Emily (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
iluvroadrunner6) wrote2007-01-17 11:48 pm
iluvroadrunner6) wrote2007-01-17 11:48 pm
The Wolf and the Fish (5/?)
Fandom: CSI/CSI: Miami/CSI:NY/Everworld
Title: The Wolf and the Fish (5/?)
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
iluvroadrunner6
Rating: FRT
Characters: Ryan Wolfe, Calleigh Duquesne, Mysterious Stranger (who will be given a name...eventually.)
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
100_prompts Prompt: 025. Haze
Content Warning: Spoilers up to and including "Run Silent, Run Deep;" "Free Fall"
Summary: After escaping the evil wolves of DOOOOOOOM!, Ryan explains to Calleigh Everworld and his past, and they are helped to escape more evil!wolves by Mysterious-Stranger-That-Has-Yet-to-be-Named.
Author's Note: REALLY REALLY AU. This is, after all, a crossover with a sci-fi/fantasy series. If you are curious and want to know more about Everworld, there are links to the reference posts in the disclaimer. Also, this is follows my fic, Another World. You don't have to read it in order to get this, but it might be easier if you do.
Disclaimer: If they're the characters of CSI:NY or listed here, I don't own it, and they belong to CBS or K. A. Applegate. However, if it's listed here, it is mine, so please don't use it without my permission.
The explanation Ryan gave of what Everworld was, and how it came to exist passed over Calleigh in a haze. She knew she should be trying to process this and trying to get it to make sense, but she wasn’t sure she knew how. She was a scientist. She was supposed to be able to make sense of things logically with things based in fact and time tested proof.
Now there were things turning into other things, and everything that had happened to her so far was defying all logical thought. She was very sure they were real, but she kept hoping that she was dreaming, so that she knew when she woke up that Ryan would vehemently deny the fact that he had actually killed someone. He had yet to explain that portion of the tale, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear that particular story yet.
“Calleigh?”
She turned at the sound of Ryan’s voice, and asked what he wanted with a look.
“It’s getting late—and we’re not exactly safe out in the open,” he explained, and she gave him a look.
“What do you propose we do then?” she asked.
“There’s an inn,” he sighed, nodding towards the building not far from them, “But—just be prepared for them to be—”
“I’m ready for anything at this point,” Calleigh replied, before stepping ahead of him and continuing in the direction of the inn. It was a rundown looking building, and not looking very safe, but she knew it was safer than being out here in the snow, and followed him through the door.
She scanned the room as she walked in, and found it was populated by dirty and smelly men with scraggly beards and mugs of beer or ale in their hands, who just stared at her as she held back in the corner of the room, waiting for him to tell her where to go. Ryan walked calmly over to where the innkeeper was sitting, and gave the man an easy smile.
“I’m looking for a room.”
“Well then you’ve come to the right place, friend, because rooms I have,” the man replied, licking a grubby finger before pawing through his register, “I take it there will be one for you and one for the lady—”
“Only one room is needed, as long as there’s two beds.”
The man looked up at him, a lecherous glint in his eye, “I’m afraid all those rooms are taken, friend.”
“Then I’ll just have the one room with the one bed,” Ryan consented. I’ll sleep on the floor. Like hell I’m leaving her alone here.
“Fine then,” the man continued, looking disappointed, “Now, there is the matter of the payment to discuss.”
“I’m afraid, friend,” Ryan replied, leaning forward on the counter, “That I won’t be able to pay you in money.”
“That’s quite alright,” the man grinned, his gaze shifting to where Calleigh was standing, “I’m sure we can work out some other form of—payment.”
“She’s not part of the deal,” Ryan replied defensively.
“I’m sorry, boy,” the man replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest, “You say you have no money, and you—well, you’re not exactly what I would consider payment. It’s either the girl or the cold, take your pick.”
There was a flash and a low growl. The man saw what he believed to be a wolf replace the man’s face and then Ryan was suddenly leaning further forward, and the man was backing towards the wall.
“I said,” Ryan’s voice replied, still a bit rough from the transformation, “She wasn’t part of the deal.”
“Rinaus, my lord,” the man stammered, suddenly filled with fear, “Forgive me, I didn’t realize—”
“My room, please?” Ryan asked, returning somewhat to normal, and the man nodded, before gesturing for Ryan to follow. Ryan turned and nodded to Calleigh and she rushed forward, slipping ahead of him and feeling all the men’s eyes on her as she left. When they reached the room, Ryan ushered Calleigh in ahead of him before shutting the door.
“No one is to know I’m here, understand?” he ordered the innkeeper, keeping his voice low so Calleigh couldn’t here, “Also, I don’t wish to be disturbed.”
“If I may ask, my lord,” the man began slowly, “Why is the alpha male hiding from his own pack in a human’s inn?”
“It’s a matter that happened a long time ago, and nothing you need to concern yourself with,” Ryan replied before opening the door and stepping into the entry way, “If you need to know, I’ll tell you.”
***
“You still haven’t told me,” Calleigh’s voice came from the bed next to his.
“Haven’t told you what?” Ryan replied, seeing her roll over to face him in his peripheral vision, but not turning to face her.
“What you did,” Calleigh sighed, “You still haven’t explained anything.”
Ryan took a deep breath before beginning, “I explained to you how I was alpha male of the pack, right?”
“Right,” Calleigh nodded.
“Well, my—my mate—her name was Martirio—she was in love with Lucius, the wolf you encountered earlier. They started having an affair behind my back, and—that didn’t go over well with me at the time. The punishment for treachery in the pack was death, and I, at the time, considered it treachery.”
“So you had her killed,” Calleigh said slowly, “Because she loved someone else.”
“I didn’t have her killed,” Ryan began, his voice starting to crack slightly, “I killed—”
She watched him, and she could see the conflict and pain playing out on his face. “You loved her.”
“Doesn’t matter now,” Ryan replied quickly, leaving out the fact that the he could still hear her dying screams every time he closed his eyes. He could taste her blood in his mouth as the memory of him in all is rage ripping out her throat. Humans were never meant to play the parts of wolves, because while the emotions were not that foreign, wolves don’t have consciences, or a sense of right and wrong. They only knew kill or be killed and that only ate away at the human soul. That’s why wolves were gaunt skeletons of humans, so consumed with the need to kill that they neglect everything else and just become instruments of their anger, and it horrifies him that that was the way he used to be.
Calleigh just watched him, watched the changing emotions on his face, and suddenly realized that the Ryan she thought she never really knew was there, but it wasn’t who he really was. Ryan was the man she saw every day. Rinaus was the wolf consumed with anger, and until that person came back, Ryan was still Ryan.
“You’re not a killer,” she whispered, and he just looked at her, wondering if she knew what he had done to Mercutio and Lucius. Or worse, if Magdelena knew—
A loud howl split the air, high and whining. Calleigh didn’t hear anything other than the wolf’s call, but Ryan heard the cry of the woman he feared probably more for her insanity than her abilitles.
Murderer! the cry screamed, and he knew that they had to leave very quickly if they were going to lose her.
“We have to go,” he said, climbing out of bed, and grabbing her to drag her with him.
***
Ryan led her down the stairs, and as they were heading out the door, they nearly collided with a man who was coming in. The traveler was well dressed, and bore a seal that Ryan was very familiar with.
“Tell me, good sir, where are you traveling?”
“My destination is Avalon,” the man replied with an easy smile, “But not tonight, I’m afraid. The wolves are restless; it’s not safe to be on the roads.”
“If I promise to protect you, will you ride through the night?” Ryan said, hoping he looked as desperate as he felt.
“My friend, you must be very confused,” the man laughed, taking Ryan by the shoulders, “It’s folly to think that you yourself could hold off an entire wolf pack.” Ryan leaned forward and whispered something in the man’s ear that Calleigh couldn’t hear, and he pulled back in shock, staring at Ryan for a second. “It can’t be.”
“It is,” Ryan nodded.
The man glanced around quickly, before pulling them back towards the door, “The morning fog has settled, so we may have some cover. We’ll have to ride quickly though.” He led them out to the front of the inn, where a covered cart was sitting, two horses hitched to the front. He pulled back the canvas covering, and ushered his two refugees into the back of the cart.
“Try not to make a sound,” he said, before dropping the top, “And by the gods we may just live through this.” He peered out through the haze of the fog to see if there was anyone who might be catching their escape, before climbing onto the top of the cart and flicking his wrists with the reigns of the horses.
“Sorry, my friends,” he murmured as they broke into a gallop, “No rest for you tonight.”
Title: The Wolf and the Fish (5/?)
Author:
iluvroadrunner6Rating: FRT
Characters: Ryan Wolfe, Calleigh Duquesne, Mysterious Stranger (who will be given a name...eventually.)
100_prompts Prompt: 025. HazeContent Warning: Spoilers up to and including "Run Silent, Run Deep;" "Free Fall"
Summary: After escaping the evil wolves of DOOOOOOOM!, Ryan explains to Calleigh Everworld and his past, and they are helped to escape more evil!wolves by Mysterious-Stranger-That-Has-Yet-to-be-Named.
Author's Note: REALLY REALLY AU. This is, after all, a crossover with a sci-fi/fantasy series. If you are curious and want to know more about Everworld, there are links to the reference posts in the disclaimer. Also, this is follows my fic, Another World. You don't have to read it in order to get this, but it might be easier if you do.
Disclaimer: If they're the characters of CSI:NY or listed here, I don't own it, and they belong to CBS or K. A. Applegate. However, if it's listed here, it is mine, so please don't use it without my permission.
The explanation Ryan gave of what Everworld was, and how it came to exist passed over Calleigh in a haze. She knew she should be trying to process this and trying to get it to make sense, but she wasn’t sure she knew how. She was a scientist. She was supposed to be able to make sense of things logically with things based in fact and time tested proof.
Now there were things turning into other things, and everything that had happened to her so far was defying all logical thought. She was very sure they were real, but she kept hoping that she was dreaming, so that she knew when she woke up that Ryan would vehemently deny the fact that he had actually killed someone. He had yet to explain that portion of the tale, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear that particular story yet.
“Calleigh?”
She turned at the sound of Ryan’s voice, and asked what he wanted with a look.
“It’s getting late—and we’re not exactly safe out in the open,” he explained, and she gave him a look.
“What do you propose we do then?” she asked.
“There’s an inn,” he sighed, nodding towards the building not far from them, “But—just be prepared for them to be—”
“I’m ready for anything at this point,” Calleigh replied, before stepping ahead of him and continuing in the direction of the inn. It was a rundown looking building, and not looking very safe, but she knew it was safer than being out here in the snow, and followed him through the door.
She scanned the room as she walked in, and found it was populated by dirty and smelly men with scraggly beards and mugs of beer or ale in their hands, who just stared at her as she held back in the corner of the room, waiting for him to tell her where to go. Ryan walked calmly over to where the innkeeper was sitting, and gave the man an easy smile.
“I’m looking for a room.”
“Well then you’ve come to the right place, friend, because rooms I have,” the man replied, licking a grubby finger before pawing through his register, “I take it there will be one for you and one for the lady—”
“Only one room is needed, as long as there’s two beds.”
The man looked up at him, a lecherous glint in his eye, “I’m afraid all those rooms are taken, friend.”
“Then I’ll just have the one room with the one bed,” Ryan consented. I’ll sleep on the floor. Like hell I’m leaving her alone here.
“Fine then,” the man continued, looking disappointed, “Now, there is the matter of the payment to discuss.”
“I’m afraid, friend,” Ryan replied, leaning forward on the counter, “That I won’t be able to pay you in money.”
“That’s quite alright,” the man grinned, his gaze shifting to where Calleigh was standing, “I’m sure we can work out some other form of—payment.”
“She’s not part of the deal,” Ryan replied defensively.
“I’m sorry, boy,” the man replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest, “You say you have no money, and you—well, you’re not exactly what I would consider payment. It’s either the girl or the cold, take your pick.”
There was a flash and a low growl. The man saw what he believed to be a wolf replace the man’s face and then Ryan was suddenly leaning further forward, and the man was backing towards the wall.
“I said,” Ryan’s voice replied, still a bit rough from the transformation, “She wasn’t part of the deal.”
“Rinaus, my lord,” the man stammered, suddenly filled with fear, “Forgive me, I didn’t realize—”
“My room, please?” Ryan asked, returning somewhat to normal, and the man nodded, before gesturing for Ryan to follow. Ryan turned and nodded to Calleigh and she rushed forward, slipping ahead of him and feeling all the men’s eyes on her as she left. When they reached the room, Ryan ushered Calleigh in ahead of him before shutting the door.
“No one is to know I’m here, understand?” he ordered the innkeeper, keeping his voice low so Calleigh couldn’t here, “Also, I don’t wish to be disturbed.”
“If I may ask, my lord,” the man began slowly, “Why is the alpha male hiding from his own pack in a human’s inn?”
“It’s a matter that happened a long time ago, and nothing you need to concern yourself with,” Ryan replied before opening the door and stepping into the entry way, “If you need to know, I’ll tell you.”
***
“You still haven’t told me,” Calleigh’s voice came from the bed next to his.
“Haven’t told you what?” Ryan replied, seeing her roll over to face him in his peripheral vision, but not turning to face her.
“What you did,” Calleigh sighed, “You still haven’t explained anything.”
Ryan took a deep breath before beginning, “I explained to you how I was alpha male of the pack, right?”
“Right,” Calleigh nodded.
“Well, my—my mate—her name was Martirio—she was in love with Lucius, the wolf you encountered earlier. They started having an affair behind my back, and—that didn’t go over well with me at the time. The punishment for treachery in the pack was death, and I, at the time, considered it treachery.”
“So you had her killed,” Calleigh said slowly, “Because she loved someone else.”
“I didn’t have her killed,” Ryan began, his voice starting to crack slightly, “I killed—”
She watched him, and she could see the conflict and pain playing out on his face. “You loved her.”
“Doesn’t matter now,” Ryan replied quickly, leaving out the fact that the he could still hear her dying screams every time he closed his eyes. He could taste her blood in his mouth as the memory of him in all is rage ripping out her throat. Humans were never meant to play the parts of wolves, because while the emotions were not that foreign, wolves don’t have consciences, or a sense of right and wrong. They only knew kill or be killed and that only ate away at the human soul. That’s why wolves were gaunt skeletons of humans, so consumed with the need to kill that they neglect everything else and just become instruments of their anger, and it horrifies him that that was the way he used to be.
Calleigh just watched him, watched the changing emotions on his face, and suddenly realized that the Ryan she thought she never really knew was there, but it wasn’t who he really was. Ryan was the man she saw every day. Rinaus was the wolf consumed with anger, and until that person came back, Ryan was still Ryan.
“You’re not a killer,” she whispered, and he just looked at her, wondering if she knew what he had done to Mercutio and Lucius. Or worse, if Magdelena knew—
A loud howl split the air, high and whining. Calleigh didn’t hear anything other than the wolf’s call, but Ryan heard the cry of the woman he feared probably more for her insanity than her abilitles.
Murderer! the cry screamed, and he knew that they had to leave very quickly if they were going to lose her.
“We have to go,” he said, climbing out of bed, and grabbing her to drag her with him.
***
Ryan led her down the stairs, and as they were heading out the door, they nearly collided with a man who was coming in. The traveler was well dressed, and bore a seal that Ryan was very familiar with.
“Tell me, good sir, where are you traveling?”
“My destination is Avalon,” the man replied with an easy smile, “But not tonight, I’m afraid. The wolves are restless; it’s not safe to be on the roads.”
“If I promise to protect you, will you ride through the night?” Ryan said, hoping he looked as desperate as he felt.
“My friend, you must be very confused,” the man laughed, taking Ryan by the shoulders, “It’s folly to think that you yourself could hold off an entire wolf pack.” Ryan leaned forward and whispered something in the man’s ear that Calleigh couldn’t hear, and he pulled back in shock, staring at Ryan for a second. “It can’t be.”
“It is,” Ryan nodded.
The man glanced around quickly, before pulling them back towards the door, “The morning fog has settled, so we may have some cover. We’ll have to ride quickly though.” He led them out to the front of the inn, where a covered cart was sitting, two horses hitched to the front. He pulled back the canvas covering, and ushered his two refugees into the back of the cart.
“Try not to make a sound,” he said, before dropping the top, “And by the gods we may just live through this.” He peered out through the haze of the fog to see if there was anyone who might be catching their escape, before climbing onto the top of the cart and flicking his wrists with the reigns of the horses.
“Sorry, my friends,” he murmured as they broke into a gallop, “No rest for you tonight.”
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-x-liv
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i'm glad you liked it.