Captured by the Wolf (closed)

[EesomeBeastie]

Shropshire, England, 1144 AD

Name: John “The Wolf”
Age: 32, he reckons
Description: 5 foot 8”, lean and muscled from a hard life. Dark brown tangled hair and beard. Scar across his right cheek. Shabby brown knee-length tunic and grey woollen hose. His treasured possession is his late brother’s sword which he keeps belted at his waist at all times.
Bio: ex-mercenary, now outlaw. Cast adrift along with his brother when a lull in the civil wars between the Empress Maude and King Stephen meant the disbanding of many mercenary forces. A violent but cunning man, the death of his brother from a wound that became infected last winter has made him even more angry and resentful. He now ekes a living on the side of the Wrekin Hill from poaching and theft, evading the occasional sweeps by the sheriff’s men.



It was the sound of hoof beats that alerted John “The Wolf.” Just one horse, and being ridden at the gallop by the sound of it. Curious.

He crept to the edge of the wood, where he had been checking his snares, and looked out cautiously. He’d not evaded the sheriff’s men for the last year by being rash. Looking over the low bank that separated the wood from the common pasture and the fields below, he saw a young woman bent low over a horse that was too large for her as she kicked it to urge every last drop of speed out of the beast. The way she looked over her shoulder made it plain she feared pursuit.

Although the sun was barely rising, there was just enough daylight to see her clearly. Her dark brown cloak flew out behind her revealing the sky blue woollen dress underneath. Good cloth – she must be someone of substance. And it looked to be an ordinary day dress rather than a riding skirt by the way it rode up her legs as she sat astride the large animal, revealing rather more calf than a lady aught to.

He looked on with surprise as she took the left turn by the old dead oak. That track skirted the Wrekin Hill, passing through the woods, and with bands of outlaws like himself abroad in the wake of the civil war between Maude and Stephen people avoided these remote places, especially if alone. What was driving her to such rashness? Then a thought came to him: it was the quickest way to the nunnery of St Catherine’s Ford on the other side of the hill. Could she be fleeing an abusive father or an unwanted suitor for the sanctuary of the Brides of Christ? Well if so, she’d soon find she’d fled one horror for another. She’d probably have something on her as a gift for the nuns – food, a little money, perhaps some jewellery to sell – and oh that body! He could get to the Holy Brook ravine ahead of her, ambush her there, rob her, rape her, slit her throat and leave her dead in the roadside ditch.

He grinned with the evil, predatory smile that had earned him his nickname of “The Wolf” and loped off through the wood towards Holy Brook.

 

[Mephistophelily]

It was hard to see the path before her with the tears in her eyes, but Mary continued to urge the horse on blindly. It was only a matter of time before her father realized that she was not in her room, that her bed was empty... Today was the day she was supposed to meet with him; Lord Marcus' son, Edward, and announce their betrothal. She was horrified. The young man was a pompous, arrogant thing that seemed only interested in her when it came to the riches the two families had in common. He even refused to call her by the right name, speaking to her as "Molly" or simply "Dear Girl". Dear girl, indeed.

She needed to get away, to find somewhere that she could escape the marriage. The convent was the perfect place. The nuns there always welcomed lost young women unsure or afraid of their path in life, which Mary was certain she fit the description of. Once she was safely inside those heavy wooden doors, her father and Edward would be forced to leave her be.

"Easy, big fellow...," She whispered to the frightened horse as they passed into the darkened woods, her vision of the path shrouded even more now. "We simply need to get through this pass, and we'll be fine... I promise you, you'll be running free by dawn. Both of us will."

She smiled through her tears, running her fingers over the creature's mane as her own blonde locks fell from beneath her hood. Her pale features were barely noticeable in the faint moonlight that managed to filter through the trees, her blue eyes trying hard to make sense of the path before her. "Where do we head now? I... I'm fairly sure it's the left path..."

Talking with the horse helped to comfort her, give her some sense of company on the trek. He wasn't much for conversation, but the occasional huff and sputter that came from him seemed to work well as response to her questions. "Left it is...," She agreed to one such neigh, tugging the reins to bring him about to the path they 'both' agreed upon.

 

[EesomeBeastie]

Knowing these woods well, John made it to the small ravine where the track crossed Holy Brook ahead of the girl. He found a thick bush to conceal himself behind as he waited in ambush. The sound of hooves wasn’t long coming. Slower now: she must have dropped to a walk to reduce the chance of the horse stumbling on this poorly maintained side track.

He slid a wicked knife from its sheath, swapped it into his left hand and prepared himself. Moments later, she came round the corner into sight, bending over the horse’s neck to avoid low branches.

He waited until she was level with his hiding place then stepped out smartly, shouting a loud “Ho!” and waving his arms to startle her horse. The beast looked round, wild eyed, dancing on the spot, loosening her hold on the reins. With his free right hand he grabbed her arm and yanked off the horse, staggering slightly as he caught her weight. His left arm shot round her from behind, bringing his knife up against her pale throat.

“Struggle and you’re dead!” he hissed, as he untied her saddlebags from the jittery horse and threw them far into the undergrowth as he could whilst maintaining the threat of the blade against her jugular.

Her baggage removed, he whacked the horse on the rump with a loud “Go, there!” to send it galloping in fright away down the road. Then he hauled her into the woods, after the baggage he’d hurled there.

The whole ambush had taken barely a minute.

 

[Mephistophelily]

She knew there were reasons that many people didn't travel this way at night, why she had been warned to never stray too far from others when they did have to make pass this way. The thieves and miscreants that travelled these roads as well; they were talked about in the same way as creatures in the darkness to children... Frightening things to keep people from straying too far. Mary had those fears as the horse trampled on, its panting breaths seeming to show it had the same concerns.

Perhaps it was simply all stories. If she just stayed quiet, kept the horse under control-

The man in her path spooked both her and the horse, a shrieking neigh coming from the beast as it began its frightened dance. Mary cried out herself, trying to cling to the horse as best she could as it swayed and thrashed, the cry turning to a scream as the man tore her from the horse's back. She tried to pull away, only to feel something cold and thin against her throat, a warning growled into her ear. She froze, fear flooding her veins and following his steps as the knife and his arm pulled her closer to the horse so he could remove the few belongings dangling from its pack.

She was trying hard to not cry, though the burning feel of them behind her eyes was hard to ignore. They finally came through as he sent the horse barrelling on its own, Mary's fear not only on the man that held her, but on her own escape from the man waiting for her elsewhere. She had stolen his horse, ran away from him, now lost the creature as well... If this man didn't kill her, she was certain that Edward and his father would have their own punishments in place for her actions.

Or was that his intention? Was Edward aware of her current location? If this man had been sent to find her and bring her back-

Another push and shove; he directed her back up the path to her pile of things. Sobbing now, she shook her head, the blade still resting against her skin and kissing her flesh with the gentle motions. "Kill me then, sir! Kill me! I will find sanctuary with the Sisters or death, either will be a blessing..." Tears ran her face now, Mary no longer caring that the blade was leaving red trails against her skin. "Please.. please don't make me go back there..."

 

[EesomeBeastie]

So she was fleeing towards the nunnery as he had thought, seeking sanctuary. His curiosity was piqued, wondering what she was running from, that the thought of being sent back was worse than the thought of her death. She didn’t seem to have considered that she might face a fate worse than death, though.

But more importantly, he had to get away from the track and deeper into the woods, away from anyone who might be following the fleeing girl, or searchers alerted by the riderless horse. Her struggles and protestations were slowing him down. He briefly considered slitting her throat there and then, but in pinning her his arm was across her left breast and her backside against his crotch, and he was all too aware of the physical reaction this had provoked in him. It was months since he had last lain with a woman, and his cock was rigid with lust.

Yes, he would stick with his original plan. Drag her deeper into the woods and rape her. Then kill her and leave her body in a ravine for the scavengers.

“Shut up!” he barked at her, and pricked the smooth skin of her neck with the tip of his blade. That made her pause. He dragged her another half dozen yards, feeling the tears run down her cheeks and drip onto his arm. Soon they were a good ten yards into the woods, at the bush against which her baggage lay where he’d hurled it.

He had to find a better way to control her, as he couldn’t drag along her with a knife to her throat and carry the saddlebags at the same time. He pushed her hard onto the ground, knocking the breath from her. In a moment he was on top of her, rolling her onto her back. A sharp slap across her left cheek dazed her and he hurriedly undid the loose cord belt around her waist and used it to tie her wrists in front of her before she could recover. He needed to gag her too, to stop her screaming and alerting pursuers. Her cloth head-dress would do. He yanked it off, roughly, folded the cloth square and pulled it over her mouth, tying it behind her head. Now, was there anything he could use to lead her along with? As well as his sword belt, he had a tighter plain leather belt and he undid that latter, looping and bucking it through the cord that bound her wrists to fashion a simple lead.

That done, he stood up and pulled her to her feet. He picked up the saddlebags, slung them over his right shoulder and trudged up the slope, deeper into the woods, hauling her behind him with the makeshift leash.

 

[Mephistophelily]

She began to sob even more as he seemed to consider her request, the blade pushing harder against her neck. So he hadn't been sent to find her. That partially calmed one half of her fears, but added far more to others. His arm was wrapped about her tightly, keeping her close to his body and making it nearly impossible to not feel the bulge pressed against her backside. His demand for her to stay quiet made her cry out yet again, but she quickly tightened her lips, trying hard to do as he said while attempting to keep with his steps as he trudged further into the woods.

"Please...," She whimpered again, afraid of the knife now that she was aware he truly would use it. "Please, just let me go, take the bags... Take anything, just please-"

Before any further bargainings could leave her, she found herself roughly thrown to the ground, the wind knocked from her as she hit the dirt. Gasping to breathe, she tried to get back up, only to have him atop her and tearing at her clothing. Horrified, she gave a shriek as she tried to fight back, receiving a harsh smack against her cheek in return. The stinging pain left her silent, her head reeling for a moment at the fact he had hit her like that.

Her hands bound and a cloth over her mouth, Mary was still in a confused daze as she realized she was standing now and being dragged along behind him like a wandering horse while he carried her belongings. She tried to figure out where he was taking her, but none of the surroundings were familiar; it was all the same. More trees, more bushes, less path.

Her heart was racing. As much as she had pleaded for her death before, she was now truly scared this man had every intention on actually killing her. She was crying again, the clouded vision from her tears making it hard for her to see the trail before her and tripping while she tried to keep up with him.

 

[EesomeBeastie]

John pulled the tied girl behind him through the woods, tugging sharply each time she slowed or stumbled. They travelled for a good ten minutes before he felt the first spots of rain. He looked up at the sky between the branches. Damn! The dark clouds had rolled over fast and it looked as if there was going to be a storm. He quickly changed his plans and dragged her to an abandoned hut he knew of. It had once been a charcoal burner’s dwelling, but since the old man died it had gone to rack and ruin. The roof had partly caved in, but one of the two rooms was still habitable. He pushed the girl sharply to the beaten earth floor then knelt and pulled off her gag. Keeping himself between her and the doorway, he started to go through the saddlebags, assessing his loot.

“What’s your name, girl?” he asked. He might as well indulge his curiosity before he had his way with her. “And what were you doing galloping on the road at the crack of dawn?”

 

[Mephistophelily]

She hesitated as she saw the run down shack before them, trying to stop for a moment in her steps as he tugged harder on the line between them. Her dress was ripped quite a bit, snagged numerous times from the branches and bushes that lined the barely used paths he had brought her down. The rumble above didn't settle well with her either, not wanting to be left out in a downpour... but being trapped in a small house with him was far less appealling.

Another hard tug nearly brought her to the ground behind him, Mary's feet quickly staggering to keep her balance as she chased after him. Following him inside, she took a quick glance around, though the dark clouds from the storm made seeing too much rather hard. Even without the storm, her attempts to view her surroundings wouldn't have found much- She only took a few steps before he gave her another shove, sending her to the floor with a soft muffled yelp.

She watched him hesitantly as he came to rest beside her, his fingers tugging down the cloth from her lips as he looked her over. "Mary," She replied in a shaking voice, pulling her legs up beneath her as she tried to huddle into the dusty corner. "My name... My name is Mary..."

He tore through her things, barely glancing up at her as she spoke. "I was... trying to get away. I wanted to get to the nunnery, to get away from-" She trailed off, looking away from him. "I was supposed to get married in three days to a man that barely knows my name. He sees me as nothing more than another beast to own... And I wish to have no part in that." She glanced at him, a bitter look on her face as he continued to paw through her things. "That is how you view me as well- perhaps lower than that, even. But your view of me is not based on your money... only that you think I have some."

 

[EesomeBeastie]

So she’s fleeing a forced marriage, he thought, and just because the man has no particular affection for her, nor her for him. He pondered her naivety and idealism. Most women accepted that food in their bellies, a roof over their heads and a man who didn’t treat them too badly in the bedroom and was willing to support their children was about as much as they could expect from life. Affection could grow with time, and love was a luxury.

“Oh Mary,” he shook his head sadly, “when you left your fancy manor house, it’s warm fires, hot meals and proper beds, didn’t it cross your mind for one moment that you might be fleeing a man who simply doesn’t care, only to fall into the hands of one who could be much, much worse.”

She’d managed to struggle into a sitting position, but now he pushed her back down. “On your back, girl,” he growled, his voice harsher now. “I haven’t had a woman in ages.” And he straddled her ankles, his hand going for the hem of her tattered and filthy dress.

 

[Mephistophelily]

Mary shivered as he used her name, the sound of it rather frightening to actually come from this man's lips. He made her impending life with Edward sound so luxurious, so wonderful and grand, even if she wasn't happy. "If that were truly the case...," She whispered softly, closing her eyes before any hints of tears tried to form. She had done well enough to keep them from falling so far, but the war with them was failing as time went on.

Edward had told her what he expected of her, in blunt words and emotionless vacant stares, during their first encounter. She was to be his wife only in name, but nothing more than a member of his house's servant staff in status. On rare cases such as his desire and possible want for a son would she be allowed to share his bed. Such was the way of his father and mother, such was the way he expected his marriage.

The rest of her captor's words sunk in as he approached her, realizing that he too had his plans for her. She let out a startled quick scream as he pushed her down, roughly demanding her to stay on her back and the reason for it. She tried to push away from him, but the stance he took on her ankles made that nearly impossible. This was enough to finally make her lose control of those tears, the drops running down her face as she shook her head. "Stop! Stop, please! Even the Sister won't want me if..." She trailed off, sobbing softly. "Please..."

 

[EesomeBeastie]

Damn his curiosity for asking her name! If she’d been an anonymous woman of whom he knew nothing then he could have simply forced her legs apart, yanked up her dress, torn her underclothes and taken his pleasure - ignoring her pleas, tears or even screams. He’d done it before during the wars, even before he was cast adrift as an outlaw. But now he knew her name he found he simply couldn’t violate her like that.

More angry at himself than at her, he nevertheless shouted, “Damn you, woman! You should be more worried about losing your life than your honour. I could just fuck you, slit your throat, then leave you outside for the wolves. What’s to stop me?”

“Your precious sisters wouldn’t turn you away anyway,” he added, in a more controlled tone. “They live to give shelter to unfortunate women. Whether a runaway like you, a rape victim or a repentant Magdalene. They offer sanctuary to all.”

He rolled off her. His lust had faded and his erection with it. For the moment, at least.

He dabbed away the drying tears from her cheeks with his sleeve, smudging the dirt that marred her pretty face. Bound as she still was, she couldn’t dry them herself.

“So tell me about this marriage you’re running away from,” he assayed, trying to break the awkward silence that was only punctuated by her occasional sobs.

 

[Mephistophelily]

She was trying to hide, or at least as best she could with him atop her like that; her eyes closed tightly, trying hard to keep from crying but still managing to let the sobs and whimpers pass through her tightened lips as she shook on the floor, expecting any moment for either a blade to meet her throat or his hands to attack her body-

He swore at her, threatening her once again and rejecting her weeping worries of being shunned further because of him. "Then just do it," She choked out again, shaking her head as she cried. She tried to sound brave, but the waiver in her voice and the uncontrollable shaking that ran through her gave away her obvious fear of this man and what he said to her.

Her confusion grew even more as he simply shifted off of her, pulling away in fright as he reached to her face. What was he doing?! She stared at him as she breathed hard, shivering as he wiped at her tears. Was he still going to kill her? Why did he even bother to tell her the sisters wouldn't send her away? Like it made any difference to him...

He asked about the marriage, Mary needing a moment to actually understand the question he made. "My... marriage...," She repeated slowly, looking at him, then to the wall. "His name is Edward..." She told him of the future that had been intended for her as the man's wife, how the wonderful home that he had thought her to be marrying into was not the case; how her own father cared more on money than the life he forced her into.

"Anything would be better than being his wife. Anything. I fear he will simply kill me himself- which is why I don't fear your blade..." She closed her eyes again, trying to stop crying.

 

[EesomeBeastie]

John “The Wolf” listened as she poured out her worries and fears over her impending marriage; about how she would be a servant and breeding mare to her husband rather than a true companion. It obviously hurt her that her father was in effect selling her off with less concern than he might the pups of a favourite hunting dog.

He didn’t really understand why she feared her intended might kill her. He’d surely value her as a mother for his heirs if not as a human being. But then maybe he had a vicious temper. What was clear was she had no intention of returning to either her father’s or her betrothed’s manors.

So what was he going to do with her? Though he wouldn’t admit it to her, he no longer had the stomach to kill her offhand. But he couldn’t let her go without extracting a promise from her not to tell of his ambush. A plan began to form in his mind.

By the time she’d stopped talking his ideas were better formed and he laid them out plainly for her.

“If your father and your intended value that much, I’d probably get a nice reward for returning you to them. Maybe even get a pardon.”

He paused to let the horror of being dragged back to her father in exchange for a bag of silver pennies sink in before he continued.

“Or I could take you to the very gates of the nunnery, safe and sound.” He let that tantalising thought sink in before adding, “Of course you’d need to make it worth my while to forgo a reward.”

Now was the moment to make his intentions clear. “Be my woman, in every sense, whilst we travel, and I’ll take you wherever you want.”

He hoped he didn’t need to spell out that her chances of escaping the wooded hills alone, of navigating the few paths and avoiding the wild wolves that roamed, were slender indeed. Better to submit to him than to die a prolonged death, shivering and hungry, or drowning on her blood, throat ripped and with her liver being torn out by a hungry wolf whilst her heart still beated.

OOC note: I’ve taken the story in the direction of a blackmailed semi-consent rather than out and out rape. If you’d prefer the latter, let me know and I’ll edit this post. I’ll remove this note when you’ve posted in your turn.

 

[Mephistophelily]

Mary stared at him at the suggestion of simply bringing her back to the two men she had just run away from in hopes of getting a reward; the task she originally thought he was intending with her when he found her. Horrible man... He had asked her to share why she feared the life she ran from, and now he planned to bring her back to it?!

"No- No, please don't...," she whispered, now even more afraid than when he had simply wanted to have his way and kill her. That would have been only a day's worth of anguish and pain- but to be brought back meant a lifetime of it.

His second suggestion managed to restore her hope, her eyes widening as she tried to read his expression. Why did he tease her so? What exactly did he intend? If he planned to simply kill her still, she wished he would do it.... but his added words of needing something to make him want to help her had her lost. She had no money, and everything of value had already been torn from her packs. What else did he want from her?

"I-I don't... I don't understand...," She replied softly, shaking her head. "What else is there I can-" She cut short as he gave a better explination, Mary gasping softly at what he suggested as their 'trade'. His woman...

She shivered, looking away quickly and closing her eyes. He said he would take her to the sisters. That was what she wanted. All she had to do was cooperate with what he asked of her... but what exactly came along with her agreeing to it? She hesitantly looked back up at him, her lips parting to give her reply, but the words seemed caught along her tongue.

Could she even trust him? He could make all sorts of promises to her, then simply bring her back to Edward- or just kill her as he originally planned. But to refuse meant trying to find her way alone in the bleak woods, or again, the knife he wielded finding her heart.

"I... I will... do as you wish...," She finally managed to whisper, praying she had made the right choice.

 

[EesomeBeastie]

“Do I have your word on that? On your honour and your life? I give you my word, for what it’s worth.”

At her brief nod of assent, he took his knife and cut the bonds round her wrists. He re-sheathed the blade and helped her rub the circulation back to normal.

The rain still fell on the battered roof, but a little lighter now. They should move to a more hidden shelter soon, he thought, before her father managed to organise search parties, but he would give it another half hour to see if the rain ceased. No point risking catching a chill, not when he’d not dare to light a fire until after dark.

He looked at her fearful face, so very pretty. A ray of sunlight, breaking through the clouds and stealing through the window where the shutters hung loose, fell across her face, reflecting off her damp hair and making her eyes shine.

“Then let’s seal the bargain with a kiss,” he said, taking her face between his hands and lowering his mouth onto hers.

 

[Mephistophelily]

She yelped slightly as the knife was brought about once again, closing her eyes and quickly looking away. As much as she may have been begging him to simply kill her, the idea of him actually doing it truly scared her.

But she didn't feel it cut her. Instead, her hands were freed and the warmth of his own rubbing against her wrists were all that she felt. She slowly opened her eyes, looking first to his hands then up at his face. She was still afraid on exactly what he wanted of her during this trip, but at least he didn't plan to kill her... that he had confirmed, anyway.

Mary shivered as he looked at her, as if studying her. She wondered for a moment what was on his mind; if he was questioning his own decision. As his hands moved to her skin, she sucked in a sharp breath, surprised and hesitant of his kiss. Recalling the alternative, she slowly welcomed his lips, returning the confirming action toward him. "I swear it," she whispered as the kiss released, still shaking on the dirt floor. "I'll... I'll do as you ask..."

 

[EesomeBeastie]

John looked down at the young woman who had agreed to be his, at least for this trip. Her kiss had been delicate, but tender and responsive, not at all the reluctant pressing together of lips that he had expected. He wondered, then, whether she had ever been kissed with passion before. As the daughter of the manor lord, her opportunities for romance would have been few and far between, any overly familiar contact with the peasantry, whether serf or free, and the servants highly discouraged, probably punished. At the very most she might have had a few secretive, skulking meetings with the object of a teenage crush, or maybe an experimental kiss with a handsome cousin, a boy of her own rank, come to visit. Maybe the despised Edward had forced his mouth over hers, but surely she would not have responded as warmly as she had to him.

Thinking about whether other men had kissed those lips or touched that body turned him on again, and he bent to kiss her again, this time easing the tip of his tongue between her lips, and letting his hand slide down her side to settle on her left hip.

 

[Mephistophelily]

Fear first drove her to be compliant, a shivering forced return of his affections... but the more her mind was led to wander, realizing that she had spared her fate of moments ago with this new decision, the more she realized how much she know owed to this man. She truly owed him her life, though its end almost came at his hands.

This was a man she did not know. A stranger, a thief, someone that had yanked her from her horse and stolen her belongings... but now he promised her something that she wanted so badly. Freedom.

Perhaps he was lying, but she prayed for truth. Maybe that was why she kissed him as she did... A kiss far different than any she had ever given the man she had been set to marry. Edward was not a man she knew from love, but simply from the wishes of their parents. This man gave her not love, not money, but promises.

She watched him as he pulled away, still shaking from that remaining fear, unsure what to think of the way he looked at her. Had she done something wrong? Was that not what he had wanted? "I-I didn't mean...," She started hesitantly, the words halting as he kissed her once again, a far more intimate approach than the sealing of their deal together. Her hands raised, though Mary was unsure of what to do with them as his own hand slid down her hip.

She was so confused... so lost in her own thoughts. He had threatened to kill her only moments before, and yet she now had more feelings for him that she had ever felt for her fiancee...

 

[EesomeBeastie]

John felt the intensity with which she returned his kiss but was confused that she didn’t wrap her arms around him, nor touch him in any other way. Truly she must be inexperienced!

Without breaking the kiss, he felt for her arms, then crept along them to her wrists. Pinning her hands down against the packed dirt floor of the derelict hovel, he climbed astride her thighs, trapping her. The wolf in him wanted to take her there and then; for he was well named – in part he was an opportunistic predator who would take what he could. But he had a more gentle side too, that hadn’t been completely erased by the months living wild on his wits, and when he realised his ardour might drive her to renege on her word he relented and eased his grip, instead guiding her hands to his back.

He wouldn’t complete the consummation of their pact yet, he decided, but he would give her a taste of what was to come. So having got her to embrace him, he rolled over so they were both on their sides and once again began to explore her leg. He very slowly stroked downwards until he reached the hem of her dress, then curled his fingers under the material and pulled both it and her underskirt up, almost to her knee. She didn’t protest, as far as he could tell at least, and he broke the kiss to better watch her reaction as he slid his hand between her knees and started a slow but determined climb up the bare flesh of her inner thighs...