Finding the Lost Twin

Chapter Ten

Alysster groaned and opened his eyes, with some difficulty.

He heard scuffling and his eyes found that of one of the archers that took him. He held his breath until they moved away, which wasn't too long afterwards.

One of them went outside and shouted something.

Alysster sat up as he rubbed his head. The movement caused the others to move at least one foot away from him.

He heard a tent flap open and looked to see a young woman who looked to be about his age. She kneeled in front of him and grabbed his face.

The woman moved his face this way and that, making his head throb.

He grabbed her wrist and detached it from his face. "That's not doing me any good for my headache." He said.

The girl recoiled. "You speak common." She said, her voice heavy with a mix of the Gallican and Toscanan accents.

Alysster nodded a little, not enough to make his head hurt, but enough to make the nod perceptible. "Of course I do. It's the language of my home country." He said.

"You speak Gallican?" The girl asked.

Alysster nodded. "Of course, but I'd rather speak the common tongue."

The girl turned to her comrades and said something in Gallican. Then, one after the other, they left the tent, leaving Alysster and the woman alone.

"Why were you with the rebels?" She asked, suddenly.

"I was their unintended hostage." Alysster answered.

"Unintended hostage?"

"They took me, thinking I was a Gallican Courier." Alysster said.

"They were disappointed?"

Alysster nodded. "I have a question for you. Two, actually. Question one, am I your hostage, now? Question two, did you take my belongings, too?" He asked.

"One, no, you're not our hostage, you're our guest. Two, yes, we took your belongings before taking you. We left nothing behind." She answered.

Alysster sighed in relief. "That's good. I don't want to be a hostage anymore, and my credentials are in my bags." He said.

The girl smiled at his relief. "You need new clothes." She said, standing.

Alysster stood with her and she looked up at him with wide eyes. "So tall." She said.

Alysster chuckled. "Not that tall." He said simply as he walked out of the tent.
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William woke with a start. He had a nightmare about what was really happening to his brother. He took deep breaths to settle down from the shock.

When he was settled, he looked over at Halt, who looked like he was in a deep sleep. But then again, it's Halt I'm looking at. He thought.

He stood, slowly and headed towards his horse, Greyson. I'm not just going to stand by and let my brother be another hostage. He thought.

Abelard lifted his head slightly and William put a finger to his lips, knowing that Abelard would try and make a noise to warn Halt.

Greyson lifted his head, saw his rider and stood.

William quickly and quietly tightened the girth straps and mounted. He tapped Greyson's sides and took off just as the sun was halfway through with its appearance, giving him just enough light to see the tracks of the archers that took Alysster.
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Alysster looked through his bag for some clothes that weren't already dirty.