Within the Cages

Black Rose Camp

Characters: Jo, Daena, Tungur, Longspikes, Erebos.

Daena is being practicly drug by her tunic into the cell by Erebos. Erebos grunts as he locks back the cell. He turns around and leaves. Daena has her back and sides stitches up, but her face hasn't been, that would be too obvious. She is wearing Tungurs black tunic, which doesn't really fit. It hangs loosely over her shoulders, swaying a little when she walks. She looks around the cell, her huge eyes adjusting to the light.

Longspikes's broad head turns to the sound, his face still ugly but less swollen then it had been that first day. His flinty eyes narrow, his huge bulk shifting as he pushes upright, his upper spikes rattling against the roof, "I'e been asleep much too long... what happened ter you, girl...?"

Tungur hears the sound of someone approaching. He's laying on his cot but that changes when he sees Daena. He gets up quickly and heads over towards her when Erebos leaves. "Took you long enough." he says almost coldly but then smiles as he kneels down. "Are you alright?" he then looks to Longspike. "You don't want to know."

Jo looks up from his usual pondering, sitting on Daena's cot over the last few days. Just waiting. A smile starts growing on his face as he sees Daena, he gets up and walks over to her. Reaching up and running a finger along the stitches slightly, "I take it ye' got into a fight?" He chuckles slightly.

Daena smiles wryly up at the mammoth hedgehog, "Tha's a lon' story me frien'." She chuckles at the rat, "Well..... Blame th' lizard. 'E's th' one tha' took forever. Aye, I'll live." She grins at Jo, "Ummmm... I suppose ye could say tha'... Maybe a few fights would be closer."

- - - Iron creaks as thick muscle bunches. The Hedgepig had been testing the strength of those manacles every chance he's gotten. Some of his fur has already worn off from his wrists, and a bit of dried blood shows on the cold iron to show his frustration. "Oh trust me rat, I wanna know." His voice is a low rumble, the promise of a coming storm. "Do they got a fight pit'r somethin'? Seen that before, over Ruingate way..."

Jo takes Daena's paw in his and gives her fingers a small kiss. "I very near went nuts in here, with jus' bein' in here with Tungur and Spikes. And Flick." He looks over the stitches again, obviously impressed with the lizard's work.

Tungur looks to Longspikes and shakes his head. "Whip. From a stoat." he then grins. "But I don't think that thing will bother us anymore." he then motions towards Daena's cot. "Perhaps you should lie down or something."

Daena shakes her head at Longspikes, "No, i' wasn't planned er forced er nothin'. Aye, I was whipped.... an' clawed...." She blushes a little at Jo, "I near went nuts in there.... All alone wi' tha' lizard who couldn't decide if'n 'e was gonna 'elp me er 'urt me....."

Longspikes rattles his quills out of habit and seats himself against the wall again, wood creaking as his bulk comes to rest, wobbling gently as he does. A few more gouges are scored into the wood where his spikes press in. "gettin' awful tired with bein' locked up... They haven't put me to work or nothin'. What are they keepin' us for; amusement?"

Daena grimaces and gasps softly in pain at the hug.... As gentle as it may be.

Tungur chuckles a little bit and looks over. "Consider yourself lucky. The rest of us have been." he nods slowly. He turns back to Daena. "Jo...maybe you should let her lie down before you start hugging her." he smirks a little.

Jo blinks and lets go, still holding onto Daena's paw. "Ye' back too?" He sighs, running a paw through his head-fur. "Lets get ye' sat down and then we could all talk some more."

Daena nods, "Tha' tends t' be th' place t' git whipped..... Unless ye be like me an' are lucky enough to git one on yer face too." She smiles a little and walks slowly toward her cot, moving too fast hurts. The tunic seems very out of place on her, since she never wears much. This, in-fact, is the most she has worn since one day when she was a Dibbun.

Jo rubs his nose slightly, "I wish I had been consious to keep you from gettin' hurt. I ...I can't remember what happened, I think I fainted or got knocked out." He looks a little confused, following Daena oer to her cot. Taking his usual seat on the floor next to it.

Longspikes aims a glare at Tungur that could scorch glass. "I don't wanna be lucky, I wanna be doing something to get my strength back up. You can get them beasts to get me outside and working with somethin' heavy... moving rocks or trees or whatever they got in mind." His voice has been growing angrier as he speaks. Finally, the hedgepig rolls forward and slams his huge fists into the dirt at his feet. You can feel it echo through the earth. "I told ye, I'm supposed to be the one gettin' beaten an whipped, not you lot! What stoat did it? I'll have his head off..."

Tungur laughs a little. "Her head. And we've already got a chance at that." he says. "So you might be able to at some point." he looks to Daena. "So. We should all catch up." he sits down near the two otters. "Who should tell stories first?" he smiles.

Daena smiles faintly at Jo, "I don' think ye could've been much 'elp... I kinda did this t' meself...." she shakes her head at the hog, "No, mate. I was atryin' t' pr'tect Flicktail, yesee? 'E 'as a wife an' babes. An' 'e's th' Abbey Chump. My life ain't worth tha' much... An' it wasn't jus' th' stoat, most o' this, " she gestures to her cleaned up, but still unstitched face, "were from Black'ur." She sighs gently. "I think my story's th' longest, 'ere...."

Jo rummages about in his tunic pockets and comes up with the necklace the lizard was supposed to give to Daena. "Here." He says with a smile, holding the necklace out to her.

Tungur looks towards Longspike. "Maybe I should be that one." he nods. "I probably have the most worthless life of all you lot." he smirks a little then looks to Jo and Daena again. "Aww. Cute." he whispers to himself.

Longspikes eyes Tungur again, after settling down. "Aye yeah? What makes you say that, rat? I recall you bein' free to roam about, even if no one much liked you."

Tungur arches an eyebrow. "Yeah, well. I'm locked away in here now for helping you guys." he frowns a little. "So that makes my life the least valuable." he nods.

Daena looks at Tungur puzzled, why would her say something like that? Then she looks back at Jo and there is the necklace. She blinks, "Th-tha's for me?" she grins, "Thank yew...."

Jo smiles softly and nods, "I can help ye' put it on if'n ye' like."

Daena climbs gingerly off the cot and sits beside Jo, turning sideways so he can reach her neck. "Tha' would be wonderful...."

Longspikes stares at Tungur for a long while, then starts to laugh slowly and nastily. His broken teeth show on the one side, his lips still scabbed from the cuts they caused. "Wunnerful. Just bloody wunnerful..." the laughs dies away. "I hope there be someone alot cleverer than either'o us who can think how to get me out, cause I'm atta loss now... I was hopin' you could get me somethin' of an edge, but now..."

Jo reachs up and over Daena's shoulders, spreading the necklace wide and bring the ends up around to the back of her neck. Connecting them together. "I do hope ye' like it." He smiles again and blushes some.

Tungur shrugs a little. "Its not my fault. Blackfur walked in as I gave Jo and them some food." he nods. "So." he sighs, sitting on his cot and laying back. "I blame you." he chuckles quietly. "If you slaves weren't so hungry all the time, I probably wouldn't be in here."

Daena turns back around to Jo, " I do like it, very much. 'Ow's it look?" She laughs at his blush. The bells tinkle, it is good to be back.

Jo grins, "It looks lovely on ye'." He taps Daena's nose playfully with a finger and chuckles.

Daena grins at Jo and turns to the other guys, "Wot do ye think? 'Ow's it look?"

Tungur huhs and looks to Daena, chuckling lightly. "It looks like true love to me." he winks at them.

Longspikes grunts a bit and shrugs one shoulder, "Wasn't me who was eatin'. I can live fer a fortnight off myself." so saying, he gives his mighty belly a wobble. It keeps going on it's own for a few moments, hypnotically. "Mind, i couldo with a nice cask'o ale, but that's just me." He peers myoptically at Daena, then grins broadly, "Aye, that's a rather fine piece, though I'd haveta say I am awful disappointed that Otter don't find me perty enough ter give jewlry too; right jealous, me." says the enourmous Hedgepig, his grin growing just a bit wider.

Tungur coughs a little and then laughs. "Yeah. When are we getting stuff?" he asks, tilting his head before blinking. Oh yeah, no once notices Kiara is gone. He'd better not bring it up right now.

Daena blushes a deep shade of red at Tungur, but doesn't correct him or anything... It was true. She laughs at Spikes, "Sorry mate. Maybe nex' time.... "

Jo puts a paw on his nose again, blushing. "I..." He looks over at Tungur, then to Daena.

Longspikes starts to laugh again, though this time is a much more scheerful way, his belly wobbling mightily, "Har! He blushes like a mousemaid. Aye, pity the poor Ottermaid who hasta deal with that beast, aye. One flutter'o the eyelashes and down he tumbles. Tsk." Longspikes chortles merrily, the mood lightening quite a bit, enjoying the gentle ribbing he's giving to jo.

Tungur chuckles quietly. "I think if he gets any redder, he'll explode." he smirks a little then shakes his head slowly, standing up and walking around the room slowly, the rat quite restless. "I wonder what he'll be like on their wedding day" he winks at them.

Jo sinks down slightly beside Daena, blushing even more.

Daena laughs at the two teasers, blushing a little at the wedding remark. She looks at Jo, and pities him, poor red beast. She kisses him right ontop of the head, grinning at Longspikes.

Jo grins at the kiss on his head and rests his chin on Daena's shoulder. Still blushing a bit.

Tungur ahems after a moment and coughs once. "So. How much would you hate me if I brought up a bad subject?" he asks, tilting his head.

Longspikes clicks his teeth together and shakes his broad head, "Well, you can certainly tell who'll be makin' the hotroot soup in that holt. Slave to his master, ayup." The hedgepig chuckles, rubbing his belly thoughtfully at the memory o hotroot soup. Mmn. He peers at Tungur, "Eh? What's worse than bein' shackled up and locked in, pal?"

Daena grins at the hedgehog wiggling her eyebrows. She looks over at Tungur... "Not too terribly much a sarpose...."

Jo with his chin still on Daena's shoulder he smiles over at Tungur, "What bein' the bad subject?"

Tungur goes over and kneels down, getting eye level with the two otters. "The bad news, and I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, because I really don't know how you're going to handle it." he sighs, looking to Longspike. "He's probably going to take up four or five front row chairs at your wedding and I just don't know how you'll deal with that." he fakes a tear and 'mopes' over to his cot again.

Longspikes blinks a few times, then rolls to one side as he burst out laughing, a raucous thundering of merriment like the clouds just exploded. Dust falls from the ceiling.

Daena laughs more at the rat, pushing him playfully with her still bandaged, but still intact paw. And grimaces slightly, like it hurt. She grins at Jo, winking playfully. Her musical sounding laughter joining with Longspikes.

Jo chuckles, "Oh well." He shrugs and then blinks, "Waiiit...." He stares at Tungur.

Tungur laughs a little bit then tilts his head at Jo. "Wait what? Its true. He probably wouldn't fit anywhere but front row. And he'll probably eat all that cake on you too."

Longspikes's bellowing laughter settles down to a steady rolling giggle, maybe a little too small a sound for a beast his size. He wobbles back upright again, one stump-thick leg waving in the air for balance. "Nonsense, har; I'd leave one slice, at least. And maybe a bit of seaweed ale ifn yer have that; sorry Daena, but I never actually got the taste for that drink. Too salty, even fer me."

Daena grins mecheiveously, "Right then seaweed ale is exactly wot we'll 'ave.... Wait, is th' slice o' cake fer me?"

Jo snuffles at Daena's face playfully and smiles, "Who else would it be for?"

Tungur chuckles quietly and points at him. "Hey, I want some cake. Sheesh, you'd have to save me some." he hums a little. "Provided I stay around that is."

Daena laughs some more, "Certainly not you, riverdog!" She laughs at the rat, "Sorry mate. I aint sharing'!"

Longspikes shrugs one big shoulde,r grinning impishly, "Well, when I say 'slice', maybe I mean more like 'wafer and some crumbs'." He waves his shackled paws in a magesterial fashion, "But I shall ensure they are the very best of crumbs of course! I am not unkind."

Jo laughs, "I meant ye'." He pokes one of Daena's ears.

Tungur smirks then hums a little. "I just thought of something horrible." he stares to Longspikes and then to the others for a few moments. "What if, at the wedding, there is no cake!? No cake!" he pushes a paw to his head and pretends to faint on his cot.

Daena raises an eyebrow at the hedgehog, "Tell ye wot, I'll race ye acrossa river t' th' cake. By th' time ye git there there wont even be no crumbs left?!?!" She grins at Jo... " I know, ye silly riverbeast."

Jo can only just snicker at this, not knowing what else to say.

Longspikes gapes, his big face taking on a rictus of utter horror at Tungur's suggestion. You might as well have suggested that peeled skulls be used for decoration. "N-no cake?!" he sputters, hs voice a wheezy whimper or utter shock, "Do not even joke about that, sir! Comedy is comedy, but what you suggest is utterly cruel! Shame on ye!" says the Hedgehog, his voice low and utterly serious, but his eyes dance with the twinkling of merriment.

Tungur hums a little bit and then sighs, looking to Longspike. "Sorry! But I mean it. If there was no cake, that would be the end of life as we know it." he pretends to cry. "Now I feel so horrible."

Daena chuckles at the silly beasts. She turns her head slightly to look at Jo, "Wot d'ya think o' these crazy beasts?"

Jo slips his paw into Daena's, "I think the mention of cake is makin' me hungry."

Longspikes sniffs and brushes his huge knuckles against his furry chst, raising his nose into the air, "I'm not crazy; I be much too big fer crazy. We're eccentric."

Tungur blinks and looks over to the otters, shaking his head. "You didn't realize I'm a rat, did you? We're all crazy! Bwhahahahaaaaaaa" he laughs like he's nuts, even making with the shifty eyes.

Daena laughs at Jo, reaching under her cot to pull out some bread Greypaw had snuck her a few days ago, "It's probly stale, but here." She quirks an eyebrow at the huge spiky beast, "O' course..... Yore jus' colorful!" She shakes her head at the rat, "Oh someone 'elp us. We're trapped wi' a crazy rat!!!"

Jo gives Daena a peck on the cheek and smiles, "Why thank ye'." He takes a bite of the now stale bread, it being a bit chewy and odd tasting.

Longspikes turns his head just so, showing off the bright turquoise blue whorls and stripes that creep up the side of his neck, just beneath his smallest spikes. "Oh aye, colourful, heh heh. Just don't raise no fuss when I start to eat the roof is all, now that yer have me thinkin' about cake." The hedgepig wheezes a bit and rolls forward, planting his big footpaws down and pushing himself upright, spikes rattling together and against the wall a bit as he gains his balance and starts to shuffle to the far end of the room, the short, thick chain binding his ankles making it slow work. He is much more stable now though, that his headache had cleared away from that thumping he had gotten. "Oi needs somethin' heavy ter work with and lift... Can;t let meself get weak a'fore it's time."

Tungur looks to the chain around Longspike's ankles and he thinks for a few moments. "If you want, I could try to pick the locks." he says, tilting his head. "Might not work but at least I could try..."

Daena makes a silly happy face at the peck on the cheek. She grins at the hog, "I bet Tungurs 'eavy, 'e's th' fatest rat I never saw!" She has to look all the way up to see his face.

Jo sits there silent, content enough to sit next to Daena and watch on in amusement.

Longspikes shakes his spiked head slowly as he approaches from the far end. he holds out his manacled paws. "They ain't locked..." he mutters, and shows that spot on the back of his wrists; the fur has been scorched, the skin beneath showing blisters. Where the manacles are locked, instead of a neat little hole, is simply a lumpy pair of ringlets, and holding them together an iron pin thick as a beast's finger... and it looks like it was hammered in hot; welded shut.

Daena flexes her paw gently in Jo's. She flinches a little, but if you weren't looking directly at her face you wouldn't notice.

Longspikes grunts a bit, "That rat, the one with the dead eyes... she doesn't play fair..."

Tungur winces as he examines the iron work. "Oh dear...s-sorry." he frowns a little, folding his arms. "Perhaps you should take it as a compliment. They fear you that much. But it doesn't look like those will ever come off. Maybe if you had a badger break them or something." he shrugs. "At least you'd get a nice pair of bracelets." he smiles weakly.

Tungur sits back in his seat and frowns a little to himself, closing his eyes. "At least they didn't brand any of us." he adds after a short moment.

Jo rubs his chin a little, he smiles a bit more as he feels Daena's paw in his move around. "They would have to hold me down to brand me."

Daena nods slowly... "Aye, I was almost branded once...... But..... Tha' didn't go too well....."

Jo tilts his head curiously at Daena, "Ye' were?"

Longspikes subs the side of his head thoughtfully, "They probably do the same like they did to get these on me; rattle your noggin' for you." He stumps past, heading for the opposite wall, his bulk wobbling mightily as he goes, spikes rattling, a few of the painted ones sounding slightly hollower than the rest. "Wunner ifn' they'd be made if I lifted the wall up for awhile..." he muses to himself, peering at the wood thoughtfully.

Tungur looks to the other otter and shakes his head slowly. "Sorry to hear." he thinks. "Never branded but did a lot of branding during my pirate days." he thinks for a few moments, shrugging his shoulders.

Daena half smiles..... "Aye......" she hoo=lds up the stump of a paw covere by a metal hook, "I lost me paw, 'e lost 'is 'ead......." She raises and eyebrow at him, "Ye were a pirate?"

Tungur nods slowly and rolls up his sleeve, showing off a small tattoo of the skull and crossbones. "Yep." he nods. "I suppose it could sort of count as a brand, although I wanted it at the time."

Jo gives her paw a gentle squeeze and smiles, "Well, ye' aren'. Even if'n ye' were, it wouldn' matter much. It bein' jus' a mark."

Daena looks at the rats tattoe, "Hmm.... 'Ow old were ye when ye got that?" She winces slightly at the paw squeezing, then smiles at him, "Aye.... But I 'ate brands.... They 'urt like th' blazes, then wherever ye go fer th' rest o' yore life ye remember bein' a slave.

Jo nods, "But, it would be a sign sayin'...we got our freedom back. Despite everything." He hrms and and thinks a bit,

Longspikes had been peering out a crack between the wall and the roof, only having to rise up onto his toes to do so. "Hmmph. That dead-eyed rat and that big lizard be talkin' about somethin' over yonder..."

Tungur nods. "Thats the reason everyone hates them." he then rolls his sleeve down. "Uh. Three seasons I think. I was born on a ship at sea." he nods. "And I think when I get out of here, I may...may go back." he almost sounds like that would be a horrible mistake.

Daena nods, "I know...." She looks over at Spikes, "Kin ye hear wot they're sayin'?" She looks at Tungur, "When we git's ou' o' here I've got t' go lookin' fer sombeast... But after I finds 'em I think I'll go back t' sea.... I miss it there............"

Tungur nods slowly and chuckles a little. "I miss the sea. But I left it for a good reason." he says frowning a little then looks up to Longspike. "Is that crack big enough to throw a spike through at them?" he asks.

Jo stays a bit silent, not knowing what to say. He smiles some but not much else, rubbing Daena's fingers a little.

Daena nods at Tungur.... She understands how that is... She absent mindedly lifts Jo's paw up, kisses it softly, and holds it against her cheek. It touches one of the cat-claw-cuts and she winces, setting both paws in her lap.

Longspikes chuckles ruefully, "Not one'o my spikes. Much too long fer that. Can't hear'em though; ain't been much good at listening. I'm mainly good for shoutin' and hittin' stuff." The hedgepig sags back down again and finds an empty stretch of wall to settle his bulk. "Saw me through many' a season, that way. Up till now, o'course."

Tungur nods slowly and thinks for a few moments. "I have a ship." he says. "Its old. Its sorta broken. But its being fixed right now." he looks over. "You could use it if you want to get back to sea." he smiles a little then blinks. "Oh dear..." he frowns.

Daena grins at Tungur, "Thank ye. That would come in handy fer th' search too..... " She looks over at Jo, studying his eyes, what was he thinking about, sitting there and listening?

Jo sees as Daena winces, He digs through his tunic and comes up with the soothing oil from before. Uncorking it he dabs his finger-tips with it and applies it by dabbing it on the stitched parts of her face. "If'n ye' go to sea, would ye' need a healer like me?" He asks quietly, rubbing the soothing oil on her face. Still a little thoughtful of what she said.

Tungur hms a little bit. "Guess I'm a little late on payment of the repairs." he chuckles a little to himself and hums then shrugs his shoulders. Then he looks to Jo. "Nope. Never. She could heal herself." he smirks.

Daena looks carefully at him as he asks the question, "I aint never 'ad a healer on a ship with me before... 'cept fer tha' slave ship, but tha's a differant story fer a diff'rant time.... I think a healer would eb a good thing t' 'ave, seein' as a keep gettin' urt. But.... I owuldn't want t' take yew away from yore Abbey an; yor son.

Tungur looks to Longspikes. "Ever been on a ship?" he asks.

Jo looks at Tungur and frowns some, looking back at Daena and then the floor. "I wouldn' leave him, but I don' think I could take him from his home." He puts a paw to his faec and sighs.

Longspikes blinks and peers at Tungur with some surprise. "Me? Onna ship?" He chortles, "You mad, rat? I'd put one paw on board, tip the thing over'n drown the lot. Nah, Ifn I can't swim it, I don't cross it."

Daena nods slowly at Jo, a bit os sadness in her voice, "Aye..... I know ye wont." She smiles faintly at the mental image of Spikes on a boat.

Tungur smirks a little bit and shakes his head. "You need to get on one at some point. Maybe when we get out of this I can drag you on one." he then looks to Jo. "Think of it as a family trip." he chuckles.

Jo rubs at his eyes a little and looks at Tungur, "It would take a while to get things straightened out at the abbey."

Daena yawns quietly..... she stretches, then winces. Looking awkwardly at Jo.....

Jo smiles gently at Daena.

Tungur yawns a bit and then settles in on his cot again. "I am going to sleep. Good to have you back Daena." he smiles a little then dozes off.

Daena smiles a little, "Goodnight Tungur." She smiles back at Jo, looking a little sad for reasons which he knows.

Longspikes scratches his big belly idly, his huge frame shadowed in the gloom of the evening. He eyes the door warily as a sound catches his ear, but stays settled where he is. "Hmmnph, really though, someone should look at gettin' us a barrel'o ale or something... I mean sure, slaves, but no need ter be cruel about it..."

Jo rubs at his eyes again and matches Daena's deep purple gaze, indecision...sadness, and a little bit of hope in his own.

Erebos enters, his head moving at each sound his hears, constantly between the beasts talking. His bruise blue tongue laps at the scent of the room and he smiles, approaching the bars. "Aaaah, it zeemz ze peeg eez finallee awake. I believe we 'ave not been properlee eentroduced."

Daena smiles faintly as the glimmer of hope..... Maybe if she lives through her quest she can come back to him...... The emotions in her eyes matched his almost perfectly, but there was also a look of duty to be fulfilled in them....

Daena looks over at Erebos, blinking a little.

Jo wipes at his wet eyes again, leaning close to Daena and whispering in her ear. "Ye' think what Tungur said is true?" He asks gruffly.

Longspikes's genial grin he had been wearing for the past while fades quickly, his dark eyes turning flinty as he peers at the doorway and the huge beast behind it. The hedgepig sits up a bit more, bulk shifting with him, spikes rattling gently as he bristles. He is one big hedgehog; even siting he is taller than most beasts. "Huh, thought I smelled fishbait around here somewhere. What, lookin' ferra cuddle or something, 'scale?" The basso voice is free from any cheer, now back to his hateful growl.

Daena turns her eyes slowly back to his, her eyes saying more than her words can, "I.... Yes, I do....." She whispers back.

Jo wipes at his eyes once more and gives Daena a nuzzle in the face, whispering again. "I believe it."

Jo wipes at his eyes once more and gives Daena a nuzzle in the face, whispering again. "I believe it."

Erebos reaches a claw up and scrapes it against the metal, eyeing the hedgehog with a cruel smile. "Oh, really. Zo 'oztile you are. We 'ave not even met. What could I 'ave done to make you so /prickly/ towardz me?" He does spare Daena even a glance. As if they'd never even interacted before.

Daena blinks her colossally huge (not to be redundant) eyes at Jo slowly, tears glistening in them. A look that says, -We'll talk about this later- in them...... She nuzzles him back and leans on his shoulder, sighing deeply.

Jo kisses Daena on the nose and stands up slowly, helping her stand up. "Lets get ye' to bed."

Longspikes clicks his broken teeth at the monitor, "Yeah, I don't need no introductions, 'scale. Unless yer gonna open up that door and cut these shackles off'o me, then yer deservin' of my paws around yer neck, just like the rest'o em." Iron creaks and muscles like corded steel bunch, knuckles crackling as fists the size of a weasel's head are bunched. He is not a little hedgehog. "So ifn yer wantin' ta make friends, open up and get me out. Otherwise, getchergone."

Daena stands, looking up a little right when he kisses her nose so that the kiss lands on her lips. She grins at him, then climbs carefully on her cot, wincing slightly. She smiles a sleepy smile, "Goodnight Jo, ya riverdog."

Jo blinks and smiles gently, "Goodnight Daena, as beautiful as the sea." He picks up a blanket and spread it over her.

Daena closes her eyes and smiles.... Silly riverdog. She is asleep in an instant.

Jo is not really surprised from the kiss, he kindof expected it. He leans down shyly and returns it before going to his own cot and laying down.

Erebos is not going to, as so elequently said, 'getchergone.' "Ahhh eef onlee. Eet eez not az eef I weezh to zpend ze remainder of my life makeeng pleazant weeth you zcum. But I am to zee you are makeeng no revolutions." The lizard hisses out a tsk, "But I zee you are reztreected from zuch actionz. 'Ow lovelee, a zlave eez given ze life of leizure."

Longspikes glances to the side, where the two otters are laying to sleep. Most all of the others are at rest too. Growling softly, the hedgepig rolls forward and gets his stump-thick legs underneath him and stands. He shuffles towards the door, his stride bound by those thick iron chains. He stops at the door, just out of arm's reach, and drops his vice to a gravely growl, to keep the noise down "An just what do yer mean by that, 'scale?" he glares hard, his spikes bristling, unbothered by the monitor's size and muscle, and little wonder; likely there has never been a hedgehog that big before... even badgers are hard pressed.

Erebos flicks his tonge out again, catching air of the hedghog at this close distance, and also teasing him a bit. "Eef I muzt dumb my zpeech down vor you, I am zayeeng eet muzt be lovely vor you, zeetteeng on zese bedz all day. I would zay I would worry about you goeeng zoft, but..." An eye peers pointedly at Longspike's belly.

Longspikes sniffs and gives his mighty belly a hearty *thwap* making the outlying areas wobble dangerously. "Ifn yer thinkin' I be a soft beast, lizard-teeth, crack open the door an come play. I be the Longspikes, Bigger'n Stronger than any beast alive, and I could tie your tail in a knot around your maw before you could flick that tongue at me twice." He takes a step closer to the door now, his belly pressing against the bars of it's own accord. Fat his belly might be, but those spiked shoulders are knotted with thick, hard muscle. "Right now, I'm just restin' up. Another week o' takin' it easy,a nd I'll break these chains off and beat you and your vermin friends to death with that black badger's legs."

Erebos' smile widens inexplicably. "Ah good, you were taught to dream loftilee az a deebbun." He keeps up the jaunty appearance, his own claws now tucked neat and orderly behind his back. "Bigger and ztrongercan be argued, 'owever, and do not match againzt eentelleegenze and better traineeng. I look forwardz to zeeyeeng 'ow long it takes to take you down."

Longspikes peers at the monitor through the bars of the iron door, his face breaking into a broad, broken-toothed leer. "Yeah? What training you got, fishbait? I got me a lifetime o' raidin', and I've done away with a fair number o' your kin. Had a necklace made o' their teeth once. Real perdy, it was; I can't wait to get a new one." FIngers like sausages grips the iron bars and the hedgepig leans forward, eyes sharp and hard, his face made into a mask by the sharp contours of the blue dyes in his fur. He looks vicious, primal, even with the thick iron manacles welded to his wrists. "You got a nice maw full... Come a lil closer, I'd like to get a start on it."

Erebos doesn't shrink away, though his blood runs even colder than it already is. In fact the monitor bares his teeth for the beast, uttering a low clicking hiss, a rumble building in his throat. The tribal patterns do not intimidate him; he also was once covered in such designs. "Een order for a dragon to become an offeezer of ze Zampetra army, one muzt zweem in through a peet of mud and climb onto a pole een ze middle to grab a zmall ztone on ze top, wizout knockeeng ze pole over. Wiz clawz cleepped. I made eet to ze rank of lieutenant. Eef you got close enough to try and take my teeth, I would take your paw wiz zem."

Longspikes starts to laugh, nastily, his eyes glinting, "Yeah, that's some good trainin' for you alright. A swim 'n a climb. Hard work, no doubt. Can tell yer a right 'eentelleegent' beast, too." the mocking tone of the mimicked accent rings clear as a bell, "Comin' to the north Woodlands in the middle'o winter. Ain't no wonder why you are without an army or even a single 'scale under yer command, 'looootenant'." The hedgepig sneers and lets go of the bars, "hard pressed to find a slug willin' to listen to yer. Not even fit to stir the soup."

Erebos was expecting to be the goader, not the goaded. He lets out a primieval sounding rasp and pushes up against the bars, claws wrapping around them and scraping the metal, creating little shrieks. "Zupeereeor wordz comeeng from lowly zlave zcum! Zuch a low opeeneeon of zose 'oo bezted you! I gladlee await ze day you are ztupeed enough to try and ezcape, zo I can split zat gut of yours, and relieve you of zome of your bulk!"

Longspikes is obviously a beast with hot blood; he doesn't need much encouragement to start something. He lets out a hissing laugh, his broken teeth bared, spikes bristling, and they fit his chosen name; they are more quills than spikes, some long as a rat's forearm, rattling gently as he shifts his bulk a little from footpaw to footpaw. "Bested me? Har, you didn't best me, fishbait. That dead-eyes and a gaggle of ferrets rushed me. While I was turning them little squealers into paste, she shot me thrice with that damn toy'o hers." So saying, he turns the one side of his face towards the Monitor, leering through his scabbed lips. The teeth are only broken on that side, his eye looks like it had just lost the swelling, and he still had a bump on the one side of his skull. "That ain't bested, 'scale. That's bein' ambushed."

Erebos' anger does not stay with him for long. Not on the surface anyways. The hedgehog can say what he likes about the Black Rose, the lizard hasn't owed allegiance to anyone since his days on the island with Kilat. He stays pressed against the bars, but his grip loosens slightly, his face slowly relaxing into a dark, dour epression, like that of a gargoyle. "And no blame eez to be placed on yourzelf for not beeyeeng vigilant? Whatever zkeell you may zay you 'ave doez not matter. You are 'ere now, under our rule, and I'd like to zee you try and change zat, wiz your clumzy meat pawz, furbeezt." He shoves himself away from the cell a little forcefully.

Longspikes's eyes narrow a bit, his leer turning to a scowl, "Yeah, 'cause you'd do real well with a pack of ferrets hounding you with swords on the middle'o a bridge over an ice-cold river while at the same time bein' bowshot in the head. Mind, I guess you won't; you 'scales got the brains of a beetle... though that be an insult to perfectly acceptable beetles." He sniffs and turns his spiked back to the monitor, shuffling back towards the far wall, giving Erebos a good look at the wall of long, painfully sharp spikes layering the hedgehog's back, better than any armour. "You'll see soon enough, fishbait. A week'o rest and I'll breka these chains and come right out after yer... right after I tear that blackheart Badger to tiny, drippin' shreds."

Erebos breathes out hard through his nose, and a claw searches inside his coat, to where he used to keep his flask. He spits a noise as he remembers how he lost it, but pauses, the back of a knuckle brushing against the hilt of his scimitar. He considers it, just for a moment, and then pushes the thought away. "Of courze ze eentellegence of a beetle would be an acceptable level to ze likes of you." It is a rather lame retort, but The lizard is now focused more on exiting this scene before he does something he regrets...again. He really must stop visiting the slave cells; they seem to be making him reckless. He spits again, this time with actual saliva, at Longspikes' back, and then turns away, to seethe in solitude.

Longspikes flinches as the cold, wet goo spatters against his spines, the big hedgehog turning halfway to glare after the Monitor's back. Red-hot fury burns in his flinty eyes, the manacles creaking as he tests his strength against them yet again, but finding no yield... It was a fib, saying he was gonna brak the chain - he doubted any beast was that strong... but maybe the idea of it would get him outside and working, to make him tired... or so they'd hope. Me mutteres a black curse under his break at the Monitor's back, then settles in against the far wall of the cell, his broad head bowing as he tries to settle in for sleep... He'd have their heads, all of'em...