A few days later, Alg moved her to the keep. They entered the keep after dark but he was taking no chances and covered her head with a sack for the journey. Rhian believed it was so she could not see her surroundings or memorize landmarks from the journey in the event of an escape.
The rustle of the sack over her head prevented her from hearing anything clearly throughout the journey so she could not try to remember any specific sounds if she escaped and wanted to retrace her journey for any reason.
They entered the keep and the horse stopped. Rhian was helped to dismount. She was guided down stairs and felt cold laying its hands on her the further down she went. She could only assume they were going underground. Rhian recalled visits to castles in Europe with Andy and the dungeons they had seen. She suspected she was being led down into a dungeon now. The difference was that this one was still actively used while the ones she had visited had been deserted for centuries. Eventually their descent ended and they walked along a corridor until they finally came to a halt. A key scraped in a lock and a door shrieked on its hinges. She guessed that she was about to enter a cell. Her guess was confirmed a moment later as the sack was removed from her head. Rhian was pushed forward roughly. In the faint light she could make out a stone slab in the corner which she took to be her bed in the cell. She turned around as Alg closed the door and locked it.
“From now on this is your home.” It was all he said before turning and leaving. His silhouette receded into the dark along with the light from the torch he carried until he turned a corner and was gone. Rhian was left in the dark and she felt as if she had gone blind. It was pitch black and even after the impression from the light of the torch had faded she could see nothing in the dark.
The only visitor she had in the dungeon was Algwad. He never delegated her meals to be delivered to anyone else. He delivered her meals personally when he was bothered to do so. Many times she would go without food for a day or two and she started to squirrel away portions of her meager meals so she would have something to eat on the occasions when Algwad did not come and feed her. When he did feed her he said little. Less than when they had been in the cabin in the forest. Occasionally he would watch her as she ate or tell her about a new place he had visited in the book. Rhian never shared anything about the book with him and he seemed to have given up asking. She guessed he felt confident enough that if he continued exploring with the book he would find the way to her world.
She had a glimmer of hope at one point though when Algwad deviated from his standard conversation.
“Someone is looking for you,” he stated matter of factly as he pushed her food under the cell door.
“Wha…What? What do you mean?” Rhian asked.
“I returned to the lake. There was a man looking around. He scouted the edge of the lake and wandered into the forest. He was searching for someone. I expect he was searching for you. He looks about your age. Dark hair. Tall. Thin. Does it sound like someone you know? He uses the book to come and go too so he must be from your world.”
The description was that of Andy. Rhian tried to hide her emotion as her hopes soared. She spoke and did not look up at Algwad to show him that she was interested in the news.
“There are many from my world. He could be anyone,” Rhian replied shortly.
“I see. So you won’t mind if I kill him?”
“What for?” Rhian resisted the urge to look up.
“He is a nuisance. Maybe soon he will discover my cabin or arrive here in the keep. If you do not know who he is then perhaps you can tell me what your kind wants with our world? Why is it that your people are suddenly arriving here? There must be something important for so many strangers to frequent our kingdom? I suspect you all seek what I seek. After all the time is nearly here for the power to be released.”
Rhian sighed. “Did you ever realize how much you love your own voice? You make me weary. You speak so cryptically about so many things but will not elaborate. I think perhaps you should find a use for a needle and thread and sew your mouth shut.”
Algwad paused a moment. His jaw clenched in the light cast by the torch, his arrogance temporarily halted.
“You speak boldly for a prisoner,” he stated matter of factly.
“And you sing like a prisoner being tortured,” Rhian replied sarcastically.
Algwad changed the subject. “So you do not know this man?”
“No I do not. Do you have a picture?”
“A wha….” Algwad paused not sure he understood what Rhian had said. Then he realized what Rhian was saying.
“Why….how….how would I get a picture of him?”
Rhian smiled and decided to have fun with Algwad. “Don’t you have a camera?”
“What? What is a ca-me-ra?” Algwad asked confused.
“It paints pictures,” Rhian replied smiling condescendingly.
“He does not stay long enough to paint a picture,” Algwad replied.
Rhian burst out laughing. Now Algwad was a clown. It was the most fun she had had in a long time. She could not remember the last time she had laughed.
Algwad was at a loss for words. He retreated into the dark without saying goodbye and left Rhian laughing in the dark until long after he had left.
Rhian had no idea how long she was kept in the cell. She lost all track of time in the dark of the dungeons. Then one day, Rhian heard Alg’s voice as he approached. He was speaking to someone. The darkness of the dungeon grew lighter as he approached holding a torch. Shadows flickered to life then receded as he approached. Rhian closed her eyes against the bright light of the torch. Her eyes were unaccustomed to the light after being in the dark for so long.Algwad stopped before the cell and unlocked the door. He was accompanied by someone who wore a hooded robe. Rhian watched the person through her narrowed eyes. Their gait was slower and more elegant than Alg’s. Rhian could not see the face of the person beneath the hood but she believed it was a woman. Judging by the robe and hood she wore, Rhian believed she was from an order of priests or monks. The robe was a regal purple made from material that loo
Alg returned the next day seeming cheerful. He greeted Rhian with her breakfast and sat next to her as she ate.“Did you think about what I said overnight?”Rhian nodded as she ate.“And?”Rhian had given much thought to what Alg was asking. “What is it that you really want? If you can be honest and clear with me I can be honest and clear with you.”Alg was silent. He considered his words carefully. “Very well Lady. Since you will not leave here without my permission, I shall be honest with you.” Alg paused letting the meaning of his words sink in before continuing, “As you well know, the lady you met yesterday is to become queen. Her name is Maica. She does not love the king. In fact she
Six months later.Andy crouched next to a tree. His legs ached. He was tired. He had no idea how long he had been running. He breathed hard. He breathed fast. He breathed into his hands, trying to dissipate the fog of his breath. His breath would give him away in the cold night if he wasn’t careful.“SShhsssst!” He heard the arrow in the instant before it struck the tree where he crouched. Snow rained down from the vibration caused by the arrow’s impact. His pursuer had found him. He dragged himself to his feet. His pursuer was playing with him.Andy cursed the black night. Cursed his pursuer, the snow, the cold, the wind and this
Shay kissed her boyfriend Josh goodnight and watched him walk back to his car. He started the engine and was soon out of sight. Shay opened the door and stepped inside the house. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it.In a moment she would go upstairs to bed, but for now she just wanted to be still in the world and wanted the world to be still too. There were so many thoughts in her mind and she desperately longed for her mother. She had always been able to talk freely with her mother who had always been there for her. Shay sat down on the stairs and sighed, deep in thought.Shay’s mother, Rhian, had always seemed to know the answers to her problems. She had always had time to listen and seemed to have an unfathomable depth of knowledge when it came to her questions and perceived problems.She glanced to her
On impulse, Shay stood and crossed to the study. She did not knock but tried the door. It was unlocked. She opened it. Andy was seated at his desk in front of his computer. The screen reflected off his glasses and for a moment he looked like he had two silver coins over his eyes.He did not look up from his computer. After all, who else would be in the house this time of night other than Shay?“Hi Dad,” Shay greeted trying to sound cheerful.“Hi Princess.” Andy replied still looking at his computer screen.“I didn’t hear any hurricane warnings tonight,” Shay said as she eyed he papers scattered around the room.“I’ll pick that up just now. I lost a manuscript and got carried away searchin
They fell into an intense cold. They seemed to fall a long time during which Shay never stopped screaming. The sense of falling terrified her. She was sure they were falling to their death as the wind rushed past them.Then, suddenly, they landed heavily on the ground. Shay’s scream ceased abruptly as her breath was knocked from her. She sucked in air again as soon as the pain of her collision with the ground passed. Andy was quiet and her first thought was of him as soon as she could breathe again.“Dad!” Shay sat up and looked down at her father. He was unconscious. She placed her hand on his chest and felt for his heartbeat while she listened for his breath. He was breathing. Alive. She sighed with relief. Then she searched for his wound. Her hand found the sticky wetness by his side. He was losing blood.She
Prince Fiere poured himself a flagon of wine and opened the doors which led out onto the balcony of his chambers. He breathed in the fresh night air and took in the peace and solitude of the cool evening.The day had passed mostly uneventfully following their arrival early in the morning. He had decided to leave Shay alone for the day but had regular reports sent to him and Meerde reported on Andy’s progress. Andy was in a stable condition but his wound would take longer to heal than Meerde had originally thought the day before.Fiere had met his father, King Mayle, briefly during the day. Fiere had given a full account to his father regarding the discovery of Shay and her father in the forest. He informed his father that Meerde was attending to the girl’s father who was wounded and that they would be staying at the keep until her father recovered.
The next day passed uneventfully for Shay. Fiere did not return but Meerde had checked in on Andy three times and assured her everything was fine.Shay had passed the time reading Andy’s book or sitting next to him and talking to him in his unconscious state.After dinner in their chambers and a bath the evening before, Shay had continued reading and had fallen asleep, more from exhaustion as opposed to choice.She woke confused and anxious before she recalled where she was. The book lay open on her lap and she quickly recalled where she had read up to. Prince Fiere was in the book but he was making his journey from the province of Eldrom after dealing with a border skirmish between tribes in the small village of Arstor.Shay was technically behind the curve in the story since it