Disclaimer: Not mine. Happy?
*
Limping slightly, the colonel looked back at Daleria, who also was home to several injuries herself.
'You know that I did not want to do that, m'gel. I never wanted to do any flippin thing to you in the first place. Just try to understand, m'gel...'
Daleria glared at Rapieratce with fiery hateful eyes, and near spat back at him.
'I have nothing more to understand than you are an uncaring fool who doesn't know a single thing at at. Be gone, colonel. You disgust me.'
With those words, Daleria stalked into the furthest corners of her cell, as far in the shadows as possible, leaving the colonel no choice but to back out of the cellars in retreat.
Sighing heavily, Rapieratce limped slowly over to the infirmary, wishing dearly that that had never, ever happened. Entering, Taremin looked him over.
'Not good, sah. A broken jaw, two split lips, long and rather deep gash across the shoulders. There's also two bruised ribs and a bruise on the back of your head. Daleria bashed you up rather well today, I see.'
Groaning slightly at the ache in his head, he looked over at the captain, who had calmed down after Longrunn had taken him away.
'What about you, Joseph?'
Looking at the colonel, the battered captain answered.
'Two bruises on the head, a sprained wrist and a strained muscle in the ankle.'
Taremin glared at the two injured hares in her infirmary.
'Two hares getting bashed up by one captain? I can barely believe it. You two are off training for the next day or so. The corridor floor is hard rock. I am going down to the cells to see to Daleria.'
Moving out of the infirmary, Taremin went down to Daleria, who was still sitting away from the door, fuming silently in anger. Unlocking the cell door, entering then locking it again, Taremin struck flint and lighted up an oil lamp, illuminated the room. Daleria looked up, but made no other move aside from that. Taremin sighed again after looking the silent hare captain over. Shaking her head, Taremin knelt down beside her.
'Will you ever stop getting injured, Dale?'
'No.'
'Obstinate as ever, I see. Looks like the four times you've bashed your head against the floor did not throw any more sense into you. Three head bruises, an open lip and a twisted wrist. You did it again, Dale.'
'Thank you.'
'How scathing. Let me bandage the wrist.'
After wrapping the twisted wrist of Daleria's in a tight wrap, Taremin stood up with the lamp and took her leave. But before she walked up the stair well, she turned and told the captain, hoping that her piece of advise would counsel her well.
'You know that the colonel could not do anything. He was only following commands. Rapieratce would never do anything to willingly hurt a fellow hare. You know it Dale. You cannot blame him.'
*
Confounded conscience, go away!
No way.
Why not?
Because you still have not sorted your mind out properly. Go talk to the lady. Maybe it would it help you slightly.
There is nothing I can do.
There is. There always it something you can do. You only have to find out what.
I cannot.
You have one more day, 'Atce. One. Single. Day.
Rapieratce finally made up his mind. Getting up, he slipped the key into his tunic pocket. Nobeast was going to find out about that one. Instead, he moved to the forge to talk to the Lady Consellariel, hoping that he could sway her into letting Daleria out.
*
'What are you talking about, colonel?'
'I am only saying, marm, that Daleria needs to get out of the cells.'
'You know that if I let her out, chaos will ensue. Look at yourself.'
'I use myself only as an example. The gel is going insane down there.
'She is not.'
'The blinkin hare is crazy enough to maul both me and Captain Joseph after being flung to the floor numerous times. She is going crazy.'
'She must not be let out.'
'If we do not, she will get out herself.'
'Let her try, colonel, she will never succeed.'
'She is still a living hare, marm. She needs to stay sane.'
'Your request is crazy, colonel. I forbid it.'
'Daleria will not survive down there...'
'She will. You shall see.'
*
That infuriating hare!
Twice I would kill him, thrice I would maul him, four times I could chuck him off this mountain. He thinks that just because he is a colonel that he can do anything he wants to! I should have hit him harder. He must be insane, shoving me back in here again. I am going insane! I must get my mind off all of this.
I must.
I must.
I must.
I must.
One day... Only one more day. One confounded, short day before Seppak's forces arrive, and I am stuck in here. The world is perfect.
*
They had woken up at the brink of dawn, heads throbbing, and paws tightly bound by stiff rope behind their backs. The two gallopers, Cosenet and Willow, were in a very, very bad position. And they were not alone. Beside them were three others from a patrol, Silecy, Tehora and Mealiney, also captured by the vermin foxes not long ago. Willow shook her head, hoping to clear it of her dizziness, and looked around. They were smack in the middle of a vermin camp, and foxes were everywhere, silently going past, doing duties and such. They were most definitely not in a very good position to do anything at all. There were various sentries around, and the camp seemed to be very well run, not like the vermin armies that were usually scattered and disorganized. This was so surprisingly different, it was near scary.
Willow was brought back to reality by a slight cough. Tehora was looking at her, almost idly.
'I see one of the two have awoken. We are in a fix, aren't we, wot?'
Nodding, Willow looked around again,
'How long have you three been here?'
'Not more than a day before you. We are stuck.'
A groan from beside Willow signalled that Cosenet had woken as well.
'What's going on?'
Before any of the other four could answer, a midnight black fox with a sword and a scabbard strode into their little circle of hares, interrupting their little talk. Not even talking, he walked up to the unsuspecting galloper that had first reawaken, and kicked her hard in the ribs, sending her sprawling backwards onto the sands. There was an audible crack as his footpaw made contact against her, and a sharp scream echoed as three of Willow's ribs broke under the hard kick. The black fox snarled,
'Silence is something that will save your life. But if you wish to die here and now, I welcome your request.'
Willow whimpered, crawling pitifully and painfully back to her previous position, her lip bleeding. Every move sent a searing pain down her back bone, and the pain threatened to overwhelm her. The black fox turned to the rest and spoke again.
'You know the one called Daleria, do you not?'
Cosenet braved an answer, boldly and obviously rebelling.
'So what if we do?'
Snarling, the fox turned.
'If you do, I promise you that you will tell me of her, even if I have to force it out of your bare throat, rabbit.'
A glint in his eyes told all that what ever he had said, he meant. Still, Cosenet shut her mouth and talked not. The fox narrowed his eyes, and slowly withdrew his blade, grabbing Cosenet by the scruff of her neck and lifting her clear off the ground.
'You will tell me, you insolent hare, unless you wish for pain beyond your wildest nightmares.'
Cosenet still refused to talk, glaring at the black furred villain in front of her in silent spite and disgust.
'Fine then.'
A bright flash shined across her shoulder, and a slight scream sounded out from the very depth of her throat. The fox dropped her carelessly onto the sand, a long, deep gash leaking blood trailing from the top of her arm all the way down to her wrist was apparently going to drain her near to death, but not killing her. However, the blade had cut past a vital nerve in Cosenet's arm, which meant only one thing. Cosenet would painfully loose use her left arm completely, if she even survived the ordeal. Satisfied that he had punished her well enough, the black fox stalked away.
So they had met Seppak the Cruel,
black fox of the underworld, villainous beyond thought and cruel with intention.
First blood had spilt.
