Sara walked into the dank and dreary
dungeon cell and tried not to throw up. The smell of blood, pain, and fear
seemed to seep out of the cold stone walls. Sara shivered; the cold felt as
though it was flowing into her blood stream and freezing it. She prayed yet
again to Sil, the god of courage and bravery, to help her through this day with
no mishaps.
Glancing around, Sara observed her
surroundings. The cell had only one cot to sleep on, so filthy and flee ridden
no sane person would want to go near it. The sink doubled as a bath so that a
prisoner could wash their hands and tidy up should they have a trial inside the
Cave Court room. However, the sink was broken and almost more disgusting than
the cot, covered as it was with things too disgusting to name. The mirror that
hung just above the sink was shattered. The way with which the glass was
fractured a clear sign that someone hadn’t liked what they saw and so had made
sure they would never see the image again as long as they resided in the cell.
“What kind of joke is this? There is
no one in here.” Turning to speak to the guards that had escorted her to the
dungeon Sara caught sight of something in the shadows.
“He should be in here,” the thinner
of the two guards stated looking to the left at his larger partner.
“Unless he was moved and we weren’t
informed. But where would they have---”
“Shhhhhh!” Squinting into the darkest
part of the cell Sara froze, every muscle in her body sensing the large
predator in the room.
“Kieran Finhan of the Eastern Mongtels, I, Saraia Teelert of
the Northern Blairsands formally requests your assistance in the tracking and
retrieval of Setuth, Grand Owl of the Oracle. What do you say to this?” Pushing
the words out past the stone that seemed to be blocking her throat Sara spoke
the official words with an iron rod in her back, knowing that if Finhan saw
even the tiniest amount of fear in her he would start with his games.
Finhan was known to play mind games
with those he perceived as weaker than himself. The son of a great lord, he
often saw everyone as weaker than himself. Sara had once believed he cared
enough for her to respect her as an equal, but she had learned that particular
lesson the hard way and was now more cautious of the man that he was. And who
knew what prison had done to further twist his mind.
At the end of her little speech the
room stood in complete silence, the guards behind her giving off a cockiness
that was only present in youths that had found their strength but had had no
one teach them that there were stronger predators everywhere. They certainly
didn’t seem to realize that were in a very small space with a male far stronger
and far more experienced than they were. One more inclined to hurt than to
teach.
“Kieran Finhan, son of Gustran, I
know you’re in here.” Eyes alert, she waited for him to decide whether or not
to play his little games.
“Lady, he’s not in here. Go find out
where they moved him to.” Turning to look at his fellow guard as he spoke the
male on Sara’s left barely finished his sentence before his eyes grew unclear
and he dropped to the ground.
The second guard, while reacting as
quickly as he could, got nothing more than a few swear words out of his mouth
as he frantically tried to pull his sword. Then he too fell like a brick as he
hit the stone floor, face first.
Knowing better than to panic and run
Sara waited. She waited for the blow that would knock her out as well or for
him to reveal himself. She waited and waited and waited. Breathing in calm,
even, deep breaths Sara waited. And after what felt like an eternity, Sara was
rewarded for her patience.
“Now
that those two pigs are no longer squealing, making unnecessary noise, we can
talk freely.” A deep voice from nowhere and everywhere sent a shiver up Sara’s
spine, forcing her to stand even straighter.
He
stalked out of the shadows on silent feet, prowling toward Sara. He had made
sure to appear in the exact spot that she had originally sensed his presence in
earlier. Taking her time to collect her thoughts, Sara let her eyes travel his
form. He looked horrible. They had left him in the suit he’d been wearing the
night they had arrested him, only the jacket was now missing, his once pristine
white shirt was now a wrinkled, ripped, dirty mess. His trousers were even
blacker than they had been originally, and they were ripped as well.
His
onyx hair stuck out all over the place in a stiff display, though it was clear
from its strange angles that he had tried to groom himself, probably using what
remained of the shattered mirror. Covered in dirt, body liquids and Sil only
knew what else, Kieran presented a messy and fowl smelling picture.
Breathing
in deeply, trying once again to not gag, Sara let her eyes rest just past his
shoulder. She would not look down and admit submission, yet she was not strong
enough to meet his penetrating gaze.
“Kieran
Finhan, will you accept the job?” The formal words slid out of her mouth with
little ease.
“What
job?” Kieran began to circle around Sara like a beast waiting for the right
opportunity to pounce
“Kieran
Finhan of the Eastern Mongtels, I, Saraia Teelhert of the Northern Blairsands
formally requests your assistance in the tracking and retrieval of Setuth,
Grand Owl of the Oracle. What do you--”
“Will
you stop talking like that?” A snarl flashed on his face, making Sara all the
more nervous. “Besides I heard you the first time. That doesn’t tell me
anything about the job.”
“I
can only give you more information after you have agreed to the request.” He
now stood behind her and Sara was tempted to turn to keep her eyes on him just
in case.
“Why
would I agree to something I know nothing about?”
Sara
gestured to the room around them. “Because your other options have become
somewhat limited,” Sara couldn’t afford to tell him what was going on and she
knew it, if he didn’t agree then the information would give him a bargaining
chip when it came time for his trial. “But if you wish to stay here than all
you have to be is say so. Far be it from me to impose on your will.”
Soon
that statement would be the furthest thing from the truth, but for now it
wasn’t a lie. There was a long pause and she could almost hear his mind turning
over the numerous possibilities and outcomes of her proposal. Sorry but I doubt even you will be able to
see what happens next coming.
“So
say I take you up in this offer, what’s in it for me?”
“Should
we succeed in our quest you would be granted your full title back, your slate
will be wiped clean and you may once again take your place within society.”
Assuming they both survived.
“Mm-hmm.”
Sara could bet that his right elbow now rest on his left hand across his chest.
The thumb of his right hand would be slowly caressing his chin in his typical
thinking stance. Sara refused to turn around so she could win that bet. “And if
we don’t succeed?”
“You’ll
probably be hanged.” If they weren’t already dead. Kieran walked around Sara so
that they faced one another, then he leaned in real close so that they were
face to face, which meant he had to curve his lean body down so that his eyes
were level with hers. Their noses were almost touching.
“There’s
something you’re not telling me.” His eyes, a dark green, swirled as Kieran
tried to look for the answers he searched for in her eyes.
“We’ve
already covered that.” Sara said evenly before turning away from him to walk
the length of the cell. She would have to remember to have her maid to burn the
dress when she returned from this excursion. Probably the shoes as well, she’d
stepped in something and it was soaking into the fabric of her shoe, adding
another layer of frigid cold to Sara’s cold form.
After
another poignant silence Sara heard Kieran heave a heavy sigh. “So we have. I
guess I’m not left with much choice then am I”
“Then
I can take that as your agreement?” Sara turned from her position near the
mirror to face Kieran. He had a funny look on his face, one that contorted his
features in a manner that Sara could not understand. “Say it”
Another
sigh. “I, Kieran Finhan, of the Eastern Mongtels hereby agree to the request
formally made by Lady Saraia Teelhert of the Northern Blairsands in her quest
to find and retrieve the Grand Owl belonging to the Oracle of Vidalia.”
Sara gave
a nod in recognition of his declaration. “You’ll have to do it again in front
of the council but that will suffice to hold them over until the traveling
arrangements have been completed.” Sara walked past him and suddenly remembered
the guards asleep on the floor.
“Now
would you be so kind as to wake my guards so that we may leave. I fear it would
be unwise of me to leave them here with you.”
“Why
the rush to leave?” He appeared behind her again. “They will sleep for a few
more hours left to their own devices, plenty of time for us to catch up…if you
know what I mean.” He pressed his body close, whispering in her ear.
“Kieran,
stop.” Instead of heading her words he tugged a group of her hair from its
bindings within her typically tight bun at the back of her head.
“I’ve
missed you Sara.” He stroked the strands of her hair between his thumb and
forefinger before lifting them to his nose. In hailing deeply. “I dream about
you, you now? This thick blond hair so very different from my own.” He pressed
impossibly closer, letting her feel just what the thought of those dreams did
to him.
Sara
could tell this was about to go in a direction she had no desire for it to, so
she said the one thing that would stop him. “Kier.”
That
was all it took. She felt his body tense, his muscles locked for an instant
before a growl rumbled from his throat. “Careful Sara, I’ve made no promises of
your safety with me yet.”
“Then
drop it Kieran, I no longer have any interest in such relations with you.” Sara
pulled away from him and her hair slipped gently from his fingers though he
gave it a slight tug at the end.
“Tsk,
tsk. That was terrifyingly close to a lie.”
“Wake
my guards now please.” Sara stood by the cell door and held herself together
stiffly while she waited for Kieran to wake up both of her guards.
