Short one, but here's part 3 at last. Need to keep this thing moving.
Part 3Water awaited him when he woke up. He expected it to be foul and stale, but it actually tasted cool and refreshing as he lapped it like a dog. The bowl seemed hand- (or paw-) made out of clay. While it was probably huge for his captors, unfortunately for Gavin it offered little more than a sip.
The bindings around his legs were gone, and the one around his neck looser as well. He could actually move to the other side of the cavern to relieve himself. It felt good to stretch his legs after being tied to the ground, even if he had to do so on all fours due to the low ceiling. He hoped they would untie him altogether. It wasn't like he could go anywhere without his lifestone...
Held hostage inside a cave, he could do little more to pass the time than run his claws through his tail and listen to the faint chittering voices that occasionally echoed down the tunnels. He inspected the rope around his neck. It seemed to be made of tough reeds wound together and looped like a chain. He almost felt as if he could break it-- or at least chew through it. But alas, there was no point while they held his lifestone. He held a paw over his heart and shuddered, remembering how much it hurt when the elder ferret-thing squeezed it.
The second time he awoke the bowl was full again. This gave him an idea. He went through his stretching routine, drank his water, and sat and contemplated just as he did before. But before drowsiness took him, this time he shut his eyes and pretended to sleep, ears perked attentively as he curled into a ball and hid his nose in his tail.
It took a while, but eventually he heard the rasping clicks of tiny claws on stone, and half-cracked one eyelid to get a glimpse of the creature refilling his water. It peeked from the tunnel mouth tentatively, and the smell he began to associate with the creatures filled his nostrils. Carrying a sloshing clay container, it tip-toed to the bowl which lay only a foot from his nose.
He waited until it finished pouring the water before he opened his eyes completely, and he saw that it was they yellow-green female that had called the crotchety elder with the twig-cane "father". "Hello," he said, softly as he could manage.
Her long tail stood on end, every stand of fur on her body bristling as she dropped the container, some leftover water splattering upon the floor. They locked eyes for a long, awkward moment, before finally she managed a meek "hel-hello," of her own.
Gavin folded his ears and tried to look as least intimidating as possible. After all, this one wasn't one of the ferret-things that mocked him as far as he remembered. "Thank you," he managed in a carefully measured tone. She nodded in response. But when he moved forward to take a sip, she scurried off in a hurry. He sighed and drank his water alone.
----
Gavin measured time by refills of his bowl, and it didn't take long for him to realize he wasn't getting fed.
It surprised him that his hunger stayed at bay for so long. Could the berries really have sustained him that long? Maybe it hadn't really been two or three days... Maybe he had only been captive for a few hours. No, that couldn't have been right. At the very least two days had passed. He would have to ask Mara the next time she came. Either way, he was getting hungry now...
He'd been able to pry bits of information from her each time. The second time it was her name. The third time he learned his captors were called turgan. Odd-colored little tunnel creatures they were, guided by an elder. Gavin sighed. All he was able to do was sit around and think.
He heard the familiar click of her claws against stone and watched her enter the little tunnel room, painted by the orange torchlight. At least he didn't have to pretend to sleep anymore, though she was still much more comfortable with him lying on the floor. "Hello, Mara."
"Hello, Gavin," she said as she strained herself with the water jug. There was always a tiredness in her voice.
"Mara, how long have I been here?"
"'Tis your fourth night, I'm afraid. The first day ye were asleep."
Gavin folded his ears. Blast, he was right... "I thank you for the water, but may I please have something to eat?"
She looked up from her task and regarded him with a hint of fear, as if she expected him to gobble her up at that moment.
He turned his head to the floor. At that moment his stomach chose to rumble.
"Nay, I'm afraid..." She sighed. "Father says not to feed ye. Ye wouldn't be getting water either if I didn't anger him. 'Tis my punishment..." She looked up to his eyes and smiled, running her clawtips along the edge of the water jug. "'Tis not a horrible one, though."
Gavin returned the grin, though he did his best to keep his teeth hidden. He knew how much they scared her. "Thank you again... I'm glad for the water. But how am I to grant your father's wish if I'm hungry?"
Her eyes fell to the stony floor and she ran her toeclaws along the dirt. "I shouldn't be telling ye this... but he wants ye hungry when ye attack the lelran."
Hungry? What does that have to do with... "What... is a lelran?"
Mara seemed taken aghast. "Ye don't know what a lelran is?" She ran her nails through the fur just behind her ear. "Then again, ye didn't know what a turgen was either..." She stared him in the eye. "The lelran are evil, Gavin. They took... so much from us. I know father is harsh to ye, but really, by killing the lelran, ye will be doing us a great service."
"Killing? That's his wish? He wants me to kill--"
"Mara! Don't talk to the reyan! Get back when ye are done!" The elder's screeching voice echoed into the cavern room.
Mara's tail frazzled and she let out an animalistic chirp. "Eee! Coming, Father!" She fell to all fours and scampered to the tunnel mouth before pausing . "I'm sorry..." she whispered, then ran down the corridor.
Gavin sighed and rested his muzzle on his paws. He didn't feel much like drinking water.
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