Day 39: Compromise

"Turn around."

It was a feminine voice which spoke, raspy and scratchy to her ears, possibly due to a sore throat. From this close she could hear the woman's sighs with a hint of a runny nose, even make out the shaking of her aim. It would be unwise to counterattack at this range, she was unaware how close the arrow stood from her head. Either she had gotten sloppy and lowered her guard or this woman deserved credit for having the skill of sneaking up on a cat.

Forcing a heavy lump down her throat, Emyri did her best to remain calm given the sudden turn of events. Her ear twitched under the nerves as she stepped forward beginning to turn herself around. The woman retreated a step or two, pulling the arrow further back.

"Slowly."

Somehow she found the courage to talk, perhaps from being irritated following her command.

"Right, slowly. How slow can I be for you to be a little less nervous?"

"None of that back talk from you, I could just let go and leave it at that. Now turn around."

"Fine." She exhaled while sort of letting out a light snarl, turning to face her. Their eyes met and she noted this woman's eyes carried a unique aqua color, almost imitating the color of the sky in a sunny day. Her hair poking out of her fur hoodie was a dark shade of red, and she had a mole on her cheek. This woman looked pale, her light skin was a result from a lack of sun. But her eyes, that was something she could not explain.

Those eyes peeked above before darting back down to focus on her. They lit up and grew narrow almost immediately, her face kept steady and unfazed otherwise. Had a minute passed by now, time kept still in these cautionary moments. Suddenly Emyri had wished she had brought Nukka in with her.

"You are a Monster Girl?" She asked, motioning for Emyri to remove her cloak. She obliged only partially parting her cloak open with her twin tails poaking through. No reason to be shy when your life is on the line.

"I am a Nekomata." She corrected her.

"You're the woman we caught from before. Yea, I recognize the brown fur. My father trapped you when he went to check on the food supply, thanks to your kind we began to starve. So many of our people fought each other for scraps and droplets, all thanks to you."

Yikes, this wasn't looking any better for her. Emyri was surprised how she wasn't a sweating and stuttering mess by now. Closing her cloak back up, she licked her lips and closed her eyes, doing her best to ignore the arrowhead aiming at her.

"I... did not know that."

"Why are you back, here to finish the job?" She accused, her aim now keeping steady. Oh how she wished she would be losing her focus like before. "Why shouldn't I just kill you here and now after everything we suffered thanks to you?"

"Would you believe me if I told you?"

"Don't see a Monster betting her life on a lie at this rate. If you do lie, at least make it an entertaining lie."

Emyri breathed, feeling her chest turning sick under the pressure. Calm down, don't panic, just breathe.

"A close friend of mine is sick, he needs medicine."

The woman scoffed. "Unfortunate, is he your mate?"

Emyri shook her head.

"Really? Somehow I doubt that. Monster's don't risk their life saving someone who isn't family or a mate. This man of yours, you're kidding yourself if he's just a friend."

"He could be a friend and I could have a mate, how would you know?"

"I don't, and personally I could care less. I asked for you to make this entertaining, and here I am poking at your dull story."

Emyri frowned. "It's not a story, it's someone's life at risk. I wouldn't lie when my life is on the line, that would be stupid like you said."

She shrugged. "Lot of people come up with stories in order to save their skin, how would you be any different?"

"I'm sorry, didn't you say you don't see me betting my life on a lie at this rate? Quit second guessing yourself and pick a rule to follow."

That didn't amuse her at all. "This is the perfect range, wouldn't you agree? Not too close for you to strike me first, not too far for you to make a run for it. My hand is growing tired, I'd start being a bit more convincing before my thumb lets go."

"Okay okay, but I'm not lying at any moment. My friend is sick, he needs medicine and I'm the only cat girl here looking for something that will help."

"That was stupid, now I know I could kill you and walk away feeling better about it."

"You could." Shit, where am I going with this? Come on Emy, think think think! "Y-You could definitely do that and no one would stop you. But ask yourself, why would I come in alone?"

"My guess is the storm."

"And you would be half right. My friends, my family, they stayed behind because they have families, kids, and siblings to look after. I wanted to do this alone, that was my choice."

"Funny, because we also had families, kids, and siblings. Would you like to know the key word in that sentence?" Emyri looked away, this wasn't going to be easy by any extent. "You want me to believe you're here because someone is sick. So what, I should suddenly change my mind, drop my weapon and let you take our healing remedies out of the goodness of my heart? You're doing a poor job convincing me to let you walk."

"That's not what I'm doing, I'm not here to convince you."

She raised her eye. "Oh? Bold to say."

"Yea it is bold, it's also honest. I know we stole your food, I found it and I brought my friends to steal as much as we could carry. If you want me to apologize, I'm not doing that. I'm not sorry, even if I hurt you guys so much by doing what I did I can't be sorry. Because my people were hurting too, my family was starved and hungry and malnourished. We fled, we scavanged, we take what we can and we give nothing back. Because we need to survive, we want to survive just like you. And it sucks, and it's cruel and you have every right to let that arrow go."

Emyri breathed, okay so far I'm still breathing.

"But you know what? We're doing our best to change. We don't steal and laugh at your misery, we know that we live on borrowed time each day. We all have a time to go, but it sucks knowing that nothing is guaranteed in this life."

"You're not gaining sympathy from me."

"Good! Stand your ground, because that's all we can do. Look at us, look at the rest of us outside and beyond. You call us monsters but in desperate times you would break your moral grounds just to last another day. And so would we, so would anyone. We're all animals in the end, doing what we can to manage. I know what I did, but it kept my friends with me at thw cost of yours. If I say I'm sorry, it would mean I would rethink my actions and leave your food alone should the situation return. I can't let me people die, not when they look to me to save them. You would do the same, you know it."

The woman's eyes looked on the ground for a second, reducing the strain she held on the bow before regaining her focus.

"But we're trying, we're trying to be better. Because we should be better than this. We should be smarter than this. I didn't tell that I came alone so that you would pity me, I told you to reassure you of your choice. You can kill me now, but I am honestly here to save someone who needs me more than ever." She sniffled, feeling her nose go runny and her voice feeling heavy. "I have to do this. He has saved me not once but twice, and even if all I am to him is a stupid monster right now he is sick and under my care, and I will not let him down! Not right now, not ever. Not if I can help it."

She held her gaze, contemplating whether to lower her arm or let the arrow go. Keeping her aim set, she rehearsed the cats words in her head, repeating them over and over in the seconds of silence which followed. She was still alive and hadn't made any approach or movement to attack or retreat thus far. Then again, she could easily be lying about being alone and her friends could attack at any moment.

She sighed before parting her own words. "When we had captured you, my husband suggested we tie you outside and let the snow provide its warm embrace over you. Not just him, but a good number of people voted to execute you. In different methods, but a death carried over as a product of each vote. They were furious with you. This year provided so little rain, that there were hardly enough crops compared to the years prior so we were forced to ration it. Then you girls stole what little we had. I was the one who persuaded the vote and summon a hunter to deal with you instead. We had the money, coin was the least of our concerns at this rate. Imagine how awful I felt when the hunter dissappeared chasing after you and we now had a lingering concern of your kind coming back. We managed for a week after, but it was inevitable now. Eventually, someone mustered the courage to journey outside for food and promised to return. Well, it wasn't courage at all really, just an excuse to try their luck out there instead of starving in here. More of them left, none of them came back. We knew they wouldn't, their absence helped ration out the remaining food for our children. Now, it's been over a month and only several families remain."

She paused, licking her lips and thinking to herself for a moment.

"You're foolish, but honest, can I say that? I'd rather say you're dumb over calling you brave for refusing to apologize."

"Would you even accept it?" Emyri asked. "I wouldn't."

"Good, then we agree at that. Letting this arrow go is tempting, very tempting, but if I am to return your honesty your death wouldn't change our fate nor bring relief to my consciousness. You're not worth killing, even if I wanted to. I have more serious matters than wanting to settle a grudge."

That was crude, but honesty is a virtue after all. Emyri nodded, uncertain if she should be thanking her. "Does this mean you will let me go?"

"Maybe, I would take advantage and run off before I change my mind." She sighed, lowering her weapon.

"But I'm not leaving without that medicine."

This made the woman chuckle at first before laughing and shaking her head in denial. "You really are an honest woman. Don't know when to quit though."

"Thank you, for calling me a woman and not a monster."

"I'm not giving you the few things we have left to depend on. That's final."

"Well I can't leave without your medicine to bring him back, but I'm not hurting you or your people. Not if we can settle this in a different way."

She settled a hand on her hip. "Well? I doubt you have anything you can trade with."

"Actually I think I do. We were facing a lack of food ourselves, nuts and berries are scarce and hard to find in the small dry areas at the lower areas. But we did find something I think might help you too. A river on the opposite direction from where we live is frozen up, with plenty of salmon to fish through. That's been enough to keep us full throughout the days, I can show you where it is and in return you can give me the medicine I need back home."

She raised her eyes, tilting her head as she thought it over. "How do I know you're not lying? Granted you haven't lied yet but faith can only lead the blind for so far."

"Then I can show you where, but I need the medicine now. How many of you are there?"

"Under two dozen, three families."

"Good, maybe... it's a stretch but maybe we can take all of you with. The storm isn't slowing down much up here, but down there it might be a bit easier to manage. Can you guys move?"

She turned her head and frowned. "How do I know you're not running a story to lose us in the storm and take our stuff when we die?"

"You don't. But if we can't work together, you stand to lose either way. At least let me do this for you to say I'm sorry. Please."

Someone sild the door behind her. Emyri looked back to see a little boy rubbing his eye looking up at her and at the other woman. "Mom?"

She patted her leg as he ran pasr Emyri and hugged her legs tight. She knelt down and scooped him up in her arms, using her fur pelt to keep him warm. When her hood slipped, Emyri noticed the soft pointed edge on her ears. She looked back at the Nekomata and sighed.

"Maybe you're too honest, but I can't risk losing my families after we've struggled through so much. Even if you are telling the truth, I won't forgive you for what you did to us."

"Then don't, just do what you think is best for them."

She kissed her little boy and held him tight, shutting her eyes momentarily. When they opened, her glare was replaced with a look of sincerity, that of a mother concerned for her children willing to do what she could to save them.

"What's your name?"

"It's Emyri."

"Fine Emyri, as much as I hate to admit it you're right. Whether I trust you or not, we're dead either way. Just... please be telling the truth."

"I am, so we have a deal, miss?"

She nodded. "That you do. It's Alma, my name is Alma."

"Okay Alma, it's a deal then." Emyri said, extending her paw. Alma stepped back out of instinct before realizing what that meant. She hesitated, but extended her hand out to hold her paw in return, shaking it. It felt... odd, but satisfying.

"Deal. When we are ready, you may lead."