The Rogue Guardian

Chapter 44: Captured

I woke to a pounding headache and bound hands. Both of which I should have expected, but it's hard to expect anything while being attacked by two... three... some number of assassins. Counting was also an issue at the moment.

I groaned, and found that my mouth hadn't been gagged. That was nice of them.

"She's awake."

"I heard it too, don't be so condescending."

I considered turning my head to figure out who was talking, but continuing to lie on the ground took less energy.

"Well, she's not moving," the first voice said.

"Would you stop telling me things I can see by myself?" The second voice snapped. Female, probably.

"She's still not moving."

"If you don't shut up, I'm going to take this dagger and--"

"You already used that threat. Like, two hours ago." First voice was decidedly unimpressed.

"No, this is a new one. You never wait to see how it's going to finish."

"Oh, sorry. Keep going."

"No, you ruined it. Now you won't ever find out. I hope you're happy."

"Oh, excuse me--"

"Would you two shut up?" I mumbled into the ground.

"She just talked," First voice observed.

"I swear to God--"

"Did you hear what she said?"

"Yeah, she told you to shut up."

"No, she told both of us to shut up."

"Well, if you heard her, why'd you ask?"

I groaned again. My headache pounded with the echo of their voices off the walls.

"Now she groaned."

There was a loud thump, like someone being pushed into a wall.

I hoped these two hadn't been the ones to capture me. I don't think I could have lived that down.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Do us both a favor and just don't talk."

"How does that do both of us a favor?"

"Because then I don't have to hear you, and you don't have to be shoved into any more walls."

A pause. First voice seemed to be considering. "That sounds reasonable."

Slowly, I turned fully onto my side so I was facing them. My vision was striped with thick black lines. I blinked, and they were bars. A cell.

The ties around my hands dug in as I wormed around to see better, but they had been tied expertly, just loose enough not to cut off my circulation. I flexed my fingers and pulled at them. No give.

"Hey look, she--"

"I'm sorry, what was our deal?"

"I shut up. You don't punch me."

"Excellent."

I could see two pairs of shoes, two pairs of legs-- I blinked away the fuzziness in my vision as someone squatted down on the other side of the bars. The second, more female voice came from the blurry figure I was slowly focusing on.

"How do you feel? You were drugged, obviously. And apparently you're a late sleeper."

"I bet they overdosed the sleep because of her height," First voice volunteered.