Wake of the Dead | Two

Chapter Twenty-Two | Jasper

Harsh wind battered against Jasper's back, the grasses surrounding them whipping to and fro. The sky was darkened, unpleasant. Rain pattered against the ground, making the biting chill in the air even worse. He hoped the weather would start to warm up soon--but first, he hoped the storm would calm down a bit. Dealing with biters at their border was hard enough without rain making it harder to see and the ground easier to slip on. Already he could feel mud filling in the gaps of his combat boots, becoming more and more difficult to pick up some sort of traction. Gripping his tire iron harder in his hand, Jasper made sure to keep a tight hold on it.

Thankfully, Jasper hadn't been put in charge of the patrol this time. Maybe it was for his lack of willingness to leave the house. He was bound to be at least a bit distracted, thinking of Killian as always. His mind wouldn't rest until Cohen gave him a definite confirmation for the younger man's recovery. "Think he'll be alright?" Jasper was surprised to hear Casimir asking. The man had been walking beside Jasper for the majority of the patrol, almost as if he was working up the courage to ask.

Tilting his head to the side Jasper replied carefully, "Well, why do you ask?" He turned back to peer through the onslaught of heavy rain. Thunder rolled in the distance, sending a rippling shudder up his spine. Jasper definitely did not appreciate that sound, or the flashes of lightning across the dull sky. "You and Killian aren't particularly fond of one another, last time I checked." Jasper was careful to keep his tone neutral. He didn't want to start an argument with Casimir, but at the same time he couldn't see why the hunter would care.

"The group is getting hard to feed." Casimir retorted sharply. "Samantha and I can feed the group for only so long. We were short of people since Dominick died, now with that asshole injured we can barely keep up." Jasper's jaw clenched when Casimir described Killian in a not-so-favorable use of words, but to be fair, Killian wasn't exactly the nicest person. It would only make sense for his rival to think negatively about him. "What Samantha and I need is a good hunter who can help us track down a deer. That'll keep us fed for a few days so we can catch up with hunting."

What Casimir said made at least some bit of sense. Jasper hadn't known was to expect when Killian's rival started asking about him. He scorned himself for feeling so defensive, even when he didn't think Casimir was being particularly aggressive. Deep down he knew part of his reluctance to that question had been the question of why Casimir was asking about Killian. Why anybody would be asking about Killian in the first place. Possessiveness was something Jasper had struggled with in the past and it looked like it was creeping up on him yet again. "I'm not sure I'd be a good candidate," Jasper replied, "I'm not exactly the most graceful. Maybe take Harley with you, he seems like the quiet type."

Nodding curtly, Casimir ran a hand through his hair. The boy's nose wrinkled, "I'm not exactly fond of new people," You don't say, Jasper thought. "But I suppose if I brought anybody along, Harley might be one of the best choices."

Somebody like Casimir didn't strike Jasper as a hunter. Of course, not judging a book by its cover would have probably been the best thing to do, but there was just something about the other man that didn't fit into place. He seemed to rely more on his smarts than his strength--Killian did the same, but Killian was much slighter in size and build than Casimir. When the man had first showed up, he looked more than reluctant to eat the food he'd been given as well, while everybody else had scarfed it down without a second thought. "So," Jasper inquired, "How did you become a hunter anyways?"

There was a strange sort of twitch in Casimir's left eye as he heard the question. It wasn't a tic that happened often, but Jasper had learned to recognize it as a sign of immense annoyance. "That's none of your business," He muttered under his breath. There was an awkward silence where Jasper debated whether or not he should have asked, until Casimir continued, "But if you must know, my father used to take me on these trophy hunting trips. It'd usually be the wilder type of animals. Lions, tigers. Things like that."