Not Human

The Docks /11/

I feel the wagon continue to rock as we pass through the loud streets. I have been in here for about a hour, I had struck up conversation with a few of the enslaved to practice my human tongue and have taken note of who and what exactly they are. There is a pale ghostly looking older man and a young boy who I believe to be elve's, a middle aged women who I can recognize to be a siren that has sprouted legs due to her water deprived body and a man that hides in the corner of the cart. He lets out a ragged cough every few minutes and I can see him shiver even though he has a old worn blanket laying over him. The man looks to be the most sickly out of everyone in the cage, he's even looking pale compared to the old elf. I wonder if he is sick so his family sold him to the slave Market.

I stare without realizing and soon meet his gaze, his blue eyes are cold and distant almost saying stay away, but at the same time they were pleading for help. I stand in the wagon having a few of the passengers look at me only to turn back away in disinterest. I shuffle closer to the blue eyed male only to have him look me over wary of my presence as he scuffles further into his corner with the blanket.

"what are you?" I ask curiosity itching at me.I can clearly tell he's not human though it would be easy to mistake him as such.

"...tch" he simply scoffs at me pulling up the blanket more as if to hide something. I see a shine poke out from the bottom of the blanket, I reach to out to it only to have my hand stopped bye a strong grip on my wrist.

"...don't" is all he says. Hmm I wonder. I look around the wagon and quickly spot what I'm looking for.

"elder, may I borrow that?" I look to the old elf and point to a button I can see sewn onto his shirt.

"..." he looks down at the botton then back up to me. He grasps his hand around it ripping it off and handing it to me, I give him a small smile. I'm still adjusting to the fact people bare their teeth as a sign of friendliness as I do so.

I turn back to the man in the corner and call out. "Hey!!" I yell and toss the button to the man, he moves swiftly to catch it only to hiss in pain when in comes in contact with his skin. I knew it.
He drops the button and I hurry pulling back the blanket to reveal the silver chains that bound his wrist and ankles.

"a werewolf..." he lets out a low Growl as he pounces toward me, his once pale blue eyes now shine with a bright gold. He is pulled back by his chains and hisses in pain as the silver burns his wrists.

"werewolves are supposed to stay deep in the forest if I remember correctly...they are not aloud to go near humans" says the elder elf as he pulls the younger elf closer to him. "...all the beasts are bound to the deeper parts of the forest." another man who I never spared a glance to in the wagon says scowling at the werewolf. The wolf growls at the man tries to hide back in his corner, continuing to shiver.

"how long have you been in here?" I ask only to be ignored. I scoot closer to the ma- werewolf and reach out to him placing a light grip on his arm above the silver shackles. He lets out a disapproving growl but doesn't move, his burst of energy from before must have been the last of it...

I slip my hand under the shackles taking some of the burn away , he sighs in relief as I look under the silver. Just as I thought. Painfully familiar with torture of other beasts such as myself I can recognize this cruel treatments effects.

"over exposure to silver can be deadly for a wolf...You really have been stuck in here to long, your pack must be worried, your mate...?"

At the word mate he look over to me and shakes his head. "pack is gone, mate never found." I assume he means his mate died with his pack. I move my hand out from under the silver and it connects back to his burnt wrists, he lets out a saddened and pained whine. I reach to my oversized shirt and rip two reasonable sized strips, I reach out to him asking him for his wrists. He looks at me and turns away, then turns back looking into my eyes before complying and reaching out his wrists. I gently grab them one at a time rapping the ripped fabric under the shackles, keeping them from burning his skin, though it will not repair the already existing burns.