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The thief's heart pounded. "What are you going to do with me?" She groaned, gritting her teeth.

"We'll have to see what you've earned, once I take stock of exactly what you were trying to steal. Then we'll wait to make sure no accomplices or friends will miss you." Lerric replied in a totally measured and calm tone, grip moving to her knee and then pulling the leg up suddenly. He worked hard and fast, sliding the limb into a sling of rope then tightening it over the thigh, weaving it to the shin.

"Miss me, what does that mean!?" She demanded, throat feeling suddenly dry. The cry was totally ignored as Lerric gathered more rope and took it to her other leg, binding the thigh while it was stretched forward then once again hefting the limb to snare up the shin, the wolf confidently able to bear all the weight that the ropes weren't carrying.

While it was a quick job, it was still artistically pleasing to his eye and importantly, secure. If he'd backed off at any previous moment she might have had a chance enough to free herself but suspended fully in the air, that chance was virtually zero.

"I don't need you to let me go but please, don't hurt me, don't..." She gulped, forcing moisture back to her throat to be able to whisper. "Don't kill me."

Lerric quirked a brow, he wasn't intending on doing so. "What should I do to punish you and make sure you don't steal again, then?"

"I'd rather remain tied up and kept as a prisoner here until you're convinced I've changed than be killed for what I've done."

"And what if you don't convince me, ever?" Lerric asked, hands folding over his chest as he looked her up and down.

"Then keep me bound forever if you have to!" She insisted, her mind reeling, she needed to shake the all consuming threat of death, if she agreed to that much she could always negotiate later, after all.

"I do seem to attract people that ask for that." He said with a smirk. There was a thumping sound from above which made Lerric look upwards. "Ah, seems like our little scuffle woke some of the maids. I'll have to make this quick..." He said, his own expression changing. A quick flash as his eyes met confused the thief, there seemed to suddenly be a mote of pity?

"I won't lie to them, I-I'll explain what happened." She said.

"No, you won't." Lerric replied, raising a knotted ball of ropes. The thief looked confused before she realised, her mouth opening to accept that gag. Two strands wove behind the back of her head and then over the top, locking it in place. The wolf pinched the gag with his claws and pulled, satisfied when it didn't shift.

"I'll tell the maids, so I guess, goodbye for now as they'll no doubt send me to bed and finish up here."

The cat's mind swam as Lerric turned about and left, taking her clothing with him. The look of pity was confusing, she must have misread it in the dim light, perhaps he felt sorry for disturbing the maids. The other thing on her mind was that he mentioned 'attracting others', given that there was no one else in the basement it seemed he'd either let them go or at least given them better accommodations.

She hung there for several minutes, the ropes letting her sway yet they kept her from struggling effectively.

Soon she heard movement again though not of Lerric, instead several figures were stepping down to her, the maids he had spoken of, or at least some of them. Tall, with stern expressions, carrying lanterns that cast greater light to her surroundings.

The cat peered between them, watching the one that drew closest to her. Her head followed as the figure started to walk past before her eyes were seized by something she'd not seen before yet was now unmistakable with the light pushing back the dark. Holes in the ground, evenly spaced square holes. Some with heavy looking stone slabs above them, like plugs.

The cat didn't know what that meant but she got an ominous feeling.