forums.rs

Forums

~*~ TDT2: The Blood Debt ~*~

Quick find code: 49-50-222-43530230

of 122
Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
~*~*~*~ Chapter 3 ~*~*~*~
Krystal looked over at Lil, snuggled comfortably in front of Kzahar in her saddle. To her right, Maston and Arwing shared their own horse. And Adrian…the stallion seemed to stagger slightly under the weight, but he looked happy. Why was SHE stuck riding with Emmaris? Everyone else had their desired seats. Granted, Kzahar looked annoyed, and Maston and Arwing were arguing softly about the previous night, but at least they weren’t stuck in front of a man who only a few weeks ago was plotting their deaths. She would have taken Lil’s incessant chatter or arguing with Bond over the awkward silences any day.
Her eyes traced through the trees to the road. So far there had been no sign of Bond’s captors. She prayed Lil and Adrian were right about which way the guards had taken him.
They had come crashing through the forest in the dead of night. Lil practically fell from the saddle as Adrian vaulted down, and he had spun to catch her, shyly setting her back on her feet. When Krystal saw who it was that entered the firelight, she put up her swords and shook the others awake. Breathlessly the pair told their tale.
“We found cloth from his shirt and blood on a tree,” Lil told her.
“They’re hurting him!” Krystal had exclaimed.
Maston had panicked, and began tossing his belongings onto the horse he and Arwing shared. “We have to get out of here. Now.”
Emmaris had agreed with him. “If they take Bond to the king, we’ll be exposed. We must overtake them!”
So they packed their belongings and fled their small encampment. By the light of the moon they cantered just off the road, careful for any signs of Bond and his guards. Every hour Emmaris sent someone ahead to scout for them. They had seen no other clues, and it worried her. They were hurting him; she had to get to him. To hell with Corynn and her orders, Bond was all Krystal cared about. But if he was being taken to Varrock and Issavan, then the problem was serious.

15-Jul-2007 21:14:10

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“We’re coming, Bond, hang in there,” she whispered softly.
“Hmm?” said Emmaris.
“Nothing,” she sighed. Her mind was filled with memories of him, of how he had taken her on the ship, held her when she was afraid, defended her gallantly in front of the Duke’s brother, and confided in her his own fears before the deadly rogue wave hit the ship.
“I’ll find you,” she promised solemnly once more. “But you had better be alive, or…” she took a shuddering breath. He would be. They’d save him, and they wouldn’t be discovered. They had to save him.
*~*~*~*
Maston huffed a sigh. “Arwing, are you sure you’re not mad at me?” he asked a fourth time.
“Yes.”
“Then why won’t you talk to me?”
“I thought you didn’t like talking,” she snapped.
He flinched. “Fine then,” he grumbled, and fell coldly silent.
The silence hung like a storm cloud between them, and despite being pressed together in the saddle Maston felt as though there was a wall a mile thick between them. After many long minutes, the only sound the wind in the trees, the crackle of the pine needles, and the low hum of Lil’s rambling to Kzahar, Arwing blurted, “I’m not mad at you, Maston!”
“So you’ve said. But all the evidence is to the contrary.”
“I’m not, I swear. It’s just…I’m mad at myself. I feel horrible.”
“Why?” He rested his chin on her shoulder, and took one hand off the reins to place it gently on her thigh.
She took a deep breath, startled by his closeness, and continued, “Well, I…I jumped to conclusions…when you and…you and Krystal went off. I mean…I should have…have known that you…would want to help him.” He chuckled, and she flushed. “Why are you laughing at me?” she accused.

15-Jul-2007 21:14:58

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“No, it’s just, that’s really sweet.” He planted a soft kiss on her shoulder. “I don’* want anyone but you Arwing, trust me.” His voice was low and throaty.

She smiled. “You’d better not,” she teased.

Maston opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Adrian. “We should camp soon,” the large man announced. “Nearly nightfall again.” Sure enough, when Maston glanced behind them, the sun was dipping down once more into the trees.

“We should travel the night as well,” Krystal protested. “They’re already really far ahead of us, they’ll likely stop, shouldn’t we make use of the chance to catch up?”

Emmaris shook his head. “Unless we want to end up having to walk the rest of the way, we need to stop. The horses need rest. Adrian, why don’t you ride ahead and see if you can spot campfire? We’ll camp just a little ways ahead. Tomorrow, we’ll reach Draynor and resupply. I don’t think we should ride in there in the middle of the night anyway.*

Krystal sullenly agreed. When the sky began to turn black, they dismounted and tied the horses. Kzahar started a fire, Emmaris distributed rations, Maston drew the watch, and they settled down to sleep.

*~*~*~*

Bond flopped down on the bed, chewing hungrily on the slab of dried jerky. “You couldn’t even get me some water?” he complained. The guard slapped him. He rubbed at his cheek with shackled hands and was quiet.

They were in Draynor, in the inn there. The innkeep was nervous about having a condemned traitor in his bar, but the guards swore he’d be no trouble. “Right?” the captain had snarled at Bond, kicking him until he replied, “Of course.*

15-Jul-2007 21:15:28 - Last edited on 15-Jul-2007 21:17:09 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
So they had taken him upstairs and left him there with two guards, while the others went downstairs to get food. They had spared their prisoner only one small slab of meat. Now the captain shoved him off the bed, so he crashed onto the floor with a grunt. “I’ll take the bed,” he sneered. He jabbed a finger at the guards. “You two, switch off watches on him. If he tries anything…Just run him through. Don’t bother waking me.”
“Run me through?” echoed Bond. “You’d deprive the King of my precious person? I thought you said he loved dealing with traitors. He’d be sore to know you handled me with your own justice.”
“What he never knew of won’t hurt him,” snickered the guard. “And I told you to be quiet. One more word outta you, and I’ll cut out your tongue, bard. We clear?”
“Perfectly.”
“That don’t sound like silence, traitor.”
Bond nodded stiffly, then lay his head down on the dusty boards. Filling his head with thoughts of Krystal, he eventually fell asleep.

15-Jul-2007 21:15:35

The contents of this message have been hidden.

15-Jul-2007 23:55:54

The contents of this message have been hidden.

21-Jul-2007 08:28:24

The contents of this message have been hidden.

21-Jul-2007 22:46:37

Quick find code: 49-50-222-43530230 Back to Top