[Amanaduial the archer]

There was a grid at the top of Tallins cell, which was where the water was dripping from. Or more precisely, it was running along the ceiling and dripping, because the grid was in the middle of the room. Tallin sighed as she glared at it for a few seconds, wondering if she concentrated hard enough if she would be able to shift the grid along the roof to be nearer to her.

It didnt work.

Somehow she managed to twist her arms in front of her by pulling her legs through the loop and from there managed to get a grip on one of the torch brackets and, using a gap in the stone on the wall, she managed to climb up to be standing on the bracket. It creaked. Tallin wasnt at all heavy, but then, she wasnt a torch either. She balanced precariously. She could probably jump the distance. If she did, and if she swung her arms up far enough, she would be able to get a hold on the grid. Ok, after three. One, two, thr-

As Tallin was just about to jump, the door swung open. She started to jump, but was put off and halfway through turning in the direction of the door. With a clatter she landed less than gracefully, with her arms once again behind her

The night elf at the door stared at her, blinked a few times and then coughed nervously. Tallin glared at him as venomously as she had glared at the grid. He walked towards her and she struggled half up, to her knees, then to her feet as he yanked her up by an arms and marched out of the door.

"...cannot be natural, for one to be able to speak with animals. I think she must be at least part wolf to be-"

As Tallin was dragged into the room, the speaker stopped and turned to look at her, and the others as they were marched in behind her. He motioned for them to sit in the chairs and, although she would rather have stood, Tallin was pushed into the chair beside Ainabeleth. Now she turned her grid-hating gaze on the elf at the front of the room. His back was to her at the moment, but from his voice she thought he must be Aragilath. Now he turned to address them.

"You have trespassed our borders and attacked the inhabitants. You have also been travelling with a criminal and killed some of our people. Normally you would have been sentenced to death. But you were not here to kill. You where here to find a person is it not?" His voice was strong and stern, but Tallin knew that this man was not a cruel man. Although, she thought with a shudder, he really hated wolves... She glanced at Ainabeleth, but the elf said nothing. Aragilath continued. "Very well, here is my ruling. You will be imprisoned for life. You will be sharing the same cell, but will never come out of it again, unless you proove to be worth it. For mortals under you, this means you will die imprisoned. For the immortals among you, this will mean that you will stay imprisoned for at least 3000 years. Thus is my ruling. Guards, take them away."

he turned away again, looking out of the large window at the front of the room. Tallin decided pride wasnt really going to be of much use to her here, so what the heck. "Wait, wait! Oh...noble lord! Where is Raye!? She is not with us! What will happen to her?!" She called desperately, yet trying to be polite. Even Oropher would have been surprised to hear her call anyone "Oh Noble Lord." Aragliath paused and Tallin thought she heard him sigh. "She will be dead within 7 days."

Tallin struggled against the guard holding her, wrenching herself out of his grip and in the process falling to her knees. She decided to make the most of this. Her wolves were gone, she knew not where, she had none of her medicines any more...her life was gone. Yet others...

"Noble Aragilath, if you will but spare my human friends and let Ainabeleth at least see her brother, I...I will stay imprisoned. And I promise I will teach you all I know about medicines." She kept her head bent to face the floor, her hair falling abut her face, biting her lip nervously.

Aragilath paused. Then, slowly, he walked across to her. Her guard wrenched her to her feet again and he looked her in the eyes, his brown to her amber. A long moment passed. Then Aragilath opened his moth to speak...

...and didnt manage it. For that was the moment the window smashed inwards with the force of something large, heavy and very, very angry...

[ August 18, 2003: Message edited by: Amanaduial the archer ]