A/N:
It has been... ages since I've managed to write anything for FF, so I thoroughly apologize. I am working on the SOS and HOS series, so please don't give up on me!
So while I attempt to continue on with working on Hunter of Shadows and Smuggler of Shadows, I decided to give a glimpse of another character. This is a short story featuring Sihna Dreysel, set in the Old Republic Era. This particular story is set within her childhood, and is meant to give a glimpse into her adult self and the past she carries. At this point she is far more the frightened child, though the events will start to shape her into something far more.
As her name suggests, she has ties to characters within the Smuggler of Shadows series. These pieces are being written for an RP (including training skills, etc, so there will be a bit of that contained in, though I try to keep it within the world of the story), but as she's a character I've thoroughly enjoyed, I wanted to share her stories a bit further. The RP is being written on Star Wars Fates, if anyone is interested in looking further or joining in :)
Who knows, if there's enough interest, I may continue to post bits and pieces of her stories here, or snippets that don't make it into RP, etc :)
Disclaimer- I own nothing Star Wars and make no profit here. Only thing I own is my own characters and their storylines.
Darkness was falling rapidly, long shadows stretching over the landscape as night rose to stake its claim.
Sihna Dreysel sat huddled against the rear wall of a high metal cage, brown eyes peering out through thick panelling fearfully. It was no great mystery what had her in such a state. A large form paced outside the cage, massive when compared to Sihna, with a brutish build that spoke to the creature's intended purpose.
Aric's akk hounds were not kept as pets, and while Sihna had never had trouble with them in the past, she had no desire to test the limits of their loyalty to her over that of their master. Fear was a powerful motivator - and not just for the hounds. It was the same force that led Sihna to wait huddled in the cage, small fingers woven through the mesh of the gate as she used her body weight to wedge the door shut, though reason told her that such a measure would do little good against the hounds.
Sihna's eyes flitted about the clearing, wide and frightened. She had backed herself into a corner when fleeing Aric's temper, and was now stuck. She had panicked when the shouting had begun, sprinting to find somewhere - anywhere, really - to hide. Far better to have kept running.
Sihna buried her tear-streaked face in her knees with a whimper as Aric's shouts rang out louder, the words slurred but the anger clear enough. It didn't take long until the man himself appeared, his arrival greeted with alertness from the otherwise indifferent hounds.
Aric's tall form paced closer, his steps slowing as he approached the cage. Sihna felt hope rise in her chest as his familiar form became silhouetted in the fast fading light, his features indistinguishable from the shadows around.
He knelt next to the cage and Sihna's breath caught in her throat, a quiet whimper that was a plea for rescue escaping her. Sihna shuffled forward in the cage, fingers cramping from their grip on the wire of the cage, the skin broken and bleeding in some places where she had gripped the wires too tightly. She turned her gaze up to Aric, wide eyes beseeching him for a rescue, a safe path away from the massive hounds.
It didn't matter that it had been Aric whom she'd been fleeing from in the first place. Didn't matter that he gripped a bottle in one hand and a half empty cup in the other, the smell of alcohol sharp and strong in her nose as he leaned in closer. None of it mattered. He was her buir, her rescuer. And so Sihna gazed up at him, terror clear on her young face.
"Buir?" she managed finally, the word broken with fear.
Silence stretched between the two and SIhna's panic rose. He could leave her out here. Alone in the dark, with only the two hounds for company. Nothing was more frightening to her in that moment, and Sihna felt fresh tears slip down her cheeks at the thought.
"G-Gedet'ye, buir," Sihna whimpered.
She saw the white flash of a smile in the dark as his fingers curled around hers, prying them free from the wires of the cage. Sihna whimpered again, still unsure whether he would save her or leave her.
The gate swung open and the largest of the two hounds lunged for the opening. Sihna screamed, covering her head with her arms in a feeble shield, her only defense against the large creature.
She felt the hound's breath, hot on her skin for a terrifying moment before Aric swept her up out of the creature's reach. Sihna clung to Aric, sobbing with fear, her arms clasped tightly about his neck.
He held her a moment, the embrace casual, nearly indifferent but for the tension that slowly built in his posture. Waiting. His decision was not yet made, and the hounds waited obediently at their master's feet.
Sihna could sense Aric's indecision and clung tighter, terrified that he would change his mind, delivering her back to the akk hounds.
"Ni ceta, buir," Sihna grovelled, terror tainting words that were already thick with tears. "Ori'vore."
Despite her fear of the hounds, each word was painstakingly chosen. She was not yet safe. Not until Aric chose. But the grovelling apology mixed with the gratitude for her rescue seemed to placate Aric and he relaxed, his hand coming up to cup the back of her head, stroking her hair as if in reward for her reaction. Sihna shivered, closing her eyes and burying her face in his chest. She could only manage an overwhelming sense of relief that he had not returned her to the jaws of the akk hounds.
Aric strode a few paces away from the hounds before releasing Sihna, depositing her back on her feet despite frightened protests as the hounds stalked forward.
"Buir!" Sihna cried out, pulling back from the hounds and clinging to Aric.
"Sihna!" Aric snapped, her name hard and cold as it fell from his mouth. He spun to face her, light falling across his features and highlighting the fury that lurked there. "Gev!"
SIhna froze at the order, chest heaving in terror. She knew the consequences for disobedience to that particular command. But as the akk hound paced closer, lips curled back from sharp teeth, the greater of her two fears won out.
Sihna flinched, taking a single step back. It was nothing but a response to utter terror, but it was enough. Aric's expression turned icy, as hard as the rock beneath her feet as he scowled down at her. Sihna felt utter terror settle in the pit of her stomach as he glowered down at her.
"Parjii."
Sihna whimpered as the largest of the two hounds perked up at the sound of his name. Aric's eyes remained locked on hers, unmoved by the silent plea in his daughter's gaze.
"Oya," the command fell from his mouth like a shot and the hound lunged for Sihna.
Terror and pain became her sole companions in the minutes that followed, fueling her screams for help as Aric stood by.
Sihna tried to run, adrenaline rushing through her and urging her to flee, but she only made it two steps before the hound was upon her.
Heavy paws dragged her down, claws slashing across the backs of her legs and across the small of her back. Massive jaws clamped around her shoulder and Sihna screamed, desperate sobs as she struggled to turn, begging Aric to intercede.
The hound's growls echoed in her ears, along with the excited yelps of the second hound who was not ordered forward. Parjii's weight pressed down on her shoulders and Sihna struggled against the hound, trying to reach the small knife in her boot. Some part of her knew the tiny blade would do her no good, but to fight against the hound with fists and feet felt woefully inadequate. The beast's clawed paw slashed across her wrist and Sihna cried out, pulling back and abandoning her struggle for the blade, instead focusing on trying to turn to at least face the akk.
Parjii's jaws released for a moment and Sihna struggled to turn, finally managing to spin so she was on her back. She caught a glimpse of Aric standing with arms crossed over his chest, indifferent to his daughter's pleas, before the hound resumed its attack.
Razor teeth tore into her forearms even as Sihna struggled, sobbing, beating tiny fists against the hound's muzzle to no avail. The creature's scaled hide was too thick for her blows to do anything more than tear the skin from her own fists, leaving bloody streaks across the creature's face as she continued to slam them against his snout. His claws ripped across her sides and dug into her shoulders, slashing through cloth and skin as if they were tissue.
It was all Sihna could do to remember to keep her head tucked down, despite every instinct that urged her to use it as a weapon. Far more important to protect her throat, for although she had not heard a kill command from Aric, hounds had been known to go further than their orders in the excitement of the fight.
Sihna could hear herself screaming in mando'a, words broken with pain and terror as she sobbed. Dirt wedged itself deep in the nails of her bloodied hands as she struggled to get away from the hound, trying to pull herself out of its reach but with no success. Claws raked across her body, dragging her back despite a shriek of protest mingled with anguish. The creature's jaws clamped down on SIhna's outstretched hand and the hound shook its head, her hand still gripped in its powerful maw before he released it and began his attack anew.
Sihna managed to turn on her side, curling up as tightly as she could and clasping her arms above her head, trying to make herself as small a target as possible. She had given up trying to reach her knife, fully aware that it would do no good anyway.
The hound scrabbled at her curled up form, trying to break the meager defense as Sihna sobbed. Lines of fiery pain lanced from each strike of his claws, and Sihna's screams turned shrill as the beast's teeth shredded both cloth and skin.
No one was going to help her. The thought settled with certainty in her mind and Sihna whimpered. Aric was her only hope for rescue and he stood by in silence, determined to allow the lesson to run its course. Her hero had discarded her to the fate he had engineered, his abandonment becoming clearer with each passing moment that he remained silent despite the growls of the akk hound and her own pleas for help.
She could feel each blow from the hound, laced with agony, as well as the hot, sticky feeling of blood coating her skin and dripping from her wounds. Each moment felt like an eternity, drawn out before her and played in slow, agonizing detail. She could feel each strike, could smell the hound's breath as it hovered over her, its companion barking excitedly in the background. She could only see the ground right before her eyes, curled as tightly as she was, but even that she could see in detail. Red locks soaked in her own blood were plastered to her cheek, others falling over her shoulders and spilling to the ground. Blood dripped from the strands and soaked into the soil, and Sihna found herself fixated by the sight of it.
She didn't know when she had stopped screaming. Only that her throat was too raw to continue, leaving her to suffer in silence as her voice failed her, dry sobs wracking her body. More blood dripped to the ground and Sihna watched it in horrified fascination as it soaked into the dirt, catching the light for a moment from Aric's lamp before sinking into the soil, staining it black.
"Parjii!" Aric's shout broke through Sihna's state and she flinched. "Gev."
The command was spoke softly, calmly even, but the hound responded immediately. Sihna's voice caught on a sob as the hound ceased its attack, its weight lifting from her shoulders as it returned to Aric's side. She heard the shuffle of rock, knew the creature had returned to sit at its master's feet. And yet she didn't dare move, remaining curled in on herself tightly, terrified that any motion might cause the attack to begin anew.
Silence stretched, broken only by Sihna's shattered gasps and the calm panting of Parjii. Even the second hound had quieted, leaving the air to thicken with anticipation.
When Sihna felt Aric's hand land on her shoulder she cried out hoarsely, a mixture of fear and pain fuelling the pitiful protest. Aric paid it no mind, dragging Sihna to her feet, his hands coming away red with her blood as he released her, leaving her to sway as she struggled to stay standing. She stumbled once, whimpering with pain as her newfound injuries flared in protest. Each hand was clamped to a different wound, seeking to stop the bloodflow to little avail.
"Gev," Aric tossed the command at her over his shoulder and Sihna froze, too afraid of the consequences to allow herself to fall.
Aric didn't bother to look back, instead striding back to the giant akk and crouching beside the beast. Sihna watched with wide eyes, unable to stop herself trembling. But her feet remained firmly planted where she stood. She would heed the command this time.
Aric looked up at long last, fixing Sihna's bloodied form with his gaze. There was no concern in his expression, no regret. Sihna shivered.
"When I give an order, you obey," Aric's words were soft but clear, the tone as hard and cold as ice. "You come to heel. No matter the command."
Sihna swallowed hard at the words, blood seeping between her fingers as Aric turned his attention back to the akk hound. Sihna was shaking uncontrollably by the time he pulled his pistol, thumbing off the safety in one smooth motion.
"Gratiir," the command was just as calm as the others, but some instinct made Sihna squeeze her eyes shut.
She heard the sharp crack of the pistol, her eyes flying open to see the akk hound crumple to the ground, dead by Aric's hand. Her blood still coated the creature's snout and claws, shining in a macabre pattern as Sihna stared.
She couldn't breathe. Couldn't have moved even if she wanted to. Even if Aric's command had not still held her rooted to the spot she stood. Even if he had commanded her to move. All she could do was stare at the lifeless body of the akk, understanding dawning on her slowly. Not of the lesson Aric had sought to teach, but another knowledge entirely.
Something heavy and foreign settled in her chest as Aric holstered his pistol casually, rising back to his feet.
"Even an akk hound comes to heel, Sihna," Arik spoke softly. "He'll never hurt you again."
But you will, Sihna thought, eyes lifting to his face, cold and hard in the dim light. You always will.
Sihna knew the intent of the whole affair, the meaning behind it. That much was clear, even to her young mind. Aric was trying to prove himself the hero again. The one to rush in and save his daughter, earning her thanks and loyalty, as he had a hundred times before. And would engineer a thousand times again. All the while making sure she understood.
She was the akk.
Meant to obey orders, no matter where they led. Even if it meant pressing her forehead to the muzzle of his blaster and watching him pull the trigger. Obedience. That was his demand. Obedience no matter the cost of it.
Sihna licked her lips, tasting the coppery tang of blood as she lifted brown eyes to meet Aric's gaze. His scowl informed her she had missed something, some command he had no doubt just issued, or the signal for her to express gratitude.
"Sihna…" the word was low in warning, a soft growl, but Sihna was already shaking her head.
It took every ounce of will she had to step back, eyes darting around the clearing as she searched for a glimpse of the second hound. She hadn't seen where it had gone, fading back into the thick shadows of the night that pressed in close to Aric's light.
She looked to her father, her bloodied features set, the red of her hair matted with her own blood as her fingers pressed against still bleeding wounds.
"Nay-" she stopped halfway through the Mandalorian word, tears filling her eyes as she trembled, searching for a scrap of courage for her next act of defiance.
In the end she didn't know where she found the courage. It was dredged from deep within her, pulled from a place she hadn't even known she had in her. When she spoke her voice was soft, trembling with fear, but the word was defiant nonetheless.
"No."
The word was in Basic, and that alone would be enough to cause a storm. And so Sihna didn't wait to see the result of her rebellion. Instead she turned and ran.
She didn't know where, only that she didn't have the courage to face another punishment from Aric. And so she plunged into the woods, Aric's shouts and the baying of the second hound echoing behind her as she fled in terror.
A/N: There will be a few more chapters incoming, so sit back, enjoy, and leave me reviews if you truly want to make my day ;)
Keep an eye out for incoming stories in Smuggler of Shadows, Hunter of Shadows, and quite possibly other stories as well :) K'oyacyi, vod'e!