Jessica's head hurt, and she felt dizzy when she first woke up. The memory of what had happened was all a blur to her, but she remembered she had been with Toshubi and then left to prepare their bags. They would have to get ready to leave again soon. While she was going there she felt as if she was being watched, but she couldn't recall what exactly happened next.
The fact that her arms were tied behind her back, and she was seated on a chair in some cabin in the woods didn't exactly comfort her. At least she thought it was woods. The nearby window showed treeline in the distance, and she didn't see any other doors than the one near the door. Unless there was a door right behind her in the back wall. She couldn't exactly turn her head around enough to be absolutely sure, not right now at least.
Her head still hurt but she began to put things together quickly. She had to remain calm and remember what Toshubi had taught her already. She was in trouble, but Toshubi would come for her. He would. She felt a tremor of fear about the idea of what would happen if he didn't. She had lost her mother. Losing Toshubi would be too much.
Fears tried to cloud her mind but she shook her head slightly. While it made her even more dizzy, it did clear some of those doubts. She knew Toshubi had a task to do, but she had been taught by him at least a little by now, and she was his family now. She would trust in him, trust in him being alright and for him to come to get her back. In the meanwhile, she should do everything she could to help her escape so she could reach him, or at least get ready to surprise her captors if an opportunity presented itself.
She didn't want to admit to herself that part of her worried what she really could do, especially without any weapons to use. Anything was better than just giving up though, and she prepared herself to fight if that became necessary. She was Toshubi's daughter now after all, she would not let some mean bullies get to her.
There was a creaking noise as the door opened, and a large man walked in. Tiger stripes covered the man's fur, the few scars showing on his arms marking him a fighter, the muscles in them suggesting this man was dangerous and anyone that had dared put a scar on him had died giving it. She shivered involuntarily, there was such malice around that man, she was suddenly aware of him staring at her in a very uncomfortable manner.
”Ahh, so our esteemed guest is awake!” He laughed, grinning at Jessica and shouting out of the doorway. ”Scar, the bitch's woken up!” The man's mocking made Jessica angry but she now knew there were at least two people around then. It meant even if she was able to escape somehow from this one she would still have to get past another. While she was trying to wriggle her arms loose from their bindings behind her back, she sought to do it quietly and without letting him know what she was upto.
Outside, Scar had set up a chair for himself and leaned back with a pipe in his hand, carefully trying to light the tobacco in a careful manner. ”Just watch her, awake or asleep makes no difference as long as she's in our possession anyway. We just need her long enough for the warrior to get here so I can present her as a motivation for him to fight me proper.” Scar lifted iron nail which's end he had warmed in the nearby fire from the now lit tobacco, smirking to himself while puffing out a bit of smoke. Throwing the nail with practiced wrist flick, he buried its tip to a nearby tree's bark, smiling to himself satisfied. It wasn't as a good as a proper dart but it was heavy and properly sharpened anyway. Plus it was way easier to replace nails than darts when living in the wilds.
Now, if only the man would hurry up. Gauth was smart to not want to get into the forest with the man, Scar had originally intended for Gauth to be out there to properly judge this warrior's prowess and check if he was a suitable foe for him to hunt, but Scar had agreed to the switch when it became apparent their other companion was far too agitated by the fact he had sent Esme ahead first.
The black cat was better than he was when it came to ranged combat, but whenever he got close Esme would end up with her face pressed to the ground and her ass propped up. If Scar had been a pervert he would have taken delight in humiliating her so. Gauth might have, if he could beat her. With him, Esme's losses only made her that much more aware of how risky it was for her to get close when her speciality was from range, or swift attacks. She was to delay and harass him, before letting him 'slip' eventually to face Gauth, or rather, to face Rodan.
Letting Rodan take Gauth's place was putting the girl a bit more to risk, Gauth had eyes only for Esme and the girl was too young for his tastes anyway. Gauth meanwhile was a pervert and a bastard that would've taken liberties with even their companion if he had not feared Esme would stab him in his junk, that Rodan would smash his junk for trying something with 'his girl', and Scar would have cut his junk off for allowing it to cloud his thinking like that.
Still, Jessica's safety was secondary to the fact Toshubi would be coming for her anyway. He had only promised that Toshubi would be getting her back if he won, and she would be allowed to get away if he lost as well, as long as he showed up. Nothing had been promised that Gauth wouldn't take full liberties with her in the meanwhile. Though Scar found it distasteful he was aware of the nature of some men, and their need to prove themselves in such ways. For him it was just in bad taste. Proving yourself was for battle, abusing others who weren't able to fight wasn't something he'd take pride or pleasure from. He killed, and he lived through the bloodshed. That was all.
Meanwhile the tiger began to walk towards the nervous bovine girl seated in a simple wooden chair in their cabin, a smirk on his face as he looked her over. She didn't look like she was too shapely right now but enough to explore, and from the looks of it she was both a little afraid, and at the same time angry and yet controlled.
The fact she was managing to keep from just panicking annoyed him, so he leaned ahead to look at her face up closer. ”So darling, you are our precious princess to keep safe huh? Boss says you're valuable because you'll make a certain someone come along after you. Love, family, all that crap. So, you are probably just here waiting for the rescue. I got news for you girl, your daddy's coming all that way just so he can die before your eyes. Boss wants to fight him, and nobody's better than the boss is.”
Gauth wanted to see her violently deny his words, to see her spit at him with hate in her eyes, to hear her tell her father would certainly win, or to break her into tears. Instead, he saw her listening to him with a frown on her face but no stronger emotions unleashed right away. She should have been shouting angrily, passionately, anything.
Thinking about Toshubi, Jessica managed to keep her head cool. She needed to control her fear and anger.
Toshubi was walking into a trap, and though she felt confident that Toshubi was skilled she remembered how he had been when she and her mother first saw him. The poor man had been hurt, and she had treated his wounds knowing that even Toshubi wasn't immortal, he was a mere man. A man brave enough to stand against injustice knowing his frailties. A true hero, and a good father to her as well. She needed to be careful, for his sake.
”Originally boss meant to sent me out to test him. I would've given him a few lovely scars and beaten him around to soften him for the boss.” The man grinned as he continued, trying to intimidate her, wanting to see her broken will before he'd get to the rest of things. ”But you see, the first one sent out to... delay him is sort of involved with another man of our merry little band.” He grinned, and let out a short laugh at this. ”He was supposed to be guarding you, but couldn't stop worrying about that bitch.” Finally snorting, he straightened his back again.
"So, because of just how concerned he was, I volunteered to watch over you, 'princess'." Smirking silently at the time the large tiger pet along Jessica's hair, his eyes wandering on her form briefly. Long enough for him to miss the glare on her face, and too late to do anything about what came next.
Bone-shrilling scream came out of the lodge causing Scar to drop his pipe and look back shocked before the door was slammed and Gauth walked out cursing and holding his hand, one of his fingertips almost bitten clean off. Scar just stared a moment before snorting and laughing. "Now who's the big bad predator!? Bwa-hah-haa..."
The murderous glare that Gauth gave Scar was met with only more laughter, as Jessica's voice sounded out loud from the room. ”Someone bring me water to wash my mouth quick! I can still taste the stupidity!” The fact she had the guts to say that earned some respect from Scar, enough to shoot a warning glare at Gauth who seemed ready to return to the room to punch her.
”Gauth! Watch the road, I'll take care of her!” The tiger looked his way a snarl on his lips as he shouted. ”But boss-” He felt silent and wilted a little under Scar's menacing glare. Calling the man 'Oni' wasn't exactly an exaggeration, the man had a presence that made Gauth feel like a lamb tied to a tree to lure out some fierce predator. Something about Scar wasn't right. It just wasn't right. Gauth knew he was messed up, blaming it on a number of things, but Scar was even more twisted and arguing might get him a sample of just how badly. ”Yes boss.”
As Gauth hurried off, Scar took a puff from his pipe and picked up a waterskin, heading towards the shack they were using as their makeshift hideout for now. It was a poor cabin, more of a shack when seen from the outside, but it gave shelter a tent didn't, and helped keep a prisoner like this more secure. Only one door and one window, there weren't that many ways to slip out or get in.
”You got my respect for daring to do that, but I hope you understand he's not going to forget that missy. You may be hurting pretty bad by the time he's done with you if you urge him to hurt you like that again. I'm going to let it pass once, but a word of warning. We had to forfeit a bounty once because he raped the girl and she died. I nearly cut his balls off then and there, thought about killing him, but he's pretty good when there's no women involved. So, I might hurt him for doing something, or I might not, but he has done so before and if you keep pushing him he might risk seeing what I do.”
Scar's words to the bound bovine girl were all said calm and without malice, giving this information as casually as someone might talk about the weather or some distant hardly interesting topics. Holding up the waterskin for her lips he allowed her to have a drink, the girl's lips wrapping around the mouthpiece as he held the waterskin and allowed water to trickle forth for her, careful to not overwhelm her. No sense getting hostages killed before a confrontation after all.
”Just wait patiently. I gave my word in the letter I left him. He will come and meet me in combat here, even if my followers may question it. I expect him to come here and fight me, and no matter which one of us lives and dies, you are free at that point. I want to see he will fight me rather than try and flee with you, but I promised you would leave here alive. Gauth may seek to harm you, but I won't break my word.” He smiled slightly. It wasn't a great promise, she might still be harmed but at least she would leave her alive. If Gauth tried to do something to stop that, and ruin his promise, Scar would relocate some of Gauth's intestines to the branches of nearby trees in a short while.
”Why are you doing this?” She asked a bit worriedly, wanting to at least understand his motives, her hands having almost finished slipping one wrist free from the ropes binding her in place. She was trying to play for time, but she had a feeling that as long as Scar was with her, she was safe from Gauth. When Toshubi came around she would be probably pulled along outside. She was trying to find out when to act, and hopefully get free before they could harm either her, or Toshubi.
”He is said to be a capable warrior. The fact he could feel my presence from a great distance was enough. I also saw you seemed to be wary of my presence when I got closer to you earlier. That means he's able to teach you as well, which makes him worthy of fighting. I will stain my steel in his blood, and then turn him over to the empire for reward. If you are good girl and play along you get to walk away alive, might even get a chance to see him again if you follow him to the Empire. Of course, the felines might watch a bovine girl curiously.”
She didn't like it, but at least it sounded like the man intended to try and take Toshubi alive. Though she knew how good Toshubi was, it could turn out wrong, Toshubi could still be badly hurt in the fight, or the man might be pressed to make lethal attacks and if Toshubi was already injured-
She shok her head slightly again. She fought her own imagination to keep such fears and worries down. Looking at the man, she intended to say something more, when she could hear a loud whistle from outside.
Gauth stared worriedly down the road, when Toshubi approached looking unharmed, blood on his hands. The mouse warrior had a fierce look in his eyes, one that made Gauth's stomach clench and his latest meal suddenly protest about its accomodations. The mouse's eyes narrowed on Gauth and he felt like he was staring into abyss itself, flames in those eyes, and such pure unadultered hatred for those who had taken the girl.
”Where is she?” He asked, his voice a mere whisper but chilling Gauth worse than any loud shouting would have. He could hear it clearly, but found himself unable to reply. So cold was his presence, a shell around that hellfire that would burn him if he dared break the calm ice keeping it contained. ”WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER!?” His shout had Gauth stumble back and whistle as loud as he could, suddenly panicked.
