Title: Destined

Author: The Tenth Muse

Fandom: Beastmaster

Pairing: Dar/Tao

Destined
by The Tenth Muse

It was a lonely life sometimes, even with his animal friends. He hadn't seen any of his own kind in so long. Leaving the Sanctuary when his restlessness overcame him, Dar let his feet go wherever they wanted. The weather was mild and comfortable, unusually so this late in the spring. He'd been walking for several days, Ruh at his side and Sharak flying overhead. He smiled thinking of the lazy ferrets he'd left back in the grotto.

He heard a cry of anger and fear from up ahead; a human cry. His head jerked towards the sound and without thinking, he ran towards it. Voices became clearer as he drew nigh and he slowed, then stopped, looking out from the undergrowth. There were three Nord soldiers in a small clearing and they had surrounded another man. He was young, Dar's age, with dark hair, dusky skin and wide eyes, the color of which he couldn't make out.

The young man was on the edge of a sinkhole and Dar could tell that he knew it from the rapid way he was looking for an escape. Calling out for Ruh mentally, he watched the scene closely, keeping hidden but ready to step in if necessary. His fingers lightly played over a carving on his bone staff, itching for a chance to use it as the soldiers taunted their prey. There was something about the young man that called to him, made him want to forcefully drive the Nords away so that the young man would look at him with gratitude...and maybe something else.

Shaking those thoughts from his mind as the great cat approached, Dar asked his friend to drive the soldiers away. The tiger rumbled happily and a quirk of humor flashed along their bond. Dar grinned and leaned forward. Ruh let out a roar and trotted into the small clearing. The soldiers panicked and ran as intended, but one of them shoved at the young man in his haste to escape.

Dar watched in horror as the young man's arms flailed, searching for a balance that wasn't there. He fell backwards, into the muddy sinkhole, with a dull splat. Dar climbed the tree instantly, searching for, and finding, a strong vine. The young man's cries for help burned in his ears as Dar climbed down to the lowest, strongest branch and tossed the vine so that it landed on the young man's hand.

The hand wrapped around the vine as Dar secured it to the tree branch. He saw the young man slowly drag his other arm out of the clinging mud and grab the vine. Though smaller and less muscled than Dar, the trapped man was no weakling. Dar found himself vaguely distracted by the play of muscles in the young man's arms as he pulled himself out of the sinkhole.

For a long time, the young man lay gasping and panting on the ground, his feet still emerged in the mud. Finally, he sat up and pulled his feet free. Taking several long, deep breaths seemed to bring him under control and then he stood, looking carefully around the clearing, peering into the underbrush and up at the trees. Dar froze in place, thankful for the thick, spring growth that hid him.

Clearing his throat, the young man said, "I ah, I don't know how to thank you, whoever you are. They were going to kill me, almost did actually, um, obviously. Won't you come out and show yourself? I won't hurt you, I promise."

Dar smiled, knowing that the other man wouldn't be able to hurt him. Of course, the young man wouldn't know that so his offer was...kind and generous. Dar almost moved, aching to get to know this young man but unable to get his body to cooperate. Somehow, he knew they were destined to meet but also knew that now wasn't the time.

"Well, thank you again. If you ever need anything, come to Xinca and ask for Tao, that's me. I'm ah, pretty easy to find."

Dar watched as the other man lingered for another minute then give up and walk east. He wondered what Xinca was; the other man's home? Was it a small village? He sighed when Tao left his sight, swallowed up by the jungle, and asked Ruh to make sure the young man reached home safely. There was a mental huff of amusement from the tiger before his friend agreed.

As he lay on the tree branch, Dar wondered what color eyes Tao had and vowed to find out one day.

END