"Sir, there's no sign of her," the soldier reported, waiting for the general's nod of dismissal, scurrying off when it came.
General Wrothing felt a growing agitation in the pit of his stomach. Every time they received a tip of where the Princess Harley was, they always arrived only a day or two too late, finding that she had already gone.
"Listen up men," he shouted to the small group of soldiers he was leading in a search party, "She's already gone." There was a collective groan from the soldiers who had already experienced this same disappointment too many times in the weeks they had been searching for Harley. "We will leave immediately for the next town, as that is most likely where they will be," he said resignedly.
The men shuffled off to prepare to leave, and General Wrothing broodingly prepared his horse.
***
Harley skipped happily through the camp, carrying some food for the little unicorn, which she had practically adopted as her own since she got here. Once she had accepted the fact that she was stuck with the show and stopped being so obstinate, she had really come to view the place as home.
She liked not being the weird one, and she felt comfortable around her fellow "freaks." She also liked having the freedom to do as she pleased. At home she was constantly watched after and overprotected, she knew her parents only did it because they loved her, but this was a nice change.
Skipping happily and not paying attention to where she was going, she ran right into Tanner. She greeted him with a smile, the two had become fast friends in the couple weeks Harley had been with the show.
"Hey Rabbit," he said affectionately, "Where're you off to in such a hurry?"
"Oh, I was just going to see Lulu," she showed him the little bag of seeds in her hand.
"Yep, should a known," he said gruffly, leaning down and lifting a heavy bag over his shoulder. "Come with me, I got somethin' to show ye,"
He started walking away, and Harley had to practically run to keep up with his long strides.
"In here," he lead her into a tent, "I found these little guys on one a my scoutin' missions, and I figured you might wanna take care of 'em, since ya like lil' creatures an' all."
Harley went over to the box in the corner, and peered into it to see three little baby lions, all with a pair of wings folded across their backs.
"Oh, how adorable," she crooned, reaching her hand into the box to pet them. All three instantly vied for her attention, licking and nipping at her hand. "What are they?" she asked curiously.
"Them there are griffins," he told her, smiling at the fact that she seemed to like them.
"Oh, thank you," she said bouncing up and giving Tanner a hug. The big man, for his part, seemed embarrassed to be receiving a hug and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her.
Just then however, the tent flap opened and Cal's stormy presence could be felt in the room.
"Ah, Cal," Tanner said nervously pulling away from Harley and shuffling his feet under Cal's unyielding stare.
"Out," the single word escaped Cal's lips with a deathly calm, and Tanner worriedly looked at Harley before making his escape. Harley hastily tried to follow him, but Cal grabbed her arm, "Not you."
Harley looked up at Cal nervously. She and he had gotten along great in the past few weeks. He had been unerringly kind to her, being patient and friendly, and Harley had come to forgive him for how he treated her when she first got here. She even grew to feel a certain affection for him. The only hitch was his growing anger whenever she was near Tanner, and Harley didn't understand why he would get so angry about it.
Cal hovered menacingly above her, "Harley, you must know I've wanted that gorgeous little body of yours since you arrived here," he said cruelly, "And usually what I want I get."
Harley gulped nervously, she hadn't seen him like this since the day of her arrival. She tried to cower away from him, but he kept a firm grip on her shoulders.
"I was giving you time, but all you did was run into the arms of that damn Tanner," he shouted at her, shaking her shoulders. Harley felt tears come to her eyes at his rough words and manner. "But I will wait no longer, I mean to have you now."
Harley stared at him in horror. Much to the discomfort of her maidenly sensibilities, she had often found herself picturing what it would be like to once again be naked in Cal's arms. But it was the tender Cal she had grown to know, not the cruel one she had met the first day.
"Please, please," she gasped out in a little voice, finding herself unable to say anything else.
"Don't try to beg your way out of it. I've had enough of your little games," he said pushing her onto the ground, "I'm going to fuck you right here and now. You might as well accept it."
Harley opened her mouth to tell him that she wasn't pleading for him to stop, but only to be gentler. She wanted him to make love to her, but not this way. Before she could get the words out, though, he was roughly smashing his mouth onto hers.
His kiss was hard and cruel, and Harley could taste blood on her tongue, but whose she didn't know.
She didn't struggle when he ripped her dress down the middle, exposing her body to his eyes. He grabbed her breasts, not to pleasure either one of them, but simply to show that he owned her and could do what he wanted to her.
Harley felt silent tears fall down her cheeks and puddle in her ears, but she made no other sign of feeling anything, only laid there like a limp doll.
Cal quickly undid his pants, and roughly pulled her thighs wide apart. Harley felt cold and dead on the inside as he took her virginity so callously. She felt impaled and used.
He quickly came inside her, then pulled away and sat up, a scowl on his face. Harley turned onto her side, not even bothering to cover herself up. She stared at the blank wall of the tent, her head pillowed in the grass. She thought he might have left, until he eventually spoke.
"Are you okay?" he asked. There was no emotion in his voice, and Harley couldn't see his expression.
"What do you care?" she asked bitterly.
He didn't answer and the two of them stayed like that until once again Cal broke the silence.
"What's that growling sound?" he asked looking around.
Harley didn't answer, but immediately scrambled onto her knees and crawled over to the box of baby griffins. They were all baring their teeth, the hair on their backs raised. Harley felt bad for not noticing their growling and coming over to be with them sooner.
She put her hand in the box to let them know she was all right, and gently picked one up to hug against her chest. She buried her face into the soft fur of the baby griffin, letting herself become distracted from her recent hurt.
She didn't notice Cal approach, but heard him say ruefully, "The griffins."
"Tanner was giving them to me to watch over," she told him, kissing the baby on the head.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked desperately, "What was I supposed to think when I saw you two alone in here together?"
"You didn't give me a chance to say anything," she spat at him resentfully.
"Harley," he said despairingly, reaching his hand out to her. The little griffin she held nipped fiercely at his outstretched fingers, and he drew his hand back.
"Harley, please, I'm so sorry. I just let my stupid jealousy take over," he looked at her so pleadingly, that Harley felt the ice around her heart melt, and flow out her eyes.
