Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"What a boring day..." Hime whisperly groans to herself while sitting and spending her time in a lecture class she hoped would bring her anything but getting out of her head or really learning something. She breathes out as she scribbles down what the lamb teacher says...old lambs looked as if they desperately tried to stay young and playful despite the fact that they were getting older, but this is how it is meant to be a hybrid. Human, but with strong animalistic traits such as the ears and persona. When wearing a beanie, no one would assume that a hybrid is hiding underneath. This is how much they resemble human beings. Those said human beings live in their own areas, leaving the countrysides to the, well, animals... 

However, the other Lamb women around her also sat there, partly listening and partly having their heads on their arms that were lying on the table. It was the end of July; the last rays of sunshine shone into the pastel-colored room with the green window frames. Hime's leg bounced up and down on the delicately made beige wood floor, her ballerinas making no sound. Despite being in her mid-twenties, she decided to take up a class due to the other lamb women. Urging her into it to not make her feel left out or leave her on her own thoughts and get insane. Even though she did have many other things to do, she couldn't refuse her dear friends. 

Hime observes the others a little due to boredom, seeing them all being semi-interested and hands waving to shoo away the heat. Some even crafted a fan out of the paper they had worked on. They all were clad in pastel light dresses with white tights and flat shoes. Hair's done in curls and pinned up to hold the wool-like messes. Hime's hair was, as always, open with only one pin that was a metallic rose, holding back one of her heavy curtain bangs. The rest of it was mid-length that ended just above her shoulder blades, the thick black waves looking like a cloud. 

"Hime?" a blonde lamb classmate asked her in a hushed voice. 

"Yeah? What is it?" Hime whispers back. 

"Can you tell me the date of today? I need to write it down on my homework." 

As the blonde female leans over to her, she shoots a few gazes towards the teacher to not get caught. 

"It is the twenty-eighth of July, two thousand and one." 

As the class ended, all groaned in relief and packed their things to head out for something cooler than a classroom. Perhaps going out for some ice cream or a walk in the shady forest. Since this part of the school was solely for lamb women, most of them could not wait to meet up with the guy lambs at the campus or go out with them and spend some time under the glowing sun. Headed out, past a few people that held their school supplies, either for the next class or to put them back into the locker. The halls smelled like heavy vanilla, the typical lamb scent that every female hybrid carried with her since she was born. The guys smelled like wood that had stood too long in the sun, in her opinion. The halls were also painted in pastel colors and idly lighted and flooded with the sun, making a halo over every woman. Lamb women were the most innocent, good-hearted, and soft beings that ever crossed this earth, but being like this comes with a cost—the cost of being easily taken down, robbed by fox or wolf hybrids, or even worse, getting kidnapped. Just last week a teenage lamb girl got in the zone of wolves; they took everything from her that she had, even insulting her so deeply that she couldn't leave her house for weeks. Her big sister got into the news for something that no lamb would ever dare—killing a wolf, not even one but the whole group that made fun of her dear little sister. The weapon was an axe she stole from her dad. Since then the predator hybrids make a huge bow around the Jim Thorpe countryside. 

Hime reached her locker and opened it with the number she had on a small post-it in her homework planner. Once open, she shovels everything in and sighs, happy, that the class that turned into a sauna, ended. Being a little lost in thought, she looks at the tiny mirror, fixing the metallic rose, her green eyes shining in the black dusty make-up. Hime grabs her vanity bag and fishes out a dusty pink lipstick, covering her Cupid's-bow-like lips. 

"Getting ready to meet up with a guy?" A black lamb woman cheerily asks her, peeking her head beside the locker's door. Hime can't hide that she got surprised, and her lipstick smudged the edges of her lips. 

"You scared me! And no...I don't have the intention to meet someone. Just making myself fresh for some grocery shopping; I need some ingredients for pancakes." 

"Pancakes? Can I have some? Please!" 

"Umm...I wanted to spend the weekend alone, but don't you live just down the street towards the lake?" 

"I do. Why?" 

"I could bring you some, if you want me to," Hime suggests, hoping she would agree. 

"You would do that? But isn't that too much to ask for?" 

Hime assures her as she cleans up the corners of her lips, her eyes not leaving her lips in the tiny mirror. "No, it is alright, really." 

The black lamb woman smiles brightly but then gets a little melancholic... Hime notices it and jumps on it. 

"You seem distressed. Is everything alright?" 

"You remember the thing with Adeline's big sister? I am still scared that wolves will come back in our area. I mean, almost no one is as strong as Amber! She killed them with an axe!" She whispers it out, and Hime listens with a serious expression and nods. 

Hime's eyes gaze over the Pennsylvania sticker and back to her schoolmate and neighbor. 

"Yes, I do remember, but don't be scared; this incident will keep predators away for some time. Nothing will happen to you, I promise." She speaks out even though she knows that it is only a matter of time before it will happen again. 

With that, the lamb woman hugs her and joyfully says that she patiently waits for the pancakes at her home. Hime nods with a bright smile and watches her leave the hallway. The sound of the locker's door echoes a little as she closes it, her forehead leaning against the cool surface. She sees the frilly dress she is clad in and chuckles, a mocking sound. 

"Lambs..." Hime whispers, still a little uneasy since the day with the incident. 

♡

A few days passed, and the slight gloominess still hung in the air, despite the late summer sun that was supposed to warm the bones for the last time before the heavy winter fell over Jim Thorpe. The school was nearly empty today on this Thursday morning, and Hime walked up to her class, seeing a few lambs already sitting in there, waving a hand at Hime. 

"Mrs., why is the school so empty? Did something happen?" Hime asked towards her teacher but kind of into the round. Stepping and closing the door behind her. 

"No, but the incident still lingers in the air, and our mayor received a letter from the clan that lost the group of wolves to our beloved Amber, who avenged her little sister. They are about to come," the old lamb lady says, rubbing her forehead, ears hanging down. 

Hime's whole system shook, making her feel dizzy and as if someone took the floor away from her ballerina'ed feet. She looks around at the other lamb girls, seeing them also frightened. 

"In the morning we sent Amber's family away from here; over the lake towards the east of Pike, there is a flock of rams where her family will be protected from the wolves. But we are currently planning on how to bring the other lambs, boys and girls, away. Because once the wolves arrive, there will be a massacre. That is why class will be declined today and forever." Their teacher told them they were having a hard time looking at the remaining young lamb women. 

"But, this cannot be..." Hime whispers out, holding herself up on a chair, searching the faces for something that told her that she is in a joke or something, but they stood in seriousness and emptiness. 

"W-When will they arrive?" 

"As if they would have told this! We don't know it. We only know that they will come, later or sooner, so I am begging you all to go home and pack your things. I need to inform you that you and your families need to leave Jim Thorpe. Since our flock is rather small, with only about ten families, which makes about a hundred people in total, including those who stand alone, it'll be quite easy to flee into different areas..." 

She broke into her teacher's words, her words falling out like a waterfall. "Different areas? We will be separated?" 

"Yes, we need to. This prevents the wolf clan from tracking us all down when we are collected in one area; in other words, this would be as if we served them caught meat. You get what I mean?" 

"No," Hime breathes out. 

"I know it is hard to understand. But this is what the mayor wants. I also packed my things in the morning. When evening falls, it will be time to flee. We also have informed all ram flocks all around Pennsylvania; they will be here at eight in the evening. Each flock will take one family or a person that stands alone. I am so sorry that our ways need to separate this way, but I need to usher you all here back home to get ready." 

On Hime's way back home she saw all the families and people starting to pack, hanging up their names from their homes or shops, and suddenly the late summer felt like the harshest winter on earth. She knew that lambs and rams made a contract many centuries ago to get protected whenever they needed it. How should she feel about it, at all? She has never seen or talked to a Ram in person; what if they are harsh despite the contract? What if they treat her as if she is a burden? Or want to get rid of her once rescued? Hime's eyes filled with tears as she heard all the nervous chattering and the sloppy packing and closing of what was once her life. 

♡

Home reached, Hime stepped in, closing the door and getting out of her shoes. A sudden feeling of alienation hit her, and her home felt as if it wasn't her home at the beginning, even though she inherited this house from an old lamb lady when she first moved to Jim Thorpe. 

"How am I supposed to leave all this back?" A voice escapes her throat, feeling as if it wasn't her own voice, making her rethink what she just said, but suddenly it made no sense anymore. 

With heavy feet she walks into the cold kitchen, needing to get herself a cold glass of water. The liquid felt more comforting than it should be in this uncomfortable disaster. 

She sat at the table way too long; as she looked up to the clock, she saw it was already six in the early evening...the rams would be here in about two hours with their cars and small buses for bigger families. 

With almost a disconnecting feeling, Hime cooks her last meal since it is not good to travel with an empty stomach. All the unused vegetables and fruits need to be thrown out since they would rot here, making the cardboard rot too, and she can't bring it over herself, so she takes all the vegetables and fruits that were left and steps out into the backyard to throw them onto the compost area to let the maggots and other insects do their job. 

Back in the kitchen, Hime heavily swallows the meal, glancing up to the clock from now and then, seeing that it was nearly seven. 

For the last time, she washes the dishes, cleans the countertop, and turns around to see everything for the last time. 

The floral wallpapers look as if the tiny garments were already rotting from the emptiness and stuffy air that will soon settle down until a new flock settles into this area. 

Once she reached her utterly feminine bedroom with the dusty pink sheets, porcelain decorations, lacy curtains, and lightly colored furniture. She saw all the things that surely needed to be left here, and now it was time to decide what to take with her as suddenly the squeak of wheels was heard. 

Hime gets out of her trance-like state and rushes towards the window, opening it up and stepping onto the balcony. Her lips parted, and her body got into a protective position, shoulders tensed up. The rams were there, one hour earlier than expected. And she recognized them immediately from the books and descriptions she got informed about. Tall, buff, and muscular human beings but with either tightly coiled horns or looser curled ones but with a strong sense for justice, protection, and truth. 

She could hear the sirens, indicating an outstanding situation. This can only mean that the wolf hybrids arrived for revenge. 

The rams pulled up to every two-floored house, bringing the lamb families into their cars or buses. A few suitcases or bags needed to be left since there was not enough room, and Hime saw them driving at a higher speed than was allowed in this area, in different directions. 

The area of the lambs got emptier and emptier as Hime could not decide to step out of her house and be seen by a ram that would bring her somewhere safer or to stay home until the wolves came and go back after they could not find a lamb to take out their revenge on. But wolves had sharp hearing and smelling senses; how was she supposed to hide? 

She brought herself into packing one big bag with all the most important things, such as undergarments, a few clothes, and hygiene products. She made her way down into the living space. Her feet carried her towards the front door, leaving the living space, kitchen, and stairs behind her back, and as soon as she opened the door, a wolf turned his back towards her. She could make out the sharp ears and quickly closed the door again, panic creeping over her whole being, and ofcourse the wolf heard her. 

"In this house is a left lamb; come over here!" 

Hime rushed, at a speed that was unknown to her just a second ago, into the basement. The dusty and old stairs were making way too much sound, but they already knew that there was a lamb left in this now ghost city. 

She remembered as the old lady that lived before her showed her the dearest treasure of her late husband that died a year before her. A weapon with pitch-black lacquer and so polished that you could see yourself in it. Since the old lady also had a passion for guns, she showed him how to unlock it and fill the magazine. 

Hime spotted the Remington M24 SWS immediately and freed it from its showcase. With quick and swift motions she fills the magazine and unlocks the safety of the gun, making it usable now. Her backpack swung on her back as she climbed up a chair to unlock the basement bulkhead, the sniper gun hanging on her shoulder. 

Once outside, Hime presses herself against the house's wall, peeking over the corner. To her shock, she sees already that many wolves. She quickly throws her head back from the corner and hisses at this situation. 

"Oh Lord..." is all she whispers but remembers how good wolves could hear, so she shuts up. 

As she found a way where no wolves were, she walked it up with the sniper in her arms, eyes darting everywhere. Her ballerinas are already dirty with walking over soil. Sometimes she needed to crouch down, which made her white tights also dirty, but she could not care at all. 

She came out of the forest and back to the streets where the cars drove, but it was as silent as it had never been before. She could hear the dirty laughings of the wolves, and suddenly a car passed her, coming towards her direction to drive past her, Hime thought so. Hime held up a hand to cover her eyes from the blinding lights, but to her surprise the car came to a halt. As the figure got out of his Lincoln Town Car, Hime adjusted the sniper, which made the unknown person in front of her stand still and lift up the hands to bust height. 

"Don't be afraid, little lamb. I am a ram, and I was in search of you. I looked up to your house but could not find you. No way am I going to throw my duty away by returning home without the lamb I promised to protect. With that, I drove this street up and down in search of the last remaining one—and here you are, in one piece." The unknown ram said, stepping out of the car light and towards her. 

Hime lowered the sniper and recognized the curled horns, indicating that he was indeed a ram. 

As they made their way towards the car, a sudden pull of Hime's frilly dress pulled her backwards, making her scream. The ram quickly turned around to see a wolf holding Hime in a tight grip around her leg, they stumbled onto the soil. The ram saw the lonely sniper, and without a second thought, he grabbed and pulled the trigger onto the wolf's calf, making him let go of Hime immediately. The ram pulled on her arms to make her stand up, despite her body shaking like a leaf. 

In the car Hime looks down on herself, her frilly soft pink dress sprinkled with red dots, as if she made some cherry or strawberry juice...she still shakes and shivers from the immense shock. 

The ram had her sit in the backseat, where he already had laid out blankets and some pillows. He knew that lambs loved anything that was warm, cozy, or soft in any way, so the rams decided to make the transport as comfortable as possible for them. 

To loosen the situation up a little, he asks from the driver's seat, "You are Hime, right? I know your name from the address your mayor gave us. Every ram got their own lamb or a whole family to bring into their flocks. And I got you." 

Hime needed some time to find her voice, looking out the window with the passing orange streetlights. 

"Y-Yes, that is true. Will my flock be in safety from now on? And what is your name, Mr. Ram?" 

He chuckled at the term 'Mr. Ram' but answered her truthfully. "My name is Maki, and yes, your flock will be safe, even safer than before."

Chapter Text

The ride to his hometown went mostly quiet with a few questions here and there about the other person. Hime sat at the backside in between the cushioned car seats with their pillows and blankets. Maki needed to gently remind her to buckle up even though Hime was still shaking. Her hands used to shake as she tried to buckle herself up, and Maki noticed her struggle. With a slow brake, he stopped the car and got out, opening the backside door to halfy crawl in and buckle up for her. Hime had her arms up and whispered her gratitude. In that moment their eyes met truly for the first time, and it already felt like home. However, the ride continued, and he told her that she should make herself comfortable since the drive will take about a hour.

"Can I ask something?" Hime spoke up in a small voice, which made him hum in encouragement; his one hand is curled around the driving wheel, and the road is straight. "Where is your hometown?"

With a short gaze into the rearview mirror, just across over his head, he shoots a dare to look again into her eyes but quickly darts his eyes back to the road that gets darker and darker.

"Buck County is one hour away from Jim Thorpe when you drive with a car; otherwise, it takes twenty hours by walk. But I am sure you will feel welcome there. It is even more, let's say, rural than where you used to live."

Hime listens silently, trying to picture the place that was about to become her new home. But a few more questions burned on the tip of her tongue. Her hands playing with the edge of a pillow.

"One more question, if you allow me. How many members does your flock have? Are you much or more like a group?"

A curve comes along the straight way, and they turn around the corner, making Hime lean a little towards the window before then sitting back straight.

"We are not that many, perhaps around two hundred people." He waves his free hand a little to explain it a little better since he does not have the correct number in his head right now. "But no, we are also not a group." He shoots another look into the rearview mirror, seeing her distressed state with the blood sprinkling her dress and a part of her cheek.

Maki promises himself to draw her a bath where she can get rid of that dishonorable blood of those wolves. He hears Hime sigh in disappointment for everything that happened this evening, not just once but more than someone would do if they weren't in a situation where they lost their connections, friends, and their life that they had established. He can't deny that his heart aches a little at that thought of needing to separate ways with those who were dear. And even more it aches to see a delicate and isolated young being. He simply had to ask more and try a slow approach.
"I only got your address and name. I assume you lived alone? How come? I took a look at the list of the addresses that we all got delivered, and of course yours was highlighted since every address was highlighted for the different flocks to know which person or family they need to bring over to, but I dared to compare. And you were the only one that had one name on one address...so I wondered why..."

Hime averted her gaze from the window beside her and towards the windshield, gaguring an answer. She took a shaky breath and answered. "Yes, I lived alone because I moved out from where I originally came from. Life there wasn't very comfortable for me anymore, and I chose another lamb flock. There I found the house of an old lady, and she took me in, and in exchange I helped her around the house. And she was my only friend back then. I guess if she still lived, her name would appear on that address list. She died just a few months later and bequeathed me her house...after that I simply got used to having a house for my own."

"I see from where you are coming from. But still, it is not safe to live alone, and especially as a prey breed, a lamb. Yes, you may be strong and smart, but you guys, normally"—he quickly remembers the incident with that one lamb woman that slaughtered wolves and what happened and can't fully say that lamb-hybrids are weak—"are weak creatures."

He takes another curve and turns the car to the left, coming to a halt at a red light. His one arm rested on the open window frame, the other holding the steering wheel. Hime knows that his words are true and that he does not mean it bad or mean in any way; it is simply the truth.

"I mean..." Maki tries to justify himself as the light turns green again.

"No, it is alright. You are true, after all," Hime assures him, not wanting to argue with him. Not in this state of hers.

After a while they came to a halt at a gas station; he pulled up to one of the petrol pumps. He secures the car by confirming the handbrake, unbuckling, and speaking up.

"We are running out of petrol; driving like this won't bring us anywhere anymore. Just wait a few moments; I need to fill up."

Hime nodded and told him that she would patiently wait. With that Maki got out of his Lincoln Town Car and started to fill his car; Hime listened to that comforting hum of the gas station, lulling her a little. Maki moved around the car to head towards the shop to pay, and Hime watched him disappear through the door. She could see him standing at an aisle but not what he was doing; her hands were both seated at the window frame, but still, she couldn't see.

In the shop the human cashier eyes Maki up and down, his eyes fixated on his loose curled horns. While Maki looked around the aisles for something he could get for Hime to cheer her up a little and bring her on some other thoughts. He found some sweets to snack on and a teddy bear with a small pillow that said 'I love you.' Even though he did feel attracted towards her, this would still be too much, so he decided on a bear with a rose-colored bow on its right ear and picked it up.

The cashier was still in awe to see a hybrid acting so casually yet looking so different.

Maki approaches the male cashier and places everything on the table to let him sum up his purchase. "It's the number five," Maki said, pointing with his head towards the petrol pump, and seeing Hime still looking out the window towards him, he could not suppress a handwave towards her and a gentle smile. Hime waved back.

"Since I was a child," the cashier begins, and Maki looks back at him, a little surprised that a human being starts a conversation with him, but he listens nonetheless.
"I admired human-hybrids. You guys are so cool in every way, and I know that many people insult you all, reject you, and discriminate against you, but still—" he looks at his horns, his eyes shining in genuine awe. "And still I can't get enough of you. But not because of your horns am I in awe; it is the overall look that comes with being a hybrid—the beauty you possess, and maybe it sounds weird from a guy, but I have to be honest," he says while packing the presents into a present bag. "You look dashing, man. The healthy, olive skin, the hazelnut hair, and the amber-stonish-like eyes. You really could be one of those nineties supermodels. Every sane man would kill for such a body, muscles—what I mean," he chuckles.

Maki is clearly not used to being treated like this by humans, and he has to think of a way to mutually be nice. "Well, thank you very much. It is not often that a human is nice towards me. I appreciate your welcoming persona towards hybrids."

With that said, Maki takes the bag and thanks him again. Outside of the shop he saw how late it already had become. As he walked back towards his beige car, another hybrid called out to him...from the ears, he judged it was an old fox...

"That little thing is yours?"

Maki ignored him after he just looked at him once, and he knew who he meant and continued on his way.

"You better eat her before she starts to rot," the elder fox hybrid laughs, pointing his cigarette towards Maki's car.

Maki shoots him a glare and ignores him, despite a muscle twitching on his jaw.

Back in the car, he hands her the present.

"Got these for you; maybe I could lighten your mood up a little. It is not much, but it is from heart."

Hime grabs the present with nervous hands and looks back at Maki, asking with her eyes if this is seriously for her.

"You really did not have to go out of your way for me...I am just a stranger, and I will manage well once I have my own life at Buck County," Hime says while gazing back and forth from the present and his eyes.

"Strangers? This sounds wrong. I think by now we could call ourselves friends, and friends deserve presents. Come on, sweety, open it," Maki says while observing her from the rearview mirror.

He sees how Hime opens the tiny bag and fishes inside, holding up a bag of sweets and then the teddy bear with its rosa bear. He sees how Hime manages a shy smile on her pretty lips.

"...I love these, and I will cherish that bear forever. Thank you, Maki. But wait," Hime says and opens the candy bag, getting one goody that is wrapped in paper. "Here, you also should have something."

Maki looks at her somewhat lost, not knowing such a gesture in his kind of rough life... As nothing came from him, Hime decided to unwrap it and shovel it into his mouth by leaning towards him, pressing the candy between his lips. Her fingers lingered a little on his lips as she sat back in the backseat. "Here you go," she giggled out, and Maki just quickly turned towards the wheel, grabbing it with both hands, hiding a blush he only feels when he gets sick and has a fever...the sweet mixed with her scent certainly did things to him.

They continue their way towards Buck while Hime eats the sweets and views her new found plush friend. Occasionally Maki watches her from the small mirror, and his heart melts at the sight of her. Once he even looked too long at her, and he got on the other side of the street and thank God, there was no car.

"Hey! Concentrate on the street!" she muffled with her mouth full of candy.

"Yeah, yeah, you are right. I am sorry, I did not mean to scare you; forgive me," Maki says, and out of shock, he holds the steering wheel with both hands.

♡

"About fifteen more minutes and we will be home. You are sort of excited?"

Hime cleans up the mess she made, putting the trash into the tiny bag, the bear silently placed beside her.

"Of course I am...but sort of scared too... I don't know how life will be from now on, and are there any other lamb hybrids at all?"

"Not that much, but I guess some rams and ewes will know where a few lambs live; I am sure of it. And no need to be scared; everyone will welcome you with open arms and help you adjust to your new home."

Hime got a little uncomfortable from that long car ride; she unbuckled herself and took off her shoes so that she could curl up a little on the blankets and pillows, the teddy bear in hand, toying around with it as she was lost in thought.

From the gentle shaking and vibrating of the car, Hime fell asleep, and Maki decided to let her sleep a little since she had a rough day. He took the longer road to his hometown.

From time to time he observes her again, whispering to himself, "You have become my responsibility, and I will stick to you...no way am I going to separate from you...sweetheart."

For her, he drove about twenty more minutes, but soon enough he reached Buck County, and he needed to wake her up. He unbuckled from his seat and turned around, gently whispering her name.

"Hime...Hime...we are here; time to wake up."

But she struggled to wake up; normally she would already be in bed, either reading a book in bed or already asleep.

"Umm..." she said and sat up with disheveled hair, looking at him with one eye, the other glued with sleep, letting her rub it.

He got out of his car, breathing in the night breeze. The door of hers is opened by him, and he helps her get in her shoes again and out of the car, steadying her in the sleepy state. Closing the door behind her and locking the entire car, in the other hand he had her bag.

Maki sees how wobbly she walks and decides to take the initiative to move by lifting her up in his arms, laying her head on his shoulder. With that, Hime is on the edge of falling asleep. But he gently shakes her.

"You need to stay awake; we need to clean you up from that blood."

Hime hums and nods, trying to keep her eyes open.

"Maki is back; look there!" An ewe said, pointing towards Maki, who just entered his town. And with that, many other rams and ewes walked up to him, knowing that he was the one that got sent to bring a lamb to their flock.

The town was sheduled away from the main city where mostly human beings lived, but of course they are not denied from there. The area has many two-floored houses that looked just ravishing; the fields around were neatly trimmed, and the trees idly grew big and strong. The ground was laid out in a soft humus layer and a few stone plates; the way was separated with a wooden fence...it looked so idyllic, like in a liminal dream or something. The glowworms were swirling around the street lamps.

However, the members stopped what they were doing, which was either sitting on benches and snacking or talking to each other. Some worked in their foregardens or were simply having a late evening walk.

The few members crowded Hime and Maki; everyone was so excited and curious to see that lamb woman in his arms, but Hime suddenly got shy and clung to Maki, her arms around his neck. This certainly made Maki stumble a little backwards, patting her back.

"Hey, no need to be so shy," he chuckles out, caressing her back up and down.

This did not involve shooing the others away; they simply circled Maki to look Hime into her face. This time, Hime did not back down but stayed hugging Maki, looking down over his shoulder, and the first one she saw was a ripe ewe with tightly coiled horns. She was indeed beautiful, and her eyes were shining with hurt towards her yet sympathy.

They all held their breath as they saw Hime from the front, her beauty stunning everyone, from her pitch-black hair to the soft lips. The lamb ears enchanted everyone, and they broke into cooing at her.

"Aww, look at her! How sweet can a lamb be? You need to come over and tell me all of your beauty secrets." She said and pushed herself through the small crowd to have a better look.

"Such a sweetheart, look at those eyes and hair!"

"Wow, to possess such beauty!"

"We never had a lamb in our flock before; you are heartily welcome here, sweety!"

"We all know what happened to your flock, and we all are truly sorry. We will try to make your life as comfortable as possible." The one ewe with the horns said.

She untangled from Maki and stood on her own feet. She did a little bow to everyone and thanked them for their hospitality. She told them all what happened and asked them about their names, who they were, and what their roles were here, such as who was the mayor and if she could meet him or her in the morning to introduce herself.

"And we all already prepared a few bags with new clothes, personal belongings, and some hygiene products. They all are brought to Maki's door at his house and never shy away from us if you need something else, alright?"

"Th-Thank you all for taking me in here into your flock. Once I have recovered, I will make myself useful." Hime uttered, holding that teddy bear of hers in her hand.

"No need; you can take your time and first explore Buck County with Maki; he is going to show you everything. After all, it is the most beautiful time of the year, so you have to be enjoying it." A ram assured her.

"Alright, now we need to take her home. Thank you all for helping out; you all also should go back home." Maki said with an authoritative voice, and everyone noded, making their way back to the things they were doing.

"Now come, a warm house is waiting for you."

He takes Hime's weary hand and holds it in a gentle grip. Leading her toward houses that were standing a little separated from the others, the way was quiet, a gentle breeze tickling her nose. He saw that house of his from a close distance, seeing how huge it was.

On the driveway they saw the many bags with the presents for Hime. But first Maki is going to bring her in, and once she is asleep, he is going to shovel everything inside.

With his keys in his hand, he unlocks the wooden door that was painted in a gentle hue of yellow-orange. He flicked the lights on and let her go in first, watching her take off her ballerinas and neatly place them on the shoe mat and Maki did the same with his heavy black boots. Maki closed the door and turned around to her, seeing her observing her new environment.

"All is yours, from now on. Make yourself comfortable and at home."

Hime walked through the living space, with its expensive-looking furniture, yet it had an air of a time not long ago, maybe ten to fifteen years ago. The couch looked so heavenly inviting to fall asleep with its cotton blankets and pillows. The curtains were beige lace with flowery embroidery. Under her feet that were covered in white tights, she felt the snuggly carpet. But the fireplace was what caught her eye the most...she imagined how it would be to light it up as it snows outside.

"You look around a little, and I'll go upstairs and prepare your bath, alright?"

"O-Okay, thank you. I will wait."

Hime rummaged through the kitchen, seeing how everything was so neat and clean. So many open places to cook and bake. She couldn't help but imagine baking for him one day...but she quickly shook her head on that.

♡

"The bath is ready; you can go up and take your time. In the meantime I will prepare something quick to eat and an area to sleep. We can make you a room tomorrow; it is too late for that, and you are sleepy," he says while walking the stairs down. "I go bring a few bags in with sleepwear, a toothbrush, and all the other things a woman needs." The last words were breathed out as he stepped in front of her, and Hime realized the sudden proximity...

In the bath, Hime looks into the mirror, seeing the dried blood from the shoot and her slightly sunken eyes, her makeup disheveled. Hime takes out the metallic hair needle. Placing it on the sink beside the faucet. She looks around and notices the washing machine, which she opens the round door of and starts stripping her clothes off, pressing them all into the machine.

She looks down onto the tub with the bubbly water, and he even dared to place some roses that would turn into soap soon. She remembers them from the late years of the last century, and an old memory unlocked... However, she steps in and takes a few minutes to slump her shoulders down, back curved forward as her forehead rests on her knees, ears hanging down.

In the meantime Maki brings a few bags in and sorts the nightly things out, such as sleepwear, underwear, and a freshly packed toothbrush and hairbrush. Along with a few hygiene products, someone even dared to gift her a sleeping mask. With everything placed and sorted, he gets up to prepare her made-up bed. A very heavy and thick blanket should be her mattress for the night, a few pillows, and a lighter blanket.

In the kitchen he prepares her a warm oatmeal with strawberry and a tea. Occasionally he could hear Hime bath, the water moving and her skin rubbing against the porcelain tub. Maki is truly enchanted for having the sweetest thing on earth under his roof.

♡

Maki knocked on the bathroom door, telling her that he placed the things she needed in front of her door. Hime thanked him behind the door and waited until he took the stairs down.

Hime opens the door and quickly collects everything and closes the door again. Back in the bathroom, she looks at the cute and snuggly sleepwear. First she gets into her new undergarments and then into the sleep set, which was a bottom and a top made out of fine cotton along with some decorations, bows and all. Hime puts on some light blue socks. Jumping around a little as she stood on one foot to get the sock over.

Once her hair is blow-dried, she brushes her thick Hollywood waves back to their regular shape. With that, Hime places her new toothbrush beside his, and it indeed did some things to her, but she shrugged it off. Hime felt comfortable enough to step out of the bathroom and walk downstairs towards the kitchen, standing at the semi-doorframe.

"You look good and fresh; step in, dinner is ready." He served it on the table, placing a spoon beside the bowl along with the mug of tea.

Maki watches her eat; even though he wanted to avert his gaze, he couldn't...and somehow the way she ate, her lips moving in that chewy yet sleepy state...it looked somewhat erotic...but he quickly scolded himself for thinking such things and turned his back to her, cleaning up a few things to keep himself distracted.

♡

After the meal, Hime got even sleepier, and Maki shooed her into the bathroom to get her teeth brushed, and Hime did as he said, rubbing her eyes along the way. Maki waits for her at her sleep area, adjusting a few things.

Hime comes back, looking down onto her bed for the night, and suddenly it looks like the most tempting thing. Maki helps her get in, tucking her in, and somehow Hime got a flood of memories of her old hometown...tears welled up in her eyes, and Maki noticed it.

"H-Hey...what is it? Did I do something wrong?" Maki tried to understand why this woman cries.

Hime sniffles and shakes her head. "No, of course not. It is just...I am still a little scared and feel homesick..."

Maki sits down and carefully lays his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

♡

As her tears did not come to a stop, Maki lays beside her, their legs tangled, with him propped up on his elbow, looking down on her, trying to make her calm down and find some much-needed sleep. He tries to shush her, and sometime later her tears start to subside, and eventually her eyes begin to droop... As Maki got fully sure that she fell asleep, he dared to brush one of her side bangs aside, kissing down onto her forehead, whispering one last promise.

Chapter Text

Maki watched her sleep peacefully the entire night. Staying by her side to make sure that Hime won't wake up due to a nightmare that could be caused by the recent events. To his relief, she stayed asleep and peaceful. Just before the sun rose from its sleep, Maki untangled from her and got up, making sure to not wake her from her luscious slumber that she needed more than anyone living here in this area. In the aurora time of day, he made his way out of the living room, putting on his heavy boots to step out into the very early morning and its crisp air. The first dried and dead leaves are already swirling and dancing around the entrance area outside just in front of his house, welcoming the late summer and the soon-following autumn. 

Maki stepped down from the small stairs, his boots making those heavy sounds. He can't deny that he doesn't feel some pride while walking. He sees all the offerings and presents his flock got for Hime to make her feel at home from the moment she enters their town. 

Now it is time to shovel everything into his house. With swift motions he loads himself with the soft-fabric bags. Some over his back, some hanging over his forearms. He also remembers that he parked his car at the gate from Buck County, needing to drive it back into his garage before someone steals it...to be honest, he hopes that his car is still there... 

With his load, he enters his house from the door that was in his garage, leading to the backside of his house, so he could be as silent as possible while bringing everything into her new room. Despite his weight and height, he managed to use the stairs without waking her, taking steps on his transverse arch, almost tiptoeing. From step to step he looks over his shoulder to make sure she stays asleep until he has prepared breakfast. 

Arriving at the top of the stairs, he breathes out and realizes that he held in his airflow. The weight of the bags is still nothing to him. Upstairs the house looked just as neat as downstairs in the living area. The floor was made of fine and light-colored wooden plates, and the walls had a few framed pictures of him and friends that visited an amusement park and some of the nature of Buck County. The beige walls give a warm contrast to the dark brown skirting boards. Walking past the bathroom Hime used yesterday evening, he strikes towards the unused room. Originally it was a guest room, but since he never had guests that had a reason to stay overnight or for some days, he simply covered every piece of furniture with a thin layer of cotton fabric to prevent the fitments from bleaching out because of the sun or getting heavy with dust, making the dust dry and harden. The room was at the end of the hallway, the light brown door separating him and the rarely seen room. With his free hand he turns the knob over and pushes the door open with his shoulder, already being greeted by muffy and stuffy air. Once the bags were all put onto the carpet, he urged himself to open the window fully, moving the delicate lace curtains to the side. With that, Maki flicks the light on by turning up the small flicker that rested for too long into its white plastic frame. The lightbulb caught his attention by illuminating the umbrella-like lamp with its floral motifs. 

The bed had a huge cotton fabric that covered everything. From the brown bedpost to the mattress and pillows with the one single, fluffy blanket to the bed legs gently down and touching the carpet. The bedside table was no exception with the coverage. There he also got a table to write or eat on and a simple wooden chair that also got a white fabric over it to let it look like a chair-ghost that lost its body. And finally, a big wooden dresser that was the most important piece of furniture to be filled with all the new belongings of Hime. With that settled, he decides to remove all the fabrics by carefully folding them to not swirl up the dust. Collecting every fabric in his arms, he makes his way back out of the guest room and towards the bathroom, stuffing them into the washing machine. But before that he noticed the blood-sprinkled dress of hers. Though, he had no time to think about it. Hime was safe now, and nothing else mattered any longer. 

Once back in the guest room, Maki opens up all the bags, unzipping and pulling on the thin ropes that held some other bags closed. He grabs the first bag and sees all the clothes they gifted Hime. They really took it seriously when he meant 'a cute lamb woman.' The clothes were solely kept in a light shade of pink, white, and beige, and they were hyperfeminine with their bows and frilly attachments. Sorting through the dresses, trousers, socks, tights, and shoes, he finally can move on by putting them into the closet one by one. The top closet compartment is being filled with the trousers and pullovers along with some other tops. The second one is filled with some more tops and skirts. The hanging pole is decorated with all the dresses he was sure Hime would love to see and wear. The last compartment is used for the many shoes they got for her. From some delicate sandals to ballerinas and even a few with heels. Two more bags with clothes were left, and he knew what was coming: undergarments. 

He had a hard time sorting through those highly private things, but he also does not want to make her lift a finger for the next two or three days. Clutching his jaw together, he sorts the bras, panties, and tights into the drawers, quickly pushing them closed to not stare at them for too long. Some ewes even dared to gift her babydolls, leg garters, and harnesses for some stockings...but he had to sort them in and let Hime decide whether to keep those things or to throw them out. 

Finally, the last bags were a little edgier because of the absence of clothes but with decorations and some things to use. He fishes out a small mirror to place onto the table, a few more brushes, some new makeup palettes and brushes, a porcelain toothbrush holder, and a few boxes to let her store her tiny belongings, jewelry or some lipsticks. He neatly placed her new things around the room, letting it look as if she had lived there for a long time already. He also found some parfum flacons and decorated the room by placing them on the table, nightstand table, and on some counters with the newly filled drawers. Some twaddles were also there, but he used them to decorate her room some more. After all, those things belonged to Hime now, and she can do whatever she wants to with them. 

Maki turned his head towards the window and saw that the sun had already peeked over the horizon, indicating the start of a fresh day. And a new reality, that was just so different and normal for him twenty-four hours ago, his normal and settled life before he got the mission. Though, he can't turn back time and has to live in the new reality that just got poured over everyone here.

With the last few adjustments, he isn't that satisfied with how the room looks. Something is missing. While walking and thinking around, he knew what was missing for such a lithe woman like Hime. Flowers. Flowers were missing that lived their last days in a vase filled with their last nourishment—water. 

Again with slow and measured steps, he directs the backdoor that was at his kitchen and led to his backyard garden that was full of wild and planted flowers. As he passed Hime's sleeping place, he gazed down at her, and his heart made a jump at the sudden hit of reality. Hime is going to stay forever with him, and he is going to make sure that it will occur and stay as it will be. A blissful domestic life with a lamb woman...a dream life he wants to make it come true. But he needed to tear himself away from her, letting her sleep off the horrific tragedies she had to endure. With a last gaze, he saw her lamb ear twitch, and he had to suppress his laughter and the urge to coo at her. With determined steps he enters his kitchen and crosses it with its light blue tiles and towards the thin wooden door, opening it and seeing that the sun made no halt in rising. The grass is still a little wet from the rain that poured over Buck County, leaving the flowers and leaves in a mist that looked as if they sweated. However, he strode through his garden to pick up the best flower for her. As cheesy as it sounds, he would go for some wild, red roses, but they were almost dead from the harsh sun. They still smelled heavy and heavenly, but from the way they looked, it would be an insult to Hime's careful and fragile beauty. He knew all the names and meanings of his flowers and thought them through, trying to find any connections between them and Hime. But with all the thinking, he missed one particular spot in his garden, and he noticed it with the corner of his eye. A bush that hid a small rose plant. He crouched down and saw the pink roses that grew almost untouched from the sun, in full bloom and scent. 

"Just like you, my found lithe" Maki whispered towards the hidden flower, with Hime in mind. 

Coming back with a pair of garden scissors, he carefully extracts the wooden-like stalk of the roses. He cuts five roses and neatly removes the thorns; he would burn the flowers instantly by throwing them into his fireplace if they ever dared to hurt Hime, he daydreamed. But the flowers looked somewhat naked and boring to put them into a vase; tilting his head in thought, he decides for some wild leaves and tiny flowers that both have stalks long enough to match with the roses' stalks. The sun made no exception and continued rising, urging him to make a faster move before Hime would wake up to an empty bowl. 

Back in the kitchen Maki silently and carefully rummages through the cardboard to find a suitable vase...he knew that someone gifted him one a few months ago, but he can't remember where. With eyebrows almost glued together, he finally finds one and smiles down on it, a white glassy thing that would look good in her room. 

He silently makes his way upstairs and towards the bathroom to fill the vase, flowers tightly held in his fist. Once the vase was finally about full, he placed them into the vessel and tried to adjust and rearrange the flowers the way he saw from a few workers at the flower shop do, but of course he failed, letting the bouquet look like a wild mess. He sighs and steps into the hallway and back to her new room, placing the vessel and its new inhabitants onto her nightstand. He shakes his head over himself for not coming up with something better, but however, one last bag mocked him from the corner of his eye, and he couldn't help but oblige and sort the last things in. 

The bag was a big-sized drawstring bag, somewhat looking like a toiletry bag. Once open, he sees a few hair care products such as shampoos, conditioners, oils, hair ties, and even a load of sanitary pads. Without taking every item out, he pulls the strings of the drawstring bag and heads into the bathroom once again to place the utterly feminine shampoos beside his boring ones. 

He never had so many things to do before breakfast ever before, and still, the multitasking somewhat challenges him, and he takes it as something new to grow with. From the stair railing he sees Hime still asleep and continues his way downstairs and towards the living space of his house to reach the keys of his car from a tiny bowl beside the main door. The car needs to be parked in his garage. Again, almost tiptoeing around her sleeping area, he glances a few times towards her to see if she stirs awake or stays asleep. With fine fingertips he reaches into the bowl and hopes it shuts up. Finally, with the key being in his fist, he closes it triumphantly. The front door was just in front of him, but he knows that one stubborn screw squeaks whenever the door gets opened...it is just a tiny sound, but when someone sleeps, it is the loudest thing in the world. With that matter settled, he tiptoes back into his garage to leave his house from there, putting on his boots and lifting the heavy but smooth garage door up and down again the moment he hits the ground with its stone-plated, the driveway. 

On his way to Buck County's gate, he sees a few rams and ewes already awake, opening their shops or getting into their cars to work. Ewes have it much easier to go to work where humans and hybrids are mixed because they can hide their ears perfectly under a fancy hat or their hair or put on a cotton bandana. The rams, however, need to have luck to find employers that accept 'people with horns,' since it is not Halloween season throughout the year. 

However, he greets a few and waves them along with a smile. Some even talked to him and asked questions about Hime and how she is doing and if she has received all the gifts and offerings, asking what she said and if she is happy with them. Maki replied that she is still recovering and will see those new presents later. But he thanked them a lot, in Hime's name. 

Thank the Lord his car stood where he left it, shooting a quick prayer of gratitude towards the heavens because car theft is not a rare thing here in Pennsylvania. 

Meanwhile, Hime started to stir a little; along with restless tosses and turns, she finally cracked an eye open. With an idly stretch and small yawn, both her eyes caught the first rays of sunlight, and her green orbs landed on the unfamiliar ceiling. For a moment she lies there completely frozen, and her sleepy mind has trouble recognizing where she is and why. With slow movements her hands start to prop her up and sit her upright. The blanket squeazed in her fist as she tried to remember, and it hit her just right; the evacuation and now her new life in an area full of rams and ewes unfolded just in front of her...but the thought of it still aches her. Not only her heart aches but also her doll-like body parts too. With timid fingers, Hime moves the blanket away where just amethyst-colored droplets fell from her green watery eyes and carefully pushes the hem of her pajama trousers up and sees the bruised knees that turned into blood-red, juniper, mulberry, and some indigo. A hiss escapes her lips that had cracks from the lack of hydration, and she was sure that she felt as if those cracks were filled with dirt and mold even though she took a bath. However, sooner or later it was time to get up and look out for...what was his name? Hime tried to remember, but in all the chaos she had left it somewhere in her mind. 

Out of respect and manners, the makeshift bed is neatly folded and placed onto the couch to make the area in infront of the fireplace walkable again. While tidying up that space that was reserved for her sleep, she remembered his name and whispered to herself, "Where is that Maki at?" 

With hands stuck to her hips, she stands there rather awkwardly and puffs up her cheeks while looking around and calling out his name once. No response came, but another retaliation was heard. A car came to a stop in front of the front door, and Hime curiously went to the window, the lacy curtain moving from its place as her slender fingers moved it to the side to peek out. She couldn't see well enough and stretched herself, stood on tiptoe because of the large armchair in infront of the window. It was none other than the car she got chauffeured in last evening, and she immediately felt her heart make a jump. With fast and almost slippery feet from the grind that happened because of the cotton socks and sleek wooden floor, she almost slipped but was able to balance herself quickly. Just infront of the front door, she suddenly got shy and held in for a moment, taking a deep breath and opening the door, stepping out to see him as the door revealed her physical being but just half of it. Maki saw the door open just the moment he got out of the car and locked it. 

"Is that a bad habit of yours? Opening the door when you are alone at home?" He playfully mocked and came towards the door she was standing at. 

"Don't worry, I just checked from the window whose car this was...after all, you are the reason why the wolves couldn't get me; it is only logical that they may have found my new location or something. What I want to say is that I have checked before opening the door," Hime tried to justify herself. 

"Yes, of course. I know, no need to explain; you are probably hungry," he says and ruffles her bedhead some more, and as his hand sinks from her head to her shoulder, he bends down a little to whisper, "After all, lambs need to be extra careful, don't they? Sweetheart?" 

♡ 

Hime made herself ready for breakfast in the bathroom. Maki already showed her the guest room that would be her new place to live in and have back some of her privacy. Hime saw all the offerings and gifts from the hybrids, mostly ewes, and it made her almost break into tears out of gratitude. Maki told her that he would prepare breakfast and that she should take her time to choose an outfit for the day and freshen up in the bathroom. 

The said bathroom already had feminine touches due to the things she got, and she decided to place them around the counters and shelves, such as her hairbrush beside his or the white porcelain mug with her toothpaste and brush beside his. Even the utterly girly parfum flacon beside the rough cologne bottle. However, after Hime had fought against the wool of Hollywood waves on her head, she put on the metallic rose hair needle along with some light make-up, and she also felt a little in the mood to put on a necklace she also got gifted, a tiny white bow ornament. The outfit was simple, just a dusty pink summer dress that reached underneath her knees...but leaving her calves bare was still something she felt unfamiliar with, and she decided to wear tights underneath. Not to forget a cozy cardigan in cream. Being satisfied with her outer self, the door got swung open by her fresh spirit, and feet found the house shoes he had placed in front of the bathroom door since they were also gifted to her, and he wanted her to use them in his slippery house. 

On the way towards the kitchen, Hime's nose twitched at the sweet scent of pancakes and the salty contrast of fried eggs. It is until now that Hime noticed that she was nearly starving, and her stomach grumbled to underline the realization. On the last step, Hime overjumped it and landed on the wooden floor, making Maki turn around to see Hime being silly...for a moment he thought she fell or something, and both stared at each other, Hime signaling that she is alright and Maki trying to understand this behavior of hers. 

"Breakfast is ready." Maki said the second Hime entered and sat down at the table, the same place as yesterday. Those things are one of the many unspoken rules that happen to occur between two people. The seat at the table, the place on the couch, or the hook on which they usually hang their keys or jacket. They just happen without talking or making a big deal out of it. And mostly, no one says anything either. 

She patiently waited for him to serve her and also sit down in front of her, and this is something sealed, too. Maki, sitting at the chair just in front of her, portions the eggs and pancakes from the pans to the plates, his eyes darting from the task at hand to her eyes, but Hime remains staring at his work. 

"How did you sleep here? Was it too loud or cold or anything?" Maki tried to create casual small talk while getting some pancakes on his fork, staring deep into her eyes as the sweet flavor exploded in his mouth, giving him a false taste of her soul. 

"Oh, I slept pretty well. It wasn't too cold nor loud, but if you think that I couldn't hear you tiptoeing around me while making my stay here more possible by bringing the presents in, then, well, you failed, but I am still cherishing your try." Hime chuckled, and her slender, mesh-covered calves rubbed against his under the table, but it seemed as if Hime did not notice it. On the other party, Maki almost choked on his piece of fried egg he just shoveled in after he asked how she slept. 

♡ 

"How about a city ride around Buck? Would you love that?" Maki blurred out in the early afternoon as he saw Hime sit in her room, lost in thought. 

She lifted her head and saw him leaning in the doorframe, arms crossed.

Chapter Text

"No, thanks..." Hime uttered, shoulders slumped down in dejection. Her ears hanging lowly, the shorter parts of her hair throwing shadows over her eyes. Despite the radiant and brilliant weather outside, it felt as if the harsh winter broke into her room, making her unable to do anything beside sitting down and waiting to rise again once the sunlit outlook of hers breaks through. But her disposition is deeply buried in a load of icy snow. She hardly looks up, meeting his eyes that caught the sun that shone behind her through the window.

"Is something wrong?" Maki said while pushing himself off of the wall...little does he know what he has gotten himself into with a lamb woman that was once the epitome of joy but is now being the shadow that it left.

The days passed, and the atmosphere of his house changed from homely into something abandoned. Hime barely came out of her room, and even the whole second floor to her door had something gloomy and ghostly. Of course, Maki did check up on her throughout the day only to get a whispered "go away" or a deeper "I'm fine," and of course, he did leave food on a tray in front of her door, yet the only thing she ate was the little dessert. At night Maki could hear her leave her room and tiptoe towards the bathroom. Once, just once, he tried to catch her midway, but it ended up with her quickly going back into her hole of a room. Without using the bathroom that night, he felt terrible about it. He promised to never do it again in order to let her use the bathroom in peace since she refuses to come out. Even when he corners the house and looks up to her window, he never sees her curtains being pushed open or even letting some air in.

With that he sighs and drops his shoulders, averting his gaze away from her window.
♡ Maki aims for a hike in the woods for some checking routines and perhaps finding some new items he could work on or with. Leaving his garage with heavy footsteps from his boots, he finally checks his arsenal of knives and other self-defense objects. After all, it is the duty of the rams to check the woods for any lurking beings that probably do not have the best intentions for the beings that peacefully live in Buck.

However, Maki takes the first steps into the forest without giving much thought, since predators usually do not show up in areas of rams. Despite rams being prey, the hybrid version of them are physically stronger than wolves, not so quick or agile, and do not have a jaw that clenches like a vise around the neck, arm, or leg of the poor victims. But still, stronger physically and mentally. The wood slowly transformed from the heat into the late summer visions that gave subtle foresight of the upcoming autumn. Maki touched and examined a few tree trunks to check how dry or wet they are to give him a feeling if they got drier or wetter those past days and if the rainfall is enough. If it is too dry, then Buck needs to be careful with working with fire near the woods. But the rain did a good job by keeping the forest slightly humid. As it seemed like Maki was deeply in thought and his eyes wandered in every direction to check for anything unexpected or uncommon, he saw something white, frilly, and slim run from one trunk to the other, clearly hiding... Maki saw that and made his way towards the strange vision he got.

"Hey! Anybody here?" He shouted, making his voice a little harder to intimidate his unknown guest. With his full awareness, he strides towards the trunk he thought they would hide...and as he looked around the trunk, there was nothing. Just plain air, plain earth with its moss, grass, sticks, and stones. Maki audibly gasped. He does not know if it is out of surprise, defense, or relief. With that he pulled himself out of his stare at the wooden and uneven surface of the trunk and straightened his physique, still subtly looking at the tree trunk.
There it was again, white, maybe with some beige mixed in. He could not tell since it blended into a mix of light colors due to the speed. It also could be that it was dusty pink or light blue. But it was there again. Maki quickly ran after it and lost it again behind a trunk, but he paced faster and rounded the thick wooden brink. Nothing. No one! Maki slowly got the feeling to just let it be since it is not a predator, is it? And what about Hime? Is she perhaps scared to be alone at home? With those thoughts, Maki decides to leave the forest for today and return home to his found lithe. As he turned around to set his first steps towards the exit, he heard a swing behind him. It sounded exactly like when he chopped wood in his backyard for the chimney. He quickly turned around and took a few steps away, his hand found his hair, and frantic huffs escaped his adrenaline-filled lungs. But again, no one is there.

He decided on a little jog to make the distance between being in the middle of the woods and reaching the exit smaller and ran past the old graveyard...his eyes caught the light thing again, and he could swear it looked as if it was hugging a gravestone. He got still, and his eyes checked the stones; they are bathed in the last rays of sunshine. Orange and yellow and a good hint of purple, but clearly no white anymore! Still, he aims to cross the old graveyard and the old ruin of the church. He spoke little prayers and excuses for crossing this place, but he does this for the safety of his flock - and Hime. Hime...she feels so near yet so far. What did happen to her so all of a sudden? Did he do something wrong? Crossed a line?

A scratching sound pulled him out of his thoughts, and it came from the tomb area, and he struck through the labyrinth-like ways. The scratch switched from tomb to tomb, and he dared to even, but slowly, crack some of the doors open. They either were empty or so hard-locked that it was impossible to push them open, and he highly doubted that there was a key. This is so phenomenal that he can't dare to talk about this to anybody later because Men is fixed with the idea that hybrids are anyway cursed beings and that they also belong to the category of phenomena and mystic activities. The flock are somewhat oblivious to things like this since they accepted being different and somewhat would not be surprised if those things happened...

The warmth is completely dragged out of the tomb area and replaced with a gloominess that somewhat matches with the energy that flows near Hime's door. The air got thicker but not in a filling way but in a way that made him feel somewhat as if someone lured him, just slightly. It was welcoming, to put it short. It wasn't the common late summer warmth anymore but as if the crisp air of autumn had hit much, much earlier. Sometimes he could hear a faint sob, and it stopped just how it started, abruptly. Then the scratch again, and he knew from what it was. The iron of an axe scratching the stony inner walls of the tombs, but how can someone be so quick by leaving and entering and switching the combs? The air got chillier and chillier as he deepened his walk. The tombs went from nearly neat to more ragged, and some were even ruined with nothing inside but a stone bench or stone footstool that probably had a coffin on top.

And just as he turned his head from the tombs towards the main road, or what is left of it anyway, he saw that light-colored thing again. Now it was slower than before, and he could make out frill. Clearly a young woman that wears something frilly, probably a dress, and the color is a dusty pink. Did he see it somewhere before?

"Stay!" Maki shouted with a voice that sounded as if he had caged his desperation in for longer than intended. With that, Maki takes up the chase and follows where it could have gone, but again, just around the stony corner of a tomb, it was gone again. All he knew was that it is highly possible that it is a woman, wears a frilly dress, and is slim, such as very, very quick.

"I promise I won't hurt you; I even have a little thing just like you right at home. I let her stay and give her shelter and the safety of a home. So please, show yourself for the sake of my flock. I need to know if you are dangerous or not. Once checked, I promise to let you run, and you can have your own way. I won't tell anybody that you live here! So plea-" a sharp swing and hit of iron to something soft, and then he heard a clirring in his ears. His horns vibrated from the sound. Letting him feel the impact, and it clearly came from the tomb next to him.

"Got you..." a slurred voice comes from behind the iron door. It was somewhat friendly but still made you stay away a few feet. Maki's heart raced, and with his little shotgun that he was carrying at the back of his backpack on its little buckle, he aimed himself and knocked on the door...silence, but his sharp ears could make out a breathing. Then heavy sobs and some slurps. He dares to open the tomb's door to be greeted by nothing but sound. Behind him the air got misty and somewhat dark. He quickly reached for his flashlight and nearly gaged at what he saw.

Hime. In raw flesh and presence. She sat on the ground, thights torn and dress drenched with a small pool of blood. Her mouth is dripping with thick and fast-drying blood. He knows what kind of breed bleeds that kind of blood—rabbits. Hime held a lifeless rabbit in her hands and ate from its neck, which was barely hanging onto its body. The axe did not cut through it all...either Hime intended it or she isn't strong enough...or guilt crept upon her since her shoulders moved from the silent sobs. Her eyes are filled with nothing but remorse, emptiness, and satisfaction.

"H-Hime...how..." Maki tries to start...was this still his little Hime he found? Was this still the precious and captivating lamb woman he got the chance to rescue? Who willingly accepted his devotion?

"How did you leave the house without me knowing? How did...just how did you come here from all of the places? What are you even doing?" The last words came out in a tender whisper despite the fight and turmoil in his mind. Hime probably has an excuse for this, does she? He crouches down to her level but still towers a little over her shaking form. With hands that looked as if they had experience in removing dead animals, he grabs the rabbit from her hands and places it away. Taking her bloody hands in his.
"This is not the Hime I found. Not the vain lamb woman that would never accept blood on her dress. Not to mention, to hurt anyone. What did happen? Is it my fault?"

Hime looks up into his eyes, desperately showing in them how wrong he was about him being the problem.

"I am ruined." Hime finally sobs out. "I am deeply ruined. I did the same unfair thing to this rabbit as the wolves did to my flock. I know that they did not kill anyone, but they still made me lose my home. My hometown...by forcing me, no, I mean all of the other lambs away. I wanted the rabbit to also lose its home. I was just as innocent as this rabbit, wasn't I?" She asked no one specific, but Maki answered her. "You are still as innocent as a rabbit that lives in the woods. And I can't judge you for your actions. Still, I have to be genuine. I was quite disappointed that I found you doing something like this. This is not you; this is the raw and unhealed part of you who needs time." Maki reassures her while caressing her hair.

Hime nods, but the emptiness is running wild inside of her, letting her sweat icy droplets. "Now I can't forgive, maybe not yet, and the rabbit can't forgive, maybe also not yet...now I am just like the rabbit again, aren't I?" Maki shakes his head and just pushes her on his chest for an unrequired hug. He feels some resistance, but he tries to convince her that this isn't her true self. "Listen to me, this isn't you, and I am sure you will not do it again since I can sense some lingering regret in your heart. What those wolves caused you has nothing to do with you and clearly nothing personal. It was their pride that got tainted, their ego that could not accept that a lamb woman killed a wolf for the sake of her sister. It unfortunately happened where you used to live. It could have been in a village of Men or other hybrids. I know that you are shattered and that your lamb mind can't process those things, but time certainly will help you, and if you let me help you too, I am going to do just that. Just don't lock yourself away in that dusty and muffy room of yours. Come downstairs, share a meal with me, and share the furniture, the couch, and even the T.V. if you are interested in it." Maki tries his best not to be shaken by his own words. Just how much he ached to live happily with Hime, but in her state, completely shattered, it will be a long road. That he is ready to go and endure.

Hime slowly gets up and grabs the axe; it feels heavier, but she grips it as firmly as she can. Maki wanted her to leave it here, but Hime refused by swinging it away, keeping it behind her back. Maki sighs and flashes a small smile. "Now come, home is waiting."

♡

As they walk through the wood, the sun already has settled down, but the gentle warmth is back how it should be at the end of summer. Hime still had the axe in her hand, and Maki saw how her eyes darted to every bush that moved. He knows that she is still looking for rabbits. As one came into the light of his flashlight, Hime lifted the axe, but Maki was faster, grabbing her arms from behind, murmuring into her ear: "Don't. You know better." Hime watched how the rabbit fled and slipped down the axe, letting it fall to the ground. Maki was surprised that letting the axe out of her hand happened so quickly. He aimed to get a somewhat tantrum from her to let the axe in his garage and not bring it into her room. Maki gave the axe a kick, and it slid away into a slight canyon that was fenced, but the axe glided after its little flight from Maki's kick underneath the gap and down. Hime watched the axe disappear, and Maki grabbed her hand, pulling her with him. "Come now."

The days went gloomy as usual. Hime still did not join him to eat, nor did she use anything else beside the bathroom, and she did sneak out with stolen weapons that she got from his garage. Deep down she knew Maki was right, that this wasn't her. But something made her do it. With a gun in hand she would approach him, holding it either where his heart is or on his head. Maki couldn't deny that he sometimes felt like a deer caught in headlights, but he still trusted her.

It was indeed time to come up with a plan to truly make Hime process the things she experienced and get back her usual, lamb-self he fell in love with.