I'm writing this my old way (straight from GS that is), since I always seem to be able to write more easily that way for some reason. Anyway, chapter V, coming up :P
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Terans yawned and leaned back, futilely shifting around on the small bunk in search of a comfortable spot.As usual, nothing interesting was occurring in this little corner of Tallenmouth.
"Pellet?" he asked plaintively, "Is it always this boring in a cell?"
Pellet's green eyes flickered towards Terans in amusement for a second before returning to staring contemplatively at the ceiling, as they had been the entire morning.
"Not usually." he replied with a yawn, "Normally you're too busy worrying whether they're going to come chop something off before you escape." Terans gulped and the cell fell back into silence, Pellet lying with his arms behind his head and Terans once more starting to count the bricks in the wall.
Pellet chewed on his lip. The dreams of the past few nights had been bothering him, and last night's remembrance of Eli's true identity had disturbed him more than he cared to admit. Could it possibly be her holding them in the cell? Why?
"Pellet." Terans' voice once more broke into the thief's reverie, "What are you thinking about? You seem more worried than I've ever seen you before." Pellet gave a small sigh and shifted to his side, raising an eyebrow as he looked at his partner.
"I believe I may know who's imprisoned us, and I'm trying to figure out why." he said eventually, "Do you have any idea when this regular visitor will be coming?"
"Errm..." Terans' shifted under Pellet's steady gaze, "Normally they first come and take me out of the cell at around noon, as far as I can tell. The second time's normally pretty late at night, even last night - didn't you see them then?"
"Hmm..." Pellet grunted in assent, "It was too dark to see. If I knew what they looked like I could tell for sure, but until then all we have is guesses."
Terans waited for enlightenment, but when Pellet said nothing and returned to watching the ceiling, he shrugged and lay back himself.
Several hours passed, during which neither man moved or spoke, both lost in thought - but the sound of footsteps and, after that, a key in the lock of their cell door, caused both of them to sit up in excitement.
"Guess we'll find out now." Pellet muttered to himself, eyes narrowing as the door opened with a rusty creak. The warden looked puzzled as he opened the door and received a pair of disappointed sighs, but shrugged and motioned them off the bunks.
"You're wanted. Come with me." he said gruffly. Neither man was roped or chained, but several guards ensured that they wouldn't try anything as foolish as running. Pellet and Terans were escorted up a set of mossy stairs and into the corridors of a large palace, passing through several massive hallways that could easily fit the thieving pair's entire house inside. Terans gaped at the signs of luxury surrounding them, but Pellet's attention was focused more on the guards watching every doorway - heavily and ornately armoured men wearing the crests of the Noble Guard, the most elite military unit in the city - and the personal guards of the rulers of the city. His theory was gaining more and more evidence.
"These are your new rooms." the warden said in a disgruntled tone, stopping by a solid, oaken door deep inside the heart of the castle, "Please wash yourselves and change into the clothes laid out for you. Inform the guards when you are ready and you will be escorted to the Lady." After the two men stepped through the doorway, the door was closed behindthem and they were left to their own devices.
"Amazing..." Terans gasped, his eyes shining as he beheld the luxury of what was apparently now theirs - a wood panelled floor, covered in warm fur rugs, with tapestries and artworks of incalculable value adorning the walls, a pair of four poster beds no doubt filled in goose down - and a doorway into another room which, when opened, turned out to be a pair of massive metal bathtubs already filled with steaming hot water.
"This is the life!" Terans sighed as he sank into a bathtub, his clothes scattered on the floor around it. He picked up a bar of soap and blinked as he noticed that it appeared to be formed in the shape of a nubile young woman, then turned bright red and carefully put it back where it was, selecting another with a rather more conventional shape.
"So, do you think you were right about who it was that captured us, then?" he said, speaking through the thick steam towards where Pellet sat in the other tub, nothing but a silhouette.
"I'm almost certain." Pellet said, strangely sounding even more worried now, "And so would you, if you payed attention to something besides the carpets while we were coming here. It should be obvious."
Terans grunted in puzzlement and waited for enlightenment, but the rest of the bath lasted in silence.
Clothes were laid out on the beds by the time the duo exited the bathroom, wrinkled, warm and at least physically comfortable for the first time in at least a week.Pellet donned - with the uncomfortable help of a servant - a reasonably subdued blue doublet with silver trim, a pair of hose of similar colour, but elected not to wear any of the flashy hats or cloaks that accompanied them. Terans, however, revelled in the garishness, putting on a lurid green doublet and hose with a cloak and hat an even brighter shade. Pellet shook his head at his friend's lack of fashion sense and let off a small chuckle, but they were both hustled out of the room and into the corridor before anything could be said.
"Listen carefully." One of the guards said as they stepped quickly down the hallway, "You will get on your knees to the lady, speak only when spoken to and then only when invited to do so, and you will not show the slightest vestige of disrespect to her. Am I clear?"
"Is this the lady's wish or yours?" Pellet asked slyly, giving Terans a grin as the man ground his teeth.
Soon they stood before the door to another set of quarters, set even deeper in the palace.Still gritting his teeth in anger, the guard opened the door and let them in...
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CLIFFHANGER, MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!
Yes I'm cruel, although it's not like I have a massive fanbase to lynch me :P On a sidenote, writing straight into where I wanted to submit worked - I just exported it to Google Docs (for archive purposes).
Doesn't seem as good as normal to me, but hopefully that's just me :P Â
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