FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 2

The pathway ahead was yet again lid by these strange lamps. She didn't understand how the people who build them got used to the constant hissing sound. At least she wouldn't have to, if what the gryphon said was true, and they'd be gone soon from that place. While it was fascinating she couldn't really say that her curiosity alone was enough to make her want to stay. Sure, it was interesting, but she would rather just be home again.

She paused on the spot as that thought crossed her mind. To go home was really all she wanted. To think that for so long all she wanted was to get away from that castle only to want to go back now that she actually was gone. It made her laugh briefly, a bitter tone rather than one of joy. One of her hands went up to stroke her aching head and she moved on. So many thoughts crossed her mind that it was nearly impossible to focus on anything really.

It was just that morning that she had almost been raped. That one was one of the loudest thoughts that rattled through her crowded head as she made her way towards the so called baths. Now that the adrenaline wore off it all came back, like when the gryphon was carrying her to the cave. So many hours she spend thinking about what happened, of her father, her mother, her brother and Bernard too. All that contributed to her poor performance at getting much valuable information out of that damn bird.

She groaned when she reached another archway, frustrated that all those thoughts had to be so damn loud and persistent. She lowered her hand from her aching forehead and took a peek inside the room. It appeared to be just as breathtaking as the other rooms and hallways she had come across so far, but at this point not even the fancy artwork was enough to get her mind off her worries and the traumatic events that took place. Only a brief glance was spared at the wall carvings and the lamps that lid the room, more so focused on the tub, or rather hole in the floor filled with water. It reminded her of illustrations she saw somewhere of Eldorien bathhouses. A public bathing area for several people to bathe while they talked, drank and relaxed. Except she had the big bathe just for herself. The fact that she was able to do this without the smarmy bird watching her made her smile, if only a little, after which she looked over her shoulder to make sure he really did not follow.

Which he did not, luckily for her. Next she checked on the water, removing her leather shoes to tip her toes into the water. It was warm, pleasantly so. With furrowed brow she stared at the clear water, wondering how the gryphon had bathed, got rid of the dirty water and then filled in new warm water in such a short time. Her question was answered, at least partially, when she spotted a copper pipe just above the water's surface, jutting out of the wall of the stone tub. Next to it were two… valves, if that was the right word for it since she had only heard of such technology once from her mother after her visit with father to the capital city of Eldoria. Some kind of machinery that opened and closed lids in some other room where the water was pumped from while heating it at the same time. Truth be told, she had no idea how it worked and did not really listen to her mother when she told her of it.

The people that build these halls of stone into the mountain were as advanced, or likely more advanced, then the damn Eldorien Snops. While she was thankful for the momentary distraction from her worried thoughts she began to undress, once more looking over her shoulder only to be greeted with the dimly lit hallway.

Her clothes she simply threw at the edge of the bath where they piled up. A sigh escaped her as she stepped into the hot bath, warmth enveloping her the further in she went. Once she reached the bottom her upper body was still enveloped by only cold air, so she sat down on the heated stone beneath her feet, another sigh getting coaxed out of her. A warm bath was really what she needed.

She let the warm water do its job while she idly cleaned off some blood that had been in her hair and face. All her muscles relaxed fully for what felt like the first time in ages. If she could she would have stayed in that bath the whole night and longer, but she needed more information. The gryphon came to the forefront of her thoughts again, a scowl forming on her face. Despite of what he did to her he did not harm her and judging the way he left their latest conversation he had some level of self-awareness that kidnapping her was wrong. Still he had no issue actually going through with it, so perhaps someone made him do it.

Her scowl deepening, she groaned, massaging her forehead. Those were all a lot of ifs and maybes. The best way to know was to ask. Even if he doesn't want to answer she won't lose anything from it.

She spent the next five minutes thinking on that topic while simultaneously enjoying the hot bath. When she got out the air chilled her to the bone which was when she realized she had nothing to dry off with except her clothes but those were so dirty that she would look worse than before afterwards. She could just wait until the air dried her off, yet again, she didn't want to wait that long.

Reluctantly, very reluctantly, she realized that her only option was to call for the gryphon. She took her gambeson to give her some level of decency, holding it in front of her chest, which covered most of her lower body well enough. Besides being covered up for the most part it still took a big amount of courage to actually call out. “Hey! Gryphon!" She waited a moment to see if there would be a response.

It took a short moment for her patients to run dry and she called out again. “Gryphon! Can you please bring me something to dry off?"

Another short moment of silence followed, this time ending in laughter coming from somewhere down the hall. “Should have thought of that before huh? Hahaha…" The voice got closer as he talked, making her instinctively grab her cover tighter. “Lucky you, I did have some spare cloth that you can use." He came into the light slowly, beak first, grinning ear to ear. Again, she grabbed her gambeson tighter. Apparently she must have stared at him, scared, because he stopped before the archway, his grin diminished and he rolled his eyes.

He sighed as he laid down a large piece of simple linen cloth which he had carried in his paw. Thankfully, it was still clean. “You know you needn't be afraid, right? If I wanted to do anything to you I'd have done it by now, no?" He said so in a sincere tone, although his grin reappeared. His words did put her somewhat at ease, since she knew he was right deep down. “Just dry yourself off and come to the sleeping area opposite of here. You probably should get some rest soon, judging by the look in your eyes."

Without giving her a chance to even come up with a response he turned around. The moment he was out of sight she basically deflated and dropped her cover up, glaring at the cloth. “God… dammit!" She cursed under her breath when she began to dry herself off. All the while she grumbled to herself. “Fucking… pompous… birdbrain…" Her cursing only became louder the drier she got, to the point where she was almost yelling her insults.

“That fucking bastard!" She screamed to no one, putting the shirt she wore under her gambeson. “Thinks he is so fucking smart!" Her knuckles whitened due to her tight grip as she got into her pants, then her shoes. It felt good to just let loose like that, to just curse away. Doing that at home would mean someone would hear her for sure.

When she was at last dressed her temper had cooled a little, but she knew all it took was a spark to reignite it. She just hoped that her hot temper would not hinder her attempts to try to get eye to eye with the gryphon. Now back in her clothes, she left the room, but not before turning at the valve that she presumed would open some hatch that let the water flow away. As it happens, her assumption proved right and the water began to drain. As she made her way through the hallway she tried to get her thoughts back on track. Once she was with the gryphon she would encourage conversation and try to act as casual as she could. Hopefully that would be enough, she thought.

Back at the crossroad she followed the gryphon's instructions and went down the hallway opposite of the one she came from. More lights were lid in that hallway, not leaving a single part of the way in darkness. She was glad that for once she could see exactly where she was going. At the end there was, yet again, an engraved archway. This one had different marking and images engraved but her mind was busy dealing with something else so they were only partly noticed.

The room which the gryphon had before simply dubbed 'sleeping area' was much more than that, even at first glance. It was by far the biggest room she had seen in these stone halls she was trapped in. The ceiling was high up, high enough that the gryphon could take flight, she guessed, if it weren't for the thick stone pillars. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, ones with actual candles inside, however unlit. The hissing lamps on the walls did the room enough justice however, leaving only a few dark corners, especially the middle of the room, which was where the gryphon was laying on top of a pile of furs, blankets and pillows. It was where she would expect a long table to be, as the entire room looked like it was once used as a dining hall before whoever build them abandoned them.

The pillars were engraved as were all the four walls of the sizeable room. Most of them were either too far away or kept in darkness, making it difficult to make anything out really. Her surroundings were only taken in briefly however, her real attention fixed on the breathing pile of feathers in the center of it all. Amidst all the grey stone the gryphon and his pillows really stuck out which only made focusing on him easier. Tamara took a deep breath and let it out slowly before starting her way further into the room to confront the bird. When she took the first step into the hall her eyes were fixed on the gryphon, leading to her almost falling over a piece of debris that was just lying on the ground, apparently once part of the wall. She hissed in pain as she hit the stone with her ankle, making it tumble in the process, filling the whole hall with a loud thud that echoed through the empty hall.

She gritted her teeth, holding her ankle as she did her best not to scream or say anything. She glanced over to the gryphon who, to her surprise, was not smirking at her. Perhaps he was actually sleeping and the rock falling over somehow didn't wake him. The pain was still there but the shock left her as she stood up straight again, taking a deep breath.

“Watch where you're stepping, princess." Said the gryphon suddenly, not even raising his head to talk to her. His voice was however dripping with amusement and she could see his smile despite the fact that his head was out of her view. “Old ruins tend to crumble when left unattended."

She glared at him, fury burning in her eyes as she let out she breath she was holding. “Yes, thanks for the valuable lesson." She hissed through her teeth.

“You are welcome." His voice was filled with just as much amusement as before, this time even being followed by a subtle chuckle.

Annoyed, yet with clear intend, she moved over to the gryphon, albeit in a slow pace. It wasn't the pain holding her back, but rather the fact that it was time to talk to him despite the fact that she really did not want to. At least he was mostly shrouded in darkness so she wouldn't have to look at him when they would talk. The gryphon did not turn around or even move other than a twitch of his tail or wing now and then. Even when she sat down on a chair standing amongst a few others that were scattered throughout the center of the hall. Unsurprisingly, they too were made from solid stone. The surface was at least covered with some sort of leather that made sitting on it relatively comfortable.

For a moment she just sat there and stared at the gryphon, his sides rising with every breath. His form appeared so small compared to usual, curled up into a ball almost. Funny how seeing the beast like that made even him look peaceful, at least somewhat. When she felt like she stared enough without saying a word she decided it was time to act upon all the thoughts running rampant through her mind. “Gryphon…" She started, and was already at loss of words. She saw one of his ears twitching towards her, so it was certain she got his attention. “I ehm... I wanted to talk to you… about- “

“Let me guess." He interrupted her, catching her so of guard in the moment that she jumped a bit. “You have been thinking of what's best to say to somehow gain my trust and sympathy so I let you go after all?" He paused briefly, letting the question sink in, which it truly did not as Tamara sat there stunned, staring at him with widened eyes. “Or maybe just so I reveal to you more information about our destination or my employee to give you a chance to escape? Something along these lines I am sure." That was when he at last rose his head to glare at her, golden eyes subtly glowing in the gloomy light that shone at them from the walls. “Am I not right?"

She stared into his eyes almost mesmerized, stunned by his words explaining her intend like he was reading her thoughts like a book. “I… how…" She struggled for words but couldn't find fitting ones so instead she just shook her head in disbelief and lowered her gaze to the ground, mumbling to her herself. “I thought maybe… you had felt some… remorse…"

What she said was but a whisper, one she said to herself, but his sensitive ears still picked it up. “What, you think this is my first time doing such a task as this? Kidnapping rich people has become almost a specialty of mine." He narrowed his eyes towards her slightly. “So what makes you think I have any remorse?"

“Your…" She responded right away but stopped herself. 'Your eyes' was what she wanted to say as she could have sworn to have seen a glimpse of emotion hiding behind his gruff exterior. When she said that in her mind however, she realized that he would probably just laugh at her if she said that. Her plan has fallen apart so rapidly which only freed the anger rising within her as well as all the other emotions she wanted to try and hide. So instead of saying anything else she just closed her eyes and buried her face in her hands. She could hear the gryphon exhaling a sigh. Almost a minute had passed of her sitting there with her face covered by her hands when he spoke again.

“Alright, alright, stop sulking already. I did not mean to offend you." There was a strange uncertainty in his voice. At least that was what it sounded like to her. It was the same undertone he had before in the hallway when she managed to get a tiny glimpse at the emotions he was so good at hiding. This seemed to be her one and only chance to get under his skin if she played it right. All she had to do was let loose what she was already holding back and then think of all the things that made her sad or angry. She clenched her eyes tightly shut and sniffed once, her hands shaking slightly. As she sobbed once and tears formed in her eyes she was listening closely to his reaction. What she heard was some words he said very quiet in a tongue she never heard before but she could swear it was some curse. So far, so good. “Listen" He started, sounding unsure of himself and the situation. “Just lay down and calm yourself, alright? You will be rid of me by tomorrow anyway."

It seemed she had him to some degree now. It was time to really play into it as best as she could. Her sobbing got louder and a tear actually rolled down her cheek as she got more into her act, although it really was only half an act. “I just want to go home." She wretched out her throat in a miserable voice, only then looking up from her hands again. It turned out that he had sat up on his haunches and was glaring at her with an expression she couldn't quite identify, with his ears lowered and his eyes focused. Then when she looked down she spotted something reflecting the light from one of the lamps, something that gave her a new option to pick entirely.

It was a sword, currently still in its scabbard, right where the gryphon's paws were before.

It looked old but the hilt showed no signs of rust, so with any luck the blade was rust free and sharp as well. Her whole act almost fell apart when her eyes widened slightly at the sight, but she quickly looked away, wiping away a tear that threatened to drip down her chin. As she Wiped her face with her arm she stood up and glared up at the gryphon, eyes reddened from the tears. “Why are you so… so heartless." She barely got that last word out as she sobbed several times, falling to her knees, right in front of the sword.

She heard the gryphon sigh again, louder this time, and glanced up at him. He was looking away himself, apparently lost in thought as to what to do with her now. This was perfect. Her heart was pounding faster as she lowered her hands towards the sword handle, peering up at the gryphon one last to time to see if he was looking away and then shot her hands forward to draw the blade. And then everything happened so fast. She drew the sword and right away it dawned on her how strangely light it was when she brought it towards his throat. His reaction was fast but not quite fast enough. His head darted towards her and his paw was raised, claws out, but the sword blade already was tightly pressed against his throat. He froze in shock, and she almost too as she stared wide eyed at the gryphon, yelling. “Don't move an inch!"

Her breathing was heavy and her eyes wide as she held the sword with shaking hands. He meanwhile was staring daggers at her, one paw still raised in the air, slowly lowering to the ground. “Impressive." He said bitterly once his paw reached the ground. “Seems I under- “

“Shut up!" She shouted. “Shut up with your empty words! I only want facts now and the truth!" She demanded with fire in her eyes and voice. “Where are you taking me? To whom?" She corrected herself just in time so the damn bustard wouldn't just say 'the camp' again, pressing the blade tighter just as she finished her question.

She could see his throat move as he gulped, still staring daggers at her. He didn't show it but she knew he was nervous and perhaps even afraid. After what seemed like an eternity of staring each other down, he answered her at least. “To my employee of course."

Tamara grit her teeth in frustration. “Be more specific!" She pressed further still, drawing a little blood on accident, a single droplet rolling down the blade.

“Alright! Calm down!" He squawked back at her, daring not to move much at this moment. “The encampment is not much further north from here, almost on the coast! The name of employee is Tiberius Livius Marcellus and that is all I know of him. I don't know why he wanted you, I don't know why he hired all those mercenaries. I don't tend to ask them many questions. I do my job, get paid and move on with my life." He gently tried to take a step back. “Now if you were so kind as to remove that sword-“

“No!" She yelled at him, making him freeze in place again. “You… this makes no sense! That name sounds Eldorien what would such a man be doing in Nordholm? Or what would a gryphon want with gold anyway-“

This time it was the gryphon's turn to cut her off. With the speed of a lightning bolt his paw came rising up again just as he moved his neck back just enough so he could beat the sword away with his paw, which he did. The force was enough to knock the grip straight out of her hand and before she could even register what just happened he was upon her, holding her down against the ground with both his forepaws.

All she did, all she could do then, was stare. Stare at him in utter shock and confusion as he glared at her in turn with a smirk on his beak and his eyes narrowed to a scowl. “Now that, princess was actually quite well done. You had me there for just a moment." He talked slow and precise, not breaking eye contact at all. “It was brave, brave but foolish. Try that again and I swear I'll defend myself with my claws."

After he said that, to her surprise, the pressure on her body started to lighten until eventually he stepped off of her. Still, he broke the eye contact not even for a second. “I will leave the sword over there." He said, tilting his head towards the discarded blade. “Because we know very well that if you harm or kill me in my sleep you won't be getting off this mountain. Just behave, do as you're told and if your father loves you more than his gold, you'll be back home soon."

Any other time that snarky comment about her father would have made her angry, but at the current time she was still just too shell-shocked to really respond in any way. She slowly sat back up and leaned her back against one of the large pillars. He tucked her legs in close, hugging them to her body as she just stared at the ground. That was her only chance. What was she to do now?

Tamara staid like that for quite a while, while the gryphon lay down again to keep watching her but with more comfort. It was utter silence in the big hall except the gentle humming of the lamps hanging on the walls. The silence was uncomfortable at best. She could not ignore the persistent glare of the gryphon no matter how hard she tried. Despite that she found herself drifting away into her thoughts again, none of which were pretty. Her eyes were still red and wet from the tears she shed before and even now she had to sniff from time to time and wipe at her eyes. All this time the gryphon said nothing. No words of solace or comfort, forced as it would have seemed. He probably thought whatever she might say was only manipulation now. She tried her trump card and failed on all levels.

The silence that filled the hall was too much to bear for too long though. Eventually she just spoke up, turning to the first topic that came to her mind that she deemed alright for the situation. “I used to think gryphons weren't real, you know?" As she spoke she didn't turn to face him but he could see his head tilting slightly in the corner of her eye. Curiosity of his own perhaps? “I was never much of a reader but I only knew them from fairytales and old legends and such. Most of the people in Nordholm probably think the same way, and yet, here you are." Only then did she throw a glance towards him, albeit brief. “So I wonder: Where are you from? You can't be from Nordholm perhaps from somewhere within the Redorien empire still? You speak our tongue quite well, although there is a strange dialect in it I can't really place." She paused briefly to see if he would already respond to her questions but all he did was stare at her with that unrelenting glare. “So, I ask again, gryphon." She turned to look at him then. “Where are you from?"

She glared right back at him, right into those hardened gold eyes of his. “What are you doing?" He asked, sounded irritated. “What do you mean to achieve by it this time? That I let my guard down again? Do you think I am that naïve?"

“I simply asked out of curiosity, honestly." She said with a sigh, turning her head away again. “I just can't bear the silence."

“And so you ask such a personal question after what you just tried to pull?" He chuckled, shaking his head. “Funny how naïve you are."

She chose to just ignore his remark and closed her eyes. His persistent glare was still ever-present however, as was the humming of the lamps on the walls. At that thought another question came to mind. “What do you know of this strange place? It seems so old yet so… advanced." She kept her eyes close but could still feel him glaring at her.

“I don't know any more than you. I just found this place on my travel here and thought it would be a good resting place. Which it has proven itself as, seeing as I don't need to restrain you to keep you from running away." He remarked, the smirk on his face so obvious that she didn't even need to look to know it was there.

“But you knew about the bath. How did you know that's what it was?"

“Because I used it. And I will again in the morning before we leave. “He stated with a bitter tone as if it should have been obvious to her. “You think I am some uncivilized animal? I clean myself regularly."

“So how'd you know to use those valves?" She wouldn't relent even if she had the feeling he wouldn't answer her question's any further. “Have you seen them before?"

“That shouldn't be any more a concern of yours than where I am from, princess."

At that she opened her eyes again to glare at him. “I have a name you know? I am starting to get tired of you calling me that."

That damned smirk was still there. “Of course you have a name, Tamara. So do I." Before she could even open her mouth again he went on. “And no, I shan't tell you my name. As you know by now I like to keep my personal life away from my business affairs."

“Business? You mean kidnap people for gold and silver?" She stated and jabbed a finger at him, making him flinch just a little. “And what do you need the money for anyway? To build your bird nest?"

“Bird nest?" He squawked back, the feather on his head standing up and the plumage on his chest expanding. She must have struck a nerve with that one because he even got up from his haunches. “I do not live in a bird nest or caves or trees or wherever you might imagine I live. I am no bird!" She cringed when he called out so loud, his voice echoing through the stone hall. When she looked at him again she could see that he was shaking slightly as he glared at her. He quickly seemed to recompose himself though as his shaking stopped almost as soon as she noticed it and he shook himself, some feathers falling loose as he did. He settled back down and rearranged his feathers. All the while she just stared. Whatever nerve she struck must have been more sensitive then she first realized.

The gryphon himself seemed to notice too and no longer glared at her, instead choosing to just lie down and rest his head on his forearms. “I suggest you rest now." He said colder than usual after which he cleared his throat. “We still have some way ahead of us tomorrow and I would like to get started early in the morning. So rest now or be tired tomorrow, your choice." His voice had returned to his cheeky tone again, the smirk again obvious on his beak through the tone in his voice only.

Tamara wasn't feeling tired, quite the opposite in fact. Only more questions were present in her mind than before and she also had to comply with the fact that she wasn't going to escape anymore. The only way she was getting home was ransom, which could take who knows how long. She leaned her head back, only then realizing that she had nothing to sleep on really even if she wanted to. “Ehm, could I have something more comfortable to sleep on perhaps?" She asked carefully as the gryphon didn't seem to be in a bad mood. “Please? She even added when no response came at first.

She saw an ear perk up but he did not speak or lift his head. After a short wait a single deer skin came flying at her though, one he simply tossed over himself. She dodged in just barely with a silent startled cry. It was a full deer skin, large enough for her to sleep on. Not that she was expecting a bed but that? As if he could read minds the gryphon remarked cheekily." It is no bed but it's the best you got. Take it or leave it."

She huffed but knew better now to complain and just lay down on it after arranging it a bit. It was not nearly the comfort she was used to but better than literal stone. That didn't change the fact that she was still wide awake though so she just stared around the hall, only sometimes glancing towards the gryphon as she let her thoughts drift from place to place until eventually her idleness lulled her to merciful slumber.

Her dreams weren't so merciful. In her nightmare she was back in the forest but everyone was dead except her attackers, even Bernard lay dead. They jumped on her and tore at her clothes and no matter how hard she fought, nothing happened. No matter how loud she screamed, no sound came out. In her dream the scene still seemed so real, so terrifying. The gryphon came in her dream too, but not to slay her assailants, to join in. The beast was on top of her, ripping her clothes off with his beak until she was bare naked. The bastard smirked.

That was when she awoke screaming, at last able to make a sound again. She could feel herself shaking and her breathing was heavy. That must have been the worst nightmare of her life and also the realest one. She swiped off the sweat from her brow while looking around. It was difficult to guess the time from where she was. The lights were still humming and bright. The gryphon however, was gone. There was a moment of confusion for her as she got up to look around the hall in more detail and the gryphon was nowhere. Then the memory came back from the day before. He said he would be taking a bath before they go, so that was probably where he was.

Her thought was interrupted by a growl from her stomach. She didn't even realize until then how hungry she was feeling, as well as thirsty, really thirsty. There must be some food in this place, she thought. The damn gryphon can't deliver her dehydrated, starved and near death. She intended to go to the baths to ask him about when her foot bumped into something when she walked past a pillar to get to the exit. When she looked down she saw a canteen filled with water and a wooden plate on which where several pieces of what looked to be dried meat. She squinted down at it, hard to see the details as he had placed the damn meal right in the shade. She sighed as she leaned down to grab both the plate and the canteen and sat down on the pile of furs and blankets he slept on.

The food was horribly dry and as expected by dried meat, which the water helped with at least. It was still enough to sate her hunger for the time being as well as her thirst. She knew well enough not to drink the whole canteen empty at once though and kept it on her for later. After she ate and drank the pressing urge of nature's call was getting louder with no damn latrines inside. The people who build the place certainly had some seeing how advanced they were but it felt like there was little time left for that so she simply went into a corner of the hall, away from the entrance so the gryphon wouldn't catch her with her pants down, and relieved herself there. Despite the fact that no one was there she felt watched. To do such a thing in a hall like this simply felt undignified, not right. Similar to sleeping on a fur on a rock floor.

“Hey princess! Did you find your breakfast?" That raspy voice called out from the hallway outside the great hall.

“Shit!" She cursed as she pulled her pants up while trying to run back to the sleeping furs at the same time. While she did luckily get her pants on in time before he saw her, she was still running back. When he threw her a confused look, one ear raised and the other lowered and his head tilted slightly, eyes narrowed. “Hey ehm, good morning." She said as she sat down. “Thanks for the food, I guess. I did taste bland though."

He threw his head to the side as he clicked his beak. “Oh ha-ha, next time I'll make sure to get you roasted chicken with sliced potatoes or maybe some pulled pork?" He asked, sarcastically of course to which it was her time to smirk this time.

“But that is just the first course, right?" She quipped back, successfully getting the gryphon off guard as his own smirk vanished for a moment before it was replaced by a grin.

“Well look at you. All it took was some rest and food to get your mood up it seems." He settled down on his haunches. “I hope that means you will no longer bombard me with questions or whine about going home?" He tilted his head in question, grin still on his beak.

That question actually made her sigh because her mood was anything but good. All she wanted was to distract him from what she was doing before he came in. “What other choice do I have at this point eh? I can't talk you out of it or run away. At least I know you won't harm me." She deflated a little as she spoke those thoughts of her out aloud for the first time.

“Good thing that you finally got that right." He got back up again and pulled loose an unorderly feather, arranging the rest after he did so. He really was a catbird, she thought, which made her grin just a little. “I shall be waiting outside on the plateau for you to finish what you were doing. Don't take too long." When she just looked at him confused he pointed towards another archway that led into a yet unknown hallway. “The latrines are that way." With that said and a shit eating grin on his face, he turned around to leave her alone.

She just stared at him for a moment before deflating even more, dragging her hand across her face. “Fucking dammit…" She said under her breath as she followed his pointer to the latrines since he interrupted her before she was quite relieved. “I wish I could beat that damn smirk of his beak…"

The archway did in fact lead to the latrines as he said. There was a short hallway which branched into separate rooms, one of which with an entrance big enough for the gryphon to fit through as well, she imagined. That made her think as she went into the smaller room with latrines lined up against a wall with thin walls in between for some privacy. She paid her surroundings not much mind except for the fact that it looked like the bottom of each latrine was leading somewhere like they were connected to pipes too.

She sighed when she was done and hurried back into the great hall, paying no mind to the advanced ways of the people who build these halls anymore. Her mind was back on the gryphon and their destination. He told her that no harm would come to her and that she'll be ransomed soon no doubt. Something told her though that it wouldn't be so simple. She imagined that the damn gryphon wasn't cheap to get, at least it would make sense to her. What didn't make sense was who had the money to do something like that just so they could be ransom her. Something felt off, very off, and the closer she got to the exit of these tunnels, the worse it got.

Soon she found herself outside, the bright light of the orange morning sun forcing her to squint as she walked. The light inside was so dim all the time that the rising sun seemed blinding in comparison. On the edge of the plateau the gryphon was already waiting, laying there on his side watching the sunrise as his tail swished back and forth. When she got closer his ears swiveled towards her and after them his head. “Ah, there you are. I was afraid you've fallen in and got stuck. Would have been a horribly mess."

“Very funny." She muttered under her breath, stopping in front of him with her arms folded. “Let's get this over with then. Take me to this camp of yours then."

At that, as always, the gryphon smirked. He got up from his side and shook himself a little, unfurling his wings in the process. “Well, the day is still young but I prefer to be there for before noon. So brace yourself, princess!" He said before making a running start towards her.

“Wait, are you juAAAH!" She cut off her scream as soon as she could, squeezing her eyes shut as he grabbed her again, around the waist this time in a more secure grip. Worst of all, her face was mushed against his feather chest as he didn't even give her time to turn around. Cheeky bastard, she cursed in her head as she wished she could kick him in the balls. She didn't get a look at them yet but from the first flight she knew they were there and most likely just as sensitive as those of a man. If only. Seeing the smug bastard fall to the ground in pain like a sack of potatoes would be a great sight. Although at the moment that would lead to them both falling she half thought it'd be worth the gratification.

She managed to wrench her body around enough in his grip to at least be somewhat comfortable and able to breath after he loosened his grip slightly for a moment. He probably did that so she could be more comfortable for the flight, which made him at least a little less of an asshole. Still an asshole nonetheless.

For Tamara flying was so very new. She felt sick again the moment he lifted off and did not dare open her eyes to look. The wind brushing past them would probably not even allow her to, she thought. As he carried her and the landscape flashed by them bellow her worries got the better of her again. She was trying to tell herself it was going to be fine but some part of her just couldn't calm down. The fact that the flight took several hours didn't help with that. Maybe it was less than that, but to her it felt like five hours have passed. It could very well have only been two or three though.

It was when she felt their altitude change as he was going for a landing which was when she dared open her eyes to slits. The very first thing she saw was the ground rushing towards them. It made her let out an undignified squeal when the gryphon beat his wings to slow their descent so he could guarantee a slow and safe landing for his 'passenger'. When her feet almost touched the ground already he gently dropped her.

He might have thought nothing of it but since Tamara's legs still felt like pudding she just fell to the ground, groaning. Not due to the fall but rather her urge to vomit. “He, sorry, thought you'd land on your legs." She heard him comment as she tried her hardest not to humor him by vomiting all over the grass. Her limbs were shaking as she got on her hands and knees, taking a few deep breaths as she did so. It seemed she successfully managed to keep it in, she thought, right when it overcame her and she emptied her breakfast onto the ground. “No worries, I am sure by your third flight you won't have to vomit. As they say, third times the charm."

She didn't know if he was trying to reassure her or make fun of her. Difficult to tell while her body was still trying to recover from being in the air for so long. She wiped her mouth clean with her sleeve and managed to get up on wobbly legs at last. One look around herself was enough to confirm that he took her to a camp just as he had claimed. There were small square tents around her, placed close together. Campfires were lit here and there and some meat was roasting on a spit. Men sitting around the fires conversed in a northern language while staring at her, the same as those who tried to rape her.

Something clicked then in her head. As this was the camp he was talking about, these men were on his side and the side of his employee. It was obvious that those Northmen attacking them and the gryphon weren't there at the same time due to some coincidence but the fact that he killed his own allies to protect her from being defiled only occurred to her then. She stared at the men sitting around the fires and then at the gryphon, confusion clear on her face which made him tilt his head. She looked away again not long after. For now, she would not speak of it as she had other things to worry about.

“Well…" He said as he walked in front of her, ignoring the expression her face. “Follow me. I'll take you to Tiberius. Pay no mind to the mercenaries. They won't harm you unless Tiberius says so."

Did he order them to rape me then, she thought and almost said. It would be for the best to save that up for this Tiberius though so she may hopefully get some better answers out of him why they had kidnapped her. She followed him through the small camp in silence. two larger tents stuck out from the rest, one of which was larger than the other and colored red unlike the others which were colorless. It looked noble in appearance with golden decorations on the rims and a golden eagle sown into the tent flap. If it wasn't obvious enough that this Tiberius fellow was some noble from the Eldorien empire, it was even more so now.

She looked back at the gryphon when she stood right before the tent. He just nodded towards the tent and gently pushed her forward. It wasn't enough force to stagger her but enough to push her into the tent where she was greeted by a large room. A deep red carpet was rolled out over the grass floor, covering most of the tent's insides. Shelves and chest were arranged in the back of the tent with books and scrolls all over the place. And right in the middle a desk with unwritten velum and ink bottles, one of which was open and in use by the man sitting at that desk. He was an older man, in his 50s by the looks of it. His hair was kept short and so was his beard and both were grey, having lost all color to age. The clothes he wore were fine but simple, a royal purple tunic with a short red cloak over his shoulders. He put his quill down as soon as he looked up to see her standing there, pushed slightly aside as the gryphon came in after her. His brown eyes were old and yet sharp, looking her all over before standing up, spreading his arms wide and smiling at her warmly.

“Greetings, your highness." He spoke in perfect Redorien with only a hint of an accent and bowed deeply as it was proper with royalty, not that she ever cared much. “I do hope your journey here was not too troublesome. My friend here can be infuriating sometimes."

“Only sometimes?" Another gruff voice said from the corner of the tent which made her jump a little, bumping into the gryphon who chuckled at her. She glared down and then at the source of the voice. Turned out there was another man sitting on a stool, cleaning armor by the looks of it. The man was not nearly as old as the Eldorien nobleman but he was not a young man anymore either. His hair was a dark brown, bound behind his head and his facial hair kept relatively short and well kempt. At the moment he was wearing a worn looking arming doublet and padded leggings which she knew was under armor, suggesting that the plate armor before his feet and in his lap he was cleaning was his. What struck her though were his eyes. They were golden, almost like those from the gryphon except with an orange tint to them. He must have noticed her staring as soon he looked up from the helmet he was cleaning and smiled at her, bowing his head a little. “Your highness." He said and then went right back to it.

“Do not worry about him, princess." The man who she supposed was Tiberius. “No harm will come to you as long as you are in my custody, I promise you that." He said with a smile. Before she even had a chance to think of something to say to that he spoke up. “Oh, but where are my manners." He held out his arms again doing flourishing movements with them as he bowed again. “I am Tiberius Livius Marcellus, first scholaris of history of the greatest place of learning in the known world." She had no idea what that even meant but he spoke with pride when he introduced himself, deflating only a little as he corrected himself. “Well, former first scholaris that is… no matter." He quickly recovered, flourishing his hand towards the man in the corner. “This fine man is Gawain of Morgraig, a former knight from Albia." Again the man apparently named Gawain nodded. “And our feathered friend here- “

“Don't." the gryphon quickly interjected in a serious tone.

“Ah right, you don't give your name to strangers." He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. “Anyway, you must be thirsty after the journey, the both of you." He waved towards the gryphon “As for you a barrel of wine is waiting in your tent." From the corner of her eye Tamara could see the gryphon smile at the mention of so much wine for himself. “And you, princess Tamara, make yourself at home. Consider yourself my guest here." He said, smiling warmly.

That was the point at which she had enough of this display. “Guest?" She exclaimed loudly, taking a step forward. “I was kidnapped and flown of to some cave! Before that I saw nobles from my father's court and friends of his slaughtered. They would have raped me if it weren't for the damn gryphon!" The smile on Tiberius' face vanished in an instant and his expression become one of shock and disgust. She was not yet done however. “And now you have the audacity to call me your guest? After forcing me from my home like that? What kind of monsters are you?"

Tiberius looked between her and the gryphon who only nodded. The old man exhaled a breath he was holding and kneaded his brow as he sat back down. Without even looking up he said. “If you would be so kind, Gawain, to talk to their commander and tell them about what happened to the men and how they shall never disobey my orders again." He stood up right away and nodded, his face too now all serious. “One more thing." Tiberius added as Gawain turned for the exit. “Make sure they understand that if these men would have lived they would have faced a serious punishment. Make that what you will." Once again he nodded and then left the tent.

Tamara glared at the old man kneading his brow. To be honest to herself, it was hard to stay angry at this old man. He seemed genuinely shocked and disheartened as she told him what these men of his did and wanted to do. Still her angry demeanor did not waver even as her anger did. Tiberius looked up again after a while, sighing as he locked eyes with her. “Please believe me, your highness, that I did not order them to do such vile things. I wanted them and Cr- the gryphon to take you into our custody peacefully with no one harmed. It shouldn't have been that difficult either. We knew the route and everything." He switched his glance towards the gryphon whose body she saw tense when his name was almost dropped. “The information was correct, was it? The hunt was- “

“Yes it was, they were right where we thought they would be." He responded right away, throwing a sideways glance towards her.

Tiberius just waved his hand dismissively. “Oh let her listen in what harm can it do. I did not like this duke Brocwulf anyway so what does it matter if she knows he has spies in her father's castle."

“Wait." She interjected, gaining both their attention. Spies at her father's court? Something like that should have been clear to her. How else could they have known of their hunt and that she would be there. “Duke Brocwulf? Who… what?"

“Yes I know you must have many questions about this whole affair." Tiberius sighed again and leaned back in his chair. “The short answer is… I am a man of history in need of funding for my next expedition and so I came in contact with this duke of… of ehm… Westermark. Yes, that was it. Anyway, he approached me and said he will pay handsomely if I could arrange that the daughter of a rival of his gets into his custody somehow. I said I know someone with a talent for this sort of thing and agreed. I'll get the money for my work, my friend here will get his share as will all the others in the camp and this duke will get whatever leverage he wants on your father. Probably some piece of land, I don't know."

Tamara didn't know what to say at the moment. That damn title, Westermark, sounded familiar. So did Brocwulf but she could not place either of those names in her memory. When the man opened his mouth to speak again she quickly spoke up before him. “And how do you know my father won't pay more than Duke Brocwulf?"

A reasonable suggestion she thought but Tiberius' face was just a mix of amusement and pity. “I am sure he would under different circumstances. The circumstances are however that you do not seem to know a lot about your father's affairs as at the moment the kingdom of Nordholm is in debt already according to the aforementioned spies and I'd rather go the safe route of Duke Brocwulf, than to wager that your father would indebt his realm even more for you right now."

That truly shut her up. That possibility didn't even come to mind. She had no idea. He never talked to her about matters like these and never overheard anything either. Or did she? Tiberius could be lying of course but to her he didn't seem like the kind to do that. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times as she tried to come up with something else but her mind was too occupied with all the new information she already had.

“I am sorry, your highness, but I still have some work to do." He smiled again, this time more a forced political one than before. He waved towards the gryphon “He will bring you to your own tent that we have ready for you. It was a pleasure making your acquaintance. And again, I sincerely apologize for what my mercenaries did to you." He smiled at her one last time before taking up his quill again and continued to writer whatever it was like nothing had happened.

She stood there still like there was still something she had to say, but what would that be. On her shoulder she felt a gentle touch and upon looking she saw it was the gryphon who was already turning to leave. “Come along now, princess."

Once out of the tent the gryphon shoved her forward with a soft head-butt. It made her stumble a little and glare back at him with spite in her eyes but he just smirked at her, gesturing her onwards with a nod of his head. Without any protests, she did as she was told. After all, what else was there to do really. He led her past some of those northern mercenaries sitting at a campfire, laughing and drinking. One of them stared at her very blatantly, raising his eyebrows and grinning at her. She quickly looked forward again, bringing laughter from the man. “What good men this Tiberius has hired." She remarked as they passed them through grit teeth.

“They get the job done. Their captain should discipline them more though, Tiberius said so himself. If he had known these men would try to defile you in such a manner, he would have send others or perhaps even just me." The gryphon answered quickly and defensively right before he urged her to stop. “This is it. Right next to mine." It was indeed the tent next to the big one intended for the gryphon. Her tent simple like the others, plain in color and about big enough to hold two people with comfort. “If you behave well during your time her you may be allowed to sleep in Tiberius' tent."

Standing there before the tent that was to be her own for the time being, she turned on her heels and glared at him. “You told me you didn't know him, only his name."

“My dear," He responded with a grin on his beak. “You think that was the first time someone held a blade to my throat? I simply lied."

“And what was the point in all the secrecy when he was just going to tell me everything anyway?" She urged on in frustration.

He sighed, shaking his head. “I had hoped he would not do that. He has a tendency to be far too polite and honest for his own good. The less you know, the better, I thought. But hey, it's his camp, his rules." He tilted his head to the side slightly and added. “Now I think it is about time you stop asking questions and just lay down to rest some. Food and water will be brought momentarily. You know what happens when you try to run. We will post a guard outside your tent, so don't try it."

Tamara glared at him still as he spoke but slowly stepped back into the tent until she touched the fabric and pushed aside the tent flap. Once the flap was closed again she secured it with two leather straps from the inside. A sigh escaped her as she did so, feeling like she just locked herself in her own cell. From outside she could hear the gryphon talking to one of the Northman in what sounded like their own language. She sat down in the bedroll laid out for her. There was a lantern at the side and also several books at the ready. How charming that they did not want her to get bored, too bad she didn't like reading.

On that bedroll she laid down, staring up at the canvas of the tent. She no longer thought of escape as that seemed impossible now, surrounded by several armed men and a gryphon. Not to mention she had no idea where she was. This time she did let her emotions overwhelm her, instead taking a few deep breaths. This was her situation, nothing to change about that. All she could so now was to make the best of it. With that thought in mind she picked up one of the books titled 'the chronicles of king Adolar the first'. A book about her ancestor, as her father was Adolar the fourth. It sounded boring to her but still better than doing nothing and letting her own thoughts and worries consume her.

She opened the first page slowly and started reading to pass the time, not knowing how much time that would be.