Greatwater Lake This dream isn't feeling sweet

For @Nikan <3

Zula had been following the stream all the way from the mountains to the massive lake before her. The cold winds upstream had driven her to lower grounds and the scents of a nearby pack had diverted her to this place. Zula stopped for a moment to take it all in. The lake was filled with bright blue water and its surface glimmered in the sun. It was flanked on all sides by an evergreen forest. It looked like a good place to rest for a while. 
Since the day Zula had fled from her pack, she hadn't dared to stop or slow down. With only a few hours of restless sleep during the day, she was utterly exhausted. Zula breathed deeply, drawing in the fresh air. Although it was cold and in a lot of places there was still snow, she could feel spring had started. Especially in a lush area like this one. It was the blue skies, radiant sun and smell of newborn plants all together that made her think this. 
Zula trotted down towards the place where the stream she has been following and lake met. She took the time to quench her thirst. If she wanted to sleep, she had to make a den first and the nearby forest seemed like a good place. Zula wandered through the underbrush, stepping over and under branches, the dense canopy overhead. A giant uprooted tree caught her attention. This could work, Zula thought, and started digging.

His wanderlust hadn't been satisfied even after the succesful kidnapping of moonshadow. He had stuck around long enough for the sacrifice to take place and to give Kelina the prisoner as a gift and then he had left again. He chose to wander back close to the area where he kidnapped the girl and met Aeronwyn, deciding that interesting things seemed to come from this area. 


When he got to the lake he took a moment to take in the beauty of the way it sparkled in the sun. Even though he was a killer he had always taken a moment to admire beauty, whether it came in the form of a woman or nature. As his eyes skimmed across the lake he spotted a figure moving in the distance.  A flash of white fur was all he saw in the quick glimpse but immediately he thought of Awinita. Setting forward with a hopeful feeling he carefully approached only to be dissapointed by the darker coloring of her tail.


He did not pass up the chance to appreciate the fine view. As mentioned before, he took moments to appreciate whatever beauty came his way and this rear view sure was beautiful. A similar urge to when he saw moonshadow tugged him closer but this time he chuffed to announce himself instead of attacking. He wanted to see what would come of conversation before attacking and dragging her back to Shadow Mountain.

Zula had been so busy making her den, that she didn't hear the other wolf come up to her. When he made a sound to announce himself, she quickly turned around to see a dark figure standing before her. He was much bigger than her and she had to look up to see his face. Hello, she said, a little startled. His blue eyes intrigued her and for a moment she couldn't look away. I didn't hear you approach.

He was already planning on kidnapping this girl for the hell of it but when she turned around and he saw her face, his breath caught. For a moment he stood there, eyes roaming over the interesting brown marking across her face and then noticing her blue eyes. Definitely not Awinita but in a way she was prettier.


Not wanting her to think he was a fool he decided to play nice for now before he'd drag her away. "I'm sorry miss, I thought you were somebody I knew. What's a pretty girl like you doing around here? There are bad wolves around." totally not the nicest thing he could have said but he didn't think it was too creepy.

His voice sounded a little playful, like he knew something she didn't. Though, she had no reason to distrust him. Bad wolves you say? And how do you know I'm not one of them?, She answered with a smile. And because she wasn't raised without manners, she decided to introduce herself properly. My name is Zula, by the way.

The way she didn't notice or didn't suspect the darkness in him was so much like Winni that Nikan was taken aback. Then she teased him back in a playful tone and he felt that feeling he hated, the one that always brought up that noise that signalled happiness. Laughter. She was amusing to him, trying to shine her light upon his darkness and chase it away. He heard her introduction and for a moment his gaze softened, mouth opening to give a small nice to meet you and then he'd run away. She didn't need someone like him around to ruin her, he knew exactly what he would have done to Awinita. As he fought with himself the look of guilt and sadness on his face made him look like a lost puppy. He knew he should go and leave her be....


Yet she was so beautiful and sweet that he couldn't tear himself away and the beginnings of anger at how she had almost broken his carefully built darkness made him want to take her even more. Nobody who knew how to break him like that could be set free."Well Zula, because a bad wolf would know how to recognize another of the same nature" he spoke and his lips curled up into a snarl before he lunged. Now would begin the game of submit or be knocked out and dragged away. One he usually enjoyed to draw out but for some reason wanted to be over with quickly here.

pm me on how you want this to go! I'm okay with minor injuries Nikan. Do you want her knocked out, or will she willingly submit and go with him?

He didn't immediately reply. For a while he didn't say anything at all and Zula feared that she accidentally cast a spell, petrifying him. She looked at him, tilting her head a little. He looked rather sad and she wanted to say something, but she didn't know what she could say that would help him. 
Suddenly, his face changed. As he snarled his ominous statement, she looked at him with wide eyes and backed away, ears flat. Then he jumped at her. She turned around quickly but wasn't fast enough. She felt his heavy body on top of her and she couldn't breathe. Instinct took over and she tried to struggle herself free, biting and kicking at anything she could strike.

She was quick but not enough so to escape from his tackle. The mess of warring emotions drive him mad, the only other one able to do this to him being Winni. She had made him feel like he hadn't needed to live the life of a villain, then she'd just abandoned him and given up. This woman made him feel guilty for what he was doing, made him feel bad that he had the desires of a killer. As he landed on top of her he snarled with anger and struggled to get his forelimbs on either side of her to pin her down.


She was obviously out matched here yet she struggled and managed to place several panicked bites on his forelegs and shoulders as she twisted about, pain flaring up and making him grimace. He grabbed her by the scruff and shook her roughly back and forth hoping to stun some stillness into her without making any actual injuries to her pretty pelt.

Zula had no time to think about why he attacked her. She didn't know if she should feel scared or angry or hurt or something in between. She managed to get him between her teeth a couple of times, but he wasn't backing off.
Then he shook her around roughly and that seemed to wake Zula up from her panicked state. This was a fight she didn't understand, but also one she couldn't win. She let out a short whimper and sank to the ground. She rolled over on her back, showing her belly, in the hope to make him stop. Zula wanted to ask him why, but something in the other wolf's eyes told her that he didn't know himself.

Upon shaking her she seemed to know she was out matched and sank to the ground, submitting. He stood over top of her and hesitated for a few moments, lips still curled and eyes still tormented. "Get up... you'll be my prisoner, my prize. You'll come with me to a forming pack I've allied myself with. Behave and make yourself useful and you'll live as one of us. Otherwise you'll die." he spoke coldly at first but the confusion and the unspoken question of Why? caused him to break a bit.

"Don't fight back, do as you're told...please. I don't want to hurt you. I like hurting and killing but...you made me...make me.." he trailed off again and growled suddenly, nipping at her flank. "get up. We'll leave now. Hopefully we'll be there before the day is over." he commanded.

Zula could only look at him while he spoke. For some reason she couldn't immediately believe what he was saying. It felt like she must have dozed off and that this was all a bad dream. That she would soon wake up and realize she was safe and sound in her den. Because a couple of moments ago she was planning her new life and now... There was no time to think about that. His words were clear. If she wanted to survive, she needed to do what he had told her.
When he said he liked hurting and killing, something changed - maybe something in his voice or his eyes - which made her all the more confused. This wolf was clearly conflicted. Then he snapped at her, and Zula got up quickly. She decided that fear and weakness was not going to help her at all in this situation. She needed to trust him on this and do what she was told. 
Zula had kept silent the whole time, processing. What could she have said? But eventually she spoke up, maybe a little too boldly. You never told me your name. If you're going to take me, you owe me at least that.

He was relieved when she listened to him, rolling to her paws and standing beside him. He was about to nudge her into motion when she spoke up, asking a question and stating that he owed her. He balked at the boldness of this girl and his brow drew taught. He owed her Nothing at all. She was the one who brought her innocence and humor in and made him all confused again. Yet wasn't he the one who had decided against running off and leaving here there in the first place? He sighed softly and lowered his eyes for a moment. "Nikan Ohanza. Come...let's get moving. The quicker you meet Kelina the quicker I can figure out what to do with you..."He spoke in a wary voice. 


It occurred to him then that if he took her as a prisoner it was possible she'd be killed off as a sacrifice like that boy had been at the ceremony. "Do you have any skills? Thievery, Hunting, Stealth?" he asked her quickly and in an urgent voice. Fighting was apparently not one of her strong suits so he didn't bother listing it.

He was clearly annoyed that she had asked him a question. Or maybe it was the way she had asked it. Zula wasn't usually this demanding, but she wanted to show him that she wasn't weak. He didn't have to answer if he didn't want to. It wasn't like she could make him do anything anyway. So it felt like a small victory that he had told her his name. 
What to do with you, he had said. Those words sounded like a storm hanging over her head. There were lots of things one could do with her - killing or eating, or killing and then eating, or eating while she suffered a slow and painful death, and she was certain she could think of some other things he could do with her. And then there was that name he had said. Kelina. Zula had never heard of her before.
Then Nikan asked what her skills were. She hesitated. She didn't want to disclose anything about her past, but in this case it might work in her favor. I used to spy for my old pack, she said.

The relief he felt was so strong it was almost Glee and he realized then that he didn't want her dead. She'd be his plaything, he'd torment her, find out what made her tick, meanwhile she could be useful for Kelina and she wouldn't have to die. "That's great!"he said and a genuine smile formed before he realized it and when he did he went back to frowning, shoving aside his emotions.

"I mean for you. Kelina will find that useful and therefore instead of a prisoner you'll be a pack member. You'll be mine still. I captured you, so that's how it is, but as a prisoner you'd be put as a contestant for sacrifice."he continued quickly in a casual manner, brushing it off so she wouldn't think he cared about her. "Up. Let's go. We get there, call for Kelina, you submit before her-I assure you shes worse than me- and tell her you're skills. You state that you are my mate. If you do not I will beat you. That isn't up for discussion.  Of Course we aren't mates, but..." he stated the plan, his tone form and cold leaving no room for argument. He trailed off again and cleared his throat. "Move now." he ordered and motioned in the proper direction.