Chapter Text
Lori was given a torn up old chair to sit upon. It was damp and mushy but she said nothing, just sat there stiffly. Karl sat on a carton in front of her with his hands dangling off his knees.
Rast was behind Lori practically breathing down her neck. Lori envisioned the troll behind her drooling into her hair and shuddered.
Giving a shark smile, flat eyes, Karl was trying to look friendly and Lori wasn't buying that bull crappy, no fudging, freaking way. Scared, yes but not stupid, Lori gave as plain of a face back as she could. He reached forward slowly and held out his hand to her.
"Hi Lori. My name is Karl."
After a small moment of hesitation, Lori shook the man's much larger and stronger hand. She waited for the pull, the blade or the breaking of fingers. He shook her hand and released it. Karl's eyes flickered up over Lori's head to give a small glare to Rast.
"Dude, back up. You planning on drooling onto her head or something? Give the girl a bit of room, huh?"
A shuffle and cursing then Lori felt the troll back up. Karl smiled at Lori again and she silently laughed. Did he think she didn't know what good cop, bad cop was? Lori felt a bit more confident now. She can survive an interrogation. Look what Polliver and Asha have survived!
Lori has managed to survive somehow since that fateful wedding. This will not be the day she cracks. She waits and Karl begins.
Malcolm and Charlie were still cursing and trying to warm up. Arya scoffed at them as much as she did Miller about no one else having any sense of humor.
The tunnel was warm and dimly lit, allowing shadows to show before the figures owning them. Like wraiths, shadows slid along the wall and Arya grinned.
"Ah, this will make you all smile, at least."
They all watched as two Greyjoy pirates turned the corner, half carrying a wounded small sobbing woman. Arya shook her head and yelled with mirth.
"You crazy ass bitch! Look at you! What did you think hanging off rafters would do for you? Idiot."
"You! I could have! Arya! I have to go back, I have to! He is making Shane beat, flay and dismember Raff! He will make him keep taking pieces until I surrender to him! Or kill him! Oh gods, I didn't protect them, I couldn't save them! I have to...I have to go back and DO something! I can't wait for everyone to be in place! There is no more time and I have to do it! If he kills me I don't care! That is my SON! That is MY MASTER, MY HUSBAND! I have to!"
"You can't do it alone this time, Mom. It's time to accept you need a little help to fix things sometimes."
"Charlie? Malcolm!"
With a gasp, Samara broke out of the men's grip and ran to be embraced by Charlie and Malcolm.
Arya clapped her hands briskly and grinned at them all. Miller stared at the two pirates then at Arya. Then stuttered out,
"They aren't nice pirates?"
Shaking her head, Arya spoke slowly with a chuckle threatening underneath.
"No, Miller. They are not nice pirates. These are coworkers of Waif and Jaq. And now that everyone is in order, Max is ready upstairs. He is our eyes and ears."
Arya did laugh when the three embracing Targaryens turned to stare at her.
"Yep. Max showed up right after Lucky died, remember? He is not an assassin. But he was Gregor's hired mole, a slave yes, but bought by Gregor. Once I was offered two faceless men for this mission, they contacted Max. Oh, Samara, I haven't had a chance to tell poor Max, but all those victims that vanished? It was an evacuation. All children are safe, most of your people have been taken through the tunnels and will head North, if the storm permits it. I sent Piggy instructions to open the gate for them, give sanctuary. Now, who is ready to kill Euron Greyjoy in a spectacular fashion?"
Karl spoke in a confidential soft sort of chummy voice and Lori felt herself calm down, ready to battle with words.
"Now Lori, I don't want to hurt you or that little boy. I don't even feel like hurting Piggy or anyone else in the North. We simply want to head South and get warm, get some opportunities for ourselves. We need money for that. We need supplies. That fortress that Piggy is watching, it has all the stuff we need. We aren't going to hurt anyone, we are going to just rob them."
"You said you planned to crucify Polliver on the front door. That sounds like hurting. Like what you already did to Asha and Polliver. How can I trust that you don't want to hurt Robyn or Piggy?"
Karl leaned a little closer and his voice got a little bit deeper, his eyes had some intensity now to them and then a flick of his eyes. Lori could feel the troll looming but not touching. She stiffened her spine and kept her eyes on Karl.
"Lori, you are old enough to understand what a bad person is right? That woman, she is a pirate, a Greyjoy. She watched while that little Targaryen cunt got gang raped by her uncle and his crew. Then she was the person who threw the girl into the street naked so the media could film it. She helped her uncle torture the Targaryens. Not a nice lady. As for Polliver. He is a rapist, a serial rapist. If we didn't catch those two, I bet Polliver would have beaten and raped Asha himself. He is also a bully, a sadist, and a criminal of everything you can image plus murder."
Lori shrugged.
"I don't know Asha. She saved me when Euron would have raped me. She saved me when a group of pirates tried to take me. But I don't know her. I only know Polliver a little better. I know what he is like and he might have done bad things in the past. But he came all this way to save me. He must be at least a bit nice."
Karl and Rast both laughed which made Lori relax again. This was good, this was fine. As long as it's words, Lori is able to defend. It was working. Karl rubbed his face with his hands and smiled at Lori.
"You are adorable. Let me bring it to a level that you can really understand. Do you know Piggy well? Not asking you to divulge anything, just asking a simple question. Have you spent time with him or seen him around while you were with Arya?"
Fair question and Lori nodded.
"Yes. Piggy was always taking care of the toddler because Nannies kept messing up. Lost some cats, a chocolate cake and then Robyn almost roasted himself and a maid. That's why Arya gave Robyn to Polliver and Piggy to raise as a foster child. Ah shit."
Karl and Rast were chuckling and nearly beaming.
"That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard. Thank you for that, Lori. To take that toddler hostage in front of Polliver just made this so much greater! Poor Piggy, Polliver will bury him in a coffin for at least a month for giving in!"
Lori scowled and squirmed a bit. Rast was so close that when he moved slightly, she could feel him brush against her hair. A small squeaking sound from behind her and then a terrible gas assaulted her nose.
"Are you going to torture me by gassing me?"
Karl grabbed his nose and glared at Rast.
"What the fuck did you eat, man? You have to blast off again, go stick your ass out of this room, yeah? Thanks, asshole. God! Did you eat a mix of old potato chips and burnt popcorn?"
"Sorry, Karl."
Once the room started to clear of the stench and they could removed their hands from their noses, Karl continued.
"Let's discuss Piggy. He is not a criminal, he is a slave. He is Polliver's slave. Did anyone ever tell you about that, how Polliver got his Piggy? He wasn't much older than you are. Actually, I think he was Charlie's age, yeah. So this teenager is at a little party with his buddies having a smoke and a beer. At a quarry, not bothering anyone. Arya shows up to have a little fun. She forgot that she was one of Gregor's men and Polliver and Gregor's own brother went to find her. So this teenage boy, his name was Hotpie then and he was fat. Polliver couldn't miss a chance for bullying! He made the boy piss himself in fear. He made him crawl naked and act like a pig while he tortured and killed his buddies. When they were dead, Polliver kidnapped Hotpie. Named him Piggy, put a collar on his neck and taught him to be his personal assistant, personal chef and personal punching bag. We would always see poor Piggy racing behind his Master, always with bruises. Do you think that was nice of Polliver?"
Lori blinked at Karl and spoke in a very calm soft but clear voice.
"What Piggy went through is terrible. But Arya freed all slaves, made it illegal. Piggy has no collar anymore and he is good friends with Arya. Who has Polliver as her sort of champion, I think, not sure how that all works. Piggy is really loyal to Arya. And he is still around Polliver but I think they are just used to always being together. They might just be friends now."
Karl shook his head and spoke grimly, staring into her eyes and his voice was low and crooning.
"No sweetheart. They are not friends. Arya can take away the collar but Piggy is still Polliver's slave no matter what. Do you understand what Stockholm Syndrome is? It means that when Polliver started to strip away Hotpie and make him Piggy, something happened to the boy's mind. Victims start to believe what they are told, it becomes easier for them to believe they are living normally. That they only get hurt if they are at fault. They start to become loyal and willing. Hell, look at the Senator's wife! A slave who fell in love with her Master, married him and had kids! She is the picture of Stockholm Syndrome!"
Lori blinked again then gave a dry reply.
"Samara is really submissive around her husband. But I have also seen her become very dangerous."
"True. But not Piggy. That is why I am telling you I won't need to hurt him. Polliver wanted him to be a coward and he is. Once we breach the fortress, once he sees he is surrounded, he will surrender. I will tie him to a chair and leave him be. We will take what we need then leave with you and Robin. Get to the Southern border then ransom you home to Arya. Hell, to show you good intentions, I will even leave Asha tied to a chair for Arya!"
"You forgot to mention Polliver."
Karl smiled gently at the girl.
"I didn't forget him, Lori. I already told you. Polliver will be crucified on the front doors for Arya. Just so she understands we mean business. She will have to negotiate your release. So see? It's easy, simple and only one life lost."
A flicker of his eyes and Lori inwardly groaned as Rast put his thick greasy hands on her shoulders. Slowly her shoulders turned warm and moist. It took concentration not to gag.
Now Karl didn't have a smile on his face. His eyes seem to hold both regret and a hardening resolution. It scared Lori more than the hands on her shoulders.
"Lori, you know how to get into that fortress. Don't deny it because we all heard the stories of the wedding attack. We heard how you used secret tunnels to get inside. And you are here because you ran away. You are a sneaky little thing, I admire that. Tell me how we get inside that fortress. I want you to tell me, then we will drive there and you will lead us in."
Shaking her head, Lori took a deep breath.
"I can't do that. Sorry. I won't put Robyn, Piggy and everyone else there in danger. I don't think Piggy would let you take Robyn, so you will hurt him. I can't help you."
Karl sighed and gave another flicker of his eyes to Rast.
Lori struggled to remain calm and still as Rast began to run his meaty paws down her arms as if consoling her. Then the hands slowly, slowly dragged their loathsome hairy knuckles along her budding breasts. One thick finger flicked her nipple and Lori lost it.
"Stop! Don't let him touch me there!"
With oily laugh, Rast used one large hand on her right shoulder to keep her in place on the chair. Karl looked at Lori and his eyes terrified her. He was revolted by his friend's actions but he is willing to allow it to get the answers he wants. How far will he let Karl go?
"I'm sorry, Lori. I told you the truth. I don't want to hurt you but I need you to help me out. Tell me about the tunnels. Tell me how to get inside Arya's fortress. You can take your time and think on it if you need to. Would you like me to step out of the room while you think, dear?"
"No! NO, don't leave me here with him! Please! I...I think better with you here."
"Ah...well, okay, you think and I'll sit here and take a little nap."
Karl gave her a grim smile and he moved the carton over to the cavern wall. Stretching his legs out before him, crossing his arms across his chest, Karl leaned against the wall and shut his eyes.
Lori tried to stay still to pretend she wasn't real, just plastic or maybe rock or metal or boiling lava.
It didn't work and Lori started to cry. Karl's face looked pained but he kept his eyes shut.
"You think on it, Lori. If you want to tell me anything, you just say the word. Soon as you are ready to tell me what I need to know."
Hands, greasy, fleshy spiders crawling on her body, Rast's breathing was growing heavier and left a small mist on her neck. Burrowing through her hair, the troll put wet, thick lips on her neck. A hand searching Lori's stomach, her thighs, squeezing them as if testing them then it dove between her legs.
Lori cried out and tried to struggle but Rast bit the back of her neck, halting her. She was frozen and his hands were both down there now. A hand dove into her underpants and Lori bit her lip until it bled.
Finger thrusting inside, something inside her, no, nothing should be in there, it hurts, ah fuck it hurts and shit oh shit, I can take it, I can be like the others. I won't be a traitor. Not like my mother. I will not be a traitor like my mother. I can take it. It's so bad, it's wrong, it hurts and he is using his tongue to lick her neck. I can do it. I can take it. Shane didn't break, I won't break.