Sacred Grove Nice To Meet You

It wasn't tempting, Treena didn't want to meet his eyes. She knew what he could do, how this could end. She looked to the opposite corner, refusing to even catch a glimpse of his body. She looked like a pup being hit, so afraid of upsetting her master she refused to do anything. It hurt, her entire body screamed out with agony, yet she managed to keep quiet, not a single whimper escaped her clenched muzzle. She was too strong for that, she was too bold to shake in fear, or to race away. She wanted to keep the pride she had left intact.

The lesson had more than sunk in, it had been burned into her very soul, stabbed into her until she was left bloody and dazed. It was being spoon-fed to her. You are only as strong as your failures. She lived her life failing, and so she was weak and unprepared for a chance at success. She wanted to say sorry to him, but she couldn't find it in her to speak. Something was stuck in her throat.

Saying thank you to him would be more fitting. Yet, resting in a pool of her own blood, Treena couldn't find it in her to say that either. Would he even understand what he had given her? She couldn't pay him back for not taking her life, or teaching her a life lesson. A thank you seemed pitiful, yet she needed to do something. Maybe not now, but one day, she had to do something.

Treena came to Relic Lore to escape her past, to forget of the father who didn't love her anymore, or her two brothers who died at their mother's side. Yet, coming here had only made the hole worse, and in a way this wolf had cured her more with attacking than she had with running away.

This wolf changed her life, and she couldn't even look him in the eyes and say thank you.

<blockquote>Her silence infuriated him. He did not believe her to be faking - the effort it took to remain still, to submit, was clear in every minute shiver of her body. Her eyes strained away, all the fight gone from her. He had no idea the revelations that were taking place - the revelations that he had caused.

As far as he was concerned, this was duty, nothing more.

He waited for a sound, for a cry or whimper or anything, but she held out on him. His growls grew deeper, rolling from his chest as a constant reminder of her status. The seconds ticked on, and still he did not get what he wanted.

The desire to hear her whimper grew to almost irrational levels. Why was she holding out on him? If it was to maintain some semblance of control, then she could forget about it; that was <i>not</i> how this was going to go.

Tightening his grip on her muzzle, he shook his head from side to side slightly, this time intentionally trying to hurt her - a whine from pain would do... at least to start with.</blockquote>

Treena thumped her tail on the ground, trying to ignore the torture forced upon her muzzle. She was submitting, and yet the pain wouldn't end. Marsh was demanding she let go of her self-respect, by screaming out in pain she would lose all hope. It was morbid, cruel, and yet Treena understood what it was he was asking. She didn't want to upset him further. Swimming in her own blood, bones aching, face throbbing, she had learned his physical power. He was playing with her now, feeding on her weakness and pain with each tug of her muzzle. She was young, inexperienced and confused. He knew what he was doing. One glimpse at his scarred body told an entire story, one she couldn't match. One she couldn't comprehend.

Instinct said he was going to kill her. At the moment there was no doubt in her mind, and so she accepted it. The delicate she-wolf's wild glare vanished, she was left with nothing. She had tried to fight. She had lost. She tried to submit. She had lost that too.

There was nothing left but to close her eyes and replay memories of childhood. Trying to escape the world she was now struggling to survive in.

<u><b>~Flashback~</b></u>

<i><b>"Dad! Wake up already, we've been sleeping forever!"</b> The she-wolf was months old, gold muzzle and black and white back. She had the eyes of a hunter, teeth bared as she wrapped them around her father's tail. Treena was only a pup, and this was her greatest memory. Her family, everyone of them alive, sleeping together in a tight ball. The cub pounced on her father with mini-claws and narrowed eyes, snarling in her most mature tone. One that had grown to a deep rumble over the years. <b>"C'mon! Up, up, up! Why are you doing this? Just get up."</b>

The male was large, resting on his side and swatting her away with a pure gold tail. He ignored her, she was left to sit and glare over her family. Treve was all black except the random orange marks deep in his fur, with bright yellow eyes. He took pride in his kin, and needed his rest to take care of them. Something Treena didn't understand. Her mother, a glittering silver, with deep brown eyes full of warmth and softness. She nuzzled Treena, trying to calm her, but the she-wolf was not one to be relaxed.

She went for her brothers. She dove at them, sending Zane jumping awake in fear, while Haven stayed oblivious. Her awake brother was pure black, with his mother's brown eyes. He looked furious, head strained as he thudded towards Treena.

The female she-wolf went running away, hiding beneath her mother's stomach. She was the free zone, the pups never faught when their mother was watching. Zane was even more mad at her for running away, being weak and not stepping up. There was nothing he could do though, so he went back to bed beside Haven.

It wasn't long before Treena did it again.</i>

<u><b>~End flashback~</b></u>

When the she-wolf opened her eyes, she was whimpering. More in depression, the thoughts of family had deeply upset her, something she couldn't stop. It was only natural to miss her family, the ones who loved her, the ones she trusted. The ones who were dead. Her father was dead to her, his yellow eyes tinted with pride, but not for her, for his new mate. She was nothing to him either.

It was what Marsh had wanted, for her to fully break. She had, her insides hurt just as bad as her bloody outsides. She felt like nothing.

I was thinking, by the way, if you still wanted Treena in SR then we could end this thread with just you and me - and she can come back later and meet Indru or Corinna, sans Marsh. Just a thought, since ofc he's not going to eat her in this thread* so she's free to do whatever she wants ;D

<blockquote>He could tell that she was resisting him, that she was deliberately denying him the last remnants of her dignity. He had no intention of killing her, but that was not because of some false morality. She was nothing, and her life was nothing, and if it came to it, he would slaughter her like the stupid creature that she was. It would not be hard. She was completely at his mercy.

Her eyes closed, and still he waited. The pack could spare him for as long as it took to get what he wanted.

It was a strange thing, watching her then, as her body language subtly shifted and he could almost tell that she had drifted off - but she did not sleep. What use would retreating into her own mind do her? The answer to that question came swiftly enough, if in a perverse way; finally, soft, pathetic sounds escaped her. In that moment, it did not matter why they had arrived; they signified her total and complete surrender, and with that, Marsh was satisfied.

He had nothing more to take from her. He released her muzzle roughly, licking his front teeth once before snapping them closed in front of her face, never letting her forget where she stood. If she tried to run, he would not stop her - though if she stayed, well, it would only be proof that she had learnt that lesson well. If she stayed, then he would consider dismissing her properly, depending on whether or not he felt as if she deserved such courteous treatment.</blockquote>

<span style='font-size:7pt;line-height:100%'>*no promise for later threads, of course.</span>

Treena pulled away, smooth eyes blazing. Her sparkling white fangs not bared, but a deep hatred growing deep in her chest. It burned, like a spreading fire. Oh, how she wanted to beat the male, make him feel pain, show him he was wrong. <i>She was stronger</i>. She couldn't though, not as a weak loner. When his strong jaws let go, she did nothing. She stood for a moment, debating her chances. She counted her breathing, only two pants before she turned with the strike of a snake, flying in the opposite direction. Turning her back to Marsh made her sick, it felt wrong. It was her only choice. Either this, or more pain.

The side of her face was sticky with blood, the wound wasn't too obvious, but it stung. She didn't have a limp, her paws worked fine. It was her neck that had the most damage, she had managed to avoid most of the male's attack. Her eyes were now empty, like two hard stones. She would feel again, be able to trust. That moment though, she was the pup begging for her father's love once again. So needy of attention, of love, of justice, but so helpless. It was out of her control.

All she could do was run away.

Her paws pushed her faster than she had expected. She was so desperate to leave, to forget, she'd ignore the throbbing and kept her pace. Faster than a rabbit she sped off, no direction. Just <i>away</i>. It was minutes before the battle did she finally stop, eyes growing in size as she looked back over her shoulder. She had left her prey once again. She couldn't believe it, or herself, for doing such a thing. Standing there she yowled and grunted, trying to catch her breath. <b>"No point catching food anymore. Don't get to eat it anyways."</b>

OOC: Messaged Tara, think it's best to ditch the joining SR idea. Can't see it working out between her and the pack XD She'd try and kill Marsh all the time, and that would cause drama, and would lead to her being a loner once again. If you want, feel free to archive the thread, or reply. Hope Treena and Marsh have a run in again in the future, I had tons of fun.

<blockquote>She had crawled out and fled, like the little bitch she was. The growl in his chest had softened to a dark chuckle, a pleasant soundtrack for her escape. Something <i>nice</i> to remember him by. Oh, she wouldn't be gracing Swift River lands with her pretty presence any time soon - and all the better. Corinna and Indru had no need for such a volatile thing. It was just one more high-strung loner taken down a notch.

He remained for a short time after she had gone, licking his lips of the blood which dusted his fur, sniffing the ground for remnants of her. Not that the scent could tell him any more than having his nose in her face for so long hadn't, but it satisfied his need to... tie up the loose ends. Finally, his eyes alighted on that which had brought him here in the first place, the small, fresh carcass which had brought the beast to ruin her peace. His lips curled momentarily over his teeth in an expression of vicious pleasure. Waste not.

Trotting over to the piece, he nosed at it once before clamping his jaws around it. It had not been his intention to scare the loner from her meal, but he was not going to turn down free meat. Corinna would make good use of it. Satisfied that his job here was complete, he turned to leave, and had taken no more than a dozen strides when he paused, dropped the kill, and, lifted his head.

He sang a brief, sharp note of warning, of victory, of a <i>reminder</i>. She had given him everything. She had better not forget it.</blockquote>
Me too, this was great <3 I guess we'll see you around ;D