A runaway. That is what she was right now. Her one and only home and been burnt to the ground with no hope on putting it back together. She had taken to roaming the lands of Alacriris, something that she had never done since finding these lands. She was still a slave, she would always be one no matter how far away she ran. There was no way to shake that now, it was too late. Too long had she been beaten down to a shell of the creature she once was. She would never be able to revert to that old self, that wolf was dead and gone. After she had watched her pups bleed out before her very eyes, she was broken. A worn and torn play thing, beyond anyone's help. Sure, smae had tried, but it was too late. Too many things had happened, and too much time had past. There was no healing these wounds, even time itself left her bruised and scared.

That fateful day had never left her mind, she saw it every time she closed her eyes. It replayed in her mind no matter how hard she tried to lock it out. Her babies, her freshly born little ones were snuggled up by her side, taking in her warmth. Their father came to see them, but there was something different in his eyes. For the first time Ekko felt the sharp stab of fear for her children, too early in their lives. Looking down at the bundles she curled around them protectively, but it was no use. He didn't come alone. She was torn away from them, and no matter how hard she fought she could not get away. She was pinned to the earth, her head held in place. Her pups cried out for her, their little bodies craving the warmth of her side. Her heart began to break, piece by piece. And then it happened. That bastard lashed out, clawing at the first bundle. Ekko screamed, an earth shattering sound. Her child cried for her too, before its short life was taken from it. For some reason, Ekko could not close her eyes. She was forced to watch and he clawed and bit at their small bodies, tearing them apart. Too young. Too little. Her babies! The cruel wolf had made sure that their deaths were brutal and slow, and she was helpless. The blows then fell on her, but she was too numb to even feel them. She didn't care, she was dead inside. Slowly crawling towards their broken bodies, she curled around them and allowed their blows to land. Pain was nothing, nothing compared to what she just witnessed. Her babies... Echo's head was forced up, the claws digging deep into her face. She hardly felt it, not even when the crimson liquid dripped into her eye. Nothing. There was nothing this world could offer her. She begged them to kill her, although her maw did not move more and more hits landed. Then they left her, bleeding out. She didn't care. Nothing... her sight faded, and she fell into darkness. Not death, for that would be to kind. She was forced to live without them, with these images flashing in her mind.

The small female had frozen when the images came to her, and she fiercely shook her head to rid them. They would leave her for now, but they would always be back. Not even realizing where she was, she gazed around the land before her. How long as she been stuck standing here? She didn't even remember when she left, or when she wandered into this forest. It was green, almost too bright to her hazy, dream like eyes. Did anyone hold claim here? Of that she was not sure, but that didn't stop her from walking onward. It was all she could do now, was to move on. Her babies lived on in her mind, although she only had a few fleeting moments before they were taken from her. She had often asked why, but that was no use to her. She wished she had the courage to seek revenge, but she didn't have enough room in her shattered heart for anger. So she stepped forward, her body cowered close to the ground even now. She would never outgrow the habits that she adapted of a slave, for it was who she was now. Ekko the Slave. That should be her title, as unchanging as she would be.

Sighing softly, the sad dame wandered onward, a hopeless wanderer at this point. When the images came to her as they often did, she was quite drained of energy at that point. She didn't want to move, but she needed too. Just keep moving. Maybe, just maybe she could walk away from her past. Sure, it shaped her into the hollow being she was at the moment, but maybe the pictures would go away. While she still saw her babies in the happy things around her, she wished that the sight of their death would leave her. Who knows, maybe their souls escaped the brutality and ended up in a better place. Ekko sure hoped that that was the case. As for her, there was no hope in forgetting. How could she? They were most likely her last litter. Ever since their loss, her biggest fear was to carry pups again. She would not be able to handle another loss, it would break her. She would surely die if there was hardly anything holding her to the earth as it was.

Finally stopping her tired body, the dame spotted a large rock that was warmed by the sun. Ah, warmth. While her body could feel it, her heart could not. But no matter... she walked over to it and settled atop it anyway. She still remembered what it was like to have her pups snuggled up to her belly, much like the warmth that seeped from both the top of the rock and the sun that now settled on her rusted pelt. It was a heat that wrapped you up in it, covering every part of your body. Another sigh worked its way through her maw as she settled her head on her paws. A butterfly was resting on a flower nearby, its paper thin wings fluttering softly as it drank nectar. Its brilliant orange and black body reminded her of her babes, there bodies whole and small against her side. If she closed her eyes tight enough, she could almost imagine them wiggling against her as they fought for the best spot, the closest one to their mother. A smile cracked across her dry lips, a small chuckle bubbling up from her chest. Yes, she would be with them one day. One day she would be able to curl around them once more, and this time she would be able to protect them.

The woman ventured away from her home, there was much to think about, much to do. Creamy limbs carried her far and wide She paid little attention to where she was going, absorbed in her own thoughts. It wasn't until a soft chuckle breached her russet audits that the woman would take note of her surroundings. She had gotten far. Her gaze would tip up towards a boulder that was several feet in front of her. Resting onto of the boulder was a small fae, tiny compared to herself. Verdant gaze would peer up at the woman for a moment, simply watching her. "Hello." Soft words would drift towards the fae, russet plume swaying lightly behind her. Tattered audits stood at attention, her posture friendly and open. She didn't want to frighten the stranger. Creeping closer, the woman wouldn't stop until she stood beside the stranger, craning her neck to look to the top of the boulder. "I'm Sibelle." She wasn't sure whether or not to introduce herself as part of Covari anymore, things had changed drastically for her in the past few days, but it was all for the better, that much she was sure of. At the back of her mind, she thought back to her family. She had asked Maija to bring the kids and herself to Covari, to leave the island behind them. Taurig was gone, forever presumably. But she was building a life for herself here. She had met Archaic, and had taken a liking to the earthen toned brute. That plague still tormented the lands, and now there had been a fatality, which had sent Vi into turmoil, the Queen was panicked, but now they had a partial cure. Hopefully it would all be done with soon. Despite the chaos that seemed to run her life, the woman's attention was on the small fae resting on the rock in front of her, curious about this newcomer. "Talk" "You" Think

Her daydream was snatched away from her when the call of another female was heard. Startled, Ekko scrambled onto her paws and huddled down on the top of the rock. Her pale blue eyes didn't dare to meet those of the much taller female, her tail tucked between her legs and she jumped off the rock so that she was not standing taller than she. The dame's first words at been muffled, she had been approached on her bad side and the word of greeting was lost upon her. Tucking the right side of her face closer to her body, she lowered her bodice even more. "Greetings Lady Sibelle, how may I serve you?" She mumbled, her drawl sounding different from the russet female. It was obvious that she was not from her just from the different pitch of her vocals.

The unclaimed slave still held her lower position, her limbs used to the pain of suspending her muscles. The female called Sibelle had not made a move to harm her, but that did not mean that she would relax from the way that she held herself. Violence or not, Ekko was a slave through and through, obvious from her manners. She remained silent though, she had not been addressed and wouldn't dare to speak out of place. She was a lesser being, and knew it with every part of her hollow soul. She could feel the queens emerald eyes upon her form which made her tuck her scarred face even closer to her flank. Sibelle was a beautiful wolf, she didn't want to offend her with her ugly face.

She had startled the woman. The Queen would watch as the smaller woman scrambled off the rock, curling in on herself. The woman wouldn't meet her gaze, keeping her eyes downcast as she spoke. Lady Sibelle? How may I serve you? The woman would chuckle softly, peering curiously down at the woman. "Stand up dear, you have no reason to be afraid." She would coo softly to the woman, not wanting to startle the poor girl anymore. "Whats your name?" Haunches would recline easily, tail curling around her. She was forced to look down at the girl, even if she did stand at her full height, Sibelle was much larger. A small smile played on her lips as her verdant gaze searched what she could see of the girls face. Tattered ears sat at attention, listening for the woman's soft voice to speak again. The more she looked at the woman, the clearer it became that her behavior was well practiced and customary. Had she been born into a life that drilled this sort of behavior into her? There was no other explanation, the girl held herself in such an uncomfortable looking position, and didn't complain once, not a muscle twitched nor did a leg tremble with strain. A brow would lift with concern as her crown tipped to the side. "Talk" "You" Think

The dame before her seemed to not be a threat at all, made no move to rise up and strike her down for once resting higher than she. Ekko still did not meet the others eyes, but she was told to stand up and did so. Still the girl rested much shorter than Sibelle's, if she were to look at her it would be in an upward motion. Her legs shook at standing at full height, the pulling on her muscles unfamiliar and strange to her body. It was the complete opposite than most wolves stood, often feeling discomfort while holding her usual stature. Her name had been asked of her, and she silently cursed that she had not offered it in a reply to Sibelle's name. "Ekko my Lady." She drawled, her own voice sounding strange compared to the smoother tones of the russet female. She didn't realize she had a slight accent, not until she compared their voices to each other.

Ekko risked a quick glance up at the green eyes beauty, seeing that the female has her head tilted as she inspected the female. Did her scar offend the pretty fae? It was puckered and large, and shone in the dim winter's sun. Pink, fat, and ugly. The dame hung her head, whining softly as her nose almost touched the ground. She hated others seeing her scar, about asking for her story and why her beauty was taken away from her. It had been the only thing that she had going for her, that and her three perfect pups that were taken away from here too quickly. Now her face was marred, and no one could ever love her. But this Sibelle, this gentle soul, was sitting before her, relaxed before the lesser female. Could that mean that she had found someone to take her, to claim her? Ekko was a slave through and through, there was no doubt that she was not going to run into someone who wished to rule over her. The rusted red wolf raised her light blue eyes to once more look into her soft face. Yes, if anyone was going to take her, she wished it to be this perfect being before her.

Even though the girl would stand, her eyes would remain downcast. Now that she had a better look at the woman, she could see the scar that ran down the side of her face. Brows furrowed briefly in concern. What had happened to this poor woman? Ekko. Her name would reach tattered ears and she would smile in turn. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ekko." She would catch the woman peering up at her and she would smile, hoping to coax the woman out of her shell. "Are you new here?" Russet crown would tip to the side as she peered down at the tiny woman. She made conversation difficult as the woman only spoke when spoken to. Haunches reclined towards the earth, plume curling around her hips carefully. Nostrils quivered, inhaling the woman's foreign scent. She didn't appear to belong to a pack or anything, and she smelled different, unlike most rogues that lived in Alacritis. The new Queen tried to keep her posture neutral and friendly, trying not to appear intimating, but this girl was so small. "I just recently claimed a pack for myself, would you like to join me?" Lyrics were soft, easy going, not at all pressuring as she extended the offer. "Talk" "You" Think