Copper stare...

Venom stops her grazing to listen to him speaking. When he is done, her face has gone blank. She contemplates for a minute what she has heard, her tail flicking.

"As warriors, we sometimes have to do such deeds. The only question I have, is why. You say you had to slay her, and sometimes such things are, indeed, justified... I just want to know why."

She doesn't seem much phased by his announcement. By her reaction and her words, one could probably assume she had killed in her day. But never without good justification.

He still stared at the ground, insisting that it was quite interesting as his gaze never wavered.

"I had to because... I didn't know what else to do. Since then I've killed many more times but it was the initial brutality of knowing her life slipped away, as I held her even... I know it was iether her or me, and there wasn't much else I could do, bt I could have ran! I could have tried something...anything..."

His voice trailed off and he sank onto his knees, suddenly wondering when the guilt would just go away! Innerly he knew it wasn't really his fault, but a part of him whispered that that one deed had inspired a bloodlust and had brought out his warrior status given to him at birth. It whispered, 'murderer... murderer' over and over and he couldn't make it stop! He looked pleadingly at Venom, she too had killed, maybe she could help him. She had to help him..

Vapor listened to him, her tail twitching. He was feeling guilt from the first time he killed... she knew how he felt, that never went away. She could still remember the first time for herself, but she had killed much since then. Usually for food... she realized battling was different.

She walked over and leaned against him. "Feel my strength," she said, simply. That should calm him, and then he would begin to heal again the wound he had re-opened with his memories.

"The first time is always the worst," she states, strength carrying through in her voice. "It never goes away. Hindsight is always perfectly clear, but we must sometimes live in the moment, and live with that moment for the rest of our lives."

She pauses, tail flicking a bit faster. "You did what was right at the time, and that is what counts. She would have done the same, given the chance."

Her voice sounded a bit cold, but sometimes the truth was cold.

He felt embarassed for having to compose himself in front of her, letting his emotions spill out after years of hiding them away. Yet, her strength really did help him find a way to center himself, gain peace with his past slowly. Each word building more confidence inside him. He knew it would burn as a painful reminder of the fate born into him, to be a true warrior, but at least now that pain was dimmed and he could think clearly again.

"Your word have helped me to see what is true- that what happened was destiny and either way oen of us would be dead at this moment. Survival is the way of the warrior and this I know all to well myself. I cannot ever truly let it go for the sight of her fleeing spirit was devastating, I could almost feel her life slipping away as I held her, watching her last breath. Thank you Venom, with your strength I think I can push it out of my mind more easily now and be at peace with myself."

He nuzzled her again softly, not ashamed this time for the open display of affection- after all it was the least he could offer for her forgiveness, and her answer to his plea for help.

Venom could see his strength returning, and she was glad. He nuzzled her again, and this time it did not bother her. That in itself was an odd feeling for her, so she thought about it for a bit, falling into a bit of a semi-trance.

She came back and flicked him with her tail, this time the gesture less hollow than last. "Well, I am happy that you chose to tell me the truth. I was beginning to worry a tiny bit, honestly."

She nipped at him, and stood. "Now, we need to eat and replenish our strength." She says this with a firm tone, as if it were the end of that chapter and on to a new.

He couldn't help but fee; as if a dark cloud had been hovering over him and now it had dispersed as quickly as it had come. She didn't hate him, and that's all he had asked for. To go with that, she didn't seem at all bothered by his affections and to him that was amazing!

He nodded, speechless really, and found a suitable spot to gnaw away at, not entirely hungry, but as said it was required to keep healthy so he forced a bit down. All the while he found his eyes drifting to Venom asking how he could be so fortunate. Despite everything that had happened in the last 20 minutes or so she still stood by him. He shook his head and chuckled, amazing.