AN: Woo and who can say "long time, no update?" Hehe, sorry. My mind was with Ésalno, which is why this chapter is crap. There's not much humor in it, and it was poorly written. Terribly sorry.

Terlen: "Good, I hate humor. Because humor usually translates into me being embaressed or nearly killed. I don't find it funny, really."

Hehehe, Terlen will be my commentator for this story, because --

Xanthos: "Oh, I'm fired now, huh?! I'm supposed to be commentator for all of your works, dammit!"

Hey, I'm trying to put Terlen forward so that he's less shy, okay?! Ahem. Now, to reviews....

Rahmid, thanks. However, I doubt you'll like this one because it's not... funny. Sorry. -.-

Heavenline, no need to worry, for the chapter has arrived! And I don't know, you seemed patient enough I suppose... I mean, you haven't flooded me with emails or threatening reviews, so... yeah. Now don't get any ideas!

Cloudwatcher, YOU ASK WAY TOO MANY QUESTIONS!! I will proceed to answer them as follows: I dunno, no, you'll see, only you're insane, yes and no, yes, you'll see, no moose at all. o.o

Round H o l e, Square P e g

3-- The Noose

Terlen's face was red, and it wasn't from the blood that was still slowly leaking out of the cut on the bridge of his nose. His eyes couldn't meet his sister's, and he opted to stare at his worn shoes instead.

"I, um, did you see me run out of the tavern?" he asked.

"Yeah, right after you gave that one man a lap dance? Mmhmm, saw all of it." Suddenly Jess blinked, glancing over at the man standing nearby. "Wait, was that you he gave the lap dance to?"

"Shut up, it was an accident," Terlen murmured, his cheeks darkening in their red hue.

"Whatever. So, was that you?" she asked, turning back to the man.

He didn't answer. The cloaked man merely continued to stare avidly at her, or at least that's what she thought. She couldn't quite tell what he was looking at exactly. The shadows under his hood were more than enough to hide his eyes, not to mention every other feature.

"Anyway, when I ran out of the tavern, the guard... chased after me," Terlen said weakly. "He actually caught me, kinda. And that's when Dom saved me."

He gestured timidly at the cloaked man, who nodded.

"I see," Jess said. "And there's a debt that must be repaid, eh?"

More nods from them both.

"That's it? Just a free night at our tavern? Nothing else?"

A few more silent nods.

"I see, I see...."

Terlen glanced up, catching his sister's eyes. He saw a spark of something in her eyes... and he didn't like it.

"Well, he can stay, only because of the debt."

Huh? Wow, that was eas--

"But if he's staying for free, the only room he's staying in is your own!"

Oh great... whore!

"That's... that's not fair!" he protested. The idea of having a stranger sleeping in his bedroom didn't appeal to him at all.

"What do you mean, that's not fair?" she argued. "There are other people here that are willing to pay for rooms, thank you very much. I believe the paying customers have priority." She turned to Dom. "When you saved him, you evidently didn't understand just how worthless his scrawny ass is...."

"It's not scrawny!"

"Still worthless."

"Damn you, Jess!" Terlen yelled, his anger breaking through his shy barriers. "Just... shut up, would you! Give me a key to one of the rooms!"

She sighed, shaking her head before turning once again to Dom. "His room is the first on the right. That's where you can stay."

"Jess! Hand me the damn key!"

"I dunno if he'll be nice enough to let you sleep on the bed, but hopefully he'll at least give you some sheets if you're going to sleep on the floor."

"JESS!"

"What, dammit?!" she cried, turning sharply toward him.

"You don't own this tavern! You can't do this!"

"Fine! We'll speak to Mum when she gets here!" Jess yelled back at him. "And you, Master Dom, are allowed to sit in the corner over there until she gets here. But don't expect any free drinks. A free room is enough, don't you think?"

"Thanks," he said bitterly in that hoarse voice of his before shuffling off to a corner table.

Before Terlen could say anything else, his sister took total control.

"Go wash your face or something, you're covered in blood. Then get back here and get to work, dammit!"

---

About an hour passed by. Poor Terlen had gone back to his job of serving drinks, though had given many customers dirty glasses in his foul mood. None of them seemed to notice they were drinking yesterday's spit and dirt.

There's absolutely no way I'm allowing that guy to sleep in my bedroom!

He glanced worriedly at Dom. The man was sitting in the corner, taking up space and not ordering drinks. His shadowed face was pointed towards the door, and it moved momentarily with any man or woman who walked in.

He's so... creepy! the thief thought with a shudder.

At the end of the hour, there were very few sober men left in the bar. Most had retired for the night, heading to wherever they called home. Those that remained were passed out on the floor.

Finally Jess flipped the sign in the window to closed, and Wes began dragging all passed out drunkards onto the street. Dom remained in his seat, arms crossed, face still pointed at the door.

"Gods!" Terlen breathed. "Where is Mum? Why isn't she back yet?" He pulled off his apron and hopped over the bar, approaching his sister with a questioning look on his face.

"Do I look like the gods to you, lil bro?" she asked viciously. "I think not. Don't ask me."

The thief pouted and glanced down at the amulet that was around his neck once again. The cause of all the problems, really.

"Gods, is this really what I deserve?" he muttered as he stared at it.

"For the last damn time, do I look like the gods to you?!"

"Shut up, Jess! I wasn't talking to you!"

"Man-whore," she muttered under her breath, walking away before he could reply.

GAH! She should just wait until she's sleeping. I'll put dead mice in her bed, I will. Neeahahaha....

He shoved a dirty fist into his mouth to stop the fit of giggles, causing Wes to stare at him strangely.

What are you staring at, tough guy?! I'll put dead mice in your food if you keep looking at me like that.

Yeah, so he was a bit vicious, even if only in thought.

"Ahem."

Terlen squeaked at the throat-clearing cough, then turned to face the man who caused it. Dom was still sitting in the corner, and instead of facing the door, he was staring straight at Terlen. The thief could just barely see dark eyes glinting under the shadows of his hood.

"When is your mother going to get here?" he asked impatiently in that hoarse voice of his. "She is the one who ones this tavern, right? How long must I wait?"

The thief shrugged. "I don't know. Do you want a drink while -- "

"Do I have to pay for it?"

"Um... yeah...."

"Then no."

Terlen sighed. I just want this mess to be OVER with! Man, this is the last time I steal an amulet!

He was half tempted to throw the damn item in the trash, but the idea of how much trouble he had gone through to keep it was still heavy on his mind.

What's the point of tossing it now? Gah... maybe I should have just given it to that damn guard.

Terlen continued concentrating only on his thoughts, not noticing that Dom had gotten up out of his seat by now and had walked over to the bar.

"Which room is the thief's again?"

Yeah, coulda given it to him, then gone back here without any troubles. Yeah.... Hey, maybe I can go now! I can find him and return it!

"It's the first on the right," Jess said. "So you've finally given in and you're gonna be in his room?"

"Yeah. It's getting very late, and I must rise early tomorrow. I hope the kid doesn't mind if he sleeps on the floor...."

"He shouldn't mind at all. It's only fair that the guest gets the bed, I guess."

Terlen didn't even hear the footsteps heading up the stairs.

Huh, I'm sure Dom only knocked that guy out, nothing more. Right? Yeah! So, I just go out and hopefully he'll be laying the same spot! I could just put the amulet in his pocket or something, and he'll find it when he wakes up! Yeah!

"Huh, well ain't that something?" Jess said to Wes. "The bloke gave in in the end! Heh, we probably won't even have to tell Mum about this."

But... no. Giving it back will be the same as tossing it. I can't give it back after all the things I went through to keep it. He stared determinedly at the ceiling, frowning slightly. Sorry gods, but I think I've endured more than enough to keep it, eh?

His frown turned into a grin then. He knew the gods would understand... how could they not? After all, they were... gods! They simply had to understand his position!

Suddenly feeling a lot better, he stopped concentrating on his thoughts and began noticing the tavern once more. His eyes rested on Jess, who was leaning against the bar and yawning. Wes had walked over to her, and polite conversation began.

Then, he heard footsteps upstairs.

"Wha--?" he whined after having nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden noise. "Did we get a new customer or something?" He glanced at the door, wondering if he missed someone walking in.

"Um, no," Jess muttered, annoyed. "Are you blind or deaf or something?"

"No, of course not."

"Then why did you ask when the obvious is so... obvious?"

Terlen glanced around as she spoke. Wes was there, Jess was there, of course Terlen was there...

... but where was Dom?

"Jess.... Why... is he upstairs?" the thief whispered, worried.

"He got tired, you idiot."

"Which... room is he in...?" he asked, his voice a high-pitched squeak of fear.

"Yours, idiot."

"WHAT?!"

Terlen couldn't tell if he was about to explode or faint. He could feel the color drain from his cheeks, and a small amount of bile attempted to make its way up his throat.

"Calm down, little boy," his sister said, rolling her eyes. He didn't have the heart to yell at her for calling him little. "He's just about to spend the night in your room, that's all. It's not that big of a deal."

"It would have been a big deal if he had gone to your room!"

Jess actually slapped him for that one. Now dizzy from her clawed hand hitting his face, Terlen could only blink and listen as she screamed at him. "You pervert! He's a guy! I can't allow a guy in my room! You, on the other hand, are a guy... I think. So, it's not a problem if he's up there."

"But -- "

He was suddenly cut off the front door squeaked open. He and Jess pivoted to face the door, noting the kind-looking woman that walked in, a broad smile on her face.

"Thank the gods!" Terlen cried. "Mum!"

His mother's smile grew. "You wouldn't believe it! We've just officially affiliated our business with the Red Hawk down the street!"

"Wait, you mean that tavern known for the drugs they provide rather than the drinks?!" Jess asked in a shocked voice.

"Yes, that one!" she said, waving off the fact that she had affiliated the Bloody Talon with one that had such illegal activities. "Of course we won't sell Dirt Dust like they do, but I've given them the mixtures to some of our drinks, and we got some of theirs! Would anyone like a Specter? Or a Winter Sun?" She pulled wrinkled pieces of dirty parchment out of her pockets, laughing.

Jess and Wes came forward to inspect the mixtures, but Terlen merely stood where he was, staring. "Um, Mum?"

"Yes dear?" she asked, preoccupied enough to not look up.

"Can I speak with you?"

"Of course."

"Um, privately? So that Jess doesn't butt in?"

Her sister spared him a glare, but his mother was still too busy. "Yes, sure." She made no attempt to move away from the small group.

"Mum!"

"What?!" she cried, now glancing up. "I said I would, didn't I? Just give me a -- " Then she paused, staring at the bridge of Terlen's nose. "Dear, you have a cut. What happened?"

"Well, it's a long story that I'd like to talk to you about!"

"Now?!"

There was a twitch from the male, then he couldn't help but stomp his foot in aggravation. "Mum, there's a strange cloaked man sitting up in my bedroom!"

Total silence blanketed the area, causing Terlen to smile. His mother glanced at him with a wide-eyed expression, and she dropped the papers.

"...what?"

"See, this is what I'd like to talk to you about! What happened was -- "

"That idiot stole from a guard captain," Jess quickly explained, "was almost caught, was then saved by a guy named Dom, and that said man is now sitting up in Terlen's bedroom."

The mother's eyes narrowed as she looked at her son. "Stole?! You've been stealing?!"

"This was why I wanted to talk in private, so that my whore of a sister wouldn't butt in!" he cried, pointing a finger at Jess as he glared.

"I'm not a whore!" she screamed. "If there's anyone even close to it, it's you! You're the one with a man sitting up in your bedroom!"

"ONLY BECAUSE YOU PUT HIM THERE!"

"HE HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO STAY!"

"WE HAVE TONS OF FREE ROOMS! THERE ARE NO CUSTOMERS!"

"BUT HE HASN'T PAID A CENT!"

"HE SAVED MY LIFE!"

"YOUR HIDE IS WORTHLESS, REMEMBER?!"

"BITCH!"

"MAN-WHORE!"

"....AGH!"

Terlen was small and thin, so he wasn't very strong. But, he made up for it all in speed compared to his sister. Within seconds of the insult he came flying at his sister, and the momentum knocked the two of them to the ground. Wes and the mother watched in momentary shocked silence as the fight began, with the two siblings pulling at each other's hair and screaming more insults.

"Admit it, you're a man-whore!" Jess yelled, tugging at a fistful of Terlen's strawberry-blonde hair.

"Did you tell Wes yet that he's not the only one you've slept with?!" Terlen screamed, retaliating with a painful pull at his sister's identically colored locks.

The two both cried out in pain as hair lost contact with scalp, but the fight had only just begun.

"If you want him out of your room so bad, just give him a second lap dance!" the female said with a vicious laugh.

"That was an accident, and it wasn't a lap dance!" His face flushed to the color of dark tomatoes, then paled just as quickly when Jess tugged at his hair some more.

"Enough!"

Their mother had come forward, dragging Terlen away (literally) from his sister. Wes, meanwhile, had lifted Jess like a rag doll and was carrying her away. The siblings were still screaming insults at each other, clinging to the bits of hair in their fists.

"Terlen, explain yourself!" his mother ordered.

The thief stopped insulting his sister and stared at his feet instead, watching as they slid across the floor as his mother dragged him to the other side of the room. For many moments he didn't answer, not until she had released him and he stood, dropping the clump of hair he held.

"She antagonized me, I only defended myself," he argued with a pout. "It was her fault, all of it!"

"I could care less about that! Just explain to me why you've been stealing!"

Terlen paled and attempted to make his way to the stairs, but his mother grabbed his tunic and pulled him back. "Stealing? I haven't been -- "

"Do not lie to me!"

"Um, well, at first I was only looking at it, but then... I couldn't resist!" His eyes glazed over. "It was so shiny...."

"So you stole it."

"You say it so harshly, Mum!"

"You stole when I've told you to never steal again! If your father were alive -- "

"Don't bring that up!"

"I will, Terlen, because you have to learn! Crime will do you no -- "

This time the thief didn't cut her off, but instead a knock at the door did.

"Who could this be? We're closed!"

She began to make her way to the door, and Terlen took the opportunity to sneak silently up the stairs. He didn't want to be chastised for stealing when so many things had gone wrong already.

There was talking at the door, but he ignored it. Having made his way up to the second floor he paused at the top of the stairs, noting that one of the doors was ajar... his.

That's right. Dom is in there. Dammit!

Well, he could turn back and head downstairs to face his mother... or head into his room and face the stranger.

Or I can just sit right here on the stairs. Yup. That's good.

And thus he sat his small behind on the topmost stair, doing absolutely nothing...

... until he was distracted by light swearing coming from his room.

Huh...?

His green eyes flickered to the open door, and he heard the foul words again rasping from a hoarse throat. Dom was swearing with every other word, quite upset. Terlen could hear pacing, then the sound of a window slowly being cracked open.

"Already...? How'd they know? Damn, I knew this would end badly...."

Terlen blinked. What would end badly?

"I need to get out of here, but I can't, not with those idiots at the door."

Terlen blinked again. Dom needed to leave. Dom... needed to leave his room!

Yes! Neeaha!

Sneakily the thief stood, then proceeded to the door. He pushed it open a small bit so that he could enter the room, but the second his foot touched the wooden floor of his bedroom, he froze.

Right in front of him, back turned to him, was Dom. Unsuspecting and quite flustered, the man was staring out the window down at the street below. His cloak was off, and for the first time Terlen could identify the man's hair color. It was mousy brown, very short but not too neat. Dom was shaking where he stood, his entire body quivering with fear and anticipation.

However, none of this was the reason why Terlen had frozen. Even the assortment of knives and the odd sword at the man's belt were nothing compared to what the thief was staring avidly at.

Dom had his leather gloves off, and branded onto each hand just where the wrist connected was a small shape... a noose.

Terlen couldn't breathe. His eyes widened with shock, and though his brain screamed at him to make a run for it, he merely stood there.

Oh gods, oh gods, oh GODS! He's from the Cells! Oh gods!

The terror was too much. His knees began to shake, threatening to give out on him. Still he wasn't breathing, and now his brain could care less about leaving and only wanted air. But his throat had closed up completely...

...well, almost.

Slowly, he let out a squeak. A single, drawn-out, high-pitched speak of absolute fright.

Dom pivoted on the spot, turning towards the thief to stare at him in matching shock. His gray eyes locked onto Terlen's green ones for a quick moment, then drifted slowly towards the brandings on both of his hands. Several times his eyes moved back and forth between each marking and Terlen's terrified eyes.

"Oh shit," he whispered in his usual hoarse voice, his tan skin paling considerably underneath the coating of dirt that covered it.

Terlen let out another squeak. He just couldn't help himself.

OH GODS!

Then, his body finally realizing his young life was in potential danger by either mutilation, murder, or a combination of the two, he turned on his heels and made an attempt to run down the stairs. He didn't make it very far. The man had thrown himself at Terlen, slamming his frail body into the hallway wall, pinning him there momentarily with enough force that the smaller male couldn't breathe.

"Be quiet, and I won't hurt you, kid."

He had no choice but to comply. Dom placed a hand over his mouth thereafter, then began to pull the boy away from the wall and to the room. Once inside the man closed the door with the hand that wasn't covering Terlen's mouth, then began to speak again.

"You don't have to worry," he breathed. "I won't harm you if you go along, got it?"

The thief nodded fiercely, and was then dragged over to the window. Dom forced him to look outside, grabbing hold of Terlen's hair.

"Do you see those men out there at the door to this building, not to mention all the others going from door to door all along this street?"

A nod.

"Do you see that they're wearing uniforms?"

Another nod.

"They're after me. I'm not here, you understand?"

A last nod. Of course Terlen understood! Anyone about to be killed would have to, right?

"Good. Now where can I hide?" Slowly he began to move his hand away from Terlen's mouth, but then suddenly gained firmer hold. "And I swear, if you scream or try to run, I'll slaughter you without giving a thought. Let's try be on the same side here, okay?"

For emphasis he let go of the other's mouth... only to reach for a knife at his belt and press it painfully into Terlen's side.

"So kid, where can I hide? You've got twenty seconds."

"Um, uh, I... I dunno," the thief whimpered, shaking. "If they search this building... you're a goner...."

The knife poked at his ribs, causing him to gasp. Then it trailed up his chest and all the way to his neck, and Dom proceeded to resting it under the thief's chin.

"If I'm a goner, so are you. Where can I hide?!"

Terlen was about to wet himself. "I don't know!"

"C'mon kid, you've got to think of something," Dom said, and he actually drew a few drops of blood. "You're a thief, are you not? If you're any good at what you do, you should be a master of finding places to hide in."

"You're a murderer, or a rapist, or... something evil!" Terlen squeaked out fearfully. "Shouldn't you know any of this?!"

More blood dripped down Terlen's neck as the Cellmate replied, none too happy. "I'm an innocent man. I have committed no crime except to exist! Certain people find me, ah, a nuisance. They tried to lock me up in that hellhole, framing me for the murders of the two people I loved most in this world! I am the victim here! And if you don't help me, I might actually commit a true crime!"

There was no doubt about it then -- Terlen was most definitely in the hands of a maniac escapee of some sort bent on mutilating him and then possibly murdering him. He could tell by the way the man was shaking with fury, drawing more and more blood with the knife.

"Find me a place to hide, boy!" he breathed.

Fear drove but only a single thought into the thief's head then, and slowly he began to explain where the crazed escapee could stay hidden.