(It’s no worries! Mine wouldn’t be long, either)
It wasn’t something he preferred, but he knew the feeling of wanting to catch your own food. He had the same desire, but only because a vampire had to hunt for their own meal. Lilith only came into the picture when a vampire refused to eat.
She’d stepped in when he had refused, too.
“Yes, I do mean that,” Elijah responded after a moment’s silence, returning her stare. “We hunt. Together.”
It was subtle, but a hint of a smile flickered onto Elyse's face at his words as she nodded. Rather than pushing her to go inside, he was actually letting her hunt with him, and even as small of a gesture as it was, it made her believe their friendship was still strong.
Hunting for food in the rebellion was common, but it was normally specialized teams that went out. Even as little as Elyse was on one of those teams, she had still hunted plenty of times for the practice and for food when they were on longer missions. Bringing down something would just take time and patience.
"Well then, let's get hunting," She replied, pulling out her knife and glancing around the woods, "What are you thinking? Something small? Or bigger?" Depending on what he was planning to eat, they wouldn't have to catch much. Just enough to feed her for at least one meal.
(Sorry this is so short)
Elijah had started to look around, missing the smile that had graced Elyse’s face. He pursed his lips, thinking over her question.
“Something small would work,” he replied after thinking it over. “I have spare… food refrigerated, so I’ll be all right. You just pick whatever you think will be enough for you.”
(It's all cool!)
Elyse nodded in reply, then slowed her pace as she tried to make her footsteps silent in the woods. They had probably scared away most of the prey in the area when they had walked around, but trying to be quiet now and not scaring off anything else seemed like a good idea nevertheless.
Now she just had to decide what to catch, or what would be easy to catch with another person by her side and nothing more than a knife. If she had a snare or something similar, it would've been much easier, but a knife could work too. If she could do it right.
“Do you want to do this alone, or should I help?” Elijah asked, though he knew she’d refuse. For Elyse, catching her own food probably meant something more to her than he’d ever know. “I do have hunting equipment, but you could make a small trap of your own for a rabbit or something smaller.”
Elijah’s footsteps were quiet, though. He was quick and quiet on his feet, especially due to what he had to do. As Lilith’s personal slaughterer, he had to learn how to be quiet, almost as a ghost.
"Alone, but I would like material for a snare if you have some," She replied as she crept along, slipping into the cold and serious part of herself. That was the part of her that could handle doing things like killing and wouldn't let other emotions get in the way. Even her eyes held the new seriousness as she glanced up at him, waiting for his answer.
If Elijah had pushed to help her hunt, she would've allowed it, but without having him by her side was going to prove much easier. She had to do things like this for years on end, and going from worrying daily about if she was going to be able to eat to having someone that could get her food anytime was going to be a hard adjustment.
Elijah blinked at her, then slowly nodded.
“I do have it, but…” he trailed off, looking at her pointedly. There was no way he was leaving her like this, undefended and alone, even for a few minutes. Who knows what could happen? Vampires were tricky and agile. She would be gone before he’d even know what happened. “I can’t leave you alone.”
It would probably get her angry, but he didn’t care. She could get angry for all he cared. He was keeping her alive no matter what tactic he used.
Elyse scowled at him, rolling her eyes, "I'm already hunting alone, we agreed, what're a few more minutes going to hurt? You have vampire speed, just zoom over to the house and get it. I'll be right here when you get back. I'm not coming with." She matched his pointed look and studied her knife slowly, waiting for his answer.
Most of the rebellion had agreed that it was easier to hunt alone, as long as there was a fellow group member at least in view. That way they minimized loss while getting as much food as they could. The only difference between that and this was the stakes were much higher of her being killed here, but Elyse wasn't going to bring that up unless she absolutely had to.
“Every vampire has that kind of a speed, Elyse, especially the more older you are,” Elijah said slowly, trying not to snap. “You don’t know what could happen in those few minutes. I’m not leaving anything to chance, and your complaining won’t earn you anything.”
He didn’t understand why she couldn’t realize the danger she could be in. In those few minutes, a vampire could already come and go, and he could find her in a pool of her own blood. He was fast, he was strong, but there were so many vampires he’d met that could behead him before he could even move. He’d lived with those kinds of vampires, learned from them. And it annoyed him that Elyse was hell-bent on arguing against it.
"I know that in this time we've spent bickering about my safety, you could already be on your way back," She replied, locking eyes with him, "And I do know what could happen, I've beaten the odds of being alone in the woods hundreds of times before this and I haven't died yet. My luck isn't going to run out now."
Elyse knew exactly what could happen when Elijah left. She could be killed, tortured, drained of her blood or a million other things, but those dangers followed her wherever she was, and she wasn't defenseless. It bothered her that Elijah couldn't see that she could handle herself, or that he was treating her like a kid again with how much he was trying to protect her. She wasn't the defenseless kid she had used to be and one way or another he had to figure that out.
She tapped her knife, then pointed to a tree next to them, "I'll wait right here for you, won't move an inch, hows that? Plus I have my knife, I'll have a way to protect myself. And you have good hearing, don't you? If I'm not dead in seconds, I'll yell for you, if there is even anyone that's going to try to get me."
Elijah closed his eyes and released a breath, rubbing his forehead. For a second, he was contemplating just throwing her over his shoulder, but thought better of it. That would create more problems he didn’t wish to take part in.
“Fine,” he finally agreed and shook his head. “You scream if anything happens. I’ll be back soon.”
With that, Elijah made his way to the house, which he reached as quickly as he could. He searched over the weaponry he had, and found a snare within a few seconds. He released a breath. Elyse better not have broken her promise. She’d better be where he’d left her.
Elyse nodded, watching as Elijah vanished into the woods again. She didn't like staying by the tree, but she did anyway, leaning with her back against it as she scanned the woods around her. Nothing seemed out of place, but as she had learned, that didn't mean anything. Vampires rarely caused enough of a disturbance for it to be noticeable to humans.
It wouldn't take long for him to get back, that much she was sure of. As she waited though, every second felt like five, telling her that it was a stupid idea to stay in the forest alone. Even if he did get caught up in something, Elyse had a feeling that Elijah wouldn't leave her alone when the sun was going down for longer than he had to.
When Elijah returned, he was pleased to find Elyse where he’d left her. He hadn’t felt any other presence nearby, which calmed his nerves. She was looking around, and with her tense posture, Elijah knew she was alert.
“Here,” he said, making sure not to startle her. He held up the snare, though he hadn’t removed his eyes from her. “You should be quick. Sun’s going down, meaning there would be less prey.”
Elyse heard Elijah way before she saw him, and she tensed even more until his voice reached her ears and she nodded. "Thank you. I'll be back to the house as soon as I catch something," She replied, taking the snare and watching him, "Don't worry, I'll be safe."
Her grip on her knife tightened as she glanced around the woods and then at him again before turning and walking away. If she was going to catch anything her best bet was to set up things now while there were still animals out to hunt. She was visibly on edge as she walked through, her steps nearly silent to a human's ear and eyes flicking around everywhere as she tried to decide on the best place to put the snare up.
(Sorry this is short):
Elijah watched Elyse, though he made sure to keep himself away from her hunt. Animals were intelligent creatures and sometimes even outsmarted the supernaturals. Other than that, Elyse’s form was great. She was light on her feet and it appeared she’d done this often.
He hoped she’d catch something, though. A disappointed Elyse was not an Elyse he wanted to spend time with.
(It's ok :) )
It took her no longer than a minute longer to find somewhere to set up the snare and get it working. It was nestled along a barely visible trail in the woods that she guessed was a deer trail, a place that she was sure she could catch something.
Once it was up though, she didn't mess with it. Only slipped away into the woods again, taking up a spot of her own next to a fallen tree. Elyse crouched down, not daring to get comfortable enough to sit, her knife clutched in her hands and eyes scanning the area. The woods was silent and so was she, laying in wait for some bunny or even a deer to catch themselves in the snare.
It wasn’t long after that Elyse got two rabbits in the snare. Since she caught the animals, Elijah didn’t take over skinning them. As a hunter, she’d have to finish the job herself.
But, he did end up starting to fix up dinner, turning the stove on, starting the fire and adding everything he needed to make a nice mixture for the rabbit meat.
“Good work on the hunt,” he said to her quietly while she was skinning the second rabbit in the kitchen next to him. “You’ll be cleaning up all this blood, though, as well.”
The moment she had caught the rabbits a smile has settled on her face, and even after it has vanished, she was clearly proud of her work. It wouldn’t have been considered a lot of food if she was with the rebellion still, but for one person it was perfect.
“Thanks, and I know, I’ve done this before,” She replied glancing over at him and pausing her task. Her hands were covered in blood, and there were stains on her clothes, but she wasn’t phased at all. Rabbit blood was different than having the blood of friend on her hands. “I might need to borrow some clothes afterwards though..these are getting a little bloody. If you have any more that is.” Soon enough the rabbit meat was cooking nicely and she started to wash off anything, amazed by how ordinary the whole thing was. She was with her best friend, doing something as simple as cooking up food.
“I have spare clothes,” Elijah responded offhandedly, though the thought of her in his clothes seemed to provide a different opinion. He shook his head to clear it. “If you’d like, I can gather water for you to wash off. There’s no shower in the bathroom.”
While watching her, Elijah’s thoughts swam in different areas. If they caught Lilith… he’d make her tell where she threw the bodies of his friends. He would torture it out of her if he had to. The Blood Link be damned, he’d make sure he could find where they were dumped, and finally give them a place to rest and find piece.
"I can help if you want," She offered, patting her hands dry on the parts of her shirt that weren't stained, "That way it wouldn't take as long." One of them would have to watch the food so it didn't burn, she knew that, but it wouldn't hurt to offer to help him either.
The smell of the meat alone was enough to keep Elyse from her wandering thoughts. After all, this much warm food was close to a miracle; especially two days in a row. Still she couldn't help but find herself thinking about how nice it would be if their friends were still alive and with them. If they were able to joke and smile along her and Elijah, or at least be alive.
“I can do it,” Elijah said, shaking his head, and then jerking his head to the meat cooking. “I’m fast. It would be no problem at all. You focus on the food.”
Usually, he’d just bathe in the stream (unless he was in Lilith’s manor. Then he washed in the shower), but he didn’t think it would be such a good idea for Elyse to shower out in the open. At least there was a drain in there.
Elyse looked like she was going to protest for a minute, but just slowly nodded instead, motioning to the door, "Hurry then, otherwise I'm not even going to offer to save you any of said food. And be safe too, alright?" She didn't hide her change in tone as she asked, aware that it was new for her to ask him to be safe. He could handle himself, but she still could worry for him. Vampires weren't immortal.
She turned back to the meat simmering in the pan a moment later, watching it carefully for whenever she had to flip it. In the corner of her eye, she was still watching Elijah though, waiting to hear the door close so she could know when she had to be more on guard.
(Sorry, kinda lost motivation in this one)
“I’ll be fine,” Elijah said quietly, finding the concern a bit strange. Not because it was coming from Elyse, but because he hadn’t really had anyone showing concern for him in a long time. Shaking his head, the vampire walked out the door, knowing Elyse could very well take care of herself.
That didn’t stop him from hurrying, though. Thankfully he had a bucket, big enough to get as much water needed, which he filled and then brought back inside.
“I’m back,” he said, not even ten minutes later, the bucket in his hand.
By the time Elijah was back, Elyse was already sitting on the couch with her plate balanced on her leg, almost shoveling the food into her mouth. She paused when she heard him come in though, mustering up a tiny smile and quickly saying, "I'll be done soon, and there's a piece of meat left in the pan for you."
It took her an immense amount of self-control not to go back to scarfing down her food while Elijah was around. Just the smell alone was addicting, and the thought of getting a second hot meal in a single day was paradise, meaning it was torturous for her to take her time eating. Her stomach even seemed to urge her to eat faster, when normally it was used to her very small amount of calories consumed. Good food was leaving it begging for as much as she could eat.
Elijah stared at his friend with an eyebrow raised. Was she okay? When he came in, she’d all but stiffened, almost as if there was something she didn’t want him to see. Then his eyes caught smudges of food around her mouth and he bit his cheek to contain his laughter.
“Okay,” he said, still looking at her amusedly before making his way to the bathroom. “Thank you. I’ll be setting the bucket in the bathroom, then.”