07-08-06

Characters involved: Higear, Zoe_Lang, & Toroth.

Salamandastron: Dining Chamber

Higear is sat in a chair behind the high table watching the prisoners and ignoring the weasel before him. Finally he looks down and grimaces. "How many are dead?" he demands and the weasel winces and mumbles, "Thirty seven...all of em since tha other night after Greysnout was killed, an we can't work out whose doing it." One of Higears ear chains descend to smack the hapless weasel on the back. "Good, they are all traitors to his lordship, unworthy to live in his service, now get out of my sight."

Ahhhh, it's back in the dining chamber, for her. Zoe is seated against the wall with her limbs once again secured. Compared to the rest of the hares present, though, she looks pretty derned clean. Her bandaging is still fresh and all in all she's looking pretty healthy. That is, save for the fact that her head is just about killing her. Her knees are drawn up to her chest and her left cheek is planted against her left knee, her head turned to the side as she does her best not to jar the right side of her face. Every few seconds a tremor runs through her form, not quite visible from a distance but noticeable to herself.

Entering the room, is Toroth and he's not in one of his good moods, he makes a beeline right up to where Higear is and leans down to whisper into his ear. "Why isn't that hare not being bothered?" He looks to where Zoe is and turns his head back again. "She's to get no rest whatsoever, that's why I brought her back down here. Get to it." He moves over to sitting down at the table frowning.

Higear jerks up at Toroth's words and nods, "At once sir." He says out loud and stands up, walking around the back of his lords seat he stops to murmur. "The last lot is ready sir..." Before continuing his walk towards zoe, He signals towards a few of the guards to follow and shakes out one of his chains and with it in paw stops by Zoe and raps her on the head with his knuckles, "Sit up doe."

Zoe_Lang's ears twitch. Slowly she looks up, sitting back so that her back is flush with the wall. She stares somewhat dully up at the rat, her eye squinted into little more than a slit. Even the light seems to pain her at the moment.

Hearing the words from the rat, the pine marten pulls up a fox and speaks into his ears quietly. "Make sure my slaver is ready, she knows what to do." Turning his head back around again he bangs on the desk before getting up. "Ah, colonel, I thought I would have a word with you again." The pine marten slowly makes his way down as he makes his way across the room and picks up one of the young leverets by the ears, making it cry out. "Now, this is the last time, hare. Either you show me respect or this one dies. No snappy remarks, nothing." He stops and pulls out a knife while still holding the leveret by the ear. "You're going to bow and kiss my foot, hare and you will do it as though you fully give yourself to me. I know when someone is or when someone hasn't." Looking at Higear. "Get her into position."

Higear laughs and cracks his chain once before letting it drop and goes to grab Zoe firmly by the ears, ordering one of the other guards to unchain her. Preparing to force her down onto her knees before his lord. "Get down hare...or do you want his lordsip to get a new hat?"

Zoe_Lang's ears would flatten back if they weren't being yanked up. Her jaw clenches as she is forced down to her knees with a pained grunt. Her eye clenches shut as pain explodes inside her skull. Umph. But it quickly opens again, looking from the leveret, to Toroth, to his boot. As 'nothing' was asked for, nothing is what is given.

The growl in Toroth's throat gets a bit louder as he moves the blade to press at the leveret's neck. "Don't tempt me hare, now submit and kiss my foot... NOW!" He frowns down at where Zoe is, his tail moving about behind him in annoyance.

Higear releases the hare does ears and moves to stand behind Zoe, he looks towards Toroth and grins softly, paying out a length of chain, just asking to be allowed to use it if she does not obey.

Without even a glance given to the growling pine marten, Zoe silently leans forward and places a paw to the floor in order to keep her balance. Then, with her back stiff, she lowers herself forward to place a kiss to the top of his foot. That done, and without any outward sign of distress save for another one of those slight trembles, she settles back on her knees and straightens slowly.

Toroth smiles with contention. "Good." He holds out the leveret for one of the stoats to take it and slowly places his knife back into it's home. Turning around he begins to head away from Zoe.

Higear shoves Zoe forwards, aiming to knock her back onto all four paws, "Aye didn't hear is lordship say ye could kneel up old one, so aye suggest yer stay down." Tie er up.....in this position..grovelin on tha floor to our master." He laughs softly and moves to follow Toroth whilst the guards drag her back.

Sssssss. Her damaged paw, with the splinted finger, instinctively goes out to break her fall. Aaaaah, that hurts. She immediately lifts the paw, pressing it flat against her stomach. That is, until the paw is roughly grabbed and drawn behind her back by the vermin who stands over her back, one leg on either side of her. He keeps her pushed down, actually pressing her face against the ground, while he secures her paws. "Nnngh," she grunts.

Toroth smiles as he sits down and summons Higear towards him.

Higear looks back at Zoe and smirks at her, she loosk quite good down on the floor grovelling, he then hurries over Toroth and bows low and drops to one knee, "Mi-lord."

Toroth looks at Higear and speaks quietly. "Any news on movement outside from our sentries?"

Higear shakes his head at Toroth, "No one has been sighted yet, but it is only a matter of days I think, our birds saw a large party up the shore."

Toroth nods his head. "I see, then they will try and take back this mountain. I will speak to you later on what to do, we shall not make things easy for them." He looks around the room and then covers up his muzzle as he speaks. "We move in a day or two under the cover of darkness. The rest I shall talk to privately."

Higear bows his head to Toroth and grins softly, "Yes milord...an yer assassin.." he murmurs just as softly glancing back at the hares, "He said the last of Greysnouts sympathisers...will be dead tonight."

Toroth shakes his head. "No, not him. I mean our other one. I'll talk to you later."

Higear blinks and nods, "Yes milord..." he backs off and glances at the hares and moves to grab a jug of wine and pour his master a goblet full.

Zoe_Lang is of course not listening to them. She can't hear them. Mostly she's just concentrating on the pain in her head and not moving. She's still bowed forward on her knees, her wrists tied to her ankles so that kneeling or bowing are her only options. It's not pleasant, but at least she can rest her head forward against the cold stone. Hell on those old joints, though. XD

Toroth looks over the room with a thoughtful look, noting that several of the young beasts are not in the room anymore. Looking to where Higear is he smiles as he pulls the rat towards him again. "Make sure we seperate the supplies. We only need enough for two days worth. The rest, well there's going to be an accident..."

Higear smirks softly and nods his head and hands the goblet to his master, "It will be done sir....it will be done....everything is ready."

Toroth smiles as he lifts the goblet to take a sip of the wine, before nodding his head still talking quietly. "We're leaving that new rat behind as well. We won't be needing him again." Not talking now he takes a big gulp while looking at his prisoners with his eyes. Placing the mug down he speaks up. "Now, don't you lot worry." Speaking loudly. "It shall all be over soon..."

Higear laughs softly and starts to stalk around the room, poking hares and kicking them, he stops by a group of four young ones, three hares and a mouse. He smirks down at them and grabs a guard by the arm. "Them" he whispers to them and she nods going to unchain them and drag them off with the help of another guard.

Toroth watches as Higear is working, noting when he's picking out those from the room, making a mental note himself. Looking inside his goblet, he swirls the wine about as though all this is just a normal day.

Higear watches the four young ones dragged from the room whimpering and laughs, reaching back he jerks his hood up, the tufted grey squirrel ears on top poking up, the ragged unkempt squirrel fur hood shrouding him as he moves to peer down at an older squirrel, one of the cooks by the looks of it. She's clutching what must be her son in her arms and starring in terror at the rat.

Toroth moves his head towards a stoat and whispers in his ear. Nodding his head, the stoat makes his way down and whispers something in Higear's ear before moving off again.

Higear with a wicked chuckle Higear pats the squirrel kit on the head and walks on eyes roving over the hall. The squirrel bursts into tears as the young one finally seems to work out what Higear is wearing which just makes the rat smile wider as he moves back to stand before Toroth. "That's is everyone, m'lord." he whispers softly.

Toroth nods his head. "Right, make sure our slaver knows they're ready. She has the final say if they meet the standards that she requires." Finishing his wine, he places it down on the table. "Considering she trades with them, best to get as best stock as possible for her."

Higear bows low and moves towards the door again, "I'll go speak to ere now mi'lord...an sir...we've cleared oot upstairs as well."

Toroth nods and gets up himself, dismissing Higear as he makes his way down the line of prisoners. Stopping he kneels down and gives Zoe a pat on the back. "You know, you gave up far too easily, took some longer to kiss my foot than what you did. Nice to see that you submitted though. No doubt you be wanting to kill me in the future, well we shall see about that on our next encounter."

It takes all of Zoe's willpower not to snap back, aaaaand... it falls short. Sort of. She doesn't lift her head because, well, pain. But she does turn it towards him, snorting softly out through her nose. "... Aye. We will tha'."

Toroth ruffles Zoe's head hard with his paw. "Aye, that's the answer I was expecting." Lifting his paw up, he curls it into a fist and punches Zoe right where the bandage is covering her eye. "That's for making me angry before, hare." Getting up he straightens his cloak and walks on again.

Higear walks back into the room as Toroth approaches the door, he jumps to one side and bows low, running a paw through his greasey fur and smiling up at him. He glances towards Zoe and chuckles, he can guess who he's just been speaking too.

He ought to be able to guess. The punch rocks Zoe's head to the side, exploding pain spreading all the way down and sinking into her chest and gut. Her first reaction is to collapse over onto her side and her second to lose whatever sustenance was currently sitting in her stomach.

Higear walks over as he hears the hare being sick and sighs, his hood still up and those grim ears poking up, he kneels down and mutters, "I do wish his lordship would remember his own orders ta keep ye alive....realy old one, upsetting him loike tha, he is so far above ye you should tremble at his mere presecne."

"... Nevah... scum..." In order to hear this, he's either going to have to be very close or read her lips, because there's barely any force behind it. A violent shudder runs through her and she dry retches once more, resting her cheek on the ground in a spot that is fortunately /not/ vomit-covered. The way she's tied and on her side like this, her arms are pulling hard at the shoulder. She does her best to keep her legs up to reduce the tension.

Higear frowns at the hare and shakes his head, moving his paws to untie her and put her back in a position that is less likely to kill her. "Listen hare, can't ye see by the sheer fact you've lost an are in this position, he's tha Lord Toroth Peltreaper, he is our lord an he is the highest of the high."

Clear relief can be seen in her face as the ties are set free, loosing the tension on her limbs. She remains with the side of her face planted against the stone, her eye slitting open to look up at him. "He's /not/... my... lord." Another shudder, but a lesser one, runs through her form. "Bludstripe..." But that's all she gets out, her eye squinching shut. Ow the pain. Where's Rahier's special mix, again? XD

Higear sighs and pats the hares ears gently, "He is yer lord now, an Bludstripe...sounds loike a badger name tae me, if ye had one of em maybe ye'd nt be in this pickle. Tis clear yer not fit tae rule o'er any beast old one. But then, no beast can stop tha Peltreaper."

Maybe if they did, if Bludstripe were still alive, he'd be right. It is this more than anything else said that undoes the Colonel. Sudden and acute loneliness couples with the pain and drives out an aching sob that is, though quiet, still a sob. "Bludstripe. Ah, Spirits, m'sorry..." It is clear that she is no longer speaking to the rat.

Higear pats the does ears, "ahhh tis too late old one, yer way past forgiveness now, ye lost is mountain an more, more then ye even realise." He stands up and chuckles, "Ye'll make a good tunic fer me ta wear when milord finally kills ye....an aye cud do wid a new one."

Zoe_Lang doesn't even react to the petting, nor does she react when he stands away from her. She's slightly curled on her side, her arms pressed against her stomach to control any more problems with that department. Another, silent sob is forced out of her and she bows her head, trembling slightly as she begins to murmur softly to herself, almost as if in prayer. Is Zoe actually /praying/?

Higear smiles and then starts to laugh out loud, the laughter turning into a cackle as he walks towaards the door, His work here is done now. It would seem he's broken the hare.

Broken or not, she ignores his laughter and doesn't look up as it fades and he walks away. Her sobs have halted and so have her trembles, and she only sits, silently, as a few hares look her way but none speak. It's a good bet that it's best to leave her be, anyway, and for the next good bit she doesn't move.