Cataindar

CHAPTER FORTY SIX

 Running. 

Luisa and Finn’s scougers were running. Feet and paws pounded the stone as they tore through the corridors heading towards her royal quarters. The foreboding she had felt had not dissipated. But Luisa ran hard, keeping up with the scougers; her lungs now coping comfortably.  Her sword hummed at her side, her pendant, throbbed as it bounced on her chest. She rounded the corner to her quarters and stopped short. Laid outside her door was a guard, his neck twisted horribly.  The door to her room was ajar. She crept forward, unsheathing her sword and nodded to the scougers; they fanned behind her. Luisa carefully pushed the door open and stepped through.

Inside was Darcius holding Clearwater hostage, his curved dagger tightly pressed under Clearwater’s throat. He was surrounded by his scougers all had their weapons drawn.

“Well hello Princess.”

“Darcius,” Luisa stared hard at Darcius, staring deep into his blue eyes into his black soul.

Darcius smiled back at her, his eyes flicking around at Luisa’s catains, weighing up their numbers.

“We find ourselves in a predicament, Princess.  Let me put it to you simply; if you want Clearwater to live you will open the Royal Weapons chest.  Immediately.”

“Don’t…hnnh” Clearwater squirmed as Darcius’ paw crushed the sound from her throat.

“Shh-shhhh, quiet now little one… Princess?” He gestured at the case.

Luisa continued to stare Darcius down.  She squeezed the handle of her sword, her free hand balled into a fist as she clenched and unclenched her jaw. Electricity worked up and down her spine. 

I have no choice. 

Looking at the case across the side of the room she could feel its presence, its spirit.  Like the mechanism was now part of her.  Locking eyes with Darcius, she flicked her hand and the lid of the giant chest flew open like it had been struck by a wrecking ball, the whole case shook back and forward. 

Every catain in the room jumped back, shocked at the energy that crackled through the room. Darcius’ eyes grew wide and Luisa smiled grimly.

That surprised him.

 Darcius edged round, still holding Clearwater in front of him.  He nodded at his scougers, and three catains went over to the chest, straining and pulling, they dragged out the giant sword that lay in the bottom.  Others, warily, almost guiltily, helped themselves to the other weapons from the case.

“Now… we leave…”

Luisa’s mind raced, what did they want with that sword?

Darcius’ tooled-up party edged through, each catain’s hackles were raised on both sides. Luisa could feel the tension as Darcius catains passed, a sword clinked and a threatening hiss came from Finn’s scougers.

“Easy…” Luisa warned. “Let these cowards go.” Luisa stared Darcius down the whole way.

They were through the door, and Darcius turned still backing away, Clearwater in front of him.

“A wise choice Princess. If I sense you coming after us, just know that I’ll slit her sweet throat.”

The last one of Darcius’ catains closed the door. Every pair of eyes turned to Luisa.

She looked down for a moment and took a deep breath.  Carefully she opened her door and peeked out, she could hear the scraping of the giant sword being dragged along the stone floor becoming faint.