She thought a lot about what Chimera said that night, and how much she wanted to take away that burden from Dalila. She couldn’t really explain it, how the subtle differences in her feelings towards the woman had changed since that night. How the thought of what Chimera did to her made her stomach turn when her thoughts lingered for too long. How he’d looked at her before storming out of the den. She tried to put it all behind her, Chimera was unpredictable and it was his way goes. She learned that when she was young and it still held true, she’d let herself get too comfortable.

Siren looked away as her thoughts wandered, she returned her focus on the furs she was piling up. There had been many cullings in her herd over the winter, the beasts were harvested before any kind of decline was truly detectible in their thick pelts. Siren liked to keep them as mementos of the friends she made, but worth more than that was giving Dalila freedom from Chimera, or as much as she could manage.

The young princess was much more subdued in the following days as she collected, scraped, and gathered everything of value as she prepared. She didn’t know how she was going to get a slave, but Chimera said after a bundle of furs he’d gotten Dalila, surely she could do the same. What she worried about were the slavers themselves, how easy would it be coming up to gain a slave and then wind up captured herself. Even now as she and Dalila approached the slaver’s camp she was having second thoughts. Siren paused, far enough away they hadn’t garnered any attention. She was cloaked not wanting to bring any unwanted attention to herself. Through all of it, she still wished Chimera was there beside her.

”Alright,” she said softly, trying not to let the doubt linger in her voice but it remained. Siren was nervous, she didn’t doubt Dalila at all. She said she would protect her but Siren couldn’t help but feel like this was the blind leading the blind. What other choice did she have? She had to do this for Dalila.

Dalila helped Siren load the furs and valuables they could take to offer in trade onto a travois and hauled the items for her as they drew closer to the slaver's camp. Coming back here brought back memories and emotions that she hadn't expected to remember or feel and an uneasiness settled on her as she watched the figures move in the distance when Siren stopped for a moment far enough away that they wouldn't be noticed yet. She had already felt lost and in an uncertain, dark place when she had been found and captured by those slavers. Without a master to serve she had gotten lost in the idea of freedom that she didn't understand how to process. She had barely put up much of a fight when they attacked her and when Chimera and Siren appeared to purchase her she felt like she had truly been saved in more ways than one. Would the woman they purchase today feel the same? When Siren spot a soft "alright", Dalila shifted her gaze down to her lady, the nervousness she was trying to hide palpable to her, but only because she knew the smaller woman so well. She pulled a small, encouraging smile onto her lips as she lowered her head, gently tapping her nose against Siren's cheek. "I'm here for you, my lady. You're a princess and you were pleased with your previous purchase so you simply want to purchase another, right? Simple. I won't let them touch you." It was easy enough to say a script and vow her protection now, she just hoped they could maintain that confidence as they moved into the camp and began this process properly. She gave Siren another soft tap of her nose before she refocused on the camp ahead of them, adding, "Whenever you're ready, my lady." "Speech"

This whole ordeal left her head spinning as she found herself struggling with the ethicacy of it all. She was raised for a long time to believe herself royalty, a pure Klein. A princess. When Siren was a child she was abandoned by her father and forgotten by her mother. She was wild and unkept, messy and untrainable. A far cry from the smooth well kept beauty she held today. Dalila had changed her life, she was pristine all of the time, she was looked after, there was hardly anything she could wanted and yet…

Dual toned eyes looked out over the camps before them, Siren trusted Dalila, but she didn’t feel quite as comfortable as when Chimera led her through. He was a strong commanding presence, she was everything they wanted in their product. She was made uncertain by what he had said to her, but Siren knew that Chimera would never harm her. If there was one thing she could predict it was that he would stay true to his word. He would never lay another paw on her.

Dalila encouraged her with a gentle touch to her cheek, Siren’s long lashed eyes looked up to the dappled woman as she reminded her what to say, how best to get through this. She was here, she wouldn’t let anyone touch her. Siren wanted Dalila for herself, she wasn’t comfortable sharing her servant with Chimera so the only solution had to be to provide another slave. There was a little guilt, but the cost of a stranger was worth having Dalila. She said she would keep her safe, and Siren put her life in the ivory marked woman’s paws. The girl took in a deep breath as she lifted her head proudly, she was a princess.

She leaned into Dalila’s affection, giving a slight nod towards her friend. She steeled herself and let her tiny pink paws carry her forward, leading Dalila as she waited to be seen by the dealer.

"Speech"

Dalila smiled softly when she saw Siren lifted her head with pride, giving her a small nod before watching her start to go forward on toward the camp and the wolves that awaited them there. She followed respectfully just behind Siren's shoulder, making it very clear that the beautiful princess was the head of this expedition, though she didn't lower her head as she often did. As uncomfortable and unusual as it was for her, she forced herself to let her clear blue gaze shift from wolf to wolf as they walked into the camp, not confrontational, but not shying away submissively either. She wasn't just Siren's servant today, she was also her protector. There was a whole range of different wolves, all of them eyeing the pair of women curiously, some more bold in their examination of them than others. They waited near the edge of the camp until a large man approached them, unassuming in his gray and white coloring though he did bear several scars across his face and chest. He had dark amber eyes that shifted between the two women and gave their load of furs a glance before focusing his attention on Siren. "We don't take returns," he grumbled coldly with a slight glance toward Dalila. Her dappled coat was distinctive enough to be memorable even besides the fact that Chimera's attack on one of their own toward the end of the transaction made the whole ordeal stand out in their minds. Eying the smaller woman, the scarred brute added, "Though with a load like that I'd assume you're here to buy?" Why else would the slave be pulling a sled full of furs? Without waiting for an answer he walked past her and took a moment to flip through some of the deer hides they brought. They were good quality and plush, though his cold, flat expression said nothing about what he was thinking. He gave a short "hm" before walking away from the furs, saying, "Follow me," without looking at the woman. He knew that he had his crew could take both of the women captive and sell them for a pretty penny or perhaps hold them for some kind of random since they reeked of a pack's scent, but he didn't exactly feel like risking having to deal with that massive male again. He led them to a cave that receded back into a hillside and brought them to a woman who was bound with ropes and tethered to stakes in the ground. She was about the same size as Dalila though perhaps a tiny bit smaller and was russet and brown in coloring, yellow eyes looking up at the pair of them with uncertainty and desperation, glancing between them and the slaver. The male growled and the woman ducked her head, looking away from all of them to stare at the ground. He turned back toward Siren and Dalila with a raised brow. "Well?" "Speech"

Siren took one more deep breath and started forward, taking Dalila’s confidence in her and projecting as best she could. She didn’t show well how nervous she really was, she couldn’t show weakness. Not here. Siren knew she would be relying heavily on the impression that Chimera left on them when the two of them had come in search of Dalila. Siren felt the confidence build in her with each step as the pair of them approached and were eventually greeted by a man that towered over Siren, not that this was an odd occurrence, there were few wolves not taller than the slim princess. She felt Dalila’s gaze shifting around them, like Siren the woman was projecting a much different persona than they normally wore.

The man focused on her, and Siren lifted her gaze to his eyes as he stated plainly that they did not take refunds. Siren didn’t react, though her brows did furrow in displeasure at the thought of giving her woman back. ”Yes,” she responded as he finally corrected himself. His attention shifted to the furs in the travois, that wasn’t all they had but unless he truly rifled through the materials he wouldn’t see the rest of it. As it was her small deer pelts were of the highest quality.

They were led forward and when they arrived at the merchandise Siren felt repulsed. She hadn’t felt this way the last time they were here. The woman they were led to was smaller than Dalila, but still larger than herself. She was bound, shackled, and her eyes had no spark. All Siren could do was see Dalila in her place. ”What else do you have to offer?” She didn’t want to see the other broken bodies he had for her, but she wanted whatever would keep Chimera happy. To replace the woman at her side. She tried not to let the guilt run through her as she hardened her gaze and looked up to the slaver.


"Siren Primrose Klein"

Dalila stuck close to Siren's side through the whole interaction, staring down any of the men that dared to look at them for too long. On the surface she seemed calm and strong, but internally her heart was pounding a mile a minute. Between the worry that they might see through her facade and the old memories of how she had once been treated it was difficult to keep up this act, but she would. For Siren. She tried not to look at the other slave when the slaver brought them to her for them to access, quietly brushing her side against Siren to remind herself that she wasn't here to be one of them again. She listened as Siren requested to see someone else, causing the male to scoff softly before leading them further into the cave. As they were being led to another wolf that was teathered down to the floor of the cave further back into the shadowy space, they passed by an alcove that was barred off, a distinctly different holding cage for this particular woman than the other slaves that seemed to mostly be tied or chained up to keep them from running. Dalila slowed a bit, gently nudging Siren's side with her shoulder to get her lady's attention. Behind the bars that had clearly been constructed just for this purpose with a door of sorts built into them was a smaller woman with fair, dainty features. Her coloring stood out from the other slaves she had spotted so far with silver and steel blue hues all over. What caught her attention wasn't her looks though - even though the woman was quite beautiful - it was the way she sat in her cell. Perfectly poised with a submissive hang of her head that Dalila knew all too well. This woman was like her. She wasn't a random woman that had been captured and forced into this life like some of these wolves. She was raised in it, Dalila could tell. She glanced at Siren and gave a small nod to the silvery woman locked behind the bars that were clearly meant to contain her without risking ruining her perfectly maintained appearance. The slaver that had been leading them looked back and realized which slave they had their eyes on and he laughed, a low, gruff sound as he turned back toward them. "Best to keep moving, miss. You're not going to be able to afford that one." He barely wanted to sell her at all, but he knew the client that left her here was expecting a large sum in return whenever he got back. Unlike some of the other slaves she wasn't one that he and his crew had gathered, but instead he was simply the broker. "You're going to need more than deer pelts if that's the kind of slave you're wanting to take home. Might as well just turn back now." "Speech"

A quiet, somber tune hummed gently around the cave from the cell she resided in. In the low light of the torches, Aliana filled the otherwise silent cave with her song, trying to drown out the sobs and whimpers of the other wolves imprisoned around her. This was her daily life, left alone to pace her cell or nap or sing while she waited each day out, the faces of other wolves coming and going as they were captured, beaten into submission, and sold off. Aliana almost felt pity for them; they had their freedoms taken from them, after all. She, on the other hand, had not. This was the life she had been born into and raised in. This was the only world she knew. In a way, she was thankful—thankful that she would never know the pain those other wolves felt. She simply existed in here like a beautiful phantom, waiting out the days for her owner to decide she was old enough to be used, or the day she was finally sold.

"Stop that fucking singing! We've got company," the slave master snarled as he slammed a heavy paw into the bars of her cell. "Just stay quiet and don't attract any attention to yourself, got it?" He had made no efforts to hide his intentions. He didn't want to sell her, he wanted her for himself. Of course, money mattered more to the cruel man, and the right price could buy anything. So far, that hadn't happened, and Aliana dared not get her hopes up again. She did as she was commanded, ending her tune abruptly and bowing her head in quiet submission to the large brute while he skulked off to attend to their clients.

It was quiet for some time, nothing happening. Aliana's gaze drifted around the empty cave, just idly staring at whatever she could see. Then came the voices. Her owner, showing off some merchandise to the customers. From the alcove where her cell was, she couldn't see the buyers, but she tried to picture them. They were always male, often very large and intimidating. Would they be looking for a servant? A sex slave? Something else entirely? The guessing game was all she had to entertain herself with in the solitude. A voice spoke, but this was not the voice of a male. It was soft, sweet, feminine. Aliana's ears perked up. Female clients were rare. These ones would be different.

No more than a minute later, Aliana saw the slave master trudge by with two faes in tow, one a few inches taller than she was and one notably smaller and daintier. The taller one stopped when their eyes met, aquamarine meeting pale blue for a split second before she looked away on reflex, keeping her head bowed and staying silent. Never look the clients in the eye. Don't attract attention to yourself. But it was too late. From the corner of her eye, Aliana saw the taller woman nudge the smaller, and then the slaver was talking to them, discouraging them from considering her. Of course he would discourage them. He wanted her. But she wanted anything—anything other than that. Taking a bold chance, Aliana shifted to turn and face the clients, peering up at them with soft aquamarine eyes from beneath her lashes, her head bowed all the while. Don't speak. Don't sing. Just sit there, shut your mouth, and look pretty.

But would that be enough to make her worth the price?

"Aliana"

Dalila looked more focused and fierce than Siren had ever seen her, while she had gotten into quite a mess the protective side of Dalila was reawakened. That didn’t mean Siren couldn’t see the nerves in her servant, but she put on a grand show. Siren wasn’t comfortable, she would never be in a place like this, knowing Dalila was there gave her more piece of mind. Siren tried to keep the look of disgust off her face as they passed nameless haggard after poor souls. She was easily distracted by Dalila’s attention and she looked up to see through the small bars of the cage. The woman was enough to remind her of Dalila as well, it was kind of an odd sensation, though she did note the seeming boosted confidence of the girl behind bars.

The slave master chuckled, a sound that held no humor or amusement. It was cruel and grating, but Siren remained unphased on the outside. All she showed was the furrowing of her pale brows as he tried to tell her what she could afford and what her best options were. That only told her this was the most coveted wolf in his captivity, and that meant this was the one that Chimera should have. She resisted the urge to insult him as her dual toned gaze looked the silver marked woman over. Along with her pelt, the aura that surrounded her was a shining silver, further proof she was the right choice. A royal color.

He’d already rifled his dirty paws through her beautiful pelts, she hated that they wouldn’t be as appreciated as they were with her, but freeing Dalila was worth it. Giving this girl to Chimera was worth it. ”You may have gazed at my furs but you judge my wealth too swiftly.” Her dual toned eyes were sharp for how small and dainty she was as her attention shifted from slave to master. ”I have rare herbal remedies to add to my offer.” She didn’t give him any specifics, but she thought she could get him to bite. In a place like this there had to be infinite wounds to be seen on slaver and slave alike.


"Siren Primrose Klein"

The gruff slaver seemed to pause and he eyed Siren doubtfully when she stopped him, telling him that there was more for her to offer. A brute like him didn't know the first thing about herbal remedies or what was rare or not, though the one healer he kept around for his wolves would probably enjoy getting their paws on such a thing after the harsh winter and spring they went through. They had to let some of the slaves succumb to their wounds because they hadn't had the supplies to heal them which of course didn't help things. Meanwhile, Dalila's aqua gaze lingered on the slave on the other side of the bars from her, their eyes meeting for a moment before Dalila shifted her gaze away to look at the ground in front of her paws. She wouldn't let herself dwell too much on what this woman could be brought into if Siren managed to work out this deal. She didn't want to think about how they were buying her freedom by purchasing another. As long as she got to belong to her lady and her lady alone then it would be worth it. "I'm going to need more than some fancy leaves," the slaver muttered, but he at least crossed the short distance between them from where he had been standing when he realized they were no longer following. He eyed the woman behind the bars for a long moment, his lips pulling down into a frown. He didn't want to let her go, but they hadn't gotten a lot of business lately either so a solid sale was sorely tempting. "How many furs do you have there? Eight?" he questioned as he looked back to the woman and her slave, glancing past them at the travois once more. "Eight furs, the herbal medicines... What else do you have? She's a pretty little thing - well behaved too. It's going to take a lot to convince me to let her go." "Speech"

Aliana's expression shifted to one of shock. The women were bartering over her? A soft thrill made her heart race. No no, don't get your hopes up... She knew it would be a long shot if they managed to buy her. There had been others before them, and all of them had chosen cheaper products instead, discouraged by her owner's strict reluctance to haggle for her. No matter how badly she didn't want to stay here, Ali had started to accept that this was her fate with every day that brought her closer to her second birthday. She watched the two ladies as they inspected her, the smaller one looking as regal as a queen while she inspected and appraised her. Those duo-toned eyes moved over her, and Ali realized this was a golden chance for her.

As if sensing her opportunity, Aliana rose to her paws in a slow, graceful movement, giving her fur a little tousle so it would settle smooth across her body. Her plush monochrome coat clung to her slender frame, the small lady making a soft sound as she stretched out her long legs and made a slow circle in place before settling on her haunches again. Was she showing off a bit? Yes she was, but it was also a silent plea. It was a wordless cry of "Please buy me, I'll be worth it for you." To her greater surprise, the slave master gave a grumble and began to haggle back with the clients after taking a long look at her. She didn't dare look at him, too afraid to see his expression and worrying it would crush her hopes of finally leaving this cell.

While the lady bartered with pelts and herbs, Aliana dared to glance back up—and met the taller woman's eyes again in the process, immediately diverting her gaze back to her dainty paws. Another cursory glance up and she saw the patchwork fae was also looking away hard. Her tail twitched with anxious recognition. Was she property as well? Did she belong to the smaller woman? Was she being bought to help alongside the taller lady? What sort of future might wait for her beyond these bars? Though she was still staring blankly at the ground, body sitting still and poised with her head dipped gently, Ali would occasionally steal glances up to the three wolves deciding her fate, mentally praying that the two faes were successful in acquiring her.

"Aliana"

She knew that the herbal remedies were a long shot, but after such a terrible winter their worth was far higher than they had once been and despite his words Siren could see the debate cross his features as he returned to them. This was indeed the highest valued slave and she would have her for Chimera. The thoughts about what would shift from Dalila to this woman, or whoever they returned with, crossed her mind only swiftly. As long as Dalila was given her freedom everything else was worth it, even the suffering of this pretty slave. She seemed to strike a nerve, because the slaver looked like he was beginning to relent. His eyes were forced back to the travois behind Dalila as Siren upped her offer.

”Nine.” She corrected him as he relented slightly and sought just a little bit more for the valuable commodity. He needed more from her to truly be able to let go of the beautiful woman. As if to prove his point the she wolf lifted herself and shook her fur out as she did a little twist to fully show herself off. Like deep down she was rooting for the potential buyers. Siren was sure the woman was making a mistake. She didn’t want to come with them but she had no idea yet. Maybe she would be treated slightly better with the two women, Siren eyed the slaver the one who really wanted to keep her. Would he be easier or harder on her than Chimera? Not that it mattered really, this was all for Dalila. "What is her name?" She asked almost quietly as she internally second guessed herself.

Siren returned to the pile of supplies as he sought more for the slave woman. Really Siren was most attached to the pelts, those were sentimental and everything else was replaceable. The tiny princess plunged her dainty paws into the pile of furs to drag out the real valuables. Jewelry, gold, gems, little trinkets that Siren had been saving up for as long as her paws walked her island home. Siren unwrapped the furs they were collected within and revealed the sparkling shiny riches. ”Nine top quality pelts, a collection of rare herbal remedies, and these.”

"Siren Primrose Klein"

The scarred brute shifted a cold glance to the little princess when she corrected him on the number of pelts she had brought. He scoffed softly and gave her a sarcastic grin that only lasted a moment. "Oh, excuse me, nine pelts." He was already in a bad mood for even having to consider giving away this sexy little thing, but to have a pretentious, tiny woman as the buyer didn't help matters. He bit back his irritation though, focusing instead on what she might have to offer. He'd let her lay out her cards before he fully shut her down. At the question of what the slave's name was he gave another of those low chuckles, asking in return, "Does it matter?" He looked toward the little slave that was doing all she could to look appealing, a snarl twitching at his lips as he hit a paw against the bars, growling, "Hey, slave!" He watched her flinch away, but look at him submissively with a pleased grin. "See? She'll answer to whatever to whatever you want." The brute looked back to the buyer as the little woman pulled the roll of furs off of the travois and unfurled them to reveal a collection of sparkling gems and jewelry, for once truly catching his attention and making him reconsider his desire to hold on to the little fae. He moved past Siren to examine the treasures she presented to him, considering them for a long moment. It was certainly the largest offer he had gotten for a slave, but this also wasn't just any slave. "I'll give you two of any of the other slaves for this price," he offered after a moment of consideration, but when he looked up at the pale woman's dual colored gaze he knew she wouldn't take it. She had her sights set on his prized slave and she wasn't going to walk away without her. He sighed and gave a shake of his head as he began to roll up the furs. He knew he was going to regret it, but he needed the sale. "Fine. You have a deal." Once his payment was rolled up and tucked away in one of the other closed off alcoves, he came back to the cell and unlocked the door, swinging it open. "Go before I change my mind," he grumbled before stalking away, leaving the woman and her two slaves to their own devices. Dalila watched him go before looking to the fellow slave with a small smile. They did it. They came all this way and they accomplished what they had set out to do. They bought a slave. She'd be free from Chimera. It was a double edged sword though, knowing that this delicate fae was going to be subjected to him instead, but she'd get to be with Siren and that was all she cared about. "We should get out of here," she said softly to the two of them as she turned her attention back to the males in the slaver's crew that were loitering near by and watching them, fixing them with another hard stare. "Speech"

Her attempts at trying to subtly sway the opinions of her potential buyers hadn't been good enough to fool the slave master though, garnering her a sideways snarl and a slam on the bars that made her recoil back in fright. She peered back with wide eyes, biting her tongue to stifle the yelp that almost slipped from her. Don't speak. Don't sing. Don't make a sound. Buyers wanted you quiet, yes? He shouted for her, not by name, but by her purpose. Slave. She looked back, eyes turned upward from her bowed head, glistening aquamarine shining in the low light while she regarded the wolves just beyond the bars. Her owner seemed pleased with her response. Maybe he'd forgive her for showing herself off like that.

The bartering went on for a little while longer, the tiny queen offering the pelts, rare herbs, and then something else she couldn't quite see. Aliana was curious; she wanted to come closer and see what the slave master was looking at, though she dare not disobey or provoke his ire any further. The slaver held up a gemstone then, letting the light bounce off its surface while he studied it. Aliana gave a soft gasp. Gems and treasures?! Surely she wasn't worth that much! Surprised eyes looked back to the two clients. Why were they willing to offer so much for her? She was nobody, nothing to them. The offer was too great. The slaver offered them two of any other slaves in stock, but the tiny woman remained resolute. It would be her. Ali didn't understand why her, but she wasn't about to question, it especially not after her owner spoke the words she never thought she'd hear.

"You have a deal."

The cell door swung open, permitting her exit from her cell and her life of confinement. Aliana gazed between the three wolves, uncertainty clouding her gaze while she took a few trepidatious steps toward the door. She slunk slowly past the slaver, keeping her head low and eyes turned down to her paws while she took her place beside her new owners. All the while she kept her eyes turned down, head held low until the slaver trudged away with a grumble of dissatisfaction. Blue-green eyes glanced up curiously at her new owners then, seeing the small smile on the taller fae's face for her. It was an odd sensation to see someone smile at her without sensing malicious intent behind it. Her stomach turned nervously. Was this really all over? Was this the start of her new life? Aliana wanted to thank the two faes, but she would hold her tongue until they were away from the slaver camp. Only then would she consider this truly over. Aliana followed diligently beside the two women when they made their exit, following them every step they took, just like a good girl should.

"Aliana"

Siren’s brows fell when the man called the woman by her title instead of a real name. She really shouldn’t have expected anything less. She had to give up her final offer of the jewels but as he offered her two different slaves for the price she was offering he knew that she would not be satisfied. Finally he relented and the exchange of goods was final. Siren took one last look at the beautiful deer pelts, for now her largest regret but as her eyes looked up to the woman who was being let free Siren knew there were no winners here. The slaver lost his prized possession, Siren lost her beloved pelts, and the girl would lose any kind of special privileges that would have been given to her for being worth so much. Her new life would be just as bad if not worse than if she had been left here. Maybe Chimera would feel slightly sentimental that she was a gift from his sister, like she valued her gifts from him. If there was one predictability about Chimera it was that he was unpredictable.

The young Klein barely looked at the girl as she made her way towards her buyer, Siren was not her final master though. She knew better than to try and feel empathy for her or she would be in the same position she had been in with Dalila. Not that her servant could be replaced, there was no substitute for the dappled woman in her life. She had to remind herself that was why she was doing what she was doing. She was sacrificing this young woman for Dalila, it had to be worth it. The whole time she would struggle with herself, she couldn’t ever bring blame to Chimera. Neither sibling had ever been normal and they both struggled through life the best way they could, Chimera needed an outlet. That was a fact of life and she would offer up this young she wolf so spare the woman that she adored. Siren would admit her selfishness and promptly ignore it as the supplies were emptied from the travois and Dalila reminded her it was time to be gone from this place or Siren truly would be taking Dalila’s place.

”Come.” She said softly and began to lead the woman away, her head held high her pace deceivingly confident. Siren only felt better when the slavers camp was far behind them and the likelihood of being captured themselves diminished greatly. ”Do you have a name?” She questioned the slave, looking back at her briefly as they continued. Siren couldn’t wait to get home. She felt disgusting, but her baths for the next week wouldn’t help anything. ”You seem well trained. Hopefully it’ll do you good.” She felt oddly callous towards her, but what else could she do? Deep down she knew what she was doing and it was tearing her insides apart. ”You’re a gift for my brother.” She sighed softly and glanced to Dalila, trying hard to share the woman’s strength and take heart in her sweet gaze. ”I’ll do my best to patch you back together when he gets too rough.” She warned as she grit her teeth and put her efforts into moving her tiny paws faster.

"Siren Primrose Klein"

Dalila kept up this stronger than she was, protective air about her until they were well out of sight of the slaver camp. Once it was well behind them she allowed herself to relax with a heavy sigh, returning to the drawn in, submissive stance that was far more comfortable to her. She stuck close to Siren's side the whole time, feeling that if she didn't have her eyes on her lady or at least feel her side lightly brushing against hers as they walked that Siren might just get whisked away and disappear. She absolutely despised the whole experience they just went through in order to obtain this girl, but they were done now. They had been successful in what they had set out to do. She looked up at the silvery girl when Dalila asked for her name, her ears flicking when Siren mentioned how her being well trained would serve her well. At least from her experience that had been true. "Just stand there like a good girl and things will go easier for you." The words still sent a little bit of a shiver down her spine, the memories from that night still fresh in her mind. She glanced down to meet Siren's gaze when her lady glanced up at her, seeing the conflict brewing in her sweet princess' face. She dipped her head to gently brush her nose against Siren's cheek. She knew that Aliana would probably never understand why they had to do this or why they would knowingly buy a slave for Chimera to use, but Dalila was willing to do anything for Siren - even put this other slave into the line of fire. She brought her sympathetic gaze tentatively back to Aliana when Siren mentioned how she would patch her back together. "My lady is a talented healer. I've been learning from her - I'll help you when I can as well," she told her softly. She thought for a moment, wondering if there was even any advice she could give the other slave, but with Chimera being so unpredictable it was difficult to even pin point what he would want from her. "I'm sure it's nothing new to you, but speak when spoken to and be there when he calls," she advised, her gaze shifting to the ground. "But it does make him more angry if you don't talk at all. He has a woman that he keeps with him - Viper. Be careful with her. She attacked me once." She gave the new woman a glance, wondering if there was anything else she could possibly say to prepare her for her new life. Dalila hadn't known what to expect when she was taken home with Chimera and Siren and she was glad that she could at least give this girl a little bit of a heads up so she wasn't completely blindsided. She felt a deep guilt over the whole situation and it felt like the least she could do to offer the woman a bit of comfort where she could. She leaned in a bit closer to Aliana, speaking softly to her. A secret between slaves. "He probably won't address you by your name... But I'll know it. I don't know if you'll want to speak to me after this, but if you want a friend I'll be that for you. I'm Dalila." "Speech"

Neither woman spoke as they led her out of the slavers' camp. The bright sunlight felt harsh against her eyes after her time in the dark caves, the warmth on her coat and the fresh air in her lungs feeling like the start of something new. Only once they were finally away from the cruel wolves did either fae begin to settle down. The tiny queen looked back at her with a hardness that seemed to be hiding guilt in her heterochromatic eyes. She asked her name, then commented on her trained decorum as a slave. "I do, Mistress. It's Aliana Cadence," she replied, her voice soft-spoken and carefully measured, a habit from the lessons the slavers had beaten into her. The tiny mistress looked back to the other lady, who had slunk back into a much more submissive stance. Definitely her slave as well. But there was something strange about the dynamic between them. It didn't feel like what she had come to know owner/slave relationships should be. It perplexed her, but she left her curiosity unspoken as aquamarine eyes moved back and forth between them.

The silvery fae had been about to ask who she was to be serving when the tiny mistress spoke again, answering her unspoken question. So she was to be a gift for the lady's brother, that was who her new master would be. She wondered what the brute would be like and what she could expect being his servant. What purpose and role would she have in her new life? She hoped he would be pleased with his gift from who she now knew was his sister. But any enthusiasm she might have been mustering up was quashed the moment the ivory-furred fae promised to do her best to patch her up when he got too rough. Aliana's expression darkened a little and she looked to the taller fae for clarification. When he got too rough? What did that mean? What had she been bought to do?

She watched while the taller fae brushed her nose against their mistress' cheek. Definitely far more familiar for a slave to behave than she had been taught. How queer... She reiterated the tiny wolf's skills as a healer, and of her own. She fixed the patchwork femme with a nervous look. Should she expect to need to be patched up often? Was having healers on standby required? The tall slave continued to offer her advice, some common sense, some more tailored to her new master. Speak when spoken to, answer his every call. He gets angry if you don't talk at all, but don't talk too much. Watch out for someone named Viper. She sounded dangerous and unstable, and already Aliana found herself worrying about the prospect of someone having it out for her before she even arrived.

Her feelings and thoughts aside, Ali realized she didn't have any choice in the matter though. She could try to run right now, to flee the two women bringing her to her new master—but then what? Where would she go? Back to the slavers and the promise of being a brood mare? She wouldn't survive three days out in the wild on her own. No, the thoughts were never considered as possibilities in the submissive fae's mind. This was her life, and come what may she would have to make the most of it. She just had to keep her new master as pleased as she could. "I think I understand," she said with a small nod to the tall lady who introduced herself as Dalila in a whisper. "I don't know what to expect, but... thank you."

Thank you. It seemed like such an odd choice of words, but given the future she had been staring down, nothing could be as bad as that... right? Plus, she had a friend now. Or, well, a maybe friend in Dalila. It was more than she had had back with the slavers. She didn't know what they were parading her towards, but she was bound to find out. Taking in a slow breath, Ali followed the tiny mistress and Dalila quietly back to their home, anxious to see what awaited her at the end of the line.

"Aliana"