Enchantment of the Bow

Chapter Thirty-Three

I watch as the sun sinks ever lower, shades of indigo starting to bleed through the oranges and pinks, taking them over with their darker contrast.

The silhouettes are becoming harder to see as people, more black blobs than features and clothing. The intruding man doesn't put up a fight, he just raises his hands disarmingly as Hener argues with him, the tip of his blade at the base of the man's throat.

I can't hear what they are saying, but Nikeil, the Guard I sent with Hener, pins the man's arms behind his back, holding them there with his big hands, restraining him. They start to walk over to me.

Looking up at Jensen, I motion in their direction and we start to walk, meeting them half way. What I don't notice at the time, is the twenty or so men who had been waiting for their turn follow as well.

As we get closer to the castle there is faint torch light being lit in the growing darkness, casting an uneven glow upon the man as he is brought to a stop in from of me.

I hold my chin up as I question him. "Who are you?"

The man is in his forties, and has a malicious grin on his face that I don't at all like. There is a dark spot, about the size of a coin on his tunic that looks suspiciously like blood.

Hana comes to my mind. "Speak!" I command, much harsher now with the possibility that the blood may be his.

The man's grin only widens. "Worried about your precious Guardsmen, are we?"

Hener viciously takes the man's sword from its hilt and hands it to Jensen to keep away from him. "What do you know of the missing?" He questions, pressing his blades sharp tip to the man's breast bone.

The stranger laughs. "Oh, no worries they are all still breathing. For now. In the mean time, we thought to pay you a little visit, princess."

Hener breaks the man's skin with his weapon, and blood trickles from the wound. "Where is my brother? " He growls, pushing down harder.

I stay the Knight's hand with a touch of his shoulder. "No, do not kill him. Bring him in for questioning, and we will find out more." I say softly, assuring him. He backs down reluctantly, but keeps his sword drawn.

I have a hard time keeping my voice calm and even, as my blood is running cold. They have Hana. Why would this fiend tell us this so freely? And what does he mean by we? I don't like the sound of this, and the hair on my neck rises with the trepidation that hangs in the air like a thick fog. It is bad enough that I have been out here for so long, and now that the dark is falling like a blanket, an attack on me would be much easier to follow through. It's hard to fight an opponent you cannot see. On top of that with the best of my Guard missing, I feel far to exposed and all to akin to a sheep surrounded by wolves, guarded only by a single shepherd.

"Why would you come here? Who sent you?" I ask, exasperated. I try to keep my mask of indifference in place, but I feel the cracks wearing through. This man wanted to be caught, or else he wouldn't have waltzed right over without a fight, like he is untouchable.

I glance around us, wondering how many men are with him, and where they might be. There must be more than I would like to guess, in order to give this stranger the air of confidence that he carries. The others cannot be a dog's nose away.

The man just smiles wider. "I think you know the answer to that. We have no fear of being captured."

I need to be brought back indoors so I can sort these jumbling thoughts out, and bring this insolent cock in for further questioning.

I turn to Jensen next to me. "Jensen, help Nikeil bring this bastard to the dungeo- " My words are cut off when somethig cuts through the air and hits my Guard in the back with a, thump.