Abducted [W&W Book 3]

Chapter 57

Lady Theresa had been gone for long enough for Ildri and Anya to finish cooking the evening meal for the entire camp before anything came of her absence.

Jim came walking up. "Andrew, Ivan, Lord Wildwood would like to see you," he said.

"What about?" Anya asked quickly.

Jim sighed. "Ted interrupted a rather important meeting and had an argument with Lord Wildwood and he sent me to summon you two after it was over. He is in a rather poor mood and I wish I could tell you what was going through his mind right now. Ted is very good at getting under his skin like no one I've ever known."

Anya smiled, but it looked nervous to Ildri. Or maybe she was just projecting her own emotions into what she saw on Anya, because she was not feeling too calm about the whole ordeal.

They arrived at a large tent which reminded Ildri forcibly of the tent where the Scelus leaders nonchalantly sentenced her to death. Inside was similar, too, there were maps scattered across a low table. The only difference was some of the faces were familiar. Lord Wildwood looked as furious as she had ever seen him. Lady Theresa did not look any happier and her back was rigid in the chair she was sitting in, off to the side. Ty was sitting off to the side next to Sir Thomas and an empty chair. She also spotted Charles and an older man who looked a lot like him and there were a few other unknown men, mostly with beards, that Ildri did not recognize. They were all obviously nobles and retainers. An important meeting indeed.

"Good of you to join us," Lord Wildwood said when he saw they had entered the tent. "Please, sit, Jim," he offered. Jim somewhat reluctantly left Anya's side to sit beside Ty. Ildri swallowed hard. She saw Jim smile reassuringly at Anya, but she had no doubt Anya was feeling no better about the situation than she was. Worse, likely, considering Anya's past.

Lord Wildwood spoke again. "We've lost," he said.

"What?" Ildri asked abruptly, then added, "My lord," in an effort to know her place.

He smiled bitterly. "There is no way that we will win. They have beaten us on every front and only a few remain in defiance. We were discussing possibilities when Ted here barged in uninvited."

Lady Theresa's frown deepened and she held her head higher defiantly.

"We talked of surrender."

Ildri found herself speaking in spite of herself and her place. "We can't surrender, can we? I saw what the countryside in Scelus is like! The common people were miserable, starving and their jails are pest holes!"

"Scelus has offered mercy in return for the leaders to be handed over, otherwise they will destroy everyone who has stood against them." Lord Wildwood said in an even tone. Ildri saw Lady Theresa's mouth clench, but she said nothing. She had probably already said it before.

"You can't," Ildri said. "Even if they promise mercy, the common people will suffer under their rule. I've seen no evidence that their emperor cares for anything but power. Your deaths will do nothing for the people in the long run. They would have killed me for just being inconvenient." What was she doing? She was a commoner and she should not be talking like... like an equal to these men. But Lord Wildwood had summoned her and he had not stopped her.

Lord Wildwood shook his head. "It will save lives."

"Who would it be?" Ildri wondered.

"Just a few of us," Lord Wildwood said. "Lord Reid and a few other volunteers. Myself."

"They'll execute you."

"So be it."

"No," said Anya suddenly. "We should attack them instead." Her voice shook.