For What its Worth (Maxeh...)

[Maxodis]

Past the haze of depression, Vsevolod was distantly pleased at her smile, weak and slight though it was. If only she knew that, in the past twenty years, you were fully capable of granting her freedom.

Shut up.

He made the stubborn affirmation to refuse to listen to that despicable voice any longer. It had caused him nothing but despair. Let's see how well it stood in the face of a solid dose of Vodka. He tilted his upraised glass, silently joining her in the ritual of mutual well-wishing. Putting the fine crystal to his lips, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back, allowing the strong liquid to slowly trickle into his mouth. The sharp, sour, taste had become all to familiar to the ferret as of late, he had grown to almost relish it. He allowed the liquid to flow down his throat in a similar fashion, almost languidly. The rest of the world almost seemed to fade away, his conscious concentrated solely on his existence, on the liquid that, while harsh in nature, had become a consoling friend.

The tranquil spell was broken by the sound of her glass making loud contact with the table. His head came up sharply as his eyes snapped open, startled. For the briefest moment, he caught her expression before she began to gag. It was too much for his depression to filter. He nearly choked on the Vodka in his throat as he tried to breathe, swallow, laugh, and speak all at once. Several moments were spent as his throat made curious noises while his brain decided on how to prioritize the multiple tasks. Finally, he was able to down the vodka, then breathe. His breath was lost quickly, though, as he chortled uncontrollably. The section of his mind in control of keeping him breathing was obviously displeased by the obstruction that was preventing it to do its job, and promptly unleashed its agitation on the sensitive lining of his throat.

Coughing violently, but still attempting to laugh, the ferret nearly fell out of his seat. He clutched the table for support, cackling helplessly. After a time, he was able to regain his breath. Wiping away the few tears of mirth that had squeezed from the corners of his eyes, he finally found his voice again. "Do not worry, you held your vodka (ha ha) quite admirably!"

He succumbed to another bout of chortling, once again followed by coughing. He took another sip to clear his throat, surprised to find that the action drained the last of his vodka. Placing his glass on the table once more, he removed the seal from the bottle and refilled his glass to the high level it had been at before. Almost on an afterthought, he tipped the bottle towards Soko. "Are you willing to brave more?"

[lorki]

Soko sprang from her seat as the captain began gagging. "I'm sorry!" Soko coughed, one paw outstretched towards Vsevolod, waving frantically back and forth as if trying to scrub away something in the air. Her other paw stayed clenched around her burning throat as she swallowed painfully to try and wash the sensation away. She stopped the frantic reaction as she saw that he was not only sputtering and choking- but also laughing.

It was only then that she realized the humor in their situation, and the idea of how funny she must have looked in the past few seconds and how entertaining his shock has become as well. She fell back into the chair, a wide grin spreading on her face as she understood that he was not upset. A giggle escaped her at first, she tried to quiet it quickly but it returned as a full on laugh. Both her paws moved to cover her mouth as she chuckled loudly at what had for a moment, quite frightened her.

"Admirably?" he clearly did not know how close he had been to being sprayed with alcohol. "Vodka..." She repeated the name as she blinked again and gave one loss quick shake of her head, "It..uh, hurts." She observed, her voice more mumbling to herself then to him- he clearly knew the feeling well and had seemed quite professional going about the drinking before he caught a glimpse of her puffy-cheeked-wide-eyed face.

She watched him refill his glass, wondering how this could be in any way enjoyable to any beast. She thought it had been something magically wonderful the way the horde seemed do gleeful about the stuff but this... well quite bluntly, this was the opposite of magically wonderful. But then again she reminded herself that the stuff had an effect to go with it, and it must take some time to reach that stage. But could any altered state be worth that taste? After all she'd probably just hallucinate more about a mouse.

His question brought her attention away from her rambling thoughts. Her paws were quickly out again- shooing the bottle away. "No! Er.. No thank you. Uh, not right now..." She shook her head to cement the point. She let a moment pass before she spoke again. "I'm sorry, you're being very...eh... Hospitable. But... Why am I here?"

[Maxodis]

Vsevolod tightly replaced the seal on the bottle, still chuckling. Already, he could feel the alcohol begin to take effect. A warmth flooded his abdomen and slowly began to spread to the rest of his body. In comparison to his warming stomach, his limbs still felt numbingly frozen. Perhaps it had not been wise to stand out on the wall for so many long hours in the biting cold. He'd be lucky if he didn't take ill the next morning. At least his conscience was silent.

"I'm sorry, you're being very...eh... Hospitable. But... Why am I here?"

So. There it was, the question that both of them wanted an answer to. He sighed softly into his glass as he took a brief sip of the Vodka. Where would he begin? The situation was an awkward one. No matter how willing he was to assist her, the fact of the matter remained that twenty years of physical and emotional scarring would surely not give the sable any reason to trust him. In fact, logically, it would do quite the opposite. And while it would be simple to forcefully evict her from the Fort, to liberate her in such a blunt fashion simply did not seem morally right. She had known a life of loneliness and antagonism that could have been easily prevented by his intervention, it was the least he could do to make the attempt to reverse it. Perhaps that was the first step to his redemption.

But that still left the question of what he could possibly do to gain her trust. She would doubtlessly question at his motivation to help her, and how else could he explain that but to tell her the fate of his family? No, that was a memory that did not need to be resurrected right now. Even now, years after the death of his family at the hands of that demon....the anguish still lingered. That was not a thing that he intended to reveal unless the circumstances proved that he had no alternative.

There was not going to be any shirking of the truth, he resolved to be blunt with her. Settling his elbows on the table, he intertwined his claws in a loose fashion, resting his chin on them lazily. His piercing hazel eyes regarded her for a moment, the sharp quality of them belying his otherwise languid behavior, hinting at an active thought process behind them. He swallowed his rising guilt, and spoke once more, oddly quiet. "You have spent a great deal of your life suffering a punishment you do not deserve, receiving the same treatment as those who do."

[lorki]

Soko blinked, the burning sensation of the drink had started to fade in her chest, but continued quite strongly in her stomach. She tried her hardest to keep track of the ferrets movements and time her reactions accordingly but that was becoming somehow more difficult. She gave her head a little shake and tilted it slightly to one side as he began to speak again.

"You have spent a great deal of your life suffering a punishment you do not deserve, receiving the same treatment as those who do."

It took her some time to decipher what he meant- but in the end it only left her a bit more confused. He clearly held something more then simple distaste or disrespect for most of the slaves, the would-be redwallers. She shifted slightly, unsure how to react. He clearly liked her... even felt bad for her possibly.

Suddenly a thought sprang to mind. He could get her out of here, it was completely within his power. She could escape, she could reach out for her purpose away from the confusing confines of this fort. Of course, that would involve completely ditching Tampa and the others in the middle of their plot to escape... but she, having seen escapes time and time before, knew their chances were not good. And she was not about to have her life torn away by an arrow while they tried to sneak off. Immediately she felt guilty for even thinking it but... it so perfect, and simple and... Her fangs clenched together and her eyes lowered to look at the table as she tried to move beyond her first notion.

She failed. Two slight offers for a new life... she looked back to Vsevolod, he had no reason to want to harm her or lie to her... but then again none of the hordesbeasts did but that never stopped them. Tampa, River and Griff seemed to have the best intentions but... her mind wandered back to Rivers initial reaction to her. How many more times would she hear that? Who would they choose to leave behind if something went wrong? Did they honestly take her to be a serious ally or just extra help?

Clearly both sides were difficult to trust. All that was sure was her determination to make it out of here in one piece. And if that meant without her small group of new friends...

She considered her response, the noble side of her wanted to shake her head, tell Vsevolod that they weren't all bad and try to convince him to extend this chance to Tampa, River and Griff. But he was a captain of N'tashi. Despite his kindness towards her she knew that the title spoke clearly about his feelings towards the slaves. If she spoke out on the subject it would only take away her small chance. She swallowed her pride, "I think I understand." But she didn't, not at all. She looked at him more closely, he clearly had a conscious in there, some form of guilt- just like her he was not all bad just because of how he seemed.

Just like her.

She shook her head quickly and even offered him a small smile. "Don't feel bad." Her childish empathy returned, "it's not so much suffering as it is annoying and I have a coat!" Soko could attempt to sugar coat anything.

[Maxodis]

The crystal cup shattered upon violent impact with the table as the ferret slammed his paw down. She wasn't understanding him, the seriousness of his error. How could she, when he was withholding the truth? He did not want- no, he did not deserve her sympathy. For a brief second he considered telling her everything, how, had he not been so blind, she would not have had to live her life as a slave. He desperately wanted to tell her that the reason that the best years of her life were stolen from her was because he was too dense to think of the possibility of there being verminfolk among the slaves. He wanted her to hate him, to condemn him, to validate his self-loathing. At the same time....a small part of him was grateful for her blind forgiveness of him.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Either way, the fact of the matter stood that he could not live with himself if she were to remain a slave any longer. The slave's situation was bad enough as it was...if he had his way...

...If the possibility that his dreams that were more like nightmares would come to pass...

...If he were to seize power and begin pursuing his goal by following his wretched dreams...

He covered his face with his paws.

"No......No, no, no, no....no."

He looked up at her, staring into her eyes. He saw his plans for the slaves reflected in them, saw their pain, their torment, their anguish. He saw within those bewildered eyes his nightmarish dreams. He realized that what he intended to do to the slaves upon his rise to power was against every moral he had held dear.

And yet, certain things had to be done, sacrifices had to be made...all for the greater good.

But that didn't mean that she had to suffer any longer.

"Stand up."

He rose quickly, failing to notice his paw that had held the crystal drinking glass was bleeding. Moving quickly around the room, he gathered various articles of dark colored clothing, a few sheathed daggers, some tightly sealed packs, among other things. He stacked the pile on his bed.

[lorki]

Soko straightened her back rigidly and pressed herself against the back of the chair as the glass shattered. For a split second her mind returned to terror- fear that she had in some way wronged the ferret and his rage had lead to the action. But before even looking at his face she knew she could disprove this. But then small crystalline shards flew across the table and blew across her lap. Her eyes glanced down at them and the fear faded. She raised her head to stare back at the ferret, he was not angry.

He was frustrated, confused even. Much like her but far less reserved. She was understanding more and more his motives- his clear conscious. She quickly berated herself for thinking him so frightening- she realized that she held the same reservations about this horde that the other slaves held against her. Upset with herself she did not catch his repeated words. She let her eyes fall, none of this was as easy as she thought it might have been. It was not as clear cut as it should have been. But then again... had this played out as she had planned she very well could have killed Vsevolod herself in the end. No... she would not make that mistake again.

Her fear dissolved, his command did not have the same effect it would have normally. Rather then jerking from her seat and shooting upwards as she was told she placed a paw on the table to help lift her calmly from the chair. He was already moving around her to gather things- and she didn't need to ask what they were for.

A bloody paw print stained the sheath of a dagger as it was tossed onto the pile. Soko's arm shot out automatically, sideways to grab his wrist as he turned to move past her again. "Stop." Rather then tugging him towards her she shifted to face him and forced his paw to turn upwards. She grabbed a random piece of clothing off the bed and after brushing away the few small chunks of glass that remained stuck in the blood she pressed the cloth into his paw.

She angled her head up to look at him and managed a small smirk, "you don't want to bleed all over everything, right?"

[Maxodis]

"Stop."

Oddly enough, the single word cut through Vsevolod's thoughts, halting them in their steep spiral decline into panic. He stopped mid-stride, limply allowing the sable to complete her ministrations. He stared disbelievingly at her, his shock arising more from her unexpected concern for his well-being than the fact that he was bleeding. His mind made an attempt to find a logical reason behind her actions, but found no answer. His eyes fell to the blood-covered cloth in his paw, and hers on top of it. Quietly, his eyes rose to meet hers.

Swallowing down the sudden surge of emotion that threatened to overcome him, he shook his head and continued whisking about the room to collect the things she would require, bloodied cloth clenched tightly in his paw. Finally adding a large haversack to the pile, he hesitated, quickly reviewing the list of items she would require. Clothing, thick, durable, admittedly loose on her, but superior to rags. Boots, a variety of knives with different uses, varying from utility to combat. Other required items, among them several packages of travel-worthy rations. He quickly turned the bloodied scarf into a makeshift bandage.

Briefly considering the best course of action, he glanced at the sable. He paced silently for several seconds. Coming to a firm decision, he readjusted his overcoat and withdrew his bow and quiver from the wall, strapping the quiver to his waist and threading the bow through his arm, settling it across his torso. He paused then, looking at her directly. "I would advise you change into the clothes piled there." He motioned to the arranged clothing on the bed. "I will wait just outside."

With that, he gave her a curt nod and exited his quarters, closing the door quietly behind him.

[lorki]

She sighed heavily as she managed to get him to adhere to what she wanted. Amazed at her own actions she felt a smile creep over her features as Vsevolod turned away and went about what he had been doing. She watched the pile grow and grow and wondered how he expected her to manage with so many things. Finally to top it off he added a sack... Soko found herself nearly giggling at the idea of just how many things that poor little bag would have to hold. He was speaking then and she forced her mind away from the amusing though to focus on his words.

"Thank yo-" She managed before the door shut. Her head tilted slightly and one ear twitched- he confused her more then this entire situation did.

She pawed through what he had left, pulling the clothes out from the pile of other things. As she dressed in his clothing- which felt oddly large but still much more comfortable than what she was use to, she found herself thinking mainly about the ferret. There was not much to ponder, his kindness probably only reached her because of what, not who, she was. Despite this she knew that the extreme and dangerous measures he was taking to insure her well-being was a clear indicator that he was not in fact all bad. No, as far as she was concerned he was generous and clearly kind. Perhaps the thought was naive but she had to keep some hope in her that the world around her was not as black and white as they all seemed to think.

Once she donned the new warmer clothes she put herself to the task of somehow fitting everything left on the bed into the sack he had provided. She attempted to go about it in the clever reasonable way, carefully organizing the things to fit together like a crammed puzzle. In the end this was ultimately a failure for she still had to use all her strength available to shove the last things in and fasten the bag shut. She left it on the bed, for she doubted her ability to lug it around without killing herself, and stepped up to the door.

Opening it a crack she peered out, "I'm ready." She said quietly, quite wary and nervous about what she knew the next step would be- how he assumed he would manage to get her out of there she had no idea.

[Maxodis]

Left alone to his thoughts in a quiet moment of seclusion, Vsevolod Petrenko, Captain of N'Tashi, feared, respected, and seemingly driven by an unshakable resolve, briefly recounted the events of the day. Such chaotic, conflicting thoughts and emotions... what happened to his calm exterior? What happened to his detached, calculating mind? What had conspired to bring about such confusing events? Why had his sense of guilt been so disturbingly strong? Why was his despair so deeply set? What could possibly cause these emotions to suddenly spring up with such violent intensity?

The sable. Sokana... Kehure, wasn't it? Undeniably, she was the catalyst to the day's chaos. But why? Where it would be simply be easy to escort her out of the influence of N'Tashi, to a place where she may go her own way and rebuild her life, to a place where she could no longer cause him to experience such a bewildering array of intense emotion, where she could not unknowingly lay waste to his seemingly unshakable resolve... There was something that needed to be addressed. No other had ever been able to inspire such anarchy within his mind. How, then, could this one soul do so with such ease in such a short amount of time?

The ferret focused his thoughts, resolving to address one of the growing number of questions at a time. To begin, why did he feel guilt ? That was easily answered, because he had unknowingly failed her, caused her to suffer. Would he feel the same guilt if she were not one of his kind, if she were to be a goodbeast ? That, too, was easily answered. No. The other slaves deserved whatever they suffered. That question settled, it arose several others. He considered the most prevalent one. Is the reason you are helping her simply because she is in a position that you feel she does not deserve to be in, or is there something you are lying to yourself about ? This question caught him slightly off-guard, and he found himself frowning as he carefully considered his answer. An end to her suffering was definitely a driving motivation for his action. Perhaps he also sought some small absolution in his act. But... strangely, he felt as if these two reasons did not fully express his reason. Surely, he was helping her because she was a slave, and as such, would have no one else to help her. But was that all there was to the matter. Was he helping her only because she was a slave, or was there more to it?

His thoughts were scattered by the slight creak of his door as she peered out. He noted her subdued voice and body language. Her unease was almost palpable. Offering her a small smile of reassurance, he also noted that she did not have the supplies he had supplied her with. Pulling the door open wider, he peered around her, and, upon spotting the pack on his bed, brushed past her to collect it and sling it over his free shoulder.

Rejoining her at the door, he paused as he considered what, if anything should be said. It was quite clear that, without having mentioned it, both creatures knew what he intended to do. Their exit would be quite simple, he would merely walk her out, claiming that he was going to hunt fowl and that she was coming along in order to carry anything he managed to bring down back with them. But for that lie to legitimately stand, she would have to look less agitated.

He gently took hold of the sable's shoulders, hesitating as he realized that she was trembling slightly. A deep sense of sympathy overcame the ferret. Poor girl, no one should have suffered as you have.

And yet... despite that, the other slaves would have to continue to suffer until he intensified their misery... all for an ultimate purpose...

... For the greater good.

He shook his head quietly and offered her a sad smile. "Be strong."

[lorki]

His first smile made her stomach turn. It must be clear to him how pitiful she seemed, using every ounce of courage in her to keep her voice from shaking. She exhaled deeply and tried to return his smile but found it more difficult then she perceived it would be. Couldn't she just hide out in his room forever? Bed down in his closet? The odd act of care was so alien that she almost feared walking away without him more then the actual act of leaving. Her head felt mildly fuzzy, she imagined that it was doing something for her nerves because had she imagined such a situation earlier she could have only seen her self as a nervous puddle on the ground. No... she was doing quite well.

He appeared beside her again, holding the pack. She took note of yet another kind gesture but her gratefulness was overshadowed by the same fear and unease that clung to her chest. Wordlessly, she knew that it was time for them to move- surely this would be more simple then she thought it was. She couldn't look too obvious- after all he himself had not even known who she was. Her eyes followed his movement as she stood rigidly by the door.

Her thoughts were no longer very clear nor concise. They became a muddled mess of fear, admiration and mixed views on her new ferret friend. As Vsevolod reached out to help steer her out of the doorway she thought of Tampa and River and Griff. Surely from the outside looking in, Soko could still aide them... at least that was what she tried to tell herself. The thought was washed away as the captain spoke.

"Be strong."

The only words she'd heard since he'd begun to pick things out of his room for her. They were better then any sort of explanation he could offer, better then some complex, unbreakable escape plan. Her chest swelled as her admiration for this confusing ferret easily tripled in size. She would find something for him, in all this mess- she promised herself. This would not be her last moment with him, he would see her not so weak, worthy of his kindness even able to become his friend rather then the poor defenseless slave he wanted to help out. But nothing could form in her throat to tell him this.

So she nodded, brushed her sleek brown fur down and swallowed. "Alright..." She took the clear opportunity to repeat her earlier words. "Thank you... Really."

[Maxodis]

"Alright... Thank you... Really."

"No gratitude is required. I... I only ask that you forgive me for not knowing sooner..."

Vsevolod shook his head, now was not the time for sentiments. There would be plenty time for that once he had led her safely to her freedom. His first concern was getting to that point. To do so, they would have to fool the guards at the eastern gate, which was a simple task. Or it would be if the sable could manage to maintain her composure long enough for the captain to get them through the gate. Though she was no longer shaking, her face betrayed her deep-set fear, despite her best efforts to subdue it. Vsevolod reached behind Sokana and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, adjusting it to conceal her face, shrouding it in darkness. Satisfied with the effect, he donned a mask of his own, the distantly blank expression that had become the foundation of his identity for many years. The calm, empty, logic-driven detachment of his behavior is what had given him his reputation within N'Tashi's horde. It had served many uses in the past, there was no reason to doubt that it would not fail now.

With a meaningful glance to Sokana to convey his wish that she follow closely behind him, he set off at a brisk pace. The vodka that was still in his stomach made it slightly hard to maintain such a stiff and exact posture, but he managed it. Lazy hordesbeasts loitering about the hallways were quick to move aside and well out of the range of the Captain and his shadow. Their passage throughout the fort created ripples in which the way was rapidly cleared and then slowly converged back to obscurity as the hordebeasts resumed their business. Just a captain passing by, nothing more.

Bursting out of the main building and into the full sunlight, Vsevolod was temporarily blinded by the intensity of the light thrown upon his face. Taking a second to regain his sight, he readjusted the pack upon his shoulder. Perhaps he had prepared too many things, it was quite heavy. He couldn't imagine how Sokana would manage to lug the weight around behind her until she was able to use some of the contents. She'll manage, after all, she's been a slave all her life. He thought, bitterly scorning himself at the irony.

He turned to the east wall and strode purposefully to the gate situated in it. Spotting his approach, one of the guardsbeasts crossed his spear over the gate. His companion opposite him stared unbelievingly at the first creature's action for a long moment before nervously crossing his own spear over the other, effectively blocking all passage. Vsevolod stopped short of the two, looking pointedly at the barred gate with his emotionless expression.

The first guardsbeast, a stoat, stared at a fixed point directly ahead of him, trying his best to ignore the silent captain infront of them. The second, a rat, glanced anxiously from the stoat to Vsevolod, but held his spear firmly across the gate. A few minutes passed in this fashion, the rat showing the only sign of movement and becoming clearly more agitated by the second. Finally, the rat squeaked "Er... We're on uh... Orders tha'... uh.... nobeast is allowed t'pass... cap'n."

Vsevolod did not speak. He continued to stand stiffly rooted to his spot as he stared at the gate. When it continued to fail to open, his face betrayed the slightest hint of emotion. The slightest twitch of his brow was perceptible. Slowly, he lowered the overstuffed sack to the ground, proceeding to withdraw his longbow from his shoulder. Smoothly drawing an arrow whose shaft was easily longer than his arm, he drew back the weapon, still sighted on the door. His paw let the arrow fly with almost no sound, and the dark shaft fled from his paw like a whisper on the wind. The long arrow pierced both spears at their intersection, pinning them to the wooden gate behind them. Neither guard stayed to see what would be impaled next.

Releasing the multiple latches and bolts that kept the gate secure, he pushed it open with a paw. It creaked loudly and resisted his effort, but it opened all the same. Replacing his longbow and the pack on their respective shoulders, Vsevolod allowed himself a small smile as he exited the fort and motioned for his shadow to follow him.

[lorki]

Though she would have protested to his words she knew as well as he did that is was the not a moment for conversation. A wan smile appeared over her features again as he pulled the hood over her head.

The small sable took after him and matched his pace, just inches short of stepping on his heels. She watched the ferrets back, eyes set, too terrified to glance sideways to see who she might pass. She couldn't bare the idea of glancing over one of her new friends just as she was about to abandon them. No... not abandon.

The though was shoved aside as Vsevolod turned out into the snowy cold outdoors. She felt oddly warm despite the chill, perhaps it was nervousness, perhaps the unsavory drink, or perhaps the new clothing she sported. She stepped carefully over the snow, though most of it was already messy and trodden over. They were getting near the gates. She peered from behind Vsevolod at the one that had crossed his spear over the gate. Perhaps this wasn't going to be as easy as he seemed to think.

She felt her expression change and quickly ducked back behind him to hide her face. She would have to appear normal, calm. If not for herself then for him, he would be in just as much danger if they were found out. Soko, while seeing herself as quite unworthy, even of her own self-saving acts, could easily put on a strong face for another.

As the ferret stopped she found herself nearly walking into him. She paused and glanced around again, this time carefully setting her jaw and forcing her frozen expression. The rats were clearly scared, just as fearful as she had been- perhaps more, when confronted by the captains blank daunting features. She shifted uncomfortably as the silence grew uncomfortably and the air tensed.

Then the ferret captain moved, Soko stepped back in horror as he readied the arrow. She feared a bloody mess was going to follow this action. Flinching away as he let the arrow go she heard the dull noise of it meeting... something. Then a quick scurry and the sound of Vsevolod moving forward.

She opened her eyes and a small smirk played across her face as she understood what he'd done. She quickly followed after him, being a few steps behind she caught up to her oddly close following distance but rather than continue at that pace she leaned forward. It was a blunt embrace, a made awkward by the fact that her arms also hugged his bow and the bag he carried for her. She felt childish, the top of her head pressed into his mid back- suddenly stopping her quick moving advance.

She released him quickly, knowing that there could possibly be a watcher from the ramparts. She maintained her silence and tipped back on her heels.

[Maxodis]

Vsevolod found his movement suddenly halted as Sokana's arms enclosed around him. Halted midstride, his mind effectively froze as he felt her head rest lightly against his lower back. As abruptly as the moment began, it ended. She swiftly pulled away, leaving behind his mind trying to form a logical reason for her actions. Several long seconds later, his footpaw still hanging frozen in the air, he came to the conclusion that the action and the resulting feelings they inspired within the ferret were enigmatic, illogical, and by that reasoning should be addressed at another time.

The ferret finally allowed his footpaw to reach the ground. Uneasily clearing his throat, he struck out due East.

_____________________________________________


The ferret's lengthy shadow fell over the dismal ruins of an old structure. His pace slowed as he entered the clearing. Walking almost reverently up to the broken remains of what was once a wall, he was surprised to find that the forests' vegetation, even after fifteen years, still stopped short of the barren charred remains of the building. He halted then, struck by the metaphorical implications between the forests' reclamation of the barren land in relation to his still unfulfilled promise that he made fifteen years ago.

He forgot about the existence of the sable he was leading to freedom as his paw lightly brushed a blackened pile of rubble. His eyes unfocused as he stepped over the low wall and into the small ruin, lost within his memories.

[lorki]

She hadn't expected much of a reaction out of him, she had just wanted to get the short expression of her gratitude out. She fell into step behind him, resisting the urge to bolt ahead of him and somersault across the snow. She had to remind herself that the fort was still in view. Silently she trod along in the ferrets shadow.

_________________________________________________

They had walked in quiet for what seemed like hours. Her feet dragged and she stared at the Ferrets prints in the snow and tried to place her own over his steps. Small insignificant thoughts buzzed about her head. She'd silenced the most obnoxious moral nagging itches in the back of her head with unimportant self ramblings and odd ideas about what she may or may not do once she was on her own.

She lifted her head to see the ruins they were approaching, curiously her tail twitched and her ears perked forward. She straightened herself, neck craning around Vsevolod to get a better look. As he stepped into the ruins she stopped, she recognized the tense feeling in the air, the way he looked at the stone. The place had clearly been burned, but besides that appeared untouched. It reminded her of what her home may look like then, making her stomach turn. She took a small step away from the ruined and focused back on the ferret.

After a long moment of standing and watching the ferret she spoke. "You know this place." It was more a statement than a question but still clearly in need, or at least expecting, an answer.

[Maxodis]

"You know this place."

The ferret stood in the middle of the ruin, noticing the sudden stillness of the surrounding woods. He closed his eyes and allowed his memories to conduct his senses. The present faded away as he immersed himself in his past. Briefly, he was able to remember the home of his youth. He felt the warmth that emanated from the hearth, and from the peaceful auras of his family. He smelt his mother's cooking, he heard his own childish laughter along with that of his brothers, of his father's voice as the older ferret spoke of epic deeds and adventures of an epic scale. He could almost taste the fresh air that pervaded the small clearing again. Yes... he knew this place intimately.

He spoke, but automatically, as if he were not completely aware of the words that came from his own mouth. His tone was flat, detached, phrased in a way that what he said was a simple statement of facts. He spoke quietly, in a near whisper.

"This was once a place... Of love... of a family... of happiness... of hopes and dreams... and of peace. This was a paradise... an escape from the reality of life."

He paused, visibly tensing.

"No longer."

His memory-induced senses had changed. He could no longer remember the state of his old home as they had been peacefully. No longer could he feel the hearth's warmth, as it was extinguished by blood. No longer could he smell, for the air was thick with the heavy scent of fear and of death. No longer could he hear, for he had been deafened by the dying screams of his family. No longer could he taste, for his mouth was filled with his own blood, overwhelming his senses with its almost metallic taste. He could see, clearly, vividly. He saw the looming figure of his family's murderer. Though it was a single creature, it only served as a manifestation of those like it. It served as a grim example of their ideals.

He began to shake slightly. Tears off anguish seeped out from the corners of his closed eyes as he tilted his head back in search of a sun that he could not see. His voice was slightly tremulous as he continued to speak.

"A family lived here. The father... he had fled to this place seeking safety, seeking a peaceful place to forget his past and forget the world that seemed like it had been pit against him. He found love here... This place was built with the effort of thee father and his wife. They... raised a family here.

"They had three healthy sons, and raised them with a love and care that is not normally seen in these dark times. They sought to shelter their children from reality, to keep them enclosed within their little utopia forever."

He laughed then, a short, harsh cough, lacking mirth yet filled with bitterness.

"Do you know what happened to them? They were killed. Murdered. Massacred. The father was the first to die. He was the luckiest, his death was swift and clean. The two older sons were next. One was mortally wounded and left to die, the other, dismembered. The mother came next. She was brutally mauled, trying to protect her youngest son, pleading as gashes were rent in her body that he, at least, was to be spared. As her lifeless corpse was carelessly tossed aside, the murderer turned to the last living member of the small family. The youngest son suffered unspeakable torture. He was left for dead, and managed to cling to the life that he knew for as long as he could. He died the next day, as the sun set on the home that was ablaze."

Vsevolod turned back to Sokana. His eyes were open, and betrayed the conflicting rage and despair behind them. He was now shaking violently. Tears streamed freely down his face. His voice had grown in volume, and was accented by his bared teeth.

"They never harmed a soul! They only wanted peace! They didn't... They didn't have to die! And yet, despite this, they were murdered! They... They were killed by goodbeasts! And for what!? Because they were a family of ferrets and therefore, by the standards of those who would so erroneously claim to be "good", dangerous, they were robbed of everything! Their love, their hopes, their dreams, their lives, EVERYTHING!"

He collapsed to his knees, clasping his claws around his head as if to prevent it from exploding due to the building emotions raging inside it.

"There's nothing left......there's nothing..."

His eyes refocused. He fell silent. Slowly, he looked up at Sokana, despair replaced by the victorious hatred. His eyes burned blackly despite the anguished tears that still flowed from them. His voice was a ragged hiss.

"Just as they have laid waste to our kind... I shall lay waste to theirs. One day... things will change. We will no longer feel the bite of oppression, or of prejudice. We will all be free. Then, on that day, it will be their kind, their homes, and their blood."

As suddenly as his rage had wrested dominance over his emotions, it left him. He buried his face in his paws. No longer was he Captain Vsevolod Petrenko, feared Captain of N'Tashi's horde, expert marksbeast, calm, detached, calculating. He was once more that small orphaned ferret, lost and alone again in the world.