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Post by Ki on Nov 14, 2009 17:59:58 GMT -5
Crash!
A young human girl, maybe only fifteen years old, fell to her knees. It was clear she'd fallen more than once that day. Everything from her knee below was covering in bleeding, dirt-covered scratches. The hem of her pale blue dress was torn and mud-spattered. There were straight, criss-crossing cuts on her back. Made by a whip, most likely. She was in obvious pain. But the girl got up. She kept going, only to fall again. This time she put her arms out to break her fall. It worked, but a tremor of pain went through her right arm. The girl screamed and let herself drop completely.
That didn't work out at all, did it Kestrel? she asked herself. She could barely walk. Everytime she did, brambles scratched at her legs. Pain was coming from her back in waves. Sometimes faint, sometimes intense. The worst pain, however, was in her right arm. Kestrel had been punished for her sharp tongue, only this time it was extreme. Her captor brought a whip down on her over and over for about an hour straight. Finally Kestrel just tore off as fast she could. She managed to escape into the woods, but not before she was shot.
Have to keep moving. Kestrel told herself stubbornly. The young girl tried to push herself up again, but her arms only trembled and gave way. Gritting her teeth, she tried again and forced her legs under her. She got up, took a step, and collapsed. Great. Just freaking great. She was stuck. Stuck until another animal came and found her or until her captor tried to track her down himself. It wouldn't be hard. Kestrel had left a distinct scent trail, comprised of mostly blood, in her wake.
"Just take me now!" Kestrel groaned aloud, resting her cheek on the dirt. The past two years had been long. So long. Even Kestrel's iron will was beginning to bend. There were countless escape attempts, all foiled or ruined somehow. At times she considered death. It was the better alternative, since freedom wouldn't come to her. "Show some mercy for once."
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Post by HumanoidCarbonUnit on Nov 14, 2009 23:19:56 GMT -5
A scream could be heard in the otherwise silent woods. Pasha snapped to his feet and looked about him, wondering just who had done that. He didn't like shouts in the woods, they made him worried that someone was about to go missing. He couldn't stand to have that happen. Carefully he stood and headed off in the direction of the voice. He was extra careful not to make much noise.
He paid a lot of attention to the forest around him, he had grown use to it. He spent a lot of time here, away from the other rebellion members. Since Buru had disappeared Pasha had begun to spend more and more time by himself. The best way to do that was to be alone in the woods. That was how he spent most of his days and he had begun to know the woods very well. That allowed him to quickly and quietly make his way towards the sound without too much worry about being found out.
Every now and again the tall Pasha stopped and listened. He expected quiet and got it most of the time. He was taken by surprise when he heard a groan of take me though. He quickly moved forward to see who spoke. He was somewhat taken back when he saw a girl ten years his younger at least laying in the dirt. She was rather beaten and looked worse for the wear. “Hello,” He said softly, “Do you need help?” He wanted to take those words back right away, that was certainly a stupid thing to ask. Of course she needed help.
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Post by Ki on Nov 14, 2009 23:37:45 GMT -5
Kestrel snapped her head up to look at him. Pasha might notice that somethine about her was vaguely familiar. The curly black hair, the skin color...and those eyes. Those sharp mint-green eyes that just seemed to stare straight through you. However, that intensity was dulled by her pain. Kestrel didn't even think she had the strength to answer him. Was any answer really required at all? Kestrel laid her head back down on the dirt and closed her eyes. So, someone had come to help her.
He'll probably just take me back to his captor. Then his captor will find my captor and I'll just be shot in the end. Or beaten to death. Kestrel accepted this without feeling any emotion at all. But what captor let their human roam the forest alone? What if he ran off? She let out a deep breath. The young girl said, "Don't...bother...yours...will...find...mine...or...he'll...catch...my scent..." Each word was force and she had to concentrate to get them out right. Kestrel opened her eyes a bit and looked up at the forest. There was a bramble bush nearby that had a few droplets of her blood trickling off. Any animal with a sense of smell could track her down easily.
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Post by HumanoidCarbonUnit on Nov 15, 2009 0:05:42 GMT -5
The girl's piercing green eyes struck Pasha right away. He had seen those eyes else were before, Lucifer, a boy from the rebellion. They were the same shade. Pasha hadn't seen Lucifer recently but it was hard to forget eyes like that. Pasha gave a shake of his head, there was little chance this was Lucifer's sister. Thinks didn't work like that in the real world. No one just stumbled upon a missing family member one day despite what everyone wanted to think.
She didn't answer his question, he didn't' blame her. It was a stupid thing to ask. She let her head fall back to the ground and the brown haired man quickly went to her side. He ignored her gasping message. He could well figure that she was probably being tracked but that was no reason to leave her. She was just a young thing and he wasn't about to let her die.
“Don't move too much. I'm taking you with me. It won't be too hard to loose whoever is after you,” he said carefully picking her up and moving her to his back in a fireman's carry. He was careful to follow the exact trail he had come over to see her with for as long as he could. He didn't understand why but he was relatively certain that this made it harder for animals to follow.
“Just tell me if I'm hurting you too much,” he said as he tried his best to move quickly with and still jar her as little as he could. He tried to listen to the sounds around him and make sure he wasn't being followed too closely.
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Post by Ki on Nov 15, 2009 0:16:15 GMT -5
Kestrel didn't notice his reaction to her eyes. She never did. She'd seen that look of shock on so many other humans, captors, and judges of shows that she'd become immune to it. When he picked her up, Kestrel bit her lower lip to keep from screaming. That would only draw her captor closer, would it? Or was he even following them? Kestrel made it clear she wasn't a breeder. And one of the whip lashes had strayed on to her shoulder. In the right clothing, it would show. That was why most captors kept their punishments focused on her back: you didn't see that in a show.
"Where..." Kestrel didn't have the strength to finish the question. Was this human a runaway? Other any other circumstances, she'd be excited. Bouncing off the walls, practically. The waves of pain, however, were sapping her energy quickly. Kestrel allowed herself a small whimper. Kestrel took pride in not crying or yelling whenever she was beaten. There was no way she was giving up on her streak now.
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Post by HumanoidCarbonUnit on Nov 15, 2009 1:23:58 GMT -5
“You're coming me with me back to my home,” Pasha said, “I'm a member of the rebellion. We've got some people there who can take care of you. I'm not just going to let you die, in fact I really can't let you. Don't worry, we'll be able to patch you right up.”
Pasha felt bad about carrying her the way he was but there was no real better way. It would be best for her to make it to the base and be put under the care of Sadie. He paused for a moment and put the girl down carefully, not wanting to hurt her even more. He needed a rest, while she was not heavy it was not easy to move with the added weight of another human slung over his shoulders.
He wanted to ask her what her name was, but he could tell that she was in not in a condition to talk. He, instead, tried to think of ways to help her. He had no water or things to patch her up with, though. He had just been on a walk he wasn't ready to handle this sort of thing. He carefully listened to the world around him and didn't see anything.
((OOC: Do you just want to have Pasha take her to the base?))
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Post by Ki on Nov 15, 2009 12:26:03 GMT -5
I'm dreaming. Kestrel decided, closing her eyes as he set her down again. After years of trying to escape, to find the Rebellion...they just find her? No. That didn't happen in the waking world. Her pain, she decided, was just phantom pain made by the dream. But hey-might as well enjoy it. The young girl smiled, just a little bit. It was foolish to think that freedom had found her, lying broken in the forest waiting to either die or be recaptured.
"I'm..Kes...trel..." she said quietly, opening her eyes. Those eyes...fighter's eyes, people called them. Bred in to invoke fear into an opponent. It was a shame a pretty little show human like Kestrel had gotten those eyes. She closed her eyes again and listened to the forest. The young girl had never been in a forest before. It was a wild, strange place...frightening even. Yet wonderful somehow.
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Post by HumanoidCarbonUnit on Nov 15, 2009 15:15:05 GMT -5
“You can't go to sleep,” Pasha said quickly, once he saw her eyes close and a faint smile on her face, “I don't think that would be a good idea until you've been given a once over by Sadie. I know you're probably tired but we're almost back there.” He wanted to simply pick her up again and keep on his way but it seemed safe enough to let her rest for a moment more. He highly doubted being carried the way she was was comfortable.
Suddenly the girls eyes shot open and she muttered her name. “I'm Pasah,” he smiled back to her happy to see her able to talk a little bit. He thought that was a good thing. He wanted to ask her what her name was and if she had a brother, but he didn't. It would be better to wait to ask her as to not shock her. Who knows what would happen then. Whats more he didn't recall the name Lucifer had given to him, or even if Lucifer had given him a name all those years ago.
“Are you ready to get going?” Pasha asked her after a few extra moments, “We're not too much farther from camp. I know it isn't a nice ride but you'll be better off.” The tall man was a little worried about the quiet of the world around him. Certainly it was never loud in the woods but it seemed unearthly silent now.
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Post by Ki on Nov 15, 2009 15:41:38 GMT -5
"Ok..." Kestrel sighed. He was right. The walk wasn't very comfortable. Though she attributed it to her injuries. Back when her family was together, her dad carried her around their master's estate all the time. Just like Pasha was doing now. Had she been healthy, she would have enjoyed the walk. "Ok..." Kestrel tried to push herself back up. Maybe she could at least sit up?
No go. Kestrel fell back, gritting her teeth in pain. She'd never been shot before, only whipped and hit. Though she knew from observing other slaves that it hurt the most when the bullet lodged itself in your body. Then it had to be removed, which was also painful. Had that happened to her? "d**n...dog..."
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Post by HumanoidCarbonUnit on Nov 15, 2009 17:08:56 GMT -5
She seemed more awake now and Pasha did not want to carry her over his shoulders like he had been. “Do you think you could hang on to my neck if I carried you,” he asked her, “It might be more comfortable for you that way.”
It seemed safe enough around and Pasha was in no hurry to get moving. He would have been willing to walk with her if that was what she wanted to do. He watched as she tried to get herself into a sitting position only to fall back to the ground. What had happened to her, he wondered, clearly she was beaten but why? It was just another question he wanted to ask her. He probably never would, it was none of his business. She muttered something about a dog. Perhaps she had been owned by a dog who decided to kill her but failed.
“We should head off now I think,” Pasha said, taking a seat on the ground so she could easy get her arms around his neck or over his shoulders. “I don't know if anyone is after you but if someone is it would be best to make it back to camp quickly with out them being able to follow us by sight.”
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Post by Ki on Nov 15, 2009 17:34:00 GMT -5
Kestrel obliged and put her arms around his neck. Her grip wasn't strong at all. At least, not at the moment. There was blood flowing down her right arm from where she'd been shot. If this really wasn't a dream and she was caught again, her showing days were over. There was no way they could hide a scar for very long. Not that it mattered much to her. Showing always bored her and made her anxious. It never felt right to be in a dress and smiling at animals that she didn't know, didn't want to know. Kestrel would have liked to be one of the female fighters. But her pretty face barred her from that.
"Runaway?" she asked. Kestrel was trying to keep herself awake. Whenever other slaves had been beaten like she had, they often asked the wounded human questions to keep them awake. Because sometimes you fell asleep and didn't ever wake up. Kestrel knew that much. And since Pasha wasn't asking the questions, she'd do the talking.
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Post by HumanoidCarbonUnit on Nov 20, 2009 19:06:08 GMT -5
Pasha was quiet fellow, so he did not do much talking. In his mind he was trying to make sure he was as quiet as he could be. It never crossed him mind to ask Kestrel any questions. On top of that he felt asking too many questions made him look nosy and rude. It was probably a very good thing that she took it upon herself.
“I'm not the sort of runaway you normally think of. I'm not brave enough to run away in the same way that you did. I sneaked away from a large group when no one was watching during the wipe outs. Not something I really like talking about as you may very well be able to guess. I sneaked into a house which happened to belong to a gnu named Buru. He took me in and after a little while I was his equal. He taught me plenty and I am rather well educated because of him. I owe him a lot. He has disappeared though, so I'll never be able to fully thank him.”
He did miss Buru, the big gnu had been his closest friend, and his only teacher. It had been almost three years since he had seen his long face that only a mother could love. Pasha doubted he would ever see it again. The aging gnu was likely hiding and living out his days in peace for the first time in all the years Pasha had known him.
“Why don't you tell me a little about yourself, that is if you can.” Pasha suggested ideals trying to get back to the camp quickly. He could fell her blood running down her arm and onto him.
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Post by Ki on Nov 20, 2009 20:52:46 GMT -5
That was odd. Kestrel had never met an animal that was...nice. Her first captor had been alright. He let them do whatever they wanted to do, so long as you got the day's work done. And if you didn't, he wouldn't hesitate to slap you for not doing it. Not the harshest animal in the world, but not the kindest either. Yet he was probably one of her better captors. Even when Kestrel was healthy most could see she didn't have the best life. Her eyes were always narrowed, her mouth rarely cracking a smile. Her captors didn't care, of course, so long as she smiled in shows. And the animal even educated him! Did he know how to read, too?
Pasha gave her an opportunity to keep herself awake, and Kestrel took it. It was hard, but she tried to push through the pain. "I...I like wrestling..." At a younger age, Kestrel had often wrestled with Ash, her brother who was closest to her in age. After being sold, she'd found a few playmates in her various homes. But it always reminded her of happier times. Back when her family was all gathered together. Kestrel closed her eyes. She was dazed by her pain. Not herself. That was most likely why she mentioned the following item. "I've...got...bro...thers...or...used...to." She forced her eyes open. She picked a tree in the distance and stared intently at it. Had to stay awake. "Figh...ters." A smile tugged at her lips. Her father used to say that she was a fighter trapped in a delicate little show human's body. "The...best..."
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Post by HumanoidCarbonUnit on Nov 23, 2009 20:02:11 GMT -5
Pasha couldn't believe his ears as she spoke. It was hard to listen to her speak because she sounded so hurt, painful was a better word for it really. She mentioned that she like wrestling, that seemed like a strange thing for a girl to like but what did he know. He had been in love with Lita, there was very little that girls did that shocked him now. When she said that she had brothers the wrestling made sense, at least if they were older brothers. Boys seemed to rub off on younger sisters, turned them into tough girls more than pretty pets.
She then said that her brothers were fighters. His mind raced so quickly that he didn't hear the rest of what she had to say. Lucifer had been a fighter if he recalled correctly. “Was any of your brothers named Lucifer by chance?” he asked quickly, uncertain if he cut her off. There was a new sense of urgency in his voice. He had to get her back to camp now. He wasn't sure if Lu was there but if he was who knew the next time he would be back. It could be ages and Pasha wanted these two meet as soon as possible if they were siblings.
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Post by Ki on Nov 23, 2009 21:18:12 GMT -5
Was any of your brothers named Lucifer by any chance?
The question shocked Kestrel. How had he known? This stranger? Maybe it was just a lucky guess. Maybe he knew a fighter named Lucifer who had brothers and a sister...but that'd be a pretty big coincidence if he did. Kestrel remembered Lucifer well. She remembered all of her brothers without any trouble at all. Ash, who was her best friend and playmate. Zane, the lovable prankster. And Lucifer, the calm eldest who kept them in line. "What...is...it...to...ya?" Kestrel was naturally untrusting. Animals moreso than humans, but all the same. She didn't think Pasha would do anything to hurt her. He didn't seem like the type that could hurt her, really. But it wouldn't be the first time she'd been betrayed by someone.
Kestrel gritted her teeth as her back began to sting badly again. The blood from her cuts was drying and sticking to the fibers of her dress. New blood kept flowing from the deeper lashes and from the bullet wound in her shoulder. This was exactly why she hated all animals. Even the few kind captors Kestrel had held resentment for. Deep down they were all the same. Cruel heartless monsters. Humans could be like that too. It was all a matter of how strong one's will was and what they were willing to do to stay alive.
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