, glittering from the early morning sun. Being wounded in such weather... it couldn't have been pleasant.

      I tugged my hood lower, glancing in the direction the blood seemed to smear, "He fled... this way, not five hours ago."

      I glanced back, "But this drop beside it suggests he changed course... possibly due to fear of the blood marking his location."

     Ravon stood as well, nodding grimly. He sent a firm signal to two scouts, and they quickly shot into the air, heading in the aforementioned direction.

     "He's not... healing. Or flying, or teleporting... and I don't see signs that he's eaten," I glanced to Ravon, "Why?"

     Ravon frowned, heading back to his mount and swinging on, "I think... it's because Lord Notch can sense his power. If he refuses to use it, I've heard it's much harder to trace. In use, however... it creates a flare that will pinpoint his location - and sometimes his former locations - exactly."

     "Ah..."

     "Although," The soldier continued, watching me mount as well, "I've heard Notch speaking... and it depends on the type of power used. Low-effort things, such as his increased senses, are harder to locate without extreme focus and energy... and often, they can sense the location efforts and can flee farther. Teleportation, lightning, fire, flight, and heavy healing... well, that would definitely all but set up a beacon for Notch, and he knows it."

      I chuckled, flicking the reins and urging my horse down our new course, checking our compass, "And you failed to mention this earlier... why?"

     A shrug from the soldier, "Slipped my mind."

     "Did it, now."

     We rode fast for the rest of the day, only slowing to eat, and stopping to water our horses. Ravon's scouts returned before noon, informing us grimly that they had seen our wanted man staggering southeast... not eight miles from us.

      He was heading for a small village.

      It would be the last place to ever be terrorized by his presence... for he would be at our mercy before the week was up.

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HEROBRINE'S POV

      Moonlight painted the village before me in soothing silver.

     This was the first sign of human dwellings I'd seen in... a long time. It wasn't too notable, simply a cluster of sturdy, plain houses surrounded by forested hills.

     However... it would give me what I was so hesitant to draw to myself.

      Clothes... and perhaps even food.

      Without so much as disturbing a blade of grass, I made my way into the hard-packed streets. Only a few windows held late-burning candles, while the rest of the houses were silent. Many would be sleeping this hour... good. I wouldn't have to waste energy on pointless battles.

     A few dogs barked or growled at my presence, many either lying on the steps of their homes or standing guard before barns. A brief touch of my intimidation ability left them silent, or whimpering, hiding their faces.

      It was not long before I'd found a few neglected clothes, left out after late washing. I quickly appropriated a shirt, dyed a deep green, then a jerkin made of soft leather, both a bit too big. A stroke of luck showed me a pair of dark trousers, which I quickly dressed in as well. My boots were... quite torn and worn as well, and I chose to discard them, wrapping my feet in strips of my old clothes that weren't utterly ruined.

     The remains of my scavenging ended up abandoned in a wayside ditch. It was a pitiful fate... I'd quite liked those clothes.

      They had been... one of the few Aethren things I'd kept after my flight.

      Now... food. There wouldn't be much food to be had after nightfall... a shame. However, it would be far too dangerous to stay till morning, and risk being discovered by the people here.

      As I mused, I turned to continue my way down empty, moon-washed streets. Snow made the dirt roads practically glisten, as though they were made of crystal and silver. It lined rooftops and trees, layered thickly on any and every flat surface.

     I hadn't even taken a step before a door slammed open behind me, and a rectangle of yellow firelight fell across my entire form.

     I froze.

     No... no, Notch no. I couldn't risk teleporting, should I risk healing??

"Ey," a gruff voice ground my thoughts to a halt, "I don' know if yer aware, but stealin' brings on a hefty fine here."

     I remained silent, still frozen in that beam of damning light. Discovered, exposed, unable to flee without bringing down heaven itself upon my head–

     "Ain't a big deal... I'm well-off enough. Watched ye for a good while, y'looked right awful."

     He'd been... watching. Watching me, so he'd seen...?

     "Kinda... strange. Knowin' some bloody myth itself needs my clothes, of all things. Don'chya kill towns afore they wake or are ye startin' new habits?"

     At that, I whirled, one hand raised protectively over my wounds. A sneer, habitual, twisted my face as I glared up at the outline of... a rather tall man. He had unusually large hands, one of which rested atop the head of a huge wolf. He was... leaning with almost aggressive casualness on his doorframe, a tight smile just barely apparent through his thickly-braided, dark beard.

     I growled, taking a staggered step back. The wolf matched my growl, yellow eyes eerily intelligent. I could make it turn on him, then I could flee. It would only take a little power, curse this slow healing–

     "Ye look thin," The comment drew me up short.

     One of those large hands lifted, gesturing behind his tall frame, "I've got a healthy supper waitin', too much for one. 'N I like company."

     His gray eyes turned a bit steely, "So long as th' company behaves itself."

     I blinked, momentarily stunned. Food... food waited within, just out of reach. I had no doubt I could escape any trap he tried to turn on me... though it would definitely alert my creator.

     But... was it wise to rely on a human yet again... especially in such a vulnerable state?

     "Well, when yer ready t' not stand there an' look like a froze deer, c'mon in. 'S freezing out."

     The door shut, robbing me of warmth, of light, leaving me in frozen, silent solitude.

     Maybe I could... summon it.

     No... no alerting, nothing... Not until strictly necessary.

     After a solid few seconds of frozen thinking, I sighed. Curse this...

     Soon, the door was creaking open as I pushed it, and a rush of light and sounds and warmth nearly knocked me over. Good Nether... just how cold had I been??

     The door clicked behind me, and I glared around. Before me, the man sat on a great armchair of bear's hide, eating his dinner and watching the flames. His wolf watched me from beside him.

     "Grab a plate, 'n come over by th' flames so I can see you better."

     It was... strange. The ease with which this man commanded me was astonishing... though even more shocking was my own obedience to it.

      Perhaps I was weaker than I realized.

      I quietly took the spare plate, from which came an overwhelmingly delicious smell. Warm, toasted bread and a generous amount of cheese sat upon it, and roasted cuts of meat overlapped. There were even chunks of potato intermixed, all thrown together haphazardly.

     I'd all but fallen upon the food by the time I neared the fire, kneeling stiffly beside it and giving in to the basic needs I forced upon my body, keeping myself from power. Aether above... it was so, so good. Soft bread, hot chunks of meat. I could feel every bit of nutrients going straight into that gnawing emptiness within.

     As I finished my desperate meal, the gruff voice startled me yet again, "More on th' furnace, keepin' warm."

      I glanced up, mouth full, eyes meeting with his steely ones.

     Incredible... there was not a trace of fear in those depths.

     I stepped away for seconds, then thirds. Once I had licked my plate clean for the final time, I finally spoke, voice low, "Why do you do this..."

     "Do what, speak up, can barely hear you."

     I lifted my voice a little, staring into the flames of his roaring fire, "Invite me into your home, put yourself at my mercy, after I already stole your things."

      A low chuckle made my gaze snap to his yet again, he was letting his wolf lick his plate, "I'm at yer mercy?"

     His words sent a chill down my spine, but he continued.

     "I guess ye could kill me. Or rob me more. Burn 'm house like them stories say."

      A careless shrug, "Don' care."

     I blinked at him, incredulous, "Don''t... care."

     "Nah. I've never cared much about anythin'. Comes with th' lonely life. If I'd a wife 'n kids, I'd have sniped you th' moment I saw your eyes from my window."

     "You speak as though you know me... why not take an opportunity to end my reign of terror."

      He raised a brow at me, and I was nearly jolted back into a time I used to sit and listen to stories from Notch.

      "I know ye can't die from a crossbow bolt. 'sides, y'didn't look like ye were here t' kill. Looked starved, afraid. Hurt."

     He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, all but staring daggers into me. I narrowed my eyes, gaze flicking away.

     "I usually like helpin' out a bit... 'N this time, seems I could help out by given' ye what yer seekin'. If I hadn't offered ye food, y'might have gone somewhere else with them little kids 'n taken it."

     "So you protect others by... becoming their shield. By taking in one who might harm and frighten them... risking death for it."

     "Aye."

     "That is... admirable."

     The human's grin was immediate and a bit startling as he leaned back, chuckling to himself, "D#mn, the myth 'f ages callin' me admirable."

     I interrupted his mirth, "You... speak and sit so calmly in my presence. How? Many would have offered their belongings within a single glimpse."

     "Don't have much anyway, 'xcept food. Not much t' protect, aside from my dog, " he gave the giant animal a loving pat, "But she's only a cust'mer like yerself. Comes 'n goes as she pleases wh'n she needs food 'n shelter. Without me, she'd take th' cows 'n the sheep or them kids."

      "You truly are a shield... then."

      "As much 's you're a poisoned blade," the man didn't even skip a beat.

     Chastised, I lowered my gaze again. touching my healing arm.

     "Perhaps..."

     A beat of silence, filled with only the crackling of flames and huffs from the wolf.

      The man's deep voice caught my gaze again, "I wantchya outta here by morn, don't want ye seen. I'll have breakfast out 'afore sunup, then I'll send you on yer way. Y'can keep the clothes."

      I wondered once again if he intended to stab me in my sleep, why he hadn't attacked again. But... his words made sense. He stood between his people and danger, using wit and words to come to solutions. He was smart enough to know nothing he did could ever harm me...

      Grudgingly, I found I quite respected his heroism, even if it could do little to resist my own power.

     "My... thanks, human."

      "Name's Ragnar."

      I blinked as he extended a massive hand towards me, waiting.

     Oh... a customary human greeting.

     With hesitation, I obliged him, offering my good arm. He grasped my wrist firmly, giving it a squeeze.

      "My name... is Herobrine."

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Y'all had better looped the above music.

Golly I'm ready for some battle scenes and whumperflies