Dragonsbane

Taken

Chapter 15

Taken

      “WHAT?”

     “Your brother has been kidnapped,” Arianna repeated.

     “I heard that, but WHO and WHY?” Ralem had jumped up and was pacing the room furiously, as if going fast enough would solve the problem.

      “I’m not sure, but it says on the note they are holding him for ransom. They say they want to meet you tomorrow alone in Sodom, with a rock,” she scrunched up her face, “Or your brother will get hurt.”

       “So they don’t know,” he whispered.

      “Don’t know what?”

      Ralem ignored her, his mind working furiously, “They are after Jaydon. They don’t know that he’s…” he stopped when he saw Arianna looking at him, her eyebrow arched in question.

       “I don’t have the rock,” he said simply.

      “Well then we have a problem,” Arianna said, “And how do you know they are after Jaydon?”

      “Well one thing is on our side. They don’t know about Jaydon, but we don’t have the egg.”

      Now Arianna was really confused, “The egg?”

       “The rock,” Ralem said quickly, mentally kicking himself, “I mean the rock. Which means we will have to make our own…”

       “Make our own?” Arianna was getting frustrated, “Will you please explain to me what you are talking about?”

       “I know what they are looking for. I used to have it,” his eyes lit up as he thought about the dilemma, “I know just what to do. We can get an ostrich egg and make it look like the ‘rock’. A few gems and some paint will get the job done. We will trick them by giving them the Ostrich egg instead of the real rock!”

      “You don’t think your actually going to go to Sodom alone! That place is full of…” she made an exasperated noise, “Everyone knows the place is as safe as the Leviathan’s Lair. You could get yourself killed! And do you think that these people will play nice? Do you think they will hand your brother back with a smile on their face and give you a tart to make it sweeter? You must be crazy.”

      “But it’s my brother we are talking about,” Ralem said, “If it was yours wouldn’t you do the same?”

      “No,” Arianna said flatly, “I’d let them keep him for free.”

      “Really?”

      “No,” Arianna admitted, “I would save him, if only it showed him that I’m…” she mumbled the rest under her breath.

       Ralem changed the subject “You should be fine here for a couple days. I’ll tell Jaydon to stay with you. If I’m going to make it to Sodom I better get going.”

       “I don’t think so!”

      “What?”

      “You are NOT leaving me again. Can I go with you at least to Gomorrah?”

      “No. That place is so close to Sodom. It would be too dangerous.”

      “So you think I can’t take the danger? In case you have forgotten, I was hunting in the woods, which is infested with monsters, for months- by myself! I think I can take the danger.” She crossed her arms and, for a moment, reminded Ralem of his sister.