"Damn!" Will screamed as the blood dripped down his hand. "Halt!" He screamed his name over and over again, but the only answer he received was a groan of pain. A cloak rustled behind Will and he was roughly thrown to the ground. He grunted as his head hit the stone flagons.
"Shut up!" the man growled and held Will by the scruff of his neck. Will could only see the leering face through squinted eyes. His head throbbed terribly. So terribly that he felt as though it would explode. The man dragged him away from the door that hid Halt behind it and threw his hostage into a dimly lit room. A man, dressed completely in a hue of midnight blue, sat behind a richly carved desk of oak. He had ink over his fingers and parchments were strewn about the place. His dark green eyes were hard as stone, cold, and calculating. Will felt as though he was being scanned, both inside and out. After a moment, the man beckoned with one finger and Will was thrown in front of him. He sagged to one side with only the soldier's arm to keep him upright.
"What is this…ah…thing?" the man said slowly. The soldier involuntarily gulped.
"He was found sneaking around the grounds near the Place," the soldier reported smartly. The other man raised an eyebrow.
"Is that how you address your master?" he asked softly, completely ignoring the report from his man.
"No, Lord Thalin. I beg forgiveness for my mistake," the soldier replied, bending on one knee. Lord Thalin nodded slowly.
"I should think not. Yes, umm, back to business. Lurking by the Place was he?" he asked curiously. "Now, what…?" He addressed Will. "would you be doing in a place like that?" Will gave no answer. Lord Thalin instantly smacked him across the mouth.
"When I ask a question, I expect it to be answered. Immediately!" he said sharply. His voice was calm, measured. Will realized that he was facing a very dangerous man.
"Now, I repeat. What were you doing lurking about my castle?"
"I was looking for food," invented Will. "I was simply hungry, sir." Lord Thalin merely laughed.
"Well, there was no food where you were looking my dear friend." He drew close to Will's face and said quietly, "I know you're not as pathetic as you appear to be, young fellow. Your friend, he's not so puny as people take him to be is he? I'll take your silence as your confession. So, who are you and who is he?" Will, again, said nothing which earned him another blow to the jaw. His vision swam and he was nearing unconsciousness. Lord Thalin stared disgustedly at the figure below him.
" Put him in interrogation and let the old man watch him suffer. That ought to loosen his tongue."
"Yes, my lord!" said the soldier and dragged Will's form out.
Halt awoke to a strange buzzing in his head. He blinked several times, and glanced around. One thing was obvious, it was dank. The second obvious thing was it was dark. And the third obvious thing was he was in danger. He melted into the shadows as the door opposite where he crouched opened and two soldiers entered the room.
"Where is he?" one said.
"I dunno. Them rangers always melt into the shadows when they want to," the other responded. "But it don't matter. Lord Thalin's punishments are worse than those of rangers."
Yeah right! Halt though indignantly and somewhat triumphantly. But his triumph didn't last long when he was dragged out of his holding cell and thrust into a candlelit room. His heart beat rapidly as he saw the one thing that scared him beyond all pain. Will was hanging by his wrists, his face half beaten savagely and stripped completely to his waist.
Oh Will! groaned Halt internally. What have they done to you?