Slaves of the Beastfolk (PsionicCuttlefish & Feral.Desires)

Everything had gone so wrong so quickly in one day for Elena DeFelice.

It had started out normal enough. She, her peers, and her guards were heading towards a social courting party in the next town over via a carriage in a forest path. As a wealthy merchant's daughter, it was her duty to attend such things.

But then they had come; quickly, decisively, and most unexpectedly. Raiding bandits burst from the trees and surrounded the carriage, attacking the hired guards. They tried to put up a fight, but from the sudden and vicious attack, they were cut down quickly. That was when Elena was able to get her first glimpse at who the bandits were; beastfolk. There was a wolf-man, a tiger-man, even a bear-man, and several more besides. All too late, it became obvious what the bandits were after--not 'riches', but the most precious cargo of the carriage itself. Elena saw the doors of the carriage ripped open and her friends pulled from the transport before a strong, furry hand grabbed her own arm and yanked her out to the ground. The last thing she saw was her friends having gags stuffed into their mouths and blindfolds pulled over their heads before she got the same treatment herself. Moments later, thick ropes had been lashed around her wrists, which were then bound to her waist.

Then came the forced march. A hand was always roughly grabbing her shoulder or pushing into her back, steering her to walk at a very near jogging pace, and blinded as she was, had no choice but to trust the steering hands to keep her from running into a tree. Still, she and her friends (for she could hear them nearby) stumbled and tripped enough that the bandits had to grab them to keep them from falling and drag them, and even half the time was spent slung over some beastfolk's strong furred shoulder like so much luggage. Due to the gags, none of the girls could form words or scream, though they could moan and yelp from time to time. Anyone who made too much noise, however, got a swift slap upside the head. Not enough to injure or bruise, but enough to get them to shut up. The voices of the beastfolk talked to each other now and then, though they seemed deliberately dodgy and overly roundabout in their words, seemingly to keep the girls in the dark about what they were doing and where they were going. One voice in particular could clearly be picked out as calling the shots.

After two or three straight hours of walking like this, the girls were brought to a halt. It seemed to be a rest break, though a relatively short one, and Elena could hear clopping and nickering sounds nearby. Horses. Surely enough, Elena felt herself hoisted up into a saddle while one of the beastfolk sat behind her and wrapped an arm tightly around her torso, and the galloping started. Wherever these beastfolk were taking the girls, they clearly wanted to get there fast.

And yet, wherever it was apparently was far enough away that even horseback couldn't reach in one day. Elena could tell night was falling by the cooling of the air and the darkening of her blindfold, and finally, the motly band seemed to come to a stop for a night. Elena was taken down from the horse and made to kneel on the ground. By the sounds around her, it seems the same thing was being done for the other girls; she could sense they had been lined up.

A voice pierced her ears, the one that was picked out as the leader. "Alright, listen up. We're stopping and sleeping for the night. Here's what's going to happen. One by one, we're going to ungag you and give you food and water. If you scream or cry out, the gag goes right back on and you go to sleep with no food. It's that simple...you're first." Elena heard rustling sounds to her right, and then a quiet unmuffled moaning sound of one of her friends. There was the sound of something like a tin being opened and some more slow rustling that went on for several minutes, then "Alright, she's done. Chain her at the tree over there....you're next." Elena heard the sounds of chains clinking, then more footsteps and sounds directly to her right, and suddenly, one of the other girl's voice pierced the night, right next to Elena's ear.

"Help! Oh gods, someone, help! Please--" Which was then cut off by an almost strangling sound and then loud muffled moans, which was in turn cut off as a loud smack echoed through the air. Quiet, muffled whimpering followed.

"No food for her tonight. Chain her up at the tree." More chain-clinking and then footsteps, directly in front of Elena. A finger poked her shoulder. "You're next. You just heard what happens if you misbehave. Gag's coming off now."

Elena felt fingers working around her head, and the gag was blessedly removed from her mouth, allowing her to move her jaw freely for the first time in hours. The blindfold remained firmly in place along with her arms remaining bound to her sides, however.

Elena, Vivienne, Margo and Christine had all greeted each other lovingly. The girls had grown up like sisters and as they grew and matured into young adults, their world stayed relatively the same. Their days were filled with social gatherings and keeping up their families names. Their nights, not nearly as often, filled with gala’s and ball’s. It was a life many would yearn for. To be wealthy and served at your every beck and call.

But there was only so much happiness that wealth could offer. While she loved her friends, she hated what was expected of her. Corsets that were placed so tightly one fought to breathe. Primped and painted like a prized pony. Or even having her hand given away for marriage to a young Duke several towns over. A man whom she knew virtually nothing about, let alone loved.

It was days like today that Elena sought to forget about the misery surrounding her station in the company of the other young girls. Alas, it was simply too much to ask. Her optimism was laid in waste to something much more horrible than anything she could have thought up.

Her dress was ruined. Every muscle in her body from the neck down was sore. Her breathing labored through the gag as they were finally made to stop. Elena couldn’t see. All she could hear were the muffled sobs of her friends and the orders of the male creatures surrounding them. They had been forcefully taken, bound and gagged… and led to what she assumed to be the middle of nowhere.

All of the girls were frightened. Having only caught glimpses of their captors as they slit the throats of their royal guards. They were shivering, their blindfolds matted by tears and sweat. Unbeknownst to them, but each girl in turn flinched as the loud voice carried out among them; the leader of this horrid troupe. It was nothing but a nightmare and Elena whimpered quietly behind the cloth gag in total disbelief.

She wasn’t aware who it was that was fed first. But it was Margo who had made the desperate attempt to cry out. Silenced no doubt by a swift backhand to the face. Elena shied away then as the unknown figure touched her shoulder. Her mouth almost immediately closed as soon as the gag was removed. She ground her teeth so tightly that one could make out the tensing of her cheek muscle as she turned her head away. It was unlikely that the food and water being offered were poisoned.

Bandits wouldn’t exactly go through all of that trouble just to kill them randomly in the middle of the woods. But just because it was clean didn’t mean she was going to drink or eat what they gave her. While she didn’t scream or cry out, she quietly demanded, “Let us go.”

There was a silent pause after Elena spoke her demand, then the voice of the leader barked out a laugh. "I love it when they say that. I really do! Happens at least once every time, never fails!" He laughs again. "I mean, they say that as if, after going through the trouble of grabbing them in the morning and traveling all day across the country while keeping them tied up, we're just gonna cut the ropes, take off the blindfolds, and turn them loose in the middle of a random forest that they probably have never seen before, only to let them wander around, get lost in the night, and never be heard from again. It's never gonna get old!" The leader finished his sarcastic and somewhat demeaning speech, to the response of a round of chuckles from his accomplices, as well as a few renewed quiet sobs from at least one other girl.

Elena heard very close footsteps and a rustle of fabric, and from the sound of the leader's voice, he had kneeled down and leaned in so that his head was maybe a foot from Elena's own. "Now, since I am amused at hearing that--once--and I didn't say anything about not talking back, that first one's free, girl. Talk back some more and you'll start testing my patience, and you might go to sleep hungry." He said in a quiet, but firm voice, before switching to a softer and more reassuring tone. "Now eat your food like a good girl, you'll need your strength, and I bet your pretty little mouth is so dry after having that gag stuffed in you all day, surely you'll want some water, too." There was a rustle of some metal container again, and Elena felt something tough and textured put up against her lips; from the smell that began wafting to her nose, it was a strip of dried meat jerky. A far cry from the fancy meals she was no doubt used to, but at least it was something substantial.

Elena’s shoulders tensed when she first heard the laugh. His voice carrying out amongst the bandits who shared in the moment of hilarity. He was crude and sarcastic and it was made perfectly clear that this was not their first attempt. She could only begin to imagine the dozens of other young women who had to endure this treatment. Her friends around her whimpered pathetically, defeated and hopeless. Instead of offering the same sort of response, Elena simply frowned, her jaw tightening shut.

She could feel him there in front of her. Crouched low and directing his tone to her. Even though she couldn’t see through her blindfold, her eyes narrowed, fine brows furrowing in her irritation. There was a twitch in her lips, compelled to speak out against him, but at the risk of her friends having to suffer further for her attempted disobedience, Elena remained silent.

The jerky touched her lips and the scent of salt touched her nostrils in the wrong way. She turned her head, refusing the sorry excuse for food that was being offered. Elena would rather go hungry then eat right then. Not because the food wasn’t up to par with the quality and richness she was used to, although she was certain it would be misconstrued in that way. With a life lived with such little choice in how to do so, right now in this moment she had control on whether or not she was obedient and willing.

She wasn’t naïve enough to assume that the leader (at the very least) was not intelligent. To carry this out in the manner in which they had, such swiftness and accuracy, it spoke of experience and the ability to problem solve. So, without her saying a word, it was made obvious by her body language that she would much rather go to bed hungry and thirsty then give in to anything he may order.

Elena heard silence in return after she turned her head away from the offered food. She could almost feel the disappointment of whatever man-creature was kneeling in front of her. "...So, you're gonna be like that, huh? Not the first time a girl thought of refusing food, either. You look like you're pretty resolved." The warm breath of the beastfolk's speech wafted over her head, and the jerky was taken away from her mouth. A moment later, the man continued to speak. "Girls like you also almost never listen to what I'm about to say, but I'll say it all the same. Maybe you'll be a smart one. Where do you think this little act of 'rebellion' is going to get you? You think refusing to eat, starving yourself, is going to get you anywhere? It will only make you weaker and energy-deprived, and you'll be less capable of dealing with us later. Is that really worth trying to prove a point that doesn't exist now?"

There was a pause, then the voice spoke again on a different track. "Maybe you think you'll starve yourself to death, just to escape us? As I'm sure you've guessed, you aren't any good to us dead. If you refuse to eat now, then we will force you to eat later, and I promise you, it will be the most foul gruel soup you've ever tasted, but it will be nutritious enough. I'm offering you real meat now. One way or another, we'll keep you alive. It is your choice at how pleasant that is. Maybe that's what this is about. Choice? You think it's important you could choose to refuse my generous offer, considering your position?" The way and tone with which he emphasized his words, and how close his voice was, suggested to Elena that he probably was searching her face and body for any twitches or cues that might give away what she was thinking, if she thought about it. "Well, as I said before, whether you eat or not now, it doesn't make any difference in the long run except to hurt you, and I don't have to be giving you the same food we eat. So, now that I've given you something to think about, I'm going to give you one more chance." Elena felt the jerky pushed up to her lips again. "You can eat now or not, but at this point in time, I don't give a damn."

Elena felt her shoulders slump when the male began to speak once again. Knowing that his little speech would be directed to all the girls to listen, and listen well. She loved her friends, but she knew out of the group she was the only one who wouldn't be cowed so easily. The young woman had always been honest and forthright to a fault. A quality that was rarely appreciated and even more rarely tolerated. She had earned her share of punishments and at the moment she would prefer them over the goings on of the now.

Was he truly being serious? The idea of being forced into eating some unknown slop by these... people... made her stomach twist and turn in the most terrible of ways. The girl barely moved save for the slight frown that crossed her full lips. Indicating that she had indeed heard him and she obviously understood the ramifications of either path she chose to take. While she was stubborn, Elena recognized the fact that if there were any chance to escape, doing so weak from an empty stomach and poor diet was not going to be the way to go.

The salted meat returned to her lips and his voice gave way to the quiet whimpering of her friends around her. She was reluctant, but her lips parted to take the jerky between them. Elena bit a piece for herself, chewing and not bothering to pose any more arguments to the man or men.

Elena could almost sense the smile from the leader beastfolk that was feeding her after she willingly took a bite of the jerky. "Ah! So you are a smart girl. Good girl. We like good, smart girls." This earned a couple snickers from some other men that must have been nearby, but other than that, the leader did not antagonize Elena any further and fed her in peaceful silence. After she had finished the piece of meat, there was a small crunching sound and something else was put up to her lips; by the texture and smell, some kind of dry flatbread. While also not a high-class meal, neither was this food repulsive, either. In fact, there was a taste of some wild spice mixed in with the bread, apparently to give it a little flavor. Finally, when Elena was finished with that, a small leathery ball with an opening was put into her mouth, and clean, blessed water to sate Elena's thirst flowed from the waterskin. The leader kept the waterskin tilted at a shallow angle, apparently watching Elena carefully to let her drink at her own pace, until she was either done or the waterskin was finished off.

A rustling sound was heard--the leader standing up. "Alright, she's done. Go chain her up at the tree." A hand gripped Elena's shoulder and hauled her to her feet, which then steered her away. After a few paces, she was stopped, and then there was a clinking of metal. Moments later, a heavy iron collar was latched around Elena's neck. Surprisingly, though, it wasn't a ring or hoop of metal--it didn't have hard edges that bit and cut into her skin, like a typical slave's collar would. It was actually rounded, like a torus. It was still heavy on her shoulders, of course, but at least she didn't have to worry about welts or chafing. The ropes keeping her arms bound to her sides were left on, probably to keep her from removing her blindfold. Some shuffling footsteps were heard on the leaf-covered ground, accompanied by soft metallic clinking, and then Elena felt small, delicate fingers touching her body, grasping to find her own until the feminine hand clasped with hers, despite the awkward angle due to the ropes. "Elena...I'm scared..." One of her friend's voices whispered out, the girl who had been fed first. Only slightly more distantly was a muffled whimpering heard; poor Margo, who still had her gag in.

Meanwhile, the last girl was being fed, and when her gag came off, gasping whimpers were heard from her direction; "Please...I'm so tired...and thirsty...please..." to which the voice of the leader responded with "Don't worry girl, you'll get rest soon enough. Here's your food and water now." This was then followed by small chewing and wet lipsmacking sounds--the last girl noisily eating her food, no doubt--then followed by a series of loud gulping ("Whoa! Take it easy there girl, don't choke yourself now.") after which the girl was then brought over to be chained up at the tree herself. She blindly grasped around herself until one of her hands managed to find Elena's other.

The 'reunion', such as it was, was not to last, for after a few minutes of being left alone to hold each other's hands in an attempt to reassure each other, there was multiple footfalls around them, then a couple of loud, soft thumps on the ground nearby. Immediately after, Elena felt the other girls grabbed and pulled away with some surprised sounds from the others, as Elena's shoulders were likewise grabbed as well as she was made to stand a few paces to the side. Without warning, Elena felt the strong leg of one of the beastfolk sweeping her own feet out from under her, causing her to pitch backward to the ground! Though, she wasn't allowed to actually fall--strong hands on her shoulders caught her and gently lowered her back onto...something soft and made of fabric? But judging by the sudden yelps of the other girls, they got the same treatment too. A soft bulge was seated under Elena's head, and then she felt what seemed to be a blanket pulled over her. The leader's voice spoke out again. "Bedrolls! Something for you girls to sleep on. Certainly more comfortable than the ground I'll bet, but really, we just can't have the bugs eating you in the middle of the night, now can we? That wouldn't do any of us any good. Now, we didn't bother to re-gag a few of you. That's a reward for good behavior, you'll sleep better without an aching jaw. But know that we will have a watch out all night, and one of us is going to be near you at all times. If any of you start trying to make noise, you will be very swiftly disciplined and re-gagged. Sweet dreams, girls. You're gonna need 'em." Several footsteps retreated, and the sounds of the forest ruled the night.

Elena suddenly felt like she was back home. Her father often took that sort of condescending tone with her. The leader fed her without further instigating, of which she was silently thankful. Her cheeks were already a deep enough scarlet to make it plenty obvious that she was embarrassed by this whole situation. Having people wait on you hand and foot was bad enough, let alone having someone feed you by hand. While she was reluctant to eat, drinking came a bit easier. From their extensive hike she was as equally parched as the other girls. She drank heavily, but did not empty the skin, drawing her lips away once she was finished. Elena exhaled quietly, her lips regaining that softer glisten.

She shied away from the cool touch of the metal around her neck once she was led a few paces aside. It was closed quickly with a soft -click-. A collar? The iron was heavy, but quickly warmed from the temperature of her skin resting against it. Elena wanted to speak out, to say something against being bound like… like some slave! As was already proven it would simply be for naught. Elena cared for her friends and causing trouble would only make things harder for all involved.

She felt hands against her, gripping as tightly as they could from their angle, attempting to find purchase within her own. Elena frowned to herself. “It’s okay, Vi…” she whispered back, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. How the youngest of the group was able to keep herself together better than her friends was beyond her. Rose and Margo were both next to her, which left Christine – confirmed by the voice that pleaded out to the men that held them captive. And it wasn’t long before she too, joined the others and sought comfort from Elena. The girls trembled quietly for a moment, listening to the goings on around them. Their captors did not seem to speak much around them, probably for good measure. It was difficult to tell what they were up to.

Margo and Vivienne were taken first, Christine next and Elena winced as her friends nails dug into her hand trying to hold onto her. It all happened so quickly. Each one of them gasped in surprise as they were knocked back and caught, before being lowered down onto the bedrolls. There was some shuffling but they stilled when that familiar voice began to speak. They would heed his warning and remained quiet; Margo not really having much of a choice. Other than the cool night air and the sounds the dark forest brought, there was only the occasional sniffle and sob or heavy foot steps of the men walking around them. Elena couldn’t fall sleep… she was certain the other girls wouldn’t be able to either. How could they?

She was too preoccupied with what was going to happen to them. Where were they? Where were they going? Had anyone been alerted as to their disappearance? So many questions… so many horrible answers. This was already a nightmare and closing her eyes could only make it worse. Unfortunately for the four young women their bodies would eventually be over taken by slumber. Elena’s came a few hours before dawn. She simply couldn’t fight it any longer. And similar to being at home, their wakening would be dictated by the men who guarded them.

After the girls had been put to bed, the night passed uneventfully even as they tried to stave off their troubled, uneasy sleep. The occasional crunching of footsteps could be heard around them every now and then, and the sounds of the night forest was everpresent yet quiet enough to be tuned out. One by one, the bodies of the girls succumbed to sleep, restless though it was.

***

A sharp, but unharmful blunt jab from a finger lightly struck Elena's shoulder, accompanied by a deep voice of "Arright, wake up you, but stay down. Take a minute, remember where you are. I'll be back in a moment." At the same time, Elena may have tried to open her eyes, yet everything was still dark. Slowly, the sensations began filtering back into her mind as it regained conciousness; Lying on a soft, but slightly lumpy bedroll, her arms tied to her sides with cruel rope, an iron collar around her neck, and fabric firmly bound over her eyes.

Similar words were being spoken nearby, no doubt to the other three girls. After a few moments, one of them burst into muffled sobbing--could only have been Margo. There was the sounds of activity all around her, many footsteps, rustling saddlebags, clinking implements, and low, cryptic whispers. Moments later, Elena felt one pair of footsteps arrive beside her. The bedroll's blanket was pulled off of her, exposing her to the chill morning forest. Two strong hands took hold of her shoulders and hauled her to her feet, causing the chain tying her collar to the tree to bang around. There was a metallic clinking against the back of Elena's neck, and the rounded iron collar came off. Moments later, something just as surprising happened; she felt the ropes tying her arms loosen up, and come off. "Don't try any funny business, now." A voice said--not the leader. "You're surrounded and we're faster than you. Move your arms. We tie good knots, but have to make sure you didn't cut off circulation while sleeping. Get that blood flowing." Elena felt her arms held up aside her and her sleeves pulled up as some furry fingers poked along her arm, apparently checking for any significant bruises or pinched veins, while making her bend her arms in a normal range of motion to also ensure nothing was wrong there (though her hands were slapped away forcefully if she tried to remove her blindfold). Seemingly satisfied, her arms were again held tightly against her sides as ropes were tied around her arms again, in a different way than the first time, either deliberately or accidentally avoiding most of the sore spots from where the first ropes were tied. Elena heard the other girls being given the same treatment, one by one, and by this time Margo's sobbing had quieted down to sniffling.

It also seemed checking up on the girls was the only thing left to do, for not long after it was done, Elena felt herself being pushed and led in one direction, before again being picked up and hoisted into a horse's saddle, with a large beastfolk's body pressing against her back and a powerful arm holding her in place, just like last time. With a command from the leader's voice a few horses away, the bandit convoy set off once more. For whatever reason, the bandits weren't riding at the fastest breakneck pace they had been yesterday, and instead settled for a gallop that was a more sustainable pace, which they still kept up for almost a solid day's worth of riding. There had been three brief rest-stops where they let the horses take a break (and also let the girls do their business). Finally, for the last time, the leader called out a halt. Once again, by the cooling air and the darkening of her blindfold, night had fallen again. But there was no way of knowing how far they had traveled, or even what direction, but it did seem as if they had gone up a consistent, almost unnoticeable shallow incline. Increasing elevation?

Like last night, the girls were taken off the horses and made to kneel on the ground in a line as the leader gave cryptic orders, but it was deducible they were setting up camp again. So they still weren't at their final destination. A few minutes passed, and something new spread across the campsite; smoke. The smell of fire. The beastfolk bandits had gathered wood and made a firepit. Elena could hear it crackling merrily in front of her, she could even feel the occasional draft of warm air. But this was significant; they didn't make a fire yesterday, but were today. It couldn't have been just random inconsitency, the bandits were clearly too good for that. No, usually, when one camps out and doesn't start a fire, it's because a fire makes an attractive signal if you're still in enemy territory. And if the beastfolk were confident enough to make a fire now, that meant...

A new smell reached Elena's nose, along with the smoke. Something that, to her empty stomach, must have smelled good. Hot food. Stew of some kind? The smell of the food was left to torture the four girls for several minutes as it cooked, but eventually, someone started banging what sounded like an empty metal bowl. "Hot food! Get yer fresh, hot stew here. Fills your belly and warms your soul!" The leader's voice had returned, calling throughout the camp. His voice then sounded closer to the girls. "Alright you four little lovelies, listen up. Gonna be a little different today. Got some nice meat and vegetable stew here for you. Even some fresh wild fruit one of the boys gathered. I'll give it to you, but you gotta say something first. You have to say 'Please, may I have some food, sir' before I give it to you, and say 'thank you, sir' after you're done. You have to ask me for food. If you don't, you go hungry. And if you don't thank me afterwards, well...then you'll be in pain. Just some words. That's all you have to do. I just like hearing those words." A few footsteps, and Elena could sense he had knelt down in front of whatever girl was to Elena's immediate right. "You're first. Come on, say it."

There was a shuddering breath beside Elena, and Christine's voice spoke out. "Please...may I have some food, sir...I'm so hungry, I need to eat so bad, please sir...please..." Quickly enough, Christine was met with a response from 'leader'. "That's it. Good girl. Yes, you may have some food. Here you go..." A few minutes of noisy slurps, chewing, and relieved moaning later, the leader spoke up again. "Alright, that's all for you. And now...?" There was a moment of hesitation before Christine spoke again. "Th....thank you, sir...thank you..." The leader spoke back. "Very good girl. Alright, chain her to the tree and put her to bed...and you know what? Put some padding in her collar first. She was cooperative yesterday, she's earned it." With a shuffle, Christine was taken away from Elena's side. Which then meant...

"Alright, you next." The leader's voice spoke directly in front of Elena. "You're gonna be a smart girl tonight too, right?"

(holy dang I can't believe my posts keep getting this long!)

She was once again woke into the cruel, dark nightmare that was her reality. Elena was reminded of what had happened and where she was. And poor Margo… She sounded terrible. No doubt starving, thirsty and more exhausted than the rest of them. Other than the quiet sobs and the orders from the men, none of the other girls bothered to make a sound. Elena simply did as she was told (for once). But when her arms were freed she let out a slow sigh of relief. They were sore, tender at the joints as the male maneuvered her limbs for her. The fur of the digits sliding along her skin caused involuntary goosebumps, but she held off from shivering. She loathed to admit that the fur actually felt… nice.

The thought earned a frown across her full lips that only deepened as her arms were returned to their sides. She shifted a bit on her feet, steadying her legs as the males around them finished getting themselves ready to leave. And once again she was placed, back against chest, of one of the bandits. And while they took off at a steady speed, it was nothing like what they had the day before. Elena wasn’t stupid. They had to get away from the sight where the girls were taken from as quickly as possible. Guards were likely being rushed out, dogs scouring the area for trails of their scents. But the bandits had a little over a day on them… The hope for a rescue was fading with the distance their horses left behind.

Even with the blindfold on, Elena kept her eyes closed. She couldn’t have even begun to guess where they were headed. Any difference in the terrain didn’t exactly help her. There were plenty of areas to both the north and the west that became mountains or full of hills. Regardless, she was more than fine when they came to the final stop for the evening. Be it from nerves or the rush of air through the day, the girls were almost as tired as the horses who had been doing all of the work. And just like before each girl was placed on her knees, next to one another. Except this time they were left alone for a little longer than the previous night. The men were busy with setting up still and she felt the smallest hints of a fire before long. It was a pleasant break to the cooler night air.

A little while later it hit her. Through the scent of the burning wood of the fire was the distinct smell of food… real food. Though her mouth was closed, Elena could feel it begin to moisten her palette. All the girls did, Margo whined softly behind her gag. There wasn’t going to be another protest out of her tonight, they all knew. They hadn’t any real food in almost two days. Dried meats and a few bites of bread did nothing to sate a hunger like that. And not long after it was confirmed… That familiar voice finally peaking up above the others.

Each girl listened carefully, Elena included. Meat… vegetables… fruit… and all they had to do was ask nicely? One would imagine it as a simple enough task. But for ladies of their social status they never really had to ask for much before. To do so with adding ‘sir’ to the end was insulting, placing himself above them. But the pain in Elena’s stomach didn’t care. Neither did Christine’s as it came about. She obeyed like a prized pet and then rewarded for doing so. Instilling further that obedience was not met with any punishment. All they had to do was swallow their pride.

Elena could feel him in front of her, her eyes opened beneath the blindfold. He would see the tension in her shoulders fall a bit followed by the softest of sighs as she fought her reluctance down. Nodding quietly in response to his question (however much it annoyed her). And finally, Elena’s soft voice flowed from her parted lips,“Please… may I have some food, sir..?”

The response from the leader was swift. "Good girl. Alright, here you go." The edge of a metal bowl was placed against Elena's lips, and very carefully tilted towards her. Thick, warm, flavorful liquid entered her mouth, with the occasional chunk of meat and vegetable, just like the leader had claimed. By all rights, a completely normal decent-quality camping meal, if it weren't for way it was being given to her. Once the bowl had been finished off, a furred finger tapped her mouth to get her to open it, and some small berries were placed on her tongue, with another couple of servings after she had chewed down the first ones. Once again, the leader spoke, with a firm voice that had a very slight hint of a dangerous edge behind it. "And now, what do you say...?"

She almost breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't mock or berate her further following her having obeyed his instructions to the lot of them. It didn't sit well and she knew he was aware of it. Was that the point..? To make them feel uncomfortable on top of their fear so that they remained compliant? And yet once that warm, flavorful stew touched her tongue she no longer cared. It was the most simplest of heaven's. To be finally able to eat a meal of moderate significance after all this time. Elena could feel it make its way down her throat, soothing her, and pooling pleasantly and calming her aching belly. She continued to eat what was offered, albeit less noisily than her older friend.

After a few minutes she was finished, having almost forgotten about what else he had promised. Fresh fruit! She hesitantly opened her mouth has his fur-tuft finger beckoned her lips apart. Her tongue was graced with the sweet tang of the berries and the girl practically moaned her enjoyment. That taste, that meal, was the slightest bit of normalcy she'd felt this entire time. Forgetting of course that the girls were still bound and being kept hostage.

Elena gave a quiet sigh as her entire meal was complete. Her head lifting in the direction his face seemed to be as he loomed over her, waiting for the last half of his order. "T-thank you, sir..." She responded before bringing her gaze downward and falling silent once more, but with a belly that was delightfully full.

"Very good girl. Excellent." The leader's voice replied, and Elena could detect a noticeable tone of satisfaction or triumph in his voice. "Alright, you, chain her up to the tree and put her to bed." He directed to another beastfolk who was obviously behind her, waiting for the command. Elena felt yet another hand on her shoulder that help haul her to her feet--but there was something a little different this time. It wasn't a forceful yank that left no question that it was a wordless command and resistance would not be tolerated, but it was a gentler pull, still very firm but slightly slower and smoother. Likewise, the hand directed Elena to walk in not such a jostling, shoving way, but more subtler nudges.

Meanwhile, Elena could hear that the leader was still in earshot as he directed someone to remove a gag--he must be feeding Margo next, then. This was confirmed as a sniffling, hiccuping voice spoke out weakly. "Th-this isn't r-real...th-is c-can't b-be hap-penning...I wan-na g-go ho-ome..." This was met by a tired sigh from the leader. "Yeah, and we sometimes get one like you every now and then...girl, if you think being taken cross-country for two days as a hostage isn't real, there's not much hope for you. I'm gonna give you one chance to say what you need to say and I'll feed you. Are you gonna go hungry again tonight?" This was met with another minute of sniffling before Margo worked up the ability to speak again. "P-p-please m-may I ha-ave some f-ood...sir-r..." The leader was quick to reply with a reassuring tone of voice. "There you go, good girl, now here's your food..."

The hand that had been directing Elena suddenly had her stop and stand where she was. A fe moments later, she felt the same iron collar fitted around her neck, with a clinking chain connecting the collar to a nearby tree trunk, ensuring the impossibility of escape. Like last night, there was a heavy flump-sound beside her, and she was made to take a step to the side onto the bedroll. Also unlike last time, she was not violently tripped to the ground, but insead a boot planted itself right behind Elena's feet as a hand firmly, yet gently pressed against her collarbone to make her lean back into another hand that was keeping her from falling, and Elena was slowly lowered to the ground onto the bedroll. After a pillow was fitted beneath her head and a blanket drawn over her, something else different happened; the beastfolk who had put her to bed this time leaned into her ear and spoke to her softly. It was recognizable as one of the several bandit voices who spoke up from time to time, but without a name or a face to attach to it, there was little Elena could guess about it except maybe it belonged to a leaner man. "You did good, swallowing your pride like that. That will serve you well in the days to come." The voice said crypticly to her, before she felt the presense of the man leave her.

Shortly after, Margo was led over to be chained up as well, while Vivienne was fed. She cooperated with the minimum necessary words, kept a calm voice, and didn't say anything else, nor did she try to make waves. She was then put to bed nearby as well. Silence fell over the camp as the only sounds were the occasional footsteps around them. It hadn't been repeated this night, but it would be stupid to think that the 'no noise' rule from last night had been lifted. Still, sleep came a little easier for the other three girls, with full, warm bellies and without the shock of the first night of their situation.

She was led away just as she had been the night before. Albeit, a bit more gently. Elena sighed quietly as the male went through the routine of taking the collar and placing it around her neck, ensuring that she remained tethered to the tree through the night. Bed rolls were laid out beside her and she could feel the tiredness in her very limbs. Each girl, Margo especially, was exhaustion in more ways than one. Similarly, she was laid down, shifting with a wince due to her arms still being tied to her sides. Before she could really move to get comfortable she felt the warmth of the male hovering atop of her – much too close.

His breath caressed her ear and she couldn’t fight the shiver that swept up her spine when he spoke. Elena frowned some, disappointed in her self despite his subtle praising of her compliance. If pride was a solid, tangible thing, her belly would have been full from it alone. It took so much effort to not argue or scream and try to fight her way from them. Had she not been accompanied by her friends, she would have damned the consequences by now in her attempt at freedom. Alas…

Elena had tried not to think about the future in the hands of these men. Would the girls be split up? Sent to be servants to another for the right price? Slaves to be used? Or would they keep them..? The very idea was barbaric. The girls had never seen beastfolk before now. Though they had obviously heard stories of them. Vile, ruthless and carnal creatures. Just barely above that of their feral cousins. How they even came to be was a mystery. Magic was said to be at root. Other more loathing stories involved women having mated with beasts, becoming pregnant and the beastfolk were the fruit born from such a blasphemous union. The thought alone had her stomach twisting. She only hoped that wasn’t true, nor was that the reason why the girls had been taken in the first place.

She was awake still, plagued by her own mind, when Vivienne was laid down with the rest of them. Just like the previous night, she fought to stay awake. Elena honestly hoped to hear something, anything from the men that would give a hint to their location or purpose behind all of this. But the men barely spoke and when they did it was in hushed tones or about nothing that concerned the girls. And when sleep finally came she was only a little less reluctant to succumb to it.

(Sorry for delay! Turkeyday and family and things.)


After another night of somewhat troubled sleep, Elena was woken once more as a hand gripped her shoulder and gently shook her, as opposed to poking her like last morning. "Alright, time to wake up. You know the drill by now. Stay down, I'll be right back." Another beastfolk voice, this one very deep (which seemed to match the size of the hand that had woken her) spoke to her, not the same one as last night, but recognizable as one of the voices that had been talking.

But as the sounds of the camp packing up all around Elena reached her ears, she could detect a change in the atmosphere from how the beastfolk talk to each other, even the sounds of how they moved. They were much more...relaxed. Confident. Like they weren't trying so hard to keep quiet anymore, just chatting with each other a little more normally than before. Of course, the big tip-off...was that they were now actually referring to each other by name. If Elena paid careful attention to who spoke what name, and who responded, she could start to match names to voices. It didn't take long for someone to call out the name "Jatter", which was responded with the voice of the leader. The one who had praised Elena last night for her compliance was 'Zag', and the one who had just woken her up was Borlon. Four other names, Grant, Ardan, Kren, and Dimo, were also revealed. Seven in total. At some point during the chatter, the likely reason for why they weren't trying so hard to keep their identities hidden anymore was revealed; the leader--Jatter--said "We'll be home by midday", if the group made good time.

Shortly thereafter, one of the beastfolk--Kren, by the name that had been matched with his voice--approached Elena and got her out of bed, after which he then took off her collar and did the same routine as last morning of taking he ropes off her arms and making her move about as he ran his furry hands along her skin to make sure nothing was hurt. Then, he re-tied the ropes on her arms, checked her blindfold one last time, and herded her out of the way to wait for everything else to be packed up and the other girls prepared. A few minutes later, Elena was once again lifted up into a saddle with a beastfolk behind her (Grant, by his voice), who held her tightly to his body like the others had. His fur seemed shorter and brushier, and his body seemed particularly tall.

And then, once again, the convoy of horses was off, at about the same pace as the previous day, in fact perhaps even a little faster with the eagerness of ending the trip. As the hours wore on, Elena could tell they were definitely going up an incline, and occasionally doubled back and forth...as if they were going up a twisty mountain pathway. After hours of solid riding, at which point Elena could feel the sun high in the sky, Jatter suddenly started calling out a "Whoa!" and the horses slowed to a trot. "We're home!" He called forward...and indeed, Elena could hear faint sounds ahead. They were difficult to make out, but it sounded like general activity and the chatter of people...like what any town or city sounds like as you get close to it. Elena could feel the shadows of trees over her head...and suddenly, the shadows all passed by as the sun came down strongly, and the ambient sound picked up a bit more, as if there were no obstructions. Even without the ability to see, Elena could tell--they had entered the boundry of some settlement.

The horses were brought to a final stop, and Elena heard more voices join the group as supplies were taken off the horse's saddlebags, and Elena herself was dismounted from the saddle. With a few light pushes, Elena was made to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the other girls...and then, the voice of Jatter spoke up again. "You'd best close your eyes. The blindfolds are coming off now. Close your eyes, and open them slowly. After three days, the light's gonna hurt. It will take you a few minutes to adjust. We'll wait."

Elena then felt a pair of hands on the back of her head, undoing the knot of the blindfold and carefully lifting the tear-crusted black cloth off her face...and indeed, the blinding brightness of the sun reached Elena's poorly-adjusted retinas, even with her eyelids closed. Small squeals of pain were heard at her sides; the other girls going through the same thing, no doubt. As the minutes passed and Elena's vision slowly returned to her, she was able to catch fuzzy glimpses of her surroundings. She was in some kind of large clearing in the middle of the mountains, with brown--probably wooden--buildings and shacks all around, about the size of any backwoods town small enough that everyone knows everyone else. Variously-colored humanoid figures shuffled around the buildings, with Elena's eyes still too fuzzy to make them out properly. But there was one figure standing in front of her and the three other girls, and the voice of Jatter spoke from it

"Welcome to your new home."

The night went just as it had the night before. It was uneventful, her dreams quiet and her body still adjusting to its seemingly new routine. In the morning there wasn’t even any surprised gasp when she was woken up. Granted, the man doing the waking didn’t jab her in the shoulder as the other did the morning prior. She noticed too as she laid there, like she was told, that the men around them were actually talking to one another. None of the hush whispers or cryptic phrasing. While she did her best to listen – she was still only just waking up. Any names mentioned were attempted to be imprinted with their matching voices, none of them having faces to match as of yet. That was probably the more horrifying things about it all. Elena and the girls could not see.

Her eyes widened beneath the fabric when the leader, whose name she now knew as ‘Jatter’, made his little announcement – much to the delight of his men. Elena felt her chest ache as the hope of a rescue became further and further away… And once again she was brought up and moved around. Her arms flexed and rubbed in a therapeutic manner. And just like the morning before the touch of the male’s fur left goosebumps in his wake. Her cheeks blushing softly just under the line of the blind fold. The girls were huddled in a familiar manner away from the goings on of the group of men before they were once again saddled, held, and whisked away.

They didn’t travel nearly as long as they had the previous days; instead of dawn ‘til dusk, it was dawn ‘til a little after noonish just as Jatter had promised – the sun itself high in the sky and not a cloud in sight. Although the rays were significantly dulled due to the thick canopy of forestry that they still seemed to be moving through. Elena had stopped trying to figure out where they were being taken a day ago. Her mind was preoccupied enough with worry for the girls’ and her own well being. Although it had dawned on her that the men had their opportunities to truly harm the young women. Though they had threatened plenty if the girls disobeyed they really hadn’t been overly rough to them. Something that, the more she thought about it, Elena felt was odd. Or rather, just not what she was expecting. Not to say she wanted that, far from it in fact… It was just curious.

Elena felt her eyes getting heavy as time went on. The methodical movement and swift pace of the strong animals beneath them kept her in a state of being out of breath and tired. So when Jatter’s voice rang out around them, the motion slowing, she jerked herself awake again, still resting her back against the chest of the male behind her. She could smell the scent of lit fire places and hearing various other voices come in to play the closer they became. A small village no doubt. Once they had stopped completely, the girls were once again lowered and huddled off and out of the way for the time being. Each one having near the same reaction after several long moments passed and Jatter explained that they would be removing their blindfolds.

Elena felt a sense of relief, but frowned knowing that they would need adjusting to the bright sun over head. Behind the fabric, she did as she was told, closing her eyes and waiting even a few moments after the fabric had been removed. She winced still, not even having bothered to try and open them as the sun shown practically through the thin of her eyelids. Elena whimpered, turning her head away and focusing on the ground. Had her arms not been bound, she would have brought her hands to cover them, but this was the best she could do. Slowly, very slowly she began to open them. They actually burned, straining to readjust themselves to the world around her. Glancing up and finally revealing the magnificent green of her irises where the other girls were varied shades of brown.

The figures, moving and stationary, were still heavily blurred. She could make out the difference between object and being however, and the one that stood in front of them welcomed them home. Indicating that they would be staying here for a very long time, if not, indefinitely. Her eyes narrowed, not in an argumentative way, but more squinting as she forced her view to steady… It took several long, relatively annoying minutes, until finally she could make out just who had been leading them. Her soft lips parting in absolute awe at what she found.

As Elena and the other girls blinked and squinted and their eyes adjusted to being used for the first time in days, the world around them took proper shape as the blurriness cleared away. All the moving shapes in the background resolved into beastfolk of various species, mostly canid-men and felid-men, all dressed in various outdoors/trail attire. And they were indeed all men, there wasn't a female beastfolk to be seen anywhere. And yet, as the scene continued to clear up, lighter shapes resolved into humanoids as well; actual humans. There was the occasional human walking among the beastfolk...and they were all female. Shockingly, several of the women who walked by at the side of a beastfolk had rounded bellies, in various stages of pregnancy. The beastfolk bandits captured pregnant women?

But then, the figure in front of the four girls stepped forward, bringing their attention to him; Jatter, the leader. Of course, he was a beatfolk himself, but specifically he looked like a fox, with rust-red fur. it was hard to tell with a beastfolk, but he looked to be middle-aged, yet he still was somewhat leanly built, but also had well-defined muscles, especially showed off by the fact his outfit had no sleeves. A few small scars, a few straight and a few ragged, shone on his arms through his fur, bespeaking quite a violent past...that he had survived. He was dressed in rugged brown leathers and had a sword with sheath buckled to his hip, and what looked like a couple small knife handles poking out of various pockets in his outfit. His own eyes were a sort of orangish gold-red, but his most striking facial feature was a thin, clean scar that cut straight up the left side of his muzzle. Most of all, however, his arms were folded high on his chest, and he carried his head high with obvious confidence and authority.

Jatter examined the girls before him. It had been a few minutes, and by carefully watching their eyes, he noted that their vision had mostly returned to them by now. Of interest, he saw that the girl to the far left of him--the 'smart' one--had very pretty green eyes, in contrast to the plainer brown of the other three. She'd be quite prized among his camp for that, and he mentally wagered with himself which of his accomplices on the raid would take her first. Speaking of which, he finally opened his mouth again to speak to the four girls, launching into a speech that would define their lives from this point forth, a practiced speech he had given many times before.

"Now that you're fully alert and attentive, it's high time I explained a few things to you girls. And after the days of travel we've had of keeping you in the dark, that time has passed. I'm not gonna sugar-coat what I'm about to say, I'm gonna give it to you straight and true. The first is that whatever your old life was, it is over now. With us, you will begin your new life..." He paused and rolled his shoulders. "As slaves. Specifically, of the sexual kind. Concubines. Pleasure-girls. Comfort women. Bedwarmers. Take your pick. Your bodies belong to us now. Your purpose is our pleasure. Starting tomorrow, every male in this camp can do whatever they want with you, whenever they want with you. That said, as you've learned already, if you behave yourselves and cooperate, I can personally promise no one will be too rough with you. But if you misbehave...well, actually, we rather look forward to that." Jatter grinned a toothy, animalistic grin. "See, if you put up a fight, that's actually makes it even more fun for us, because then we can be rowdy and rough. We won't even really bother with any actual 'punishment' if you try to resist while you're here. We'd rather not any harm come to our prizes, after all. That's actually half the reason why I said starting tomorrow. Today, you are tired, aching, and dirty. Today you will be washed, fed, and rested to be restored for tomorrow. Whether you fight back or not, we like a participant rather than just a limp piece of meat. But again, if you do cooperate, you'll be better treated...and one way or another, you'll come to at least accept, if not enjoy, your new life. Every one before you has even if they put up a fight in the beginning, and most of them do enjoy it now. That said, there are a few things we will punish you for..."

He spread his arms wide and looked around, gesturing to the peaks of mountains that arose from the tree canopy on both sides of the cleared 'village'. "If you're exceptionally well-versed in geography, you might know which mountain range this is, but I know that none of you are actually familiar with this place, as humans don't travel this direction and it's outside the nearest kingdom's borders anyway. You were blindfolded for the trip here so that you cannot possibly have any idea how to get back to where you came from. Now, you might also note there's no fence around this village, though everyone here is a guard. If you're clever enough, you might even be able to sneak out. Wouldn't be the first to do so, either. But where will you go? You don't know this terrain. You don't know how to survive here. This range is trecherous and unstable with rockslides, large predators prowl from the peaks to the base, and many of the native plants are toxic to you. You might find a cave or creek to hide in, but I assure you; we know this land. We're familiar with every inch of it. If you escape into the mountains and try to hide, we will find you. There's no place you can hide that we won't know about. Still, I tell you all this because this is one thing we will punish you for. It is very annoying when we have to waste time to track one of you down, and we'll be very pissed off when we find you."

"And the second big rule...starting tomorrow as well, you will refer to every male in this camp as 'master' and nothing else, unless one of us gives you something specific to refer to them by. And that's about it for now. Anything else you need to learn, you'll pick up as you go. For now, off to the baths with you." Jatter then nodded to the beastfolk group who had been standing behind the four girls, who then stepped forward and placed a hand on the shoulder of each girl to prepare to steer them away. By this time, Margo looked like she was about to burst into tears again, Vivienne had gone pale and her mouth was a thin flat line, and Christine just stared at the ground, though it almost seemed like she was nodding.

With her sight slowly but surely returning to her, Elena took to looking about the area. There were others walking about, not seeming to pay any mind to the girls that had just arrived and carrying on their own business instead. It was odd to see so many Beastfolk… Hell, it was odd to see them at all! Then… then there were humans too, women around or older than Elena and her friends. Some pregnant, even. Her cheeks suddenly turned red. No, it couldn’t be. Surely it was some coincidence. But how could they possibly take an expecting young woman hostage like this? Away from her husband and family. Even the Beastfolk had to have some sort of compassion and morale. ..right?

Snapping her from her thoughts, however, the male that stood before her gained their attentions. He had features like a fox, rough and scarred with predatory amber eyes that seemed intent on each and every one of them at a time before taking them in as a whole. There was an obvious air of autonomy around him, just by reading his body language. Similarly, the girls studied him as he had them, although it was easy to tell who was more curious versus the ones that were still frightened. The silence remained heavy around them save for the outside noise of others moving about and talking with one another far enough away as to not interrupt Jatter’s welcome speech.

As the girls listened intently, their expressions slowly began to change. Disbelief. Disgust. Anger. Fear. Confusion. All of these things in varied stages upon their faces. What he was saying was completely abhorrent! They had been torn from home, dragged away from comfort, transported miles away to some unknown location, just to have this information dropped on them. It occurred to her then that those women with pregnant bellies were not taken from their homes in that state… They were in that state because of the males here. Elena suddenly felt nauseated from the shock. Those women carried the young of a Beastfolk and they looked happy…

There weren’t even words to describe what she and the other three were going through right then. Not that she would have the opportunity to speak her mind. And though Jatter’s words, rules and warnings lingered in her ears, it had all happened so quickly. Next thing she knew she was being guided away. “Elena!” Margo cried out to her, she turned her head, they were being separated. A rule of thumb to keep them from conspiring with one another at the very least – but also for them to become less dependent between themselves, and more used to the presence of the males they would service beginning tomorrow. They were left with nothing but the knowledge of their future; their whole lives turned upside down.

“Keep moving, girl.” The voice of the male behind her stated with an impatient nudge to her shoulder. She looked up to him, he bore the dark face of a wolf, slightly grayed around his muzzle and bright yellow eyes. “Don’t look like that, eh.” He gruffed out at her expression – quite visibly upset. “Your friends are gonna be jus’ fine. As long as they behave – same goes for you.” He reminded her. They arrived at a wooden cabin, making their way around back they were greeted by what looked to be a large barrel – underneath some iron contraption glowing with the warmth of coals beneath. It was their version of a ‘warm bath’. “Well, let’s get you outta this. Ain’t no need for anything fancy. Just gonna have it taken off anyway.” He sneered at her, knowing the very thought ate at her nerves.

As did the thought of undressing in front of a man. Beastfolk or not. “I’mma free your arms, I don’t think we’ll have a problem… You are the smart one after all.” He chuckled as he began to untie her arms. Elena could barely lift them on her own, let alone try to fend him off somehow. After a few momets, Dimo growled, impatient,“C’mon girl, ain’t got all evening. Take it off, or I’ll do it for you.” He brandished the tips of his claws and Elena frowned. Relenting finally. Piece by piece was shed until she stood completely bare at the side of the bath. Like most of the women they retrieved from the wealthy families, she was supple. Full breasts and a proportionate curve to her hips that just stoked thoughts of child bearing. Obviously more healthy than your average peasant, a fine, crème complexion to match those stunning eyes. Dimo was actually considering taking her for himself come tomorrow, he had a feeling she’d struggle… and he liked that.

He helped her in, providing a rough sort of clay-soap for her to wash with. Elena complied only because the water felt so damn inviting. Dipping her head beneath the surface, completely submerging herself as she scrubbed her hair clean. As terrible of a situation as it was, there was a tiny sense of relief to feeling clean for the first time in days. All of the girls at different parts of the village were receiving the same treatment.

Once finished their baths, they were brought inside, dried and given a simple cotton gown to help battle the chill, their old clothes disposed of indefinitely. Dimo watched over her as she ate – a warm stew similar to the one they had the night before, with a bit of black bread, wild berries and fresh water. By the time everything was all said and done, the sun had set. And just as they had the night before, the girls would find themselves collared and connected to the thick oak of a bed post, a bed roll left on the floor for them next to the bed that belonged to the male currently responsible for her. “The more rest you get, the better it’ll be tomorrow. ‘n don’t try anything funny, girl. I’ll be keeping a good eye on you,” growling deeply as he covered her with the blanket. Leaving her to silence and the soft crackle of the coals in the hearth – it was obvious he hadn’t gone far, seating himself outside to keep watch.

Dawn reached Elena in the peaceful form of warm rays of sunshine that crawled across her face, allowing her to wake up at her own pace rather than a beastfolk rousing her. And without being tied to her sides and being allowed to rest normally, her arms felt much better. As Elena came around to conciousness and took stock of her surroundings, she saw that Dimo was fully dressed and sitting in a chair next to the doorway while snoozing--not actually asleep, just dozed off, apparently waiting for Elena to wake herself up, because as she began to shift under her blanket, the wolfman blinked and looked up.

"Mm. Finally awake, are you? Good. Hope ye got plenty of rest. Today's your big day. Gonna get you some breakfast, n'then...the real fun begins." He stood up and walked over to Elena and produced a key, which he used to unlock her collar that bound her to the bedpost. He then helped her too her feet and rested a hand on her shoulder--one that did not grip her forcefully, bit did give her a cautionary squeeze--and without binding her arms, led her out of the shack into the morning village.

The sun had already risen about halfway to the top of the sky, and the beastfolk were out and about, doing mostly normal village things; chopping wood, making tools, chatting, and other normal activities. Elena could smell the scent of warm food in the air, and she found that Dimo was steering her towards it. A mess hall of sorts came into view; a large open-sided building with many benches and tables inside, where some beastfolk--and human girls--were milling about. But as they got closer, Elena also heard a new sound; a feminine moaning, crying sound.

There was a line of beastfolk in the middle of the 'street' not too far from the mess hall. Gettting closer, Elena could then see where the line ended, and in fact there were -two- lines on either side meeting in the middle...and in the middle was a woman lying belly-down on a cusioned, wooden stand.

She was getting reamed.

The two lines ended with one beastfolk in front of her and one behind her, and they were clearly fucking her, shamelessly and publicly, with the beastfolk in front of her ramming his cock into her face and down her throat, and the one behind her sinking himself between her legs. Even from a distance, Elena could see splashes of white all around her, and it was painfully obvious what the beastfolk waiting in line were for. And yet, despite the very public gangbang, the attitude wasn't like the woman was being punished...or, in fact, that she didn't like it. She wasn't tied down or bound in any way, and with the manner that her head bobbed and her hips bucked...her moaning, escaping even with the cock filling her mouth, was that of a wanton whore.

Even depsite the woman clearly being 'open for all', beastfolk weren't exactly rushing to get in line. Indeed, the majority who walked by just glanced, grinned or chuckled, and kept going as if it were entirely normal, while only a few decided to get into line themselves. Meanwhile, Dimo himself chuckled slightly at the spectacle, then noticed Elena's gaze at it. "Dun worry, girl. That's not gonna happen to you, not unless you do somethin' really bad...or 'uh course, ya ask for it." At that moment, the beastfolk who was bucking between the woman's legs threw his head back and howled, obviously reaching his finish as the woman likewise screamed around the obstruction in her throat...and then the beastfolk pulled out and quickly moved out of the way, and the man behind him whipped out his own manhood and wasted no time in taking his predecessor's place.

Without further delay, Dimo led Elena into the mess hall. Most of the benches were empty, as it actually seemed breakfast was winding down, but there were still some people around. Elena noted that there was actually one or two girls sitting at a bench and eating with the beastfolk, though as Dimo led Elena through the benches, she saw that a lot more were kneeled down on the ground...and eating from a bowl on the ground at the side of another beastfolk. It was also at this point Elena might have noticed something else about all the girls in the camp; every one was wearing a collar--not a metal one, but a leather one, more like an accessory than a means of control, and each one seemed different.

Dimo got to the cook's stewpots and got himself two bowls of soup, then took Elena to one of the unoccupied benches. Without words, he insistently made Elena kneel on the ground beside the bench, and then sat down at it himself, and started eating casually. Despite his attention being taken a bit off Elena, she noted there were several beastfolk in the mess hall just standing around watchfully with folded arms--and one of them narrowed his eyes at Elena when she was made to kneel unbound, indicating she -was- being watched. When Dimo was about halfway through his bowl of soup, he looked to the side down at Elena. "...So. Does the s'pposedly smart girl want some breakfast before she has her firs' time, eh? All ya gotta say is 'Please, may I have some food...master'." Dimo allowed a grin to slightly touch his face, as he prepared himself for whatever reaction Elena might have.

She hadn’t quite remembered when she’d fallen asleep, but it was some time before Dimo had returned from his being outside. Out of the nights spent as the beastfolk’s captives, this was like the one she had been able to sleep the most deeply. With her arms freed she had plenty range for motion and curled herself on her side, hugging tight to the blanket over her. It was the warmth of the sun that stirred her awake, much to her own delirious surprise after days of being jolted awake by claw-tipped hands. Elena shifted, fingers touching the skin-warmed metal around her neck as a brief reminder to where she was still.

With her green eyes beginning to focus on the cabin wall, Dimo spoke to her. There was a frown on her lips as he knew there would be. What he called fun was terribly loathsome. And while he may enjoy it, Elena was haunted by the heaviness of dread with each passing moment. She sat up, brushing her raven tresses from her face as he walked over to her. Holding still then, but eyes averted elsewhere as he reached to undo the collar. He helped her up, the cotton fabric having bunched around her upper thighs falling back down as she brushed it out, nervousness obvious in her movements. With his hand on her shoulder then he guided her outside.

Elena blinked, wincing at the brightness of the sun while she walked. Her eyes finally able to take in the village for what it was. Everything seemed normal save for its citizens, but even their behavior was that of commoners, simple folk. But then there were the girls, some clothed, others naked… some pregnant. Elena couldn’t believe this was happening. She didn’t want to wind up like that. This was seemingly no different than being wed off to a man that she barely knew and forced to carry his children – if given the choice, Elena may begrudgingly have chosen to be kidnapped… But still, she wanted for neither.

What she saw next only solidified that opinion. Those soft, muffled cries touching her ears as Dimo led her by the small crowd. Elena’s eyes went wide at the sight before her. Mouth dry and face paled as she watched the woman accept two men at once. In public! Dimo’s voice startled her, assuring that she would not be put on display for use in such a (in her opinion despicable) manner. And for all her anxiety she jumped when the male to their side howled his pleasure. Elena’s lower lip twitched, she was completely speechless as another came up and took the first male’s place. At that point, the girl closed her eyes, led away none too soon by Dimo’s hand.

She kept her eyes on the ground from that point on, fearing any other heinous displays. Occasionally beginning to look up, but only to the few girls scattered with the beastfolk as they ate. Each one seemed calm, quiet, content… even the ones on the floor. All of them collared like hounds! Though she only briefly noticed the minor differences in each woman’s before she looked away again. Even the smell of the warm food could not gain Elena’s attention then. The idea of eating actually made her feel sick after what she had just witnessed. And like a combination of overwhelming emotions compiled over the last several days. Still, she silently walked with Dimo as he retrieved two bowls of food and over to a bench.

He stopped her from sitting down and urged her to the ground like some of the other girls had been. Her tense muscles were reluctant to obey, but she did so regardless. Green eyes looking up at the wolf as he sat and from one of the bowls and seemingly ignoring her from then on. Her hands rested on her lap, fingers picking at the dark fabric at her thighs. Elena’s shoulders tensing visibly when he asked if she wanted breakfast… mentioning about her first time. She wanted desperately to just disappear right then and there. Her brow furrowed in frustration, she clearly didn’t want to eat and she sure as hell didn’t want to ask and call him Master… Although Jatter had already taken the liberty of instilling the potential for consequences with disobedience while on their way home. And for fear of ultimately winding up like the woman a dozen yards away she answered. “Please, may I have some food… Master.” Her voice was soft, reluctant and she didn’t raise her eyes to his. It was unlikely that she would even bother to eat much, not because of some sort of stubbornness, but simply noted by the still sickened, pale look on her features.

Dimo watched with satisfaction as Elena's eyes dropped submissively, and she said the necessary words, cementing her position (for the moment). It was all part of the campwide regimen all the male beastfolk knew how to administer to the girls as taught to them by Jatter; make them beg, plead, and lower themselves with their own words, and once they said it enough times, they'd start to believe it. No matter how strong the individual will, all it took was time. As far as Dimo was concerened, this exoticly green-eyed girl was off to a good start.

The wolf-man took the second untouched bowl off the table and lowered it to the ground in front of Elena, though he stopped just before letting gow of it. "Now here ya go...and don't you forget what to say next; 'Thank you, master'." Dimo added pointedly, and then he let go of the bowl. He then leaned back up in his own seat, and regarded how Elena looked to be getting a little 'green around the gills'. "Just calm down girl. Don't think about it. Just look at that warm soup in front of you, think about that. You don't even have to eat it all, just eat what you can. You just can't use your hands though, and don't worry about getting some mess on your face." Dimo resumed his own half-finished bowl of soup, but now he was keeping one eye on Elena, monitoring her progress.

Once Dimo had finished his meal, and had judged Elena had enough of hers, he placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her towards him--firmly, but not forcefully--and pulled out a cloth from one of his pockets, which he then used to wipe off the soup Elena had inevitably gotten on her face. He did it quickly in only a few long strokes, seemingly trying not to dwell on the degrading act for Elena's own benefit. With that done, he left the bowls on the table and guided Elena out of the mess hall and through the small 'village' once more.

It didn't take long to figure out what the destination was; Dimo was directing Elena straight at the largest building in the village, the only one with more than one story, of which this one had two. Whereas all other buildings in the village were all wood, this one combined stone and wood seemingly as reinforcement. It was also plainly visible that it had few windows, and of the few it did have, they were grated with iron bars. Dimo brought her to the large front double-doors, and led her inside.

Dimo took her through a long hallway that had many doors and several branching paths, making the place seem almost like an inn, or a barracks. But it was only too obvious what this building was for: while most of the doors were open, feminine gasps, moans, and cries along with masculine grunts and roars could be heard behind the closed ones. There were a few beastfolk in the hallways, looking like patrolling guards if anything. Dimo took Elena up a flight of stairs to the second floor, and all the unmistakable sounds of sex faded away as Dimo led Elena into an unoccupied room as he nodded to a guard in the hallway. "Breakin' in one of the new batch." Dimo lit a lamp and hung it in the corner of the room as the door closed behind Dimo, which was then followed with the finality of a metal lock clicking home from the outside, effectively sealing Elena's fate.

The room was somewhat spartanly decorated, yet with a sturdy-looking bed with a nice fur mattress being the obvious main feature. There was a closed wooden box at the front of the bed, two chairs around the room, and a couple shelves, but other than all that it was mostly empty. Dimo stood in front of the door with his arms folded over his chest as he regarded the girl in the center of the room. Her looking more ill than defiant or truly submissive had piqued the smallest dredges of sympathy for her situation in him. But only the smallest.

"...Alright, little girl." Dimo finally said. "Not really any point delayin' this, but, really. It's not gonna be as bad as you think. You'll get used to it after the first coupla' times, if not now. Fuckin' and gettin' fucked feels good, but I'm guessin' you don't know that yet. Now, I know I look like a rough beast, and yes, I can be when I want to be. But, I promise you, I can be gentle, too. I can take this as nice, easy, slow, and soft as you could want. I can really make it feel good for you. But..." Dimo uncrossed one of his arms, which trailed down to his trousers. "You gotta prove you deserve that." With practiced motions, Dimo undid his pants, and released what made him a man.

His cock sprung forward, an impressive vulgar instrument to the refined and proper Elena. It was already fully erect, bright red, knotted with veins, and bulged like a small balloon at the base with two furry orbs hanging below it. "Put that pretty mouth of yours right here, and don't stop till I say." Dimo ordered. "...Or not, and then I get to have fun. Your choice, girl."

Elena shifted uneasily against the ground, still not bothering to look at the wolfish male as he lowered the bowl to the ground. As if she need reminding, the words were already on the tip of her tongue. "Thank you... Master." Her voice still a little above a whisper when he turned back around. Elena only stared at the stew. She was given no utensils and just as she expected, he clarified that she would be using nothing but her mouth. The girl's lower lips quivered and she frowned. So much for not thinking about it. She didn't want to do this... Glancing over at the guards nervously, one of which who had his eyes directly on her. She didn't want to cause any problems...

It took her a moment but she finally lowered herself and her dignity long enough to take a few sips. Elena tried to do so with minimal mess and was mostly successful save for a few trickles along her chin. It was humiliating. She was being forced to eat like one of her fathers hunting hounds. The dark haired girl stifled a whine and simply remained there, head down until the male was finished. Directed once more with a large paw on her shoulder, she couldn't bring herself to look upon him still. Even as he wiped her mouth and chin free of any stray stew that remained. She felt like she wanted to get sick. Instead she was forced back out into the village looking a lot worse than she had the first time through.

Her arms crossed along her chest protectively as soon as they entered the building. Immediately she was bombarded by the sounds of women and the beastfolk in the middle of various sex acts behind closed doors. It was a good chance that one, if not all, were of her friends. It was difficult to distinguish. And really, Elena didn't want to think about it. There was no escaping, not for them and not for her. She rubbed her arm nervously when they finally entered the room. Her shoulders were tense and flinched at the sound of the door locking behind her. Elena turned around reluctantly to face him then. Protest written all over her features.

But she listened to him silently. Her gaze softening in defeat with each word. Elena watched as his hand lowered to his trousers and her faced flushed a deep scarlet in the lamp-light. The wolf revealed himself to her. She'd never seen an unclothed man in person before. Paintings, statues... All of them were much different than what threatened her now. He was intimidating, his wolfen shaft red, thick and throbbing... Bulbous where flesh met fur. She couldn't begin to fathom how... Didn't want to. He could read and even scent the fear and trepidation on her. She either carried out his vulgar demand or he took from her anyway. Elena was always so proud... And it hurt twice as bad as she took her few steps forward to him.

The girl kneeled anxiously in front of him. Her eyes trailing over his member and there was a hint of tears in those beautiful emerald's. She rested her hands along her thighs, gripping the fabric of the short-cloth gown and tugging at it. He wanted her mouth on him... She swallowed nervously, her throat feeling dry and her tongue caressed her lower lip to moisten and soften it back to fullness. Her shoulders slumped then as she leaned forward. She was timid, pressing her lips to the swollen yet tapered tip of his length. He glistened already with a fine wetness and his musk was stronger the closer she was. After a short time she finally relented, opening her mouth and drawing the first inch or two within its hot, wet confines and tasting a male for the first time. A unique flavor, but not unpleasant as she rubbed her tongue along the underside of his hard flesh. The only thing keeping her from taking her lips away was the fact that he had not said to. But something unknown kept her moving her tongue around him, perhaps it was simply the awkward feeling of sitting still in such tense silence... Either way, she followed what little her instincts told her to do.

As Dimo regarded Elena with a stoic expression, he actually had to supress a sigh when he saw her take a few extremely slow and fearful steps forward before sinking to her knees. Truthfully, despite how well and 'smartly' she had behaved so far, he had been hoping she would have some fight in her at this final point, where the chips were down and the impending act was there in the present instead of the hypothetical future. But then, everything Jatter did and taught was designed to prevent such fighting spirits from ever emerging at all to speed along their acceptance of their new station. Dimo could still have fun, he just couldn't be as energetic as he wanted.

With cold eyes Dimo watched Elena's face inch closer to his cock, though his body made no movement to rush her. He let her take it at her own pace without direct pressure; she reeked of terror and her eyes were glassy and brimming with barely-restrained tears. Still, the emotions of fear were far easier to wash away than the emotions of rebelliousness. Oh yes. Dimo knew he had to keep to the promise he had made now, entirely for the reason of showing her it wasn't so bad. And also because of Jatter. The last time one of the other beastfolk had lied to a girl and mistreated her without cause, thus making the girls' attitude towards all the beastfolk backslide...Dimo didn't even like to think about what Jatter had done to him.

With utmost timidness, Dimo felt Elena kiss the very tip of his cock, where she stayed and hesitated for a few moments more. Still, Dimo did not move to pressure her. And then, with a final resignation, Dimo watched as she parted her lips and slowly slid his first few inches inside her mouth. Dimo breathed softly in contentedness as he felt the end of his member engulfed in her warm mouth. To her, his meat was hot and solid, and throbbed slowly but firmly in her mouth like a heartbeat, giving off undeniable vitality and life. And without even his prompting, he felt her tongue get in on the action, gently licking and tickling the bottom of his cock. He was actually impressed that she seemed to be doing that on her own. As Elena continued to hold the end of his cock in her mouth, Dimo reached out to her head with his hand, and...tenderly stroked and rubbed the hair on the side of her head, and behind her ear, as if she were a pet. "There y'go. Take it easy. That's it, girl. Nice and soft. Not so bad, is it? Don't stop, but no hurry. Just keep it smooth and calm..." He spoke words of encouragement as he continued to touch her head in a way that would have been like the sweet affections of a lover if not for the fact Elena was being forced into this.

God knows she didn't want to be doing this. Elena was absolutely mortified by the act she was currently carrying out. Her movement was stiff and inexperienced. She couldn't still her tongue else she would simply be sitting there with the wolfman's member resting awkwardly between her lips. Elena couldn't understand how anyone could feel enjoyment doing something like this. Even when he reached down, moving his hand through her dark, silken tresses, she could not relax. In fact, Elena tensed more.

He spoke his encouragement to her and she barely reacted in any way. This was not something positive to her. It was an abomination. Insulting. Humiliating. Degrading. His fur tuft fingers moving through her hair as he spoke reminding her of the lowly place these beastfolk saw her and the other girls as. Elena was thoroughly disgusted in herself. She whimpered around his length, unable to completely stifle her cries any longer. Those exotic emeralds looked up to him as his thumb slid along her temple and swept a stray strand of her hair back to keep the sight of her mouthing his cock completely uninhibited. Elena's face was blushed deeply and she continued to pick nervously at the hem of the little clothing she wore.

Though she loathed to admit it, however, his touches were incredibly gentle. In a manner where she just might've accepted it had he been the man to whom she was betrothed. Would that truly have been much different? She wasn't ignorant. It was rare that actual love and emotions played any part in arranged marriage. Her own parents did not even sleep in the same room together after twenty years. Really, male humans were no less animal than these creatures save for their appearance. The other girls she had seen here, even the pregnant ones, seemed content. Elena simply couldn't understand how, yet.

Her thoughts aimed to distract her, but unfortunately for her her lips were still sealed around a cock. She had slowly taken more of him without thought, her tongue still timidly caressing the flesh as she went. Elena needed to remove herself then, moving her head back down his length and taking a deep breath. Her exhale nothing more than a delicate sob. She wasn't allowed to stop though. Reluctantly bringing her mouth back to him and repeating what she had done before. In a slow, almost agonizing motion, she took Dimo until his tip rested at the back of her throat. The immediate feeling was unpleasant and she was uncertain of what to do, or even if she was supposed to go this far. Regardless, she drew her lips down him again, her tongue continuing to work idle circles along the inches enveloped in her mouth.

Dimo could feel the awkwardness of Elena's movements on his cock. They all started out like that. The jerkiness actually was, in its own way, arousing. Then Elena whimpered and tickled his rod, causing Dimo to close his eyes for a moment and take a steadying breath before he looked down. He saw the girl's watery and startlingly green eyes staring up back at him, and he could see the humiliation etched deep within her. Yet, she was keeping her mouth on him. That was good. Once she got used to how good sex felt, any feelings of degredation would be forgotten. That's how it always worked, with how Jatter taught all the other beastfolk to treat the girls.

After a few more jerky motions, yet still with her tongue teasing around him, Dimo felt Elena pull of his cock. He looked at her with a stony expression and watched her very carefully, but it just turned out she needed to take a breath, though it came out as a whimpering sob. Without needing him for reinforcement, he saw her overcome her reluctance and take him into her mouth once again. Training her to control her breath would definitely be something the others would have to do, but there was no reason to punish her for it now. But then, Dimo felt her take more...and more of himself into her, until he felt the tip of his cock scrape the back of her throat. Despite himself, Dimo inhaled an aroused breath. She couldn't have done this before with how inexperienced her motions were, yet she went that far on her own? She was a gem. Dimo was really feeling aroused now. A bit too aroused, in fact. He wanted nothing more than to grab her and hump her face right then, one of his favorite ways of taking a girl, but he knew he had to control himself.

Dimo took another sighing breath and spoke. "Oh...okay. Good. That's enough for now. You've proven you're willing to do what it takes." Still very gently, his hand that had been stroking her hair gripped her head and softly pulled her off of him as he looked down into her eyes again with a grin. "You may have never done this before, but goodness girl, you got some natural talent at sucking dick, eh? The other boys'll definitely want to train you up to give you some proper skills to use that talent," Or maybe I will. "and you might just be a champion cocksucker around here. They'll all love you, the best studs will want to treat you right." Dimo released his grip on her and pointed at the furniture in the corner. "Now, go get on the bed. Lie on your back."