It's been a long time since I've been here, the sound of the rushing water fills the silence of the air, my hand brushing through the girls hair. The dirt that once clung to her fur is far from willing to let go of their host, though a firm scrubbing does well enough to force it off. I can't help but let my mind wander a little as my hands continue to clean the girl, my gaze leaving her stiff form and towards the trees that surround us. It's been a while since I've been here, but I can still remember it rather well, the little scene here isn't exactly one that's easy to forget. Ah, but that's the past, I'm here now. I feel my lips purse together into a tight line as I refocus my attention back onto Mabel, the girls head oddly straight and looking into the woods herself. She's hung her head low throughout the entire walk here, and hasn't uttered much since, I thought it was nervousness or embarrassment at first, but now I just can't help but worry.
It's an awkward feeling position for me honestly, half her body submerged in the river while I sit outside it, but I can deal with it. I rest a hand atop her head, ruffling it ever so softly, I can see her visibly stiffen as her tail follows suit, and the way she flinches just that little bit… fuck, now I just feel bad. I thought that she was just a little bit upset, not like this, how the fuck didn't I notice it?
"You okay, kid?" I whisper to her in as soft a voice as I can, keeping that soft hold on her, the least I could do for her is to be soft hearted. She doesn't respond to me, her ears twitching as a whimper escapes her maw, curling up and shrinking. My tight lips turn into a frown as I gently pull her up and into me, ignoring the soaking wet fur that fucks with my clothing, her head still turned away from me. I can deal with some water, even if she smells a bit like a wet dog, she's more important. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to, I'm just concerned is all, kid.
She sniffles and shudders, her ears twitching erratically as she looks up to me. Barely restrained tears threaten to break free from their hold, her eyes darting from place to place, never looking into my eyes for long.
"A-aren't you angry..?" She asks that question with a squeak, her voice wavering alongside it. Guilt floods my veins as I smile sadly, softly rubbing a thumb along her cheek, her fur wet and mattered. Jesus, I fucked up somewhere didn't I? The amount of times I've managed to fuck something up must be a bloody record, Adrian would bave a field day with this.
"Of course not kid, I can't exactly get mad at you, why would I be mad anyways?" I ask in return, as soft as I can while I continue to pet the fox. She squirms in my grasp a little, her bottom lip trembling as she frowns.
"I r-ruined the gift, s-sorry…" Her mumbling answer is barely audible over the rushing over the water, such a meek answer just feels fucking awful to listen to, and it doesn't help that she cowers just that little bit. The panging of pain in my heart is far from a comfortable feeling, weighing down on it as I keep her close to me, raising an eyebrow as I look down to her.
"Gift? What do yo- do you mean the scarf?" It's the only thing I could really see as a gift after all. She nods meekly, I can fucking feel the apprehension that leaks off of her. I turn my gaze away from her, the purple scarf hangs upon a nearby branch alongside my cloak, my gloves off to the side of it as water from the soaked clothes dripping to earth in an almost rhythmical fashion, pooling atop the soil below. It was a fucking bitch to clean the dirt out of that thing, but I wouldn't say that it was that much of a hassle. "It's not ruined or anything kid, it'll dry eventually, why would I be angry about it anyways?"
She mumbles something under her breath but doesn't respond beyond a stiff shrug, her ears still shifting erratically, her unease as clear as day on her face as she looks away. I bite back the scathing, loathing feeling that stirs in my chest, reaching up with a hand to grasp at her ears. She stiffens with a whimper, her posture slowly relaxing as I massage her ears, a hazy look in her slowing eyes. Fucking slavers, I'm willing to bet my limbs on those pricks being the reason she's like this, a child shouldn't be cowering in fear from the mere thought of upsetting someone.
"I'm not mad at you kid, and I never will be, especially to you. I'm not gonna pry into what happened while you were with the bastards that had you before, but I swear on my life that it's okay. I'm not mad, and you did nothing wrong, you're a kid, you should be free to make mistakes." I feel my smile wavering as I continue to massage her ears, digging my fingers behind it as I do so. I can still feel the nerves that radiate off of her, it feels as if it's seeping into my heart, the girl squirming a little bit, discomfort clear on her face.
"O-okay..." She doesn't sound convinced, or maybe she's just nervous, but either way it makes me want to curse those bastards some more. I hum to myself for a moment, should I…? Ah, fuck it, I've already done it once. The girl squeaks in surprise and stiffens for a moment before relaxing again, the sound of her purring filling the air. The taste of wet fur is far from a pleasant one, but it's worth the discomfort in my chest if it makes her feel better, even that slight bit. I linger for a moment before pulling away, ruffling her wet and messy hair, the kids faint giggling replacing her purring. God damn adorable kid.
"You can trust me kid, I really don't mind. Smile some more too, you're adorable when you're happy." I give her a toothy little grin as I continue to fuck with her hair, the girls giggling only growing louder in the meanwhile, it morphs into a strange mix of a laugh and a purr as a hand of mine scratches behind her ears, fingers digging into her ears. Her earlier distress seems to be beaten aback, if only for now, delight dancing within her golden eyes before she squeezes them shut, flashing a bright toothy grin of her own beaming up to me. My heart thuds in my chest as I look down to her for a moment longer before letting go. God bless this kid, gotta get back to the point . "Alright alright, back in the water, I wanna clean you up a bit more."
"Okay!" She replies with a cheerful demeanor before sliding back into the water, the brilliance of her smile still radiates in my lingering vision even though she's turned away from me, tending to herself. I chuckle to myself before returning to my own task, my hand trailing down from her hair to her shoulders. Sure, I feel more comfortable helping her clean herself, especially now, but there's limits I'm not gonna cross. She can handle most of herself anyways, I'm just speeding up the process. I hum a soft and slow tune to myself as I brush down her shoulders, picking and flicking away the more tenacious bits of dirt and muck that clings to her fur. It's surprising how she managed to reach such a state, I wasn't gone for that long, but I'm not gonna judge, so long as she had fun during it all. My humming hitches for a moment as something catches my notice, squinting my eyes as I pry her fur away, the fuck was tha-
Ah, shit.
I feel my throat clog up as my smile turns to a barely leveled frown, my teeth gnashing together before my jaw finally locks shut, barely contained fucking rage brewing in my chest. The thin covering of her fur was a good enough mask to cover the cuts and welts cluttered in the centre of her back, the remains of scars amidst the process of healing littered along with them. How, when? How the fuck didn't I notice this at all, when the fuck did this happen? Who the fuck do I have to stab? How long has she had these, why wasn't I told? Kathrin helped her bathe once, right? Why the fuck didn't she say anything, did she even notice them? Slave or not, she's a rather polite and innocent chick, could she have known what they'd be? She's a caring girl, she would've asked about it, or asked me about it right?
"I never knew it could be nice, they w-were always so rough, it always h-hurt…" The way her words seem to echo in my mind sends a shudder down my spine, a digit absentmindedly pressing against one of the scars. So that's what she meant by it, no wonder she's fucking scared of people, who knows what else they might've done to her. My eyes feel as if they're on the verge of stinging as I furrow my brow, fucking scum of the earth bastards. Jesus christ, what if I do this to her, or worse?
"Z-zeke? Are you okay?" Mabels gentle chiming brings me out of my rumination, pulling both my hands and eyes away from the scars as I look into her eyes instead, her head tilting as she lets out a questioning trill, her fur hiding the marks from view once more. I could ask her about it, find out who did this, give them a piece of my fucking mind, it'd bring me some solace knowing such pain they'd inflict on a kid would be given back to them, however late it may be. Something to carve into their fucking skin.
And yet…
"Yeah, I'm alright kid, just thinking is all. Don't worry about me." The grin I give her feels somewhat forced, though it becomes easier to maintain as I sit my hand atop her head, ruffling it to distract myself from those thoughts as she giggles once again. I could ask her, but I'd rather not, for her own sake. The past is the past, there might be scars, especially for her, but why would I give up any more moments of giving her joy to relieve those painful memories? As much as I'd love to tear them a new asshole, she's more important than them. "You seem clean enough, wanna get out now?"
"Okay!" Her grin seems bright, it's a stark contrast from the scars she must've been forced to carry for a long while. The grin on my face feels more genuine than before, lifting her up from the water and planting her onto the dirt. She's a sopping wet mess, her fur weighed down and laid flat against her skin. Ah, I can see the issue here.
"Do you want a tow-" I shield my face from the oncoming shower, the girl shaking like a dog to rid herself of the water. It takes a few moments before it dies down, bringing my hand down from my face to chuckle at the sight. Her fur's still clumped together in some places, and the dirt around her is darkened with the sudden shower, at least her white fur is, ya know, white now. The smile on her face is an awkward looking one, her hands clasped together as she looks up to me.
"Eheh, s-sorry Zeke." It's a bashful sounding apology, one that tugs at my heartstrings as she continues to smile, the girl squeaking as I boop her nose. Fucking adorable kid, god dammit.
"Don't worry about it kid, let's get back to Annas house." I motion up the hill with my head before waltzing over to the cloths, feeling up each with a hand. They're far from dry, but at least they're not as soaked, maybe I could get Anna to dry them out? She'd probably use some fire I bet, eaugh, I hope I'm not there to see it.
"Hey, Zeke? Aren't you gonna clean?" I hum in surprise as Mabel calls out to me, twisting myself to turn to her for a moment, her head tilting slightly. I look down to myself for a moment, to say that I'm the cleanest person wouldn't exactly be the truth.
"Eh, I'll clean myself some time later in the day, don't worry about it kid." I answer her with a dismissive wave of a hand, grabbing the clothing and throwing them over a shoulder before waltzing up the hill. Mabel clings to my side, though I can still see her staring up to me out of the corner of my eye.
"Do you need help cleaning yourself?" She asks that so innocently, but it catches me off guard, coughing into a hand awkwardly.
"No, I'll do it later, don't worry about it Mabel."
"But I can he-" A gentle flick to the nose cuts off her pushing, her surprised squeak filling the air as she rubs her nose with a hand, chuckling as she lets out a heated sounding huff. Letting a kid help me clean seems demeaning, and I don't trust anyone to take that out of context in the fucking slightest. Adrian comes to mind. Fuck, I actually miss that parasitic bastard, fuck me I guess.
"I'll be fine, kid." I say simple as I turn to look to her, resting my hand atop her head and ruffling her hair. She grumbles underneath her breath and pouts, but nuzzles into my hand regardless, keeping up with me as we trek up the hill. Back to Annas we go.
That went pretty well, I think, scars and whatnot aside. This was… rather pleasant, in an enjoyable way, and here I was pawing off this task to another person once upon a time. I really ought to thank Kathrin for that later, should we ever meet again.
...what the fuck am I meant to do for the rest of the day? I can't plan for shit, normally I'd let someone else tug me along. I hum to myself as I look down beside me, the keidran swaying from side to side as she continues to dry off in the late afternoon sun, an adorably happy smile on my face. Actually, I think it might be a good idea to actually spend some time with the kid, bonding experience and such.
Yeah, that sounds fun, doesn't sound hard either.
…..
Hot and heavy breaths ravage my lungs as I heave for air, run ragged from the battle as I limp towards the exit, the blood that I know coats my fur feels as cold as my limbs, gritting my teeth as I push through the pain. A basitin should not fall to wounds such as this, especially from those savages. A tormenting lance runs through my arm, a grunt of pain forcing its way through my lips as I clutch at it with my spare hand, the tip of my blade scraping against the cold stone as my fingers grasp the hilt, forcing it to squeeze around the pommel. I can't lose my sword, it's a lifeline. The warm sun shines in through the open exit, a stark contrast to the chill of the stone, and one that beckons to me. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and my blurring vision, claws dragging across the ground with a shrill scraping noise that rings in my ears, letting go of my arm to shield my eyes from the encroaching light that fills my vision.
Warmth washes over me as I feel soil beneath me, my paws digging into it as I march away from the keep and towards the rest of the squad. The lackadaisical band of Templars cheer among themselves, barely giving heed to me as I approach. The only one who notices is the Captain, his disgusting lecherous smile stains his face even now, the edges of his lips curling upwards even more as he approaches in return, clasping a hand on my shoulder, a cold flare of pain reigniting in my veins.
"Get em all, private?" He questions as he looks down on me, an arrogant look in his eyes.
"Yes, sir." That simple answer brings a flash of glee across his face, maw opening wide as he barks a laughter, a deep guttural one that has his stomach jiggle. Damned disgusting man.
"Bwahahah, good shit private. You heard him lads, get off your ass and get going!" The lingering group of Templars are rather lax in their movements, taking far longer than they ought to rise, brushing past the both of us as they rush the keep. The Captain leans his head down to me, the dirty grin across his face seems to widen even further. "You're a damn good tool, now get yourself fixed, I've no use for broken weapons. "
The grip on my shoulder tightens for a moment before letting go, shoving me behind him as he follows the larger group, his wolfish laughter echoing freely in the air. Self indulgent pig of a man, were it not for my mistress orders follow such a degenerate man...
I bite back a grunt of pain as I drag myself to the makeshift campsite, the group must've been rather comfortable to set up an encampment like this. A heated snort pushes through my nose as I take a seat upon a log, digging my sword into the dirt. I reach up and brush a digit over the wound, hissing as the pain flares up again. Deep red blood coats my fingers, humming to myself as I rub two digits together. It'll heal, some pain won't kill me, though my mistress would be far from pleased to learn that I wasn't 'taking care of myself'. Such a strange woman with strange commands, though I've no place to complain, she gives purpose and order, far better than any alternative. I check on my leg, wincing as that familiar lance of pain returns. How I'm meant to do such a thing with these wounds is beyond me, aid like this wasn't exactly seen as high priority. That aside, they got two hits on me, it's surprising how sloppy I've gotten. Part of me believes that it could've been due to that lazy day, but she did seem rather confident that it'd help, so perhaps it'd be worse without it?
My ears twitches as a shuffling sound catches my notice, ignoring the burning as I grab my sword by the hilt, bringing it up to shove the point in the targets direction. I bite back a scoff and shove the sword back into the dirt, just a slave, a fox one at that. I must be out of it to be almost caught unawares by such a thing.
"Do you require assistance?" She asks, its voice sounds soft and dutiful, with half lidded eyes flickering from wound to wound, scraps of bandages already carried under arm. Part of me wishes to reject such a proposal, especially this thing. And yet Her voice rings in my ears. Tsk, the things I accept for that demon woman.
"Don't think you'll get anything from it." I respond with a huff, resigning myself to the aid and holding out the afflicted limbs. It approaches and kneels in front of me, an oddly careful hand pushing and prodding around my leg, humming to itself.
"This should heal naturally, though leaving it as an open wound is far from ideal. Bandaging should suffice." It sounds surprisingly… human, I suppose, it's hands soft as it finally tends to the wound, the bandages are soft to the touch and wrap around my leg easily enough. My pride burns at being forced to accept help from an animal, but here I am, allowing such a thing to occur. Sloppy and soft, I'm sure that She would love to hear about this. She fixes the bandage in a tight knot, gritting my teeth as a flare of pain arises from it. Her hands trail from leg to arm as she shifts, sitting beside
"May I ask for your name, sir?" She asks suddenly. It's a surprise to hear something so forward coming from a keidran, especially from one that looks as meek as her. The fact that I almost respect such audacity is revolting.
I open my mouth to speak, though nothing comes out, clamming my mouth shut and furrowing my brow. I could deny to answer, but what would it bring in the first place? When was the last time someone even asked my name, even if it's just a fox.
"You do have a name, right?" Her smile is a teasing one, an almost gleeful look dances behind her yellow eyes. Of course I have a name, it's… what is it again? Why am I here?
"My name…" My voice sounds like a disgusting mumble, almost mute to my ears, my hands clenching into fists.
"Zeke?" That name rings a bell, it settles on my mind almost like a comfortable blanket, but it still seems off despite its attempts. That's not my name, who is that?
M-my name's...
"Zeke?" The calling of my name brings me out of my thoughts, my hands squeezing the book within my grasp as I gasp for air, eyes shifting from place to place. What's going on, where am I? I'm, I'm in Annas, yes, she yelled at me for something, I was, reading I think? God, that's fucking new, isn't it? I've never lapsed into that while I was awake, was that even a memory, or just a fucked up daydream? I groan and shake my head, rubbing the palm of my hand into my eyes. Right, I'll deal with that later, probably talk to Adrian about it, what's going on here? Ah right, Mabel, she's probably expecting a response.
"What's up kid, need anything?" I finally respond to the kid as I let out a yawn, taking the brief moment to recover my senses. I've seated myself in the dining room, apparently, the leather bound journal relaxing in my hands as I loosen my grip, the open page looks as if it's a hastily written scribbling, written in a language that I can't understand. Tsk, here I was hoping that I'd get something from this shit. She looks up to me with those loving gold eyes of hers, her head tilting to the side. Dammit kid, lay off the cute sometime before I have a heart attack.
"What are you reading?" It's an innocent enough question, but it's one that ties my tongue in a knot for a moment, humming to myself as I brush a thumb over the old crumpled looking page. I feel fucking bitter about this pile of trash, so much potential knowledge and answers that I can't even begin to comprehend, what a bloody tease.
"...can't tell ya kid, I can't exactly read this thing." I sigh and close the journal shut, placing it on the wooden table as I glare at the thing. Fucking journal, maybe I should try to paw it off to someone. I tear my sight from the book itself and back towards Mabel, her head still tilted to the side, although there's a surprised look in her eyes.
"You can't read, too?" I chuckle underneath my breath and plant a hand atop her head, ruffling it softly. I'll deal with the book later.
"I can read human just fine, this book isn't in human, and that's the issue." I answer honestly, a small smile making its way on my face as she nuzzles into my hand, her lips forming into a soft 'o' shape. Heh, bloody adorable. Hey, wait a second. "What do you mean 'too', by the way kid? Can you read?"
"Nuh, they'd get angry if I tried to read things." I can see the girl shiver as her lips morph into a small frown, her hands wringing together. The anger that ignites in my chest is smothered embers at most, but it still rubs me the wrong way, huffing heatedly to myself as I double my efforts in petting the fox. Tch, depriving a slave of the chance to learn things is definitely a way to keep them on a leash, how revolting. Or someone could use mind control magic and circumvent the issue to begin with. Mind control magic does exist here, right? God, I hope not, the thought of it is a disturbing one, but the chance of such a thing is always there.
"Hmm…" I hum to myself digging my fingers into her hair, the girl looking up to me with a confused expression. "Why don't I teach you then?"
"W-wait, really?" Her eyes light up with excitement, her frown fading away and replaced with a bright smile, her ears twitching alongside it all. God that's a cute sight, bless this kid.
"I'm not gonna be the best teacher for ya, but I like to read myself, so why wouldn't I share it with you?" I assure the excitable little girl, chuckling as she lets out a gleeful sounding squeak. Saying that I like to read would be an understatement, god knows I'd love to get more books for myself, so why not help the kid alongside it too? It gives us more time to be together too, as an added bonus, and I'd never deny that chance. She freezes for a moment, a bashful look on her face as her reddened cheeks pierces through her fur, the lovely excited look on her face dying down soon after.
"W-wouldn't you get in trouble, though? I don't want that to happen..." A hesitant indecision clouds her face and tone as she looks away from me, wringing her hands together. Wait no, come back happy Mabel. I shuffle off of the seat and kneel in front of her, my hand digging into her fur and ruffling it, nice and soft.
"Why would I get in trouble kid?" I ask her slowly, trying my best to keep eye contact with her even as she looks away. C'mon kid, it's cute that you're worried, but worrying is my job.
"The others would be angry if they knew." She answers with a sniffle, finally looking back up to me, her once excited eyes spoilt by worry.
"They can go to hell, I'll do whatever I want, and I want to teach you how to read. That's if you wanna learn I mean." I trail off a little as I push the offer, winking as I rub an ear. The excited look restores itself in her eyes as she smiles, a great big grin that reaches to her eyes, her head a blur as she nods excitedly.
"Y-yes! Yes please, Zeke." Warmth blossoms in my chest, god, even with how little time she's had to grow, she's come so far. I still remember that scared look in her eyes when I first found her.
...then again, that might've been because I broke a crate to get to her, probably could have handled that a bit better.
"Alright kid, run off to your room, I'll see if Anna has any good books for kids laying around." I motion with a head towards the doors, the girl nodding once more before dashing off. I chuckle to myself as I stand on two feet, raising an eyebrow and staring at the excited girls back as she waltzes into a room.
My room, specifically, not hers. God bless this kid, I can feel my teeth corroding the more I think about her, bloody sweetheart. I don't have the heart to try to correct her 'mistake', wouldn't be the first time we've shared a bed either. I hum as I walk down the hallway, wrapping my hands upon Annas door. At least, I hope it's Annas door, fairly sure. A small scuffling is my answer, followed by a muted yell and a thumping against the floor, the door swinging open.
"What do ya need, kid?" Her voice is low and exhausted, it almost looks as if her eyes on the verge of clouding over, visible even through the hard lidded stare she gives me. Her hair sticks up at odd ends, the woman slouched over. Ah, now I feel like I came in at a bad time.
"I can uh, come back later if you're busy." My eyes shift from her tired looking face, the wrinkles on it seem ever deeper, the flickering of the light behind her is the only thing I can see behind her visage. She hesitates for a moment, sighing deeply as she rubs at her eyes.
"I'm alright kid, just… really really focused, what do you need?" I frown despite her assurance, I feel really worried for her.
"Well, I'm trying to teach Mabel how to read, do you have any books laying about that could help?" I feel awkward asking her about it, rubbing my hand on the back of my neck as an uneasy smile crosses my face. She raises an eyebrow, the edge of her lips curling upwards for a moment.
"You're trying to teach a kid? To read, too?"
"Don't sound that surprised, come on Anna! It'll be an experience for the both of us." That at least gets a chuckle out of her, a lopsided smile appearing on her face as her eyes shine. There we go, she looks a bit better, at least for now.
"Alright alright, give me a moment." The door clicks shut, silence reigning over the small cottage. A part of me really wants to know what she's up to, but it's really not my place to pry, nor to snoop around. If she needs help, she'll ask for it, right? She's done more than enough for me, and for the kid, it's only right to pay her back in some way. The door flings open, Anna taking up my vision once more as she hands me a pile of books. I take them from her hands and look over the first one, given the fact that it's a children's book, for the alphabet specifically, I can imagine that the rest are at the very least similar enough. I don't think I should ask her why she has these books, could be a bit personal.
"Found some books that might help, ignore the dust." Her smile is old and worn, but a genuine one, one that I can't help but reciprocate.
"Thanks, Anna… You know you can ask me to help with anything, right?" What was once meant to be assurance now sounds like a plea as I ask her, her smile seems that little bit sadder as she reaches up to me, ruffling my hair.
"I know kid, I know." She replies in a soft tone, that sad smile of hers widening for a moment before she retreats into her room, the door clicking behind her. This all feels.. Rather bittersweet, really. Also she's treating me like I'm a kid, hair ruffling is my job, god dammit. At least I got books now. I make my way to my room, pushing the door open and stepping inside. A hum of acknowledgement comes from the kid as she suddenly sits up, her tail flapping about as her ears twitch. My cloaks slumped against a wall, stuck atop my bag and other belongings.
"Ready to learn, kid?" I ask rhetorically as I sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her as she nuzzles into my side, looking up to me with a smile as she nods. She looks from me to the stack of books that lay atop my lap, her smile falling a little as she shuffles.
"I-I'm gonna read all of that?" She seems a little overwhelmed, I can imagine the second thoughts that's clouding her mind.
"Not right now, we're gonna start slow, and at your pace. If you don't want to, I won't force you to." That seems to reassure her, shuffling around to sit cross legged, a determined look in her eye.
"O-okay. I'm ready, I think." She's still a bit nervous, I get that. I smile and ruffle her hair, grabbing the first book atop the pile.
"We'll stop when you're getting restless, kid. Just ask if you need anything, I'm new to this teaching business. Alright now, this is the letter A…"
God, I know I'm gonna mess this up somehow, at least she seems eager to learn.
Authors note: Not a long chapter by any means, and not a very exciting one, but I thought it might be a good idea to give Zeke and Mabel some actual character moments together lmao.