Clearly his corrective behaviour techniques had worked a charm so far. He left her to the job of cleaning the armour and went out for an early morning run. He needed to loosen his muscles, and the exercise helped him think. He trotted through the Syndicate territory for a stretch, leaving his Fox to guard her. It would be a while before he trusted leaving her unattended. But she would get there. She would learn. Perhaps he needed to set a trap to hasten that learning curve. He couldn’t leave his fox with her forever.

After a time spent running, he returned to the den. Panting lighty from the exercise. He was hit first with the scent of the herbs she had left to dry in the den. There was a freshness to the place that had been missing before. They almost covered the scent of the wax used to clean his leather armour and keep it from cracking. He trotted first to the table, and inspected his items. Hmmm, she had done a stunning job on them. Better than he had expected. “Good enough.” He said out loud. He glanced then at his slave. She was starting to bear the marks of being kept by him. From the graze along her forehead, to the cut down to her eye. The eye itself was looking red, he might have to take her back to the healer to ensure it didn’t get infected. Her muzzle had a light scrape across it from their coupling. He reached out a paw and touched it to her muzzle cut. “Do you know any healing?” He asked her. He didn’t want to have to run her to the healer for every little injury. It seemed likely this wouldn’t be the last.


"Speech"

"Speech"

He left. She was grateful for the peace it provided her. The little fox remained though, but she didn't mind. Her work continued, it was easy, just like working the straps or handles at the farm, polishing the shears and tools at her uncle's place. It was mindless and active, something she could pick at and lose herself in. Let her mind wander to stories and dreams.

She almost didn't realize he had returned until he got close to the table as she worked. She subtly jumped as he declared her work done well enough and she had to hold herself back from picking up another piece and continue to polish it.

Her head flinched as he lifted a paw and touched it to the cut on her muzzle he made from their coupling. Her eyes shut closed and flinched in pain. He asked of she knew healing.

"Yes." She replied, simply, meekly. Trying her best not to shirk away from the painful pressure he was inflicting.

He swiped his paw over the cut and released his hold on her muzzle, leaning back once more. “Good. We will set you up some healing supplies. You’ll need them.” He said, his voice gave no indication of what that meant, but perhaps she could guess. He was already taking the time to inflict wounds on her body.

“You will stay here for the morning. Myself and my companions have somewhere to be. Make yourself useful, find a way to hang my trophies.” He ordered her, and with those words he turned and walked out of the den. He trotted along as if he had somewhere to be, his companion on his back and by his paws as he moved out of her sight… and stopped. He sat there, and waited. Sending his fox forward just fair enough to see the den door without giving themself away.


"Speech"

"Speech"

She trembled under his paw as he swiped it over the rough welt on her maw. Her sagebrush eyes flitted up to his molten leads in a panic. Taking his words to mean he had plans to inflict more pain on her, or for her to patch him up when he fights, or both. She swallowed when he finally released her and told her the next set of orders.

He had other things to do it seemed. He would be taking his companions, leaving her all alone. She glanced at the trophies on the table. She'd have to find a way to climb up things to get them on the walls. Was she strong enough for that large tusk? He trotted out of the den as she looked about it, trying to configure how best to do as he ordered. She found the supplies to hang them readily enough. She kept an eye on the door as the den fell silent. She picked up one of the trophies and tested it's weight. Yeah, she could see it hanging here alright... She went to work to do the smaller pieces, finding string and looping it and hammering nails in the walls to hang them. She did that until she got to the heavier pieces. She glanced at the door. A good fifteen minutes had passed. She wondered if she could find a nearby stream to wash herself in... Get his scent off her and... find a way out of this place. Mark the patrol routes before he got back at least. Who knew how long he would be gone... She couldn't heft the big tusk or skulls herself. And he might be coming back any second now.

She brought herself closer to the door. And slowly opened it, making sure the hinges didn't creak. Finding out where each hinge might start to creak. She was slow and meticulous. Ensuring the door was as silent as it could be as she opened it. Her eyes glanced around at the area, looking for any sign of foxes or birds in the sky. Surely he had gone to visit the alpha or something... She carefully closed the door behind her, looking around again. She scented the air and could smell him, his fox and bird but that was to be expected, this was their quarters. A patrol had gone by recently... She found his earlier spores that smelled like a creek. Maybe she could track it back to the water...

She slunk down as she thought she heard something, freezing in place, her ears wiggling about wildly trying to locate the sound. Nothing... She padded quickly through the underbrush toward the creek.

x rated for mention of wounds inflicted:


A while passed, and Flare remained. Waiting and silent. He was a hunter, and well accustomed to the monotonous job of remaining still for long periods of time. He hid himself from her as if she was a deer he hunted. He kept his scent from blowing towards the den, and remained still. Giving no motions that would catch the eye.

Time passed and he began to wonder if he had misread her. And then, at long last, she slipped into his trap. Slinking out of the den and looking about as guilty as could be. He had her. Excitement flooded his veins as he stalked slowly forward. Silent as the wind as he hunted her. His prey. When he was close enough that she would not escape him, he dashed forward. Leaping into her, and hitting her recently dislocated shoulder hard with the force of his leap.

He bowled her over, and settled himself standing over her small frame. Trapping her between the cage of his legs. He moved like a striking snake, snapping his fangs over her muzzle. Trapping her mouth in his, and holding her muzzle closed. He dug his teeth in hard, tasting blood in his mouth as it welled from the wounds he was inflicting. He forced her muzzle against the roof of his mouth. He knew she couldn’t breathe. He tightened his legs about her so she could not struggle, and stared her down. Watching her eyes, looking for the panic. That moment where she would wonder is this it? he waited until it spawned in her eyes, and she began to thrash beneath him. Desperation and horror in the light pools of her gaze, and still he held her. Digging in deeper so trails of blood ran down her muzzle. At long last, he released her. As she dragged in air, he gently placed one of his paws over her delicate forepaw. Holding it in his grasp, running a toe gently through the fur, and then shoved his paw suddenly forward. Snapping a toe.

“This is the last time you ever try to escape me. The next will find your mutilated body at the borders of this pack, and when my next slave sees the horrors inflicted on your flesh, perhaps they will be wiser. Say, ‘I understand, Master.” He watched her with clinical interest to see how difficult it would be for her to move her muzzle.


"Speech"

"Speech"

She slunk close to the ground, keeping her back below the tips of the grasses. She would pause and sniff the ground then carry on toward the creek. Demelza's heart pounded against her chest, her ears filled with the sounds of her heart beating and the whispers of the grasses as she slunk by them. The fresh scent of the creek wafted toward her and urged her on.

Her voice rang clear into the sky as she screamed in panicked surprise! He crashed into her previously strained shoulder and knocked her to the ground. Her breath huffed for another scream as she scrambled beneath him until he was caging her legs and his teeth dug into her dark muzzle, cutting her screams off. He clamped over her nose and cut off her airway. His legs were tight against her sides, keeping her from struggling. Her vision started to fade and sparkle as her lungs screamed silently against him. Pure horror entered her eyes and she flailed and scrambled beneath him but to no avail. He cinched his teeth over her muzzle more and a low sound escaped her nose at her last pitiful attempt to scream.

Suddenly she was able to choke and splutter for air, sobbing and wreching. Her green eyes frantically flitted between his face and his paw, confusion as she attempted to ease the ache in her chest. Then suddenly she screamed again in pain as her toe snapped suddenly, and she sobbed.

She nodded emphatically, trying to open her mouth through the pain.
"Yes, yes, I-I understand, Master." She replied through her sobs, her words slurred through the pain, sounding nasally as her nose filled and dripped with her blood, her voice cracking with the effort and terror.

He patted her broken toe and released his hold on her paw. Letting it flop back to the ground. He still stood over her, and there was heat in his eyes as he looked at the trembling, fearful woman beneath him. Mmm. But he couldn’t waste any more time on pleasantries. He did have a rank challenge to get started.

“Very good.” he told her, stepping off her and giving her a moment to compose herself. If she snivelled too much, he’d have to slap some sense back into her again. “Until I say otherwise, you are not to leave the den without my fox for any reason. I don’t care if you're busting to go to the bathroom, or haven’t eaten in three days. You. Don’t. Leave it.” He waited for her to say she understood.

He had a feeling this lesson would stick, and he’d be able to leave her a little more easily. But he’d still take precautions until she had proven herself. He snapped his claws together. “Come. Pick what herbs you’ll need for your wounds. Anything you need except painkillers. Fox will take a sample of everything you collect back to the healer. If I find painkillers among them, I'll break the rest of your toes.” He waited for her to get up and walk despite the broken toe, possibly dislocated shoulder, and bleeding wounds. Not to mention the pain between her legs from their earlier coupling. He wouldn't bother the healer with the herbs, but she didn’t need to know that.


"Speech"

"Speech"

Demelza worked on stifling her whines and sniffling. The tears mixed with her blood down her cheeks. Her body convulsed and trembled beneath him as he loomed over her, her breath shuddering against her chest. Everything hurt, she just wanted it to stop.

Finally, he stepped off her, giving her praise. She sat up on her side, cradling her paw. She slowly nodded then made it more expressive. Yes, she understood. Don't leave the den, even for three days, don't leave the den without the fox. Never.

He snapped his claws together and she was on three legs as quickly as she could, before he even said come. Her shoulder tenderly dislocated again, and her toe was broken on the same foot. It was painful to hold it up as she hobbled along.

She grabbed more plantain, she glanced his way as he mentioned no painkillers. It made her freeze as she thought through what herbs would be specifically used as painkillers. There were antiinflamtaries... There wasn't any that really killed the pain without some effort, cherry and willow bark for instance. Miners lettuce... She'll just gather the disinfectants, the antibiotics. Whatever sped up healing. Some of them had natural pain-killing in them... She gathered some more fireweed, it'll do. She held the bundle in her mouth as she pulled several tall stalks. Then hobbled back to the den. Wincing and shuffling as she did. It was used for infections, rashes, and bee stings. But wouldn't do much for the overall pain. What gods had she pissed off to be held by such a cruel master? She grabbed some raspberry leaves too.

She came at the click of his paws, without the need for words to follow. She was learning, adapting, growing. He was really proud of her. She started looking around for herbs, and he followed along behind her. Content to mostly watch as she picked a few herbs. He grabbed a leaf from each so she wouldn’t suspect he’d been lying to her, and stored them away for now as they made their way back to the den.

She was certainly looking rather a bit banged up these days. As they stepped into his home, he nodded his head to her. “Take some time to clean yourself up. If you make something for your nose, I will apply it for you.” she had a pretty face, he didn’t really want to ruin it so soon.



"Speech"

"Speech"

They re-entered the den and he didn't even comment on her efforts of tidying and hanging up most of his trophies. She was mildly disappointed but more grateful he wasn't breaking another toe. She did just try to escape, but she had hoped to brush it off as a trip to the stream to bathe. Though he hadn't given her a chance and to suggest it now was just back talk.

She took a rag and began cleaning her wounds carefully. Wincing silently as it brushed painfully over her nose and when she made a wrong move with her arm.

Using some of the morning tea she struggles to make an herbal paste in a bowl. She let the paste sit for a minute as she steeled herself to reset her toe and bind it. She had never done this to herself before.

Flare settled down on his bed and watched his slave as she worked. She winced occasionally, but made no noise. None of that annoying weeping she had done the first few times. It was good that she knew how to tend to herself, and could for the most part keep her body in working order. He’d done well with her, his training was taking root. He just had to be a little more careful with her face. Perhaps he could concentrate more on the toes next time. So long as it didn’t give her an ugly limp.

When it was clear she was going to deal with the broken toe, he got up from his bed with a sigh and trotted towards her. He gripped her muzzle in his paw, holding her still as he examined her recently cleaned wounds. He didn’t know enough about healing to guess if they’d scar. Perhaps. He couldn’t bring himself to regret them, they'd been necessary. “You're dealing with the toe next? Show me how to set it.” He ordered her.


"Speech"

"Speech"

As soon as he made a sound Demelza lowered her head and ears. Her eyes were wide and ready to do what he asked of her. She stifled a whine as he grabbed her muzzle, instead her eyes watered as he looked at the wounds he inflicted. She was no longer worried if he would hurt her, she knew he would now. He delighted in hurting her. She'll just have to endure it.

Her breath ran ragged against her chest as he told her to show him how to set it. She licked her lips as she turned to her toe, not sure if she knew how to explain it.

"Um... well, you pull the limb gently and let the ligaments pull it back in place." Her eyes were glued to her bruising and swollen toe, unsure if she could even do it herself. She grasped the toe and tried to set it but her face when ashen pale as the pain threatened to overwhelm her and she gasped. Her eyes watering profusely but still trying her best to be as quiet as possible.

He settled himself in front of her, leaning on his haunces so he could work with his forepaws. When she tried to do the toe herself, he nudged her paw away. Gripping it himself in a gentle but firm grasp. “I know there's been a lot of hard lessons these last few days” he said, almost regretfully. “But you're doing great” he pulled the toe into place, supporting it with one paw as he used the other to start binding it with what she had already put aside.


Once it was bound, he used the back of his paw to wipe away the silent tears that had sprung forth the moment he'd pulled the toe into position. “There.” He said gently. The first time he'd ever been gentle with this wolf. “All you have to do is exactly what I say, and your life won't be so bad.” He told her, patting her cheek.

"Speech"

When he nudged her paw away she stole it away like lightning. Unsure if he was about to smack it, and naturally tucked her chin into herself in anxiety. She tried to stifle her body from writhing with pain as he took her toe in his gentle firm grasp. She nearly fainted as he pulled the toe into place, his words and tone confusing to her ears. The tears ran down her cheeks like a fountain. She wondered what kind of test this was. Her air shuddered within her as she sighed while he bandaged it.

She flinched and closed her eyes as he carefully swiped away her tears. He was being gentle for some reason, she didn't trust it. Her green silver eyes looked up at him in some confused understanding as he patted her cheek while saying all she had to do was exactly what he wanted. She softly nodded, she'll do her best, she could do that, sure. He was at least capable of gentleness.

She held her silence, and the tears still leaked from her eyes. He'd seen his first masters do this when he was a small boy, first taken from the streets. First, would be the corrections, the teaching. Every little infraction was punished as they broke in their new slaves. Then, moments of kindness. Little glimmers in their lives that they yearned for. But she showed no appreciation to the gentleness he showed her. Perhaps he was doing it wrong, he'd never been the master before. Or perhaps she was faulty, and ungrateful.


He slowly lowered his paw from where it had been wiping her eyes, and let it slip to her muzzle. Bruises and swelling showed by the welts he had left in the tight skin of the muzzle. He gripped her muzzle directly over the offended skin, turning her eyes up to his. “You could show some appreciation, most masters don't tend to their slaves' injuries.” He let out the frustration with a soft breath and released his grip.

"Speech"

His paw slipped from her nodding head and grasped her snout where the welt and bruises were. A whisper of a whine escaped her throat and she clenched her eyes tight as he declared she could show some appreciation. As soon as he released her nose her head was low and her eyes were downcast, her ears flat in deference.

"Yes, Master, I'm ever so grateful!" She groveled, gathering her paw with the injured toe to her chest and ducking to bow to him. Her shoulder still dislocated, The paste was still set aside to treat those wounds he was so eager to push on. Her tail clung to her belly and her limbs shook. Was she doing this right? Was this gratitude? Did he want her to kiss his feet where he walked? Did he want to take her from within again?

"How might I show you my gratitude best, Master?" She dared to ask with her eyes low and her chin tucked in. Not knowing that she should be exposing her throat to him instead.

Better. Quick to please him the moment she realised she was stepping into dangerous territory. She bowed to him, the movement stiff and awkward. Reminding him her shoulder was still out, dislocated for the second time that day. He would have to be careful with it, lest he give her a permanent limp. He bumped his paw gently against the bottom of her chin, brushing it up to her lips. What did he want? 


So many things, and only a few she could give him. For now, her grovelling was enough. He leaned into her, pulling her to him as he rested her shoulder on his, and shoved their bodies together suddenly, popping her shoulder back into place. For the moment, they were locked in a tight embrace. He could smell her blood, her tears. He could feel her body shivering subtly against him. Fatigue? Pain? He wasn't sure. His body responded to her, but he pushed back the desire. Plenty of time for that later. He released his grip on her slowly, pulling away to turn his attention to the odd smelling paste she had set aside. 


He dipped a paw in, and looked at her. “For the cuts?” He clarified, before he began to administer the paste to her. Brushing his paw and the paste over every bump and cut on her body… for which there were many. There was a sort of euphoria to tending to what he had broken. He smiled as he thought of every moment he had hurt her, marked her. Trained her. Until at last he was done, and the heat in his lower stomach had only grown. He brushed a paw across the paste again, and grinned at her, wagging it in the air. “How about your sweet spot down there? Does it hurt?”

She felt his paw under her chin as he contemplated what he wanted. It was in that particular moment she knew there was no hope. As he brushed her lips with his pad, she decided to live this out. Do what she could here, do what she must to please him. Chisel whatever his requests would be on the stone plaque of her mind as laws. Flare's laws overall.

She let him pull her to him, a motion she would recognize as him putting her shoulder back into place again. Causing her to tremble into him again. Her body was so tired of trembling, that it ached. He put her back down gently and her eyes watched his paws for his next move, whatever request he made. She glanced at the bed as she noticed the slight change in his scent. She was almost ready to bound in there for him gratefully but he grabbed the paste instead.

He asked if the paste was for the cuts, to which she nodded her head, "Yes, Master." She replied clearly. He applied the paste to each cut and bruise. Each one he had inflicted upon her. It was nearly ritualistic. She was putty in his paws.

He did the last and swiped his paw into the paste again. Waving it up in the air and asked if her region pained her.

"Thank you, Master. If it pleases you, my lord, it does." She replied demurely and quickly went to the bed and lay on her back. It was still well before noon.

"Speech"

She moved away from him so quickly that for a split second he thought she was about to try and escape again. Instead, she moved towards his bed and placed herself upon the pelt, declaring that she was indeed sore there. He took the paste with him, and followed her to the bed, eyeing her body hungrily for a moment where she lay in the softest coat he owned.

He came to a stop near her tail, and let his eyes roam her body. All the places he could see from here were relatively unmarred by her time with him. He knelt beside her, pressing his paws down either side of her thighs, spreading her legs a little more. He grabbed a scoop of the paste, and began to spread it slowly around her flower, around, and around, and around in a rhythmic motion, before pressing in, moving inside of her with a couple of toes. His eyes flicked to her face as he worked. ‘Soothing’ her sores as he had suggested.


"Speech"

She had missed the subtle panic in his expression as she had moved to the bed. She tucked her forelimbs close to her chest, her chin tucked in as she watched him bring the paste with him and loom over her. His eyes lingered over her soft curves with a hunger she had would begin to learn well. Unconsciously her thighs tightened inward under his gaze. Her breaths were shallow with expectant uncertainty. From this angle, she had no choice but to take in his face properly. Flecks of flame mark his charcoal fur like embers in a fire. His solid silver eyes were strange in their sightfulness. Easily he would be underestimated as blind but she knew well enough that he was anything but.

He knelt beside her and pressed her legs apart. She watched as he brought the paste to her region and she was taken aback by how soft he was. The movements were suddenly working at something within her. She blinked and caught herself breathing deeper. The rhythmic motions started to urge her hips to shift beneath the touch. Slowly an itch began to awaken deep within her, a pressure building within her pelvis. Her shoulders pulled back unconsciously as suddenly he was pressing upon her flower, then moving within nearly reaching the itch making her hips writhe. The cooling paste would bring her tendons together tighter. As he pressed within her with his "soothing" motions her mouth opened with surprise as she drew in a sharp pleasant breath. Her back arched unbidden as she bloomed. This was nothing like she had experienced before. She held her paws tightly to her chest as her chin started to arch away from him, her eyes unable to stay open, and struggled to remain silent beneath his ministrations. What was this magic?

"Speech"