Numb. Maeve had been numb for too long. Trying to steel herself to it. Trying to keep her head down, deal with it, cope. Coping as best she can. Can't cope. You can only shake so much before you can't anymore. The bite of a crop at her ankles. The sting at teeth around her ears, the scrap around her snout. Forcing her back, pushing her down. Trying his damndest to break her. Though bits of her personality still glimmered through, how much of it was hers? Suffering had become a cornerstone of her existence. It was never supposed to be this way. A kidnapped navigator, and then what? They were the only survivors. He'd needed her. Why couldn't she take that power back. Every time she'd tried to rise up against him, he'd beaten her back down. A navigator, a healer-- the most valuable she could be, and yet he treats her like this? It doesn't make sense. Though Maeve knows she's worth more, the brute comes after her ankles once again. Whimpering. Stumbling forward. She's sorry. Not very fast. Too dense to be very fast, she has a hard time keeping up. Though the tender, fair thing would never complain about being tired to him, exhaustion has soaked deep into her bones. Another crack of the crop across her ankles, and Maeve stumbled forward. The climb up the steep cliffs and to solid ground had been long and hard, all that after an exhausting swim? Before that, the march. Tired would not begin to explain it. Crumbling in the sandy soil before her, Maeve was sorry. She wasn't made for this.

Kaino Saxe wasn't the nicest of wolves. Far from it, in fact. She was capable of dark deeds and unspeakable violence. However, the woman had an inner code. There were some things that she looked down upon. On a scale, there were many things that were worse than others, but there were a few that were written at the top of that list. Violence towards children and the elderly, was one thing that Kai found distasteful. She also didn't like when the strong used their brute strength on those that were significantly weaker. Where was the challenge in that? It showed a great lack of character. It went back to that "Pick on someone your own size" ideality. So, when the lavender hued woman saw the big brute using a tiny woman as his whipping horse, what could she do but step in?

"Well... that's just pathetic," the woman purred sweetly as she put herself directly into the path of the pair. Her placement was blatantly obvious. They would stop for her whether they liked it or not.

The big brute snarled and sneered, obviously upset at the fact that a woman of all things, had put a temporary end to his good time. He stepped towards Kaino with the crop still between his teeth as though to strike her and there was a predatory glint in the bob-tailed fae's eyes. Rather than cower, her lips peeled back in a breathtaking smile. The smile made the brute falter for a moment. It wasn't the reaction that he'd been expecting. Noting his own staggered steps made him even more angry and that was all it took.

With a big growl, the man rushed Kaino. He aimed and tried to give her a mighty swap with the crop, but the silvered fae dodged easily. The momentum of his swing left the side of his neck wide open and the Saxe fae couldn't ignore such an invitation. Paws planted and Kaino rocketed forward, slamming her body into the side of the bigger wolf's body, teeth first. Those canine bit into the stretched flesh, easily finding sweet blood and vitals. With her bite situated just under the edge of the brute's jaw, Kai thrashed her head back and forth. She could feel the strain on her teeth, but they were strong and she was strong. Tendrils of flesh were stripped away like long, bloody tentacles and the wolf was quickly bleeding out. Jets of blood sprayed Kaino's coat, turning it black. She'd need a bath at some point, but right now, she just wanted to watch the man die.

Mint and ice eyes watched the flailing man weaken as she stood over him, her luxurious bunny tail up in the air, signifying her dominance. Kai's tongue lashed out, flicking blood and viscera from her lips. The man stilled and was dead. All this time she hadn't even spared a glance for the beaten woman, but now it was time.

Kaino's piercing, icy gaze landed on the small, soft looking fae. "He won't harm you again." That much was obvious. One brow raised and the woman gave her head a little tilt. "By the ways of my people, you belong to me now." Blood covered and beautiful, Kaino stepped forward towards the woman, using one paw to lift the smaller fae's chin, forcing eye contact. "If anyone asks, you are the Sidi of Kaino Saxe." Whether she liked it or not.

"Speech"

Pathetic-- the tone of voice, the posture of the woman before her... Maeve swallowed hard. Her head spun. Heart pounded in her chest. This wasn't so unlike the first time. Why had this become a regular occurrence in her world? One step backwards, flinching to the side. Wanting to be out of the line of fire. Way outside her weight class. Coming to life around her, awash with gore, frankly Maeve doesn't know what to make of it aside from the nausea that bubbles to life within her stomach. Sides aching. Head pounding. Worse than last time, somehow. The soiled dove stumbled, though she knows better than to attempt an escape. No, the girl just needs to be somewhere that won't get her killed. Thoughts racing, only now realizing that she's splattered with blood (whose?) in addition to whatever was left in the wake of her captor's crop. Trying to steady herself, cowering. Waiting for silence before she opens her eyes again, and then immediately wishing she hadn't. The throes of sensory overload gripping her system, Maeve is doing her best but the world around her swam. Towering over her, the woman seems to lack true malice. Wait-- what? She lacked malice, despite the carnage that lay just feet before them. Despite the gore that still clung to the woman's coat. Doe eyed and blinking hard, heart pounding though maybe not quite as fearful as she had been, she tries to find words. "Thank you..." the words are soft, they come with an anxious lick of her lips. "'m Maeve." Too anxious to drop eye contact, instead watching the woman with wide eyes. "I just... why?" The first act of kindness to come her way since the fall of her home, her tone isn't one that harbors ungratefulness-- just curiosity. Maybe it was uncouth but hell, what was a Sidi anyway?