Post by Celestia on Sept 8, 2013 9:25:01 GMT -5
As it turned out, the City of Britain had no jail per se. Instead, those arrested for crimes against the King were held aboard a ship, aptly named “Hopes End,” which was anchored in the harbor. Here they waited until such time as they were taken to Britannia Prison located outside the City of Yew. Once there, the accused languish in abject squalor and neglect while they awaited either trial, in the case of capital crimes, or a hearing for those accused of lesser crimes.
Thieves, kidnappers, rapist, highway men, murders, madmen, cutpurses, extortionist, beggars and loiterers or anyone found to be in violation of any laws of the King or any lows of the Governor’s, were held within the dark recesses of this ancient complex. Strict rules applied to all prisoners; without exception. Punishment for violating any of the prison rules was melded out swiftly and mercilessly by guards whose only talent in life seemed to be inflicting pain, humiliation and suffering.
As the two City Guards literally dragged Celestia through the streets of Britain to the longboat that would transfer her to “Hopes End,” they added several more violations to her original crime of “loitering.” Her shrill, ear shattering screams and curses were considered “disturbing the peace.” Once at the city docks she was shackled, which sent her into a frenzy of spitting and biting, thus “Assaulting an Officer of the Law” was added to the list. Once aboard ship there was no containing her. Deemed ‘insane’ she was finally silenced by a swift blow to the head, which kept her quiet until she awoke inside a cell somewhere in the bowels of Yew Prison.
**********
There were no windows or vents of any kind. The only light was from a half-burnt candle balanced on a tattered wooden shelf wedged into a space between two smooth stones that made up the walls of the eight foot by six foot cell. Rotting straw covered a floor that was slick with slime and mold. A narrow bed made of hardwood boards and raised a few inches off the floor, sat along one wall. There was no mattress or padding of any kind. A thin, moth eaten and soiled blanket was the only protection against the chill night. A wooden bucket, half filled with stale water, was her toilet. From the stench it appeared said bucket had not been recently emptied. The only door was made of iron with a tiny window that opened from outside. Another slot near the bottom of the door had an iron flap that also opened from the outside and this is where “meals” were passed through.
The stench in this place was worse than even the sewers, but this did not bother her at all for it meant they could not find her here. Sitting on the edge of the bed Celestia rubbed her head. There was a large lump near the back of her skull. She couldn’t remember how she got it. Her new dress that someone had given her … no wait, made for her? Bought for her? She shook her head. Didn’t matter … the dress was torn all along the back and muddy from being dragged through the streets. Celestia frowned. Where was she? How did she get here? She tried the door. Locked. She pounded on it with her fists. Only echoes. She yelled. No response. Didn’t they understand? She had work to do. Mirrors to collect. She had …
Where was her bag? Her rune books? Her food? Her black obsidian dagger? Franticly she searched the tiny cell. Nothing. Gone. She began pacing. Pulling her hair. She pounded on the door until her fists bled. Then she tore her bed apart and used the boards to try and pry open the door. The wood was so old and rotten it broke into dusty fragments. She screamed and screamed and screamed until, finally, there was shuffling outside the door. The tiny window slid open with a bang and an man’s voice boomed through the cell;
“Quiet in there or by the gods you’ll be getin’ a beating you won’t soon forget.”
Celestia ran to the door and begged. “Please sir. Where am I? Why am I here?”
The guard, seeing the ruined bed, narrowed his eyes and slammed the tiny window shut. There was the jangling of keys, then the scrape of one being inserted into the lock. A loud “click” and the door swung open. There were two guards not one. The first one through the narrow door shoved Celesta against the back wall and pinned her there with his beefy hand against her chest. The other one, the bigger of the two, surveyed the room.
“Destruction of the King’s property, eh? We’ll be addin’ that to the list.”
The worms in her brain shouted; “no touching … no touching … too close … too close.” But she heard her voice say. “Please sir, where am I and why am I here?”
The larger of the two guards looked her over. “Ye be in Yew Prison, sweetie, for breakin’ the King’s laws. Spect you’ll be here a few days till yer hearing. Then maybe here for a few years ifin’ the fine ain’t paid an’ from the looks of ya, you ain’t got the gold. Now, seein how things are, we’ll be replacin’ this here bed and chargin’ ya’ for the labor. You’ll be needin’ a new piss bucket too from the smell of things.”
The guard chuckled then turned his fat, scruffy bearded face towards her. “Listen up lass. Ifin’ ya cause any more commotion, me an’ Fred here will be payin’ ya another visit. An’ next time we won’t be so gentlemanly about it. So settled down. There’s a good lass.”
The guard holding her shoved her to the floor and the two of them left slamming the door behind them and locking it with a loud “click.” The tiny window slid open and a heavy voice said;
“I’d be savin’ that candle too lass, won’t be getting’ another one till tomorrow.” And the tiny window closed.
Celestia looked up at the small candle. If she had her spell book she could cast ‘nghtsight’ or maybe she could remember the words, but she always got them out of order. Some spells she didn’t use much so the words were lost or jumbled up. If only she was really an Elf like Aunt Faeryl, then she could see in the dark and wouldn’t need a candle at all. She touched her ears. Aunt Faeryl had the prettiest ears. Who was going to collect mirrors for her? Getting up from the floor, Celestia snuffed out the candle and the tiny cell was plunged into darkness.
“I can make light for you child.” Lilith whispered.
Thieves, kidnappers, rapist, highway men, murders, madmen, cutpurses, extortionist, beggars and loiterers or anyone found to be in violation of any laws of the King or any lows of the Governor’s, were held within the dark recesses of this ancient complex. Strict rules applied to all prisoners; without exception. Punishment for violating any of the prison rules was melded out swiftly and mercilessly by guards whose only talent in life seemed to be inflicting pain, humiliation and suffering.
As the two City Guards literally dragged Celestia through the streets of Britain to the longboat that would transfer her to “Hopes End,” they added several more violations to her original crime of “loitering.” Her shrill, ear shattering screams and curses were considered “disturbing the peace.” Once at the city docks she was shackled, which sent her into a frenzy of spitting and biting, thus “Assaulting an Officer of the Law” was added to the list. Once aboard ship there was no containing her. Deemed ‘insane’ she was finally silenced by a swift blow to the head, which kept her quiet until she awoke inside a cell somewhere in the bowels of Yew Prison.
**********
There were no windows or vents of any kind. The only light was from a half-burnt candle balanced on a tattered wooden shelf wedged into a space between two smooth stones that made up the walls of the eight foot by six foot cell. Rotting straw covered a floor that was slick with slime and mold. A narrow bed made of hardwood boards and raised a few inches off the floor, sat along one wall. There was no mattress or padding of any kind. A thin, moth eaten and soiled blanket was the only protection against the chill night. A wooden bucket, half filled with stale water, was her toilet. From the stench it appeared said bucket had not been recently emptied. The only door was made of iron with a tiny window that opened from outside. Another slot near the bottom of the door had an iron flap that also opened from the outside and this is where “meals” were passed through.
The stench in this place was worse than even the sewers, but this did not bother her at all for it meant they could not find her here. Sitting on the edge of the bed Celestia rubbed her head. There was a large lump near the back of her skull. She couldn’t remember how she got it. Her new dress that someone had given her … no wait, made for her? Bought for her? She shook her head. Didn’t matter … the dress was torn all along the back and muddy from being dragged through the streets. Celestia frowned. Where was she? How did she get here? She tried the door. Locked. She pounded on it with her fists. Only echoes. She yelled. No response. Didn’t they understand? She had work to do. Mirrors to collect. She had …
Where was her bag? Her rune books? Her food? Her black obsidian dagger? Franticly she searched the tiny cell. Nothing. Gone. She began pacing. Pulling her hair. She pounded on the door until her fists bled. Then she tore her bed apart and used the boards to try and pry open the door. The wood was so old and rotten it broke into dusty fragments. She screamed and screamed and screamed until, finally, there was shuffling outside the door. The tiny window slid open with a bang and an man’s voice boomed through the cell;
“Quiet in there or by the gods you’ll be getin’ a beating you won’t soon forget.”
Celestia ran to the door and begged. “Please sir. Where am I? Why am I here?”
The guard, seeing the ruined bed, narrowed his eyes and slammed the tiny window shut. There was the jangling of keys, then the scrape of one being inserted into the lock. A loud “click” and the door swung open. There were two guards not one. The first one through the narrow door shoved Celesta against the back wall and pinned her there with his beefy hand against her chest. The other one, the bigger of the two, surveyed the room.
“Destruction of the King’s property, eh? We’ll be addin’ that to the list.”
The worms in her brain shouted; “no touching … no touching … too close … too close.” But she heard her voice say. “Please sir, where am I and why am I here?”
The larger of the two guards looked her over. “Ye be in Yew Prison, sweetie, for breakin’ the King’s laws. Spect you’ll be here a few days till yer hearing. Then maybe here for a few years ifin’ the fine ain’t paid an’ from the looks of ya, you ain’t got the gold. Now, seein how things are, we’ll be replacin’ this here bed and chargin’ ya’ for the labor. You’ll be needin’ a new piss bucket too from the smell of things.”
The guard chuckled then turned his fat, scruffy bearded face towards her. “Listen up lass. Ifin’ ya cause any more commotion, me an’ Fred here will be payin’ ya another visit. An’ next time we won’t be so gentlemanly about it. So settled down. There’s a good lass.”
The guard holding her shoved her to the floor and the two of them left slamming the door behind them and locking it with a loud “click.” The tiny window slid open and a heavy voice said;
“I’d be savin’ that candle too lass, won’t be getting’ another one till tomorrow.” And the tiny window closed.
Celestia looked up at the small candle. If she had her spell book she could cast ‘nghtsight’ or maybe she could remember the words, but she always got them out of order. Some spells she didn’t use much so the words were lost or jumbled up. If only she was really an Elf like Aunt Faeryl, then she could see in the dark and wouldn’t need a candle at all. She touched her ears. Aunt Faeryl had the prettiest ears. Who was going to collect mirrors for her? Getting up from the floor, Celestia snuffed out the candle and the tiny cell was plunged into darkness.
“I can make light for you child.” Lilith whispered.