Tis But A Scratch

"Eska"

Her body ached all over. The thick rain had washed away a lot of the blood, but walking all the way home had reopened the tears in her neck and shoulder more than once. Eska's back ached from the heavy weight of the giant man slamming down upon her. Her legs were sore and stiff from being thrust into the sand. There was a painful stiffness in her tail as well. Eska had been utterly and completely manhandled.

The journey back to The Hollows had been extremely long. No doubt Ulric and others of the pack were worried about her. Eska had gone off on a simple scouting mission, looking after a stolen alpaca. It should have taken her a day to get there and back. She had been gone for at least two. Unable to run, the silvered woman had been forced to limp all the way back to the castle and, by the time that she could see the spires in the distance, she was almost ready to give up. The ash and obsidian woman had to gingerly sit, collect herself, and then carry on to the castle gates.

Citrine pools shifted this way and that as she moved, trying her best to avoid the members of the pack, lest they question her. She didn't want to speak or tell the tale of her failure. Eska had been bested and her pride was sorely wounded. The fact that she had been raped wasn't even an issue. It was her pride that felt the most pain. Had she trained more, worked harder, been a better fighter... it never would have happened.

Pushing into the infirmary, Eska brought her wounds to the attention of the healer Gwynn. The girl quickly flitted about, tending to the tears in the left side of Eska's neck and shoulder. The brindled woman didn't tell the healer about the rape, though she imagined it might be evident to a practiced eye. Eska was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to collapse and sleep for days, but she was still too angry to let sleep claim her. Angry that she had failed. If she couldn't protect herself, how could she protect others? Eska rolled her neck to the side and a low growl pulled from her as the wound stretched. Fuck... and she still had to deal with what she assumed would be a panic stricken Ulric. Great.