A Blaze in the Dark (A New Dawn #1)

Chapter 11 - Sebastian (Part 2)

"Bart, the boy is alive. He's breathing."

"The girl isn't. But look at her wounds, Sam. I don't think The Plains killed her."

Sebastian's eyes fluttered open. Above him stood a man with a dark green army uniform, his face pimpled and blotched. "Father. Lord... Laneby."

"Hand me your waterskin, Bart. He's waking up."

The pimpled man hooked his hands underneath his armpits to pull him up. The second the water touched Sebastian's lips, he grabbed the half-filled waterskin with both hands and drank. Never before had tepid water tasted so fresh and sweet.

The other man crouched next to him. He was only slightly older than his comrade, and had brown braided hair that ended in two tails that hung over his shoulders. "What's your name? Can you tell us why you were on The Plains?"

"Sebastian." He paused before taking another big gulp of water. "Laneby. Attack."

"The poor sod has lost his mind on the Plains, Bart. It wouldn't be the first one."

"That's why I'm a serjeant, Sammy, and you're a soldier." The smile on his face died as soon as it appeared. "Laneby was attacked, wasn't it? Is that why you are here?"

Sebastian nodded. "Fire... magic. So many dead."

"The source of the polluted river." The Serjeant gasped, his eyes widening. He scrambled to his feet. "I'm fetching Lieutenant Stephen. He has to hear this."

"No, get... Father. My father... Lord Brandon." Sebastian thrashed about before collapsing against the soldier's chest.

"And what do I do?" the soldier asked. "The boy needs more water. He's clearly talking nonsense."

"Stay here. I'm not dragging a horse with a corpse on its back into the city. Lieutenant Stephen would throw us in the dungeons for a week." The Serjeant snatched the waterskin by its strap. "I'll get more water from the well."

Sebastian would drink the entire well if he could. He was so incredibly thirsty. His head continued pounding with each breath, but he had made it to Sundale. Soon he would be reunited with his family.

"So... you are the son of the infamous Lord Brandon." The soldier cleared his throat. "I've never met him, but I heard the whispers when I was a young lad. Some men claimed he was the most stubborn man in all The Greenlands. Even more than His Majesty."

A shrug was all Sebastian could muster. They must mean some other Lord Brandon because although Father had his principles, he wasn't that stubborn. Fox was at least a dozen times worse.

"Was the girl your sister?"

"No." He didn't care if the soldier thought him rude or impudent, though it was perfectly understandable why he was asking him these questions. Father would have done the same if a stranger had arrived in Laneby with a horse carrying a dead girl.

Behind the city gate passed a constant stream of people. He counted at least twenty wearing the same dark green uniform as the guards. Then there were women and children carrying bags in all sizes, and men riding their carriages full of round, juicy-looking fruits and vegetables. Not one halted to look at him, like the world outside the walls didn't matter to them.

"Here they are." After what seemed an eternity, the soldier patted him on the arm. The Serjeant had returned with a ponytailed man who had an abundance of medals on his uniform. Sebastian stiffened. There was no Father or anyone else from Laneby. "Don't be afraid. Lieutenant Stephen is a kind man."

The Lieutenant had friendly eyes and a firm handshake. "Pleased to meet you, Lord Sebastian. My men will take care of the girl and your horse. I'm gonna get you out of here, bring you someplace where you can drink and eat and rest a little while we talk."