Into the Night [Verin Rush]

[Redd]

-Day 63, Fall, 514 AV

Redd’s hazel hue stared up at the night sky as she sat perched in the entrance way of the tent. The young wolf hadn’t been sleeping very well lately, nor had she eaten very much. She ate enough to survive, but she tossed and turned throughout the night, often sleeping just outside the tent or just inside of it. While the silver collar around her neck did bother her something shocking, Redd fully believed that there was no way that she could ever fully gain the trust of another, for not once in her history had a human ever trusted her. While it did soothe the wolf to an extent to be out in the wilderness with no human dwelling in sight, there was something else eating at the wolf, something else that she refused to admit. Miro had abandoned her, he had left her behind and it was the second master to have done that, almost as if life was kicking her in the teeth. It kept knocking her back every time and as each night passed and the nights grew longer, she began to feel very much alone. She closed her eye and lifted a hand to cover it, her fingers slightly curling in to her brindled locks.

The young wolf wanted to howl, to lift her muzzle to the moon and sing her song of loneliness, however, the collar restricted such things. As each day passed, she found herself begin to lean more into Verin, to find some kind of comfort, but there was none to be found. She was beginning to remember the times of when she was a pup, of when she would stare up at the night sky, her little song often going unheard as she sung her song of loneliness. Among humans she always felt alone for she just didn’t understand them and they confused her, never did she stay with just one for a full season. Her hand slipped from her face so then she could hook a couple of fingers into the silver collar, feeling that this action sort of restricted her airways just a little but not too much. Strangulation was something that she was getting used to. If it wasn’t strangulation by a collar it was a human strangulating her with their bare hands. Slowly her gaze shifted to view the prone form of Verin and he appeared to be sleeping, although she had learned from Venser that people could fake being asleep.

Her hazel hue watch him for a moment as she attempted to work out the man, as she tried to work out why he wasn't brutal like his brother. Why didn’t he just beat her when she was disobedient? Why didn’t he just express his anger like Venser did? She just didn’t understand it and nor did she ever pretend to understand what twins were supposed to behave like, for she didn’t have a family member of her own to compare with. She turned her gaze away from him and looked back up towards the moon again, reaching a hand out so then the moon’s light could softly play over her pale skin. Whenever Verin had to reach out and touch her, his touch was gentle and it confused the wolf. She wanted to say that the light touch was a nice break from pain, but it was unnerving and to her it felt very strange. She pulled her hand back in and she edged her way closer to the man until she basically sat beside his sleeping form. Her hazel hue simply stared down at the man, but all she could really see was the outline of him. Finally, a soft whisper fell from her lips, ”Why are you so persistent on keeping me?”

Word Count631

[Verin Rush]

Ravok was never really silent, even in the small hours of the morning. Though most inhabitants of the city slept, there was always some noise, someone awake. Ravok, as the lake city, didn't have the problem that Verin imagined some other cities would have - they had no stray animals whining and fighting, but there general low noise. In comparison to his home city, Verin found the depths of the Wilderness to be eerily quiet. At night, he might hear the occasional animal howl or call, but Verin was a creature of comfort, and he missed the sound of civilisation.

Lying in the tent that night, his eyes were closed, knowing that attempting to sleep whilst the travelling party was not moving was sensible. Days of sitting atop the mare were draining, especially for one so inexperienced at riding. But sleep would not take him, and he lay there, getting more and more stiff. He could hear the wind trying to force its way through the tent in which he was sleeping. And he could feel the movements of his Kelvic slave shifting from the opening of the tent. It wasn't long before she began to shuffle back inside the tent and Verin almost stirred to remind her to fasten the entrance closed, but he thought better of it, thinking that he might be close to drifting off now.

"Why are you so persistent on keeping me?" The sigh was one clearly of irritation, and the girl would have immediately been made aware that the blond was still awake. Yet he made no move to open his eyesight instead muttering, “Why are you so persistent in asking your questions?” His own question was rhetorical and he wasn't expecting an answer. A few ticks passed, and when the girl made no reply, nor move to leave him alone, he opened his eyes to find golden-brown hues starting back into his pale blue orbs.

He considered mentioning, once again, the financial reasons, which was, in truth, the only reason that he kept her. For the first time, it occurred to the Black Sun initiate that the slave had no concept of the value of money, which would explain why she could not accept reasons for him to be taking her with him. He didn't really know what to say to her; he had no answer that would satisfy her. “You have value to me, Redd.” It was an easy response, one that could be taken in many different ways, and he didn't care how she took it.

But the question had made the elder of the Rush twins actually think about why he kept the slave around. Each day that he kept her was another day that more of his limited money was drained away. The girl had yet to contribute to her keep, but he would not remove the collar without the assurance that she would return to him. He regarded her slowly, eyes trailing up and down her body, pleased to see that she had gained some weight since he first met her. “Get some rest.”

[Redd]

Redd sighed softly as she sat back, her gaze drifting over to the opening of the tent, thinking for a simple moment. Did he tire of her questions? She wasn’t sure how he could for she rarely ever asked them, in fact they had rarely ever talked. She had remained mostly quiet but she was slowly finding out that she was beginning to talk to herself, especially considering that she was a slave so she was ignored for the better part. While wolves didn’t talk, they were social creatures, always doing things in packs. Or if wolves went off to scout their lands, they would do it in either twos or threes. They ate together, they howled together. It was a never ending circle of socialization and ever since she had been enslaved, she felt alone, very much alone. However, Verin thought that she had value and she honestly did not know as to what kind of value that she could have to the man. For if she had any true value, then why had her past masters left her? She drew in a slow breath, as she closed her single eye, trying to work it all out. However only one question came to mind, she’s a beast, what value could she truly have?

She glanced back to the blonde man and slowly shook her head at him. ”You do realize that if Master Miro hasn’t claimed me by now… Then he won’t ever be claiming me.” She lifted her left hand to rub it along the left side of her face as she tried to think about how she could explain to Verin about why she thought the way that she did. It was mostly a feeling really, something that she had gotten from Miro when he had first rescued her from starvation. He had promised to take care of her, to look after her, but now he was gone and she knew, she just knew that he wasn’t coming back for her. It was then that she realized that she had been told to go to bed and she slowly inched away from him, her hazel hue still remaining upon the man’s prone form. Finally she turned away from him to take up the position by the entrance of the tent once again. The young wolf still had reserves about Nyka, mostly because she hadn’t been there since her mother had chased her out of the home. The rest of the population had done the rest, chasing after her with sticks and stones. She could still remember the blows as each one fell down upon her small form and now she was returning, if only to pass through it.

The hoot of an owl pierced the night and she lifted her chin a little to peer out of the flap, however she didn’t see it. For chances were, it was perched in a nearby tree and seeing as it was night, the animal would be able to blend in well with the dark leaves. ”When I had first met Master Miro… I thought that I might have found a place where I belong, but the truth is, I do not belong anywhere. I may be a slave, but that isn’t a true place, it’s a human…” She paused for a moment as she pondered upon the right word to call it, ”A human rank. When I speak of belonging somewhere, I mean a home. A home that I can go back to and know that that is my permanent place.” Another pause happened as she tried to arrange her thoughts once again, reflecting back upon past conversations. Her words were mostly softly spoken words, for she hardly expected Verin to even listen to her. She didn’t expect him to care, because he was a human. Her right hand lifted to lightly press to the right side of her face, over her right eye socket, where bandages brushes against her palm. Slowly her left eye closed as she bowed her head for a moment, her words dropping to almost a whisper. ”Your brother was right about one thing. Although I am kelvic, I will first and foremost, be nothing but a beast.”

There was no such thing as home for a beast...

Word Count713

[Verin Rush]

Redd was only silent for a short while, and Verin relaxed, preparing to fall asleep. His rest was short-lived, however, because the girl spoke again. As previously, the Ravokian did not respond immediately, as he dissected the information. He was surprised that the Kelvic, whom he had assumed to be of lesser intelligence, with little sense of abstraction, had come to the same conclusion that he had come to. He agreed with the girl; Miro had much invested in Ravok, and for that reason Verin doubted that he would leave the lake-city for longer than a few days. It was possible that yes, he had missed the Mage each time he tried to return the slave, but he had started to wonder if something other than chance was keeping in from returning her.

He nodded, head rubbing against his makeshift cloak-pillow. "The thought had occurred to me. Which is why you are coming with me to Sahova, Redd." He kept his eyes closed and his voice level, though there was a very definite sleepy tone to it. "I was not about to leave you in Ravok, not for you to be left alone permanently."

"Or worse, for Miro to find you again, and return you to his service." There were many reasons as to why Verin was against that, most obviously the financial loss that he would suffer should Miro just take the slave back without any reimbursement for him. Second, and no less important (though he would not yet allow Redd to know of this reason) was that he doubted Miro had ever cared for the well-being of anything but himself. Worse, the selfish Mage had Venser as a houseguest. "I would hazard that you had not belonged to Miro for long? That, previous to him, you had been alone?"

He wanted the girl to think that everything he was doing, he was doing of her benefit. Which was true, to an extent; he was concerned about the wolf. He had little hope that she would believe what he said, but it was true. Then the girl continued, and Verin saw a different side to the Kelvic. Previously, she had been closed of, as if a wall of adamantium stood around her. Aloof and stubborn, Verin was now beginning to see what she was hiding underneath all those layers. And he had no response to her words, nothing that he could say to drag more out of her and help her open up to him. He struggled for a moment. Then, he opened his eyes, "Anything my brother might have said to you was most likely a projection..."

He didn't know how to answer her. As a human, he had always found his place in society. And as a Ravokian, he could not understand the plight of a Kelvic, though he had seen a number of the creatures integrate well into the society. Venser, however, had struggled for many, many years with acceptance. As their father Vilkas had before. The younger of the Rush twins had a penchant for causing others to feel as low as he did, and Redd was no exception. "He has never been comfortable in his own life, and he will endeavour to make anyone feel similarly miserable."

[Redd]

Redd listened silently as Verin spoke, his words both questioning and explaining, to a point. Does he really want to know my story? She silently asked herself as she slowly laid her form down upon the ground, her back pressed to the earth, but her head was angled to the right so then her left eye could continue to peer outside of the tent. ”You are bringing me with you to Sahova, because I have human value to you.” The young wolf simply said before a sigh fell upon her lips. Did Verin really want to know about her? Did he even care? Her first master had asked about her life history, but Miro never had. Perhaps it just depended upon the master, whether they were willing to listen or not. She closed her single hue for a moment as she tried to gather her thoughts, to squash and arrange them together. Finally, her hazel hue was revealed once more, but she continued to stare out of the flap of the tent, taking in the silence of the night. It was a silence that calmed her nerves, soothed her pains and reminded her that one day, she may be free to roam through the wilds once more.

”I was born in Nyka, the place that we are heading to, to a single mother. I was two months when I first shifted and my mother threw me out of the house, while the children chased me out of the city with sticks and stones.” The story surprisingly came to her lips easily and they flowed forth, almost as if a flow gate had been released. ”I barely survived on my own as I travelled the lands, surviving on whatever I could eat; berries, dead animals and even dead humans. Eventually I reached the shores of Lake Ravok where I had made a home within a cave. I could have almost been considered dead by the time winter came around. In fact, as the snow fell and I had laid within its embrace, I had almost thought that I was dead.” She closed her single hue as she fell back upon that memory, of lying under the bush while the snow fell heavily all around her. Death had almost been certain, for without any meat upon her bones, she would have quickly frozen to death. ”Then, out of the snows came a fellow wolf. The pack slept around me that night and accepted me into their pack. The alpha female accepted me as her own pup, took me in and cared for me. I lived amongst the wolves for close to three years.”

She drew in a long slow breath as she opened her single hue to view the wilds outside of the tent once more, her lips turning downwards as she continued on. ”One day, a poisoner had come across the place where I had stashed the things that I had stolen off of a dead man and I acted in defence of my territory. He got me with something that’s called Wildleash and I remember waking up to the scent of my fellow pack members close. They chased the both of us up trees, me as well because I was human. Something that the alpha male was not happy about it. This poisoner distracted them while I jumped out of the tree and shifted…” She paused for a moment as she thought upon it, she should have left the poisoner there. She should have left him there and ran for her own life. Perhaps then she wouldn’t be in this mess, she could have joined another pack somewhere else and have two eyes. ”I then grabbed their attention with my own blood and I trailed them away from the poisoner, where I gained a few scars for my betrayal of the pack. A big black cat stepped in then and it drew their attention away from me, where I then made my own escape.”

Her tongue then darted out to wet her lips as she realized that this story was longer than when she had first told it to her first master. ”I was wounded badly and I probably would have died from my injuries. I had accepted that death was a likely outcome when I met a Symenestra, he was friendly at first and brought me into Ravok where he had my wounds treated for. Then… He left me behind, I don’t know why and I fell into the hands of slavers where I was rescued by my first master, Elias Caldera. I... Don’t know why I stayed, I should have left, but he had collared me and…” A sigh caressed her lips. Why had she stayed with him? Why had she allowed him to talk her into staying? ”I don’t know why, but I stayed and found out that Vayl had replaced me with another kelvic which was probably why he had left me. It was the day that I had found out that I was replaceable, which is why I don’t know why I have any value to you, because I am replaceable to everyone, including you.” A soft growl bubbled to her lips at this as more questions began to fill her mind, questions that would continue to plague her because no answers would come.

”I stayed with him for a season, I hunted down the woman slave for him. I had even killed a pack brother for him, to prove to him that he could trust me, but he left the collar around my neck. One day… He too left and I starved. I had even attacked a non-citizen because I was just so hungry and I could feel my life on the brink of death once more.” Death had been so close so many times that she began to question if it was Rhysol’s will. Elias had said that he was merciful and kind, but he had also said that people considered Rhysol to also be evil. Was Rhysol playing a game with her life? ”It was then where Miro found me and took me in. After that, I believe you basically know everything else. Have I been alone? I have been alone because of what I am for most of my life, why would now be any different? Just because I am surrounded by humans, it doesn’t mean that I don’t feel lonely, it just makes me feel even more alone. Why? Because I’m a slave, a kelvic, a wolf that’s a dangerous beast, so I’m ignored unless needed.”

The young wolf reached her right arm to the side and out of the tent, pressing her hand to the earth, her fingers digging into it as she imagined her claws digging into it. ”I am two halves of two species and not accepted into both. To fit into one, I must be able to deny the other, but how does one deny the other when it is what they are? When it is in their blood?” Her eye close then as she tucked her head in while her fingers upon the dirt released their claw like position, a heavy sigh upon her lips before she rolled onto her right side, her back to Verin. She spoke once more, her tone soft. ”But I am just a beast, so what would I know about anything?” It had been a first for Redd to even talk to anyone in such a way, to simply open up and talk about her feelings. She felt vulnerable and she hated it, she hated herself for even talking to this man that held the key to her collar, the man denied her her freedom. Could she truly hate the man himself? She didn’t know, for he hadn’t hurt her without reason, he hadn’t ripped out her eye or created lasting pain. He had only been soft with his touches and encouraging in a way. Scolding when she had done something wrong and occasionally he gave her a nudge into a direction. In a way, he was an alpha, but could she hate an alpha for doing what he felt was right for her?

[Verin Rush]

It would have been an understatement to say that Verin was not interested in the girl's life history. Yes, he was loathe to discover suffering in the girl's life, but she was a slave, a Kelvic no less, and she was not as well refined, cognitively. The Ravokian-born, xenophobic blond did not believe the lesser races to feel emotions as profoundly as humans. It had become clear to Verin, in the last few days, that the brash creature was prone to anger, and remembered offended to her person. In a way, he was glad that he had not seen Venser recently for, although he knew his brother would have to answer for the apparently needless act of violence, he would dispose of the Kelvic before any true harm came to the other Rush twin.

As he listened to the slave's words, however, he became more and more aware of the emotion that laced each word she spoke. Redd was not simple - uneducated, yes - but not simple. Her life had not been easy, and her very being, was the result if each hardship. And he listened, in silence, unmoving, barely reacting to what was said, like he might in normal social interactions, but he listened. Not once did he interrupt, for after a while he understood that this sharing of her story was probably cathartic for her. Maybe she had never spoke of it before. Maybe no one had ever given her the chance to share it. From what she said, it didn't sound like that had been an option.

At the mention of Wildleash, Verin shifted; he had guessed that the poisoner mentioned was Nolan Parnell, his associate and mentor, who had also recently taught him how to make the Wildleash, in exchange for the two left over vials of Redd's blood. He had kept most of the Wildleash that they had made together. He wondered if Redd knew how the poison was created, and if she had worked out that that was the purpose of taking her blood. For now she was collared, but he needed her to be snake to hunt, without risking his own throat being torn out.

Then, he was blessed with hearing her own self-evaluation, and still he remained silent, letting her speak. When she fell silent, he waited, giving himself time to digest what had been shared and giving her the chance to relax, and to understand how open she had just been. "I cannot profess to understand some of your hardships, Redd, " though much of Verin's own life had not been easy, it was self-inflicted, and not something that he would allow himself to share with a slave, "but I can only hope that such events have fortified your resilience and strengthened your resolve."

"However..." the Black Sun initiate knew that, even though they had left Ravok, and Redd was a few seasons away for ever seeing Venser again, he needed to instil within the girl a mechanism that would help her learn which battles to fight. Venser was one quarry that she would have to forget, for aver in would not suffer losing his brother, and Ravok would not suffer a Kelvic murdering a citizen. "Not all foes are worth the hatred you bestow upon them... for, with each bell that you focus on your revenge, you waste energy that would be better spent elsewhere."

He fell silent, and examined the property that he had accidentally acquired, unwilling property that he now had to consider when he made decisions. Looking into the remaining eye, he wondered if he saw a spark of intelligence, and whether it was possible to reason with something more primal than human. "Sometimes it is difficult to look past an offence, but never is it beneficial to focus on things past over things present, or those still to come. You have an opportunity, Redd. An opportunity to improve a life so riddled with hardship. But only you can do that; I can only help. If you focus on the past, bitterness will forever shadow your life,and events will repeat themselves." Just as Venser had done.

[Redd]

Redd’s hatred of Venser was all that she had. She had no pack and she struggled with being a slave. Human civilization wasn’t something that she claimed to know anything about, having grown up amongst a pack of wolves, where love and family had been freely given. Until she had betrayed that by helping a human. Now, she was amongst mankind and all she had seen come from it was pain and hatred. As she went from master to master, she learned of hatred and to be less trusting. To be extra careful of each one of her steps, for there were predators around each corner and they came wearing disguises. The wolf rolled back onto her back, her single gaze drawn to view the tent above her, silence ruled over her form for a moment. ”As a wolf… I used to know peace. I used to be a part of a family that loved and we looked out for each other.” She paused for a moment within her words, chewing upon them as she tried to work out how to tell the man without giving away her intent to kill his brother. ”When a wolf is injured without a good cause, or betrayed in any way, it’s not the actual injury that matters… It’s the….” She paused searching through her memories for the words that she was after.

”It’s the reasoning behind it. Wolves don’t kill unless it’s for food or to defend their territory. I allowed you to take my blood without striking out with an intent to harm, because you said that it was for our protection. Even though I don’t understand that.” A sigh caressed her lips as she tried to work out as to just why she would even attempt to make him understand. ”Wolves are pack animals and a lone wolf eventually dies. For the loneliness creeps in and they just lay down and give up. After all, what’s the point of living if the only family that you had, pushed you out because you betrayed them? I betrayed mine by helping a human and I was tossed back into the human world, a world I am not familiar with. So when you speak of an opportunity that I apparently have, I do not understand how I can improve my life in slavery. Collared and doing the bidding of another.” People were constantly telling her things, things that only gave her more questions with no one willing to answer. They just didn’t understand the word loyalty, intent on betraying each other.

”As people are more likely to point out, I act more like a wolf than human. If I just stop hating those that have wronged me, then I will have nothing. I will have no reason to keep placing one foot in front of the other, especially now being as collared and packless as I am.” Indeed, she might have acknowledged Verin to be something she would consider an alpha, but she didn’t acknowledge that he was her alpha. To acknowledge that one was their alpha, was a very personal matter. ”I would do what every other lone wolf would do, lie down and just wait for death from starvation and thirst. However, I think that because of my human side I refuse to just lie down and die. Instead, I kill to survive and I bow to the will of others. I want to live, but everything keeps telling me that death wishes to claim me. As I had laid there upon the floor bleeding from the eye socket, I thought that death was finally going to claim me. That I would bleed out and it would be all over. Instead, as I laid upon some bed at the Healing Hand, I latched onto the fact that I was a beast. Hatred flooded my veins and ever since then, I have kept my head above the water. I have been able to accept the fact that I will never be able to be a part of a pack that will love and accept me as family.” Slowly, she turned her head to view Verin, ”So tell me, what opportunity, do I have while being a slave to you where only loneliness and hatred continues to follow me?”

[Sayana]

Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request. If there's anything I may have missed, please PM me and I'll be happy to look into it.

 

Redd

Skills

• Endurance: 1
• Philosophy: 4
• Observation: 1
• Intelligence: 1
• Rhetoric: 3
• Interrogation: 2
• Storytelling: 2
• Teaching: 1

Lores

• To be regarded as having value
• No such thing as a home for a beast
• Verin: Kinder Master
• Sharing my past with Verin
• Loneliness of being both a wolf and human, but accepted by neither

Comments
Unless you are still a slave in Endrykas, please update your ledger to include seasonal expenses for any seasons you played in (eg. Fall 515)

 

Verin

Skills

• XP

Lores

• Lore:

Comments
If you become unretired, please PM me and I'll grade this.

Comments: I really enjoyed some of the character development in this thread. It's too bad it got abandoned. Redd has very distinct and interesting opinions on wolves compared to humans. I tried to give you what I could in terms of skills.

Your Grader,

Sayana

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