"Hare--"

Tyra continued to stare at the ground.

"I'm not going to talk to you," she said quietly. The woodland slaves snuck back out and continued with the tent, a few watching Tyra and Predak.

"You will sooner or later, even if it is in a scream."

"I won't scream."

Predak let the end of Eric's whip dangle in front of Tyra's downcast eyes.

"You'll get another taste of this if you don't answer me."

"I don't care," Tyra said, watching a catipillar crawl across the decomposing leaves.

"You should. If would be very painful."

"I still don't care." Tyra knew she was going to die, so why let Predak get her fun out of Tyra's misery?

Predak let the whip curl around a branch. It cracked and part of it fell to the ground, missing Tyra by inches. She winced.

"Let me ask you something, hare. I've heard that you captain a ship called the SeaQueen, although some searats now call it the "Terror of the Seas."

Tyra remained silent, trying not to focase on the branch that had killed a certain catipillar.

"How would you feel if my army and I took this ship, enslaved you and your friends, and set sail? After we conquered Redwall, of course."

Tyra didn't rise. She remained staring.

"Answer me hare. Silence never got anyone anywhere."

Tyra remained silent.

Using her spear, Predak lifted Tyra's head until they were eye to eye.

"You will answer me, hare, to your cost if you don't."

Tyra remained silent.

Predak had been prepared for this. She pulled the whip down from what was left of the broken branch. Even though Tyra knew what would happen, she closed her eyes and waited for the blow to fall. And fall it did, stinging across her shoulders. Her eyes flew open, and one of the woodland slaves shuddered. The whip-wound that was only just being clotted with blood reopened, and more blood spilled onto her shoulders. She winced, and her eyes flickered somewhat.

"Do you want more of that, hare, or will you talk now?"

Tyra's eyes remained coldly defiant.

"No, you speak the truth. I am cap'n of the SeaQueen. She is not a normal ship, like the ones you are used to. She is like my friends and I. She fights evil along side us. It would be to your cost if you tried to take her. You would die. Beware of her."

"Words and wood are no threat to me, hare. I'm done for the moment. You are the one who had better beware."

Predak pulled the spearbutt out from under Tyra's chin and went into her now-put up tent. A few of the slaves looked sympatheticly at Tyra and all hurried off to the main body of the camp. As soon as she was the only one in the clearing, she let her head fall, and only now did her eyes fill. Her death grew nearer, and she could do nothing to stop it. She let her eyes go to her sword, leaning against Predak's tent. Then, her eyes moved to the branch above her head, where the whip had again made it somehow. Her shoulders throbbed and were damp with blood. Some of it had made it's way to her chest and shoulders. The ramada above her head leaked as it began raining.

************************************************************

Pred ak entered her tent, cursing. Ed stood there, staring as the rain began.

"How did it go...er...nevermind."

"That hare is the d***est impregnable beast I have ever seen! First, they catch her and her friend by driving them corybantic, then she does the same to me! She's selectivly mute!" She collapsed on a pile of cusions nearby. "And it doesn't help that she doesn't bend to pain! Everyone we've ever tried to force gives in under pain. Now, I bet there's going to be furphies flying about that I can't even beat a little hare! D*** her!" Ed just stood there, frowning.

"Predak, listen to me. She's just a little hellkite that can't figure out who's in charge. It's just because she's a Tussock. You know them. They always want excess power." But that only made her more mad.

"Ed, you don't understand! We can't afford to lose the condottieri! Even if that's it, she has to bend herself to it. You can try yourself tomorrow. That's not a suggestion that's a command. It's been a long day. Go, now!"

Ed left, scurrying out quickly, glancing at Tyra, now asleep, as he exited the clearing.