☪Even in the darkness, all I see are the stars☪

Ever since she had reunited with Lupin, she found herself dreaming, hoping for a better tomorrow, a future for her children where there would be no fear, nor torture, nor pain. Draven had found Briseis before she had even entered Blossom Forest, had dragged her here in order to be his own personal play thing, his punching bag, his blowup doll, his own bag of blood to feed upon. Briseis had not taken any of it personally, not until she had been sent upon this mission. For it seemed that there was a different reason all together why he had chosen her specifically - and as said she had discovered it only recently - Draven had a personal vendetta against Kershov. Now… There was no way that Kershov knew that Brie was his own daughter, but the truth would come out sooner or later. And Briseis did not want to be any part of the pain that would be inflicted upon her biological father. Yet she had already been pulled in, and twisted and torn up from the things which she had been forced to say to him, from the things she been forced to tell him, be they true or false. The grasp that the vampire king had over her was too strong, hurt her too much, it was all too much…

But what could she say? Nothing, really. Draven had made sure of that - but she was incapable of saying anything that would give any of his sadistic plans away. She had managed to warn Lupin that there was someone gunning for her, that he himself was in danger, but what good would that do him if he did not know who it was, or what Draven was. What hope did a mortal hold against a demon, especially given Draven’s hyponotic power? She could only hope that Lupin would decide to come with her to the sea, to Uyaraut, that he would get some experience with the vampire Macaria there, and that he would learn the secrets of them and realize that the reason she could not say anything was just that - she could not say anything. Was Lupin smart enough to put two and two together? Would they all come to realize that she was an unwilling participant, a spy among them sent to wreak havoc and destroy everything? She hoped so, and would even be all right with her own death as long as her pups would be safe. Briseis regretted all of it, despite the fact that she had not done any of it of her own choice. She was responsible for the pain that would come to these wolves… Would not it be better if her own life was ended to revent at all? So that Draven could have no sway over her or her loved ones?

The days past, and her pups had grown a little by little, until finally their eyes had opened. By this time, the timid lass been gone from the Uyaraut pack for a decent time now, and she wondered what impact this would have upon Kershov… Seeing her with these pups. The pups he would no doubt think were his, begotten from the rape which he thought he had forced upon her. It seemed that fate would have a hand in it all, for as soon as she crossed the boundary with her pups, she heard the call demanding her presence, demanding every wolf‘s presence within earshot. With some good deal of trepidation, the salt and peppered femme picked up her three tiny pups in her mouth and began to trot, inwardly cringing at the way her mammaries swung from side to side, occasionally slapping against each other with a sickening thud. Ever since she had had the pups, the body she had always known had betrayed her, had turned into something awkward and clumsy. And despite the beauty of the lives that had grown within her and fed off of her, ever since she had met Lupin, ever since he had pledged himself to her, she felt self-conscious about the way she looked. Was she too thin to be pretty now, now that the pups had taken all of her nutrients by way of suckling down her milk? Would he really want to stay to protect her, or would he take the pups to protect them, abandoning her altogether? Perhaps that would be alright too… As long as they were safe. That was what would truly mattered. How was she to know that this post partum depression that she was going through was normal for most mothers, that it was nothing to be ashamed of? The only mother she had experience with was her own, and Kahlan was fucked over in the mind three sheets to the wind. It was all wrong… Briseis was all wrong.

But her introspective gaze into her own faults and shortcomings abruptly stopped when she reach the pack meeting - late of course. Brie saw the warrior wolf Athene staring at her and immediately paused mid stride . And boy, if looks could kill, Brie would not just be dead, but her body parts would be torn apart and scattered in the four cardinal directions. The fae whimpered and put her pups behind her, protecting them. What was with all of the hostility, especially considering that Athene hardly knew Briseis and vice versa… But then she started to notice things - she saw the blood upon Kershov’s mouth, the long strips of flesh that had been stripped from the same limb he had attacked the day that Briseis had told him that he had raped her. And then there were other wounds too, scratches across his face… And there were some drips of blood on Athene’s claws. Had the world turned to hell in a handbasket? Kershov was the king, so why then had he attacked himself yet again, had one of his members attacked him as well… Unless…

Of course.

When she had originally met Kershaw, she thought him a beast, and had thusly resented the fact that he was her father. For the months she had spent as Draven’s captive and slave, she had always hung onto the dream that one of her parents would discover her and save her from the torture. But that dream had crumpled quickly when she had come across The Ice King at long last. There was nothing to be done of it of course, one could not change their biological hierarchy or genetics… But as time passed with her existence in Uyaraut, she had soon realized that although she had initially compared him to Draven, the two titans could not be more different. Kershov had morals, rules that he adhered to strictly… And as soon as he thought that he had harmed Brie, he had attacked himself. Was this meeting to call punishment then? Had she caused such a wave of ripples so as to sever the confidence he had in himself and his ability to lead?

“Okay… I am sorry that I am late.” Her vocals were soft, apologetic, and she dropped her gaze from the burning ire held within Athene‘s. She turned to her little pups and urged them to go play with the other babes present - surely one parent would not attack the pups from another litter, not here at least. And then, Briseis turned, and trotted a bit away until she found what she was looking for - some moss growing on a rock, but better than that, a particular plant that was growing profusely in this area by the sea, one that would numb the pain. She mashed the two together in her mouth before grabbing a large piece of kelp that was dried up and spitting the mixed herbs onto it. Slowly, hoping that Athene would not attack her as she neared, she drag it over to Kershov. She bowed before him, dipping her head.

“That should help ward off infection … And help the pain.” Never before had she revealed to him her skills with healing and herbs, and as she did so now, a thought cake to her - she could drop hints, breadcrumbs, and hope that someone would figure out the puzzle. After all, Gwyneira would know that it was Draven, not Rogan, who was Briseis’s master. And Lupin knew that the pups were his... and if Kershov could only figure out where Briseis had learned her skills...this could be the key to everything. “Those are...” still keeping her gaze lowered, she gestured backward to her pups. “My three pups, born of my first litter. Elezen,Killmonger, and Jaitaya, I fit pleases you my lord.”

Ω Briseis Ω Chained to Draven Ω Spy in Uyaraut Ω Azura ΩTable Credit to Xathira