Sabine entered the meeting with a tight chest. She gave looks to everyone present. The most fleeting glances were directed to those clearly showing their uncertainty. Ri'vashi, Vera, and Oswall all counted amongst them, though they were not the only ones. More surely had questions for her.
She stopped and stood near between the table and where Do'rhajul and Yerig. She nodded by way of a cordial greeting, clutching the Staff of Magnus vertically in both hands against her left side. She opened her mouth to respond to Saras and hesitated.
"Take your time," Vera added softly, leaning forward on her elbows. "Start from the beginning. From the moment they escaped with you captive."
Sabine lowered her eyes and cast her mind back. She was so scared back then that forgetting the events from the start would have been a miracle in itself.
"They teleported away," she began monotonously. "Somewhere else in High Rock, I found out later. Arinette hit me, tried to make me tell her the plan. I was too afraid to say anything. They went to set up camp, so...the orc twins took everything from me and tied me to a tree. They put manacles on me that drained my magicka. They hit me some more as well. Arinette spoke to me again. She told me she would let me go if I could guarantee her killing Meesei. She also said she would torture me, and that they had suppression gas if I tried to transform. Then they rested for the night. I stayed awake. I was too scared to sleep."
Sabine blinked rapidly in a pause. "When morning came, they approached me. I had a little magicka because the manacles were not strong enough to drain everything. They once more said they wanted Meesei's head. I refused. Meesei is my mother." She repeated the words she said back then. She did not even mind how many people in the meeting knew of Meesei guardian relationship with Sabine. "Arinette took out a wooden stake. They..." Sabine's hands creaked against the wood of the staff. Her fingers went white from her tight grip. "They drove it through my hands, into a tree over my head. There was blood..."
Red rings had formed around Vera's eyes, despite her stoic expression.
"She...Arinette took out a knife." Sabine's tone wavered more with every sentence. She took longer to form her words. "She demanded to know where the clan was. "She stabbed me when I refused. Cut me. I...then lashes. They lashed me. I could not die because...she healed my flesh. She liked it when I screamed. She was smiling. I made her angry when I refused." A held-back tear escaped down from each of Sabine's eyes. "She said Meesei would not suffer like this for me. She was lying. Meesei already has. Then she put a knife into my mouth."
Saras likely only wanted to know how Sabine escaped but she had already forgotten about that. The memories played like her mind was a stage and she was tied down to watch it. Most on the council were either pale, saddened, or hiding their thoughts.
She stopped and stood near between the table and where Do'rhajul and Yerig. She nodded by way of a cordial greeting, clutching the Staff of Magnus vertically in both hands against her left side. She opened her mouth to respond to Saras and hesitated.
"Take your time," Vera added softly, leaning forward on her elbows. "Start from the beginning. From the moment they escaped with you captive."
Sabine lowered her eyes and cast her mind back. She was so scared back then that forgetting the events from the start would have been a miracle in itself.
"They teleported away," she began monotonously. "Somewhere else in High Rock, I found out later. Arinette hit me, tried to make me tell her the plan. I was too afraid to say anything. They went to set up camp, so...the orc twins took everything from me and tied me to a tree. They put manacles on me that drained my magicka. They hit me some more as well. Arinette spoke to me again. She told me she would let me go if I could guarantee her killing Meesei. She also said she would torture me, and that they had suppression gas if I tried to transform. Then they rested for the night. I stayed awake. I was too scared to sleep."
Sabine blinked rapidly in a pause. "When morning came, they approached me. I had a little magicka because the manacles were not strong enough to drain everything. They once more said they wanted Meesei's head. I refused. Meesei is my mother." She repeated the words she said back then. She did not even mind how many people in the meeting knew of Meesei guardian relationship with Sabine. "Arinette took out a wooden stake. They..." Sabine's hands creaked against the wood of the staff. Her fingers went white from her tight grip. "They drove it through my hands, into a tree over my head. There was blood..."
Red rings had formed around Vera's eyes, despite her stoic expression.
"She...Arinette took out a knife." Sabine's tone wavered more with every sentence. She took longer to form her words. "She demanded to know where the clan was. "She stabbed me when I refused. Cut me. I...then lashes. They lashed me. I could not die because...she healed my flesh. She liked it when I screamed. She was smiling. I made her angry when I refused." A held-back tear escaped down from each of Sabine's eyes. "She said Meesei would not suffer like this for me. She was lying. Meesei already has. Then she put a knife into my mouth."
Saras likely only wanted to know how Sabine escaped but she had already forgotten about that. The memories played like her mind was a stage and she was tied down to watch it. Most on the council were either pale, saddened, or hiding their thoughts.