These Bonds That Bind {open}

[SALALI]

SALALI

As evening wilted away into dusk, the sun cast long shadows across the towering formations lining the walls of the Auktion rock. Warm ochre tones contrasted to the cool purple shadows. In this light, Salali's pelt appeared aglow, her wide saffron eyes darting this way and that in utter horror. She was weary from the nonstop walking since her capture in the morning, her legs aching so much that she swallowed a soft moan of pain. It seemed much longer since the early morning that she had rose with her family, their hope of finding a new home warm in their hearts. Who could have prepared them for a fate such as this?  Separated from everything she knew of the world, Salali defaulted to the only means of comfort she had.

Panting in fear, her only relief was to chatter her teeth open and shut, a soft whine interrupted by the sharp clack of her jaw. The Dominor who escorted her through the gorge didn't mind it as much as the lot who had brought her to sale, the massive wolf dwarfing the red girl's figure by means of bulk and muscle. Sure, she had asked many questions, but they came be it or not he rebuffed her, so he ignored her instead. Without an answer, the little wolf would content herself with chattering quietly for much longer rather than string her questions together for an immeasurable amount of time.

Salali didn't seem to have the desire to dart, her shoulder stuck to his in a way that lead her to take long loped strides to keep in step. She jumped at every sudden sound, her large copper ears flicking this way and that as the chattering increased in volume, words followed with the same waver. "How does this happen- y'know? The sales?" She had to have asked this a half dozen times, but the Dominor didn't care. She hadn't leaped on him and attempted to shred his ears like the Sklavin who was last under his guard. He simply responded in silence once more, much to her dismay.

She knew that as they came about, the rock would slope upwards onto a pulpit of sorts. There she would be claimed and sent on her way. She hoped there was a single soul out there who was in her corner. She couldn't possibly afford to have poor luck, especially on this day. They had been walking in circles for quite some time, as if the anxiety of not knowing when her fate would be determined would weaken her resolve. As she stared about, several other figures trudged the same pattern. Some of them lacked the spark she skittered about with, their eyes dead and paws dragging. It appeared that those wolves had already succeeded to defeat and accepted whatever came their way. Those with a bit more spirit were escorted by two burly males, spending most of the time sandwiched so tightly between them they could barely turn and sneer, let alone snap at their captors.

When at last it felt as if her paws would give out, they passed the wolf who was seated immediately before the turn up to the auction block. A keen rose from Salali's throat as he nodded and she pressed against her escort's shoulder, balking for a moment. "Please no- not yet." She weakly protested, but a swift butt to her haunches sent her up the incline without another word, her eyes shut as she simply followed the Dominor's lead. She felt the heat of the dying day on her paws, the voice of the auctioneer, nearly hoarse from calling all day, echoing out over the assembled below.

"You couldn't get any fresher with this one. She hasn't stopped walking since she was rounded up this morning so you've got no worries about this one running off anymore. Clean as the hole she crawled out of and as fast as a jackrabbit, just as stupid as one too. If only it could shut up for a minute." Salali cringed at the timber wolf's description of her. She wasn't something to be bartered and sold! She was more than just that! Her eyes however fell to her paws, not wishing to glance down into the eyes of those who gazed at her in fear that their eyes meeting would incite a reaction.

[VELDIS]

V E L D I S

I'M GONNA CHANGE YOU LIKE A REMIX,
THEN RAISE YOU LIKE A P H O E N I X.

TALK || THINK || TEXT || THEM

Mud caked the frozen ground as the taupe male crested the scraggly divide between Shreien and the Rock. With the peak of winter gone, slavers were back in full force as the subsiding cold signaled the beginning to what they called the ‘restocking period’. Scarcity of food and elemental battering wore most slaves down to the point of death, prompting their masters to need fresh souls to fill the void; a desire the metaphorical vultures of the rock were happy to fill. Exposure wore down not only the captive masses but the potential thralls as well, making new ‘recruitment’ easy for the abusive abductors. Because of this, even as gales whistled through the ominous spires, raining frost down upon those below, the Rock was as bustling as ever, even as the sun was beginning its decent.

Veldis maneuvered his way through the crowds, catching a few roaming eyes along the way. His slightly larger than average size, combined with his striped pelt and handsome physique often attracted a fair amount of attention—not that the egotistical male minded. In fact, he played along, egging on the curious canines with a polished smirk or flirtatious wink. Their notice, combined with the iron tang in the air and surrounding towering walls, brought him back to his arena days. Feral growls and fiery roars echoed inside his skull, basking in the adulation of a bloodthirsty audience, ivory incisors dripping red. His daydream was interrupted by a slaver parading a new catch, berating her as he did so.

He looked up at her with a piercing gaze, sizing up the red hued fem. She didn’t look like she’d been a slave long, considering even at a cursory inspection she was in a much better physical state than most of the other mutts in the canyon. What the brute next to her was saying was probably true; she either appeared to be a recent capture, or whoever had her before cared enough to keep her from looking like a dingy mess, however the latter option was unlikely due to how confused she seemed. Veldis meditated on her worth a moment before his heart made the decision for him.

“You’re one to talk, considering a jackrabbit could outsmart you in a heartbeat.” Laughter waved through those gathered, much to the dismay of the guard who he’d just insulted. The other brute’s eyes narrowed in distaste, and Veldis straightened his slouching posture, swiftly revealing the hardened warrior tucked beneath his nonchalant exterior. “You got something to say to me, boy? I’m leavin’ here with a bitch, and unless you want it to be you, I suggest handing over that little cherry and we’ll be on our way.” The other brute took a step back as he stared angrily at Veldis before eventually turning away to bring out the next sklavin. A cocky smile spread across his maw, turning his attention to the fem. “Well, come on sweetheart, let’s go find us a place to get… acquainted.” The male threw his new girl a mischievous wink as he waited for her to make her way down from the pedestal. When she did so he saddled up next to her, sides touching, escorting her through the crowds and fiercely glaring at anyone whose glance lingered a bit too long.

He took a few steps back once they reached a relatively quiet location near the edge of the Auction area, motioning for her to stop. Glancing around, Veldis guessed this was as good of a location as any to stop before the short journey home. “Poor babe, you look scared to death. Nothin’ to worry about doll, the worst of it is over. My name’s Veldis, but you can call me Vel; or Boss if you don’t feel like usin’ my name for whatever reason. Big Daddy too; the late-night companions seemed to love that one.” Laughing through a flirtatious grin, Veldis hoped he wasn’t somehow traumatizing the girl, though he doubted anyone could be insulted by sly advances this tame.

“So, my little sooty-backed enchantress, you surely have a lot of questions, so I’ll answer a few if you want before we head off. Oh, and I’d love to know your name, though I could continue with the pet names, if you’d like.” The same lighthearted smirk from earlier returned to as he sat in front of her. He could probably keep up a lifetime relationship with someone and only refer to them with assorted flatteries, but names were definitely helpful. After introductions, he’d answer a few of her questions she probably had, to give her time to recover a bit before the trek back to Regnen. He did need to check up on his little Dhole buddy after all.

WC: 776
TAG: alpine / SALALI
NOTE: delelelele. <3

[SALALI]

SALALI

"Speech" Others

When I run through the deep dark forest long after this begun
Where the sun would set, trees were dead and the rivers were none--

As she circled once more- once, twice- around the Auktion Rock's peak, Salali let her eyes peek from her weary paws to examine the world around her from this vantage point. The view from here would have been more than breathtaking in any other circumstance, she thought at first, but the drop remained just as treacherous and real, the edge only a foul step away, so it seemed. With a grim gulp, Salali wondered how many had picked the fall as their fate. She could see a desperate Sklavin in her mind's eye as he slipped free of the Dominor's teeth with a sudden move, sliding gracefully over the side in a manner a log might descend a waterfall, only to come back to earth with a sickening crack in the midst of the potential buys below. Would they consider it business as usual and drag her carcass off to feed the hungry captives whom she preceded?

Skin crawling, the ginger damsel spotted a lighter colored being sitting amidst the usual charcoal and brown crowd, well aware of the way his bright eyes bore into her figure. What was he thinking? Distracted, Salali's gait hesitated, head craning to catch a better look of him before he vanished over the lip of the rock, but the Dominor grabbed her by the ear and tugged, eliciting a yip of distaste. She feared he would take the flesh from her body, but he instead paused when the one she assumed had been staring spoke up in her defense. The timber wolf who called the specifcs of each Sklavin jerked his head this way and that, his fur fluffing up in embarassment. He knew better to open his mouth, especially here in a place where freedoms and rights were regularly stripped.

 “You got something to say to me, boy? I’m leavin’ here with a bitch, and unless you want it to be you, I suggest handing over that little cherry and we’ll be on our way.” The timber wolf balked, as if sensing the wicked sincerity of the unknown rustlerouser's voice, and did not reply. From atop the rock, he muttered to the Dominor to bring the product down to the consumer, and with a quickness at that. Salali's ear forgotten, the stocky male did as he was instructed and nudged his charge back towards the decline, his body tense as he intended to do just that. With head still cocked over her shoulder, Salali squirmed, her chattering returning with renewed vigor as she spotted the way the larger male winked, his words ringing in her little ears.

Salali stumbled down the slope, the constant change in angle torturous to her sore legs. She skipped the final few feet by leaping down, putting enough distance between her and the slaver to  give him the indication that his duties were no longer needed. Turning back towards where she saw the stranger last, her body instead bumped into his side, her shoulders coming up to around his elbow. If she were to crouch, she could easily have walked beneath his slender body. He was enormous and had to have at least a foot on her, yet she wondered if she could outrun him. In her condition, it seemed pathetic to even try. She could barely bring herself to shuffle though the crowd, her slender muzzle tucked into the charcoal fur on his belly to keep her from meet eyes with any other.

When it seemed at last the crowd thinned enough for there to be a decent amount of privacy, Salali felt the grey and black male some to a halt, her brow bumping into his elbow with a little "oomph". She sat back on her haunches with a soft groan of content, her head at first coming up to stare at him with a guarded look. As if realizing what she was doing, she started and let her nose droop, looking up at him with sad and confused saffron eyes, a tremble coming over her exhausted muscles. The larger being spoke to her in a nurturing tone, introducing himself with a manner of aliases. She listened observantly, but couldn't help but ask-

"Big Daddy?" Salali quirked a brow and tried to wrap her uninitiated head around the term as she said it aloud quizzically. "Why-" Salali shut her mouth, deciding not to ask the question on her mind. She wasn't sure, but a gut feeling told her not to pursue the issue much farther. Her mind still whirled with what little information she had soaked up earlier, her expectations of a Dominor completely blown away. "So no Master, or all of that... Just Boss?" He had to have a reason behind it, that she was certain. Salali wanted to know as much as possible before he moved her from this spot, else he'd probably be forced to drag her, chattering and whining, all the way home.

As they casually conversed, the sensation of the tension seeping from her muscles melting off, as if fear was all they knew. As far as she was aware at that moment, he hadn't berated her or let her have it with his teeth. What was his motive? Was he trying to get her to trust him? How long would it be until he turned into one of the Dominor's from the Rock. She felt the presence of the place over her shoulder, as if landmarks had the ability to weep emotion from their very being. It was certainly safer to be with such a large brute than on her own, though she wished dearly she could have been with her family instead. She alternated glancing at him cautiously in the eyes and staring at his scars, feeling more at ease with the larger being, yet still cautious.

"First off, if you would be so kind and willing to tell me... Well, what just happened? Where are we going? Why- Well, why me?" The questions gushed out as quickly as they came to mind. Salali felt the familiar clicking of her jittering jaws as she quieted down, turning to more words to stop the nervous tic."My name is Salali and I go by Lali, or- I used to go by that-"  The name fell from her lips with a little lilt, the sound comforting to her ears. For a moment Salali paused, her expression hazy as the little gears in her head turned, trying to form the words together as if tiptoing through the conversation. "You can call me what you'd like to call me, if Lali doesn't suit your tongue. You seem to know some interesting monikers." She flashed a little smile, abiet a shy one.

Rising to her paws, Salali felt her back end sway, her hind legs splaying out to accomodate until her muscles ceased shaking in effort. "If I sit down again, I'm not gonna be able to keep going." She said with a little urgency in her voice, hoping that his reply would be brief, but detailed enough to put her at ease. She could take herself quite a ways farther, but afterwards- "It's like fire in my veins." Her body tingled, as if trying to find some source of energy to draw from. Willing herself forward, Salali started to walk a little circle, trying not to bottom out the last of her energy by staying still for too long. She kept her eyes on him attentively though, the saffron color cloudy with weariness. She had no idea what he had in store for her- she could barely judge his character from what she saw. Whose interests did he have in mind?

And I hope for a trace to lead me back home from this place
But there was no sound, there was only me and my disgrace.

Word Count: 1278
Theme: Wolf - First Aid Kit
Muse: Great at first... Then I got a little distracted. ;3;
OOC: Woo!
Tag: VELDIS

[VELDIS]

V E L D I S

I'M GONNA CHANGE YOU LIKE A REMIX,
THEN RAISE YOU LIKE A P H O E N I X.

TALK || THINK || TEXT || THEM

"So no Master, or all of that... Just Boss?"

Veldis simply nodded, feeling no need to explain any more than that. The common Dominor of Ravensbruck, to him, seemed awfully concerned with their titles; something Veldis couldn’t give any fewer fucks for. Their obsession harkened back to his life within Kolstad’s royal court, full of pompous airheads and egos that would make his own seem insignificant in comparison. Even when he was amongst their numbers, he refused to be called by any flatteries, and some longtime members even followed suit, appreciating his formality. Vel wasn’t going to change just because the scenery did. He’d never be anyone’s master. Just as the shewolf before him began to relax, her tension seemed to flood back with her torrent of questions.

"My name is Salali and I go by Lali, or- I used to go by that- First off, if you would be so kind and willing to tell me... Well, what just happened? Where are we going?”

She looked so bewildered, stunned, like a frightened rabbit freshly plucked from its subterranean home. In all likelihood her story could be bleakly comparable, seeing how lost the poor girl looked. It was fairly common for slavers to capture whole traveling families and separate them, or kill off certain members, to then sell the rest later. It was possible that something similar had happened to her, and Veldis could only hope she hadn’t seen the worst of what Ravensbruck had to offer.

“Why- Well, why me?"

His heart, if it was capable of such an emotional feat, would have broken if it could. He saw his own grief reflected back from when he, too, asked that same question. ‘Damn, I really am going soft.’

“One thing at a time, Lali. You must be new here.” He sighed, not out of annoyance, but out of a knowing disappointment. Being the bearer of bad news was not something he enjoyed. “You’re in Ravensbruck, if you didn’t know. The place you just were, it’s called the Auktion Rock, or just the Rock by most locals. It deals in slaves, which you were just sold as to me. Means I own you, body and soul, until I otherwise decide.” He paused, as if to allow what he’d just said to sink in. “Or it would, if I was an ordinary Dominor.” Grinning lightly, Veldis stood up and leaned against Salali, supporting her as he began walking. “I’m the alpha of Regnen, and that’s where we’re goin’. Come on sweetheart, I’ll explain more along the way. Schreien’s no place to be after dark.” And with that he set off towards the winding path home, Salali in tow.

WC: 448
TAG: alpine / SALALI
NOTE: Short, but I'm gonna continue it in Regnen. You don't have to reply to this one. I'd reply to the one I post in regnen instead with the stuff from this one. c: Shouldn't be too long. OH, and if you could tag ¿℟ᵿҝɸ in your posts with the character that'd be great. Just helps me keep track of replies better. Sorry! <3333 Found a new band thanks to you too! Tehee.