Searing Hurt Pt. 6

Ara

"Don't you think the chains are a bit much?"

"Are you kidding, Fern? You saw what that girl did to Father's rifle."

"Oh, c'mon Tad, look at them! They can't be more than sixteen."

"I know, exactly. Sixteen-year-olds are big and scary."

"I'm seventeen. What does that make me?"

"An ugly deformed ogre, of cour—OW!"

Ara shook her head, trying to clear it of the foggy haze that had settled over her mind. She struggled to open her eyes, the spinning room slowing down and starting to take shape.

She was in some sort of crude, one-room cabin with the three mutants that had captured her. The only furnishings consisted of a wooden table with three chairs, a stone fireplace and chimney, furs lying propped up in the corners that she supposed served as beds, and an array of weapons hanging up on the wooden walls. Despite this, the whole place was neat and tidy, with swept floors and a warm, carefully-tended fire.

She was in the corner of the cabin, tied up tightly and thoroughly. Her ankles and knees were bound, and her wrists were fixed behind her, the uncomfortably tight ropes digging into her skin. As if that wasn't enough, there were several lengths of chain crossing over her torso, securing her together with… Leo? Shaking off the last of her grogginess, Ara turned her head to find Leo chained with her, their shoulders rammed together against the unyielding tightness of the chains. His head was bent forward, unconscious. Ara nudged him as best as she could, trying to jolt him awake. "Leo?" she whispered in concern. Nothing, not so much as a groan. "Leo!" Her voice rose to an alarmed squeak, and she shoved him with increasing urgency.

Suddenly remembering where she was, Ara looked up to find the wolf staring intently at her from where he sat in a shadowed corner of the room. He stood and strolled slowly towards her as he casually swung her sword in front of him. The weapon made sharp swishing sounds as it sliced through the air. He stopped right in front of her, then pressed the tip to her forehead so that she had to strain her head backwards to prevent it from piercing her skin. He thrust the sword backward as if to end her with a swift blow, but then hurled it downward at the last second. Ara flinched as the blade vibrated with a violent twang, impaling the floorboards inches from her foot.

The wolf knelt, taking Leo's jaw in his huge hand and lifting the unconscious head, muttering, "Gave him quite the blow, poor kid. Should wake up in a coupa minutes, though," before letting go, causing Leo's chin to drop back to his chest. He then plucked the sword from the floorboards and ran the length of the blade over his hand before turning to Ara. "Mighty fine weapon you have here. So are the other ones I had ta take from you two while you were out. I don't suppose you're very good at handling them?"

Ara glared at him before spitting out, "we can use them well enough when we need to."

"And how about the others? Good fighters?"

"Others? What others? We're the onl-"

Unexpectedly, The wolf reached up and slapped her across the face, hard. Ara bit back a yelp, blinking away tears that involuntarily sprung up in her eyes. The wolf took hold of her chin, adjusting the tilt of her head so that he was staring deep into her eyes. "Let's get one thing straight, pretty-girl. You don't lie to me. Ever. Now, I'm gonna repeat my question, real slow. Can. The. Others. Fight? How many are there? Mutants like you, I suppose?"

Ara glared defiantly back into his eyes, deliberately keeping her mouth shut. The wolf stared at her for a few moments, his eyes shooting fire. Then he let go of her chin, shoving it roughly to the side. He rose and walked briskly across the room, only pausing to murmur a few inaudible words to Fern before shoving aside the huge metal bolt crossing the door and storming out.