Products of war (closed with Leafies)

[secretsparrow]

Centaurs ruled the woods, they had once been very peaceful creatures but that had changed in recent years because of a fight for territory. Many of the herds fought for peace, or what they thought would be peace but others simply wouldn't back down. It was a long battle, one that likely wouldn't end anytime soon. Sage was from a tribe in the north, near the mountains.He was young and had only recently been involved in the war but had been training for battle since he was young. Of course, due to his slightly smaller size, many didn't take him seriously or overlooked him. His fur was brown along with the hair on his head. He had the heart of a warrior, and yet, could be kind when he wanted to be.

He awoke surrounded by darkness the floor beneath him was cold and hard. Sage raised his head his vision blurry. He couldn't remember how he had gotten her, his herd had been attacked and the last thing he knew he had been fighting and now? He slowly sat up and looked around the small space. on the other side of the wall, he could see anther centaur chained down just as sage was. "Hey!" He called out into the darkness, it was too dark to see if the stranger was awake, or who they were. Perhaps it was someone from his home!

[Leafies]

Roark's herd had never been particularly territorial. They resided by one of the major rivers that flowed through the land, known as one of the more peaceful herds among the others. They were spiritual and kept to their own, and thus they'd done their absolute best to stray from the violent territory wars that had been happening as of late; they'd blocked off their land from the other roaming herds, a fairly small area they'd been certain no one would really want to take, but the peace hadn't lasted long before Roark's herd was overtaken and within a matter of hours their land by the river had been destroyed - homes were in ruin and herd members scrambled and separated in the midst of the turmoil. Roark found himself confused and unsure of where to run, and while he wasn't looking, he'd been clean knocked unconscious by an enemy centaur.

He'd been awake for awhile now, laying idly in the cell he'd been placed in and nursing the wound he'd sustained to his head. Geez, they couldn't have been a bit softer? Roark was under average size, smaller than most centaurs but definitely not weak... or so that's what he liked to believe. Roark was really missing the river back home; his spotted coat was mucky and dark with dried dirt. He'd been sure he was the only one here (he couldn't see anyone else) but then a voice was calling out to him and Roark shifted a bit on his side, surprised to see another centaur with him. He could tell the other wasn't of his herd and his tail flicked in annoyance. "Mind keeping it down?" Roark hissed, pressing a hand to his eyes at the throbbing in his injured temple. "I thought I was the only one here. Are you... being held too?"

[secretsparrow]

Sage knew right away it was not someone he knew and he tensed slightly at the sound of the stranger's voice. however, his first instinct was just to respond with sarcasm. "No, I prefer it here, I thought I would hang out." he rolled his eyes as if the other centaur had asked him a dumb question. "Of course I'm being held here... hey what's your name anyway?" He still couldn't make out much of the boy in front of him and he had not yet tried to stand and get up if he did, he wasn't sure what would happen. At least he wasn't as dizzy as before. "Do you know where we are at all, why were here?" What was the point in capturing the two of them when they could have just been killed? It wasn't like he Sage expected Roark to have the answer but he asked anyway, just in case.

[Leafies]

"Lovely, I'm locked in here with a smartass." Roark huffed, pushing his hair back and finally making the move to stand. The chains locked around his legs were heavy, enough to make him want to sit back down again, but it felt nice to stand if only for a minute. "Roark," he answered dryly, supposing it'd be proper to introduce himself if he were to be stuck here for however longer. He'd been searching for a way out for the past hour or so, but he'd yet to find anything that might prove to be a lead. There was no telling what this herd had in mind for them and Roark didn't want to stick around to find out. "I want to say I think they'd kill us but they surely would've done that already if that was their wish." He paused, considering his statement. "Maybe." Roark stepped forward, the sound of his hooves echoing in the cell. "You see any way out? I'm not staying here, no way."

[secretsparrow]

"Sage." He said his name and got to his feet, the chains allowed him to stand but just as he thought when he stood he wobbled slightly, he hadn't been hit on the head and taken here but rather he had been drugged, likely some type of dart gun. The effects were wearing off at least. He felt along the wall looking over things but he found nothing over here, I don't know maybe we just wait until someone comes in and then rush them, we could get keys that way or something." it was not a very good plan honestly. Still, it seemed to be the only one they had so far.

[Leafies]

Roark hummed in acknowledgement. He normally might say it was a pleasure to make Sage's acquaintance but under these conditions, it wasn't the most pleasurable introduction in the world. He could hear the chains that secured Sage too, and even though the other centaur suggested some kind of plan, it seemed like a pretty bleak outlook for both of them. "That might work, it might also get us killed." Roark stepped up to the edge of his cell so he could see Sage better. It was weird to see another centaur his size; their kind were usually much larger. "This is all because of those stupid territory wars. My herd wasn't even involved and we got attacked."

[secretsparrow]

"yea well.." He paused noticing the centaur was about his size. Sage tilted his head slightly. Interesting. "What herd are you from exactly?" He asked pulling at the chains around his feet. It was no use, even being what he was there was no way he would be able to get them undone. "Look, we have to figure out something, I'm sure if we work together for a bit we can find some way out of here." That was the theory anyway, but the room was bare. "I just wish we could see a bit more." He muttered finally giving up with his tugging and sitting back down.

[Leafies]

"The Na'weh Tribe, down by the river." Roark wondered how his herd was faring now. They'd all been split up in the chaos but he liked to think that they possibly found each other following the attack, or at least those who'd escaped unscathed. "Right now we've got nothing so if you've any ideas-" Roark was interrupted when a pair of centaurs entered the holding room from further down, eyeing them suspiciously. They were much larger than he and Sage but it was nothing out of the ordinary; most centaurs were bigger than him. He purses his lips as they came near, looking to Sage expectantly. "We... can't rush them," he said in a hushed tone. "Too big."

[secretsparrow]

"I know," Sage whispered back he was trying to think of how they would get out, watching both of the guards just as closely as the two guards seemed to be watching him. He wanted to leave, to get out this might be their only chance but it was too dangerous not to think before they acted, perhaps it would be best to see what the guards did first. There must be a reason they were being held here. Still, Sage had a bad feeling about this. He didn't like the two standing before something in their eyes said they meant trouble.

[Leafies]

(If you'd like you could take control of them in posts too, I don't have any particular ideas for them right now haha.)

Roark moved to the front of the cage, probably a bold move to approach the other centaurs so openly. He made no attempt to hide his wandering eyes, searching for keys or some kind of device that would unlock their cells. They probably wouldn't be able to see his curiosity anyways. He watched as they talked amongst each other although it was difficult to hear what they were saying. This likely wouldn't be their break from this place but they could at least gather a sense of what to look for hopefully. Roark coughed none too softly, earning a glare from the guards. "Are we at least getting food..?" he asked confidently. He wasn't scared of them, but his confidence did tend to get the best of him admittedly.

[secretsparrow]

The guard looked between Roark and then over at Sage, "Food? I'm sure You'll get scraps later tonight. Your confident aren't you? For something so small..." He laughed but he had stepped closer to Roark. The centaur was almost twice the boy's size and had golden/ yellow fur. "Better be careful, being so brave might get you into trouble." He wanted to scare the boy, or at least see what he would do. It wasn't as if Roark could do anything he was after all chained to a wall.

"Leave him alone," Sage called out, a slight hint of anger in his voice as he spoke. He wasn't sure why though it wasn't as if he should worry about Roark, they had just met after all, but Sage couldn't stand anyone being spoken down to like that. "Don't you have someone else to pick on don't be such a jerk." now, that might have been a dangerous move out right insulting the guard. but he was a prisoner, what did he have to lose.

( I wasn't sure I didn't want to just take it, there are two of them so I'll take one guard you take the other? )

[Leafies]

"What could possibly be worse than being stuck in here with some lugheads like yourselves?" Roark snapped back, standing tall despite the very obvious tension in the room. He hadn't planned on being so confrontational but seeing some of the faces of the herd that had attacked his own made Roark reasonably mad. These guys were prancing around and ignoring the fact they'd half slaughtered Roark's herd; it made his skin crawl in the worst way. If he wasn't in these cuffs right now he might've given them a good kick through the cell.

The second guard casually trotted over to Sage's cell, eyeing down the smaller centaur none too kindly. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said flatly, "although... it's tempting. No food for you for three days, no water for one." The centaur smiled cruelly. "Would you like to speak up some more?" He turned then, back to face his partner. "You're just as welcome to dish out punishments as well. They've both got a mouth."

[secretsparrow]

"The centaur slapped Roark, "Watch your mouth kid, if you hadn't realized this is war. your herd happened to be in the way, it was just collateral damage." He knew it would make the boy made. "Same as your cell mate here you won't eat, less work for us anyway we won't have to bring you anything. Trust me, I can make your life hell if I want to. The guard gave Roark a hard shove against the wall. "Pathetic." He said shaking his head. "Weak, I wish we could have taken something a bit stronger."

Sage stood to his feet. "leave him alone!" he didn't exactly care, punishment, no food or water for three days? So what, he would be miserable but it wouldn't kill him. "Leave him alone!" He growled again pulling at his chains. "he didn't do anything to you. you locked us in here!"

[Leafies]

The slap had taken Roark off guard and he stumbled back slightly, but he was quick to recompose himself and stood tall again, narrowing his eyes into a hard glare at the guard before him. He could live without food, his herd fasted occasionally so it wasn't anything he was worried about; he did wonder if Sage would be fine with it though. Centaurs were no small creatures and they needed lots of energy just to get through a day. Roark stood his ground and came back from being pushed against the wall. These guys would get what was coming to them sooner than later, Roark would make sure of it. He might be small, but he wasn't one to give up so easily. If anything, this encounter gave him more determination to get out of this place.

When Sage got closer to the front of the cell, the other guard unsheathed a long silver sword from the belt around his waist and shoved it through the cage, just under Sage's neck. "Stop moving and stop speaking. It'd be a mess to have to clean your blood from this floor." He drew the blade just a bit over Sage's skin, drawing slight blood from the other. "You two are prisoners here for a reason so I suggest you abide by our rules and stop playing games, alright?"

[secretsparrow]

Sage was surprised to see the sword and when he felt the steel press against his neck his body froze, would this man really try and kill him? This was a war but... honestly would he? They were the same sort of thing, after all, it didn't feel right. None of this felt right. but he felt the blade push into the skin and the blood trickle down his neck and Sage shut up. backing up against the wall as far as he could go.

The guard eyed Roark a moment more then looked back to the other guard, he didn't seem the least bit concerned with the fact that he held a blade to Sage's throat. Leave them both, they aren't needed yet come on, we should get going." He growled glancing towards the door. The guards were likely to return, it seemed these two would be trouble but at least for now they would leave.

(heeeyyy I'm back XD)

[Leafies]

It hadn't seriously sunk into Roark yet that this was a war. He was still so confident that he could do whatever he so wanted and he'd get away completely unharmed and free at the end of the day, but after seeing the way his herd had been treated and even now how Sage had been threatened, it was making him start to second guess his actions. His herd was usually pretty peaceful and to have to come to the epiphany that anything he did could be seen as dangerous and thus cost him his own life was terrifying. Of course, he didn't show it outwardly because he didn't want to be that kind of person, but it was hard to ignore the way his heart raced at the idea of dying nevertheless... and to imagine that this whole thing was all over territories. It was a little ridiculous.

Roark sneered as the two centaur guards left, standing statuesque until they were both out of the room. His tail lashed angrily behind him and he turned away from the entrance to the holding rooms to face Sage instead. Even though his tribe was peaceful they didn't welcome newcomers or other herds too lightly; they were wary, not mean, but Roark knew he'd have to get over that and work together with Sage if they ever planned on getting out of here alive. "You okay?" he asked in a concerned tone, noting the spot where the guard had placed his blade against the other's neck. "I think we're going to have to get creative with finding a way out of here. You heard that guard, he said we aren't needed yet. I don't want to be stuck here when they do need us."

(Sorry this took a few days, work and was trying to figure out what to reply xx; )