Blood and Water (♠ Blue Suit ♠)

(Nah, it's ok. Don't worry about it ^^)


Mia had tried to wiggle herself free from the guards' grip but it was all in vain. Even now, she couldn't really understand why Tome had been attacked in such a way. It was like... Like he had believed him to be the culprit. Mia flinched a little at the own guiltiness that shot through her body. Somehow, even if she wanted to tell them she was the one to blame, only her alone she couldn't find her voice. Her eyes then widened when they reached the dungeons and she winced automatically, her body remembering far too well how was it to be brought to such a place.
 
Tome came to when they'd been lying in a cell for almost an hour, flexing carefully until he determined that his hands were bound but nothing else. He struggled, for a moment, before he was finally able to sit up, his head swimming but still able to feel the small but sticky and noticeable trail of blood that had leaked into his hair. He didn't try to wipe it off, just looked around and narrowed his eyes when he realized that Mia was also with him in the darkness. "What . . ." He paused, squeezed his eyes shut for a moment when the dizziness had him swaying, and tried again. "What are you doing down here?" She should've just been assimilated into the castle staff, or sold off to someone else. She shouldn't be here. This was his hell, not hers.
 
Mia had actually lost track of time as it went by, her wrists were kind of starting to feel numb, if only because she hadn't managed to find a comfortable way of positioning herself as her hands were tied. And then? What would they do to her? When Tome's voice reached her ears, she could't help it but feel relieved. He had at least woken up. The relief was soon, however, replaced by an almost painful guiltiness "I'm sorry" It was the only thing she could say. Her voice was firm and serene, even when she thought it would come out as hoarse, but she really did mean it. She had pretty much figured he had been brought there because of her poisoning attempt.
 
"For what?" He asked, automatically, though he wasn't really listening for an answer as he fiddled with his bonds, trying to see if there was room to free himself. He knew he would have to stay for his punishment, as always, but it wasn't as if he absolutely had to do it while tied. The guards were just taking precautions, since he'd managed to tag some of them when he was younger. They had always been wary after that.
 
"Just... Sorry" She said, in a much more lower voice now though. No, she couldn't tell him the reason. What if she was given another chance? If she said it had been her the one who tried to poison The King she might as well consider herself as good as gone. And though something within her wanted to yell out loud the truth, she just bit her tongue. She had reached this far, she had messed before, but she couldn't make it any worse.
 
Tome made a noncommittal grunt and just winced as he managed to slip one hand free of the ropes, thereby freeing his other hand as well. He dropped them behind him but didn't stand, settling into a better position leaning back on one of his hands. "Look, it's going to get ugly once someone realizes I'm awake, so you just let me do all the talking and keep your mouth shut. Got it?" She had to be down here for a reason, even if that reason was just to make it worse for him, so if he could keep their attention on himself long enough to figure things out, maybe they wouldn't even touch her at all. He was fine with that. He was used to this, after all.
 
Mia raised her eyebrow. Ugly? She shifted a bit "Will you be alright?" Now she was aware that, that had not been the brightest question she could ask but it still worried her, it had even come out without her even meaning to say it out loud "Why did they bring you here?" There was anxiousness in her voice.
 
He raised an eyebrow at her but didn't think she could actually tell in the dimness of the room. At least there was no one else down in the dungeons at the moment. He hated having others groaning about their imprisonment while he stayed. "It's a dungeon. . . Guess." He wasn't going to answer her, because now that she'd asked those questions he had a feeling she wasn't going to be happy with what his usual treatment down here was. Oh, god - what was the King going to tell Fawn? He didn't want anyone telling her where he actually was, but he didn't want them telling her he'd just up and left her either. She was the only person whose opinion he actually cared about.


((I'm thinking maybe Fawn finding out and vouching for him will get them out later?))
 
Mia's eyes lowered to the dungeon's cold floor. Yeah, right. What an idiot. Of course she was aware of what was going to happen. Oh, Lord, she had gotten them in something. Nevertheless, she didn't really know what she hated the most right now, waiting for something to happen or that something happening to them. She wiggled a little before managing to scoot back and lean her back against a wall, her back had started hurting after all "You... Sound pretty used to this, don't you?" She said after a moment. Before, she hadn't even thought of the possibility, but now that she had been told some things regarding his place on that castle, it figured.


(Yeah, maybe? The King does loves her and all after all ^^)
 
Tome looked at her from where he sat, his gaze hard and unyielding in the dark. There was no place for softness here. "It's come up before." He said, instead of going into detail. Instead of telling her of the times he'd spent as a child, chained and bleeding into the stone, the only light coming from the moon through a small, barred window that led up to the surface only enough to let in air. His eyes darted to the far wall as he picked up the faint sound of a door opening and footsteps. "Let me do the talking," He repeated, and moved over enough that he would be the first person they encountered. If he angered them enough, it was possible they wouldn't even take her out with him. There was a small fire burning in a stove in the other cell across the dungeon hall. He knew what that meant.
 
Mia scooted a bit backwards out of reflex as she heard a dim sound. She glanced at Tome when he spoke, repeating what he had said before and nibbled down on her bottom lip softly. Just exactly what was he planning? It seemed as if he wanted to be the only one... 'punished'. She flinched a little at the thought, but if he was going to be punished because of her crime, it wouldn't be fair, now would it?
 
Tome waited until the two elves were close enough to see him to hold up one of his hands, twirling the loop of rope they'd used to tie him around a finger. He didn't say anything yet, just raised an eyebrow at them and waited for the telltale snarl that meant his guards had already been riled up before coming down. Someone had tried to kill the king, after all, and they thought it was him - who wouldn't be angry?


Tome took advantage of that, struggled when they shoved him to the ground just because it made them think he cared when they retied his hands behind his back. They dragged him from his cell - the door left ajar and Mia left forgotten - and into the next, shoved him to his knees in front of a small stool and pushed him down against it so that it dug into his ribs and he ended up with his back flat.


"Forgotten who you belong to?" One man hissed as the other clinked metal in the fire, and spat an elven word at him that was the epitome of disgust. The back of Tome's shirt split with a knife that nicked his skin, but he was prepared and didn't flinch. "Why don't we just remind you." There was a mark, at the back of his right shoulder, the symbol of the King. Tome knew they would line up the brand with the old scars and would make sure to keep it neat. The King liked his property marked clearly after all.
 
Mia had watched the two elves in horror. They were mad that was for sure, and somehow... Somehow she couldn't even find herself saying anything at all. Not even when Tome was shoved down to the ground, not even when he was dragged from the cell. She had just, if possible, scooted backwards, as if wanting to become one with the wall behind her. Mia had pretty much always been afraid of pain, which was the main reason why she had learnt to be so quiet when she needed to. She even held back her breath, curling up a bit and hiding her head between her knees. She had believed that she wouldn't care if she was killed, but being hurt... Now that was a completely different thing.


Mia then finally looked up, her amethyst eyes wide. She noticed the door had been left slightly opened and so she slowly and quietly pushed herself up. She had to get out! She slid out from the place, just to jump a little as she heard one of the guards voices, her head turning to their direction. Fire... Remind Tome something. She covered her mouth for a moment. They couldn't... Agh! Screw it! She shook her head before she practically rushed there "Stop" She didn't care for Tome's words anymore, truth was she couldn't just act as if nothing would actually happen. She didn't even need to be Tome's slave anymore, she didn't need to follow his orders "You can't do that. Why are you doing that? He hasn't done anything wrong" Mia tried to look strong there, even if she was just a human girl among elven guards.
 
Tome's hands flexed and his muscles tightened when he heard Mia's footsteps return rather than leave, and even worse when she spoke to them. But he still had their hatred on his side, in a way - humans, especially slaves, were just useless to elves, not a danger at all.


"For the heavens, Hild!" The one at his back hissed, a boot pushing down on his spine to keep him in place. "Tie her to the bars!"


The other elf dropped the brand to do as told, and Tome just watched his father's symbol smoldering where it lay on its side on the ground, apprehension curling in his gut. It was an instinct, something he couldn't fight, but he could make himself stay still. He'd been through this before. So long as she was kept apart from him and out of harm's way, he didn't have to care about this - he'd had to learn not to care about it.


"She tried to help the worm when we knocked him on the head." The one at his back growled, the heel of his boot pressing harder into Tome's spine. "Let's see how she feels when the real damage starts." Tome just gritted his teeth and waited.


They were going to make her watch.
 
Mia tried to avoid being caught by the elf but in vain. She was soon roughly grabbed and tightly tied to the bars. She twisted her wrists furiously, watching the scene quite desperately. How come she couldn't just do anything!? A frustrated exhalation escaped her as she tried to push herself from the bars, just to grimace at the way the grip seemed to tighten around them much more, she would dislocate them at that rate.


Nevertheless, she did freeze for a moment at the man's last words. They... "Please stop!" She finally said, her voice rather pleading "Please" She glanced at Tome's face in anguish "Why? Just why are you hurting him?" She pulled on the robes again, making a face when she heard a dim crack coming from one of her wrists. She needed to know, she needed an explanation. She was guessing why, but she needed to hear it from them.
 
"Did I tell you to talk!" Tome snapped, finally using his voice whereas he usually never needed to in order to goad them. It earned him a swift crack across the head, with what he wasn't sure - he suspected the boot. His teeth clacked together and he fought the urge and the reflex to twist and kick the man in the ribs, hands or no hands.


"Shut up!" The man snapped, even as Hild moved away to get the brand again. "Dirt doesn't get to own a slave, halfing! She should be ordering you around!" He held out his hand, and there was the faint sound of metal slapping into skin. "You're a piece of property, little rat. Remember it."


The brand fell into place before he had fully recovered and braced for it, and he groaned low in his throat through clenched teeth, eyes squeezing shut. It held there until he'd stopped making noise and stopped breathing, every part of him taut with the pain of it - it was a helpless pain, fire racing through his entire being and not something he had ever been able to prepare himself for. Beatings he could take, but this - this was saved for rare occasions and always for last. They were desperate and furious to resort to it first, and when it finally let up spots were dancing in Tome's vision before he could manage another gasping breath, lying limp against the footstool digging into his stomach. Breathe. He had to remember to breathe.
 
Mia had cringed just a bit as Tome snapped but had complained yet again as he was hit. She looked to the side, as if unable to see anymore. But then, the metal slammed against his skin and she turned back her head at them, pushing her body forwards just to feel the shooting pain of her twisted wrist. She couldn't bare to see him like that, she... A small tear drop slid down her cheek, her head falling to the front as it hung like that for a few seconds, her hair covering her face. She could just do one more thing, she just wanted them to react "I was the one who tried to poison your King" She finally said, her voice actually rather low but still audible "I've still got the bottle which contained the poison with me in case you don't believe me" She clenched her fists "I wanted that b*stard to die. To writhe in pain in the floor as those around him could just watch him die" She took a deep breath before letting in out in a soft sigh "So, please, just let him go"
 
((I've been awake for far too long xD Night))


At first, clinging to consciousness through the dizzy haze, Tome wasn't sure what she was doing. She was trying to call their attention to her, when he'd tried so hard to keep it away. "You're just a slave," He managed, shaking his head weakly and not attempting to get up. "I bear his scars. I have the motive. I'm the monster, remember?"


A boot hit his ribs and he cringed but didn't roll away or even fall over. Hild was snapped at to go and check, and when Tome heard the faint clink of glass he looked. And looked. And looked. She couldn't be telling the truth. . . Could she?
 
"I too have the motive" It was the only thing she could say back at him. There it was... She had gone and say it. Now it was just useless, all she had done until now was just... useless. Strangely enough, she somehow didn't regret her decision and so as the elf who had tied her to the bars reached for the small bottle she couldn't help it but raise her head slowly to look at them, her hair still falling all over her face, brow raised "See? I told you. It was me all along, you stupid idiots" She just wanted to get them mad enough. 'Come on, just focus on me. Come on' She thought to herself as she didn't even take a look at Tome this time, just staring at the guards.


(Night night! ^o^)
 
"What sort of motive could you possible have," Tome pushed on, struggling to get his bearings back, as if to sit up. He was shoved back down when he so much as moved a muscle and cringed at the pain in his shoulder. His arm burned and then tapered into a tingle at his fingers. "She's just a slave." He shook his head, trying to clear it. He had to stay aware this time, to keep her safe. He couldn't just drift away like he used to, to where he could ignore the pain. He could take it. "She was put up to -" He gave a short, cut-off cry of pain when the boot dug into his shoulder, the surprise of it catching him off guard enough that he did actually make sound. He ground his teeth together after that, and just bore it, glaring in Mia's direction. She had to shut up!
 
Mia bit her tongue when she heard him, if not, she was afraid she would even yell. Her eyes found his, but she couldn't stop now, she couldn't let it keep going in that way. She wiggled again her sore wrists, as if trying to get loose somehow before speaking "I swear it was me. Why would I have the bottle with me if not?" She shifted a little "He has nothing to do with this, I did it on my own, me alone" She sighed softly "I... I became this man's slave just to get into the castle. I used him to get to The King" Yeah, she had used him. So why couldn't they stop hurting him? It seemed like they enjoyed it, then again that may be the true, after all he was a halfbreed, no body liked half-breeds, her teeth gritted as she thought about it, damn it all!
 
Tome's expression slowly went slack when the boot removed itself from his wound, the glare fading back into the expressionless face he had always worn here, before he'd had anyone to show himself to. There was a long moment of silence before Hild swung the back of his hand at her, the bottle still clenched in his fingers, and stalked back to the other elf's side to show him.


Tome's mind was sluggish as they discussed quietly, too distracted to listen to them, and he wasn't sure if his feeling ill was just because of the brand. He'd let this girl be near his sister, stand right next to his precious Fawn, prepare her meals and stay in their home. He'd . . . He'd trusted her, he realized, without even knowing it. He'd never trusted anyone before, no one besides Fawn. . . This? This just reminded him why.


((I suppose now would be a good time for them to be stopped, huh? xD ))
 
Mia was afraid that they wouldn't believe her, but then the boot was removed from Tome's wound and Hild, was his name? Swung his hand at her. She was not as strong as others, she was just human after all, so she felt a painful twinge on the spot which had been hit but didn't make even the slightest sound. As Hild went to the other elf's side her eyes fell on Tome again, her gaze loaded with guilt. She hadn't mean for him to get involved, he was a good person, despite his harsh and tough attitude, he was truly a good person.


So for the sake of that same good person, she had revealed her secret and just hoped they would let him go. She had at least tried to avenge her brother and mother, for now that could be good enough for her.


(Aw Poor Tome! >< And yeah, I agree xD )
 
Tome stayed quiet and still as the argument went on, but just as it was drawing to a close and the elves were starting to move, the door at the end of the hall burst open. "Stop!" A voice shouted, one Tome vaguely recognized as a servant Fawn had taken a liking to in her time here growing up. "The order has been made for the criminals to be released."


Hild and the other elf stopped, confused, and started to argue, but the senior-ranked servants of the castle weren't to be argued with. It took a long while, but someone finally came and grabbed Tome by the arm, hauling him to his feet and relighting the fire in his shoulder, back and arm. He'd tuned out until then, but just gritted his teeth and supported his own weight as he was tugged along, as Mia was untied and tugged with them as well. He didn't understand. Who would release them.
 
Mia had remained silent as the two elves argued. Sometimes she would catch some words, others she would simply stare blankly at the ceiling or floor. She didn't want to look at Tome, if only because she felt to ashamed to do so. She stiffened just a bit when she felt them move, her muscles tensing, her eyes closing in expectation. Then she heard a voice, a commanding one and she shifted, prying her eyes open to look over her shoulder at the door at the end of the hall.


Then another argument, another tortuous argument which forced her to wait even more for it all to end. She squeezed her eyes shut, just wanting to push all the voices out and escape that cold place. After what felt like an eternity she was eventually untied and pulled up. She winced as she felt the sharp and throbbing pain on her wrists but kept her mouth shut as she was tugged along.


(Sorry. Had to go shopping :/ )
 
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