The floor was hard, cold, and cramped full of dirty, tired kids and teenagers. Aldon had lost track of time, he dident know how long they had been there, without the sunlight to tell him it was now morning he had a dark, dark Cavernous celing to look up at. Aldon missed the the sun, and the moon, it was strange to think of the things he missed after being 'away' for what could only feel like forever.

Aldon lay cramed up between two other first years, it was strange how they had all been cut off work and put in the pen. It was also very uncomfortable, and hot. Many others were catching sleep, were as Aldon found it impossible. He felt as though it was a choking effort, just to try and sleep in such a crowded space. Sitting up and looking around, Aldon saw that others appeared to be having the same sleeping difficulties. He wondered what the Drow were doing, he was sure he could here the sound of a bustle of people going here and there. But with the Pens walls it was hard to tell.

All of Aldons cuts had healed magically during the past days, the slash on his arm, wich he had recived while acting on bad judgement of 'things' did still feel abit sore. He gently rubbed it and listened to the quiet of the pen, and he was now sure of the movement of their tormentors outside.

...what was going on...?

*Wren swallowed, and then, wordlessly she conjured another ball of water and drank it too.*

"If I wanted water, I could have gotten it myself." she mummbled, and lay back down. "Leave me alone. If I wanted _anything_ I could have gotten it myself. Anything smaller than a bread box."

*She closed her eyes, and opened them on second thought. Sitting up, she snapped.*

"And if you must know. Nothing has really happened to ME. Comparitively, _I_ am fine. _WE_ are in deep sh*t. ALL of us."

*The words sounded harsh coming from Wren's mouth. Weeks earlier she never would have said that word, and she would have severly chastized anyone else she heard using it. Now. Now it didnt' matter. They were all as good as dead down here, and soon, there may not be anyone above left to rescue them. She wiped the blood and sweat from her forehead with her still ozzing hands, these wounds were not from the magic whips, but from the rocks and gravel on the floor of the dark circle. They would not be healing on their own anytime soon. Celestina was probably way ahead of her in the healing department. But then, Wren didn't deserve healing.*

"Look." she said, regaining composure, no longer snapping, but speaking in a low hopefully persuaive voice. "I can take care of my own scrapes. Spells or no. You fix these you get cought. these shouldn't heal on their own. They're not from the whips. I just got roughed around a bit by hand. Scraped myself on the ground. I'll be fine. Help the others. They need it more than me. I'm as good as dead. They have all they need from me. There's nothing else for them to do with a filty loudmouth mud-blood like me. I'm as good as gone. Help someone who need it. I'm as good as dead, I won't make the same mistake twice."

*At that moment Wren made herself a new promise. She would not break her original promise again. And she would amend for the first time too. She lay her head back down on the ground, her forehead on her arm, and prayed the Celistina would leave her be.*

((Does anyone know how many days EXACTLY we have been down here? I'm trying to see if Wren is 14 yet. Her B-day is in early November.))

"Bravery is not the absence of fear. Bravery is being scared sh*tless and still doing what needs to be done. " ~Anonymous