Loyalty Or Honour (Book 3)

Chapter Five

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Hunter feels the cool metal on his neck first and his jaw tenses. Without opening his eyes he says, "Is this really how you treat your brother?" He receives no answer and his brow furrows. Orion would have replied, he would have found it impossible not to. As would any of his travelling companions. They would gloat that they had gotten a knife at his throat. Hunter opens his eyes and sees a strange face above his. Hunter considers his options. In a conversational tone he continues, "My mistake, you are not him. Is this usually how you introduce yourself?"

The person holding the knife keeps their lips presses tightly together, not deeming a response necessary. Hunter lets his eyes drift for a second, his position propped up against his horse giving him a good view of the position the rest are in. Jacqui has been pulled up and is held against the chest of one of the men. She continues to struggle despite a wound having already been inflicted on the right side of her head. It slowly weeps blood. He holds her wrists securely though and does not appear to be affected in the slightest by her antics. She growls deeply.

Jasper jerks awake and his eyes widen. The blade is pressed closer to his neck and he wisely ceases to move, his eyes meeting his sister's. At this point she stops struggling when his eyes ask her to.

"Wake them." The leader orders in a gruff voice, clearly used to being obeyed. The two men knelt by Orion and Zandar press their blades further in then jab them in the shoulder. Both men wake but react quick enough to not drive the blades into their own necks. Orion's eyes darken so that all colour seeps out. His face promises death. The leader strides around the group, a merciless smile on his face. "The great Orion North. I think tales of your extraordinary skills are greatly exaggerated. It took no effort at all to get you in such a position." The man's smile grows larger.

Hunter looks to the one holding the knife to his neck. If she was not female he would have already secured the blade himself and gotten out of this mess. She is young also, barely fifteen summers he guesses. His usual technique would harm her greatly and he is not willing to do it.

The man looks over in Hunter's direction. "Maybe there is only such grand tales because there are two of you. Any man can seem great if he is more than just one man." Orion grunts in response. "Stand him up." He orders and the man pulls Orion up, keeping the blade pinned to his neck. Orion glances at Hunter and raises an eyebrow seeing that a young girl is keeping his younger sibling on the ground. "Now imagine the tales they will tell about me when I show that I captured and killed the mighty Orion and his little friends."

"If you wanted to succeed you should have done it while we still slept." Orion replies as if he has grown bored of the situation.

"What does he mean by that?" The girl asks, her voice shaking. The blade tickles Hunter's throat. Clearly she is nervous. That could make her more dangerous. He starts devising a plan.

"He likes to taunt people. It is empty. Do not worry." The leader assures her. Orion chuckles.

"I like to taunt those stupid enough to think they are winning." Orion tells her rather than the man.

"Kill him." The man orders sharply.

Several things happen in that moment following the foolish words. Jacqui swings her head back into the skull of the man holding her and proceeds to tackle him to the ground. Jasper drives a hidden knife into his captor's leg and twists. The scream of agony ricochets through the air. Zandar presses a cloth to his captor's mouth and adeptly removes the blade from his grasp. The man sinks to the ground unconscious. Orion grabs his man's arms and yanks him over his head, tossing him to the ground as if he weighs nothing. Ross appears behind the leader who never noticed his absence and holds a long slim blade to his neck. Having Hunter make up their numbers helped greatly. The man was only expecting five.