Daydreams And Nightshade (DaN #1)

Chapter 12: With your tongue

"I suppose I never really expected the plan to work," Noah admitted. "Seeing how quickly Lord Clausson replied to our offer, something had to be off... Then again that man was rather off. Uh so regardless, he agreed to meet at sundown and--"

He realized he was talking to himself. Cassius and Winton's attention had turned elsewhere, and Noah followed their gaze.

Their capturers were standing in a group further away, gesturing wildly and discussing at a volume only low enough for the prisoners not to hear.

Noah knitted his eyebrows and bit his lip in frustration only to remember it was severely busted and he let out a small whine. This caused Cassius to turn his head briefly with a look of sympathy on his face, and then he returned to look at the soldiers. Noah's shoulders slouched at this and he cleared his throat.

"So... What are they doing?" He asked it nonchalantly, acting like he wasn't hurt by the others suddenly not listening to his story. They were going to miss out on details like this.

"Pointing," Winton replied.

"And arguing," Cassius filled in.

Noah turned his head to look at the soldiers again.

"Well, yes I can see that, but what's so interesting about it?"

"Just... I don't know. What if they're planning something? Like—Like a new way to extract information."

Noah and Winton scoffed in unison.

"They're cannon fodder. They couldn't scheme or torture properly even if they tried," Winton muttered and turned his head towards Cassius, who was far from relieved by that.

"It still hurts though."

"Could be way worse—" Noah began but Cassius interrupted him.

"No. No, please don't jinx it."

"I mean, they're just brawny people," Noah protested. "Brute force is all they'll use."

"Yeah if they had the slightest hint of brains they would've gagged us from the beginning," Winton, for once, agreed.

"Brute force is more than enough for me," Cassius insisted. "And... I doubt I'd dare to try screaming like this anyway."

"Huh I suppose that's true," Noah admitted. "It'd be a big risk. Considering the chances of anyone being around to help us is close to none. Still, had it been me I still would've gagged us so the chances really wouldn't exist..." He faked a chuckle. "I suppose they just enjoy our cries a little too much."

"It's not only the screaming they should consider," Winton added. "If things escalate we could bite our tongues off easily."

"Bite our tongues off!?" Cassius almost yelled in horror, and

"Easily?" Noah added.

"A quicker death than we might face at this rate... Unless they're brainless enough to accidentally go too far with their questioning."

"I don't... Have enough teeth to do it even if I wished to..." Cassius sounded a little too disappointed.

"No one's biting their tongue off," Noah said sternly. "We're getting out of here with our tongues intact. Tongue promise."

Winton didn't dignify this with a reply.

"Tongue-- Tongue promise?" Cassius asked hesitantly, as if wary of the answer.

"Like—Like pinky promise but with our tongues," Noah tried to explain.

Winton glared.

"That's a kiss."