Cold and Dark Chp4

Chapter 4

Dernwyn ran through the woods, faster and faster, his footpaws pounding the solid earth painfully; his legs starting to get weary; his arms desperately pumping for more speed; his lungs feeling like they were on fire; his ragged breath sounding in his ears.

Branches reached for him hungrily, roots tried to snare his feet, trying to hinder him from escaping from whatever it was he was running from. A great mist suddenly appeared, veiling the path ahead, making it impossible to see where he was going. But the young marten ran on, desperate to escape his pursuer. Specters appeared in the swirling vapors, all of which seemed to try to grab him just like the roots and branches. Dernwyn was terrified, but refused to be held, knowing it would go ill for him if he was caught.

Freezing cold chills blew through the dark forest, biting into the young marten's body. Every intake of air was like a piercing dagger in his throat.

Suddenly sounds of more pounding footsteps reached his windblown ears. Footsteps that were much, much heavier than his.

He's coming.

Dernwyn suddenly realized just how hard it was to run now. It was as if strong, heavy chains were dragging on his footpaws, or that his feet had become stones. The young marten carried on, feebly trying to lift his legs, trying to put one paw in front of the other. Dernwyn sobbed as he found that he could no longer move his legs, let alone lift them. Slowly, the young marten turned around just in time to see the object of his fear step through the thick curtain of mist.

Zurzak.

Only he was far more frightening than before. Somehow he was much taller, his shoulders broader... his fangs longer, his claws sharper...

Dernwyn whimpered as he again tried to move his legs as the huge wildcat made his way forward. As the young marten vainly tried to escape, he felt his tired limbs begin to betray him. They gave up, and Dernwyn crumpled to the forest floor.

Zurzak continued advancing towards the trembling pine marten before him. His strange, slitted eyes flickered out as he began to kneel down.

Dernwyn screeched when he realized that this demonic creature was on top of him. Fright and alarm coursed through his body as he tried to get out from under the big wildcat.

The young marten's eyes went wide as saw that two more arms seemed to grow out of Zurzak's body, both just as burly as the first two, with claws that were just as dangerous. The two first set of claws began to undo the clasp to Dernwyn's cloak. The young marten shrieked and flailed his paws at the wildcat's face.

Dernwyn's screams were cut off when one of the clawed paws closed itself around his neck, silencing his cries to choked moans. The young marten reached up and tried to pry the claws loose, but another clawed paw seized one of his wrists and pinned it to the forest floor.

Dernwyn lay helpless as the other two clawed paws of Zurzak slipped off the young marten's clothes and begin ripping the fur from his gaunt body, sending the most unbearable pain through him, killing him, no, no, no, NO, NO!

"NO!"

Dernwyn sat up, shaking and sweating all over. The young marten felt his chest in panic, searching for his clothes and fur. They were still there. Giving out a sigh he wiped his eyes and swallowed. It was a dream, a nightmare. Yet this knowledge brought no relief. He knew all too well that that dream could very easily become real...


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After taking several more deep, calming breaths, Dernwyn slowly sat up in his bed, looking around.

The fire in his bedroom's fireplace had gone out, leaving little light - and little warmth - in the room. At first the young marten wanted to hide under the covers as he stared out into the abyss of darkness that was his room. But little by little his eyes grew used to the dark, and soon, aided by the moonlight seeping in through the partially closed window, Dernwyn could see that there were no nighttime monsters about.

Breathing in deeply through his nose, the young marten leaned back on his elbows, realizing that he was still in shock over the day's events, and that he really couldn't gather his thoughts very much.

Kirin's dead Father hates me wants me dead Zurzak going to overtake my father's horde going to kill me if I say anything...

Dernwyn rolled over and buried his face into his pillow, wrapping his skinny arms about his head. It was all too much for the young marten to take in. After a near lifetime of sitting quietly in a dark room all alone, with his only excitement being the petty arguments he got into with his brother and enduring the whispers from all the servants, it seemed a miracle Dernwyn hadn't died from all the shock and fright he had received today... or at least died of thirst from all the crying he did.

That thought made the young marten realize how thirsty he was, and somehow, that normal, everyday thought made Dernwyn feel calmer... better... like life itself hadn't really ended, that it could still carry on normally. But either way, it gave him something else to think of instead of all the other things.

And so the marten slid to the side of his bed and stretched out his lean arm to the nearby little table where a candle, along with some tinder and flint, lay. After lighting the wick, Dernwyn carefully got out of bed, pulled on an extra robe for warmth, and, candle in paw, headed towards the door. There would be large barrels of drinking-water down in the kitchens, he could have one of the guards outside his door go and get it for him.

But there were no guards outside Dernwyn's door. The young marten felt irked: there had always been guards outside his door! Or had there?

Dernwyn looked up and down the dark hallway. There was only one torch in each direction, giving the young marten little view of anything around him. He considered calling for the guards, but he had screamed and shouted quite a bit earlier. He didn't feel like raising his voice again. And so, gathering his robes tighter around his thin body, the young marten stepped out into the hallway, headed in the direction of the kitchens.


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Walking down the hallways and stairs had been a terror. Dernwyn had not run into another living creature throughout his journey, not one guard or servant, making the young marten begin to wildly wonder if he were the only living creature in this whole castle. Or worse, the entire kingdom?

Somehow Dernwyn managed to keep in control of himself, and put one trembling footpaw in front of the other as he made his way towards the kitchen. Already he could see the large water barrels, and a ladle nearby! Somehow the sight relieved Dernwyn and he hurried forward eagerly, somewhat proud that he had achieved his goal, even if it was a bit of a trifle goal.

Standing on tip-paw to reach the ladle and pulling the lid off the barrel, the young marten drank deeply, a bit taken aback at how thirsty he was. He supposed all that crying had attributed to this, and decided never to cry like that again.

Finally, Dernwyn set down the ladle, breathing deeply, and replaced the barrel's lid. That was enough for now. Now he must get back to bed. Wiping his mouth, the young marten turned towards the doorway-

-when a low muttering reached his ears.

Dernwyn paused, caught between relief and fright: relief that he wasn't the only creature alive in the castle, and fright that it could be anybeast, or anything, making that sound...

The voices were coming nearer. Dernwyn couldn't hear exactly what they were saying over the pounding of his heart. As the sound of the voices grew louder, so did the sound of the young marten's heart. Who were the creatures coming? Were they friend or foe? Were they just guards and servants? Or were they...

Just then another voice spoke. And even though Dernwyn didn't hear the words, he recognized the sound: Zurzak.

Without another thought, the young marten turned and ran full speed back into the hall, dropping his candle in the process. Dernwyn flew up the stairs, grateful for the few torches that still gave him light.

Must get back, must get back, was all that the young marten could think as he tore his way back to his room, longing for the haven of his bed. He was almost there, just down this hallway and turn the corner-

-and WHUMP!

Something large and heavy knocked into Dernwyn, almost knocking the wind out of him. The young marten gasped and scrabbled, but a firm paw placed itself over his mouth and Dernwyn felt the edge of a cold steel blade against his throat as a guttural voice snarled in his ear, "Don't move and I won't gut yah!"

Dernwyn didn't dare move a muscle, believing his captor's words. But if only his heart would stop hammering so hard against his chest so much!

"Who is it, Erol?"

Zurzak's voice calling from down the hall only added to Dernwyn's terror, and the young marten begged himself not to tremble.

"Can't tell, it's too dark," the creature holding Dernwyn replied.

Just then a candle was held before Dernwyn's face, causing the young marten to squeeze his eyes shut.

"Well, well, well..." purred a deep, cold voice. "Your highness, what brings you out of your bed so late at night? Surely you recall our meeting earlier, and what I told you if you interferred?"

New fear gripped Dernwyn. Zurzak thought he had been spying on them! That would incite the wildcat to kill him! Unable to prevent his trembling, the young marten dared open his eyes, only to see the wildcat's long, curved dark claws coming toward his face.

Dernwyn screamed despite his captor's paw covering his mouth. The captor, Erol, jerked Dernwyn roughly and growled, "Hold still, brat! I meant what I said about-"

"Now, now, Erol," Zurzak interrupted. "No need to use that tone. Here, put away your blade, no need to spill any blood tonight."

The wildcat's last few words made Dernwyn's heart fly with hope. Did that mean Zurzak was going to spare him?

"So what do we do with him, then?" Erol grunted, taking his knife away from Dernwyn's slender neck.

"Why don't you just simply tie him up, and keep watch over him for the rest of the night? I'll send somebeast to relieve you of your duties tomorrow."

Erol gave a contemptuous snort. "I ain't no nursemaid! Have somebeast else watch over the brat!"

"Very well. Grettle, Walf, would you two relieve Erol of Prince Dernwyn?"

Out of the darkness two rats came forward and seized Dernwyn, one of them placing his own paw over the young marten's mouth, each of them pining his arms behind his back. Dernwyn groaned and sobbed, relieved that he wasn't about to be slaughtered, yet still fearful of what the morning's events would bring.

The two rats propelled Dernwyn down the hall back to his room. Neither creature bothered to handle the young marten's frail body with care. Even though neither of them were very tall, Dernwyn still had to take very large strides in order to keep up with them. The young marten groaned and sobbed as the rat's paws bruised his arms and muzzle.

Finally they were inside his bedchamber, where they forcibly brought Dernwyn down on his knees and began muttering to each other harshly.

"Gimme yer belt, that way we can use it to tie 'is paws together!"

The young marten didn't dare fight as the rats yanked his arms backwards, tying his wrists together.

"Hellgates, doesn't this little bugger ever eat?" one of the rats said, gazing at Dernwyn's small wrists in disgust.

"Shuttup, just get tyin'!" the other replied, pulling a thick cloth over the young marten's muzzle.

Dernwyn felt anger prickle at his skin at the rat's remark, just like how he always did whenever Kirin would comment that he was losing weight. The young marten's wrists were then tied to his ankles as another cloth was tied over his eyes. He was then hoisted up into the air by one of the rats, who deposited him onto his bed.

"There! Now we just have to wait for Zurzak to send somebeast to us and we'll be rid of this brat."

Dernwyn heard the rat over him walk away as one of them said, "Hellgates, its cold in here! Light a fire, will ya?"

Soon the young marten heard the wood in the fireplace being arranged and the sound of sparks flying. Not long after a fire was going, and Dernwyn wished he could get near enough for the warmth to spread over him, but he was forced to lay still on his bed, his joints groaning at the painful position he had been forced into.

One of the rats gave a snort or derision. "Huh, some revolt this is! Stuck being nursemaid to a little princeling that don't know how to feed 'imself!"

"Ah, this ain't no pic-er-nic fer me either! But somebeast has got to keep an eye on the brat, he could ruin the plans. He might run off and warn 'is daddy about Zurzak's plan fer tonight!"

Dernwyn's ears perked at this. What plans? Dernwyn hadn't heard what Zurzak and the others had been talking about earlier, what was the wildcat going to do? He knew Zurzak was going to overthrow his father, but when? Tonight? Was he going to kill Orrick? What was going to happen? Dernwyn silently pleaded with the rats to continue with their conversation, which they thankfully did.

"Well, 'is 'ighness won't be warnin' nobeast about wot's going to be goin' on around here tonight! It's about time for Orrick to step down from th' throne, 'e ain't in 'is right mind. We've all known that fer seasons now!"

"That's right. We all knew it was only a matter of time before it was time for Prince Kirin to take the throne, and he would've made a great king, that one would have! But then Orrick just had to send him off and get killed, didn't he? Huh, I wonder if Orrick knew what he was doing, sendin' Kirin and the rest of all those poor creatures to their deaths!"

This struck at Dernwyn rather hard. Orrick knowing what would happen if he sent Kirin out to fight? Surely not! But the other rat was already talking.

"Nah, Orrick loved Kirin, more than anythin', I'll bet. 'Specially after 'is wife died."

"I suppose you're right, but anybeast can see that it wasn't good for Orrick's mind to see his favorite son like that. And not only that, but with Kirin gone, that makes that one-" here Dernwyn knew the rat was pointing at him "-the heir to the throne, and let's face it, him our leader?"

"We'd all die if Orrick kept on leadin' us, or if Dernwyn took over! I'm glad Zurzak's overthrowing Orrick, at least we all know he'll do everything in 'is power to keep us all alive!"

"How d'you suppose 'e'll do it, though? Keep us all alive, I mean? The enemy horde was said to have had more fighters than we do, and a lot of our beasts are pretty dis-hearted still."

"Dunno, but that wildcats' got brains. I'll bet an acorn to an apple that 'e'll think of something!"

The night wore on, with the rats beginning to talk in low tones so that it was harder to hear what they were saying. Dernwyn was frustrated; what was going on? Was Zurzak going to kill his father or not? That was the only thing that really bothered the young marten at the moment...

...but what would he do if the wildcat did kill Orrick?

Had it not been for the blindfold, Dernwyn would have blinked at this thought.

Your father wishes that Kirin was the one who was still alive, and that you were the one who is going to be buried...

The memory of Zurzak's harsh words flooded into the young marten's mind, and yet almost at once he began questioning whether or not the wildcat's words were reliable. He could've been lying, he could've been just saying that to be unkind... but what if it were true?


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The loud sound of the door being opened jerked Dernwyn awake. He hadn't even realized he had fallen asleep. And immediately he wished he was sleeping again: at least then he couldn't feel the aches and pains in his numb limbs. However, he soon forgot his miseries as soon as a certain voice entered his ears.

"Alright, then? He hasn't been any trouble?"

Zurzak.

"No trouble, chief," one of the rats replied.

"We weren't expecting you to come-" the other rat began, but was cut off by Zurzak.

"I wanted to have a chance to be alone with him, to have a little talk. Leave now, and wait outside the door."

There was a scurrying of paws, followed by the closing of a door.

He was alone with Zurzak.

The only thing Dernwyn could hear was his heart pounding against his rib cage. He was trapped; blind, immobile, and completely helpless, and now that horrible was coming near him-

-and now the monster's long, icy cold claws were on his neck.

Dernwyn tried to shriek, only the gag hindered him. he tried to roll and struggle away, but his limbs were numb and aching. Two tremendulously strong paws seized his lean frame and held him tight.

"Don't try to fight," came that hissing sound that he hated and feared. "You are in no position to fight, little prince."

His wrists and ankles were suddenly free one another; he was able to stretch out, even though it pained him to do so. And it didn't help when he felt Zurzak wrapping both arms around him, burying his gagged, protesting face into the furry robe.

Dernwyn sobbed helplessly. He was trapped in a world of darkness, unable to see or to move or to talk. Oh, if only this monster would stop touching him! Would stop speaking to him, would just go away and leave him alone!

"Shhh," Zurzak soothed, coiling one arm around Dernwyn while the other arm made its way down to the young marten's bonds. "Here, let me ease your pain a bit."

Within moments, Zurzak's claws freed Dernwyn's ankles from his wrists, though his limbs were still tied together. The young marten moaned in relief. In spite of everything it felt good to be able to stretch his legs out-

-but then realized that Zurzak was putting his other arm around him. Dernwyn groaned in protest, trying fruitlessly to distance himself from the creature he most feared.

"Now, now," Zurzak purred, twiddling his claws against the back of the marten's head, forcing Dernwyn to bury his face into the wildcat's robes. "Remember what I just said? You are in no position to fight, little prince. So just stay still and allow me to say what I've come to say."

Out of his fear and disgust arose curiosity. Dernwyn still wanted to know what had happened to his father. The young marten went limp in the wildcat's arms, turning his face away from Zurzak's robes so he could breathe better.

"That's better," the wildcat said. "Now then, where to begin? Well, your father is alive, if that pleases you."

Relief flooded Dernwyn's system, except... there was still one part of him that wasn't... Was it because he still wasn't sure if it was true that Orrick wished that he had died in Kirin's place?

"But he has been stripped of his title as king," Zurzak went on. "He put on a good fight last night, but he was outnumbered. He's down in the dungeons now, in case you want to know. Right now all the creatures you met last night, excepting Grettle and Walf, are now going through the kingdom, telling them that I am now the king. I bear a lot of confidence in saying that they will all except me as their king, as I am not weighed down by any grief of loss, as your father is. So I don't think there will be a rebellion against my reign any time soon."

For a moment there was silence. Dernwyn's chest tightened. It was harder to breathe, little bits of scortching fire were prickling all over him, his paws were numb with cold. He didn't like being blindfolded, gagged and tied up. He didn't like being held by this... this... creature. He wanted to just get away-

"But you must be wondering where that leaves you," the wildcat went on. "I decided to give you another chance on my offer.

"I told you before that you remind me of me, when I was young, and that I would protect you just as Kirin protected you. Right now you are nobody's prince, Dernwyn. You hold no authority over anybeast. And you have little to no affection from any of your subjects. There is only one creature that you can rely on right now.

"And that, is me. So what do you say, little prince? Do you accept my offer?"

There was a long, long silence.

Then finally, slowly, Dernwyn nodded his head.