"There is going to be a war. You need me."
Deepest Night. Chapter 6.
Anger and Shadows
Shadowshiv glared at her captors. Two brawny guards had hold of her, and one guard stood before her gazing at her condescendingly. A ring of soldiers prevented Shadow from attempting to escape. Not that she wanted to. Everything was going according to her plan. On the outside Shadowshiv was angry and vicious; on the inside she was silently celebrating.
"Get more torches," the guard in front of her demanded, "We do not want her to escape. Well, gnawer, you assumed to walk into our city unhindered?" This last bit was directed toward Shadowshiv.
"The door was open, I though I was being invited for tea." Shadow spat defiantly. A burst of light flared from a bundle of torches being lit. The smoke colored rat averted her gaze from the blinding brilliance of the flames. Apparently Ripred had let everyone know about her 'gift,' and the soldiers were flooding the place with light so she wouldn't be able to get away. "What are you going to do with me?"
The sneering guard in front of her didn't reply. Instead, he turned to the guards restraining Shadowshiv, "Before we imprison her, we must take her to Ripred. He will know the best way to hold her." Shadow smirked, perfect. She almost purred in satisfaction. Truth be told they needn't worry about holding her; she was exactly where she wanted to be.
Half an hour earlier Shadowshiv had arrived in Regalia. The gnawer had snuck beneath the human city and entered the palace using the same door that Flay had used in her attempt to escape. It hadn't been long before the guards inside the palace caught her. What they didn't know was that if she had truly wanted to hide from them it would have been simple. None of the Regalians even stopped to consider the fact that she had given in without a fight; none of them had thought it suspicious that she tried to enter the Palace. She was a rat, and for them, that was a good enough reason.
-----
"Ripred, it is obvious you have been wanting to voice your opinions," Luxa sounded resigned when she said this, "Give us your advice."
Gregor, Luxa, Ripred and Erin had gathered in a meeting room after Flay's revelation. The group had been arguing for about half an hour about what to do with the white rat. Erin maintained that Flay had learned her lesson, and should be allowed to get out every once in a while to stop her from feeling trapped. Luxa was worried for her people's safety, and Gregor had no idea what to do.
Ripred wore a self-satisfied smile, "Thank you ever so much, my queen, for allowing me the privilege of speech," he replied sarcastically. Luxa rolled her eyes and waited for the grey rat to continue. "Normally I'd suggest we throw her out in the Dead Lands and let her fend for herself. Given the circumstances that might not be the best idea."
Erin sneered, "Because she'll come back with an army? Or because I'd kill you?" The girl was glaring at Ripred with all her might. Normally the two were on good terms, and could possibly be called friends; but when Flay was involved they met each other with hostility.
"Ignoring that," Ripred continued, "There isn't much we can do, short of killing her or locking her up. I know it sounds extreme, but we can't risk her sneaking around every time we turn our backs."
"I still think-" Erin was standing up at this point, and her voice was raised.
"Shut up." Gregor hissed warningly. Surprisingly enough Ripred and Erin did go silent. And then the other three heard what had caused Gregor to place his hand on the hilt of his sword. Outside of the meeting room muffled swears, grunts, and a scuffling sound could be heard. "Act normal."
Erin sat back in her chair, and focused on calming herself down. Luxa smoothed her face of the emotions it had shown prior. The four had agreed not to tell anyone about Flay's betrayal, and everything had proceeded somewhat normally.
A sharp rap on the door frame announced that someone wanted to come in. "Enter." Luxa commanded, and a muscular guard came in. He bowed deferentially to Luxa, Gregor, and then Ripred. Erin raised an eyebrow in slight amusement.
"My Queen," the guard said coming out of his bow, "an urgent matter has come to our attention."
"Continue, Dynn," Luxa urged. Ripred resisted the impulse to roll his eyes; the Regalians always had urgent matters that randomly came to light. The guard, Dynn, didn't say anything, he merely gestured to the curtained door.
The curtain was drawn aside and three servants bearing bright torches entered the already well lit room. Then two brawny guards entered the room, each one held a shoulder and foreleg of a rat. And not just any rat. This female was a deep shadowy color; she had an ethereal look about her, like she would disappear if she wasn't being held. When she moved her fur rippled like water and she seemed to fade in and out of sight, depending on where the light hit her. Ripred glared at the female rat, and Erin let out an angry hiss like a snake. Gregor stared at the rat; she had a kind of smug look on her proud haughty face. He knew he had seen her before, but his brain struggled to remember where.
"You know, not that this isn't touching…" Came the silky sneering voice of the smoke colored rat, "But I should be going." Gregor's head snapped around, Shadowshiv was lounging around the mouth of the tunnel regarding the scene with a look of detached revulsion.
Flay's eyes peered at the grey rat with a look full of hate. The gnawer sneered at her, "Your mother got what she asked for you know. I will avenge my mate's death."
Flay's grey eyes burned into the scoffing rat, "I will kill you." she promised in a deadly quiet voice. Then she buried her face into Erin's chest once more, fresh tears coursing down her face.
Gregor watched as Shadowshiv cackled spitefully and shot down the tunnel. He stood and drew his sword ready to plunge after Shadowshiv. Ripred stopped him, his tail came up in front of the warrior.
The memory hit Gregor as soon as her cold eyes met his. Shadowshiv, a Shadowmelder as Ripred termed her. No wonder they had filled the room with torches, they had to make sure she wouldn't escape.
"Well, well, well," Ripred sneered, "Look what the guards dragged in. I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to try and sneak into Regalia, Shadow."
Shadowshiv laughed mockingly, "Who said I was sneaking?" The five stared at each other for a moment before Ripred turned to the guards,
"Get out." he commanded roughly. Luxa looked as though she was about to protest, but Ripred ignored her, "You heard me, get out. Now. Leave the torches here, though." Slowly the guards and servants left the room, placing the torches in rings along the wall.
"You don't need so much light you know," Shadowshiv remarked as she stretched, reveling in her freedom, "I'm not going to go anywhere. And the light hurts my eyes." she added shielding her face with a paw.
Ignoring her statements Ripred demanded, "Why are you here?"
Shadow smirked, "I was wondering when you'd ask that," the charcoal grey rat reclined onto her haunches, "The cutters, spinners, and darters have formed an allegiance. There is going to be a war. You need me." she stated matter-of-factly.
Before anyone could reply to this statement the curtain was drawn aside once more. Automatically everyone turned to regard the person who next came in. "What are you doing here, Flay?" Erin asked wearily.
The white rat gave a kind of shrug and muttered, "I was locked out of the kitchens." before sitting on a chair next to her friend. Gregor tensed compulsively, waiting to see how Flay would react to the rat responsible for her mother's death.
"Greetings, Bane." Shadowshiv drawled in her silky voice. Her dark sparkling eyes were locked onto the young white rat.
Flay immediately turned to glare at whoever had dared say that. "I am not the Bane, don't you ever say that!" She snarled, her grey eyes flaring with anger, "What the hell is she doing here?" the white rat rounded on Ripred.
"Damned if I know." Ripred replied with a scowl.
Shadowshiv laughed again, "She's vicious," the Shadowmelder remarked, "You should keep her chained up before she hurts someone."
Shadowshiv was right, Gregor reflected ruefully. Flay was vicious, she had proven that to him on more than one occasion. Gregor recalled Erin's words from earlier…the claw marks on the teenage girl's arms…Unable to contain himself he blurted, "She has hurt people."
Flay automatically turned toward him, "Oh? And you would know this how?" she accused in a low hiss. Everyone else was staring at him as well.
Gregor muttered, "Erin…the scars on her arms." He knew he shouldn't have said anything and he mentally kicked himself. Erin regarded him with something akin to shock,
"The scars on my arms?" she said. The girl pulled her sleeves up to reveal the long slashes, "You think Flay did that?" Gregor couldn't say anything; up close the marks were even worse, long and jagged they were almost as bad as the ones on his chest.
"I did that." Ripred said with a disdainful laugh, "In training. She let her guard down, and I cut her a little worse than I thought I would." Gregor flushed guiltily, and Flay was fuming angrily,
"You thought I'd do that to her?" she spat furiously, "I would never hurt Erin, she's my only friend. I wouldn't do that to anybody."
"Anybody?" Gregor asked quizzically,
"I'd make an exception for you." came the petulant reply. Flay's voice indicated the conversation was over.
However, Ripred's curiosity had been piqued, "What exactly do you mean, Flay? Is there a peace advocate under all that white malice?"
"No." Flay retorted sullenly. She shifted uncomfortably and stared at the ground.
"So…" Ripred pressed her; he was smiling, "Would you care to tell us why you wouldn't slash someone open?"
Flay glared at him, not just an angry glare, one of those 'I will hate you until the end of time' glares. "I don't like blood, ok!" she snapped, "There. Now you know." She crossed her forelegs and scowled, with that position and expression she looked remarkably like Erin.
For a few moments everyone just stared at her, and then the silence was broken by the sound of laughter. Ripred and Shadowshiv were both practically incapacitated in their mirth. Gregor shook his head and glanced at Luxa as if to say, 'They'd laugh at anything.' He was shocked to see that the queen was struggling to hold in laughter as well. Flay looked like she wanted to disappear.
"I guess I'll be going now," the young rat said as she stood up. "I've been humiliated enough today."
"Nonsense." Ripred told her, he had apparently regained his composure, "We've only just begun."
"Lovely." Was the sullen reply.
"Why are you here, Flay?" Luxa asked in an attempt at steering the conversation away from Flay's ironic admission.
Flay gave a small shrug and turned to Luxa, "I'm hungry, and they locked me out of the kitchens. I was wondering if you'd tell them to let me in."
Ripred stared at the white rat in mock wonder, "Do you ever stop eating?"
"When I'm sleeping." Flay shot back sarcastically.
"What do you do with it all?" Ripred asked, "You're tiny." The grey rat's eyes raked over Flay's slender form. She was very small for her age, and there hadn't been any change in her size for at least a month.
Shadowshiv tilted her head to the side as she examined the white rat. A small knowing smile played upon her lips, and her eyes glinted with cunning. "You eat often, and do not grow?" she asked Flay curiously. The younger rat didn't answer, but Shadow continued, "Is anything else odd?" The shadowy rat leaned forward eagerly waiting for the answer.
Flay frowned, uncomfortable with the amount of interest Shadowshiv was showing. Gregor didn't blame her, if anyone looked at him that way he would probably run. As far away as possible. "Why should I tell you?" Flay asked, her voice was heavy with distrust.
"Because I think I can help." Shadowshiv hissed. The two rats stared at each other for a few moments, the tension in the room skyrocketed. Neither gave the other any ground.
"And why would you want to help me?" Flay pressed.
"You would be surprised." The other rat replied her dark eyes flashed.
The white rat eyed Shadowshiv for a moment, and then, without any reason apparent to the others in the room, nodded her head. Ripred had seated himself next to Erin during the exchange, "This is dramatic." he stage whispered to the teenage girl.
Erin giggled softly, "Pass the popcorn." she replied in the same tone.
Flay sent a glare toward the two whisperers who quieted. The white rat let out a sigh and turned back toward the other female. "If you must know, I have violent mood swings, and…" Flay's face took on a thoughtful expression like she was trying to find the right words to articulate her thoughts. "There is no noticeable pattern, but sometimes…I-I don't know. I'll go into my room and lay down, and I won't get up for days, occasionaly as many as five."
Shadowshiv nodded and leaned further forward, her glittering eyes probed Flay. "How do you feel when this happens?" Her statement reminded Gregor of the cheesy therapists who continually asked how something made you feel. He let out a short sound of amusement before he could catch himself. Surprisingly, however, neither of the rats made any indication they had heard him.
The white rat took a deep breath and replied, "Not good normally. It feels like I'm drowning. Like I can't breathe." Her eyes got dark as she said this, like she was recalling the times it had happened, "When I wake up I'm not sure where I am."
Flay looked up at Shadowshiv, her face looked unusually hopeful as if she thought Shadow could tell her how to fix it. Oddly enough, the smoke colored rat smiled. It wasn't a proud or scornful smile like her previous ones. Her smile actually reached her eyes in a show of genuine satisfaction. "Tell me, has anything else strange happened when you were frightened or stressed?"
Flay looked a bit confused but replied slowly, as if weighing every word, "When I snuck out of the palace the first time…Luxa and Ripred almost caught me. They looked right at me and walked off."
The grey rat snarled, "So that was what I smelled! I knew something wasn't right!" Ripred's scarred face contorted into a scowl, "How did you hide from me?" Flay shrugged, she looked sincerely baffled.
Shadowshiv's smile widened, "I thought so. You have that look about you." The smoke colored female took another step closer to Flay. "Welcome to the fold." She said cryptically. Flay gave her a questioning look. "The same things happened to me when I was young. Fortunately my mother knew the symptoms and got me a teacher."
A suspicious look crossed Flay's face, "Meaning?" she pressed.
"My dear," Shadow began. This was the first time Gregor had heard the dark violent rat use any term that could be considered friendly and it sounded odd to hear her say that. Everyone in the room was unconsciously holding their breath, except for Ripred of course who only looked mildly interested. "To put it bluntly, you have the gift. You're a Shadowmelder."
A collective gasp came from Luxa, Erin and Gregor. Ripred sneered openly, and Flay looked unconcerned.
"How can she be?" Erin asked.
"How can you be certain?" Luxa questioned.
"Who cares?" Flay replied, though none of them had been talking to her.
Ripred laughed shortly, "Not you apparently. You have just been deemed to have a rare and exotic ability. One that will make us even more untrusting of you and you really don't care." It was a statement and not a question. Ripred seemed thoroughly amused by her reaction.
Flay raised an eyebrow and looked around the circle of people, three humans, and two rats. "Whatever." she replied with a shrug.
Shadowshiv: YES! I'm in the book again!
Erin: This chapter had lots of secrets...
Me: I know! Flay is a Shadowmelder. Erin was hurt by Ripred (abusive relationship right there). And Flay's hemaphobic. (fear of blood)
Flay: I'm going to kill you for that.
Me: What? I wrote you like that, you have a thing with blood.
Flay: I'm a rat! I'm the flippin Bane and I don't like blood?
Shadowshiv: -snickers- yes that is ironic. Especially after chapter 2. I mean...seriously...
Me: She doesn't like OTHER peoples' blood. Her own is fine.
Flay: you suck. -pounces-
Me: EEP -runs away-
Erin: -sigh- This chapter was Unedited so it could be out tonight. Merry Christmas one and all.