He woke up tied to a chair, trying to remember what the last thing he remembered was. However, because his mind was busy trying to take in the details of an unknown surrounding all he could say for certain was that it probably hadn’t been night, nor had his head been feeling like it had been hit by a club.

He was inside a dark house, with old moth-eaten furniture. Though the floor boards did little more than creak when he struggled against the metal chair bolted to the floor that he was zip tied to. There was a ringing in his ears that he wasn’t sure whether it was the distorted song of crickets or throbbing head pain. Probably both. Parts of him were understandably trying to panic and it took all his training to ask why. Not in the standard way of dismissing them but to recognize the reason, acknowledge it, and try to move on. He was scared, he didn’t want to be here, he thought someone was trying to hurt him. All good reason to panic but could they recognize that screaming or flailing could hurt more? There might be someone outside to hear. Or there might not. He understood why he was afraid but he needed to think right now. Could he do that? Yes?

He took a deep breaths. And opened his eyes to see a man crouching in front of him. All thought of thinking fled and he was back to wanting to panic.

“Hello, my little stormcrow,” the man whispered. The freeze response prevented any reply. “You nearly cost me a thrall,” continued the whisper, without providing context. What was going on? Parts started worrying about tales of patient attacks. “but some of the things they told me you said to them interested me.”

He tried to call on his training but his mind was a blank haze of terror. Was he going to die? All he could manage was “What do you want?”

“To live life whole heartedly. Negotiate with parts of myself. Deciding which rules you want to live by. Or at least… see an expert demonstrate first.” He recognized his own words from the man’s mouth.

“It was enough to decide not to kill you,” Oh, thank God. “permanently.”

“Let me explain the rules of survival you’ll be playing by from now on.”