Threat Study
Valek's threats were not empty, as Ari and Janco realised, sitting sullenly in a pitch black cell, one pacing while the other was curled up in foetal position. Ari muttered obscenities under his breath, tripping over Janco for the third time in the past thirty minutes.
Janco remained uncharacteristically quiet after each one, he only let out a small squeal of disgust.
"Sorry, nimrod," Ari snapped haphazardly, his hands delved deep into his woollen coat which Valek had allowed due to the cold season. Janco used his as a rug. Ari thought him an absolute idiot, wasting a fine coat made by Dilana, his one and only companion. His mind strayed to more dangerous territories of skin on skin action.
Janco on the other hand was on the floor laying on his side, his arms around his legs, he murmured soft things like, 'big bad wolfs eat rats…Ari will eat the rats,' unfortunately Ari did not, two days in this dump made Ari feel a little claustrophobic, his entire frame shook as the temperature went low, that's how cold it was, you cold feel it thaw at your skin, no matter how many layers of clothes you had on.
Fortunately for Janco, he'd packed clothes on when Valek told them to be at the dungeons at dawn, or they'd spend a further season in there than a mere two days. Janco made sure her wore five long sleeved shirts, two were knitted, three pairs of pants and two pairs of socks on his feet followed by boots, and he had a pair of gloves in his under pants, which he had trouble retrieving due to the layers of clothing he had on. Janco thought himself smart, thinking Valek did not know about the extra layers. But alas! The man knew all!
The gates were opened and Valek stepped in with two trays of food, a large grin, in his other hand was a pale of water, a guard behind him held an oil lamp which illuminated the cell, Janco and Ari gaped at the cell it was covered in faeces which accounted for the foul stench but this was an abnormal amount covering one half of the floor, Janco thankfully put his woollen coat on the semi-clean area with a broad smile, proud of himself.
"Evening, is the accommodation to you liking?" his feral smile took over, Ari glared.
"Why don't you stay for a night and find out yourself?" Ari bit out, Valek tsked.
"You both should know my threats are not empty. Ever." His eyes were cool and bored, he took a few steps toward Janco.
"I remember saying one pair of each clothing items before you enter the dungeon," he smirked before dumping a pale of ice cold water over Janco who sprung up to his feet to spar with Valek, who smiled broadly.
"You both know I like to test my corps now and then…and that I hate liars," Valek's smiled broadened when Janco sat back down resigned and defeated.
" Bright side is you only have another day and a half , and because you can not obey orders Janco, you'll be given prisoners robes, up to you whether or not you change into them," and with that Valek turned and left, the light went with him as he closed the cell door.
"Can I kill him?" Janco asked in a whiny voice, a loud slap noise echoed through the cell alerting me to Janco hurling himself to the floor in disdain.
"Not in public," was all Ari said.
"Good, than I shall get him in the washroom, next time," his voice sounded assured.
Ari wasn't to sure about that, after all, the man's the best assassin around. Janco grumbled something along the lines of, 'all my clothes are wet! I'll be damned if I change into a prison gown,'
Meanwhile Valek looked around the castle for the toddler, the one he was supposed to be looking after. The one he lost.
"Tsk Tsk! Baby! Come back!" he called out, and got no response. Valek racked his mind as to where the child could be.
He finally came to his last resort.
"Men, we have to find a four legged creature," he ordered, his secret spies where eyeing him warily.
"Four legged, you say?" one man called.
"Yes, Apollo, it is human…but still a child, a female with grey eyes and the child is wearing a pink jump-suite."
"You mean onesie," Apollo asked.
"Yes, well whatever fancy name you want to give it," Valek rolled his eyes.
"Is the child a delegate?" Valek paused at the question.
"Yes, Ambassador Singh's little daughter, when she is found come find me in the stables, if not everyone meet back here at dusk," Valek stated stoically, inwardly smiling at his genuineness, "don't spread the word of the child, are we clear?"
"YES SIR!" All sixty men chanted with pride.
"Dismissed." And with that all the men dispersed via windows, tunnels, ladders and air vents. Valek solemnly walked out of the storeroom, he meandered through the castle to the stables, steering clear of Yelena.
Back to the cells, Janco had changed into the prison rob, grumbling about the injustices of the event.
"Bastard," he muttered standing next to Ari, they tried to keep each other by warming.
"If you wrap a hand around me, I will hurt you," Ari murmured, Janco snorted.
"Like I'd want to touch you! You're about as pretty as my ass," Janco scoffed.
"Good," Ari grinned.
It was quiet for a while before the squeak of a mouse was heard.
"IT'S A RAT! ARI A FUCKING RAT….DID YOU SEE THE SIZE OF THAT MOTHER FUCKER!" Janco screamed and ran around the cell.
"Considering it's pitch black and I can't even see your ugly face…. I sincerely doubt you saw how big the rat was," Ari muttered flatly.
Begun screaming like a girl, "IT'S UP A DRESS ARI!"
"That's be my hand you nimrod," Ari let go of Janco, letting him fall on the floor, "next time you want to jump me, make sure you're wearing pants," he deadpanned.
Janco got up and tried to get the gunk off himself, he muttered oaths under his breath.
Janco stayed in his corner , and Ari went back to his passive self. Just twelve more hours, he thought, just twelve more hours. Twelve long hours.
Things weren't going so well for Valek, so far Yelena's tried to find him twice and he has gotten kicked twice by the same horse on two separate occasions.
"Blasted horse," Valek muttered walking back from the stallion, rubbing the side of his left leg.
One of the stable hands had discretely engaged Valek in 'horse' talk.
"Well Sir, the mare you were talking about has been bought," he spoke in code. The baby has been found.
"Why do I get the feeling there's a but somewhere in there," Valek muttered, hands thrust into pockets.
"The mare is… in...well I don't know how else to say this…I'm afraid I'll have to show you," he muttered, the stable hand nodded his head slightly. Apollo appeared as one of the maids.
"I must say, the attire is doing wonders for you, Aphrodite," Valek smirked, Apollo merely glared.
"Thank you, Sir," he deadpanned.
"Lead the way, my lady," he snorted.
Apollo led Valek to the Commander's chambers, "listen carefully, Sir," Apollo sighed. The Commander was talking…baby talk?
"Oh my! Who's a gorgeous little girl!" Commander chuckled. "Chubby cheeks!" Commander admonished.
Apollo and Valek exchanged semi-amused expressions, mixed with fear.
"Has he taken something?" Valek asked in hush tones.
"Not that we know of, Sir," Apollo muttered.
"Dismissed."
Apollo walked briskly away, "tell the other maids that they are free," Valek called out, Apollo made the single of two fingers pointing twice to the east to say 'yes.'
Valek stayed near the door.
Back to the cells, Maren and Dilana were down in the dungeons the had lamps in their hands and smug grins.
"Hello boys," they said in unison, both men looked up, heavily relieved.
"Oh thank fate, I don't think I would've last another hour with Janco whining about rats…" Ari breathed out.
"Same to you, sasquatch,"
"Oh shut up," Maren rolled her eyes and let them out, both men practically bounced out of the cell, Ari grasped Dilana in a lover's embrace and kissed her passionately. Janco on the other hand was told to stay thirty feet away from Maren, he stunk and looked like shit.
"I must say, the prison gown suits you, Janco," Valek commented as the four passed him in the halls. Janco bit back the urge to flip Valek off, Ari merely threw his head back and laughed. "It's uncanny how much you really do look like a prisoner-" Ari commented, Ari stopped his sentence, his eyes got large, his mouth agape, "RAT BEHIND YOU JANCO!"
And that's all he needed, Janco begun jumping around screaming like a four year old. "I WANT MY MOTHER! MUMMY!"
Everyone laughed except for him and Maren.
"Why was I left with the dimwit."
"MUMMY!"
"Because he balances out your seriousness," Dilana commented, Ari nodded in agreement.
"MUMMY! MUMMY!"
Maren slapped Janco, "did that help?"
"A lot," Janco nodded rubbing his left cheek.
Valek raised an eyebrow and shrugged, he watched with mild amusement as the four disappeared down the hallway.
"Coochi coochi cooo," Commander laughed, Valek looked at the door in horror. What has gotten into the Commander?
"Sir?"
"Come in, Valek," Commander ordered, Valek walked in hesitantly.
"I see you've found the little sprite," Valek nodded at the little baby sitting on the Commanders lounge.
"Imagine my surprise when I go to your office to discuss the issue of the depletion of minerals, but to find a child on the table with it's hands on a top secret file."
Ah, so that explains where I left it, Valek thought dryly.
"I imagine you thought Yelena decided that I'm a better companion as a screaming poop machine," Valek shrugged.
"At first I did entertain that thought until I realised the child was in fact a girl and not a male," Commander said seriously.
"Does that not bother you?"
"That fact that Yelena could turn you into a baby?"
"Yes."
"Not at all," Commander shrugged.
"Good to know," Valek said flatly.
"You're welcome. I take it you're here to take the child?" Valek nodded and the Commander handed me the child, he briskly walked to my rooms, Yelena was inside cleaning the bookshelves.
"Hello Love," she kissed Valek's cheek and the baby's the amount of Valek and Yelena time had decreased dramatically since the child had been found.
"How was she?"
"Wonderful, quite and entertaining," he lied.
"You didn't loose her?" she raised her eyebrows in disbelief.
"Me…loose a child. Never," he commented, in his mind he kept in place the poker face.
"Really?" she asked sceptically.
"Yes."
"That's not what the Commander said," she smirked, "or Apollo," she laughed, traitor, Valek thought bitterly.
"What am I to do with you, love?"
"Tie me to the bed post?" Valek asked hopefully, Yelena threw her head back and laughed.
"Hmm, I doubt that will teach you anything, love," Yelena mused, a smile gracing her features. "How about bonding you by your feet and dangling you upside down from the roof?" the baby clapped at the idea, her chubby face lit up with a beaming smile. Valek gave the child a dirty look and the child merely placed a pudgy hand on his cheek, Valek's glare softened into a small smile, he gently kissed the side of the child's head.
"Is that a threat?"he asked half amused.
"I guess you'll have to wait and find out."
Much to Valek's amusement, he was indeed hanging from the wall upside down, but he knew Yelena had slipped in some sleeping potion into his whisky, but he didn't deny her, her moment. And that's how he landed upsaid down hanging off the beam in his room with Yelena occasionally pushing him like a swing.
"Love may I come down now?" he asked amused.
"Of course," she beamed. "Oh by the way, I know you were awake while I was tying you up to the beam," she chuckled.
"Of course," he rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same. This woman drove him mad on a daily basis, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
"Well, find your own way down, Love." Yelena left, Valek heard the front door slam shut.
"Love? Oh come on."
Hi all!
Hope you guys enjoyed the one shot, got a little board and had this laying about on a usb and thought I'd upload it :)
Enjoy and as always REVIEW!
Bridget