Healers' Call

The Traitor's Son

Valda's back ached, the hard bark digging painfully into her spine. Blaan had ordered four hulking men to strap them to trees at the edge of the camp, before they settled down for the rest of the night.

Mauve was tied to the tree next to hers and Carrick next to her. The poor light meant that Valda could only make out Mauve's vague shape whilst Carrick was completely hidden by shadows.

She envied her companions' clothes. Having changed back into their Adiocion clothes before they'd walked through the portal, Carrick now wore leather trousers and jacket, both lined with some kind of fleece to help keep out the chill in the air. Whilst Mauve's many skirted gown left her cushioned and warm whilst sat on the floor. Valda had no such clothes.

Her outfit comprised the same clothes she wore when hiking with her Dad; a pair of waterproof trousers, rain jacket and a pair of sturdy walking boots. This outfit had kept her dry and warm in East Anglia but was decidedly failing in the much colder Adiocion.

The fire was just far enough away that they barely got any heat or light and soon the darkness would creep out of the woods and cocoon them whilst their kidnappers slept.

Valda would have preferred this except for Mauve's terrified whispers of creatures that lurked in the night. Creatures that would happily use them as a little midnight snack.

It was no surprise that with these happy thoughts all three of them struggled to find any sleep.

Valda had learned from Carrick that Blaan had once been a Lord of Lania until he turned traitor for Lorcan. The silver crest he now proudly wore was Lorcan's mark, a way for followers to distinguish themselves. Even though she couldn't see Carrick, Valda could feel his hatred simmering in the air.

The night dwindled on; the fire burning down until only its embers glowed. The guard in charge of keeping a lookout had dozed off half an hour ago. Only the three kids remained awake, sleep being impossible whilst tied to a tree.

Shuffling sounded from the forest, making them freeze, barely daring to breathe. Valda's mind flashed with images of terrible monsters. Her knowledge of Adiocion's creatures was limited, but that didn't stop her imagination running wild. Images of gigantic beasts with razor sharp teeth had her cowering in fear.

From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a shape form from the darkness. She couldn't be sure, but it looked more solid than the rest of the shadows. It seemed to creep closer and her panic began rising. When it suddenly lunged forward, she sucked in her breath ready to scream but a hand clamped over her mouth.

"No please, don't scream. I'm here to help, but you have to remain quiet." A pair of warm chocolate eyes stared back at her.

So it wasn't quite the monster she'd been fearing. Instead, a boy, maybe the same age as Carrick stood in front of her, a large black shawl covering him so he easily blended into the darkness.

"I'm going to cut the ropes now. Don't scream, remember?"

Valda nodded her head, and the boy removed his hand from her mouth. Mauve next to her was trying to see what was happening, but the boy had his hood drawn, making it difficult.

He rose his sword and brought it down in a sharp arch so it soundlessly slashed through the ropes. Valda wiggled free as the boy dashed off to do the same for Mauve and Carrick.

She stretched, feeling the bones in her back crunch with happiness at being able to move again. Carrick and Mauve stood next to her, each wearing identical looks of astonishment.

The boy, his face still covered, waved them forward. "We need to detach the horses from the wagon. If you see any discarded weapons pick them up, we may need them," he whispered, keeping his head down before he swiftly made his way around the sleeping horde.