thinking to knock, I burst in to find said Clonie reclining on a large wooden bed, his eyes closed, his hand stuffing something edible into his mouth.
I did not have to call to him. On hearing my somewhat blustered entrance, he snapped open his eyes, gulped down the grub he was eating, and jumped from the bed. He took me in his arms. I burrowed myself against his chest and felt him hug me close. “Adara, we wait for such occasion. But all not right.”
I lifted my head, sniffed and said between gulps, “Gwydderig and Clydno.”
“Who?”
“Oswald and Alfred.”
“Must use these names. Familiar with these. True names not so much. Not like.”
“Fine, right. Fake names from now on. Oswald and Alfred, they have found us out. They…tried to…”
“Filth, scum. We punish. We make pay with torture, then we kill.”
I felt his bod go stiff, and his left leg shake. I pulled away and took his hands in mine. He bowed his head and I swear I saw a tear plop onto the floor.
“Do not be so dread-filled. They tried to finish me off, but I escaped and as you can see, I am not too badly harmed.”
He raised his head and looked at my throat. He let go my hands and put his finger all gentle-like upon my flesh. “They leave red marks. You in pain here,” he said and stroked the side of my neck.
Despite my fear and panic, I thrilled at his touch. He drew me close. “Will hurt if we kiss?”
“Nope, no, nadder.”
He leant forward and as my heart was about to burst through my ribcage, our attempt at pash was well and truly ended by Wirt barging in. “Marcellus, Kendra said that…Oh, ye are busy. Adara, ye are not too hurt then?”
“Not much physically,” I said and disentangled myself from Marcellus’s embrace.
Eadgard and Kendra entered the room. She opened her arms for me to hurl myself into. “My dear, your neck. What have they done to you? Come and I will soothe your discomfort,” she said and walked towards me.
I stayed her with an air palm. “No time for comfort, Kendra, the Agros are on to us. We are safe for the moment. I have momentarily incapacitated them both. We must be quick. They called me by my true name. Then Gwydderig tried to choke me.”
Before I could finish my sentence, Marcellus and Eadgard raced out. Wirt took my hand. Kendra looked at me and said, “We had best follow, my dear, and please, call those scum by their chosen names. It is best that they do not know how much we know about them.”
With those wise words ringing in my earholes, we quick-stepped into the rec room. A series of muffled grunts, slaps and “Ooff’” noises sounded from within Kendra’s once apartment. We flung open the closed door and strode in.
The sight was goodly indeed. Marcellus had Alfred facedown on the floor, with his knee dug deep into his spine, whilst Eadgard held Oswald, by pinning both his arms behind his back.
“Fools. Imbeciles. You are being monitored. Guards will be here in less than a sec. They will have seen everything.”
“Not so,” Kendra said and held up a small black control box. “I swiped this from your pocket when you were otherwise engaged. I am familiar with such devices and have immobilised your scanners. You are quite without support I am afraid, gentlemen.”
“Witch! Tart! Trollop! Whore!”
“Hold your filthy tongue,” Eadgard said and flung Oswald to the ground. He tried to rise but my Backpacker friend placed a foot upon the back of his neck. “Stay down or I will be forced to harm you.”
“We must leave before they are missed. I suggest we allow Adara to sing to them and escape,” Kendra said.
“Gladly will I render them harmed until we have gone. But you must not be so close.”
“No need Adara to sing. Throat must be sore. We will clock on head and he not wake for long time. Glad to do same to other,” Marcellus said and pushed his knee deeper into Alfred’s spine. He gave out a guttural yell, then lay still.
“No, my dears. Desist with all this
I did not have to call to him. On hearing my somewhat blustered entrance, he snapped open his eyes, gulped down the grub he was eating, and jumped from the bed. He took me in his arms. I burrowed myself against his chest and felt him hug me close. “Adara, we wait for such occasion. But all not right.”
I lifted my head, sniffed and said between gulps, “Gwydderig and Clydno.”
“Who?”
“Oswald and Alfred.”
“Must use these names. Familiar with these. True names not so much. Not like.”
“Fine, right. Fake names from now on. Oswald and Alfred, they have found us out. They…tried to…”
“Filth, scum. We punish. We make pay with torture, then we kill.”
I felt his bod go stiff, and his left leg shake. I pulled away and took his hands in mine. He bowed his head and I swear I saw a tear plop onto the floor.
“Do not be so dread-filled. They tried to finish me off, but I escaped and as you can see, I am not too badly harmed.”
He raised his head and looked at my throat. He let go my hands and put his finger all gentle-like upon my flesh. “They leave red marks. You in pain here,” he said and stroked the side of my neck.
Despite my fear and panic, I thrilled at his touch. He drew me close. “Will hurt if we kiss?”
“Nope, no, nadder.”
He leant forward and as my heart was about to burst through my ribcage, our attempt at pash was well and truly ended by Wirt barging in. “Marcellus, Kendra said that…Oh, ye are busy. Adara, ye are not too hurt then?”
“Not much physically,” I said and disentangled myself from Marcellus’s embrace.
Eadgard and Kendra entered the room. She opened her arms for me to hurl myself into. “My dear, your neck. What have they done to you? Come and I will soothe your discomfort,” she said and walked towards me.
I stayed her with an air palm. “No time for comfort, Kendra, the Agros are on to us. We are safe for the moment. I have momentarily incapacitated them both. We must be quick. They called me by my true name. Then Gwydderig tried to choke me.”
Before I could finish my sentence, Marcellus and Eadgard raced out. Wirt took my hand. Kendra looked at me and said, “We had best follow, my dear, and please, call those scum by their chosen names. It is best that they do not know how much we know about them.”
With those wise words ringing in my earholes, we quick-stepped into the rec room. A series of muffled grunts, slaps and “Ooff’” noises sounded from within Kendra’s once apartment. We flung open the closed door and strode in.
The sight was goodly indeed. Marcellus had Alfred facedown on the floor, with his knee dug deep into his spine, whilst Eadgard held Oswald, by pinning both his arms behind his back.
“Fools. Imbeciles. You are being monitored. Guards will be here in less than a sec. They will have seen everything.”
“Not so,” Kendra said and held up a small black control box. “I swiped this from your pocket when you were otherwise engaged. I am familiar with such devices and have immobilised your scanners. You are quite without support I am afraid, gentlemen.”
“Witch! Tart! Trollop! Whore!”
“Hold your filthy tongue,” Eadgard said and flung Oswald to the ground. He tried to rise but my Backpacker friend placed a foot upon the back of his neck. “Stay down or I will be forced to harm you.”
“We must leave before they are missed. I suggest we allow Adara to sing to them and escape,” Kendra said.
“Gladly will I render them harmed until we have gone. But you must not be so close.”
“No need Adara to sing. Throat must be sore. We will clock on head and he not wake for long time. Glad to do same to other,” Marcellus said and pushed his knee deeper into Alfred’s spine. He gave out a guttural yell, then lay still.
“No, my dears. Desist with all this
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