Elly very gingerly opened her eyes, squinting painfully, and pushed herself into a half-sitting position, wincing as she did so. Rubbing her eyes, she recognized Kafta with a bemused frown and looked around. "What happened..." she started to say, and then suddenly looked quite betrayed. "You! She exclaimed angrily. "I was trying to help you! What...? Where is this?" she asked apprehensively, looking around the small chamber.

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"Not if I can help it!" Mrug cried again, stomping after Karara. He glanced askance at the lioness. "Think we can track her?"

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Karara looked back at the dwarf.

"If you can stop stomping around, we may." She tossed a glace at Kendra. "You coming Kendra?"

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

Kendra jumped down from her tree, and nodded. She couldn't say anything knowing her friend was in trouble...

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(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

"Alright, I take that as a yes. Mrug, you go around to the right, Kendra, come with me. If we do not find anything, we will meet back here by sun up." With that, the lioness silently padded through the bushes and into the dark forest.

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

Kafta gave a smile "Yeeees sorry about that...but i didn't fancy my chances in an all out fight against you're freinds." she shrugged "This is the Castle of Saw. You're his prisoner, there'rs no way out and you're freinds can't help you now." This time she looked really sorry for what she'd done, almost sypathetic "You're his slave now...for life...however long he may choose for that to be."

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Made by Lembas

Elly looked at Kafta wide-eyed for at least thirty seconds, uncomprehending, and suddenly her big brown eyes filled with tears. She wiped them away angrily and groped for something to say, but nothing came out and she looked as though she would very much like to hurt Kafta rather badly. Suddenly her face, which was very pale, crumpled and she let out a strangled sob. "I...want...to...go...home!"

((Pssst, who's playing Saw?))

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Mrug obliged the lioness and hefted his axe, his eyes scanning the ground before him. He found some tracks not far from where the human girl'd disappeared. He stooped down to examine them closer. "Canine."

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"I believe that can be arranged," came a raucous taunt from a window above Elly. The raven hopped from one foot to the other, glaring at Kafta and Elly with blood-red eyes. It emitted a chuckle that sounded like a throaty croak.

"My mistress is powerful. You, wolf, you are a slave, no? Those bindings can easily be broken."

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Elly looked up at the raven, tears still blurring her vision. She wiped her eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked him tearfully.

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"What I mean," the raven continued shrewdly, "is that my mistress has no slaves. Her servants follow her in loyalty... and ambition." He caught Elly's tearful eyes and deftly amended, "She has also gained an interest in you, my lady. She invites you - and the wolf as well - to dinner and an audience. Simply attending her wishes will not harm you."

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Elly sniffled and cast a glance at Kafta. "I...I don't mean to be rude," she began hesitantly, looking back at the raven, "but...what is your mistress? There don't seem to be any, well, humans here." Fearing she had caused offence, she added hastily, "uh, just out of curiousity, I mean."

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Amused, the raven cawed. He would have liked to settle on the girl's shoulder to play his charms out in full, but fear of Kafta kept him perched on the high windowsill.

"My mistress has many forms. If pleased, she is beautiful. If angered, she is a demon. But she is, once and all, a vampiress. But don't let this daunt you," he added smoothly. "Unlike SAW, my mistress doesn't take slaves."

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Elly got hesitantly to her feet, swaying a little and putting out a hand against the cold stone wall to steady herself. "A...a vampiress?" she asked, not looking extremely comfortable with this. "I don't know if I would be entirely - at ease..." and here she trailed off, with a glare at Kafta and a snappish remark: "Though I doubt the traitor here has any intention of going anywhere." It was rather waspish and unlike her, and her growing resentment against the wolf seemed to be pushing back her frightened tears.

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"Well, my lady? And you, wolf?" prompted the raven.

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Karara carefull scanned the ground for any sign of Elly. She soon spotted a soft footprint, but it had a weird pattern to it, almost zig-zigged, Karara thought.

"Kendra, do you think that this is Ellys footprint?"

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

((*Pokes* Anduril, post! ))

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