Shatter could feel the frail young woman struggle weakly in his grasp, a small, almost unnoticeable motion which still managed to cut him to the core. She was powerless against his will, and to take advantage of someone who clearly was incapable of defending themselves ground harshly against his morals. Although he tried to avoid her gaze (regardless of the fact that she could not possibly see through his visor), he could not entirely ignore the small, delicate hand which encompassed his own, squeezing it with a gentle desperation as he pulled her to her feet. He’d never had cause to doubt his own actions before, but this situation was nothing if not confusing for the young soldier.
He had no way of knowing that Sevella was privy to some of the inner emotions which he kept well to himself, although he had the creeping suspicion that she knew more than she let on. Everything she said seemed almost as if it was tailored to the exact doubts which were currently running through his mind, on the verge of usurping what remaining control he had left. “No,” he replied with what sounded like a heavy resignation, “I do not wish to do this, but I have no choice but to comply with orders.” If she could have seen his expression, she would have been faced with eyes that were both distressed and confused, but instead, he continued to hide his thoughts behind an impenetrable barrier of cold, emotionless metal. It would be easier to accept things and move on if he just ignored what bothered him and continued to do what he'd always done without questioning.
Shatter glanced down at the young woman, somewhat surprised when her hand came to rest upon his chest plate, hovering over the spot where his heart beat under the metal covering. She didn't seem to be afraid of him as a person at all; just unwilling to comply with the unfair demands which he'd been forced to make of her. He was about to speak again when suddenly, the surrounding forest seemed to explode with a flash of color and feral snarling and a huge (as in, literally gigantic) wolf burst into the clearing, hackles raised and hell-bent on carnage. Automatically, his hand came to rest on his holstered blaster, the small, distinct click of a safety being flicked almost inaudible, lost in the cacophony of sounds that conveyed canine aggression.
Despite the fact that he'd never actually seen one of these 'shifters' in wolf-form before, he suspected that this must be one of the other tribe members, if all the irrefutable proof on hand was anything to judge by. After all, what wolves grew this big, had such strange fur colors, and could talk? He assumed that the wolf, apparently a male that went by the name of Mahj, was here to keep his healer from being taken against her will, but Shatter wasn't prepared to give in without a fight. As Sevella went limp in his grasp, he simply held her more firmly, supporting her slight weight, positioning her slightly behind himself so that he stood between her and the newcomer. He felt slightly odd, talking to an animal, but he still addressed him the same regardless. "I'd like to see you try, wolf," he retorted, switching effortlessly to the merciless fighter he was trained to be. He had no problems dealing with risks and danger, so Mahj's arrival promptly put him back in his familiar element, geared and ready for the worst, whatever that might be.