Questioning Rhifaroth - Day Three

[Cordelia(#1394)] The blindfold around the man\'s eyes secured, Cordelia picks up the cup again to first offer Rhifaroth some water. Still in the common language. \"Drink. Just water.\" Her voice the rough tone she is adopting this night. \"Drink and I\'ll untie your legs and help you sit up some.\"

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

His eyes half slitted but not looking around, Rhifaroth continues to lay still, smelling of body sweat, urine, and fluid he has coughed up incliding bile. He tries to lift his head to sip but he\'s laying on his side and not really able to sit up. Mostly water dribbles down his chin and onto the floor. But even just wetting his lips is something. The man managed to get a little into his mouth.

There is no resistance. No attempt to fight the woman. Either is is already weakened, or he is trying to conserve what he has got left for some chance. But mostly, the man is really starting to look like hell.

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

His eyes now covered, Rhifaroth continues to lay still, smelling of body sweat, urine, and fluid he has coughed up incliding bile. He tries to lift his head to sip but he\'s laying on his side and not really able to sit up. Mostly water dribbles down his chin and onto the floor. But even just wetting his lips is something. The man managed to get a little into his mouth.

There is no resistance. No attempt to fight the woman. Either he is already weakened, or he is trying to conserve what he has got left for some chance. But mostly, the man is really starting to look like hell.

[Cordelia(#1394)] But Cordelia is watching carefully--and there is shock and fear on her face as she takes in Rhifaroth\'s condition. She swallows hard, and then, when the water mostly goes down the ranger\'s chin and not his throat, she slips her hands underneath to lift his head a little and presses the mug to his lips again. She tilts the mug only a bit so to allow him to sip slowly, but she also doesn\'t seem to be in a hurry about it, letting the man very slowly sip his fill. There\'s no harshness in the touch of her hands, despite the tone that was in her voice earlier.

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

Rhifaroth\'s breathing is shallow and uneven, but between breaths he manages to get a few sips. But that\'s all he tries. Thirsty has he has been, he has a dim sense that he\'ll only spit it up. He\'s been in simular condition before.

Still mindful of how painful it was to try and move earlier, he doesn\'t try now. But faintly he tries to speak, \"thank .. you.\" Is he faking, or was the drug masking his dehydration before?

[Cordelia(#1394)] Cordelia knows she won\'t be able to move the man--even without his armor and in this weakened state, he is too heavy for her. So she sets the water aside--nodding only at the thank you and then remembering that Rhifaroth can\'t see her nod. She moves to his feet and begins to work at the knots binding his ankles together. Apparently, her aim, at least, is not to kill the man. \"Tell me about Gondor,\" she asks as she works on the ropes.

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

The Dunadan\'s breathing smooths out a little and he lays still. But the little bit of water did help. His tongue though feels swollen, thick, and still has a nasty bitter taste from Acelen\'s horse medicine they\'ve been knocking him out with.

The woman\'s question is a .. surprise. What has he been saying while he was drugged? Dimly alarmed, there is no reply as Rhifaroth tries to think.

Keldean wakes up, a bit stiff from his makeshift bed amongst a pile of empty sacks, his side in particular aching from the injury he has there. He yawns quietly, then stands, stretching. The teen takes a glance over towards where Seeker and Cordelia are, then moves towards the door to slip out.. having some urgency to take care of. He sticks to the shadows of the building, not wanting to be seen, then heads back to the entrance to sneak back in.

[Asht(#29272)] Again, Asht finds himself following the shadowy figure of Keldean, it seems to be happening again. Ignoring his previous strategy, he makes no attempt to conceal himself but simply strides past the younger man opening the door to the warehouse. He takes a step inside and moves slowly towards Cordelia offering her no geeting at all, but simply observing her, his dark eyes moving around the room. An intake of breath as he looks at the figure of Rhifaroth and he says sharply to Cordelia \"He is awake?\"

Keldean startles when Asht breezes past him, then simply glowers at the man\'s back. He makes certain the door is closed, then moves to linger at the edge of the candle\'s light, sitting down on a box to watch.

[Cordelia(#1394)] A look toward Keldean as the teen heads out of the warehouse and then back in again--Cordelia seems worried. But Rhifaroth\'s silence seems to annoy her. \"Tell me about Gondor!\" she snaps harshly at the man, her voice a growl. \"Finish telling me what you started and I\'ll untie your feet and help you to sit up.\"

That doesn\'t seem to stop her from working on the ropes that bind the ranger\'s ankles, though--but Rhifaroth would feel her abruptly stop when Asht\'s voice is heard in the room.

Cordelia looks up, nodding to the question. \"Awake. Not drugged. He needs water and to sit up, or he\'ll not last longer.\" Her voice is not normal sounding--again she works to make it different.

Asht stops for a moment where he is then says \"Well we must work quickly then, my dear.\" His voice comes out in a harsh whisper. With that he throws Cordelia a viscious look and pulls the hood over his travelling cloak up and over, concealing his features. He takes a step towards Rhifaroth and says in a flat tone \"It seems you\'re not co-operating ranger scum.\" Still looking at the ranger he asks Cordelia \"Does our young friend have a knife?\"

[Cordelia(#1394)] \"What?\" Cordelia answers, startled, twisting quickly to look at Keldean. \"I...no, no, nothing more than a tiny knife for carving, perhaps. Nothing of use.\" She -stares- at Keldean. Of course, Cordelia is openly wearing a dagger..

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

The bound and now blind folded man makes no effort whatsoever to move or to speak. He lays on the floor and however Cordelia wishes to handle him, his body is limp and heavy. His mind though is clearer than before and he listens, trying to piece things together from the small sounds or voices in the room. The strange man\'s voice is .... very unpleasant. And the mentioning of a knife...

Involuntarily, the Dunadan\'s heart rate skips up a bit faster and he tries to swallow. He still badly needs more water, but does not ask for it. Rhifaroth waits, expecting things to start to get ugly now. He still says nothing.

The knife? Surely Asht has his own? Keldean frowns, but pulls his foot up onto the box and draws the slim elven knife from his boot. He holds it out for Cordelia to take. He could deny that he possesses it, but Asht saw him wielding it earlier. Cordelia may recognize it as Seeker\'s, stolen when they first brought him here.

[Asht(#29272)] \"I think it is time for him to proof his worth to us.\" Asht\'s tone is almost soft, as if he\'s only just come upon this idea. \"No, keep the knife.\" he says directing the statement at Keldean.\" Let us see whether you can encourage the ranger to speak. I warn you though, as little blood as possible, we don\'t want the scum to die yet. But hurt him, by all means hurt him.\" Asht\'s sickly looking face twists into an expression of depraved rapture.

[Cordelia(#1394)] With the ranger blindfolded, Cordelia takes off the scarf she was wearing on her face and hair--it was hot, in any case. And now, by the candle light, it\'s plain to see that she has paled at Asht\'s words.

\"No! Master!\" she gasps at Asht, suddenly kneeling before the man in the dirt, her forehead pressed to the floor. \"Let me do it. He\'s an innocent. It\'s...it\'s not his skill.\"

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

There is not a word, not one, from the strangely tattooed man who lays bound hand and foot, blindfolded. Rhifaroth tries to stay calm and not think too much upon what is going to happen. He has been tortured before. It won\'t be pleasant at all. But thinking about it will make it worse. So, the man concentrates on his breathing. Slow, easy, relaxed... and waits, listening carefully, and trying to think of things he might be able to do.R

Keldean stares at Asht in shock for a long moment, his hand lowering again as his knuckles grow white, tightly gripping the knife. He slowly stands, his brown eyes shifting to Cordelia with horror behind them. It\'s as if the thought of the man being tortured for the information was only just introduced to Keldean. Or maybe he simply never expected to be involved in it. He swallows, his breathing growing heavier as he looks up at Asht. \"What do you want to know?\"

Asht looks at Keldean for a long hard moment then he nods shortly. \"Ah, we will want to know everything. That ranger scum will be wishing he knew more than he does simply to stop the pain.\" Asht seems almost breathless, his thin chest rising and falling as he speaks. \"Will you ask the questions, my dear?\" he asks, offering Cordelia a hand. The sudden switch to gentility is chilling. \"Now, make him bleed, boy. Let him know a taste of what he might expect. Then the questions... \" He looks sharply from Keldean to Rhifaroth.

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

The \'Ranger\' in question just waits, listening as before. No movement, no effort to defend himself against people he can\'t see - he\'s still bound anyway. Rhifaroth simply waits. There might be some ... opportunity that presents itself if he can keep his wits.

[Cordelia(#1394)] The look of shock on Cordelia\'s face matches Keldean\'s, and she too stares at the teen, but in horror. Silently she shakes her head to him, as if to try to tell him not to do it, but the boy is out to prove something perhaps.

\"Ask...ask..him who he is. Where he is from. Gondor. Harad. Why...who he fought for. Who he swore allegiance to. Why he is a friend of the elf scum...\" Cordelia reaches almost automatically for Asht\'s hand, letting the man lift her to her feet, her voice shaking as she speaks. She looks...pale, very pale, and a little green, too. \"I...I will get cloths. Bandages for wounds.....\" She\'s having a hard time thinking, it seems. \"With your leave, Sir....\" she says vaguely to Asht, already dropping the man\'s hand and moving toward the door.

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

His breathing having jumped up a little faster against his will, the man Keldean has known as \'Seeker\' licks his lips. Then, finally, he speaks to those he can\'t see, \"It\'s all right, Kel. They\'ll kill you. You better get on with it.\"

Keldean moves over to Rhif, his hand trembling. Make him bleed. The teen looks back to Cordelia as she starts listing what they want to know. He looks back sharply at Rhifaroth when the ranger speaks, his fears that the man would learn of his involvement coming true. He scowls, glaring up at Asht now as if to say \'I told you so\' from their brief exchange earlier. Then the teen adjusts his grip on the dagger and pokes it at Seeker\'s back, saying in an angry tone. \"Then just tell them what they want to know.\"

[Asht(#29272)] Dropping to his knees in a quick movement, Asht grabs Rhifaroth by the face. \"Talk to me, ranger\" he says, his voice a hiss, spitting as he talks. Asht looks sharply at Keldean. \"Do not threaten him, torture him, boy.\" With a theatrical glance over his shoulder he says quietly \"Amateurs, you give me amateurs\" at the departing figure of Cordelia.

Cordelia is already out the door before Rhifaroth says Keldean\'s name. She\'s gone longer than expected to get cloths, but that\'s because she is busy getting sick outside the warehouse, something that hasn\'t happened to her since her early days of training as an agent for the dark lord. And then she slips back in, many minutes later, to sit quietly in a corner, still looking pale and green.

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

Keldean\'s ... eh, not so threatening words and the jab with the elvish knife to his back, to his shoulder specifically, gets a rather strange response. The Dunadan chokes with a laugh! It\'s not quiet what the man was expecting.

Asht coming forward unexpectedly and grabbing his face and shouting at the blindfolded man does make Rhifaroth jerk, involentarily in surprise. But the Dunadan draws what saliva he can and it is at once spat right back - in the hope that the other man\'s face is still close enough to hit. Muscles in the man\'s arms bunch beneath his loose shirt and his legs try to move, to no avail.

Keldean nods quietly at Asht\'s instruction, not looking over towards Cordelia again. Rhifaroth can probably feel the trembling through the knife, but truly, the boy has no idea how to go about this. He sees a small spot of blood seeping where he has the tip of the blade pressed against Seeker\'s back. Then says in a cold, angry tone of voice. \"None of this would have happened if you had just answered my questions before, Seeker.\" He says the man\'s nickname with sarcasm, and pushes the knife in harder as he speaks.

[Asht(#29272)] A strange expression appears on Asht\'s face, a thoughful one that shifts to anger and back again many times. He shakes his head and looks upwards. \"Oh dear,\" he says, his voice brimming over with sarcastic sympathy. \"It seems the ranger scum knows you, boy. And she tried so hard to save his life. It seems we will have to kill him after all. I am so very sorry.\" He looks back at Cordelia, laughs softly and then is silent a moment.

Asht releases Rhifaroth and raises a hand to his own face, touching the ranger\'s spital with an almost delicate gesture. \"I do so enjoy a good joke, don\'t you?\" he says to the ranger. \"Do you really think this will be funny for long?\" Suddenly his composure drops and he draws a dagger. The handle is black, the long thin blade flickers in the candle light. \"Answer our questions. The pain may stop sooner.\" he barks. With that he holds the blade at Rhifaroth\'s throat, drawing a thin line around the man\'s chin, not cutting him deeply but enough for blood to well up.

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

The knife digging in a little deeper in his back makes \'Seeker\'s face tighten with the discomfort, but he does not cry out. He almost laughs again, \"Keldean, you are an idiot.\"

Asht\'s voice, and then the the second knife coming to caress his throat makes the ranger swallow involuntarily, tensing up a bit. His breathing a little rougher than he would like, Rhifaroth says softly, \"I\'ve been tortured before... I will tell you nothing.\" and then he adds for Keldean\'s benefit, \"I know you are going to ... kill me anyway.\" he gets a breath, \"And I know you won\'t do it quickly.\"

Apparently, the man has no illusions about what he is up against. Still, Rhifaroth holds very still and listens most carefully. A bead of bright blood has welled up along the thin cut over his throat. Salty sweat probably makes it sting a good deal.

Keldean pulls the blade away, staring for a moment at the blood. It\'s all too obvious that he\'s as innocent as Cordelia claimed if the expression on his face is any judge. Rhifaroth\'s insult has the boy narrowing his brow in anger. \"Shut up!\" He swings the butt end of the knife\'s handle down at the back of Rhifaroth\'s head to vent his frustration and nerves. \"You\'re a hypocrite! Just answer the questions!\" There\'s a frayed edge to Keldean\'s voice that the ranger has likely never heard before.

[Asht(#29272)] With a disparaging look at the ranger Asht lets out a sigh of exasperation, shaking slightly as Keldean strikes the ranger. \"You fool,\" he says softly, \"There are many kinds of death are there not? Perhaps you prefer it so slow that you\'re spirit will be broken many times before your body is?\" A slow shake of the head. Asht spends a moment pondering the point before continuing

\"Yes, many kinds. There is your own death. And then there is the death of someone you care for or perhaps once cared for, yes?\" Another short pause and then Asht moves. He draws the knife away from Rhifaroth and tries to grab Keldean, bringing the knife towards the young man\'s throat in a motion that is surprisingly quick.

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

The pomel of the elvish vintner\'s knife cracks the Dunadan a glancing blow to the back of his head. Blindfolded, Rhifaroth could do nothing to avoid it, not seeing it coming. He grunts faintly from the impact. More faintly the man mutters, \"hypocryte?\" Where did that come from?

The unknown man is ... more of a concern to the Dunadan. Asht seems to know a little bit more what he is about. But whatever the other man does ... grabbing up Keldean and suddenly threatening the young man, Rhifaroth can\'t see. He is blindfolded. Still, though the threat to kill him may or may not worry the tattooed man overmuch, threatening those he does care about ... there is no reply. Just a grim tightening of the man\'s lips.

There is a silence for a moment, then Rhifaroth says to thoes he can not see, \"It does not matter. I shall have Illuvatar\'s Gift - in the end.\" The Doom of all men, to die. Even the Dunedain.

Keldean knows he isn\'t doing a very good job of this, but he -is- doing it which is better than being dead on the floor. He doesn\'t even have a chance to sort out a reaction when Asht suddenly grabs his arm and hauls him over, the steel pressing against his throat. Panic washes through the boy and now more than his hand is shaking, his breathing growing more rapid. \"What.. What are you doing?\" Keldean asks, his voice wavering in fear.

[Asht(#29272)] With a surprisingly strong grip Asht brings one arm around Keldean\'s shoulders the other forcing the knife sharply against his throat. His hood still falls low over his face, his teeth appearing white in the half light. Leaning forward he whispers \"Now boy, be afraid, panic, feel the pain, but trust me.\" His voice is a low hiss, aimed for Keldean\'s ears alone.

Now he speaks more loudly, barking the words out. \"Now, drop you knife then remove the blindfold from this idiot who thinks that his death is a sacrifice to some acccursed elvish demon.\" Lowering his voice again, his lips curling into a smile he adds \"I am faster than you are, boy.\"

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

There is a little confusion. No one seems to be very close to him at the moment and there was some scuffle between the other two. Did the unknown man grab the boy and is now threatening Keldean? Rhifaroth lays still, listening intently and wishing his hands and legs were free. A vain desire.

Trust him?! Keldean is trembling, obviously afraid that Asht may just go through with his threat. He drops the knife, the metal clattering on the floor, then reaches forward to grab the blindfold and yank it away. That anger he had summoned up earlier to fight his fear is long since gone. \"He hates me.\" Keldean says, his voice cracking. \"He only cares about his family..\" The boy\'s brown eyes dart over to Cordelia, but it\'s hard to make her out in the shadows and his gaze naturally returns to Seeker in front of him, settling on that blood stain on the ranger\'s neck.

[Asht(#29272)] Holding the knife steadily at Keldean\'s neck, Asht studies Rhifaroth\'s face intently. His own is concealed deep inside his black hood, his dark eyes occassionally catching the light. \"Ah, he may hate you but one thing I have learned of these human scum they cannot hate without love. No, indeed.\" Again Asht seems to be lost in his own thoughts, but then quickly brings his focus back.

His eyes are on the ranger as he slowly cuts Keldeans throat, deeply but not deep enough to kill, mimicking Rhifaroth\'s own wound. \"Perhaps you hate the boy, yes? But do you really want him harmed or even killed?\" The thin mans voice has become a whine, somehow affecting compassion. \"He is walking down a dark path, yes, but you could save him. The blood on my hands is put there by you. You can stop this. Will you not save him?\"

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

The lighting in here is dim... but now that he is no longer drugged, it only takes a few moments to blink and focus on the other two. His vantage from lying on the floor isn\'t the best angle but it is what he has got. The knife is at Keldean\'s throat and this stranger with the deep cowled hood is drawing the blade enough to cause blood to begin to well up against the boy\'s skin.

Something turns inside his gut, tightening up. The Dunadan with the tatooed and scarred face clenches his jaw a moment, watching in silence. One the one hand, Rhifaroth wishes to kill Keldean for the young man\'s part in all this foolishness. But on the other hand... Keldean is just a boy yet. Stupid, young, and mislead by a sligthly older young woman. Maybe ... maybe he can buy some time.

\"Let him go. What do you want to know?\" His own voice is thick. The Southerner still needs more water remains dehydrated, and bound.

Keldean tenses, freezing in place as he feels the pain of the knife cutting him. He\'s too afraid to move, too afraid to swallow.. too afraid to make a sound. The expression on the boy\'s face now is one of terror, his skin white with fright. He can feel the hot blood, -his- blood this time, on his unblemished skin.

[Asht(#29272)] Asht\'s grib on Keldean tightens and he licks his lips. \"Yes, you are frightened, boy. I can feel your fear. His attention turns back to the ranger \"Let him go?\" Asht says, the derision palpable in his tone. \"It is said that a fool sees all others as fools too, but you are ridiculous.\" The knife at Keldeans throat shakes slightly. Asht\'s tone has become softer, almost professional. \"Now you will answer my questions and perhaps you will not see the boy maimed. First tell me where you are truely from and why you consort with the elf scum. What are they planning? Believe that I can see into your heart, filth of a ranger.\"

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

Lying on the floor, tied up most uncomfortably, the tattooed man considers the questions. It is good to have his head clearer... he can think carefully about what he can say, or shouldn\'t say. Apparently they already know where he\'s from, according to questions earlier in the same day from the woman.

Pale, silvery grey eyes no longer with enlarged pupils shift from the cowled man to Keldean\'s fright, then back to the unknown man. \"Gondor... I am originally from Gondor.\" Rhifaroth is careful not to say anything too specfic yet - not if he does not have to. He swallows, mouth dry again, \"I know one elf. Call him friend. He\'s helped me. I don\'t really know ... any other elves too well.\" That at least is truth to some degree. The bound man adds, \"Planning?\" he looks confused. The ranger might say something more but his voice breaks from lack of enough water.

Truly, it\'s a good thing Keldean relieved himself just before all this began, or his pants would be damp. Despite Asht\'s words of \'trust me\', the youth can\'t get a grip on the irrational fear rushing through him. His face is white as a sheet now and his breaths are in short gasps. Suddenly the potato farm is seeming so much more appealing to the boy.

[Asht(#29272)] The dark eyes under the cowl study Rhifaroth for a while, then Asht nods slowly. \"Yes, yes, very good.\" he says shortly. \"You have helped them? To do what? To kill our servants among other things I imagine. Treason.\" This last word comes out in an elongated hiss and Asht looks at Rhifaroth with utter hatred.

Relaxing his grip on the young man\'s neck a little, Asht turns to him, his face is alarmingly close, but all he does is smile pleasantly. \"Now, what of Gondor. Tell me everything you know. When were you there last? What do you know? I do hope you will prove yourself useful to us.\" As a reminder, Asht lowers the knife at Keldean\'s neck slightly, cutting the young man again.

Keldean fliches as the knife cuts into his skin again, more hot blood trickling from the wound. There\'s sweat beading on his forehead now as he begins to regain some of his senses, his mind struggling to figure out some course of action other than standing, frozen in terror. He squeezes his eyes closed, trying to concentrate, but he can\'t think of any solution that won\'t bury that blade fatally into his throat.

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

This isn\'t pretty. The Dunadan\'s mouth is so dry. He is trying to stay focused, but his eyes have slipped closed. He is so thirsty. Half his face pressed against the floor, his tattoed and scar seamed face tired and dirty, Rhifaroth mutters somewhat less coheriently, \"A couple ... years?\"

There is a pause, then the man says thickly but not very audiably, \"water..\"

[Asht(#29272)] A low laugh erupts from Asht\'s throat. \"Water? Water?\" he muses to himself. \"You will get nothing, scum.\" he says quickly then seems to relect on the words. \"Ah perhaps I spoke to quickly. Water, yes? You will have some water, yes, if you tell me what I need to know.\"

Asht removes one arm from around Keldean\'s body but the knife remains where it is, shaking a little in Asht\'s unsteady grip. He glances around the darkened room and a look of confusion appears on his face as if he\'s suddenly realised his predicament. \"Wake up, woman,\" he calls sharply across to Cordelia. When there is no response he sighs and says softly to himself \"This may prove to be a very long night.\"

\"I.. I could get some..\" Keldean ventures to offer in a small voice. It\'s a foolish notion, because given his predicament he highly doubts the man will release him. But, the teen is going to try.

[Rhifaroth(#27282)]

There is no further response from the Gondorian... if he really is a Gondorian. The man lays limp on his side, eyes closed, breathing shallow and a little uneven. Pain and fatigue have begun to wear at his features. The man is starting to look rather unhealthy from days without the most basic of care.

[Asht(#29272)] With a muttered expletitive, Asht turns back to Keldean, almost nose to nose with him. His breath is rancid and the sound of it up close is like a broken bellows. \"Well, boy, it looks like we are the only ones awake.\" Asht shakes his head in frustration. \"We must wait for that... that woman to wake up. Feel free to sleep, boy, I will not let you fall.\" The point of the knife drifts a little, tickling the younger man\'s neck.

Asht turns away, his shadowed face staring out into the darkness, his dark eyes glowering with frustration. \"A long night indeed,\" he mutters softly to himself.

[Asht(#29272)] It is difficult to tell how much time has passed. Inside the warehouse, on the darkened floor, time is confused, minutes become hours too easily. Asht remains where he was, knife at Keldeans throat. His jaundiced face stares out into the darkness, eyes open, he is perfectly still. The light has changed in the last few minutes and the faint sound of birdsong can be heard. It seems that outside the sun is perhaps rising. Asht shuffles a little, aching muscles trying to find a comfortable position, the knife moving slightly away from Keldean\'s neck.

Keldean can\'t help but relax some as time passes. His panic eases to more of a dull fear and his mind begins working more methodically on a way out of the situation. After a long time the boy finally speaks, his words soft, \"What\'s your name?\" It\'s a simple question, but maybe if he knows the stranger\'s name it will make the entire situation a bit easier.

[Asht(#29272)] A quick glance thrown sideways is all the response the younger man gets for a long moment. Then Asht draws breath, the hissing sound of it disturbing the stillness. \"My name?\" he says in a musing tone, almost as if he genuinely has to think about it. \"My name, yes. I am called Asht. That is as much of my name as you would like to hear, I suspect. And you? I assume you have a name also?\" The thin face looks closely at Keldean, a smile plays on his lips but the expression is cold.

Keldean would nod, but he\'s gotten quite good at not moving at all. The teen has made no effort to escape simply because he believes the claim Asht made that he\'s faster. \"Keldean.\" He answers. \"Why are you bothering with this? He\'s asleep..\"

[Asht(#29272)] A long sigh is heard in the darkness. Asht looks pointedly from the unconscious ranger to the sleeping figure of Cordelia. \"Yes, they both seem asleep, curse that foolish woman. Still, a sleepless night is an opportunity is it not? I have pondered much in the darkness...\" Asht is silent a long moment.

Turning back to Keldean he says soflty and sharply \"You fool, I am bothering because I do not trust you. Nor do I trust that that filth of a ranger is actually asleep.\" Another sigh. \"Perhaps you would like to give me reasons to trust you, Keldean,\" Asht says. His pronounciation of the name is a little strange. Asht licks his lips.

Keldean stiffens when Asht\'s voice grows sharp, obviously still afraid of the man. Only someone completely brainless wouldn\'t be when a knife is held so close to your death for such a length of time. \"She trusts me. I\'m not a fool. I did the job perfectly.\" He says in the same soft voice, his gaze on the ranger. \"He wouldn\'t have known I was here if you hadn\'t given me away.\"

[Asht(#29272)] A low voiced curse spills from Asht\'s lips and he quickly drops his voice. \"Perfectly? Perfectly?\" His voice has become a whine. \"You give that scum enough of the drug to kill an ox and you describe that as perfect? And how was I know you both were so enamoured of the ranger that you wanted him to live?\" Asht spits on the straw. \"Be careful, Keldean. I would advise against making me any more angry than I already am.\"

Across the room, the slumped figure of Rhifaroth moves slightly in the darkness. He grunts softly but doesn\'t appear to wake- yet. Asht sees the movement and whispers sharply to Keldean. \"Enough of this, boy. The easiest way out of this impasse is for me to kill you. Do you have another suggestion to make?\" In the half light, Asht\'s drawn features are highlighted and the knife moves slowly around Keldean\'s throat, emphasising the point.

Keldean has no immediate answers and he licks his dry lips nervously, his breathing growing more rapid as Asht teases with the blade. \"I did as I was told,\" he says finally, that worried edge to his voice again, \"and no one was the wiser. He wouldn\'t have trusted anyone else. I haven\'t betrayed her and I\'ve known enough for a while now that I could have. I can be of more use. It\'s easy to learn things when people think you\'re a dumb kid.\"

[Asht(#29272)] The statement is met with a very long silence. With a quick movement, Asht pulls the knife away from Keldean\'s neck and rises silently to his feet. He leans down towards the young man, pointing the knife at him threateningly. \"I will take a risk, boy,\" he hisses softly. \"I warn you though that any mis-step, and hint of betrayal and I will not kill you. No. I will hunt down those you love and I will kill them. Then you will see what you have done, yes?\" Another long pause. \"Now get up, we must leave here before that ranger filth truly wakes. But we will return and then, I suppose this charade must continue.\"

Asht takes a pace away from Keldean and turns on his heel, casting a derisive look at the sleeping figure of Cordelia. His spits on the ground again, shaking his head. The hatred in his eyes is palpable.

Keldean cringes at the sudden movement, anticipating the worse. But, somehow, he isn\'t in pain or dying yet. He listens in silence when Asht speaks of risks and threats, then only nods in understanding. It seems the boy also knows when to keep his mouth shut.

Keldean shoves to his feet, stiff muscles protesting after remaining motionless for so long, but he\'ll hurry to follow after Asht. The only pause he takes is to scoop up the elven knife that he dropped earlier.

[Asht(#29272)] With only the most casual look over his shoulder, Asht makes his way towards the door and opens it. For a moment the dark space is flooded with dawn\'s light before the sickly looking man disappears, the door click closed behind him.