View Single Post
Old 06-28-2006, 08:28 PM   #59
Firefoot
Illusionary Holbytla
 
Firefoot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 7,646
Firefoot has been trapped in the Barrow!
Life for Scyld had fallen into a fairly straightforward routine, watching Linduial most of the day, fetching her meals, and receiving a break now and again when Gurth came to watch her. Scyld knew that Gurth sometimes brought down extra food for Linduial, and he doubted that Sorn would be pleased if he knew, but nevertheless Scyld had kept silent about it. If cornered over the topic, he could always say that he had assumed Gurth was feeding the food to his great dog – most of it was meat, and he certainly fed the dog enough anyway.

Today had so far been no different. Scyld now sat in silence, watching Lin eat her breakfast. His guard on her had grown laxer; never once had she attempted to escape, leaving Scyld to assume she had realized it would be smarter not to, and he had stopped loosening a knife blade every time he opened the cell door; and already she had grown on him enough that he would be hesitant to use a knife on her anyway, except to just show as a threat. She intrigued him. While clearly wanting for many things, she had asked for nothing more since that first day, nor had he given her anything save for the continued wine in her glass at meals. They had talked only a few more times, just enough to leave Scyld wondering occasionally what sort of person she was outside of a prison cell – other than the pampered noble he still half-way took her to be.

In other words, if worst came to worst and a search party came here after her and he came out badly… would he be able to rely on her at all for some level of vindication? Or would he simply be thrown in with Sorn? And even if he did manage to somehow escape, he did not want to be hunted down. He had to face the truth… eventually she would return to her family, one way or another, or be killed. Scyld would not partake in her killing – he had nothing to gain from such. Therefore… he might eventually need her on his side, or at least not against him. And he knew the next step to take.

“Linduial” – she looked up – “those things you had with you in the basket at the fair… were they important?” His tone was completely neutral; she would have no clue from that whether he meant the question for good or ill. Let her manner of response be part of the test.

Last edited by Firefoot; 06-29-2006 at 10:40 AM.
Firefoot is offline