In the middle of the night

"I had gotten too comfortable with not knowing by the time I got her the book and supplies." She guessed that was a good reason for not telling her to write her name. Though honestly she didn't mind, maybe he hadn't cared to find her true name. That was okay too. She wasn't a needy or self centered individual, never had been.

As he continued to soothe her paws she didn't fight him. No she instead basically crawled between his front paws and rolled so it was easy for him to do as he wanted to her feet. A trust that he wouldn't harm her hanging quietly in the air. Though there was still a raise to the guard hairs on her back. The tension was so thick between the two males, she could almost taste it in the air. It made her stomach feel sour. And stressed. She absolutely wished they would just get along, but she didn't figure her opinions here mattered. "She is in more danger out here by ourselves. It's why I'm driving us to find your siblings where we scented them further south. I'm hoping they'll be able to assist in the birth if she needs it." The reminder of her size and the danger in the world was met with a look down at the ground. She was a burden wasn't she?

The look from Ganymede went unmet as she kept her gaze on the ground. She wasn't even aware the other had looked at her and Ultyr. A sad breath taken in. How much was she slowing down Ultyr? How much did Ganymede resent her for being weak? Did Ganymede hate that she had become used to being a slave and content to let Ultyr be her master, if only so she could be close to the man she was in love with. Did Ganymede know that she understood how once she was useless and they had found Ultyr's lover that lai would be discarded like trash and she just hoped to enjoy the time she had with Ultyr while it lasted? She was a tool to be used and thrown away, she understood that.

The next words didn't even shock her. "I can't go and take back what is mine without an army.” She had come to understand a lot. That Ultyr was intent on dragging her back and that did scare her. But she wasn't in control of anything. Her head met the ground as she put her eyes on the fire. The rabbit forgotten and her hunger squelched in the tension, stress and subsequent sadness. She didn't look forward to the chain on her neck once more. She would be Aryn's plaything again, or Ultyr would make her his plaything and everything would go back to the way it was. The sound of Gany moving away was in her ear but the only attention she paid it was a cant of her head in the leaf litter and to watch as he settled away from them. His tension was visible. "I spent my early years surrounded by muted slaves and strict tutors. I was the holy prince going to take the throne, of course, I was given lessons. None of them were about childrearing or the ways of women, we had midwife slaves for that.” Ultyr gave them more truths and Lailah gave a sad but understanding smile to Ganymede.

Her world was in chains and in a cage. While the other didn't have that anymore. She could never speak for herself and was beaten into her submission to the royals of Archnemes. Ganymede had his voice and his freedom won from the slaver he carried on with him. They were separate worlds completely. While Ultyr's was a world that encased hers and kept hers in the dark. She'd never be anything bigger than a toy at the whim of a master.

The only words that came from Ganymede put her ears back, pinned against her head. "Brutes, warlords, beasts. All the same, act like monsters. That title really is all yours and you fucking deserve it."  She couldn't defend Ultyr. Ganymede was right about it. Ultyr was a murderer and a conqueror, him and his father had a beastial nature, she couldn't deny it. But at least Ultyr seemed to care that his slave was in a good enough shape to serve him.

A turn of her head from the two, yet she didn't move away from Ultyr. She knew better. She felt exhausted from emotions and the drama though.

"Hear"