It was still dark out. The pale, slender luperci lay in the thick furs silently. He could hear the sounds of his mistress's soft breathing nearby. A few rooms over, he heard the clink of thick chains come from Raoth's room as he tossed in his sleep. An owl hooted just outside the cottage. Everyone was asleep, but not all were peaceful.
Dhiate's bare chest practically glowed from the moonlight entering through the window and his golden jewelry glinted not a foot away beside his folded shirt. All he wore was his baggy black silk pants which stood in stark contrast against his ice white fur. His delicate frame trembled, but not from cold. His slight ribcage shook, trembled, heaved. His eyes danced beneath closed lids and images flitted across them painfully.
Memories. Memories of playing in the snow with his younger brother, both parents watching happily. Memories of the snow thawing. Of flowers growing. Of blood, and of death. A pair of dark brown eyes staring deeply into his as they grew dim, lost their luster.
Dhiate's own blue gray ones shot open. Tears streamed from them as he pulled himself up into sitting position, back against the cold wall. He pulled his slender legs up and rested his head against them. He let the salty tears drip down his face, down his narrow muzzle. Some found their way into his mouth, filling it with the taste of salt. Silently his shoulders shook as the sun began to wake and stained the sky pink. It had been today. A year from today. The image of those beautiful eyes wouldn't leave him.
Raoth had been very determinedly working on his latest escape plan. He was going to slip through these chains, and he would be free. Raoth had been refusing his food, and now had a pile of the stuff that he could take with him when he ran. He thought he'd lost enough weight for them to slip through as well. Tugging and tugging Raoth fought, unaware that Amy had noticed and been tightening the chains without his. Frantically he pulled, finally slamming into a wall.
Amy woke up, grabbing her sword. Was something there? Her ears flicked around, still slightly damaged from what that stupid panda had done. It would take a while before she could hear things the way she used to. Satisfied all was well Amy prepared to roll back over when she noticed Dhiate, pressed into the wall, eyes closed tight as tears streamed down. That was an odd sight. Normally he was pretty happy. Debating whether to ignore it or deal with it Amy laid still. He had served her well. She could spare a few minutes. Crawling out of bed Amy slipped to his side. She wrapped his arms around him, simply being quiet, no soft music to sooth or gentle words. That wasn't here. All she could do was be there.
Dhiate's head shot up as he felt the flesh of another touch him. He turned to see the golden assassin that was his mistress. Her arms wrapped around his thin body and as shocked as he was, he couldn't help but lean into the comfort. Bringing his hands up to his face, he wiped away the tears with the palm of his hand. The tears stopped and he turned towards her. I'm sorry for disturbing your sleep mistr- His eyes trailed up to her face and he recoiled as if slapped.
Those eyes. Why hadn't he realized? Why hadn't he seen it? Surely he'd have recognized them. Surely it hadn't been so long that he wouldn't remember. Those eyes. Almost the very same as the ones that haunted his sleep. His own eyes began to pour salty tears. Why hadn't he understood? His face was covered in wonder, in horror, and in love. He knew those eyes. He knew them well, but they weren't hers. Despite all of this, he realized that no matter the resemblance, it couldn't be her. It couldn't be.
He ducked his head and squeezed his eyes shut to halt the flow of tears. He bit his lip and buried his face in clenched fists. He shouldn't have lost himself in front of his mistress. Never. Not in front of her.
Dhiate leaned into her touch, surprising a soft soothing cluck from her. Just like how she would care for her own pups, letting them know that she was there, but letting them work through the pain on their own. If they couldn't take it she would take some of the burden, but she preferred that they be strong. His tears were wiped away, Amy humming approval. There was no need to cry. His apologies were rather silly, as he hadn't woken up, but Raoth's escape attempt had. Still, it was correct.
She absolutely hadn't expected him to burst into tears after looking at her. What was that from? Completely baffled Amy watched even more tears come down, a seemingly endless stream of them this time. Had he realized what he was and decided that he hated it, wanted to leave it? That hurt to think about surprisingly. Well, what he wanted didn't matter. He belonged to her, would do what she told him to, whether he liked it or not.
Dhiate ducked down, trying to control himself again. A heavy sigh came from the trader, moving to rub at his back. Come on, it's not that bad. There's plenty of things you can do. Amy didn't allow him a lot of freedom, but it was still more than others got. Perhaps she could show him that? Come with me to the beach. Amy stood up, holding out a hand. She'd do his best to show him that his life wasn't that bad. There was no need to cry.
Her hand comforted him, and he felt happy. Dhiate had figured that a slave wouldn't deserved that hand, that comfort. He certainly didn't think he was worth it. He didn't think he was worth anything.
But Amy's words confused him. What was she talking about? Whatever she was thinking wasn't on the same page with his thoughts. What? His words slipped out, but she was already on the move. Scrambling to his feet, Dhiate ran after her. On his way, the pale wolf passed Raoth's room and earned a look of confusion from the chained coyote. It wasn't everyday you saw a shirtless Dhiate trailing after Amy while wiping tears from his face. No matter, Dhiate was gone from view in an instant, leaving the other slave alone in his thoughts.
The salty sea air was cold compared to the cabin, but it was refreshing. The blue green sea had caught the first pale rays of golden light and shone a thousand different colors. It took his breath away. What he couldn't see was what the dawn's light was doing to him and Amy. His golden mistress and he were swathed in a pale golden halo, their soft fur appearing to glow. The sun was warm on his fur and he took in a deep breath. Beautiful. He whispered in awe.
Amy walked the short distance out of the cabin to the cliff. From there she stepped down the rocky slope to where the waves crashed against the shore, a beautiful awe inspiring sight. The first rays of light were tickling over, painting the vibrant sea with shades of red and orange and pink. Even a solitary yellow streak shot through, forming what looked like a path over the water. She took in a deep breath of the air, enjoying the crisp feel, the sun tickling over her fur.
She glanced over to Dhiate, grinning at the awe on his face. That was much better than dealing with him crying his eyes out in the cabin. Amy hadn't known what to do with that, but it seemed that her plan on showing him that life wasn't as bad as he'd thought was working. Stepping over she played with his loose dark hair, blowing and wrapping around his narrow form. Softly she began to twist it up, just goofing around with the different styles that it could make. She looked back out, smiling softly. Better?
Her smile brought one just as bright. His sharp teeth gleamed in the dawning light and he took in a deep breath. It couldn't get much better than this. There was no possible way. He closed his eyes as a light breeze blew a few strands of his long hair into his face. A soft tug at his scalp made him open them once more and smile sweetly. He loved the feel of her fingers through his dark locks and leaned into the attention.
Her voice brought him from his trance and he replied. Yes ma'am. He turned towards his golden mistress and grinned broadly. He turned back to the beautiful sea. His whole body just seemed to relax at the very sight of it. As the sun rose higher, his body grew warmer. His pale chest was lit a rosy gold and the horizon grew too bright to look at.
Almost as an after thought, Dhiate spoke again. Thank you. In a way, he was speaking both to his mistress and his mother. He thanked Amy for bringing him from his dark thoughts, yet he also thanked his mother for everything. Although she didn't die giving birth, it was almost the same thing. She died because she had born him and his brother, and the look in her eyes when she died had said that she had no regrets.
Life is full of tragedies. He had watched both parents, his brother, and his friends all die. Although he didn't necessarily consider Raoth a friend, it would hurt him nonetheless when the poor boy died if only because of the time they spent together. He most certainly would cry for Thana, Isa, and Ceri. And Amy... Who knew what he would do.
Dhiate leaned closer to Amy, making it easier for the sharp natured female to work with his hair. A soft hum came from her, a simple soothing note with small occasional rises and falls, no true music to it. His good natured words, making sure that she was complimented and placed above her in the same breath, set her tail wagging, held high. He turned around, the netting of hair she'd been making collapsing in a loose mess over his head at the turn. She frowned, upset that her work had been undone.
Dhiate turned back around, making it easier for her to resume what she'd been doing. The thanks was filed away, simply accepted as her due worth. After all, she'd given his life purpose and direction. Without her he'd have very little purpose. At last she settled the hair back down into his normal braid. There's still lots to do today. We can't just stand around. Amy glanced over at the sun, having risen a short distance above the ocean by this time. I do believe you need some new clothes.
Dhiate winced at her frown, but it faded as she began to mess with his hair again. It felt so good, the little tugs at his scalp. He could almost fall asleep standing. His golden chest began to fade back to white as the sun rose higher and higher. A soft breeze made his baggy silk pants ripple in the morning. He wrapped his slender arms around his thin waist.
Dhiate opened his eyes as her fingers began to twist out of his hair, braiding it down his back. The long braid settled by the back of his knees while his bangs fell back over his face, covering the two scars that marred his face. The wind pulled out loose tendrils and the shorter hair was whipping around his face. Dhiate turned towards his mistress.
New clothes? He couldn't even begin to imagine why. He didn't understand it. New clothes? They seemed just fine to him. No rips or tears. No stains and the color wasn't fading. They hadn't stretched or loosened. He hadn't grown any different at all. Perhaps she simply wished to see him in something else? That was the only reason he could come up with that made any sense. Whatever you wish, mistress.
Amy looked over at the current outfit Dhiate had on. He was topless, half naked. That was rather shameful. For someone that was free, that was. Walking around half naked was one of the things slaves did do. Still, she was used to him wearing a shirt, and seeing him without him completely blew her sense of modesty out of the water. Just because she could strip off her clothes in front of him and feel nothing didn't mean she didn't get embarrassed by blatant displays of flesh like he was giving her right now.
Yes. Can't have you wandering around half naked now, can we? Briskly Amy moved back up, opening her wagon again. Finding outfits to match his fair complexion would be difficult. Lots of fun, but still a challenge. A dark navy blue tank was pulled out for him to try on, as well as a silver set of jewelry instead of his usual gold. She weighed it around, deciding on another heavy collared necklace, though this one hung lower down, and silver clasp bracelets. Think this will work?
OOC-Dhiate is very in touch with his feminine side.
Dhiate hadn't been wearing for clothes for very long. He'd been born and raised as your average wolf. Wolves don't wear clothes. Although he'd been wearing clothes for a few months now, he still wasn't exactly used to 'modesty'. Sure, he understood that it was proper for a luperci to cover up certain areas when in public, and although it struck him as odd when Amy stripped naked, it didn't phase him. It was natural for him, to see everything. He didn't truly understand luperci's ways yet. So when Amy made her half naked comment, he was slightly confused. Either way, it was of no consequence to him.
Dhiate trailed after his gold mistress in nothing more than a pair of baggy silk pants that billowed in the breeze. He waited for her while she rifled through the wagon, looking for something he could wear. She came out with a blue tank top of the most beautiful hue and a set of silver jewelry. At her remark, he decided to be a little bold. She was asking his opinion after all, and he did have an eye for this kind of thing. I think the top is a beautiful color, and it'll make my eyes appear bigger and bluer while making my fur look more creamy rather than the stark white that it looks when I'm wearing black. The silver will be a wonderful accent, both elegant and refined rather than exotic as gold usually portrays, but we'll have to get rid of what I'm wearing first or I'll look like a homeless slob. He grimaced at his pants before placing his hands on his hip with one jutted out in a decidedly feminine manner. Never before had he looked more... Girly.
Amy listened to his critique of the proposed outfit with pleasure. He certainly had an eye for this. Occasionally she had to steer him away from certain things, correcting and pointing out different styles. On occasion she had even explained the different meanings different items could hold, and clearly it had stuck. She grinned at the last part, noting his feminine pose. It wasn't the way she had expected him to react to getting a new outfit, and there were still others that she wanted to try out on him.
She nodded at his words, turning and looking through the wagon again. A loose pair of grey shorts was found, able to flow so that it appeared almost like a skirt. Amy was half tempted to stick him in one and see if he looked as good in one as she imagined, but managed to resist for the most part, leaving it for another time. Perhaps if he was disobedient she would force him to pretend to be female for her amusement, but this was a good day. Go on.
Dhiate watched his mistress dive back into the wagon with glee. He wasn't sure why, but this kind of thing made him happy, always happier than usual. During his lessons with Amy, he always strove to please no matter what she was teaching, but when it dealt with clothes, he didn't push his mind to the limits just for Amy. He did it because this was one of the things he enjoyed doing.
Dhiate grinned when she emerged with a pair of flowing shorts. The slender boy slipped the dark blue top over his narrow chest. It clung and hung loose at the same time, showing off his curves and the planes of his chest while adding a slight flare of elegance. It was beautiful. Almost shamelessly, he slipped his baggy black silk off and pulled on the flowing gray shorts. They all fit perfectly. He took the silver jewelry and turned the different pieces in his hand, watching the light play on the reflective surface. He clasped the bracelets onto his arms and placed the silver necklace around his neck. He was pleasantly surprised at how much lighter it was than his thick gold collar.
Dhiate looked down at hisself. Where his other outfit had made him rich and exotic, this outfit gave him elegant flowing curves. He smoothed one hand down over the flawless material and looked up at his mistress. How do I look?
Amy watched him slip on the tank, noting the slight flair that it took on the edge. She looked away when the pants were stripped off, giving him the courtesy of privacy for him to put on the shorts. Glancing over she watched him slip on the silver cuffed bracelets, and the chain of silver that wrapped around his neck. It looked quite good on him. She smiled as he examined the outfit, doing the same. It had a surprising effect, making his curves stand out even more than they already did.
The elegance was what kept her attention though. He held the air of someone suitable to go to high places, to dine with great ones, yet with enough humility to know his place. Amazing. I could take you to my family like this. Amy smiled again before returning to her wagon, looking for another outfit for him to try on. They had done black and gold, and blue and silver, but what about a more violent color? What about red?
He felt her eyes travel over him, and he modeled a few poses for her. The clothes were lighter, but he liked it. It was easier to move in. The blue shone in the light while the gray was soft and smooth. The thin chains moved only slightly as his chest rose and fell unlike his collar which never moved at all.
Dhiate perked up his ears at her voice. Show him to her family? Dhiate tucked his chin closer bashfully. She'd never spoken of her family around him before, but he felt as if it were a great compliment, and it probably was.
He watched as Amy ventured back in wagon and wondered what she'd bring out next. Something bright and cheerful? Dark and mysterious? How about something rich and erotic? The last one was extremely likely given his profession, but then you never knew with Amy. He clasped his hands behind his back and swung back and forth sweetly as birds flew across the sky above him.
Picking out his next outfit was harder, looking for the variations. Amy needed something that would show him off properly, hot and bringing him to life. Red, a color of violence, passion, life. She had to choose something that held all of that inside it. Her hands closed around a bright cloth, drawing it out. Her eyes shone as she examined it. A dark red cloth, erotic in it's coloring, almost forming images with the glisten on it.
It was a simple pair of pants, but the sheen exhibited the life and passion Amy had wished for. Drawing out the clinging cloth she passed it over to Dhiate. Pausing, she dipped into the wagon, finding a black leather collar, shining obsidian for his bracelets to run up his arms. She even found a simple tail ring. Smiling Amy held them in her hands, waiting for him to examine it. There was no top for this one, but Amy didn't think he'd need one. Perhaps a simple transparent cloth, but this was an outfit made to display, and it was best to reveal instead of conceal this time.
