Water had surrounded her for most of her life and while the falls and the bay brought back bad memories, they were not as bad as before. The water here was calm but the water back in her homelands was far from, it was always a raging torrent of anger and confusion. Her mind had started clearing and she had become more useful though the term 'useful' still wasn't applicable. She did hunting a majority of the time but she almost always came back with nothing and when she did then she brought home a scrawny rabbit or some other pitiful piece of prey. That was the thing, she needed a teacher but she was terrified of every wolf she ever talked to. She had learned next to nothing in her birth pack because of her siblings constant tormenting and her parents disapproval and condescending words.

She was grateful for the home that Novella provided for her when she found her terrified on the borders but how could she honestly settle in and be of some use if she knew nothing and couldn't be around a teacher without scaring herself almost to death? How was she going to get over this? These thoughts often filled her mind when she was alone and no matter how determined she was to change the fact, she could never quite get it right. She could never quite make that leap to carry out a conversation like a normal wolf. She was far from normal. She passed freaky a few exits back.

"I'm your girl and you're my groom."

He was oh so slowly getting back into the swing of things after his sickness, an illness that would forever be a reminder of those they'd lost. Still, as he'd said life went on and it was going on. The border still needed patrolling and members still needed greeting. Though the pack had shrunk considerably recently, what with the loss of Novel and Dutiron the missing sister of Novella was disheartening as well. Though thier was a light in the darkness, Novella had found a rather needy girl out and about. She'd told him a little about her, and he knew enough that he should approach her delicately.

As he caught her scent his pace would slow, and a soft bark would be uttered from his lips so she knew of his presence long before he got to her. He would walk slowly until his dual colored eyes fell on her frail frame. He'd lowered his head and smile softly, keeping enough distance that she could run away if she wished. His tail would hang low at his ankles all in an effort to keep from making her nervous. "Hello, there." He'd offer quietly as he took a seat a ways away. "I'm Frith, Novella's husband."

A soft bark had caught the attention of the young girl and instinct made her turn with her tail tucked underneath her decent sized frame while her ears slid back against her head and she crouched a bit in fear as she looked around, catching a dark brown man in her eyes. Her eyes widened as she started to back up. It's all talk because here it goes again. Her mind scolded her as she acted the way she had her entire life: afraid. The man introduced himself as Novella's husband. She instantly relaxed a little bit, but not enough to make a difference. Her eyes changed from the solid and stricken fear to the soft and intriguing curiosity. She truly was, in all ways except age, a child, a pup of a young age. "H-hh-He-Hell-Hel-Hello"

The complete submission that he would be faced with was almost unnerving, he'd lower his own ears as he watched her turn, fright obvious upon her. Hopefully theyd be able to help her with that. Eventually she would greet him with an obvious stutter, but she ould nt run. Keeping his easy going smile the dark man would not approach any further. "My dear, you've no need to cower like so. You are no plagiarist in the pack." He would offer these words softly as he found his own way to the earth, dark belly just barely touching the moist floor beneath him. "What's your name, sweetie?" He would add, making sure she knew he wasn't commanding her to stand or anything like such. "Speech"

He continued to speak softly to her, not approaching any more as Hecate dared to take a step or two back from him. Her eyes were still a mixed sort of fear and curiosity as he called out to her, telling her not to be afraid. Those words, those words specifically, the do not be afraid, they triggered a memory. 'Come out Hec, don't be afraid of us. We're your siblings. We'd never hurt you.' Words that were lies. Hecate ventured out only to find Kerberos, Iezabel and Pandora standing there with sly and evil looks on their faces. Her mother stood there, watching them before her father approached. 'Hecate Jezebel, your refusal to follow our family laws has consequences.' Without another word, her parents walked away and her siblings attacked. Instead of defending herself, she cowered as she slashed and bit at her fur. Such was the way of life, her eyes falling shut, expecting to be attacked as she cowered. Lies. Those words were lies in her head that would forever haunt her. She remained because running would only make it worse. When her eyes had closed shut firmly, her head quickly moved with a cringe to her life side. In the reliving of her worst nightmares, she had missed Frith's question and so she left him without a name. Was there truly any hope for her?

His experience with pups was rather well developed, though his own three children had all been well behaved perfect angels. None of them had ever been so afraid as the girl in front of him though, and all the training his mother had given him a situation like this was not one he was prepared for. He would call out softly, but all he would see her do was back away slightly before closing her eyes to him completely. Tilting his head curiously he'd let his own body relax into the earth, finding patience in himself he would only sit quietly across from her. She seemed to cringe then, the sight causing a soft whine of concern to leave his lips, but he would do nothing more. Surely trying to comfort her now would only increase his problems. Laying his head upon his dark paws he would sit and wait for her to open her eyes or run away. "Speech"

She waited and waited for some feeling of contact. Perhaps it would be claws or teeth but she waited. All she heard in response was a whine, her eyes remained clamped shut for a few seconds more. Slowly they opened as she slowly turned her head back to look at the alpha from her flinch. She shouldn't have flinched. She shouldn't have reacted at all. Her eyes had a sorrowful and apologetic look to them as she backed up a little bit more. Novella, the kind femme who had taken her in, trusted this man enough to be her mate. Hecate should trust him but her mind screamed at her in high pitches to not to. There was no good reason for the way she acted other than it being her instinct to cower, and flinch at her own shadow. She felt terrible as she slowly relaxed her position. She knew no harm would come to her in Threar for Novella had told her so. "S-so-sor-sorr-sorry." Her voice was still timid and weak as she laid in a sphinx-like position on the ground before placing her head on her paws that were stretched in front of her. She had to trust. She had to trust in order to get help. She wanted help and more importantly, she needed it.

He would wait and wait and wait for her to realize that their was no retaliation coming. Frith had only a desire to protect the poor broken girl. Novella had been right to bring her back to Threar, he wondered if the girl had ever possessed a friend in the world. Slowly though she would find her gaze opening once more as she took in his form. Obviously not in any position to attack her. She looked so sad just looking at her wanted to break his heart, and he had been through much heartache recently. Though as he remained still, only his eyes watching her softly, she would relax slightly. She would stutter out an apology, moving herself so she echoed his own position on the earth. "Don't be sorry," the dark man would whisper, "Just relax." He'd offer as his eyes rolled back lazily. The only thing he wanted from her was peace. She was still obviously tortured by what was in her past, but now in this moment she didn't have to feel like that. "Speech"

"Don't be sorry," Hecate found the words hard to believe. She wasn't apologizing specifically to him (though she was in some way). She was apologizing to everyone. She was apologizing to her parents for not following their rules and apologizing to her siblings for cowering. Every word out of her maw was stressed and stuttered because she didn't listen and she paid for it. If she had listened to her family than perhaps she would have been different. Perhaps she would still be with her family. No. She didn't want to be like them. She remained still, not answering his words other than letting her tensed muscles relax as she let the war wage on around her head. Often times Hecate had this battle but the cowering side of her mind always seemed to win and so the cycle continued. Tears were in her eyes as her mind was tortured with the war between angels and demons. They deserve an apology but they don't. They hurt me and they tortured me. The words were spat from both sides of her as she sat there, not moving other than the slight rise and fall from every breathe she took through her nose. Finally, she would find the courage to speak with minimal stutter. "A-am I a bad w-wolf?" This was a question that had to be answered. Was she as bad as her family told her she was? Was she truly the evil one or were they?

She wouldn't say anything, and he would do his best not to take a peek at what she was doing. Frith would just lay still, taking in a breath, holding and releasing just like his mother had taught him for years. Since his sickness his meditation time had seemingly disappeared, and until this moment he hadn't really noticed. Maybe this girl would do well to learn such techniques. He'd lose his train of thought though, opening only one bright blue eye slowly. His patience seemed to be paying off, the girl's stutter had already decreased dramatically. "No." He would say softly, "You just seem scared to me." He would resist the urge to shrug, his body remaining completely still as he closed his eye once more, breathing steadily. "Speech"

Words were kept short and brief with the other, stating he did not think that she was a terrible wolf. You just look scared to me. The words provided little solace about the topic. "H-How do I kno-know y-your not lying?" The words remained printed out in a stuttered fashion but she was slowly losing the mistrust and stutter the longer she talked to the Author. Her breathing was ragged as she remained laying there, trying to calm down her mind to in turn calm down her lungs. She eyed him suspiciously. Something was wrong but she couldn't place it. The back of her head was telling her she was being ridiculous and that she just needed to trust him and all of Threar but the conspiracy-like part of her mind was telling her to get out of there and run away. Which should she follow? She had always resorted to running but why wasn't she now?

With his gaze still closed he would listen to her response, one that he would again almost shrug off. However the chocolate man would keep himself still, for a moment silent while he contemplated his answer for her. Obviously his presence was calming her down some, her stutter was close to gone even if her distrust was still hanging heavily over her head. Still he would remain unmoving, his eyes closed and his voice incredibly soft. "You can never know." he would offer quietly, "But you can assume, considering the facts in front of you. First, I have no reason to lie to you. And second, you're shaking in your skin how could I not think you are scared?" Still his eyes were closed and his voice almost a whisper, he didn't want to scare her off now, not when they had already come so far. "Speech"

At first the words that the leader offered had frightened Hecate. If she could never know then was he trying to tell her that he was lying? Quickly he made up for it by giving an explanation as to why he thought she was scared and not a monster. It calmed her down a little but as she eyed him. His eyes were shut and it gave her a bit more confidence that he could not actively see her. "Ok-kay." The words stammered out of her with less stutter than usual. "I believe you." She managed a whole sentence, no matter how simple, without a single stutter or wave in her tone and instantly she felt a sense of burning in her chest, a feeling of pride.

He might have curled up there to take a nap he'd become so comfortable laying before Hecate. Had his mind not been reeling to try and calm the girl down he might have. Obviously they were doing well together, as the girl listened to his explanation the next words to come out would be almost completely free of stutter. He felt good to know that he was helping the poor girl to get over her irrational fear. No one in Threar would have ever dreamed of hurting her. If they did they would have to deal with him. She believed him though, and that was a victory in itself. He wouldn't open his eyes as hi form visibly relaxed more. His form slouched to the side before his words were given to her again. "Alright," he'd accept her frail trust easily, "Now, are you ready to relax?" He'd ask her equally as softly. "Speech"

A deep breathe followed another deep breathe which followed another as she tried her best to relax like Frith was trying to get her to do. She closed her eyes with one final breathe, trying to mimic the Author's form as a slight pressure that she had felt in her head started to fade. She would speak, keeping her eyes closed and a deep breathe behind the words to keep her calm and stutter free. "Yes, I am." Her frail voice was not use to the lack of stutter or the volume in her tone which she had used. It felt nice. Her mind slowly started to shut down the constant bad memories that plagued her existence in order to relax.

The area around them was quiet enough that if he held his own breath he could hear the gentle inhale and exhale of Hecate's breaths. She was following his instruction, and he had no doubt that if he himself were not in this state she would have never been able to follow him. What had happened to this poor girl that she would be scared to even talk to her own pack mates with out fear of retaliation. Maybe someday he could ask her, but for now that was obviously the last memories she should have on her mind. Once she trusted him, and was stronger then he would hope to delve into the secrets of her mind. He'd feel a surge of pride as she admitted that she was ready to relax, the way she said it was calm and steady. He'd feel his own shoulders relax as he exhaled, not realizing he'd been holding his breath so long. "Good, continue to breathe in and out." He would repeat himself a few times, getting himself back into the rhythm before continuing. "Rid your mind of any thought, focus on your breathing and nothing else." She needed to quiet herself internally, and he would join her, form immobile eyes shut lightly and breathing steady. "Speech"

Her eyes remained closed as she carefully thought out every movement that she made from her breathing to the beating of her heart. Dance alone to the beat of your heart. Words from the unknown depths of her brain started to speak to her in the form of old memories. "Hecate, you can do this. You've gone through so much and this is nothing in comparison." Comforting words from the one man she had loved reached through the air as her mind started to burn to match the pain of the rest of her body. She shouldn't be like this, she was too young. Only a year old which meant that it shouldn't be possible. Slowly tears leaked out of her eyes as a child was brought into the world. She panted, trying to find air as she looked at him. He who stared at his daughter with an affection she had never seen in anyone before. He was hers and she was his. Then, with a fight to the death and a grieving mother, the paradise ended and she took a vow. Never again. The memories flashed up, reminding her of what had happened which caused her eyes to flash open. Without another word, Hecate rushed off, tears streaming from her eyes as she ran towards her safe haven. "Shekh Ma Shieraki Anni, Athari."