I had been attached to the saddle of Grysn's horse before we left. He positioned me in front of him, between his legs with my tied hands being secured to the horse in some way I could not make out.
The night quickly grew cold as we followed a small trail through the mountain. Thankfully the snow didn't keep up for very long. Without the temperature-regulated fabric of my camo suit covering the bulk of my body, I often considered on our journey how long it would take for me to freeze out here. Grysn's warmth on my back and around my arms where he loosely held the reins were the only solace I had from the cold. Regretfully, I leaned into that small comfort more than I felt reasonable.
Whether it was the cold, or my capture, or the deaths of my kin, or perhaps just the riding of the horse, my thoughts were foggy and sleep crept upon me more than once on the ride.
By the time we had stopped, I'm not sure I was fully aware of anything anymore.
Grysn got off from behind me, leaving the cold to slam into my body with a harshness akin to grating my skin on rough bark. He left me shivering in the dimming light of the day and a new flood of pain and emotion sent me silent crying once again.
Would they leave me out here all night? I wouldn't see why not. Cruel brutes that they were.
I nodded off maybe twice before I felt myself lifted. I don't know how long had passed. I don't know who held me. At this point, it was safe to say I didn't care. They could be bringing me to a boiling pot and I probably wouldn't resist them tossing me in.
Something soft came into contact with my body as I was set down. Drearily, I cracked my eyes.
Fur. I'm on fur.
My eyes closed again feeling a growing warmth surround me. Sleep took me prisoner almost immediately. And once again today, I openly surrendered.
Laughter woke me.
I'm not sure how much time had passed. Flickering light from a fire outside of the pale, canvas walls lit the inside of the spacious tent that enhoused me, but it was clearly dark outside otherwise. My body certainly didn't feel well rested, either. An educated guess would say my nap lasted around an hour.
Muffled, friendly banter picked up as the laughter died down.
Soreness raked my legs and hips as I attempted to sit up with a groan. My arms were still uncomfortably bound behind me, but after several attempts, I was able to get to my knees.
This wouldn't be a great time to make any kind of move. Not just because of my physical condition. Our journey wasn't made in the complete dark, but I was not of the right mind or awareness to keep track of the directions we came from.
And now, in this rather opulent tent, in the darkness, in the midst of the enemy, I'd be hard pressed to figure out which way is which. Having my arms tied behind my back also didn't rouse confidence in an immediate escape plan.
Shadows danced across the walls as grayskins moved about while I scanned my enclosure. The thick fur rug upon which I sat was comfortable and warm from the fire. It spread a ways before overlapping with other furs until the entire floor encompassing the shape of the tent was comfortably covered. Otherwise, not much was in here. A brown bag sat to the side next to the closed entrance flaps in front of me.
I had been placed near the center of the area. Despite being tied, it didn't seem to make sense to leave me alone like this. Doubtful I'd find much use for the bag. From its size and shape, it likely contained little more than clothing. Though I'd be very happy to be wearing more than what little I still had on, it was unlikely I'd succeed in the simple act of opening it.
With the proximity to the fire this tent had been placed, it was likely to be in the middle of their camp. They were clearly unprepared to have a prisoner on this trip, which is presumably why I wasn't being kept in some sort of transportable cell. Getting eaten wouldn't surprise me, but that would also make where I was being kept rather unusual.
For now, I need more rest and to find a way to loosen these knots holding my arms crossed behind me. Until the grayskins leave, though, I need to be as awake and prepared as possible.
My attention focused on the words spoken outside around the campfire, hoping to pick out any useful information. It seemed several had left the discussion since I had awakened. Behind the crackling of burning wood, I made out the basics of their simple stories. One spoke of a woman back home, another responded in turn with a tale of his abode's new color, and then another seemed to be speaking of a plant of sorts with similar hues.
The conversation was surprisingly mundane for what I had expected from the beasts. There were plenty of gaps in the conversation from my distance away from them, as well as the background noises of the fire and forest, but it was unlikely that those gaps would be filled with torture and murder within the context of their respective sentences.
As soon as they all went to bed, I could get more sleep, knowing I had the smallest sense of safety for the night. So despite the boredom, I waited and listened for the grayskins to leave, one by one.
My eyes drifted closed several times, but after around 30 minutes, the last of the grayskins were seeming to bid each other restful sleep and peaceful dreams.
A great sigh escaped my lips as I imagined the comfort and warmth of my earlier resting position.
Then the entrance opened.
My countenance fell as my captor's orange tinted silhouette entered the tent, carrying a small bundle of blankets. "Ah, you are awake now." He set the stack near the bag by the entrance. "That's likely for the best." His words were soft, almost more to himself than to me.
Somewhat taken aback by both his presence and his words, I remained silent and still as he approached me. It made sense that this giant space wasn't meant for a mere prisoner. Perhaps I was his responsibility to guard until they made their way home, since he had made a claim of sorts on me.
He circled behind me and then dropped to his knees. I felt his tepid hands pull on the ropes, taking no rush as he untied me.
Well, this was unexpected. One obstacle I no longer needed to worry about. For now, at least.
Once my hands and forearms freely fell to my sides, Grysn tossed the rope closer to the front of the tent. From there, his hands moved down to the bottom of my tank top, moving to pull it up before I rushed forward in a panic. I turned to face him as I scooted away a foot or so more. "W-what are you doing?" Despite my best attempt to keep my voice steady, the nervousness of the situation clearly came through.
HIs face held a disgusting amount of patience in it as the corner of his mouth reluctantly edged toward a faint smile. "We don't sleep in our clothing, Nal. Now come here."
I hesitated. Compliance would likely be the only way to survive my predicament. No matter how difficult my situations may have been in the past, I was always able to comply when necessary. I could do this. I had to do this.
My arms crossed over my chest, protectively. This felt different. These animals had already killed my team, took me captive. I was down to my underwear already. Was I really required to give up the last of my dignity to this monster?
Through the dimming light of the fire, Grysn's faint smile waned with my indecision.
Was this matter worth risking my safety, even my life, over? I was so tired, and I wanted to just give in so this day could wrap up quickly. But the small amount of fighting spirit left in me needed this.
"Please," I started hoarsely, shaking my head. I swallowed roughly before starting again, just as weak. "Please don't take my clothes,"
HIs hand remained outstretched toward me as he cocked his head slightly to the side. "If you stay in your clothing, they will become dirty. We do not have the materials to wash them while we are away from the city."
My eyes lowered to the white fur under me. There wasn't any point. He wasn't going to listen to me. I didn't have any other clothing with me. And whether I cared about being clean or not wasn't going to sway his decision. If he wanted me nude, he could easily do so by force. I definitely didn't want that.
"You will need to become accustomed to our customs, Nal," he stated when I took too long to respond or move. "If you continue to misbehave, I will be forced to punish you."
I closed my eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. Comply. Just comply until you can escape. This isn't the worst thing you've had to do.
After one more breath, I finally crawled forward, as slowly as I felt he would allow, praying for some kind of divine intervention.
As his hands once again went to the hem of my top, I wondered if I should've turned around. Facing him as he did this felt much more humiliating, but it was too late for that. My cheeks flamed and I studied the pattern of light being cast upon the wall to the right of us as my top was lifted off my person. My eyes glazed over but I refused to cry any more today, or perhaps I simply had no more tears left in my system.
He gently pushed me onto my back and untucked my legs so he could easily slide off my underwear. The dryness of my mouth became nearly unbearable as I hugged my thighs together in my reluctantly naked state.
"You will need to get comfortable being nude around me, also."
My eyes flashed back up to him, betraying my bewilderment, finding his smile had returned more pronounced.
"If I am to keep you, that is." He moved to lean over me, and my arms instinctively went up to cover my chest. "I've read many books on different methods of training tians. I'm certain you'll be in good hands."
At some point my mouth had come open, and once his words had come to a conclusion, all I could do was blink for a moment. My mouth closed and I swallowed before it went back to hanging limply open, waiting for the words to come, but my head shook before the accompanying speech finally escaped my lips. "I don't need any training from you beasts. I'm not a pet." The words felt venomous, and I'm sure the same sentiment would've come across just as clear, if not more so, had I simply spit in his face. So his eyes brightening and the large, genuine laughter that erupted from him were rather disappointing reactions.
"That's exactly what you are," he said as the laughing ended.
The speed of my continuously shaking head increased slowly as I inched back from him. "No. No." Then more quickly, "No, no, no, no. I'm not- I'm not an animal. You, you, you're the animals. You're beneath us. I'm not a... I'm not some grayskin's pet. We're better than you."
His amusement grew with every word I uttered and as my words trailed off into silence, he moved in closer to me. "Do you really believe that?" When I didn't answer, he continued with a soft but no less intrigued voice. "Is it because we don't use the mechanical weapons you all seem so proud of? Is our technology not up to your standards because you see us use knives and bows? Is it because we remain prosperous and constant while your kind dwindles into obscurity? Tell me, what do you actually know of us."
