A Friend on the Inside
Setting:
Marshank: East Walltop
From your perch on the walltop you command an excellent view of Marshank and the surrounding area. To the north is sandy shore, with cliffs in the distance. To the west stretches a great expanse of swampy marshes. To the south are
lush hills, covered in green vegetation. To the east, the sea sparkles as its waves lap gently against the rocks on the shore. And below, inside the fortress, the familiar death scene in the courtyard.
Characters:
Aden, an acrobat
FLicktail, Redwall Champion
Marshank Guards
For context:
It's been a hard couple of days for the silver squirrel - strung up on the Eastern Walltop, she hangs between two posts in an uncomfortable 'X' shape...And things have only gotten worse. A few guards may have drifted too close to the squirrel, or perhaps it was just done in an attempt to break the acrobat's spirit: but she's been muzzled. A simple cloth has been secured around her muzzle with rope that ties around the back of her head - a hole cut into the top to allow her to breath. She is sleeping now, her head slumped and lolling as she hangs there.
Flicktail, having now gained entrance for assassinating the last patrol leader walks over. Having searched for 2 days, he finally makes out the form of the Silver squirrel. Dressed as one of the Marshank Captains he moves up to look at the guards and scowl at them, looking at them up and down. "Why are ye standing round ere ya runny nosed lugs?"
"Er - sorry, sir." The beasts grumble, eyeing the fox, sideways, as they slink away. Blearily, Aden cracks open one eye - trying to will the world to come into focus through her hazy, beat-up state. "Wha- Mm..." She squeezes her eyes shut, shaking her head to clear it - at least the vermin had the "decency" to patch up the gash through her arm (granted, her medical care was only provided in order to ensure high pelt quality when they inevitably skin her alive, so, she doesn't find herself behaving too gratefully for the favor). There's a new fox gloating around the wall-top now, too? Greeeeat. Well, she'll just have to find some way to - HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL. "Fli-" Her eyes widen as she recognizes the fox, but she quickly shuts her mouth and looks around the rampart. There are prying eyes, so this reunion will have to wait. "You're that fox from the woods." She growls, struggling to hide her grin. "Glad to see they didn't run you through like they did my friend."
Flicktail says, "We can't use this blood squirrel if she be DEAD!" he pulls out a canteen. "The boss will want info from er." He holds the water up to her lips to let her drink. "Just drink there, rat tail...and you better not spit it out just because it's MUDDY - that will be all ye get." The "water" happens to be soup broth, to hydrate and to nourish, so that it looks like muddy water.
"That's what /I've/ been sayin'!" The squirrel whines, her voice muffled behind the muzzle. As the contraption is moved, she snaps, greedily, at the canteen. It's the first thing of substance she's been able to get at since arriving, and her eyes flutter shut with joyous relief - it's probably the best thing she's ever tasted. "I hope you choke to death." She adds, for good measure, as she drains the last drop. 'Thank you', she mouths silently.
Flicktail snarls at the mouthed thank you. "You fellows wont to ave some fun? I want to torture this squirrel....you two wont to learn how to do this PROPER?"
The squirrel's eyes narrow, but at least he isn't putting the muzzle back over her snout. Aden glares /daggers/ at the fox - because she definitely knows what he is thinking, and is not over the moon about it. "Touch me and die /screaming/." She assures him.
Flicktail says, "You too get OVER ere..I wont ya to see this, and do this when I not around..you hear me? Com'ere so i can show this to ya."
The guards, reluctantly, stomp their way over. They pass dark glares between themselves before standing, lackluster and bored, behind the fox. "Yeh, yeh. Let's get dis over wid." The larger of the two, a ferret, grumbles. Aden growls and yanks against her binds - she knows that it's helpless, but maybe one of these days, one can break. "When I get /out of here/, I am going to make you rue the day you ever /met me/, fox!" The way the squirrel is glaring, Flicktail better be careful - she means it.
Flicktail says, "no, no more PUNCHING and hittin her." He says, and then flats his ears with a dangerous smile. "I got something MUCH worse...YOU!" He points to the first, pulling out a hawk feather. "Use this on th bottom of her foot paw." He glares at the second. "YOU.....you start tickling under the right arm..I got the left...this is the rare TICKLE torture of Two Time Woods....she will be BEGGIN to have ya stop......we will have her tellin us everything in no time." He begins tickling the squirrels soft, warm silver pelt.
The vermin look between each other - and then burst into laughter. "Y' think tha's gonna do /any/ good?" The ferret scoffs, slapping the offered feather away. "Jus' cut 'er throat an' be done with it. She ain't any good to us." For added measure, he balls his paw into a fist and smashes it into Aden's middle, just as the fox begins his odd 'torture'. She is winded and left gasping, unable to catch her breath. "See? Much more effective." He sneers, earning guffaws from the rat behind them.
Flicktail turns and pulls a dagger, burying it in the punching vermin's chest. "I GAVE You a BLINKING ORDER!" He roars. "yer RUININ my plan!" He snarls looking at the other vermin. "Ye wanna slap the feather away too?" He snarls, with foam forming around his lips.
Blood gurgles and foams at the ferret's mouth as he sinks, slowly, to the ground; his eyes wide with shock. "You -" The rat shakes his head furiously, watching his friend go down. "And they called /me/ over-dramatic." Aden manages to gasp out. "Thanks, fox..." She snarls. "That's one less problem for me. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were sweet on me." She smirks, baring her teeth. She's pleasantly surprised by the fox's dedication to his part, she has to say.
Flicktail spits at the squirrel, hitting her right between the eyes, and he snatches the feather. "Now..Elp me with my torture so I can impress the boss." He says. "You get her footpaws...I got er sides." He scowls, DARING the vermin to disobey.
Without any pause, Aden spits right back at him. Unfortunately for her, /she/ is unable to wipe the spittle away. So it just kind of...slides, slowly, down her face. Thanks, Flick. He is /so/ dead when she gets out of here. The rat, still shaking, snatches the feather from this crazy fox, continuing to cast panicked looks to the ferret, still bleeding out, on the ground. "E-Er, yessir." He stammers, as Aden rolls her eyes. "Ooooh, I'm /so/ scared, look at me - shakin' in my chains."
Flicktail lets him tickle the foot paws as he begins tickling Aden's sides, though she can see the fox is distressed that the other beast is suffering ....As he tickles the squirrel, he finally says: "Get yer friend to a healer.....just leave this squirrel be till *I* get here to interrogate er."
"H-Healer?" The rat questions. "You...You stabbed him in th'chest, sur." Aden actually laughs out loud - but not for this 'torture'. "Yeah, bit past the point of no return, there, bub." The ferret, as they quibble about this, goes still - the brain operates for two minutes after the heart is stabbed, after all. Or...Something like that. She is hard faced as the fox sets to work, her muzzle only twitching slightly as she tries to squirm further away from him.
Flicktail shrugs. "If you don't even wanna try, then use the feather." He tickles...but his eyes look into those of Aden's filled with pain at what he did...to another beast's friend..they may be evil..but it was his friend...."Sides you can take some time off..Give me some QUALITY time wi' this brush tail."
Finally, the rat relents - grabbing his dead comrade under the armpits and scrambling back down the ramparts. "Sorry you had to do that..." Aden whispers, as soon as the rat is gone. "It's good to see you - they told me that you and Mag were dead." The squirrel had contacted her from the water the previous day.
Flicktail falls into an embrace of the squirrel - which could look a bit /wrong/ to the outside observer - as he whimpers. "It's worse when Ya kill someone's friend..I am sorry I tickled ya, but if I convince them....they won't hit ya any more." He wipes her face off. "I don't ave a key yet."
"Don't go all soft on me now!" The squirrel warns as he hugs her, though she presses her cheek to his head - it's really the only 'hug' she can give, tied the way she is. "I know just...we'll have to kill a lot more if we're going to get out of here alive. Think about what they've done - what they /keep/ doing to the beasts back at Noonvale." She reminds him, hushed. "Mag is alive, too. He's hiding out down there, somewhere, but I don't know where - the beasts here can't know that you're helping, but if you can find him a way in, then you can be long gone by the time I escape. Nobeast will suspect a thing." She sighs, sagging against the bonds. Both of her companions are alive - she can't describe the relief.
Flicktail nods. "Two wrongs don't make a right.... I will go look fer Mags...and bring food and water to ya when I can..."
"Thanks, Flick. Just be /careful/, okay? Think mean thoughts." Aden would compliment him on his cold-blooded murder, but that seems to be a sore spot with him. "There's a guard coming, go be scary - I'll be fine, and we'll be out of here in /no/ time." She reassures him, shooing the fox away. The squirrel is left to hang in silence - she really should have had him itch her nose, for her.
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