He wasn’t sure he had ever been so thankful for the warm weather returning, he didn’t feel right when the world was dormant and dead. His massive paws carried him over lush grasses, alone. This wasn’t how he preferred to be, not having another presence beside caused his mind to wander much too far. Much like his paws. Indigo had started the day with a small patrol with every intention of returning to the castle before his girls woke, but his paws took on a mind of their own. Indigo’s mind was foggy and the young man ‘woke’ miles from the border of the Hallows.

Indigo blinked in surprise as he took in the landscape around him. The cold northern climate hadn’t quite released its hold here but despite the chill in the air the berry bushes and the trees were doing their very best to push out leaves and foliage. Indigo’s eyes were particularly peeled for the flowers of the plants that might one day soon provide a plethora of berries. The young man was especially eager to find a strawberry patch. He’d found a dormant bee hive and harvested what honey he thought the hive could do without so that when he did eventually find his strawberries he could honey them. If there was anything beyond his Aslatiel that he wanted more in the world it was honied strawberries like his aunt used to give him.

A soft sigh left his lips as his mind was returned to a time much simpler than now. When his aunt, father, and grandmother were the ultimate authority. When the wolves he looked up to still had all the answers when he felt lost. A sharp pain struck through his heart and Indigo gasped at the sudden pain. It was just like the moment he left Aslatiel after the funeral. He didn’t have his medication, he had no protection against it. The young man leaned against the thick trunk of a tree as he tried to regain his composure, but struck from nowhere he felt like the lost boy he truly was beneath the rough intimidating exterior. He felt the hopelessness that Duchess chased away, and without her Indigo embraced the emotion.

Indigo looked up to the north, he could just barely see the ocean through the trees. He convinced himself that if he could just see a little further he’d catch a glimpse of Aslatiel’s brilliant galactic eyes. The thought soothed him enough that he could catch his breath, but the emptiness inside brought him to his knees.

He would return soon, right? It didn’t usually take her father this long to finish his business and return to her. As he’d done many times before, the big man had left her tethered to a tree with promises to return. How long had it been though? It certainly felt like it had been a long time. Too long, really. The sun had set and the tiny fae had curled up tightly against the cold of night. She was thankful when the sun warmed her slender body in the morning. It was one of the small joys that she was still capable of feeling.

As the day wore on, Gypsy milled about the area. Well, as much of the area as she could manage. The tether that stretched from the tree to the braided leather collar about her throat wasn’t terribly long. The tie had been placed too high within the tree for her to reach and there was a clasp upon her collar that she was unable to remove. Even when he wasn’t here, she was under her father’s rule. Back and forth she moved, pacing, pacing. The sun was warm but she still felt winter's chill in the air. Another night out on her own… Well… she might not make it. Would that really be so bad?

In time, Gypsy accepted her situation. Just like the rest of her life, she had no choice. Fighting against what was wouldn’t change a thing. Up above, the little fairie of a wolf could hear birds singing. Mismatched ears shifted so she could catch the singing fully. Something warmed within the otherwise frigid lady for a moment and she raised her own voice to sing with the birds. No words were uttered, but she released sweet tones in accompaniment. Gypsy had no one to rely upon and she had very little control of her life, but she always had her voice. He hadn’t taken that from her yet.

He might have remained there unmoving for a long time after, embracing his sorrow as he yearned to be stronger. If he was more capable maybe this wouldn’t hurt so much. The pain was a direct correlation to how much he loved Asla. When they were together he was whole, he could stand taller and weather any obstacle that stood in their way. When he was alone he lost the better part of himself. Fear touched on the edges while incompetence and uncertainty circled. He struggled with the weight of living. Indigo knew that he needed to push through, he was aware of his weakness and his folly and yet he didn’t move.

Through his selfish sorrow Indigo wouldn’t be budged until the sound of her voice reached his red marked ears. He couldn’t remember much singing in his life, but he could feel his own emotions echoed in her sweet tones. The voice was nameless, he did not know the owner. Compelled, the young man forced himself to his paws so he might search out the siren behind the song.

Dark ears fell to his skull as he navigated the underbrush to find the tiny girl. Indigo brushed past one more massive raspberry bramble and was greeted by the heartbreaking sight. She was tiny, collared and tied to the tree she sat beneath. Trapped. She was thin and ill prepared for the cold nights that continued to plague the land. Someone had left her here to die. Though her song replenished his spirit Indigo felt a terrible anger even deeper. He’d always been overly protective, but loss and life only fed the virtue.

There wasn’t any room for logical thoughts as Indigo crashed through the remaining vines and thorns to reach the dainty she wolf. He had no trouble reaching the end of the leash and removing her tether to the tree. ”There, you’re free.” But Indigo hardly felt satisfied. ”Who did this to you?” He questioned softly as he tried to soothe the ebes of anger that eeked into his vision and held his muscles tense. He tried to focus on the girl and her sightless silvery eyes.

Milky eyes widened slightly at the sound of crashing brush. Gypsy tucked herself into as tight of a ball as she could manage and pressed herself back against the tree that she was tied to. What was coming? It sounded gigantic! Hunkering down, the minuscule lady tucked her muzzle beneath one paw. Maybe whatever was coming wouldn’t see her. Though she was resigned to her lot in life, that didn’t mean that she was ready to die just yet. Not today, at least. There had been many times during her two years of life that she’d wished for death, but today wasn’t one of them.

The commotion stopped right in front of her and the pallid fae clenched her eyes tight for all of the good that did her. She waited to feel the sting of teeth or claws, but it never came. There was some motion that jerked her around a bit and she imagined that someone was tugging on the tether that joined her to the tree. Still terrified, she scented the beast beside her. Wolf. Male. She didn’t know him. Gypsy could only imagine what he wanted from her. Probably what every other male had ever wanted from her. She was surprised though when the tether dropped beside her. What was happening?

A deep voice sounded and she could tell that it was tinged with anger. The words it spoke though were words of freedom. He’d untied her. The next biting words questioned the perpetrator of her current situation. Gypsy looked more child than woman and imagined that he may have thought of her as one. It took a moment for her to find her voice, but she eventually spoke. The mottled fae’s voice was naturally soft and she released it in a hushed whisper. “My father left me here and hasn’t returned.”

Within her chest, the poor lady’s heart hammered. She still didn’t know what plans this brute had for her. She was small, weak, possessed no skills to care for herself. Gypsy was at his mercy. That was her place in life: at the mercy of other beings. She swallowed her fear and sat up, staring straight ahead with sightless eyes that also seemed rather lifeless somehow.

Indigo was so focused on releasing the poor girl he didn’t notice the sudden reactive fear as she minimized and sunk against the tree above her. He dropped the lead to the ground and bright blue eyes truly focused on her. Tiny, frail, and frightened. Indy’s anger was hot but burned out swiftly as he took in her scared form. He sunk into himself, not that she could see him, and lowered his massive frame to the leaf litter at their feet. She was fearful at first and then confusion hinted on her features as she straightened slightly. As though remembering some long ingrained training.

He furrowed his brows as he held everything in when she finally spoke, that voice. The one that ad drew him in and revealed her to begin with. How could anyone hear her and feel okay with leaving her like this? Again anger struck his heart, but Indy remained motionless, chin to the ground and teeth grit. Her own father left her here with no shelter, water, or food. She was doomed if he didn’t return. Not just because she was tied to one place, as Indigo looked further he convinced himself that she wasn’t built to survive on her own. Another orphan.

”How long have you been here?” He whispered back, head between his paws as he watched her, transfixed. He always felt drawn to the beaten and broken, he couldn’t say that this girl was any different. ”Do you have anywhere to go?” Indigo questioned softly, keeping his voice down and his emotions in check. Withholding himself was a difficult task, but holding his emotions back was good practice. He needed to be in control of himself because there was nothing else in the world that he could.

Gypsy could feel the man. Not physically, but she could somehow feel the sheer size of him. His impressive stature was intimidating, but the faerie fae had already flipped the switch in her mind. Fear was gone. Acceptance was all that was left. Whatever this big man did to her, she was ready for it. She’d retreat to that small portion of her mind that she kept walled off from the rest. Her mental sanctuary.

But he surprised her.

The man settled down so that he could be on her level. His voice shifted with the change in height and she could feel the warmth pour off of his massive frame. That warmth made the girl envious. She was so very cold. Shivering had long stopped working to warm her and her body had simply stopped quivering and had accepted the fact that it was freezing, most likely to death.

With a softened voice, as though he had noted her initial fear, he asked how long she’d been tied to the tree. “The sun has warmed me twice.” Gypsy’s voice remained a soft whisper as she spoke. She hesitated for a moment when asked if she had anywhere to go. “No?” Her head gave a little tilt, brows creasing just a bit. “We travel from place to place. It’s just the two of us.” And whoever else he decides to let tag along for a while. Aside from her father, she had no one in the world. She was incapable of caring for herself and he took full advantage of that. Anyone else would have been both astounded and disgusted at the amount of physical and mental abuse that Gypsy had gone through in her short life, but that was normal for her. It was the life created and designed for her, she just lived it.

Ears slid backward for a moment and Gypsy quickly shut the mouth that she’d just opened. The young woman had almost spoken out of turn. She was going to ask his name, but if he was anything like her father, she’d have received a blow to the face for speaking without being addressed first. She’d have to wait and hope that he thought to both give his name and ask for hers.

She was pale, her pink nose hardly had any color and he could swear that her lips were blue. Maybe she had been shivering yesterday but she was too cold now. Death was at her door step if there was no interference on her behalf. Indigo stepped up to the task without hesitation. He questioned her gently, wondering if he could take her somewhere safe, but the more he listened the further he was convinced that another lost soul found her way to him. By coincidence or fate he hasn’t decided yet. She had been here for two days already, and Indigo felt in his bones she wouldn’t last a third. He resisted the urge to reach out and grab her, he’d already seen the fear in her. She seemed to calm in his presence, to the point of apathy, and Indigo was further disturbed. What kind of life had she been forced through?

Looking as though she was about to go on Indigo listened, but didn’t miss the way she deflated right after. Indigo didn’t have experience with slaves, but he did know former slaves. Both parents came from similar backgrounds and neither sought to coddle him or hide the truth of the world. The girl was kept as a slave. There was only one wolf that might come searching for her, but Indigo would make sure that never happened. He didn’t believe in keeping slaves, and he wouldn’t keep her against her will, but he had already decided that he wasn’t leaving without her.

The young man took a deep breath, suddenly feeling as though he was truly a leader of the broken as he spoke again. ”My name is Indigo Fatalis,” an introduction, a figuratively offered paw. ”I’m going to take you somewhere safe.” He told her then, knowing he wasn’t likely to meet any argument. ”What’s your name?” Indigo didn’t want to call her girl, it felt demeaning. The longer he was with her he was more convinced she was closer to his age than a pup. ”If I lift you to my back can you hang on to me?” He pushed a little further, wanting so bad to pick her up right that moment and carry her home.

The deep breath of the man was noted and Gypsy pulled her ears back, expecting to be yelled at, berated or something else. Instead, she was given what she wanted: a name. Indigo Fatalis. And apparently, he thought he was going to take her somewhere safe. Panic surged through the young woman and her formerly detached state faltered. “But I…” and then he was asking her name. “Gypsy,” she whispered softly. “Gypsy Layne Rosza.”

What did he think he was doing, trying to steal her away from her father? Indigo asked if she could hold into his back and the diminutive lady shook her head vehemently. “You don’t understand,” She was speaking out of turn, but she couldn’t help herself. “If you take me away, he’ll think I ran away. He’ll find me.” Anxiety was beginning to reduce Gypsy to shivering. Fear. She tasted fear once more. “Please, he can’t think that I ran. It won’t…” she searched for the words. “It won’t go well for me.” How could she tell a complete stranger that, if her father found her, he’d beat her within an inch of her life?

Two years. Gypsy was only two years old and she’d already known abuse that others might only hear of in stories about poor, unfortunate souls. She was indeed one of those. Her tail hadn’t always been short. Her father had had it removed for ‘reasons’ that he hadn’t decided to tell her. Beatings, attacks, rapes, starvation, neglect… all of it. She’d suffered it all. It was how she’d been crafted into such an obedient thing.

Obedience… What if this was a test? It wouldn’t have been the first time that her father had tricked her with some off the wall request or task. This had to be a test. And just like that, Gypsy disconnected again. This was a test. Everything would be fine. She would go with this man, because she had been taught to do whatever a man wished of her. She would go with him and her father would be proud. He might hurt her just a little for balking initially, but he would give her a blanket and let her sleep beside a fire tonight. He would feed her.

Rising from her place, Gypsy gave the man a nod. If he wanted to help her atop his back, so be it. She would do her best to hold on. She would go where he wished to take her. She would be a good girl and she would be rewarded for it.

He could see the panic in her as he told her exactly what he was going to do. He was going to take her away from here, even if she protested there wasn’t much she could do. Indigo made up his mind. He could go toe to toe with the best warriors in Boreas and thus unnamed father who was likely dead anyway, did not scare the young Fatalis. She gave him a name in a soft whisper as she seemed to resign to her fate for only a moment before speaking up again. ”Shh… He won’t ever lay eyes on you again.” He promised, again feeling the rise of anger deep in his chest. He’d kill the man if he was ever confronted.

Fear poured off little Gypsy as Indigo tried not to think about what she’d been put through to feel that way towards her own father. She seemed to suddenly resign to her fate, but Indigo didn’t feel like his words had worked to put her at ease. The unnatural obedience and the dull look in her eye that replaced the panic of fire. There was a spark down below, but it was only just barely holding on. Had his heart remained in his chest it would have broken again right there, instead the gaping hole filled with anger that Indy just barely restrained from rage. He would take her and treasure her like she deserved. A little gemstone that just needed polishing.

Dark ears fell to his skull as she deflated again and stood ready to do just as he said. Indigo sighed softly as he resigned himself again. He had to be stronger than the beast within. Carefully he reached forward and finally grabbed hold of her tiny form. Before settling her between his shoulders Indigo pressed her tiny form against his chest and held her selfishly. He could feel the torture she endured in every joint. There would likely never be true retribution for the crimes against her, but she was safe now. She’d live with the damages for the rest of her life, but Indigo wouldn’t let her experience them again.

”Get comfortable.” They didn’t have terribly far to travel but she was weak and Indy didn’t trust her ability to remain stable as he loped homeward. He’d do his best to watch his step on the journey, and maybe he was in for the balancing act of his life. But the young man was determined, he’d keep her safe.

When the giant man lifted her as though she weighed nothing, Gypsy released a soft gasp. He really did mean to carry her away. Settled upon the brute’s broad shoulders, the pixie instantly realized just how cold she’d been. The heating pouring off of him seared into her frozen limbs and she grimaced, but settled in for the ride. Once the initial shock of Indigo’s body heat had subsided, Gypsy was more than happy to nestle into his fur, sapping all of the warmth that she could manage.

At first, the snow and plum spattered girl had been curled up in a tight ball between Indigo’s shoulders. Gradually, as the ice left her bones, the tension within her eased. Hind legs slid to either side and she pressed her belly against his spine. Gypsy buried herself in Indigo’s thick mane. With her legs on either side of him, there was little risk of her falling off. In time, the gentle swaying motion of the man walking lulled the tiny fae into a warm, much needed sleep.

--
Terror. It struck like a knife to the chest. Gnashing teeth and the hot searing pain of punishment coursed through Gypsy. The young woman called out, sightless eyes blinking open just as her father caught up to her. She could still feel the pressure of her father’s presence standing before her. Gypsy struggled and tumbled from Indigo’s back. The slender fae struck the ground hard, knocking the wind out of herself. She gasped loudly, struggling for air. Tears filled milky white eyes and the tiny lass instinctually began backing away. She backed right into a thorn bush. Needles entered her flesh, but she refused to move. Rooted to the spot, Gypsy still fought for breath. She fought to rise to the surface of the oceanic nightmare that had wracked her mind.

Her father. It was always her father. Even when he wasn’t there, he was there. He was always watching. Always setting her up for failure. Always ready to mete out punishment in as horrible of a manner as he could imagine. She had the scars beneath her pretty purple fur to prove that.

Still within the thorn bush, Gypsy placed her face against the ground beneath her and cried, small, delicate sobs wracking her equally small frame. How could anyone live like this? Well, when you had no choice… you simply did.

The young man wore a smile when he felt her finally relax into the thick fur at the back of his neck. She sprawled herself over his shoulders and snuggled into the thick warm fur. Indigo didn’t have to guess that she had drifted into an uneasy sleep. He walked carefully, but there was little chance of her falling with her limbs on either side of him. While he walked quietly his mind was anything but silent. He was forced to relive the moment he found her over and over. With each step he would expect to find the father of the sweet woman on his back, but they were alone as he made his return to the castle.

The only warning he got was the terrified cry from his back before Gypsy tumbled from his side. He tried to kneel down so the fall wasn’t quite so high but she still landed hard against the packed earth. Indigo stopped immediately, along with his heart as he rounded and blue eyes fell on her crumpled frame. He had to soothe her before he could make another attempt at rescue, he could see the massive thorns tearing into her flesh, see the tears that raced down her cheeks, and he could feel the terror that washed over her like waves.

Indigo again lowered his massive body to the ground and his deep voice was in the air. Another soft ”Shhh,” as he tried to chase away the dreams that haunted her. Indigo knew in that moment that rescue was not just a one time event. She would take a long time to shake off the ingrained behaviors. He wondered if she would ever accept that she was safe now. ”Gypsy,” Indigo called out to her softly, careful not to overly disturb her. He wanted nothing else than to take the torturous thoughts from her, but there was something inside telling him that he needed to see if she would come to him. If she could see that he wanted to offer her hope, peace, and perhaps one day she would experience joy. ”Come back to me.” He begged quietly, there was no order or command in his voice. He wanted to see if she would make a choice. He could always pick her up again if he had to.

Safety was an illusion. There was no true safety. Gypsy would never be safe. Anyone who thought otherwise was just fooling themselves. Even the soft, pleading tones of Indigo held adders within. She didn’t know him. Other than her father, she didn’t know anyone. At any moment, the sweet man that was calling so softly and with such concern could morph into a beast like her father.

Gypsy’s father hadn’t always been so bad. Yes, he’d let her know how much she looked like her treacherous, whore mother from the very moment that she could grasp language, but he hadn’t become physically abusive until later. At first there had even been affection. They’d slept beside one another. She was warm and fed. Aside from some verbal degradation, life had been bearable. When she hit a year old, her father had begun to drink heavily. He’d always been a bit of a drinker, but the more she grew, the more she looked like her mother. The more she looked like her mother, the more he drank. The more he drank, the more abusive he got. In the end, he punished Gypsy for her mother’s crimes.

Indigo’s soft, pleading voice offered little comfort. He could lure her out with niceties, then turn around and hurt her. But what choice did she have, really? Stay nestled in a thorn bush? Slowly freeze, starve and die? He had been so warm. So nice. Gypsy’s mind was a swirling miasma of thoughts, doubts, hopes and fears. She didn’t know what to do.

Her breathing became even but her frail frame still shook with the tremors of pain and stress. Gypsy would die early, way before her time. The constant state of stress and panic would take its toll and at some point, her mind and body would give up. For now though, Gypsy took one shuddering breath and extended one snow white paw towards the man calling her name.

Indigo should have known better than anyone that safety wasn’t a guarantee. His mind drifted unintentionally to Rue, he’d promised to keep her safe. Indigo grit his teeth and internally shook his head. He couldn’t dwell, there was so much loss and misery in his life. When he looked at Gypsy he realized there was so much for him to be thankful for. He was the master of his own destiny, he could care for himself and use his strength to protect those around him. His family though splintered, all cared deeply for him as he did for them. He had a support system, a pack to rely on, a girl to curl up with at the end of the day.

Gypsy hesitated in making any move, she remained motionless even as Indy begged her to come forward. He wanted to curl her up in the crook of his arm, or lay her in his mane never to be removed again. Indigo would keep her safe. There was no vow that he could make her that would ease her troubles, but he had already made one to himself. No new hurts would befall the delicate gem he found.

The tiny she wolf continued to shake frightfully in front of him. She was frozen in fear and indecision, but Indigo didn’t press or push any harder than he already had. His patience was rewarded with her timid movements, one tiny pale paw reaching out to take a step towards him. Indigo encouraged her with the softest whine he could manage, ”yes.” He whispered ever so softly as he waited for her to be within his grasp. ”It’s alright.” Indigo promised her.

One paw, then the next, Gypsy made her way out of the thorn bush. Indigo’s soft voice met her ears and she tucked them against her skull, curling in on herself when she was free of the bush’s hold. She didn’t know what to do. Her father should have shown himself by now if this was a trick. How long had she been asleep? How far had they gone?

‘It’s alright,’ he assured her. It was never alright. Never. Gypsy had come out of the bush, but she couldn’t make herself go forward anymore. Maybe this man was exactly as he came across. Maybe he was sweet and kind and really did care. All of that was so foreign to the little fae that she didn’t trust it. Indigo seemed nice now, but at some point he would change. He would snap at her, bite her, use her, abuse her. It’s what she expected.

She couldn’t find her voice. There wasn’t anything to say anyway. If she spoke out of turn, she would be beaten. If she voiced concerns or a contrary opinion, she would be starved. If she showed fear or spoke ill of her father, maybe he would finally kill her this time. It was all about appearances with him. If she made him look bad, then she would have outlived her usefulness.

The diminutive lady curled into a ball, tears finding their way freshly down her cheeks. She didn’t know when it was coming. When in her father’s presence, at least she could tell when the abuse was coming. With him hiding, she didn’t know. The anxiety was enough to make her sick, but there was nothing in her stomach to throw up.

Her movements were slow but they were also steady, one pale paw in front of the other. Indigo breathed in and out as he steadied himself. He would need to be stable and keep total control of his emotions if he was going to truly see out his oath to help her. She never deserved to live like this, as a piece of property. Never knowing the freedom to choose her own destiny. Indigo hoped he could change the course of her life for the better. Gypsy was helpless and alone, he wanted to see the beautiful girl empowered and cared for the rest of her days.

Indy thought for a second that she was going to return to his grasp, but she was far from trusting him yet, The girl lowered herself to the ground again, curled herself into a ball as she cried softly to herself. Indigo sighed softly, but offered no words of reprimand as he carefully inched closer and wrapped his head around her back and he silently held her as she cried. He gently pet the soft fur of her belly with massive toes as he tried desperately to show her a better existence.

”I’m not going to hurt you,” he promised her, but he was sure she believed him as much as any other promise he’d given her. Instead of offering empty words he’d tell her he’d prove himself. ”We’ve almost arrived at the castle. I’m going to get you a warm meal, a bath, and a comfortable place to sleep.” He told her a matter of factly. There was no question what he was going to provide for her. He didn’t mention the comfortable sleeping place would be in his arms. Indigo refused to let her out of his sight. ”It’s just a little further ahead.”

As the big man curled himself around her, Gypsy flinched. Her heartbeat sped up once more and panic threatened to rise. The giant paw that gently stroked her thin, pink belly was… different. Did he want to sleep with her? Was that what this was all about? The young woman didn’t know what to think. This whole situation was all so different. So many mixed messages. So many varying signals.

A soft voice met her ears, delivering more promises. Her own voice was soft and wavering. “That’s always what they say before they hurt me.” They all tried to gain her trust so she would put up less of a fight. Not that she ever put up a fight anyway. If she fought back, she would get beaten, starved, anything. Fighting back had made her lose her tail. It just wasn’t worth it.

Gypsy listened as Indigo continued to make promises. She didn’t know what a castle was. She did know about warm meals and baths. If he followed through with those two things, the young woman would be content. She was so very hungry and still so very cold. Her pelt felt soiled and dirty, though she wouldn’t know if she looked disheveled due to her lack of sight. As Indigo insisted that their destination was just up ahead, she shakily rose to her paws. Suddenly she wished that he’d left the leash attached so that he could just lead her there rather than forcing her to touch him again. He’d been warm, but the longer she was left to her own thoughts, the more she believed that he was up to nefarious deeds. He was an agent of her father. Their destination would show whether or not his words were true. If her father was waiting there, she would never trust Indigo. Never ever.

She wasn’t as receptive to his touch as he wanted, all Indigo wished to do was comfort her and lead her to safety. He wanted her to see joy and happiness and he wanted to remove the terrible terrors that held onto her tightly. He was surprised when she spoke up again, and revealed the way her mind was working. Indigo tried to reassure her, but he was doing exactly what others before him had done with ill intent. Indigo grit his teeth and pulled away from her slightly, disgusted with the world and what it had done to the girl. Indigo could have told her that he wouldn’t ever lie to her, but that was just more meaningless words. He’d have to prove himself over the course of time. There was no magic incantation to truly reveal his intentions.

Gypsy struggled to her paws, obviously ready to obey and finally make it to the hallows. She didn’t say as much, but he knew his touch wasn’t welcome. She was so weak, he didn’t want to force her to walk. She was obviously led by a leash, but Indigo wondered if he couldn’t help make her more independent by suggesting she follow the sound of his paws through the grass. ”Do you want to walk?” He asked softly before he lifted himself to his paws. Indigo wanted to be selfish and put her back in his mane, but she deserved better than that. He wanted her to have a choice.

When Indigo pulled away from her, Gypsy was surprised to feel the loss of him. A frown pulled the corners of her pink tinged maw downward. Why was her brain so muddled? Her thoughts made no sense, even to her. She didn’t want this man near her, and yet when he left her, she wanted him back? Indigo was soft and warm. So far, he was kind and hadn’t shown her any sort of negativity. Trust was so difficult though. The tiny lady had been burned so many times by the flame of fake generosity and kindness. There was a tiny flicker of hope though that Indigo might be the one to finally prove that there was some good in the world.

On her paws again, Indigo asked if she wanted to walk. Gypsy nodded wordlessly and took a step towards him, obviously ready to get moving again. The sooner they got to this castle, whatever that was, the sooner she could settle and maybe sleep. Warm food and a warm bed were worth any kind of torture that could be delivered to her right about now.

Since he seemed so outwardly nice, Gypsy took the initiative to speak. If he chastised her for it, she would know what kind of man he was. “Indigo,” she began in her whisperish, dulcet tones, “What is a castle?” She’d never heard of one and so she’d obviously never been in one. The blind girl wanted to know what to expect.

The young man didn’t miss the way the corners of her mouth turned into a slight frown as he released her. Indigo didn’t understand, nor did he think he would ever, the way the girl’s mind worked. In this instance Indy was convinced that he was putting his own selfish desires over her expression. He did not want to pull away but that didn’t mean she wanted him so close. Indigo didn’t put much more thought as she answered him with a quick nod of his mottled features. Again, he didn't want to make her walk, but she was given the choice and he would honor that. One more tiny step perhaps.

Indigo led the way slowly, constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure his pace was not outmaching Gypsy. They were very close to the border and getting to the rooms was but a short walk from here. He’d tell Ulric about his find, and ask Duchess to help make Gypsy comfortable. He was already plotting his next moves when the quiet question reached him. Indigo looked back again an tried not to get lost in the sad depths of her silver gaze.

”It’s an ancient stone structure much like a cave, but made up of thousands of identical slabs of stone. It's bigger than any cave I’ve ever been in.” He explained as he continued to lead them. Not much longer and he was bringing them into the entrance of the castle. He led her up a flight of stairs, ready to catch her at any moment, before following the hallway to the set of rooms he’d claimed for himself and the two girls he protected.

”Duchess?” He asked softly, he wanted her to help get Gypsy cleaned up while he managed dinner and made a bed for her. ”I need your help.”

Duchess had finished her chores for the day and made her way back to the den she shared with Indigo and Cosette to wait for Indigo to return from his own pack duties. She didn’t spend a lot of time out in publicity of the pack, she would have rather come back and waited for Indigo than be met with someone else she didn’t know. Cosette hadn’t come back yet either. Indigo was less than quiet when he entered the room, and she felt an immediate tension from his voice as he asked for her help. She instantly went to approach him, assuming he had been hurt on a patrol or outside the pack lands. But she was met with a tiny light and purple woman that he led into the castle. Duchess didn’t hesitate, moving forward to the tiny woman at least understanding that Indigo meant help with her. She wasn’t sure exactly what she could do, but she was just as kind as the giant that led the lost girl here. “Indigo? What happened?” She asked curiously, but seeing no real time for an explanation, she approached the girl, looking in her eyes and realizing they weren’t following her. She took a breath, “My name is Duchess.” She wasn’t really expecting an introduction back, the look of the girl was disheartening. She was skinny, dirty, she honestly looked completely helpless. “You can go get what you need Indigo, I can take care of her.” She assured, glancing in his direction but keeping more of her focus on the blind woman. “You’re going to be okay now.” She assured the tiny woman this time, not knowing anything about her past or how she got here. She knew Indigo had a knack for bringing in those that needed help though. “We can go wash up, and then warm up by the fire in the main hall.” She went to close the distance between her and the girl, wanting to put her shoulder to shoulder so she could help guide her. She didn’t think of the possibility of her not wanting to be touched if that was something she felt. Walk "Talk"