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 Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 1:45 pm
Ahh nothing like laying by a little stream, eating some fish, in peace and quiet. He adored his family, but three sisters to watch over made him feel so jumpy. He was terrified of failing them letting some harm befall them. Yet his parents didn't seem too concerned, they were all fairly careful and in truth his sisters were very capable. He just liked to imagine he was at least needed for something.
Still being alone for the day had it's merits and once he finished this tasty fish he would patrol. He grinned and moved the flesh off the bones eating scales, flesh, and a few splinters of bone without care. His jaws cracked everything into tasty bites and good fortune had allowed him to never injure himself on a splinter of fish bone. He gnawed on the tail a moment longer before making a small hole and dropping the remains of the fish inside before covering it, a treat for Dimitri to find later.
With that completed he set off on patrol his tail high and his silver eyes scanning the area, his nose twitched and he blinked moving a little past their marked territory. Hmmm, there was a strangers scent here, a female undoubtedly. "Who goes there!" He called out and moved quickly to catch the close caller.
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:18 pm
She was starving, unable to properly hunt due to her tiny size and malnourishment. She was weak after being holed up in one place for so many years, and unaccustomed to her surroundings. Her coat was tattered and torn, her body scarred time and time again, and there was a great anxiety and fear about her. Xieros slunk low to the ground, her ratty tail tucked and her chewed up ears bent back in fear.
Fear. . . that was all her life was. The beautiful wolfess she could have been was nothing more than a haggard, scarred and broken creature. If she were more confident she m ight have turned bitter. Instead, her heart, her soul, her dreams and desires were nothing but shadows of what could have been.
Though she hated the life Tiberius had given her, or lack there of, part of her realized that at least he'd offered her something. He had wanted her, he had kept her, and though pain and insults and confusion came with his horrid 'love', his lifestyle was all she knew or understood.
South Seaside was a forgotten memory. The family she had almost loved never came for her, no one heard her pleas and if they had they turned a deaf ear. How she cried and cried. . . but no one ever came. The tears eventually dried and she accepted her fate. Except even Tiberius abandoned her. Had he found a prettier victim? Had he found someone younger, more easily seduced by his charms? Or had she fought like he had. . .? Had her captor grown bored with her?
Strange how she wished him back even as she hated herself for thinking it. She feared him and yet that life was the only one she knew. Limping away from foreign borders, Xieros was paranoid and afraid. Other wolves. Strangers. Outsiders. They would hurt her too if they found her, so she must quickly be away.
Part of her wondered what other wolves would be like. She had vague memories of her family, of Johnny, of Adenru, of Thayne, Loki and Hannah. But . . .they were vague, foggy and smeared with lines of hate. They hadn't ever loved her for they had left her to such a wicked fate. Even Tiberius hadn't cared to stay forever.
"Who goes there!"
A voice broke out, foreign and absolutely terrifying in its command. Xieros' first instinct was to run, and for a moment she darted out of the foliage. Unfortunantly, she was quite weak and sickly. She had grown a natural limp after a particularly abusive episode with Tiberius, and a wound that had constantly been ripped open and infected. In her blind panic, her fear of more abuse, Xieros tripped blindly over an upturned root.
Yelping, she stumbled foward and didn't hesiate to roll to her back, neck exposed and tail firmly against her belly. She kept her eyes shut as she waited for whoever was to call to pounce upon her, to bite her, to rip her open, and to ridicule her tiny form. She could only wish they might kill her. . . it would be a mercy to a broken heart long forgotten by the world.
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:32 pm
Nereus was surprised at the sound of a yelp and quickly he located it's source, he blinked though at the sight before him. In truth he could not say anything kind, the sight before him was just...pathetic. He probably should have been wary that it was a trick, but the fear and the panic rolling off this female were so genuine. He walked over slowly and frowned lowering his nose against the side of her face. She looked so...dead, her ribs showed through dull fur and her closed eyes made him frown. No wonder she was so afraid if she was in such a state, anyone could take advantage of her.
He sat down and tilted his head "Please don't be afraid....I'm not going to hurt you." He wanted to ask her name, ask her what she was doing here, ask her when she last had a meal, but the words were lodged in his throat as he took in the sight of her abused frail body. What had happened to her? Nereus had never seen such abuse, his pack, his whole family were all so loving and healthy, they shared meals, there was no starvation, no beatings. Their alpha female was a healer and even the smallest cuts or bruises were coddled over and tenderly kissed better. Obviously this female had had a life much much harder then his own.
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:52 pm
Part of Xieros wanted to snap and snarl and bite at the male that approched and leaned over her. Her lips desperately wished to curl and yet she had learned long ago that defiance got her no where. Nothing but hurt and pain and scars and anger. Her lips curled for a moment but they quickly settled as her flat ears and absolute terror was obvious. When he stepped close her entire body practically shriveled and tensed . . . She waited for some blow to come but it never happened.
Instead he just stood there, staring at her. Playing some trick, some game . . . After a few panicked breaths, Xieros willed herself to open an eye and study this new assailant. The male was a dark creature but had stripes of colour against his fur. . . and yellow that stained some dots against him. Yellow was an ugly colour, reminding her of the dual night-and-day wolf she had nested with for such a long time. No colour was beautiful, not to Xieros. . .
Xieros honestly had no idea how to respond. He told her not to be afraid, but that was impossible. Fear was the only emotion she knew. Fear and hate. Furthermore, he made promises not to hurt. "Lies." She whispered, more to herself than him though her terrified gaze stayed firmly on the male before her. "Don't lie." She warned, her voice quiet, soft, a mere whisper but weak. She hadn't spoken to another in a very long time. . . Conversation didn't come easy to the wolfess and she didn't know what to say. "Just get it over with. . . " She added with a heavy sigh and a rather pitiful whine, allowing her eyes to close once more.
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:00 pm
He frowned and his ears fell back annoyed at her words, he wasn't a liar! He would have snapped at her, told her he wasn't telling lies but he understood...she hadn't had anyone tell her truths in a while it seemed. He sighed instead and shook his head muttering softly "I'm not lying...but you can say what you please."
He frowned and eyed her for a while longer confused by her posture, by the way her lips moved, it was as if she wanted to fight him but couldn't get past her fear. Her whine made his chest ache and he frowned at her soft defeated words. Suddenly he felt...guilty for just standing there looming and probably frightening her more. He slunk off back towards the stream, there was the distant sound of splashing before he returned.
He dropped a fish in front of her and sat down his fur dripping still, but he didn't shake off like a normal wolf might, he loved the water too much. "When was the last time you ate?" He asked softly.
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:20 pm
Lies. Lies. Lies. All his words were lies. He said he wasn't lying, but that was just one more deception. Maybe it wasn't going to show it's ugly face soon, maybe he'd lead her on for months and months, but in the end he'd make his great deception known. Even Tiberius had lied - he had said he'd keep her forever, and unfortunately the one reality she DID grow to trust had been taken from her. No one could be trusted in Xieros' world.
The wolfess didn't dare budge an inch even as she felt the stranger leave. He was going to hide and attack her when she moved, oh yes, she'd played this game many a time. She knew the rules the question was what did she do? Did she fall for his trick and get maled now? Or did she wait. . . . would he be in a good and patient mood and wait for days for her to finally move only to get her then? Or would he be impatient and attack her because she wasn't playing his game. Either way, Xieros always lost.
The poor female was so easily scared that upon the approach of the stranger once more, when the fish dropped nearby she gave a visible start and an automatic jerk away. Her neck lifted and she stared at the source of her fear. Surprisingly enough it. . . .was a fish.
A fish?
Ripped ears lifted a moment to better catch what the male said. Eat? Food? "I . . . don't remember." She finally replied, and part of her wanted nothing more than to greedily feast upon the bounty laid out before her. A whole fish. But at what cost? Silver eyes looked back at the stranger and though need and desire desperately wanted her to feast. . . Xieros understood it was nothing but a trick.
So she decided to wait The stranger hadn't given her the proper command, hadn't told her the rules. It was his fish and she knows undoubtedly that her place is far beneath him. If she looked at it, he would bite. If she accepted it he would beat her for she wasn't gracious enough, or perhaps she didn't deny it longer. Just because the stranger didn't act like Tiberius right away didn't mean he wasn't still a monster beneath.
Even Tiberius knew how to smile and play nice with peace offerings. . . .
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:30 pm
He frowned at the way the fish made her jerk, she acted as if he had leapt on her. "It's just a fish..." He murmured softly and moved down lower to be at eye level with her. Hmmm the likelyhood of her being a trick was fading fast, even an accomplished actress couldn't manage reactions like hers, she was really afraid.
"You should eat..." He finally said confused why she wasn't falling on the fish, she looked as though she hadn't had a meal in at least a week, maybe longer. "Want some more?" But he frowned and didn't wait for her reply, forget about wants, she obviously NEEDED the food, pity he didn't have any meat on hand, she might have been able to fill up better that way.
He glanced over his shoulder "Please stay?" He hoped she would and quickly darted back to the stream, this time he took a bit longer and when he returned he was completely soaked but he carried five fish, they swung by their tails from his jaws. He sat back down to lower them infront of her carefully. "Here..."
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:40 pm
Just a fish? No. It wasn't just a fish. It . . . It was something that would get her in trouble. It was his fish that he was setting before her to tease her. It was . . . It was something she wanted that she would get but only at a price. It wasn't just a fish. It never was just a fish.
Still, Xieros said nothing as she averted her gaze. She stared down at the creature, her mouth already salivating at meat. Good meat. At this point the wolfess thought tree-bark looked tasty . . . But she still waited. He told her she should eat, but such a command only confused her. Should . . yes. . .she should. But that didn't mean he would let her. That didn't mean she wouldn't get in trouble. That didn't mean he'd take it away.
And what was this? More? The question for more hadn't sounded like a tease or a threat. More? Whenever had she been given more? Oh no . . . . If he brought her more was it just to mock her when she tried to eat? Or was it just to horde it himself or . . .? She couldn't put her paw on this game. . . .was unsure what was meant to happen.
Still, though broken, a need for food was too much for her instincts. By the time he returned, she had slunk back and the fish was gone. Completely, and utterly gone. Her ears were flattened, her gaze averted and guilt struggling through her mask. "I'm sorry. . . " She whispered, hoping her apology might have some sort of effect on the strange male before her. ". . . I shouldn't have . . " She should have waited, she knew better.
Part of her had wanted to take the fish and run, but he had told her to stay. And even though it looked as if she had almost bolted, she had stopped herself and now sat a few feet away. Strange but her body was lowered and trembled both out of a desire to gorge and an absolute fear.
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:49 pm
He frowned at her apology and it made him feel worse, he always had enough, his parents had been loving, his puphood filled with laughter and cuddling, swimming lessons and family gatherings. The fact that she hadn't seemed to have anything not even her own food made him feel oddly...spoiled. He moved to lay down trying not to intimidate her.
"Don't be sorry, I brought it for you, come on you should probably eat the rest too...you look like your more hungry then I thought."
He frowned when she said she shouldn't have, how had she come to think such things, she was hungry why shouldn't she eat what was offered? He rested his head on his paws and tilted his head his eyes flicking about.
"Did you eat the bones?" He asked curiously wondering how she had managed without hurting her throat.
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:57 pm
Xieros glanced tentatively back at the stranger, surprised at seeing him lay down. He didn't look tense, didn't look like he was about ready to pounce her or strike her. In fact he looked strangely docile. There were no scars, and he wasn't nearly as big as Tiberius. . . . But that didn't mean anything, no no no. He could just be taking a different approach to her doom.
Why was he encouraging to fatten her up? Though she dropped her gaze and looked back at the fish, her stomach didn't just rumble it practically roared in her ears. She shifted, debating before like lightning bolting forward, snatching a fish by its tail and quickly retreating and keeping distance between herself and the stranger. She hesitated, wondering his mild encouragement was a command. . . She cringed, waiting for a strike.
Still . . . "Xieros is always hungry." She murmured softly as if it were a fact and an every state of being. Unfortunately, it was truth on both accounts. When he questioned if she ate the bones, her ears cringed and she took a step away from the fish she'd grabbed. "Some," she added, almost as a question. A glance to the side where bones too large had been spit and gagged out. For hte most part though, Xieros had been careful with the fish despite devouring it. "Sh-...Should I . . Have? Do you want me . . .t-to eat them all or . . . I . . . I was just hungry and some were small and . . ." She gulped, ashamed for not doing right.
Tiberius had never fed her fish. Another small whine, lowering herself to her belly. Oh gods. . . atl east with Tiberius she knew where she stood. The confusion that was overwhelming her, especially when he lingered and no attack came, was terribly confusing.
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 6:04 pm
"Xieros? Is that your name? I'm Nereus." He said softly and offered her a small smile, at least she was eating. He was tempted to call Alas, the sweet pink female would probably know just what to do, but he was worried that another presence might really scare the poor female off.
"No no, you just shouldn't eat the big bones, they can really hurt your throat. Even the small ones can cut your mouth up if your not careful, I just didn't want you to hurt yourself eating too fast. No ones gonna take them from you, you know?" He said gently frowning at the way looked so ashamed and afraid.
"So...where are you from huh?" But he had a feeling that a female this malnourished and hurt was probably a lone. He wondered if she wanted it that way or she simply had never been offered a nice home.
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 9:24 am
She had lain down, head rested on the ground next to the small pile of spit out bones. She tried to shrink even lower, looking a pitiful sight on the ground. She had always been a small wolf, but malnourishment as a very young pup and partial starvation during the weeks she had run from her homelands to South Seashore guaranteed to keep her unnaturally small. Given her current state, she looked hardly older than a large adolescent though it was apparent she was long since full grown. Flattening herself against the ground almost made her reminiscent of a future throw rug. "I . . . I don't know where I'm from. Not near here. . .just with Him."
Silver eyes continued to flip back to the proffered fish and back to Nereus. She made note of his name but said nothing, completely silent. He told her he was worried about her hurting her throat? Strange to hear that. . . .Sometimes Tiberius would coo over her and apologize and promise not to hurt her, but that was always a lie. Truly this stranger couldn't possibly care about her throat. Hurt was just a definition of her life. It was all she knew. Who cared if she hurt or her throat got cut or scratched?
She certainly didn't, not any more.
Still, the fact he was encouraging her to eat was a temptation she couldn't resist. Cautiously, ever so cautiously she literally 'wolfed' down the fish she had snatched. While she was careful of its bones, for the most part she ate greedily and cared little for what made it down her throat and what she cast aside. Even the sharp thin needles that did scratch her mouth and tongue were ignored. . . .
Food.
Feasting on the fish, she kept her ears pinned in fear and her eyes continuously shifted from Nereus to the bones at hand. The meat was different than what she was used to but it didn't matter. Even her paranoia cared not if this was some trick. . . . No. . she would eat, and eat she did.
Finishing the last of the fish, feeling quite gorged and practically sick from how swiftly she had inhaled them, Xieros all but collapsed in the heap if discarded bones. Her eyes drifted warily back at the stranger that had gifted her these things, still unsure what was expected in return. "Thank . . you. . . " She murmured, genuinely gratefut but sincerity a strange new flavor to her tongue. She had been forced to than Tiberius for his sins, forced to praise him for the hurt he caused her. . . to thank someone for being nice was such a terrifying concept because it never much happened.
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 9:40 am
He watched the way she devoured the fish and he remained quiet and laying down worried about scaring her off, but he was curious, so very curious. Who was 'he' was there a male in her life, had he caused such fear in her, abused her? He assumed her name was Xieros and he assumed she had heard him and simply chosen not to respond.
"Your welcome." He smiled and then tilted his head. "Better? Or are you still feeling hungry, maybe you should wait though...or you could make yourself sick. I did that once..." He chuckled softly at the memory though at the time it hadn't been funny at all, his parents had warned him. "It wasn't pretty." He slowly sat up. "If...if you want you could stay a while you know, until your feeling a little better?"
He tried to scoot a bit closer to her his eyes trailing to her leg where it looked...weak. "Our alpha is a healer, she's very nice...maybe she could help you get better?"
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 4:17 pm
Xieros felt like if she ate any more of the strange boney meat she was going to get sick. Though her stomach churned with what she believed was hunger, at the same time she knew if she continued to gorge she would get sick. No . . .best she stopped now while she had a full stomach.
Such a sensation was foreign to the femme and she didn't want to overdue it. Xieros listened to the stranger, Nereus was his name, wasn't it but still said nothing. Of course his light laughter did cause her to start, ears pinning slightly in worry. The black and white wolf only knew Tiberius' laughter, a thing that was directed only at her and her pain or trauma. While Nereus seemed to be laughing at himself, the soul-broken female couldn't help but respond the way she always had. . .
Of course, on top of his laughter, he moved. He sat up and inched closer, causing the female to bunch. She quickly pressed her legs closer to her body, beneath her and prepared herself to bolt. A soft whine could be heard from her throat, pleading with him to stay back. The terror she felt was obvious in her gaze and Xieros slowly began to feel panic overwhelm him.
It was too much, too fast.
Food, niceness, and now he was approaching and suggesting she stay? To bring in another whom would judge her, laugh at her, or hurt her too! Nice. . . . there was no such thing as nice. It was all just a great illusion, unfortunately, and Xieros wasn't going to be so easily fooled again.
"No no," she added, cringing. "I . . I probably shouldn't stay at all. You can't keep me here, I won't get trapped again!" She added, her voice taking on a defensive and half-panicked growl. She wanted to be nice to the nice wolf but she also suspected a great trick. . .
Tiberius had wanted her to stay, demanded it. He had pushed her and bit her and dominated her until she succumbed to his wishes. She would not be trapped again, she would not let this black wolf do it. Except he was worse - he was lying to her with a smile and niceness as his cover.
Tiberius had done that too, though not as . . . gracefully as this wolf before her. Nereus almost seemed genuine. It was a shame he was not. "You can't trick me," she added softly to herself, squirming backwards a few more steps on her belly.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 6:45 am
He watched her curiously it was a debate inside her he figured on if she should eat more or not, poor thing must have been starving. He frowned at the reaction his movement caused, the whine, the defensiveness and the way she moved back. Trapped again? Had some cruel wolf kept her against her will somewhere, some evil pack like their northern neighbors?
He took a few steps back and then sat down again not wanting to upset her any further. "Alright alright, don't worry no one is going to force you to stay if you don't want to." He tilted his head at her last words, trick? "Why would I want to trick you? You obviously have some other place you want to get to in a hurry..."
He just hoped wherever she was going wasn't too far or perilous a journey, her leg looked pretty bad. Other wolves were not always as kind as the hospitality his pack was known for, their familial bonds and upbringing made them all much more open to those who needed their shelter, love, and protection.
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