The return leg of the journey had been a bit longer than he anticipated, and the sun had started to fall behind the horizon when their little group crossed the border. Imperia had returned to him, carrying her favorite meal: rabbit. The raven dropped the carcass at his feet. Rhyme wasn’t sure if the plan had been the bird’s idea or Shaye’s. Either way, Imperia was hard to sway from her favorite food source. She turned and flew in the direction of the big maple tree they shared. He slept at the bottom and Imperia in her high branches. They would follow her after he offered the meal to Tana. Surely she hadn’t eaten more than scraps, especially recently. "Here, Imperia brought dinner." He didn’t partake, but moved out of the way for Tana to fill her stomach. He had also decided not to bother Shaye tonight. He came to that decision mostly for Tana’s sake. He hadn’t been able to gain her trust, but she listened to him. She probably didn’t need the added suspicion of Shaye. "Don’t eat until you’re uncomfortable, we still have a bit of a walk." He looked in the direction Imperia had flow, knowing he wouldn’t be able to see the tree he favored. ""

She had fallen in a comfortable silence as she followed Rhyme obediently to his pack lands. Basil had taken to walking beside Rhyme, probably to get a better feel for the male. Alma had completely fallen asleep on Tana's nape and was gently snoring in Tana's ear. It was relaxing for her right now. Along the way she had found a few scents worth stopping for but most had been plants and she had started after rhyme just as quickly as she had stopped. Of course she always expected a reprimand for doing something like that. It would of been that and much worse when she was under Elias or Apostle's rule.

The moment they made it to the border she paused with a paw up. To cross the border was to accept whatever unknown laid beyond. Even if he promised her no pain nothing would stop others that wished it on her. She couldn't back out now though, they'd come this far. And with that she crossed into the unknown as the sound of wings approached. Basil was quick to return to her side with his eyes warily on the bird. She didn't stop walking though. Her nose and ears were being assaulted by new scents and sounds. This pack smelled like it held many others.

She kept moving until basil jumped in front of her and proceeded to push her back with his hands, probably due to the fact that she had just about walked into something or someone she was sure. Then the sound of something being put in front of her had her ears perking. She didnt know exactly what it was but could smell the scent of flesh and blood. Her stomach growled at the smell and she lifted her eyeless face to what she assumed was Rhyme's face level though it was probably above him or just his chest. His words registered as she did so.

He was feeding her. And his bird had hunted it. They still had a walk to go though. She was quick to bend down and eat what she could of the rabbit which honestly was only about half of it. After she finished she nosed it towards him, certain that her new master had given her his own meal. "W-where do y-you w-want me to d-den?" She wasnt about to make the same mistake again as she had in ruina with her making her den where she wasn't supposed to be.

She ate more than he expected of her, and he could have gone the rest of the night with out a meal, but what she left he returned to and finished in only a couple of gulps. He purposely made his movements slow, mostly still stuck in his slowed pace from their return from the mountain. He hadn’t been able to think of any more good questions that didn’t make him feel as though he were prying. So their journey had been made in comfortable silence. With a morsel in his belly Rhyme was ready for the comfortable leaf bed under the tree. Tana even made a direct question about her sleeping arrangement. He looked back to her and her companions, one asleep already. "Where ever you feel safest." He wondered where she would choose on her own. "I sleep under an old maple tree by the rapids and you’re welcome to share with me tonight." That’s where he planned on taking her when she had finished her meal. ""

He took what was left of the rabbit and she listened to every move he made. She was starting to feel slightly comfortable in his presence but still didn't think herself anything but a slave with him her master. Though he was trying awful hard to be slow and make every move unintimidating to her. Honestly though when all things were considered it was hard for her not to be intimidated by anyone, she'd been beaten, blinded and every creature she met was gigantic when compared to her. He answered her question and she was taken aback by it. He wanted to share a den with her? Even if just until she dug her own somewhere else, it was irregular to her. The only one she had ever even slept close to was Sintaro and then the next morning he was even more dreadful than before. She'd fallen pregnant that night though and that was how she lost her tail and sight, not to mention she had been forced to give up her pups to be sacrificed by Apostle to secure the alphas virility. It might of been easy to read the pain on her face at the memory but she shook it away again. That was a long time ago and this alpha had promised no harm would come to her. It just was hard for her to believe that there was any other way of life than the one she had lead. "W-won't y-your m-m-mate be m-mad?" after all she'd look like some where if his mate walked in to their den to find him and her sharing a den. speech action

He waited to head into the direction of his maple, he wasn’t sure where Tana would decide to go. He liked to sleep out in the open, though the brush around the giant tree gave the area enough privacy for him he knew many wolves preferred dens underneath the earth. His mother included. She’d raised them in a den, but after his slave years he had always preferred the open. When he mentioned the arrangement he didn’t miss the quick falling of Tana’s features. He tried to look away as she rid herself of the emotion and replied with something that surprised him. At the same time he felt ashamed, his father had sired many of his siblings by the time he was Rhyme’s current age, and he had no children. It was his turn to shake the pain from his features, just another item to add to the list of things stolen by the slavers. "No, I have no mate." His voice was a bit crestfallen, but he tried to hide it as he went on. "So, shall I escort you to a place of your choosing or to my tree?" He would also prefer if she stayed close in case someone came looking for him. Though his scent would be on her he didn’t want anyone over reacting with her. ""

She had to say she was surprised by his admittance of not having a mate. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't have one either. Where she came from if the alpha wanted you as a mate you had no choice, you either accepted or you would be forced or killed. She luckily never had such horrors, since she was a slave and an ugly one at that. His crestfallen tone had been caught by her though and she wondered at that for a moment. Had he had a love that rejected him or just something else entirely? She wasnt about to ask though. In fact she decided it was best to pretend she never heard it. He asked whether she wanted him to escort her to his den or some other place of her choosing. Honestly she didn't even know what the territory was like, nor even where to start on her den. But then again she didn't want to intrude on his private aclove either. She was saddled with a dilemma that she had never had before. His tree would at least give her a place to start though so she could find her own little sanctuary in the pack. "Y-your t-t-tree." she shifted nervously and turned her head to the right. At least if she went with him she'd also have protection from others in the pack, hopefully anyway. speech action

Blessedly she did not ask about the change in his tone, though he guessed she might be slightly relieved at his retelling of his tale. They had a lot in common, but each had their own stories to tell. One day they might share their secrets. She did manage to choose what to do, they were making progress. She was speaking up about her choices instead of him telling her what she wanted. "Good," He didn’t hide the relief in his voice. "It’s over this way." Rhyme had in fact promised her quite the walk, and she would know he hadn’t lied. He remained silent as he ducked under the lower hanging branches, following Imperia’s trail she had taken earlier. "I don’t remember there being a cave in the roots or not, but if there is you’re welcome to it. I prefer to sleep under the stars." He mentioned as his white paws paced slowly towards the ancient tree. ""

She couldn't help but sigh in relief when he praised her decision. It appeared that had been what he wanted her to do. He was probably just letting her come to the right decision on her own to try to make her trust him more. After all she was still just a slave in her own mind. When he started to move she let him go a few paces before she started in after him. Her back leg was held at a relaxed angle as she made the other three work though every now and again her leg would move as if it still had a paw that was going to propel her forward. She would never tell anyone but she still had a phantom foot feeling and had to sometimes remind herself that it didn't exist anymore when she would first wake up in the mornings. As they moved he told her she could have a den if it existed under his tree and that he preferred the company of the stars to a stuffy den as he slept. She could sympathize with that but with so much misery in her past she liked being able to hide in holes that most wolves couldn't fit inside without difficulty. Though she didn't understand why he would have ever felt the way she did about being trapped in a den. She perked her ears and waited to see if he would explain. "I-if i-i-it's t-that you f-feel t-trapped in a d-den, y-you m-might try d-digging s-smaller e-e-entrances, a-and lavender f-for y-your n-nerves." it wasn't the best advice but she had been doing exactly that to avoid her masters over the years when she wanted seclusion from cruelty. She of course didnt know exactly how large he was either. speech action

He didn’t miss her quick sigh of relief when he praised her decision, but he couldn’t blame her either. Those born as slaves often lived to please those who were their masters. Though Rhyme would never consider himself as one Tana was sure he had taken her as a slave. He hoped she would eventually grow to see otherwise. He was uncomfortable with even the thought of being a slave master. His thoughts were removed from such distasteful thoughts as Tana spoke up enough to give him her advice. He wondered if she did so with her previous master, but he couldn’t help but doubt it. Surely they discouraged free thinking. He smiled, thinking about making his den entrance smaller. He was amused at the thought of being trapped outside of his own den. "I appreciate your advice,” Rhyme tried to again praise the behavior he wanted from her. "It may work well for wolves your size, but I think my height might prevent me from such techniques.” He mentioned the words with a chuckle in his words. Purposefully ignoring that he hadn’t confirmed or denied her guess that he felt trapped in a den. "”

He seemed to find her attempt at helping him amusing and she pinned her ears. She hadn't even thought about him maybe being too large for her own tactics to work for him. How large was he even? She'd definitely have to figure that out so she could have an idea of where his face was. Not that she could ever see such a thing. It had been so long since she had even seen anything. She probably wouldn't even remember what certain things looked like. She did remember the sight of the Aurora borealis in the winter, and certain other things. She hated her last sight though, that of Apostle slaughtering her children and then turning his snarling face to her. She had to admit at least with her blindness came a darkness that kept her from seeing more death and slaughter. She stumbled in her steps as she was lost in her memories and thoughts, snapping her back into the present in order to catch herself. She pinned her ears and put her head down in embarrassment for being caught in her own nightmare. Not that even her dreams at night were ever even pleasant either. Her entire life from day one had been the start of a nightmare. "S-s-sorry." she couldn't help the fear in her voice. Stumbling in the past when her master's wanted her to be someplace else used to end in beatings. Not to mention they had always hated her being lost in thoughts. She made a point to try to pick up her pace and match her own to a normal wolve's at that point. speech action

Rhyme strode forward at their relaxed pace, not at all worried when Tana grew silent. He could still hear her shuffling behind him. What was he going to do with her? She thought he was her master, what would Shaye think of that? The two sisters would have to help him, he was a battlefield healer not a soul healer. Shaye seemed to be decent at getting wolves out of their shells, she’d done pretty well with Spider at the healer meeting. Though somehow he’d been the one to coax out his secret.. He tried not to remind himself about that night. He had been lost in thought too when Tana finally spoke again. He stopped and looked back at her, confused. "For what?” Nothing he’d said previously had warranted an apology. She looked quite embarrassed, for a wolf with barely any ears and no eyes. He felt like he needed to hurry her back to his tree, but knew she wouldn’t react well to him mentioning it. So he waited for an answer before he started moving again. "”

He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts and to not have noticed her stumbling. She wasn't sure if she should tell him or not. Whether he might react negatively or not wasn't known by her. He asked what she apologized for and she felt compelled to tell him but yet she feared it too. "I-I s-s-stumbled.... I-I d-didn't mean t-to." fear was etched on her face and in her voice. She shrank back from him ready for the strike. She was used to the feeling of teeth. She didn't even know that her past masters had really been in the wrong by just making reasons to beat her. How could she know when all she knew was cruelty to her? Cruelty that she didn't even know was cruelty. It was just a part of life to her. A part of her life. speech action

She was hesitant at first, like she didn’t want to answer him. He couldn’t have guessed anything but that she was afraid. He sighed softly to himself as she coward before him and confessed to stumbling over the terrain. He huffed a little too loudly, but remained where he was for a long moment. He looked to both of her companions, hoping they wouldn’t interfere. There was no malice in his glances, but he didn’t want them to try and stop him. Slowly the giant of a wolf closed the distance between them, and if allowed by the other three present he’d aim an encouraging nuzzle at Tana’s right ear. Though likely to flinch at his touch, he’d do his best to reassure her. He’d attempt to sigh softly into her fur, "Tana, I promise.” Rhyme paused, emphasizing his word. "To never lay a paw on you, no matter what you do.” He didn’t want anymore cowering, no more submission. Though eh knew only one night wouldn’t fix here anymore than 15 words would. "Come on, it’s not much further.” These words would come as he turned back to the path, feeling more exhausted than he had any right to be. "”

He huffed and she shrank down to her belly. Basil answered Rhyme's look towards him with a flash of his teeth knowing full well that with one bite this Male could end him, or worse in his eyes Tana. His pawsteps brought Tana to laying her body as flat as she could to the ground. It was closing In on her. Her ears pinned as much as the could and tucked into her scruff, almost blending into the fur there. Her body was trembling and she couldn't help the whimper that came from her. She'd been beaten into this pathetic thing. She didn't even try to run or fight what she thought was surely to be a beating from the much larger male. Alma was awoken by her actions and as the male closes the distance she too began to bear her teeth. Though the lemur and monkey only watched and waited to act. Tana tended as he came to touch her. She wasnt used to such a feeling of gentleness from others. Confusion was on her face as he caressed her ear and then spoke into her fur. The promise not falling on deaf ears but at the same time bringing a relief to her. She wasn't sure he would keep it but she could hope for now at least. Her companions seemed to settle after they realized no blow was going to come to her. She couldn't help the rush of air that left her in relief as he was gentle and did not scold her for her folly. Perhaps life under him wouldn't be so bad. He spoke again and was turning away from her. She took a deep breath before moving after him. She didn't want to disappoint her new master, especially if he was going to be nice to her. speech action

Though her cowering only grew worse as he drew more near, and her companion’s teeth more menacing, he couldn’t deny the relief he saw in her. As his words left his lips she seemed to let out a breath she was holding. Obviously she had expected him to cause her harm. He shook his head silently as he continued down the path, feeling accomplishment in his heart. Baby steps. Rhyme hoped one day she might embrace her freedom. Tana remained silent then, and he wondered what she might be thinking. She had been a bit predictable but he couldn’t read her mind or understand the world as she did. He’d get lost in his thoughts again and involuntarily speed up as his maple tree came into sight in the murky twilight. He could see Imperia folding and unfolding her wings as she made herself comfortable in the tall branches. He looked back at the stray he had brought home, only then realizing he’d gotten away from her. Slowing to a standstill he waited for her to catch up, "It’s right up here.” Rhyme explained quietly as the dusk began to catch up with them. "”

He was quiet as he lead her the rest of the way, his pace picking up the closer they got to his den. Her ears were pressed as she too was lost in her own thoughts. She had never been promised safety, never been promised a painfree existence. She could only ever remember Sintaro touching her the way that Rhyme just had. It had been gentle, and despite her distrust for anyone unknown she couldn't help but want to trust him. But she'd never had a good master or a good experience with anyone. The bad outweighed the good. Even basil couldn't help but hope that he would one day no longer be needed to protect Tana. His hand intertwined in her shoulder fur as he moved beside her at her slow pace. Alma was sitting up on her shoulders petting her nape. It was comforting and calming. Did he know how much he had just impacted her? Alma had to wonder, after all Tana had lost so much to cruel males and their need to satisfy their blood thirsty nature. Tana wasn't sure why butterflies fluttered in her gut as she thought more about that touch. A blush covered her face as she considered that perhaps her dreams and prayers might of been answered. He hardly knew her and she him, but maybe just maybe there was a chance that freedom was going to finally come in the form of this new master. He had said he would fight for her, and that he wanted to protect her. She knew the feeling in her gut from sintaro but she didn't want to nurture it. One day this male would dispose of her as well she knew, once he found out how useless she really was. Sintaro's love had been a lie though, but was this male's? She flicked her ears as he spoke up finally. They were almost there. She had almost forgotten they were going somewhere. Forgotten her tired body. She felt exhausted, both physichally and emotionally. She moved towards their goal, unsure of what her future held but knowing what the present was. As soon as she reached where they were going she felt her companions jump up into the tree, where they soon found a thick enough branch close enough they could leap to her defense if needed. She was too tired to search for the hole he said may be there, and found herself a spot against the large roots to curl up against with it to her back. her ears were perked though and her head raised in the direction of him. Did he mean it? she could only hope. speech action

He allowed Tana to go on ahead of him, and stole a quick glance at her companions as their little hands caressed her fur. Surely their lives would improve in Abaven as well. Hopefully they would realize they wouldn’t have to worry quite so much about their mistress anymore. He continued towards the tree with slow steps as the former slave found a comfortable place in the tree’s roots and snuggled down. The two primates joined Imperia in the tree while Tana’s features looked back at him. He stifled a sigh as he drew close to the tree and sat back on his haunches. For a long moment he left them in silence as he studied Tana’s scars in the fading light. He found himself appalled all over again, and felt a relief for her. Even if she couldn’t completely appreciate what he had done yet. He was truthful as well, he would fight anyone who tried to come and reclaim her. She deserved freedom. What did he say now though? Would she even be able to sleep comfortably with him so close by. She still seemed so afraid of him. He couldn’t keep the second sight in, and his exhale could be heard audibly. "If you’ll be more comfortable I can go sleep elsewhere.” He felt just as exhausted as she did, not that he had done anything strenuous, but finding her and learning her secrets had cost him emotional energy he didn’t realize he had. "I’d rather stay and keep an eye out for you though.” He would like for her to sleep comfortably tonight, if he were there or elsewhere. "”

The silence of the evening was finally broken as he spoke up once more. He was willing to give up his den completely for her, but she didn't want to take it from him. Besides she would eventually have to get used to her new master's prescience might as well start now. she shook her head to his statement. She didn't want to rob him of a den just because she had been hurt too much once upon a time. She gave him a small smile, it was tired and behind it if one knew they could see the pain hidden there. "I-it's a-a-alright." She laid her head on her paws. Alot had happened today. She was both emotionally and physically  exhausted. Her breath came as a sigh as she tried her best to relax. of course her eye sockets couldn't even close, the lids being ripped off when her eyes had been removed. She laid there doing her best until finally a fitful sleep took her. Demons of her past were all she dreamed of nowadays. She dreamed of the family she might of had if it wasn't for Apostle, if Sintaro had actually truly cared for her. Maybe one day she could finally be rid of the nightmares, maybe one day she would tell someone about them finally. -exit in sleep- speech action

A Wild Santa Paws Appears!

What's that? Is it Lil Ardy dressed up as Santa? No, silly, it's Santa Paws!

Already in the Christmas spirit, Lil Ardy - err, Santa Paws, can be seen dragging a large bag of gifts behind her. As she approaches Tana, she rummages through her things and tosses a bundle of gemstones at her.

100 Gemstones have been added to your credits!

Rhyme felt a subtle sense of accomplishment as she smiled at his words, though her stutter still remained she almost seemed like a different wolf than the one he had met this morning. Though she did deny the need for him to move along and he felt a bit of relief. His scent lingered in her and he soured anyone would give her a hard time but he felt better being next to her. He sighed softly, not making any motion to move as Tana drifted off to sleep. Her breathing evened and before long he could see her dreaming. 

Rhyme watched her for a long moment, still unsure what he was going to do with her. For the night though he had resigned to spend it with her. Almost tentatively the huge alpha made up his mind and moved closer to her, carefully settling down beside her so as not to wake her up. He cast a sidelong glance towards their companions in the tree. Likely he would be awake long before they were and Tana would never notice he curled up beside her. With his side touching her curled form Rhyme laid his head on his own paws and let sleep take him. He'd go to Shaye in the morning, not that the new wolf would be a surprise. Imperia had already alerted his cousin of her presence. In the blink of an eye Rhyme too fell into sleep. 

-exit rhyme-