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Despite his words, the rebellious glint in his eye was unmistakable. He means to buy time. Just like the rest before him, only that he did not grovel as they did, those gutless wretches who had started off with false bravado well enough. Yes, they had collapsed at the first sign of danger, cowered before her and pleaded for their filthy lives.
Indeed, this little upstart proved to be more resilient than the rest. Is there any value in keeping him alive? Her instincts told her no, but the hand which gripped the sickle tightly enough was fighting an equal and opposite force. Gritting her teeth, she glared at the boy, then his sword hand. Noticing the slight movement there, she grasped his wrist, flung it outward and watched the blade sail in the air, colliding with the ground with a clatter. Two startled leopards took a step forward, sniffed it, then stepped protectively over it.
"Since you claim to be on my side..." she pronounced the words with deliberate slowness as she released her grip on his hand and traced the streams of blood upon his neck. "... you shall prove your allegiance." She raised a bloodied finger and drew a line across his right cheek.
"You will guard this forest with your life, and kill all who so much as lay their fingers upon any of the living creatures." There was a deadly intensity of her voice which rang in the air. "And, just in case you may have difficulty remembering your loyalties..." she motioned the nearest black bear forward. "... Ebony here will be your reminder."
Taking a step back, she studied his reaction carefully, as if she were waiting to catch a glimpse of something. What that something was, she could not pinpoint at that moment.
[ 07-13-2006, 09:08 AM: Message edited by: mistral4543 ]
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