Never An Absolution - Chapter Four -
Never an Absolution Chapter Four (c) Cederwyn Whitefurr October, 2000 All rights reserved.
Nearly a week after her capture, Ceredwyn was a shell of her former self. Hanging limply from her manacled and raw wrists, she barely had the strength to look up, as two soldiers entered the cell and stood to the side, followed closely by Lord Dorsnek, who wore a beautiful white furred cloak. Ceredwyn burst in to tears, as she knew all too well, whose pelt this evil creature now wore.
"Have you considered changing you views young doe?" Dorsnek asked quietly, as he marched up to her. "Your loyalty to your former people, whilst touching - is misplaced. They were but cattle - who kept you repressed and held you back from your true potential. Now - join with me, stand at my side - and I shall show you such things...such...power, that you'll never look back. Together, we could crush those who would stand against us, and our names would be legends for millennia to come. We would achieve immortality."
"At what...cost?" Ceredwyn rasped, her voice cracked and raw.
"I offer you so much - yet you would defy me, and throw my offering back in my muzzle like a piece of rancid meat?" Lord Dorsnek spoke quietly, his eyebrows rising.
"You offer me nothing...Lord..." Ceredwyn whispered huskily. "All that you are - is nothing. You killed the former King, and assumed his throne under false pretenses. Regardless - you are nothing. No...you are less than nothing. You're just some jumped up pup, with ideals of grandeur and an ego filled with your own overblown self importance."
Lord Dorsnek stood silently, then the turned partially away from her - and spun back and sharply slapped her across the cheek. Ceredwyn's head smacked sickening against the stone wall and she gurgled, but remained conscious.
"You dare defy me that which is rightly mine?" He snarled, leaning in close.
"I am my own - a free spirit, who can not be bought and sold like a piece of livestock." Choked Ceredwyn. "No matter what you do to me - I shall forever remain free..."
Ceredwyn stared back defiantly, a wisp of a smile touching her furred lips, as she seen her words eliciting the response from him that she knew they would. His rage built higher and higher - and he glared at her, then blinked, and to her horror, he stepped backwards and a low, guttural chuckle came from deep in his throat.
"Oh...you are a smart one...." Dorsnek smiled, then stroked her ears lovingly. "You wanted me to get so worked up - that I would kill you. I am sorry my lovely Doe...but it nearly worked, alas, I have some control over my anger. No my lovely - I have plans for you...that will require you to still be living. I know you want to die, but i fear, that I can not allow that..."
Sobbing, Ceredwyn slumped back against the wall and wept bitterly. All her hopes had hinged on this one chance.
"Instead - " Dorsnek smiled cruelly. "I'll offer you another chance. Give in to me - and raise the young...and you'll be fed, watered and cared for. Refuse me, and for each hour you waste in denying me what I wish - one of the fawns will die...slowly and painfully. I have nearly a dozen of your people's fawns - so I'll give you twelve hours - to make your decision."
"No - please..." Ceredwyn whimpered. "Please do not harm the children - "
Dorsnek murred and nuzzled at her throat, making Ceredwyn gasp and cough. "Give in to me - do as I ask of you, and I will release the children.... I give you my word..."
Ceredwyn flinched at his touch, but she was torn between her own wish to die...and the oath she had sworn, to protect the children of her people. She was their nanny, and was honour-bound to do all she could, within reason, to ensure their safety.
"I..." Gurgled Ceredwyn.
"Do not waste my time doe - " Dorsnek growled quietly in to her ears. "I do not want to be forced in to waiting, as my patience - is not that long."
"I...you promise - that you'll release the children?" Ceredwyn whimpered.
"I give you my word." Dorsnek smiled, as his fetid breath ruffled her sensitive inner ear fur.
Shivering, Ceredwyn burst in to tears and nodded shamefully.
"Guard - take her down - and have some servants bathe her and dress her wounds...I do not want my mate to be seen - in such conditions."
"Wait a minute - " Ceredwyn wailed. "I am to become your - "
Dorsnek smiled, then patted her throat and smiled. "Yes my love - you will become mine this night - and I shall show you such pleasures...."
"Noooo - " Ceredwyn shrieked, as Dorsnek laughed and walked out. "You can not do that - please...you do not know - "
"What I do - is my concern...Doe...as you are now - my property. Take her away!" Dorsnek snapped sharply.
***
Ceredwyn was bathed, and the two servants who bathed her, lashed and roughened her luxurious but filthy pelt with sharp bristled brushes, that felt as if they would surely tear the fur from her body. Despite her pleas for mercy, they ignored her and continued the rough - and to Ceredwyn's humiliation, intimate bathing. Not one place was left un-scrubbed, and when at last she was ordered from the bath and dried, her entire body burned like a fine sheen of acid had been sprayed over her from the top of her head to her cloven hooves. They dressed her in a loose, but well crafted robe, and then forced her to sit as they brushed and tied back her long hair. Finally - they had finished and two soldiers carried her to an ornate bedroom, where they unceremoniously dumped her on the feather filled quilt of the large bed, then turned and left, and the door was locked behind them. Gazing around her through a shimmering haze of tears, Ceredwyn could see the opulence and majesty of this well appointed chamber. Easily, it was about sixty feet at its widest, by forty long. It had a sitting stool and a small mirror on an antique dresser, two large and well crafted silky oak closets, a large chest at the foot of the six feet wide by eight feet long bed, that she sat on, and the walls were decorated by tasteful paintings and sculptures. Even though the chamber was warmed by a stone fireplace, in which a fire crackled to itself - and the stone floor was carpeted in a thick, plush piled carpet and rugs - the chilling cold still permeated the room. No windows allowed any sense of a view or even airflow - and Ceredwyn's internal sense of distance had indicated that even if there was a window - it was about a ninety foot drop to the ground below.... Ceredwyn laid back on the bed and clutched one of the pillows to her breast as she curled up and wept, then shrieked as she heard the scraping of a key at her bedroom door - and its iron bound weight ground open - and in walked a creature from Ceredwyn's nightmares....
It was distinctly female - but there, any sense of sisterly compassion evaporated. This creature slowly entered and folded back its hood - to reveal the greyish muzzle of a female anthro wolf. Ceredwyn wailed and began dragging herself back across the bed - her eyes wide in terror and her breathing coming in sharp, painful gasps.
"Ceredwyn - " Spoke the wolf softly, as she sighed and clasped her paws before her. "Please my child - it is me...Lady Angelica - "
Ceredwyn cringed up against the end of the bed, clutching her knees to her chest as she brayed out her anguished sobs.
"Ceredwyn - please child...please do not cry...I am the same person - although as you can see - my form has been changed...." Angelica whispered soothingly.
"No - " Ceredwyn wailed. "This is some work of evil magicks, and I want no part of it!" Ceredwyn shrieked, then threw a candlestick at the female wolf. With lightning like reflexes, the female wolf sighed and snatched the candlestick from the air and walked over to the nearby table and set it down.
"Ceredwyn...here...." Angelica sighed.
Angelica stepped back, then as the horrified Ceredwyn watched, the wolf's body began cracking and shape shifting, the bones snapping and low gasping cries of agony come from her, as she slowly shape changed in to her human form, then rose and weakly slumped in to the chair.
"No...I won't believe this...this is not true...its evil magicks...." Ceredwyn sobbed, then buried her head in her lap.
Angelica, when she gathered her strength, rose and slowly approached, holding her hands out in a placating gesture. Ceredwyn wailed and shrank back, but she soon run out of room, and Angelica approached, then sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Ceredwyn - please...listen to me...." Angelica whispered, as she reached out and touched Ceredwyn's shaking paw.
Instinctively, Ceredwyn lashed out with her paw, but Angelica's reflexes were much sharper - and there was a loud slap as her hand slapped forcefully across Ceredwyn's furred cheek. Instantly, Ceredwyn burst in to painful sobs and Angelica moaned and clutched the sobbing Doe's head to her breasts and stroked the long ears.
"Shh...its all right my child...." Angelica breathed, trying to soothe the terrified Doe. "Its all going to be all right.... Please - you must listen to me - as there is much I must tell you - before it is too late...."
As Ceredwyn continued sobbing, Angelica stroked her ears and back comfortingly, then began her tale.
"Dorsnek - will not release the young...I can not lie to you. Some of them - he will keep to fulfill his own sick pleasures - others he will inflict with his curse - and still others...will be his dinner. My dear Doe - please - promise me, that you'll use this - to save the children...from his evil plans." Angelica breathed, as she pressed a small crystal vial in to Ceredwyn's paw.
"You - " Ceredwyn wailed. "No - I can't poison the children - "
"Ceredwyn - listen to me!" Angelica snapped sharply. "You must do this - just put it in their water or food...and it'll be quick, painless and peaceful. They will go to sleep - and they won't suffer. If you do not - then Dorsnek will do as I have told you...and already, the fawns have been reduced in number - and now - he prepares one as a sacrifice to his dark god, to consummate the bonding ritual that he will force you in to at midnight...which is under five hours away..."
"No - " Ceredwyn sobbed. "I have been sworn too protect - "
"Ceredwyn...listen to me! Do you have any idea - of what fate these fawns will suffer - if you do not do this? Do you think that they will like becoming as I have? I barely can control the beast that I have become - and its bloodlust and rage is a terrible thing. Please - it would be a blessing for those innocents, if you did as I asked...and you slipped this in to their water. They will not suffer - and it will save their souls - from an eternity of darkness. Let them die as your species did - with honor.... Please Ceredwyn - I beg of you...they love you, and you love them, I do not doubt that. Think not of it as an evil act - but one of love - and let them go to the Goddess in peace...as only she can save them now - but I fear, that come midnight - the Goddess will be unable...to save you." Angelica rose, then placed a hand against the sobbing Ceredwyn's cheek. hesitantly, Ceredwyn reached up with her own paws, then rubbed her muzzle against Angelica's hand.
"My lady - thank you...for your help and kindness...."
"You thanks are unnecessary my child - but please - just do as I told you, as you will be saving the children from a fate...that is worse than death. Trust me, I know - as my own soul now, is damned. Please - do not let him condemn yours as well...."
Angelica made her way to the doorway, then she paused and hung her head. "Guard!"
Quickly, there came the scrape of the key in the lock and the door creaked open.
"Ceredwyn - please...do not think of what I told you...I beg of you. Just do it..." Angelica spoke, then folded up her hood and left the room.
Ceredwyn watched her leave - and then clutched the small vial tightly in her shaking paw and rolled over on to her side, then began sobbing heartbrokenly. Conflicting emotions tore at Ceredwyn as she thought about what Angelica had told her - and her own moral judgment.
"Oh please forest mother - " Ceredwyn sobbed and prayed. "Please - guide my paw in the right path...I beg of you..."
Secreting the vial beneath the mattress, Ceredwyn curled up on the soft bed and cried herself to sleep....
- To Be Continued -