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Chapter 55. I Expect to Be Amused
by Silisk
When Silisk woke, she rather wished she hadn't.
A rattling breath hissed from her throat, born of equal parts pain and growing anger. How dare that brute! He ought to be flogged within an inch of his sorry, miserable, barbaric life. Scowling murkily, she bunched her coils against the soft cloth beneath her and sulked.
Though she keenly felt every heartbeat through her skull, the serpent came to realize something else, something clammy and warm that seemed to be plastered to the scales on her forehead. She flickered her tongue, but couldn't detect anything other than it was annoying.
Silisk shook her head in an attempt to dislodge the whatever-it-was. She froze, shuddering vibrations through the floor a tell-tale sign of the clumsy paw-steps of an earthwalker. She had barely enough time to register to distinctive musk of fox before she was enveloped in warm paws.
"Hss-ah!" She gasped. Why, oh why, must she greet me in such a manner!
No sooner had Zula released Silisk then the vixen's tone changed. "Silly, why'd you have to go and get Mr. Brull all riled up?" she asked, paws akimbo.
The serpent's tongue flicked once. "Hmph! I regret nothing. I hardly see what you find suitable in that knave. He is a bloodthirsty dullard, more content with guzzling spirits than the health of his charges." A pause. "And he punched me."
Zula sighed. "I know Mr. Brull isn't always saying the right things, but he's not a bad beast. Really! If you just gave him a chance, I think the two of you could get along just fine."
Not bloody likely. Silisk, however, didn't quite feel like pushing the argument further, even if she felt she had no right to know Brull as anything other than recently deceased. "Well," she said, only content with getting the last word in, "he had best apologize." She shook her head.
"Oh! Be careful," Zula said. At the snake's questioning hiss, she explained. "Just a rag with a bit of warm water. Helps keep th'pain down, it does."
Although Silisk did not relish having to deal with that thing on her head, she supposed it could have been worse. And, the fox's comment piqued her curiosity.
"Zula, I knew naught that you had knowledge of the healing arts," the serpent said, nestling further into the blanket.
The bedroom door slid open just then, and both females turned to see Antonio step over the threshold. He nodded, and then closed the door behind him.
"Hello Silisk. Zula."
The vixen looked a little pouty at having anybeast walk in on her patient, but bobbed a quick curtsy. "'lo, Mr. Tonio."
Silisk thought she detected a subtle twitch from the stoat.
"Good day, sirrah," Silisk said, dipping her head. "Did you require conference with me?"
Antonio put his paws behind his back. "Actually," he said, looking down for but a moment. "I had wanted to see if you were feeling any better."
Oh. Silisk's words caught in her throat. "O-of course," she murmured, feeling somewhat sheepish. "I'm recovering well, thank you."
"Good," Antonio said. "I would hate to have something happen to you on account of that creature."
Zula frowned, pushing her glasses up. "Oh, not you, too! It ain't nice to talk about beasts behind their backs, y'know."
"Very well." Antonio shifted. "Although, now that you mention it… I had been thinking as of late. I suppose I would like to speak with you about some things."
Silisk cocked her head. Zula's ears perked and she took a seat at the edge of the bed, looking at Antonio expectantly.
The stoat coughed. "Pardon me," he said, "but I need to speak with Silisk."
Zula nodded. "Go ahead!" She grinned and stayed seated.
Antonio sighed. "Alone, if you please."
The vixen's face darkened. She opened her mouth, but Silisk spoke up first.
"Why should Zula not be allowed?"
Surprise replaced the dejected expression on the vixen's face.
Antonio shook his head. "Please understand. This is not a matter of trust, but safety. I don't wish to involve you in anything more dangerous than the current situation. Which is already quite dangerous enough as it is."
Even more so if a certain ignoramus has his way… Silisk thought.
Zula sniffed. "I'm not afraid. Huh, you go on about Mr. Brull, but he would have let me come with him if he had a plan…"
Antonio raised an eye whisker. "How are you so sure I plan on going somewhere?"
The vixen chuckled. "That's easy, 'tis. You don't like Mr. Brull's plan, so you're gonna try somethin' else. Somethin' sneaky, too, I bet, 'cause you're kind of a sneaky beast, t' be sure."
Silisk thought she detected a triumphant gleam reflecting off the young vixen's glasses, particularly in response to the look on Antonio's face.
My, but you are quicker than you seem.
"Well, then." Antonio adjusted his vest very carefully. "It's good to have you with us, Zula. You're correct, of course, although that was a little further ahead than where I would have liked to start." His eyes narrowed. "There is going to be a war, but unlike some beasts who… er, shall remain unnamed, I believe that a different, more subtle approach is in order."
The stoat was pacing, and Silisk barely noticed a distinct pattern in the number of steps he took before turning. The serpent sighed; she supposed he had a speech ready at any opportunity.
"Our first order of business is to deal with these Felldoh's Heirs. I think," he said with a small grin, "that nobeast enjoys having those woodlanders around. But thankfully for all of us, I doubt they will have much fighting spirit if they are all sick."
Zula blinked, brush tail swishing against her legs. "Sick?"
Antonio's face lit up. "That is our job. The three of us shall sneak in, perhaps see if we can procure some armaments, and then poison their supplies."
Silisk felt nervous claws tickling at her stomach. "Poison? Prithee, where shall we acquire this?"
"I have that under control," Antonio said, with a slow grin. "I have managed to acquire a good amount of undiluted red brandy from my last meeting with Sarkleyet."
The adder tilted her head, viewing the stoat with suspicion, but said nothing.
Antonio's whiskers twitched. "Regardless, we should leave as soon as possible."
"Not until Silly's gotten some more rest," Zula said, paws on her hips. Silisk remembered the damp thing on her forehead, and hoped it wouldn't be long until she was rid of it.
"Very well," said Antonio. "We will meet at the entrance hall in two hours." He glanced at Zula. "I suggest you rest as well."
And with a polite nod, the stoat opened the door and slipped away, leaving the two females to their thoughts.
--
The pounding in Silisk's head had subsided somewhat when she awoke next.
Uncoiling, she yawned, a bit of torchlight flickering off her fangs. Glancing to the side, she was surprised to find a small, tatty-looking scrap of parchment. Overcome with curiosity, she began reading the shaky script.
I haven't the heart to wake such a beautiful creature. But we must talk, the two of us. As you will be gone for the night, so will I. Next we meet I will give you honey and gems, my sweet.]
There was no signature at the end, only a crude hook etched out in blood. Nay Silisk corrected herself; there was no coppered rankness that always came intertwined with blood. It had to be a red ink of some sort.
"What's that?"
It was a wonder that Zula wasn't bitten.
"Pray," the serpent grit, trying to slow her beating heart. "Announce yourself before you speak, I beg."
"Is this… him?" Zula asked, ears flat against her head. Silisk nodded.
The adder was a little nervous as to why, exactly, Castille would be going out, but then she snorted. If he disposes of a certain rat…
"We shall deal with that foul creature one day, but now it is time to depart." She raised her head. "If you would…"
Silisk reveled in the cool air against her forehead once the damp rag was removed for good; she was already feeling somewhat better. Zula held out her arm, and Silisk slithered up and across her shoulder, looping herself around the fox's neck as a scaly necklace, shimmering in the bare torchlight.
"Oh!" Zula put a paw to her forehead. "I almost forgot!"
She unfolded Silik's makeshift cloak, and the snake allowed her to tie it around her neck. Just before the two beasts slipped out into the halls of the Oasis, Silisk couldn't help but weave her head up and around to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror by the door. Why, yes.
Silisk frowned as the two entered the entrance hall; cold and empty. The two of them exchanged glances. Hmph. It is most improper for Ser Antonio to be late.
Despite being a fair distance from the ground, the serpent could still feel faint paw-steps reverberating up through the floor, coinciding with Zula's heartbeat. Antonio strode to meet the two females, although a troubled expression twisted his muzzle.
"Prithee." Silisk hissed just loud enough to be heard. "What has kept you?"
"Aras. He wanted to have the locked box," Antonio said with a frown.
The snake shifted her coils in as much of a shrug as she could muster. "What did you do? You did not give it to him, I trust?"
The stoat sniffed. "Of course not. Anyway, we should not stand about. Let us make haste."
--
Cold nights. What good were they, anyway?
Silisk cursed the frigid wind as she clung to Zula's shoulders. If she had been a furred beast like her, she'd have indulged in one of those little shivers that she seemed privy to. But she could not, and so the adder simply huddled close to her cloak and let her mind wander.
When I'm a proper Queen she thought, I suppose it might do well to enlist Zula as part of my court. She wasn't entirely sure what position would suit the vixen best, however. Regardless, the fox was proving herself to be quite an able beast, intelligent, and most importantly, loyal. Yes, she would do just fine.
Now, as for this Antonio creature... Silisk flicked her tongue, inhaling his scent. Striding in front of them, the stoat was silhouetted in streaks of vivid heat against the freezing dark. My. If it only it were that easy to really read an earth-walker.
The Antonio-beast was intelligent, cool-headed and quite tidy... except when he wasn't. She had not been present to see the torture, but she could not quite see the stoat in the same light after she had hear exactly what he'd done. What was it about warm blood that made furred beasts so violent? Was it not enough to simply kill a beast for doing wrong?
This fascination with blood and suffering disturbed Silisk. Even when she was only a predator, before she had learned of the world beyond her jungle, she did not wallow in such filth. Play with your prey, and it escapes; even the youngest adder knows such a thing.
It seemed all earthwalkers, woodlander and vermin, were more alike than they would have liked to admit. Barbarous, vicious creatures who delighted in bloodshed and indulged in the needless suffering of others. And they called themselves the superior species.
Glancing at Antonio, she allowed herself a small smirk. You are not a bad beast, methinks, she thought, but still, you reek of primitive desires. Tainted by your warm blood and prone to outbursts most untidy. I shall have to keep an eye on you.
Curious that Zula seems to lack this warm-blooded madness. Before she had time to really think about whether or not the small vixen was actually a cold-blooded earthwalker, Antonio had stopped in front of the building. Silisk noticed something in the dark by the side of the structure that appeared to be a mass of something large and soft, all bundled up, but it was impossible for her to determine exactly what it was.
There didn't appear to be any guards around, but the trio pressed themselves close to the shadows all the same.
"Well then," Silisk hissed. "I suppose you have some sort of plan, then?"
Antonio cleared his throat. "Of course. We find our way in." A pause. "Somehow."
The adder held back an agitated hiss. Lower than a worm!