Liek continued to sit and mull over his current predicament.

Cale wasn't going to help him, he was blind, and he was surely going to be executed for the murder of a father and his children. But Cale had said that there was a way out. Would he be able to find it?

He had to rely on all of his other senses to help him get out of this place. He felt the shackles on his wrists. Most likely they were bolted into a wall. Not even a werewolf could break those chains. How else could he break out of this place?

Wait until a guard unlocks him? No, too risky. He needed to get the shackles off himself.

But in order to do that, he would need a key. Liek explored the chains with his hands. He found the keyhole, but determined that his thumbnail wouldn't fit inside. There was no way to pick the lock.

There was, however, some room for his wrists to squeeze through. It was tight, but he was sure he could do it. The chains were made for men, not for boys. If he could just get one arm through....

Liek pulled. Nothing. It was too tight. This was the only way, though. Liek pulled again. Harder. Still nothing. If only it were a little more slippery.....

Something in the back of Liek's mind clicked. It was a long shot, but he was sure it would work.

Liek brought his arms together, and began to slice into his forearms with his thumbnail. Fresh blood began to run down his arms, and dripped on the floor. He made sure to rub the blood all over his hands and arms. The inside of the shackles became slick, and Liek began to tug again.

Harder.... harder.... he could feel the skin on his arms coming off. He felt himself passing out, but he quickly focused his mind on the task at hand. There would be time for rest later. After all, wounds heal with time.

Finally, after ten excruciating minutes, Liek felt his left arm slip out. He gasped with relief, and sat still for a few minutes. He could smell the blood. He was saturated with it. Just one more arm to go...


......


Liek felt his way around his cell. In a matter of minutes, he knew every inch of it. It was rather small, and bereft of anything short of a locked wooden door and some loose pebbles. There was a barred opening in the top corner of the room, presumably where Cale had spoken to Liek. There was no other escape-route except for the door. Liek would have to wait until a guard came to get him.

He crouched next to the door, and waited.

Minutes turned into hours as he sat there in a crouch. He began to feel himself nodding off. It was amazing how much pain he had been going through in just the past two nights. Was this what being an adult was? If that was the case, Liek didn't want to grow up.

Suddenly, he heard voices. He knew they were coming for him. Three humans. It would be dangerous, but he had nothing to lose.

The door creaked open, and before the lead guard had a chance to express his shock at seeing the empty blood-soaked ground in front of him, Liek was upon him.

By pure luck, a misplaced kick to the kneecap crumpled the front guard, and left him writhing on the ground in agony. The second yelped in surprise, and Liek grabbed him and spun him around with his thumbnail on his jugular.

"Don't move, either of you! If I feel even so much as your eyelids twitch, I'll split you open from your neck to your knees!"

"Oy! What 'is that, yer nail!?" Liek's captive squeaked in shock.
"Why yes it is. And I'm very good with it too, so no sudden moves."
"He's bluffing! Just stab 'im!" The other guard exclaimed.

Liek pricked his captive's neck, letting a small stream of blood run down his chest. The man groaned in terror.

"I will warn you only one last time. I can cut you in three places and have the open wounds whistle in whichever chord you wish. You are in no position to doubt me. Lead the way."



to be continued....