The Obsidian Pillar

Chapter Nine

The coarse rope that held my waist and my wrists was unrelenting as I squirmed against the tree trunk at my back. I heard something shuffle in the dark as I wriggled clumsily, the material burning my wrists.

'Cut it out,' a deep voice warned in the dark.

I squinted through the black, but I couldn't make out any of the features belonging to my captor.

'What happened to the dead men?' the disembodied voice asked quietly in the darkness.

I heard the sharpening of a blade against a whetstone, and shuddered. 'I don't know.'

The figure moved towards me and I braced myself for the attack. The glint of the blade came down and cut the ropes at my side. Before I could drop to the ground unceremoniously, he grabbed the ropes that still bound my wrists and began to pull me through the forest. Every time that I halted a sharp tug of the ropes led me onwards.

After a while he stopped, and I watched as the figure lit a torch. 'What happened to the dead men?' he asked again. He held the light away from his face.

I said nothing, instead holding my breath in fear. He pulled the torch between us and I stifled a grin at his irritated countenance. Sebastien growled angrily, 'What did you do to him?' Relief flooded me. But, perhaps it shouldn't have?

He tugged the rope between us, forcing me to stand as close to him as possible. I turned my face away, but he grabbed my chin and raised my face to his; the grip was insistent. He was wearing leather, fingerless gloves that were cool against my skin. His dark brown hair had fallen over his forehead and his lips were parted.

'Why do you keep hounding me? I don't know where your Cynbel is.' I realised that I was staring at his lips.

He released me, contemplating what to say before he pulled the ropes and continued to walk with me in tow. 'You're lying,' he stated quietly.

The crow, who had yet to leave me, squawked from somewhere behind us. The crow had warned me of any danger so far. He appeared when Brindt had, he was there when the mercenaries attacked me, and when Sebastien had knocked me to the ground. He had led me to Rebecca in her last moments.

'Something has been following us for a while,' Sebastien whispered. I took the opportunity to scream at the top of my lungs.

'Quiet!' He grabbed my mouth and dragged me further into the forest. I felt the bracken and brambles scratch my ankles before my slippers were drenched in cold water.

Minutes later he released me, and I realised that I did not recognise my surroundings. 'Where are we?' I snapped.

He bent down to take a knife from his boot. 'We crossed the river.'

'We crossed the river?' I shrieked incredulously, 'We can't cross the river! It's not safe.' I rushed towards him, disregarding the sight of his knife.