Thorn's face was expressionless as she watched Thomas being dragged away. She'd ask about his effects later. Most likely some would find it crass for her to inquire now, and she had enough antipathy from members of the group as it was.
Do I have to?
The voice was an echo in her mind. A voice from the past. Her voice. How young had she been? Twelve? Thirteen?
The sewer cistern was empty now, but still smelled and had a sticky floor. Even with her shoes on, Thorn grimaced with each step. She looked up at Squint, who was standing on the edge above.
"Do I have to?" she pleaded.
Her mentor nodded and gestured towards the grill-covered duct on the far end. One was right behind Thorn too. "I'm sorry girl," he said, and she believed him, "This is your most important lesson yet, and if you don't learn it then I'm afraid you will be doomed."
"What lesson is that?"
Old Squint answered as he pulled a chain, causing the grate across from Thorn to open.
"To kill."
Something large, to Thorn at least, and furry trotted out, and she instinctively tensed, drawing her knife from its belt. Then she realized what the 'terrifying spectre' was.
Offal! One of Squint's three dogs, and the one she had befriended by bringing him little bits of food after meals. He was a thick-built dog, heavy in front with short brown hair that showed off his muscles. A flat snout and tiny ears made him look comically ugly.
The dog looked around and sniffed, a quizzical expression in the tilt of its ears, and the set of its tail.
Just as Thorn was starting to put her knife away, Squint shouted, "Offal! Eviscerate!"
Immediately Offal tensed, and his jowls lifted from over his teeth, baring them in a fierce snarl. His two undersized eyes latched onto Thorn.
"Thorn!" Squint called, "Be ready!"
She stared aghast as Offal charged at her across the cistern. His paws made little prints in the unspeakable mud that covered the floor. His claws made little 'tak tak tak tak' noises. He was coming at her as fast as an arrow...now leaping up to grab her throat in his powerful jaws...
Offal's impact against her pushed Thorn back against the wall behind her, and nearly knocked her off her feet entirely. She screamed as his teeth clamped down on her arm...which she'd managed to bring up in time to stop him from reaching her neck. Pain and fear flooded her, and worse, she knew what came next. She'd watched him hunt before. He grabbed, bit, and -shook-.
He'd break her arm to bits if he did that now.
Acting on instinct no less animal than Offal, Thorn swung her free arm, the one with the dagger, up and under the dog's barrel chest to where its ribs were just visible under its skin. The narrow blade easily found its way between the slabs of bone, and slipped through skin and muscle and viscera to the mutt's frantically beating heart.
There was a sharp 'yap' noise, and the crushing pressure on Thorn's arm eased, then fell off entirely. Offal whimpered and limped away, with blood pumping rhythmically from the gash in his side. Thorn realized belatedly that she'd twisted the blade, not even remembering who, or what it was she was stabbing. After a few seconds, the dog fell onto its side, and lay still.
There was a clanging noise as the dagger fell to the cistern floor.
After a long moment, Thorn asked in a thick voice, "Why?"
"You mean why did I make you fight?" Squint asked.
"Why a dog? Why THIS dog?" she explained. She wanted to wipe the hated tears from her face, but her hands were bloody, and she couldn't bear to spread that.
"Ah. You mean...why did I make you kill a friend." With grunts of effort, Squint started climbing down the ladder into the cistern. "Because killing someone, anyone, is a terrible act. It burns in your soul, and never really goes away. And the only thing worse than killing a stranger, is killing a friend."
"Which I've now done!" Thorn gritted in rising fury. She whirled to face her mentor. His expression stopped her short though. She'd expected cruelty...smugness...amusement maybe. But what she saw was a haunted, hollow sorrow.
"Yes," he agreed. "And now nothing else you do will ever seem as bad."
The changeling took in a deep breath and banished the memory back to the darkness where it belonged. She looked at the queen and shook her head.
"You haven't been saved yet, your Highness. This was only the opening move. Stay on your guard, and trust no one until this is truly over."
She paused, then added, "Which, I should advise you, may be never."
Do I have to?
The voice was an echo in her mind. A voice from the past. Her voice. How young had she been? Twelve? Thirteen?
The sewer cistern was empty now, but still smelled and had a sticky floor. Even with her shoes on, Thorn grimaced with each step. She looked up at Squint, who was standing on the edge above.
"Do I have to?" she pleaded.
Her mentor nodded and gestured towards the grill-covered duct on the far end. One was right behind Thorn too. "I'm sorry girl," he said, and she believed him, "This is your most important lesson yet, and if you don't learn it then I'm afraid you will be doomed."
"What lesson is that?"
Old Squint answered as he pulled a chain, causing the grate across from Thorn to open.
"To kill."
Something large, to Thorn at least, and furry trotted out, and she instinctively tensed, drawing her knife from its belt. Then she realized what the 'terrifying spectre' was.
Offal! One of Squint's three dogs, and the one she had befriended by bringing him little bits of food after meals. He was a thick-built dog, heavy in front with short brown hair that showed off his muscles. A flat snout and tiny ears made him look comically ugly.
The dog looked around and sniffed, a quizzical expression in the tilt of its ears, and the set of its tail.
Just as Thorn was starting to put her knife away, Squint shouted, "Offal! Eviscerate!"
Immediately Offal tensed, and his jowls lifted from over his teeth, baring them in a fierce snarl. His two undersized eyes latched onto Thorn.
"Thorn!" Squint called, "Be ready!"
She stared aghast as Offal charged at her across the cistern. His paws made little prints in the unspeakable mud that covered the floor. His claws made little 'tak tak tak tak' noises. He was coming at her as fast as an arrow...now leaping up to grab her throat in his powerful jaws...
Offal's impact against her pushed Thorn back against the wall behind her, and nearly knocked her off her feet entirely. She screamed as his teeth clamped down on her arm...which she'd managed to bring up in time to stop him from reaching her neck. Pain and fear flooded her, and worse, she knew what came next. She'd watched him hunt before. He grabbed, bit, and -shook-.
He'd break her arm to bits if he did that now.
Acting on instinct no less animal than Offal, Thorn swung her free arm, the one with the dagger, up and under the dog's barrel chest to where its ribs were just visible under its skin. The narrow blade easily found its way between the slabs of bone, and slipped through skin and muscle and viscera to the mutt's frantically beating heart.
There was a sharp 'yap' noise, and the crushing pressure on Thorn's arm eased, then fell off entirely. Offal whimpered and limped away, with blood pumping rhythmically from the gash in his side. Thorn realized belatedly that she'd twisted the blade, not even remembering who, or what it was she was stabbing. After a few seconds, the dog fell onto its side, and lay still.
There was a clanging noise as the dagger fell to the cistern floor.
After a long moment, Thorn asked in a thick voice, "Why?"
"You mean why did I make you fight?" Squint asked.
"Why a dog? Why THIS dog?" she explained. She wanted to wipe the hated tears from her face, but her hands were bloody, and she couldn't bear to spread that.
"Ah. You mean...why did I make you kill a friend." With grunts of effort, Squint started climbing down the ladder into the cistern. "Because killing someone, anyone, is a terrible act. It burns in your soul, and never really goes away. And the only thing worse than killing a stranger, is killing a friend."
"Which I've now done!" Thorn gritted in rising fury. She whirled to face her mentor. His expression stopped her short though. She'd expected cruelty...smugness...amusement maybe. But what she saw was a haunted, hollow sorrow.
"Yes," he agreed. "And now nothing else you do will ever seem as bad."
The changeling took in a deep breath and banished the memory back to the darkness where it belonged. She looked at the queen and shook her head.
"You haven't been saved yet, your Highness. This was only the opening move. Stay on your guard, and trust no one until this is truly over."
She paused, then added, "Which, I should advise you, may be never."
Last edited:
)
