Shane was just coming from the kitchen and saw me as I was turning the knob to the cellar door.

" Ah, Volodya; I got your no.... what are you carrying?" he queried raising an eyebrow.

I raised the sack, which was just starting to come alive, gave it a THWACK with the back of my hand, again it went limp. "Oh...this?" I said slyly. This is my...informant. By the way is your cellar very secure?"

Shane ran his hand through his curly hair, "uh yeah, there’s only this door and no windows, it used to a root cellar before I cleaned it out some. Are you going to take over the whole inn?" he asked sarcastically.

"Would you rather I take these little critters in for a bite with your customers", I replied with just the same sarcasm. I need somewhere to keep these two while I...question them", I added seriously.

" Yes of course, as I said at your disposal," he nodded. "There is a small wine closet down there that I don’t use, perhaps you can lock them in there when you aren’t questioning them...for added security. Uh just what have you got in there?", he asked with somewhat of a worried look.

"Oh, well, come with me", I said. "Let me introduce you to Lailagha’s Snottlings".

I opened the door and stepped into the dark; Shane reached in, felt around the door sill and flipped a switch lighting a single bulb in the cellar. "I’m sorry", he said, Maybe you and the snottlings can see in the dark but I don’t".

"yes, sorry", I muttered. When I reached the floor I turned to shane, "close the door, you don’t them getting loose in here, they’re not very big but they’re damn fast; fortunately I surprised them."

Shane followed, tentatively, to the bottom step not sure if he wanted to be too close to me and the sack. "I’ve never actually seen one," he said, his curiosity starting to rise.

"Well they aren’t much to look at", I said. "But they are very cunning and smart; one mustn’t underestimate them or you’ll end up with empty pockets at best, or worse a shiv in your back ."

I unclinched the drawstring lifted the sack over my head and dumped the unmoving Snottlings to the floor with a crash.

"Uh" Shane stepped a little closer, " are they alive?"

"Yes, I replied with a sneer, and in far better health than I should leave them in." Shane watched as I grabbed Snurgle, the larger of the two, dragged his limp body to the empty wine closet, tossed him in and bolted the door. Shane, meanwhile, stood over Shleeg who was starting to stir.

"Volodya", he called nervously. " this one is waking."

"Ah, good", I said stepping past the Ashgoroth,who was stepping back past me.

I bent down and grabbed Shleeg’s collar and hoisted him up; surveying the room I spied a small table which I stood him on.

Fully awake, now, he struggled against my grasp. "Let me go", he rasped in his snarly voice. "Where is Snurgle, where have you taken me?"

Holding him firmly and avoiding his flailing claws I looked to Shane; "is this what you imagined them to look like?" I asked.

Shane stepped closer and more into the light himself. The snottlings black rodent like eyes opened wide his sneer broadened revealing sharp jagged teeth. "I knows you", Shleeg hissed. " No? Waits ,ssteps closer to Shleeg sos Shleeg sees better."

I watched intently as Shane took a step closer to the table.

"Ah, no...lets me loose; can’ts gets away anyway", Shleeg rasped as he wriggled out of my hand. He stepped to the edge of the table and sneered at Shane. "No, yous are nots him...buts yous hassss his face".

Shane’s reaction shocked me and before I could act he had grabbed the snottling by the throat and pinned the creature to the table. "ABOMINATION; WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY BROTHER"?

Shleeg squeeled and choked from Shane’s maddened assault but managed to lash out with a hand to slash the, normally passive, Ashgoroth across the face. Shane reeled back releasing his strangle hold on the thrashing rat thing that was preparing to strike again. By now I was able to position myself between Shane and Shleeg once again grabbing the creature and pinning him down.

From under my grasp he started to laugh, " Your brothers, hehee, yes, thats the one, eh? Hee hee Burdrin gots him yess Burdrin gets them alls...sooner or laterzzz. Nest be useful to Burdrin or yous be sorry, hee hee."

" What do you mean useful or else?" I threatened with my own nails.

Shane stood back, holding a piece of his shirt to the gash in his face.

"Burdrin will rules all ssoon,"laughed the crazed Shleeg. "He needs his army, he needss his slavess he needsss.... if you know uses his petsses needs foods hheheehehehee.."

From the wine closet I could here a faint thumping on the door, Snurgle was awake.

Shane came back to the edge of the table, "is my brother alive" he begged.

Shleeg, looked back, sneered, "Shleeg knows not, cares not, Shleeg does what he’s told, does not see king Burdrin , does not know whats happens to thems that get taken to him."

"Oh, so he’s dubbed himself king, now, has he", I mocked. "King of what? Tunnel rats?"

"Hsssssss " sneered Shleeg

"Who is it that gives you your orders then?" I asked.

"Snurgle, my captain, he getss orders froms Burdrins Generals" " Where is Snurgle," he demanded.

From the closet Snurgle’s thumping could faintly be heard.

"He’s in there", I said, "don’t worry you’ll be joining him soon. Tell me; the wench you...hired to kill me; what became of her father?"

"Heheehee we Snottlings caughts him, but the general saids to makes example of him to other slaves, hehehehehehee beats him til his hearts beats no more. Probably petsss food now"

"What are these "pets" you speak of," I snapped.

" They are death to you above grounders,hehehehehee"

Shane placed a hand on my shoulder, "I think I need to get back upstairs; this gash is burning".

I looked under the makeshift bandage he held to his face and could see the wound was already staring to fester with infection. " yes I’ll go with you", I said concerned. "Snottlings are not known for cleanliness as you can see. We need to cleanse that cut and I need to give Lailagha worf of her father, she deserves to know the truth."

"Thank you, my friend, I’m starting to feel.. Strange", stuttered Shane.

Shleeg snickered slyly as I lifted him from the table and carried him to the closet where his captain pounded uselessly on the other side of the door. As I cracked open the door Snurgle made a move to get by but a swift kick to the chest sent him flying back against a wine rack in the wall. Shleeg screeched as I tossed him in with his captain. "You should find yourselves right at home, here, rat, be thankful I still have need of you, or I would feed on you myself".

The snottlings sneered and cursed as I slammed shut their prison door.

" Now my friend let’s get you upstairs".