Quinn grimaced and doubled over in pain as another meaty fist slammed into his ribs. The harekin looked around the old musty tavern cellar with his one good eye as the other one had since swollen shut. He flinched as one of the three soldiers yanked at his ears, lurching him forward and then heaving a heavy punch to his gut.

Once more blood spewed from Quinn’s mouth as he collapsed to his knees. Both of his wrists were shackled behind his back, the cuffs digging into his fur with their rusty edges. Chains sagged heavy around his ankles. Jeering and laughing erupted as Quinn struggled to stand back up.

“I think this rabbit has had enough,” said one man. He was a husky guard, barely able to fit his stomach underneath his tunic. His breath reeked of ale and eggs. He grabbed Quinn by his jacket collar and smiled with a grin full of crooked teeth. “Vouldn’t you say, rabbit?”

Quinn smirked and jerked his head forward, smashing his brow into the man’s mouth. “I say I could use a bit more of a wallop, you beer bellied coward!”

The man stumbled and fell on his ass. He covered his mouth as blood gushed from his gums. He struggled to speak his words through his pain and mouth full of broken teeth. “Right! Give him vhat he vants, boys!”

Quinn limped backwards against the wall before charging with his shoulder into the first man that stepped too close to him, but his feet tripped over the chains still fastened to his legs. Quinn cussed under his breath as he hobbled to his knees. He had hoped that his capture would have bought Elisa the time to finish poisoning the town and seek help, however time moved so slow when tortured. He could keep a brave face, he was trained to, but eventually he would break.

Elisa, what is taking you?

A brutal right hook snapped him out of his thoughts. Blood splattered across the filthy floor. Quinn tried to keep himself firm, giving the men an oozy smile.

“Come on you, Estinian dogs! My nan hits harder than you!” Quinn spat.

A vicious kick to the back of his head slammed him to the ground. The harekin rolled to his side and curled up as the guards let loose a series of stomps across his broken body.

Quinn lay motionless. His lungs burned as he tried to breathe with his many cracked ribs. “Y-you… had… enough?” wheezed Quinn.

“Get him up!” the fat man commanded. He pointed to Quinn and then to a chair in the corner. “Put him in the chair! Ve are going to learn vhat he is doing so far from home!”

Two of the men lifted Quinn and dragged him into the chair.

The harekin rolled his eyes around, barely conscious now.

“Now, rabbit, you vill—”

“Yes… yes… you vill beat me… some… more.” Quinn began to cackle and laugh slowly. Blood dribbled down his lips. “You blockheads… are quite… predictable.”

Two of the soldiers looked at each other and then back to their leader, whose face flushed red with anger.

“Teach him how predictable ve can be, boys.”

Quinn furrowed his brow and grit his teeth as he went through another round of beatings.

***

Elisa stalked slowly down the stairs, a blooded ninjato gripped tightly in her hand, and a trail of corpses in her wake. With each step she could hear sloppy fists beating into Quinn’s face and blood slapping across the ground.

“You vill talk, rabbit!”

Elisa slid her back against the cool, gray stone wall. The scent of sweat, blood, and ale filled the air as she made her way down the cellar corridor until she was just outside the room where Quinn was being held.

The shadow elf cautiously peeked around the corner and counted the Estinian soldiers.

Three.

Elisa also eyed Quinn’s battered form; he was barely conscious and in no shape to walk out of this town on his own. She had already slain every soldier and civilian inside the tavern and if she wasn’t quick enough now, there would be more to come to investigate the horrifying crime scene later. Elisa had very little time, she had to act now.

Bolting from around the corner, Elisa thrust her sword through the middle soldier’s back and before anyone could react she pulled out her weapon, spun around, and cut a deep gash across the right soldier’s side.

Elisa glanced at the remaining soldier. He turned a ghostly white as he fumbled for his sword. Elisa flashed her steel in a sudden swing. Four fingers dropped to the ground. The man quivered his stumpy hand in his face and tried to let out a shrill scream. However, only the sound of blood squirting could be heard as his head rolled to Elisa’s feet.

Elisa relieved the soldiers of the shackle keys and ran to Quinn’s side. He was in rough shape. A broken nose, gashes and bruises laced his face and his fur was matted down by his wet blood. She secretly wished she could have had more time to make the soldiers suffer for each bruise that Quinn had, but more gruesome deaths were not in their cards tonight.

“Alanna, show them no quarter,” she whispered under her breath.

“Easy there, Quinn. You are safe now.” Elisa gently supported the harekin against her and she lifted him to his feet. “Can you walk?”

Quinn grimaced and coughed as he dragged one foot against the ground and gagged in agony as he tried to walk. “I… need a moment… to… rest,” he said. He stretched his body back to the chair, but was sharply pulled away and forced to hobble forward.

“No time, Quinn. Every Estinian in town is on high alert.” Elisa clutched onto Quinn and lifted him sideways onto her shoulders. Elisa clenched her teeth as she moved as quick as her legs could carry them down the hall and grunted as she hauled her partner up the stairs back into the tavern.

Elisa pushed through her exhaustion as she made her way through the obstacle course of bodies, overturned chairs, and broken glass until she was at the exit. She popped her head outside to see if the coast was clear. The majority of the soldiers were still scouring the city for other intruders and the town gates were being bolstered with Estinian reinforcements. However, if she took the alleyways and the backstreets, she could find a safe spot to climb over the palisades and back to the welcoming hands of her squad.

It was a gamble, but she had to try.

Elisa waited for a group of soldiers to march by before turning around the corner, sprinting down the street, and diving behind a trash heap of a dimly lit alley. She leaned Quinn against the wall so that she could catch her breath.

She rotated her shoulders and cracked her neck. Creeping down the walkway she scanned the surrounding streets.

A night watchman pounded on doors shouting orders for the civilians to stay within their homes. Elisa tucked her head back into the shadows as the watchman turned his head.

He didn’t see me, he didn’t see me…

“Hello? Who’s there!?” The watchman’s lantern grew closer and closer to Elisa’s hiding spot.

He saw me…

“Is anyone there?” shouted the watchman once more.

Elisa drew her dagger and waited for him to grow closer. Just a bit more. One more step.

With lightning fast movements, Elisa yanked the watchman’s arm into the ally and punctured his neck with her dagger.

The man fell over and Elisa dragged his lifeless form into a trash heap. She grabbed the lantern and quickly snuffed out the flame to not attract anymore unwanted attention.

She looked outside the alley once more.

Clear, thank the heavens it’s clear.

Elisa picked up Quinn. He was silent this time.

He’s just unconscious.

She hustled across the street to the next alley and pushed along into the darkness until she found the town wall. Elisa made sure to be as gentle as possible as she rested Quinn’s body on the ground. She searched her bag and took out a coil of rope. Elisa tied Quinn’s wrists together and then threw his arms around her neck and over her back like a cloak.

The shadow elf adjusted Quinn slightly to the point where she could move her arms freely without getting choked by the harekin’s weight. After cracking her knuckles and taking a deep breath, she leaped in the air and scurried up the wall as nimble as a rat. Once reaching the top, she lowered Quinn to the best of her ability, before dropping down herself.

We’re good, Quinn. We’re home free now.