The Crucible Campaign

9: Torture In The Moonlight

.^^ Lute of the Rose ^^

— Teagan —

The ceiling above me was an odd, yet beautiful combination of silvery wood and darkened, almost scorched planks, perhaps for waterproofing or aesthetics, who knew. I tried to remember where I was, and drew a blank for a moment. 'They must have taken me back to the inn with them, after I passed out... hmm... no, the inn wasn't this fancy...'

"Lover? Are you awake?" Caroline sat next to me, and smiled, kissing me sweetly. "You worried me, you know, passing out like that... were this my house, you wouldn't be walking today..." she glared at me seriously.

I smiled. "Sorry, Lover, I just wanted to help. I've never had much of a head for tactics and such, like you and the girls."

She chuckled. "That's true, yes. Well, you're awake now, so let's get a bath, and we'll talk a bit about what you missed, yes?" She carried me casually to a room connected to mine, with a marble bathtub set in the ground.

I sighed and helped her undress, as she undid my leather clothes from the day before, then we slipped into the hot water, which she barely fit in, to my amusement.

She frowned at me playfully, and poured water on my hair. "Teach you to laugh at me, won't I?" She smirked.

I smiled and laid down on her chest, sighing deeply. "This is nice... what did I miss, then?" I asked, deciding to get it over with.

"Alright, Short version... there's a Thieves Guild, and they attempted to have us kidnapped, by way of mind-controlled people. We caught one, the one that apparently cut Cassidy's ankle, and we then interrogated him, only to find that out that he didn't have a clue, because mind control also comes with a handy dose of amnesia." She spoke casually, petting my hair to keep me from exploding.

I kept a tight grip on my emotions, and breathed deeply. "I see... continue?"

"We used some magic to make him draw us a map, and come morning, we are raiding their little tunnel system under the city, and taking their worst members and leaders, and bringing them before the guards to be taken care of. The fences and brokers and all will be left to their business, after a stern warning against dealing in flesh in the future." She nodded.

I nodded slowly. "Alright... better... where is everyone? Better yet, where are we? Is this Ma's House? It's very fancy." I looked at the marble, and stroked the black and silver veins through the deep blue stone.

"Actually, this is Renata's House. Cassidy went with that new girl, Sandy, to her Inn for a bath and some 'Sleep'. Tommy is with Gladrin, she seems to have inherited my proclivities for shy men." She smirked and gripped my butt, knowing it would make me blush, which she loved.

I smiled and kissed her. "You're adorably evil. So Sandy, she was... impressive? I only saw glimpses of her. Wasn't she a Sand Demon?"

"Oh, right. No, she's some sort of Druid, she can turn into all sorts of things. She's actually about six feet tall, short black hair, green eyes, kinda-tan skin. She's from a Desert Tribe, she said, and she understood Egyptian Arabic fluently, calling it 'The Hidden Language'. She doesn't know I speak it, only Cassidy." She smiled.

"Alright... anything else?" I asked.

"Mmmm... Not that I can think of. I wonder, actually, if-" an explosion in the distance rocked the water gently, and she saw me startle. "What's wrong?"

"You didn't feel that?" I hissed, scrambling out of the bath and pulling on my clothes, not even bothering to get dry.

She stepped out of the bath and steamed her skin instantly, then gripped me and did the same. "Take a breath. Speak." She said calmly.