Chapter 40

Dependency, Necessity, Captivity


Kajiir didn't think much when they were hired by Tiviko. It was a job and the wildcat had the resources to feed and house them. It wasn't the most extravagant life, but they didn't need more. What they didn't expect was to get really close with two of the other crew members. It made them pay a bit more attention to the dynamics around the ship and once they did, it made them weary. They weren't entirely sure why. It wasn't as if they hadn't worked with beasts fiercely loyal to their leaders before.

Maybe it was the atmosphere? Even if a fair amount of the beasts working for Tiviko were selfish, pompous, jerks, or all three, there was still the uncomfortable feeling that many of the things they did were for Tiviko's sake. It went beyond simple admiration. It bordered on obsession sometimes. Kajiir sighed and turned to the pine marten walking next to them, who even they had to admit, was a pretty good example of that idea. The two of them had decided to travel to higher ground so they could watch for any prisoners.

It was uncomfortably quiet. That may have been because everybeast left them behind, but Kajiir knew that Marlus would normally be chatting their ear off. It wasn't hard to figure out why he wasn't. The two sat on a set of rocks at the top of a hill overlooking a chunk of the woods below. Kajiir leaned forward, resting on their knees. "So… Interestin' mornin', huh Marls?"

Marlus' ears splayed back. He glanced at Kajiir, opening and shutting his mouth several times as if he were struggling to get the words out. "Kaj, don't lie to me, will Captain Tiv be mad at me? Did I mess up?"

Kajiir scratched their neck. As much as they wanted to reassure him that everything would be fine, they felt it could go either way. "Mebbe a lil' bit."

The pine marten bared his teeth and growled. "I just wanted to do somethin' for him, y'know?" he mumbled as he hugged his legs to his chest. "If it weren't for the captain, I wouldn't even be alive. I thought if I took initiative and got some o' the prisoners on my own, that he'd be proud o' me."

Kajiir sighed. "Marls, I wanna ask a question, an' know I'm not tryna be mean. Do ya know why most o' Tiviko's recruits consist o' beasts he's rescued?"

Marlus looked up at the ferret, raising a brow. "Well… I dunno. It prolly just happened like that. After all, I've heard of other hordes recruiting slaves they rescue. 'Tis prolly just a coincidence."

The ferret grimaced. "Marls, have ya noticed dat outta all d'beasts in his crew, he spends d'least amount o' time wit' d'ones he hired compared to d'ones he saved?"

"I mean, you're kinda quiet already," Marlus pointed out. "And you seem to have some kinda grudge against him, so I dunno if he'd wanna spend time wit' you."

"I wonder why?" Kajiir grumbled.

Marlus frowned. "He's a great beast, did he say somethin' to you?"

"Marls, do ya see what yer doin' here? Yer riskin' yer life fer him."

"Yeah, that's our job, genius. Besides, why wouldn't I?" Marlus bared his fangs. "I'd be dead if it weren't for him."

Kajiir glared at Marlus sternly. "I get 'tis our job, but ya didn' haveta put in d'extra work ter round up a group an' search on yer own. Ya don' owe 'im anytin'."

Marlus clenched his paws. "Yeah? So what are you doin' here, then?" The marten's eyes darted all over, scanning the ferret's face as if he were weighing what he was about to say. "You said it yourself earlier. If you think I'm a moron, why are you even followin' me? Huh?" he asked, prodding Kajiir in the chest. "Why aren'tcha leavin' me? I messed up, and Tiviko's gonna be pissed, so why're you stickin' wit' me when I've just been a massive pain in the tail for you? Huh?" He raised a fist. "Why are you 'putting in the extra work' to make sure nothin' bad happens to me?"

"Because I care 'bout ya an' don' wanna see ya hurt yerself!" Kajiir snarled, immediately regretting it when they saw Marlus shrink away. Marlus never did that.

The pine marten quivered and slowly lowered his fist. Kajiir opened their mouth to apologise but was quickly sucker-punched in the stomach. The ferret doubled over and sunk to the ground with a hiss. "Marlus, ya dick."

Marlus stared down Kajiir for a bit before kneeling to help them up. Marlus replaced his growling with a shuddering sigh. "Kaj, I'm scared."

Kajiir nodded. "I know."

"D'ya think Captain Tiv's gonna leave me behind for this?" He whimpered. "He's gonna be so mad at me. I don't want him to go."

The ferret didn't know how to answer. They could see it going either way. On one paw, they knew Marlus' loyalty was a huge reason to keep him. On the other paw, he messed up badly and Tiviko could be quite petty. "No, Marls. He wouldn' get rid of ya. I t'ink"

"Promise? He won't leave?"

"… Yeah."

Marlus scowled and turned away once Kajiir could stand up on their own. "I'm gonna keep goin'. I can't leave it like this. I gotta do at least one thing right to make it up to Tiv." Marlus adjusted their coat and shook his head. "I said what I said, by the way. You don't gotta help me."

"Don' even say dat. Y'know I will stay wit' ya no matter what." It suddenly occurred to Kajiir that this might be the kind of thing Tiviko wanted. Was this what Marlus felt towards Tiviko? Kajiir wouldn't know, there wasn't ever a need to get that close with anybeast. But Marlus was willing to stake his entire being to help.

Whatever the answer was, the pine marten probably wouldn't ever be aware of it anyway. "… Thanks."


Almost every night, he found himself back home. Not Redwall Abbey, if he could even call that a home. He saw the home that was set ablaze by raiders. It was the home he saw while hiding under a table, covering his mouth as bodies fell around him, as pain and death swept the village like a storm.

Almost every night, he saw his friends and family die. He escaped, but not without injuries. He ran past the bodies of beasts he used to know, most of whom didn't go quickly. He saw their wounds first-hand. One of them was still breathing.

Almost every night, he woke up in a cold sweat, violently shivering, pupils dilated, heart pounding as adrenaline rushed through his body. He wasn't safe. It would happen again. His eyes darted frantically around him as he flexed his claws. Not again, he didn't want it again.

When he was younger, that night constantly plagued his mind, every single time he went to sleep without fail. It was paralysing… but he knew a way to fix it.

It was his own way of gaining control. He would learn to love it, to cherish that night as a beautiful showing of the sheer depravity his fellow beasts could be capable of.

He was going to like it, whether he wanted to or not. The alternative was a fate worse than death, watching it over and over again without being able to bear it. No pause, no warning.

Almost every night, he woke up shaking. Eyes widened. Adrenaline pumping through his body as he glanced around for a threat. But now, he fixed himself. He yearned for pain, whether it was his own or not. Bloodlust pumped through his body as he imagined blood and gore coating the world around him.

Whether he wanted to or not, this was how he dealt with it. This is how he would finally gain control. This is what he wanted.

Borsen Stonetail froze as memories of that night rushed through his mind. His heart picked up, eyes darting around frantically as everything in his body seized like he had been struck by lightning. He snarled and raised his arm, biting down on his flesh as hard as he could. He shivered, whimpering as he felt hot blood running down his arm. His heart calmed and he leaned against a tree, savouring the rush of pain that spread through his body.

Eventually, he let go, staring blankly at the mark on his forearm. After a moment, Borsen turned back to the cliffs he had left and scowled. As fun as this whole thing was, the past few hours had pissed him off. Farshawn took out his eye, and Art had gotten away. He didn't even notice Rianne was there until she chopped down the bridge. The little bastard shouldn't have lived, especially after what he did to Durkfor.

The moment he thought of the hare's name, Borsen felt a pang of longing and regret. Anytime Durkfor entered his mind, he wondered what the hare would think about everything that he was doing.

Whaddya mean? The answer's obviously "poorly". Durk's such a sweetheart. I know he hates all of this.

Borsen shook his head and continued onward. After leaving the cliffs, he decided to head to the town because there was no way he was going to follow Art into the mines. Sure, when it came down to it, he wouldn't really mind dying in this kind of situation, but if he was going to die, he wanted it to be after a brutal and agonising fight, not after running into a mine and the bloody place collapses on his head. Borsen thought back to the fight he had with the mountain hare earlier and shivered. Dear god, he wouldn't mind getting killed by him, that entire scuffle felt like pure paradise and he desperately wanted to go paw-on-paw with him again. Anyway, the town seemed like a great place to search. After all, Miena had gotten away, too. Even if he didn't find Miena, he guessed that there may be somebeast hiding out there.

Fate had a funny way of working things out.

Less than a half-hour later, he was walking on a gravel pathway leading to the town when somebeast called his name. At first, Borsen wondered if he was just hallucinating. After all, nobeast would be dumb enough to do that right now (and, well, it wasn't as if hearing voices was a completely foreign experience, though it usually appeared in conjunction with other things).

"Borsen, hey!" The voice called again. The otter realised it was real and turned, baring his fangs. His expression softened when he saw who it was, though his look was replaced with confusion.

Running down the path in his direction was none other than Durkfor Ventultro. Borsen raised a brow. The last time he spoke with Durkfor was back at the tower where he made it very clear that he couldn't be dissuaded from his goal, so why was he here? "Durk? I can't believe 'tis ye! What are ye doin' here? Were ye followin' me?"

Durkfor nodded, very visibly ashamed. "Aye. I heard a scream so I knew you were nearby, but then there was a bloody crash and I had to find ya. Oh my gosh, Borsen, what happened to ya?" The hare whimpered, eyes widening when he saw the bandage wrapped around Borsen's face. "Are ya hurt? Who did this to ya?"

"Aye, it hurts like a son of a bitch," Borsen giggled. He could tell Durkfor didn't like it though, so he decided not to answer with who took his eye out. He cleared his throat and asked, "How didja know it was me?"

"I heard what happened at the tower," Durkfor answered, his voice a whimper as he looked at all the wounds covering his friend's body. "I saw Thaddeus. I stayed behind and heard Farshawn… I knew ya killed them, but I didn't know ya went that far."

Borsen stared at Durkfor for a brief moment. He curled his lip in a snarl as he addressed the hare. "Durk, please just leave me alone. Look, I'm damned, and I'm fine wit' that, but I don't want ye to be dragged down wit' me."

Durkfor's ears flattened. "I know that, and I know ya don't want me around, but I can't deal with this. Borsen, I'm scared that you're gonna die, and I don't know what I'd…"

Borsen sighed as he wrapped an arm around the hare's quivering body. "Alright, can we talk somewhere quiet?" Durkfor nodded, so Borsen led the pair to a storage shack on the outskirts of the town. Once they sat on the floor, Borsen turned to the hare and nodded. "Durk, did somethin' happen? Because I don't believe ye'd come lookin' fer me without a reason."

"Kind of, but…" Durkfor scooted closer, leaning against Borsen's shoulder. The otter patted him on the back while he waited for him to continue. "I'm scared," he whimpered. "I don't think any of the prisoners like me, the last group o' guards I met used me as a tool, and… y'know, they're probably right in doin' all that." Borsen raised an eyebrow. Durkfor continued. "You're the only one I feel safe around."

"Me?" Borsen replied angrily. "Did somebeast other than Art do somethin' to ye?"

"No, nothin' like that! Everythin's messed up, Borsen, and I just want to be around somebeast I bloody know I can trust! And… all I can think about is how you're hurtin' yourself and I can't do anythin' about it, and I just… I miss ya, Borsen."

Borsen wrapped an arm around the hare and looked down. The world itself seemed to calm as he gently leaned against Durkfor's shoulder. Strangely enough, it brought enough lucidity for Borsen to realise that he might be in trouble. Huh. Now that Durk's mentioned it. This is prolly the most I've been injured in a long time. I wouldn't mind, but I know Durk does… hm.

Most of Borsen's bloodlust melted away, replaced with a sudden placidity. "I miss ye too, Durk," he muttered. "But I really do think fer yer own good that ye should just leave-"

"No!" Durkfor yelped sharply. Borsen tilted his head as he stared at the hare. "Borsen, I can't ever lose ya, and I'm scared that the next time I leave, I won't ever get to see ya again."

Had Durkfor known the effect those words had, he would've shut up.

Borsen narrowed his eyes as he processed what Durkfor said. Something in the back of his mind was calling out to him. "Okay, calm down, Durk. Ye don't have to go," he muttered honestly.

Funny how things work out, huh? Ye don't want Durk to get hurt, but isn't this what ye wanted?

Borsen stared at the hare's teary-eyed face with a strange detachment. Puzzle pieces he had pushed out of his mind slowly came back together. There was no denying it. Durkfor depended on him. That was the only explanation. The hare was willing to go all this way to stay with him even after knowing what he had done. Hell, Durkfor wanted to keep him safe even though he already acknowledged what a horrible beast he was.

Borsen slowly pulled Durkfor tighter with one paw and combed through his headfur with the other. The hare melted into his chest, causing Borsen to smile slightly. "Durk, if I can't stop ye from comin' wit' me, does that mean yer gonna try to stop me from huntin' everyone?"

Durkfor sighed. "Yeah, sorry. Are ya mad?"

"Nah. I think 'tis adorable." Borsen chuckled. "I can't have ye doin' that now, though." Durkfor's eyes widened as Borsen's grip on him tightened.

Durkfor looked up. "Borsen, are ya okay? What are-?"

"Durk," Borsen cooed, "Ye know I love ye, aye?"

The look on the hare's face stiffened. "Aye, of course I do! Compared to how ya treat everyone else, ya act like… I dunno."

Around Durkfor, Borsen was thinking calmly, which may have actually been worse for the hare than if he were acting on instinct. "That's because yer such a sweetheart. Who wouldn't be nice to ye?"

"Well, Art, for one," Durkfor lamented. "Do you think he'll be mad at me forever?"

"Eh… I'm not sure," Borsen answered genuinely. "Don't worry though, if he tries anythin', I'll keep ye safe."

Durkfor chuckled humourlessly. "I'd believe that, but please, don't hurt yourself too much, Borsen."

Borsen pondered what to say next. "I'll be fine. I haven't died yet."

"Borsen, please, I'm serious." Durkfor grimaced. "Please, I don't know what I'd do without ya, if somethin' happened to ya, I'd…" Durkfor wiped his face while Borsen nuzzled the hare's head. "I can't have anythin' bad happen to ya. I just can't."

"Y'know, I can't go home 'till all the prisoners are dealt wit' and some of 'em are out to get both of us. I don't want anythin' bad to happen to ye, either."

Durkfor frowned. "Borsen, are ya tryin' to get me to go along wit' ya huntin' beasts? I wanna follow ya, but I don't wanna do that."

"Durk, half of them are beasts we don't know. I genuinely am not allowed to leave until all of them are dealt wit'. Ye don't want anythin' bad to happen to me, aye?"

"Of course I don't! Never in a million years! But Borsen, ya want me to go along with murder?"

"Hey, Durk, don't worry," Borsen spoke softly, "It wouldn't be yer fault. All of the sins would be mine, yer just doin' what any friend would do."

Friend, huh?

Durkfor shuffled in Borsen's grip and grimaced. Yes, they were friends. Durkfor even felt it may have been a bit more at times, but was there even a reason for them to be friends anymore? They shouldn't, but the thought of Borsen leaving forever still gave him an unspeakable amount of dread. He hugged Borsen tight, hoping the otter would never let go.


11 seasons before the ship's crash


It didn't take long to realise there was something off with Borsen.

Compared to the other sea otters, there was something… different about him that Durkfor sensed. He didn't have anything definitive. Hell, there really wasn't anything that alluded to it, but after spending time with Borsen, Durkfor had a hunch that something sinister was underneath the steely exterior. He didn't think Borsen had done anything, but he seemed to have the capability to, at least.

Durkfor decided it was just him misreading the situation. After what the sea otters went through, it made sense that Borsen would be a bit off, and nothing confirmed nor denied anything. Still, Durkfor recalled what his parents told him: "If you have a bad gut feeling about something, follow it, because there's usually a reason." Thus, he decided to keep an eye out for Borsen. Not because he didn't trust him, but because he wanted him to open up a bit more. If they could clear the air between them, there would be no room for doubt. Even then, he knew there was a tiny part of him that knew to heed his parents' warning. If there really was something dark inside Borsen, and it was only Borsen, then maybe befriending him could stop it before it progressed into something worse.

Alas, despite his attempts at friendship, Borsen always remained cagey and unresponsive, sticking around just long enough for Durkfor to think things were improving before vanishing. That kind of behaviour made it much stranger when Borsen asked him to go camping outside the abbey for his birthday. Durkfor had reservations but Borsen assured him that he knew how to act when outside the walls. Once again, Durkfor felt like things were finally improving, but the trip was awkward and even after it got late and Borsen suggested they stay overnight, nothing happened. Borsen remained as distant as ever.

And then night fell.

Durkfor awoke to the sound of growling. His body felt heavy. At first, he assumed it was sleep paralysis, but then he saw the paw in front of him along with the saliva dripping near his gaze.

Durkfor's eyes widened. His body shivered as he heard what could only be described as a monster above him. He couldn't move. He was too scared. His body seized as he saw the glint of a knife in the corner of his eye.

The monster's breathing hastened. Durkfor couldn't tell if it was excitement or fear. Whatever the case, he saw the knife rise. Then, he felt the point against his chest. He shut his eyes and waited.

The knife prodded his chest a few times. Durkfor didn't open his eyes.

He heard a growl. The knife moved to his neck, right by the jugular. The hare whimpered silently as the blade lightly slid across his throat.

The monster's growling dissipated slightly. Durkfor could feel the knife tremble as it moved back to his jugular. The blade tapped his neck a few times. There was muttering behind him.

Durkfor grimaced as he felt the blade press into his neck, but his body still couldn't move. Almost immediately, the pressure was released. He heard a snarl followed by clattering metal. The monstrous breathing was now gone, replaced by frustrated growling.

"Damn it, just… " Durkfor was pinned to the ground, this time with claws dragging against his throat. However, just like last time, nothing broke the skin. He was still unharmed.

The monster slowly pulled away. Durkfor's ears twitched slightly as he heard a sigh.

"I can't."

A minute or so passed before a blanket was draped over Durkfor's body. Somebeast sat on the ground near him and he knew that he was being watched.

Durkfor didn't sleep for a while. His body was still paralysed. The monster sat behind him, keeping watch over the hare that he would claim his.

Borsen opened up to him the morning after, and from then on, the otter rapidly began to accept Durkfor's attempts to get closer. In Durkfor's eyes, his work wasn't for nothing. He managed to prevent a beast with deadly impulses from going even further with them and gained a friend to boot. As long as he maintained a close relationship with Borsen, the otter would have no reason to do anything drastic. That's what he believed for the longest time.

He needed to stay with Borsen. No one else could keep him safe otherwise.


11:00, Day 2


Borsen hugged the hare tightly and nuzzled his fur. Little did Durkfor know, the otter was thinking about that camping trip, too. He felt guilty recalling it. When he first arrived at the abbey and Durkfor kept trying to befriend him, he was annoyed, but then he came up with an experiment. How much better would it feel to kill somebeast that trusted you compared to a stranger? Durkfor was perfect for it. Nice, loyal, rarely argued if Borsen wanted him to do something, and overall a beast that was too sweet to do anything even if Borsen messed up and revealed something he shouldn't have.

He didn't expect those exact traits to be the reason he couldn't bring himself to kill him when the time came. He didn't know how Durkfor did it, but Borsen was enamoured with every last bit of him. When he decided to reciprocate Durkfor's attempts at friendship, the hare absolutely drank it up and it excited Borsen to no end. Borsen stroked his hare's fur and chuckled. "So, whaddya say, Durk? Are ye gonna help me, or not?

Durkfor was terrified. He didn't know why. Borsen was here with him, so there was nothing to fear.

Then again, there was no denying that Borsen had changed ever since they left Redwall Abbey, or was it more accurate to say that he hadn't changed at all? Has he ever really changed, or did Durkfor just help him hide that side of himself? The side that Durkfor knew about to some extent, but to a level he would have never imagined in his wildest dreams. The hare gulped. "So, what, ya want me to help ya wit'... murder, Borsen? I dunno if I can…"

"Ye don't have to do the deed, lord knows yer too nice to stomach it, anyway. But if ye know where anybeast is, then that'd help. I saw ye wit' Kallius, earlier, and I can't imagine she was the only one."

Durkfor closed his eyes and grimaced. He didn't want to tell Borsen anything, but the otter was right. Borsen wasn't safe until all the prisoners were captured or killed, and at the rate that he was hurting himself, he might not make it without some intervention, so he told him. Durkfor explained how he saw Ahlrath walk off alone, Art ran off (though apparently, he was now in the mines with Rianne?), and Kallius presumably found Toran and went off somewhere. Ahlrath was extremely protective of Toran and without him around, Toran was a lot more helpless. Kallius didn't add much to that group either in terms of skills.

Durkfor hated himself and he wanted to burn in Hellgates for telling a proud killer about it, but he couldn't have Borsen die. Thinking about it sent a nauseating explosion of panic through him.

Borsen pondered what Durkfor told him and rested his head in the crook of Durkfor's neck. "Alright. Who's Ahlrath and Toran again? Tiv made me read a bit of everyone's files but I can't remember who's who."

Durkfor sighed. "Toran's… just a kid. He's a river otter. Ahlrath's a mountain hare, he's about your height I think-"

"Wait," Borsen's voice perked up. "Ye know where the mountain hare is? Do ye really?"

"Not exactly, but he's somewhere in that general direction. Granted, 'tis been a while so he might not be there, but… I can help ya lead ya to him, or draw him out."

Borsen whined excitedly. The otter hugged Durkfor as tight as he could and giggled. "Yer the best, Durk! Aw, ye have no idea how much I love ye fer this!"

Durkfor felt proud when Borsen praised him, and he hated it. He just sold Ahlrath and Toran out after he promised to keep them safe, but as he felt Borsen's purring body snuggle against his, the tiniest part of him felt like he made the right decision.

Durkfor knew nothing would ever return to normal after this, but Borsen would be safe once everything had been dealt with.

Borsen needed to be safe no matter what. Durkfor couldn't live without him. As long as Borsen made it out of this alive, all of his sins would be worth it. All of the deaths on this island would be worth it.

Durkfor held back the urge to vomit.


"Hey, check it out. Look down there." Marlus pointed to the bottom of the hill where they saw a limping stoat.

Kajiir scoffed. Whoever was down there seemed barely conscious. Given their description, they and Marlus knew who it was and it didn't surprise either of them that she was alone. "Gods, she's still alive? Whatever. Marls, yer call. Whaddya want ter do wit' 'er?"

"My call?" Marlus stared at Kajiir with a frown. "I think… you take this one."

Kajiir nodded in understanding. "Get yer axe an' surround her." Marlus agreed and followed Kajiir as they marched down the hill to block the stoat's path. By the time she realised what was happening, the two had already surrounded her. Despite this, Bolgash Wolters still smiled confidently as if everything was under control. Kajiir rolled their eyes. "Right, Bolgash, yer cornered. What d'heck happened ter ya?"

Marlus glanced at Kajiir, clearly wondering why they weren't killing her immediately. Kajiir shook their head as if to say "trust me".

Bolgash stood confidently (as much as a limping, bleeding stoat could anyway) and answered, "Oh, I'll tell ya, fer a price."

"Yarr not in any position ter bargain, are ya kiddin' me?" Kajiir sighed exasperatedly. "Look, I'm just gonna head straight ter d'point, do ya have any information, an' if so, tell us or we'll kill ya."

"What kind?"

"Mebbe d'whereabouts or plans o' any o' d'prisoners? Stuff like dat."

Before Bolgash could respond, Marlus cut in with, "Yeah, why are ya alone? What happened to your friends? Tell me where Crookedfang is 'cause I want to punch that bastard in the throat." As much as Kajiir was annoyed by Marlus' interruption, at least he was acting angry again.

Bolgash simply laughed. "Ah, don' play that game wit' me now, Crookedfang an' Gurnilal may be annoyin' pieces o' crap, but you'd have to pry that information from me from my cold dead paws-"

"That can be arranged."

"- I'll give ya a hint though since I'm feelin' so generous, they're hidin' somewhere you'll never find 'em!"

"Ya mean d'temple?" Kajiir deadpanned. Bolgash paused for a moment before shrugging. The ferret groaned and levelled their crossbow. "Look, we don' got time fer dis, if ya don' have any information, we'll just kill ya right now."

"Hang on now," Bolgash said quickly, "I never said I had no information. I know where some suckers are hidin'."

Marlus flashed Kajiir an incredulous look. Kajiir shrugged in response, but they had no other leads so this was the best they could do. "Fine," they sighed. "Lead us over dere an' we won' kill ya." Bolgash snickered and stumbled off, not even checking to see if the pair were following.

Marlus growled. "She's totally lyin', isn't she?"

"Yup." Kajiir walked forward, motioning for Marlus to follow. "But 'tis not like we got much other choice, so c'mon."

"I don't wanna be followin' a limp stoat all day!" Marlus whined. "Can't we just kill her now?"

Kajiir shook their head and pointed to their shadows. "Here, we'll follow her 'till our shadows're directly underneat' us. After dat, we'll kill her. Sound good?"

Marlus folded his arms across his chest. "Fine." The two begrudgingly walked after Bolgash, neither expecting to find anything of note, but to Kajiir, at least it was something to help Marlus forget what happened earlier. The ferret glanced at the ground. At least they wouldn't have to wait long for something to happen. Either the time limit passes and they execute Bolgash, or by some miracle, she's telling the truth and they get some work done. Either way, Kajiir wasn't looking forward to trailing Bolgash for the next while.