A Duty Fulfilled

Chapter 15

               Jonathon pressed the blade harder against Avelina's neck. 

''You're lying.'' He was glaring now and clearly didn't believe her. 

''He was climbing the cliffs, they were slippery from the ice and snow,'' James said quietly. '' I told him to be careful, but he stepped on to lose stone.....and......'' his voice shook. And Avelina silently thanked him for catching on to her lie. ''He fell....and was impaled on the rocks below. Just as his father before him.'' 

Avelina's shoulders shook with a sob, and Jonathon's sword dropped away from Avelina's neck. He still looked doubtful. 

''I find it difficult to believe that someone as intelligent as Peter would be climbing on loose rock. Do you have proof? A sword? A signet ring?'' 

''This dagger,'' James said mournfully and reached into a leather pouch hanging from his waist and Avelina sobbed to add to the effect. Although she herself was confused at what he meant. James pulled out a dagger, ''I retrieved it from his person, Holt's insignia is engraved at the base of the blade.'' 

               Jonathon grabbed the dagger and examined it. Avelina wanted to know where on earth James had gotten such an item. But she quivered her lips and tearfully watched Jonathon hum and share a look with the archer man who shrugged. He looked to James, then to Avelina, obviously thinking hard. 

''Fine then,'' he said then called back to his guards. ''Tie them up and put them on horses. We are still a two day's ride from Davenshire, put the lady under heavy watch. She is to be guarded at all times.'' He sheathed his sword and stalked back to his horse. ''And if I find that you speak falsehoods, I'll make sure you'll never speak again.'' He stated back at Avelina and James. 

Avelina didn't doubt his words, in fact, never speaking again would be a merciful act considering if Lord Richard got his hands on her. That was something she could never let happen. 

''Don't use your dagger,'' James said in a low voice when the man with a crossbow had turned to speak to another guard. ''There are too many, save it for a time when you can use it more efficiently.'' He was quickly silenced when a couple of guards approached them. The bigger one yanked Avelina off the ground causing her to emit a small groan.

''Did I forget to say that the lady is to be treated with care?'' Jonathon's voice boomed across the clearing. ''According to my father's wishes, there is to be no dallying of any sort, she is to be treated in a gentle, respectful way.'' He glared at the guard holding Avelina. 

Gentle? How was threatening to ensure she never spoke again gentle? And according to his father's wishes? Why on earth would Lord Richard want a leading rebel to treated ''gently''? 

           The guard muttered under his breath but tied Avelina's wrists in front of her with a knot lose enough she could easily slip out of it. She turned just in time to see James' guard tightly knot his own wrists, she winced at the thought of how painful they would be. 

''Do not think that because your knots are loose that you may escape,'' Jonathon said after they had mounted and started through the woods once more. ''Your escape could cause a terrible accident,'' he angled his head back towards James. 

Avelina's stomach tightened and she glanced behind her shoulder at James. He rode behind her between two guards, his fingers tied to the saddle pommel. 

Avelina rode just beside Jonathon, he didn't look at her and didn't talk to her other than the occasional threat. The dagger in her boot seemed to burn through her leather hose, but she remembered James' words about waiting until the right time to use it. 

              She thought about Adam and Peter. Did they know that she and James had been captured? They had told her that Jonathon had been headed back down the mountain, but they must have made camp closer than originally thought. Avelina couldn't help but wonder if Peter was worried about her. Would he come to her rescue? If not hers than surely James', and Adam would insist on a rescue attempt, Avelina only hoped that it wouldn't jeopardize their own plan to take over Davenshire. 

They rode on, and the misty morning gave way into a bright, clear afternoon. Jonathon made few stops and when he did they were brief. Avelina refused to speak to anyone, they wouldn't get any information about what she'd found on the mountain or who she'd traveled with. Fewer words, fewer holes in her story. She doubted Jonathon was sure of their story, but they were in a hurry to get back to the city and he at least had one of the wanted.  They camped for the night beside a small cave in the mountains. The horses were exhausted from the uneven climbing, and their hooves were badly bruised. Avelina remarked on it to the guards who laughed and asked what a peasant could possibly know about well-bred horses. It would've made her angry except she was planning an escape for her and James that night. Jonathon's guard had been drooping their heads all day, no one would be able to keep watch the entire night without falling asleep. Everytime she looked at James, she could tell he was thinking the same thing. She only wished nightfall would hurry. 

                                                                                                      .....................

                  ''What?'' Peter felt his heart stop cold in his chest. 

''I saw it myself, they are headed down the mountain towards Davenshire,'' Adam said solemnly, his eyes fixated on the ground. 

Peter jammed his fingers into his hair. Avelina and James. Captured. By their feared enemy. 

''They must have been captured while hunting,'' Adam shook his head, his breath still heavy from his run back to their camp. 

Peter had grown stiff the moment he'd seen Adam darting through the trees. And his breath had stilled when he'd told the wrenching news of James and Avelina's seizure. 

''We must rescue them----''

''We cannot, your Grace.'' Adam startled him by using his title. ''Avelina and James are too heavily guarded, we will only die trying to rescue them.'' 

No. 

''Richard will kill them if Jonathon doesn't first.'' Peter protested, there wasn't anyway Adam would convince him not to proceed with a rescue. There was too much at stake. ''You've seen what he can do------what he is doing. The isle is being wiped out by his tyrannies.'' 

                ''I want nothing more than to rescue them, but to do so would be too great a risk.'' Adam turned away to pack his bedroll. 

''You fool!'' Peter spat and grabbed Adam's shoulder to turn and face him. He then grasped his collar and pulled his face to Peter's. ''I will not let my best friend and the woman I love rot in a prison cell because we cowered down against a villainous blackguard.'' 

''Get off of me!'' Adam slung his fist at Peter's face. Peter ducked and pushed Adam away from him. He swore and lunged for Peter again. 

Peter bent and wrapped his arms around Adam's torso, knocking both of them to the ground. Adam was fast and used his legs to flip Peter onto his back. Before Peter could react, Adam landed a solid blow to his cheek. Pain stung like needles and a few glares showed in his vision. Adam cocked his fist again and sent it towards Peter's face. Peter snatched out his hand and grasped Adam's forearm and twisted it painfully. Adam groaned and tried to pry Peter's hand off of his arm. 

Peter used the distraction to scramble from underneath Adam and knock him to the ground once more. Still holding Adam's forearm while he scratched at Peter's fingers, Peter pinned Adam's arm to the ground and held the other arm down with his knee. Adam still squirmed and Peter reached into his boot, retrieving a hunting knife Avelina had given him. He held it to Adam's chest and he instantly stopped moving. His stormy eyes looked from the blade to Peter. Anger coated his face. Pure, unmistakable anger.