Abducted [W&W Book 3]

Chapter 48

They rushed through the forest. Ty sat behind her on the horse. He seemed somehow diminished from the last time she had seen him, but it did not matter. She was so glad that he was alive.

She wondered what horrible things he had endured. Most importantly, they needed to get him to safety. Wherever that might be found.

Ty seemed to have been thinking along the same lines. For as much as he looked unhealthy and thin, his voice was still strong. "Where would you say we are located?" he asked.

"I'm sure we're in the south of Scelus. As long as we ride directly east, we'll find our way home."

"How are you doing, man?"

"I'll be fine," Ty said simply. "Let's just put as much distance between us and them as possible."

Ildri nodded, and they kept riding.

* * * * *

After a while they reached a stream and they stopped to let the horses have a drink. Ty sat down on the ground against a tree.

"Are you really going to be fine?" Ildri asked him, worried.

His voice was wry. "Do I have a choice but to be fine?"

"Not a good one." She smiled a bit.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

Ildri exhaled. "It's a long story."

"I don't doubt it." His head turned towards Ildri's escape partner, who was tying the horses loosely to a limb so that they could drink and graze. "So, to whom do I owe my thanks?"

The man's dark silhouette shrugged. "I'd say you owe them to that girl you've got there. I'd still be in my cell if it weren't for her. Well, you would still be in yours, though, if it wasn't for me since she did not want to rescue the other prisoners."

"I didn't know he was there!" Ildri protested.

"So you're from Edelland?" Ty asked him, changing the subject.

"Born and raised."

"What should we call you?" he asked.

"Oh, you can just call me Vern."

"And you can call me Ty."

"How nice. Another mysterious man who must hide his identity at all times," Ildri muttered under her breath.

"Ildri." Ty's voice sounded stern beneath his exhaustion. Apparently he had heard her.

Ildri ignored him. She looked over to the poor worn man who was sitting quietly away from them. "And you, sir. What shall we call you?"

"I'm Reginald, the Marquis of Lumbry's son," he said, and coughed loudly. He was so gaunt that the motion seemed like it would knock him over.

"I heard you were taken. They presumed you dead," Vern said.

Lord Reginald spoke shakily. "I'd presume the same thing, I think."

All the men laughed. It was hardly the time for inappropriate humour, to Ildri's mind. "You'll be fine," Ildri assured him, scowling at Ty even though he could not see her. "We're going to get you—and all of us home."

Everyone lapsed into a weary silence. It seemed that Lord Reginald had fallen into an uneasy sleep judging by his light snoring. "We'll let him have a few minutes before we move on," announced Vern, before he moved off towards where he had tied the horses.

Ty did not argue but Ildri could tell he did not enjoy following instructions. He continued leaning against the tree. "Would that I could fall asleep so easily," he said with a wryly.