Claimed by Callista

Chapter ✺ 12

There is something about a night forest that is very calming. Once your eyes adjusted to the moonlight, you could walk very slowly with the glow bugs and observe a different kind of dimension. It was still the same, but everything changed into a different mood for self-reflection. I felt closer to my soul when the sun went down.

I've wrapped my leg tight, so that I can walk easily. The pain is now not an issue.

Up ahead, I have spotted movement through the forest. It's a line of men from Sovrex – clearly going out to conduct an ambush, but not of an animal.

Callista leads them, Orsunr covers the end as the warriors silently weave through the trees.

Now that I've spotted them moving further ahead of my position, I start to follow out of curiosity.

This time I didn't want to join in, besides, I was injured and had no weapon, but I wanted to see what would transpire.

I am able to follow close behind, as they navigate an intricate trail I have not been on before. It weaves left and right and back again, through thick bush to sparse trees, before opening to a large valley.

Down the hill, the valley holds a rival Tribe.

It's clearly River Blood, from all the black haunting tents.

However, there is no river down there, just a small creek trickles through the centre of their camp.

As Callista leads his men closer, now moving a bit slower on approach, I come to rest by a tree at the top of the hill and I sit on its heavy roots, feeling my mind itself is being touched by something other.

Please, help.

I hear a whisper of a familiar female voice, on the Shamanic Plane, lonely and wandering.

Biankar?

I listen more carefully to make sure.

Please, help. Anyone that can hear me. Please. I'm near death. I'm slipping away.

I follow my instinct and my eyes pierce the Tribe to see a spit over a pit of coals; where a woman is tied and turning.

How did Biankar get caught up in River Blood?

My mind races. Biankar must have been kidnapped today by Offu's men – when Callista and Orsunr left Sovrex to Inck me by the river.

I believe I can hear her plea because I am also tied to death now.

It's terribly late for her if we are communicating on this plane.

Hold on, I call to her, We will save you. But you must go back to your body.

Yehseeka? Biankar whimpers, glad to hear me, please, please help.

Go back to your body.

It hurts so much!

You need to wake up and scream to cause a distraction, Callista and Orsunr are close. I will share your pain if I can.

I keep my inner eye focused on her soul, which isn't really a physical thing, but I can feel it floating back toward her tortured body. As I reach out to hold her, to comfort her, I ready myself to feel the pain with her.

The moment her soul reattaches to her body, the pain is so extreme and her heart is so fragile, that there is no way she will last longer than a minute more tied to that spit.

I change plans.

I cannot comfort her.

I had to save her now.