P a n g a e a
broken your servant I kneel
it seems what's left of my human side
is slowly changing in me
She stared up at him cautiously as he approached, gaze guarded, defensive, ready to accept her fate. He wasn't really giving her a hint of what to expect, however. Instead, he seemed to just be focusing on her, her wounds. Was he looking for the best place to tear her apart? To find the quickest means of destroying her? The most painful method of killing her? Her ears pinned again, watching, waiting.
Still, he wasn't making a move. What was he waiting for? Just get it over with, just kill her. She was already at his mercy, and despite her attempts to be strong and desire to prove herself, the longer it took for that blow, the more nervous she was getting. She'd accept death with pride and grace, but that didn't mean she wanted to die. She was terrified. The sudden jerk of his head up had her flinching back, eyes steeling, ready for the final blow . . . she wasn't expecting the booming laugh that echoed around the plains. She blinked a couple of times, brow furrowing and her expression becoming troubled.
Tilting her head to the side, she watched the way he shook his head, smile wide, before agreeing that her chances of seeing it through winter were non-existent. But then he surprised her, telling her he wasn't about to kill her. She hesitated, head tilting to the side, bound locks tumbling down her neck uncertainly, "You're. . . not?" The voice was frighteningly small compared to her bravado earlier.
It was hard to believe, even as he defended his choice, that she hadn't known about the elk being more, that she'd just wanted to eat, and even nodding to her injuries, her thin body, explaining that with her wounds, and she just couldn't . . . Oh. Suddenly she understood, "You intend to leave me here to starve then." She stated, that emptiness returning to her eyes, head bowing as if to accept the punishment, "After all, one less predator to hunt isn't a bad thing is." The cruel acceptance to her own expected fate would be alarming for many. But to a mare who had to raise herself (and her little brother before he'd been killed by a bigger predator), it was the way of life she'd learned.
He suddenly stepped closer, and Pangaea froze again, watching him cautiously, waiting to see his next move - but never prepared for the next words. He . . . intended to help her? Feed her, see that she recovers? "Why would you do that?" Instantly she was skeptical, "What's in it for you?" She knew well enough nothing ever came free in life. It was a lesson she'd learned quickly with her parent's abandonment.
No, he didn't just intend to help her. He was giving her a place to stay even. And as his gaze met hers, she could read the sincerity in his gaze, a kindness she'd never been offered by others, beyond the pack she'd found for herself. "Why would you bring a predator into your home, shouldn't you be afraid I'll turn on either of you in your sleep." She snorted. She didn't bother to admit the truth, that despite the fangs, despite the hunt earlier, she wasn't a proper predator. She was an omnivore, not a carnivore. Most of the fangs and talons were meant for defense, not just a quick meal. While the meat was a part of her diet, it was only drastically needed while her body fought off the infection. Otherwise, she needed to just hunt once every other week or so.
But he didn't know that. So why would he think this safe? Finally, she sighed slowly, climbing awkwardly to her limbs, some of the pressure off the wounds now that the puss and infection had been forced out, her long tail swaying behind her, the sunlight gleaming off the gold and amber jewelry she wore. She looked up at him, hesitating, uncertain, "I suppose I'm at your mercy, I don't see how I can refuse . . . considering my only other option is death. But only until I am better. I will impose no longer than necessary." The mare stated, expression still uncertain, watching him with a caution derived from having been forcibly on her own for so long. She hadn't had to trust anyone in years - not since she came to this world, since she lost Duellum since she was trapped in that hellish location. She would let him help her, but she wouldn't trust him. Not yet.
"Speech"
Thoughts
@Gareth
Notes: I'm so excited.
when suddenly it changes
violently it changes
there is no turning back now
you've woken up the demon in me
