Chapter Thirty One

Prisoners Cell Block A

They hear the Witchfinder talking to the guards in Nyemetz. Darius struggles to over hear the conversation and provides a simultaneous translation.

'He tell them that we very tricky bunch. He tell them not to open door unless he tell them to, whatever happens. He tell them to expect that we try tricks on them. He tell them that they will die horrid death if we escape.'

Everything goes quiet as they hear the footsteps of the Witchfinder disappear up the stairs. Before they start to talk, they hear a rustling from the other side of the cell. As they look in that direction, they see that there is another occupant in the cell who has been hidden by the shadows of the dimly lit place.

As their eyes adjust to the lack of light, they can see that he has been beaten, repeatedly, though some of the bruises and scars may be facial deformities, as he seems to be relatively healthy and many of the worst marks don't appear to be recent, including most prominently a seriously broken nose which tips up almost piggishly. He is very hairy and stoop-shouldered and they guess such an appearance has made him a hard life, though he carries himself very well, like one born to wealth. Even manacled, he stands erect and proud.

As he notices that they are all staring at him, he speaks:

"Ah, some newcomers. Hopefully you will distract the guards for a while, at least until you end up like him."

The stranger gestures toward a skeleton on the other end of the room, manacled as well. He laughs, weakly, then stares sullenly at you all.

Corrow lies slumped against the wall. He is hardly able to move with the weight of the chain linking him to the floor. Before the guards leave, he cries out:

"Good sirs, please move me to a corner where I will be safe from these witches. I'm afraid they'll get to me to try to shut me up before the trial."

There is no response from the guards.

Winnacer looks the newcomer up and down before responding in an authoritarian manner:

"I am Lord Winnacer Stradheim from the outskirts of Kladno. Who might you be? And what crimes have the Nyemetz accused you of?"

The stranger replies, "My name is Bennett of the family Corbinson, from Kutna Hora. Perhaps you have heard of my family?"

 Winnacer shakes his head.

"In any case, your family name is not unknown to me, though I had heard you were a warrior clan and you have the look of a diplomat, not a fighter. Who knows? Appearances can be deceiving."

Winnacer is somewhat surprised at the fact that his family's name is known even in these parts, so far from his hometown. He tries to pump the hairy guy for information about the Nyemetz, the prison, any past escape attempts, along with the hairy fellow's history.

Bennett responds to Winnacer's probes with a dismissing wave:

"While your family name makes you worthy of my trust, this ragamuffin bunch you carry as servants almost certainly contains a spy. My past and whatever crimes they may contain will remain my business. As far as the prison goes, I know little more than you, as I am a recent arrival as well. I don't think you get to stay here very long, alive at least."

Darius meanwhile returns to the door, and speaks through the peephole to the goblins beyond, in goblin:

"Fear not brothers, we will not, as your master says, trick you this night. We need rest, food and water. The Inquisition will show we are innocent. Can you tell me what happens at such an Inquisition?"

The guards, probably bored out of their minds and pleased to have someone to talk to answer him back in goblin.

'It's good that you don't want to cause any trouble. There's no point. If there's any trouble, then one of us will just have to go and call the Witchfinder out. He gets very annoyed at being disturbed unneccesarily and will be pissed at us for disturbing him, and furious at you. He's not the kind of person you want to get angry. Nasty piece of work he is, for a human.'

Oddly enough the goblin's words bring the ghost of a smile to Faewen'il's pallid lips; though her body had yet to move or her eyes yet to open. Between the waves of pain her mind furiously set to work on a plan to free them.

'You want to know what goes on at the Inquisition?' continues the guard. ' Nothing special, it's a stupid human idea. All they do is dress up in silly clothes and shout questions at each other. Nothing to worry about really. It's all a bit boring if you ask me. No, mate, you've got nothing to worry about with the Inquisition. ... It's the punishments that come later that you really need to worry about!'

Both of the goblins start tittering at the last sentance.

"Ah, you see?" Bennett the hairy man fairly crows.

"No sooner do I speak it than it is revealed. You chose poorly in using a goblin for a spy."

Bennett is yelling now, at the absent jailers.

"He is so foolish he speaks to his brothers immediately upon entering." He smiles weakly, then glances with pure venom at the goblin in the cell with him,

"Come closer and let me tell you some secrets, little one." His eyes blaze an inhuman shade of red and his fingers clench tightly.

'Me deal with you later' says Darius, and then turns to Corrow:

"You phantasms make. Me, I, see before you make big scary things. Can you a phantasm of witchfinder make? Let phantasm tell brothers to open gate?"

Corrow does not answer, except to say, "I am no witch, traitor goblin..."

He then ignores all of the other going-on amongst the inmates, trying to get some much-needed sleep.

Winnacer listens to Darius' suggestion, ignores Corrow and smiles.

"Darius, perhaps we should be asking that of the 800+ year old illusionist. Corrow could not do both vision and voice, which is what that would need. But Granny...Granny just might be able to."

Winnacer goes to Heimlin and Granny, putting his arm around the damaged Heimlin.

To Heimlin, Winnacer says:

"This does not have to be over just yet. Darius has a clever idea to help us escape, but can Granny be convinced to cast such ensorcellments? We need to figure out what she is capable of, our freedom may just depend on it. We're not licked quite yet." 

'If our only chance of escape depends on Granny, then I'm afraid that we ARE licked.' replies Heimlin sadly.

'While you were away from us fighting the Nymetz for much of the day, I spent the 'ole time tryin' to get some sense out of the old girl. She's pretty much lost it, I'm afraid. There ain't nothin' in that 'ead of 'ers 'cept some muddled up old memories. Certainly nothin' resemblin' no spell.'

'Only way I reckon she could cast somethin' would be if she were to read a spell out of' one of 'er books, then cast it just a few minutes later. Could 'ave been some 'elp to us all earlier, but 'er books were the first things to get put on the cart. I bet that bleedin' Witchfinder's goin' through 'em right now, learnin' some new tricks to play on innocent folk. No, the old girl ain't gonna be no 'elp to us in this situation. No 'elp at all unless we get 'er back with 'er books an' gadgets. Might get some use out of 'er then.'

Heimlin looks gloomy at giving the others the news. He goes back to hugging Bekkah. Granny is busy telling one of the rats about what she did at her 500th birthday party.

Realizing that illusions are not going to be the solution, Darius sets off searching through the place, sniffing here, looking there, scrabbling in the dust here...and constantly telling everyone to shut the hell up as he cocks his head to one side, and listens intently. He is, obviously, looking for anything.

After scrabbling around in the filth for the best part of an hour without finding anything of use except the odd bone from the skeleton Darius finally gives up and mutters:

"Someone something have that in lock hole can fit?"

Everyone simply shakes their heads.

Jihan sits heavily as he is shackled. He goes over to where Faewen'il lies and tries to give her some comfort, having noticed how difficult the worg ride was on her. He speaks soothing elven words to her, and even tears off pieces of the bandage binding his side to make sure hers are on securely.

Then he attempts to slip his ankle out of the manacle but realizes that they are obviously used to having different varieties of demi-humans in the prison, as the manacles are a snug fit around his ankles.

He looks at the large lock, trying to draw from far in the past memories of a gnome showing him the basics of such mechanisms. After seeing Darius rummaging around the cell, Jihan joins the goblin in his hunt for anything metallic or rigid enough to manipulate the tumblers inside, but has as little success as the goblin.

Not knowing what else to do in order to aid any possible escape attempt, he sits back on the floor of the cell and starts to chant to Prirodna.

Yaz watches as Jihan, Winnacer, and Darius make efforts towards escape. He sits back against the cell wall and closes his eyes:

"Morning will bring news," he says tiredly. "In the morning Prirodna will help us."

He looks around to see how beat up everyone is looking. He reckons that everyone will be able to walk unassisted after a good night's rest, with the exception of Xavier and Darius. Xavier suffered from a particularly horrific wound during the fight, and Darius has been too active for his wounds to start healing yet.

Faewen'il motions to everyone to come close to her, in the far corner of the cell to ensure that her words cannot be overheard by the guards. Then she starts to whisper a plan to the others:

'I need you ta listen to me as I can only risk sayin this once. You must follow my directions, no matter what happens. I will be trying ta convince them that I am in complete control of all your actions and that I am tha only witch of tha group. When I say tha word 'zhadye' you must all stop what you are doin and stare at me as if I am your master, then bow your head. Once all have turned ta me, I will say another string of gibberish words at which you will all remove your clothing and place it on tha floor. I will then turn to Darius and ask him in broken common ta translate my words ta tha guards.'

 'If all works well, they will remove me from tha cell and buy us a few more days. If not, we will still be in tha same place we were before. I need to rest the night before we can do this thing... as I am in no shape to perform all of tha magic required to pull it off.'

'One other element I need to see that ma plan works. Does any of ye know the name of a powerful Nyemetz lord?'

"Maire'," Yaz answers from where he sits, "Sklad the orc witnessed me cast two entanglements around him earlier today. And I informed him I was a priest. He's not stupid, unlike most of his kind. If anyone's gonna be labeled the witch in this party, it's me. Besides, magic is only part of what they're trying us for. They want us for killing over 20 of their troops. And when Corrow finks on us," and he looks in the illusionist's direction darkly, "they'll know more. Although I don't think it'll change anything. If you have something in mind that you haven't told us, let it out... But for now, get some rest, and see if you're still thinking the same in the morning."

Corrow looks over at Yaz with disgust on his face.

"You're damned right, I'll fink on you. You'll all burn soon enough, and I'll be free again. You may or may not be witches, but you're certainly murderers and traitors. Stay away from me."

He turns his back to everyone else and lies down on his side facing the dark stone wall, his chains clinking as he shuffles around, trying to get comfortable.

Ignoring Corrow once again, Winnacer also tells Faewen'il that he thinks that it would probably not be a good idea to split up the party.

Faewen'il sighs and sits back.

"Never ye mind; without tha aid o Corrow it would fall through," she whispers to Yaz in a sad voice, as she gingerly curls herself up in a ball.

At that moment, Xavier wakes slowly. He groans, swearing in Saxon, trying with all his might to clear his head, and break through the wave of pain, and out of the numbing respite of unconsciousness. His stream of foul words end as quickly as they begun as he groans in pain, suddenly aware of pain of his shattered face, and jaw. He drags himself upright, scanning the dark dungeon for a familiar face. He looks at everybody in turn, Corrow, Maire, Darius, Jihan, Yaz, Heimlin, his daughter in law, and his Grandmother. Finally, and with a total look of sorrow and guilt on his face, he turns to face Winnacer.

Heavily slurred words tumble from his lips, barely raising above a whisper.

"My Lord, I have failed you, for that no shame is greater. Once again I have lead too many friends to death, by my cursed name of Von Trauloft"

Xavier squeezes his eyes shut, his head in his hands, oblivious to his surroundings. To all intents and purposes he appears a broken man. He is heard to mutter to himself some moments latter.

"Gott in Himmel, vhy did I not become the priest my damn father vanted? If not for that damned girl, no one vould have been forced to die because of me"

Before Winnacer can speak to Xavier, however, an almighty row breaks out between Darius and Bennett, the stranger.

Darius catches Jihan's eye as the stranger starts talking and, when he knows it will be undetected by all but his brother, he winks then turns to the woolly one and mutters:

"Your family Corbinson I know. Mother a whore she be for Anti-Nyemetz people."

This comment did not please the stranger one tiny bit!

Bennett howls with rage, becomes totally berserk and attempts to pull the chains from the walls. He continues this for several minutes. He then becomes calm again and responds to the goblin's statement:

"I vow here and now that you die for that remark. Whatever sorcery has been wielded on this group to think that a stinking maggot like you is a worthwhile companion will disappear when I rip off your head and feed it to the dogs, though I doubt even they would partake of your diseased, filth-ridden flesh. You have made a serious mistake today."

Darius is far from being apologetic:

'You, you not strong enough to fight dying goblin. Quiet you keep.'

"When a shit-eating goblin gives me orders." Bennett replies, 'That's when I know that I have been abandoned by all the gods of all the world. Whether this is true or not, no word of yours will keep me quiet."

'If traitor was I, then would not your life better served be to cooperate? Think I Darius that you and me brothers. You also traitor, spy and thief.' Darius continues.

"Fool, idiot, spawn of the carrion of a thousand mules! You know nothing of me."

'If you not chained like a dog then Darius you would challenge.'

"Truth comes from your lips like curses come to fairer peoples, with difficulty and incompatibility to the tongue, but truth you speak now. Chained or no, challenge or no, you will die at my hands."

'But, you lie, you lie about you being enemy of state.'

"With every word you prove yourself more foolish. I lie about nothing. I said nothing about being an enemy of state, you hallucinating turd-merchant. What I am and what I have done is my business and whatever the case a lower life-form such as yourself has no business even conjecturing as to what that may be."

'You see tomorrow that Nyemetz not know that spy am I. You see that they kill me like witch, not hold me like hero.'

"Oh, no, little rodent, the Nyemetz will not have that honor. We will escape this dungeon, then I will chop you into small pieces and throw you into a dungheap where you belong."

'You, you lucky, you leave cell, go tell witchfinder all here witch be, then go home to whore and rats of children. You not lie to me. You, me, we same!"

"I WILL KILL YOU! The shit that you eat protrudes from your mouth like a signal flare. Unlike the scabby puss-ridden troglodytes that spawned you, my family is true and good, the best of this earth, and I will not have slime such as you defaming them."

Bennett begins howling again, louder and more violently than before, throwing himself back and forth against the chains, leaving bloody welts on his wrists and ankles, until gradually the rage leaves him again. This time it takes longer than before.

Winnacer has had enough of the argument and talks to the two of them sternly:

"Find your calm, Bennett. Darius has not the sense to be a spy, nor the demeanor. The chap has bled out all of his goblin heritage in our defense, so hold your tongue. There is nothing to be gained by posturing in this cell."

Heimlin adds to Winnacer's words, more forcefully:

'WILL THE TWO OF YOU PACK THIS IN!' he screams.

You can just hear the sound of the two goblins tittering away behind the stout door.

'Aven't we 'ad enough conflict for one day?' questions the gnome. 'Aren't we in a bad enough state without addin' to it?'

'All this ain't doin' Bekkah no good at all,' he continues stroking the girl's hair. 'Most of us are totally beaten up, an' none of us ain't gonna get any better 'less we get a good night's sleep.'

'P'raps the spellcasters can be some use in the mornin' as well after a good night's sleep' he adds, looking at Faewen'il and Yaz, but purposely avoiding Corrow's gaze.

'I don't know whether 'e's a spy or not,' Heimlin continues looking at Bennett. 'But if we don't come up with a plan to get us out of 'ere, then it ain't gonna matter anyway, 'coz the Nyemetz 'ave got enough on us already to 'ave us 'ung, drawn and quartered or whatever it is that they're gonna do with us. So let's 'ave less shoutin', and more sleepin' and thinkin'.'

Heimlin then goes quiet and continues to stroke Bekkah's hair in an attempt to get her off to sleep.

Despite Heimlin's protestations, Bennett's comments to Darius have incurred so much anger amongst the others that they cannot hold their tongues.

Heimlin's words have an effect upon Bennett and he answers the gnome:

"That my outburst caused this little one any grief, I apologize again. I see something in her eyes, sadness, one I recognize. I certainly intend no harm to such an innocent."

A brief moment of great sadness flows over Bennett's disfigured face, but it disappears just as quickly, leaving the others wondering if they ever saw it at all.

"While you have many troubles in this place, me being a spy is not one of them. A poor spy I would make in any regard."

Winnacer looks deep into Bennett's eyes, an obvious look of disgust hanging from his features:

"A true noble does not hang himself because of foolish pride and prejudice. What are your true colors, Bennett?"

"Not colors that exist in your rainbow. Whatever nobility I was borne with I have long abandoned. While I may have hung myself, on more than one occasion, by foolish pride and prejudice, I still continue. For the prejudice I displayed against your companion, I apologize. I over-reacted to his communications with my tormentors. However, for his uncouth insult to my family, he deserves whatever abuse I gave him after that point. On this point, I am not prepared to yield whatever the cost. I have little left of who I was, but those that I love above all else shall not be besmirched while I live. This I swear."

Bennett appears troubled that Winnacer feels so negatively about him, but he also appears resigned to such, as if long used to it.

Having been paying attention to the conversation between Bennett and Darius after noticing the goblin's wink, the shouting that breaks out also breaks any reserve that the elf was holding himself in for the moment.

His muscles tight, he stands and turns towards their hirsute cellmate. Holding the furious Darius in check, Jihan speaks in a voice quivering with a rage none of you have heard in him before. The look in his multi-colored eyes dominates his spare frame, and they shine with wrath.

"If you know nothing else of my kin in the forest, you will know that Shumavan elves do not associate themselves with darkness. This man before you is my brother in the truest sense. He lives in this world a prisoner of his past, and cannot help being what he is."

"I know little of your tribe," replies Bennett, "though I have had dealings with your race. I have found most to be true and good, though misguided in some respects. I know not whether this is one of those times, but the earnest defenses of this group appear to be in his favor."

"Never have I heard another being become so incensed with but WORDS from another," continues Jihan.

"Never have I heard the threat of death uttered for but WORDS that were intentioned well, if at least at the end."

"Do you hold anything sacred, elf?" asks Bennett. "Is there anything in your world which means more to you than your own life? If so, how would you react to having that thing thrown in the mud and defecated on? I hold one thing and only one thing sacred and that foul little being's words, whose good intentions I certainly cannot decipher, did exactly that. Am I to meekly accept such because he suffers from a bad background or is mentally unstable? I will not do so, be he goblin, human, elf, or angel from heaven. I cannot."

"Because he is a goblin you hold him as lesser life?" the elf responds. "You immediately think all of him is deceit and treachery? A small, small man are you if this be so. In his heart does this man hold bravery and compassion beyond his small stature. If death be uttered from your lips towards him, know that my cold steel will bite you deep before you have time to gloat in your small minded act!"

Nearly shouting at the end, Jihan almost chokes on anger, and turns away, attempting to control himself. Never has he lost himself to emotion so completely thus in all his days before. Somewhat calm after a minute of hard breathing, he turns to the other, and looks him up and down again, reassessing.

"I admit to some prejudice against the race of goblins," continues Bennett. "All that I have ever seen have been evil, cowardly, ill-mannered creatures and this one has shown me nothing indicating he is any different. For believing ill of him without cause, I apologize, but for believing ill of him now that I have such cause, I do not. Whether the lot of you were to kill me where I stand right now, retribution is demanded by the tiny bit of honor I still retain."

"Bennett you are, you have said." Jihan adds. "If for nothing else than the nobility attached to your surname, you should be a great man. Do not let hasty words make little of you. This goblin has proven himself to all of us as brave, worthy and loyal, as I hope I myself have so proven."

"Unfortunately, I have only your words to provide evidence of that," replies Bennett. "There is no question that you, as a group, hold this creature in high regard. For that reason, I will vow that I will not kill this creature without a fair challenge. If in the coming days, or hours, he proves that he is worthy of the affection that you all hold for him, perhaps I will retract the death-vow entirely, since angry words are not binding. However, I do demand an apology for his words regarding my family. Without this, I will take the first opportunity to kill him. If this is unacceptable, then make whatever plans you have without me and I wish you an escape and the continuation of your lives. You have my word that no word of your plans will leave my lips. If that is not good enough, then you will have to kill me, here as I stand."

"You too hastily judge," continues Jihan, "though I can understand that being held naked in a cell with the threat of death over your head is not incentive for mercy and fairmindedness. We are all in a situation most dire and hopeless, and each must put forth his or her small part to, if nothing else, at least hold off despair. I do not think we are done as of yet."

"Despair is my brother. I live with it every hour of every day. Such a situation as this holds no different threat than living every day with my past."

An unreadable emotion washes over Bennett's face and he bows his head.

'Forgive me for my harsh words, brother, yet do not think that I meant any of them less.' Jihan adds. "If you can calm yourself then perhaps we can work together. Come... tell us of yourself and your 'crimes."

"This I can do. While my story is a private one, it does me no good, locked in this cell, perhaps never to escape. The Nyemetz raided my home while I was away. They took, they took, my mother's possessions."

At this all can tell he has something else to say, but he appears unwilling to do so.

"They ransacked my family's estate, assaulted my father. My family barely escaped with their lives."

The previous look appears again, but he quickly continues.

"Upon my return, I became angered, justifiably I think, and sought out the perpetrator of this crime. I found one of the orcs carrying my father's favorite ring. I killed him, then prepared to die from his comrades' swords. Inexplicably, I was captured instead of killed."

He stops at this point, thinking, then continues:

"I was transported to this town for reasons I know not and I have been here since then, some weeks ago. No one has addressed my crime or what penalty I will face. I am starting to think I will just rot here and never know my fate."

Jihan listens to Bennett's explanation, trying to determine whether Bennett is speaking the truth or is simply telling a pack of lies:

"For myself, I come from the forests of Shumava against the intentions of many of my people to do my part in ending this Nyemetz threat which has riven our country in two, torn as it was from internal strife before they arrived. I have lived through this entire war, and have seen nothing but hatred and division among my countrymen, when tolerance and unity were required. Against this and the crimes of the Nyemetz do I crusade, and though my part is small in the greater picture of things, I am not ashamed that I am doing what I feel is best and right. Can we talk, or will tempers continue to separate us?"

"This is worthy, and no crime,' replies Bennett. "However, I doubt that you will be treated the same as I have been, since I was brought here in secrecy and kept that way. The Nyemetz Witchfinder that captured you seems to be quite proud, from all the hubbub of your arrival. This bodes ill for you, as examples are often made of high-profile cases. I can only surmise that you resisted some foolish Nyemetz law, perhaps killing those who tried to enforce it? That big fellow over there,"

Bennett indicates towards Xavier:

"Your colleague appears to have seen some deadly combat with some type of beast, perhaps a wolf? The rest of you also appear to have suffered, though I wonder what could have caused the sadness I see in that little one,"

He turns to indicate the little gnome girl,

"Certainly not just physical combat."

A sympathetic look comes to him, and does not depart this time.

"I don't wonder that your story is much more interesting than mine. We have nothing but time, perhaps the less grievously injured of you can share it with me?"

'Later' replies Heimlin, tiredly. 'We don't need to get out of 'ere tonight, we 'ave time. But remember that gettin' out of the chains is only the first part of our struggle for freedom. If we manage that, then we still 'ave the guards to overcome, an' none of us is in no fit state for that at the moment. We needs to sleep in order to regain a little of our strength.'

They look to see Corrow who is still trying to ignore all of the others in the cell, keeping to his cover story.

Winnacer speaks to Corrow, briefly.

"Old man, the Nyemetz shall see through your lies. My father has often spoke of Nyemetz interrogation and the powers their dark gods grant them to determine the truth. Your attempts to deceive shall only place you on the rack, they shall not move you an inch towards freedom. I tell you this only because I do not wish you to die from the torture your lies will invoke."

Jihan, however, has a vague sense that they might be under mystical surveillance of some sort and is reluctant to discuss much in the ways of plans. After some time in this hopeless condition, he shakes this fear, and doesn't much care whether he is overheard or not, though he attempts to keep up the pretense of hope to bolster the others. Just in case he been scryed on, he furthers his act with Corrow, responding harshly to the sorcerer's comments:

"Filthy swine!" he yells, "though swine be too fit to call you. Such a beast at least has SOME use in this world. Keep you quiet and stay curled in the corner like the wispy dust on cobwebs, bastard!"

Then, at Heimlin's request, the arguing ceases and they all try to sleep. Under normal circumstances, you would find it difficult to sleep in such disgusting and uncomfortable surroundings. However, after only a little sleep the previous day and the terrible exertions of the day, all manage to sleep, with Yaz coming to a few times during the night in order to ensure that all are improving in health.