"You don't have to mock me because I'm new to all of this. I may not look like much, but I've been through my fair share of shit in life and seen some awful stuff, both when I was at war and when I was at home. I didn't grow up in a loving environment to say the least. You could say I'm used to being treated like a slave. The whip is new to me, but I know the feeling of a leather belt slapping against my skin all too well. My foster father loved getting creative when I got mouthy." Zoe explained in a nonchalant tone. Her back was riddled with big and tiny scars alike produced by years of abuse at her foster home at the hands of the religious zealot she was forced to call Papa. They could do a lot of things in Gor, but replacing damaged skin didn't seem to be one of them. They would probably assume that Zoe was a terrible slave, which would most likely make her less desirable. She hoped that would be the case as she didn't want to attract anyone else's attention. She was already scarred for life and didn't need more trauma than the one she'd already put up with.<br/><br/>With a sigh, Zoe reached to take some of the beef jerky and bit down on it. It wasn't much, but it would do for now. This was much better than stale bread and water. "Thank you for the jerky. It's the best thing I've had in days." She sounded genuinely grateful for the food. The young woman was surprisingly calm while flying through the air on the Tarn's back. When the bird made turns, Zoe held on to the leather straps for dear life even though she knew that they wouldn't let her fall. A part of her wished she could just fall through the clouds and onto the floor below. This was not her idea of a life.<br/><br/>"I will try my best to be what you want me to, but I... don't know how well I'll fit into this world. It just seems like everything I tried to run away from in the past. I used to live in constant fear when I was growing up. The punishments, the indoctrination, the shame, the secrets... I always slept with one eye open in case any of those two zealots would try to harm when I slept. But even back then, I knew I could go to the authorities to help me. Out here, it's just me, you and this world you live in. If something happens to me, there's no one I can go to.  If you hurt me, I have to put up with it just like I did back then. That would kill me. I don't know if I'll make it past the first few days." Zoe sounded completely defeated and genuinely thought that things wouldn't and couldn't get better for her in this world. The look on her face was one of sadness and dread, tears flooding her eyes yet again.<br/><br/>"I can't do this." Zoe said softly. "Just let me go and let me get killed or die of starvation out there. I'll be happier and you'll be happier. You could always find someone more open to the ideas of this world than someone like me... I am not equipped for this. This is not me being difficult... this is me being realistic about the situation I'm in. From my scars, you can tell I sucked as my family's slave. I talk far too much, I'm too feisty for my own good, I have very bad nightmares and I hate when men touch me. These are just a few of the things that are wrong with me. I can list more if you're not convinced that I will suck as a slave. If there is something still good in you, I'll beg for you to kill me if you're angry. I don't want to do this."