This was arguably one of the hardest decisions she'd had to make in her life.
This was serious.
And, more worryingly, it looked as if she would have to give her response within a matter of moments. More guards began to line up at the far side of the river beyond Dedra. Jo bit her lip as a million and one thoughts, feelings and fears flew threw her mind.
She knew what she should do, that was obvious. But could she…?
" Alright…" Jo could hear the sound of her voice but wasn't quite sure if she had heard herself correctly.
" Alright…?" Dedra repeated, surprise ringing in his voice.
" If that's what I have to do to make sure that Mithras is freed then yes, I'll do it." Jo looked Dedra straight in the eye with a level of courage she didn't think she had in her. " But, I have some conditions…"
Dedra motioned for her to go on and voice these conditions. Unable to speak out of shock. He never doubted that Jo would do the right thing when faced with a situation like this, and yet it was still a surprise to hear her volunteer to give herself to her enemy with nothing to gain except the freedom of a friend. He sighed inwardly. A friend. Something he was unlikely to ever be again…
" You've got to let me say 'Goodbye' first…" Jo said firmly, her eyes staring boldly into Dedra's.
" Fair enough…but I cannot give you too long," It was hardly the 'Of course, take as long as you need' that he had wanted to say but had had to hold back. He hated what he was doing and moreover hated him self for not standing up against everything before now. If he was ever going to help Jo, and the others, it was not now. No matter how much he wanted to.
" And no harm must come to any of my friends," Her voice became darker, her tone was nothing short of threatening. Sending a dark promise to Dedra that he could feel burning into him. " I swear, anything that is done to them will be done to you, by me, and will be worse…"
Dedra nodded. He didn't trust himself to speak. Her words and tone would have frightened lesser men quite easily but it was not that which hurt him so. It was the pain and fear in her eyes of making a decision that no one should be faced with. And it was a place he had put her in.
" Go say your farewells," He turned around and started to walk back across the bridge. " And be quick about it…" He shot back over his shoulder but with no power behind it. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold his men back for long, even if he wanted to.
Jo stood, motionless on the bridge for a moment or two. Breathing long, deep breaths and trying to stop the shaking that has somehow taken over her body without her noticing. She turned around to look back at her friends assembled on the riverbank. All of their faces a combination of apprehension, anger, hope and curiosity.
How could she tell them what she had just agreed to…how could she tell him…?
Eventually her feet began to move and she walked calmly across the bridge back to her friends, where the questions and comments began almost instantly.
" Nice punch!"
" So…what did it want…?"
" Why's he brought Mithras down here?"
" Did he ask about the crystals…?"
" I hope you told him what we think of him…!"
" She wasn't there long enough for that, plus I didn't hear her call him a tw-!"
" Are you guys going to let me speak anytime soon or what…?" Jo interrupted.
" Well…?" Rosie urged after a short pause had passed.
" He says…" Jo frowned slightly and swallowed, her body was no longer trembling as much but her voice had a tremor to it that surely her friends wouldn't miss. " He says they'll free Mithras…"
All eyes shot across the river to their former tutor and friend. Still hanging limply between two guards.
" But at what price…?" Marius asked quietly although for the edgy silence that followed it, he might has well have yelled it.
" Do they want the crystals…?" Lina prompted when no answer came from Jo.
" No,"
" What, not even some of them…?" Simon exclaimed.
" Not one of them,"
" Well, what do they want then…?" asked Martin, his tone betraying that he would really rather not know the answer.
Jo tried to reply, but no sound came out.
" …Jo?" Mark's own voice was little more than a hesitant whisper.
" Me."
Silence followed.
" You…what do you mean, you…?" Jenny frowned.
" They will exchange Mithras for me…" Jo said quietly, looking at the floor.
" You've said no though, right?" Jo didn't reply.
" You're not actually going to with him are you?" Aradia glared at Dedra and then at Jo, disbelief shining in her lilac eyes.
Jo sighed and looked up.
" If I go with him now then you and the Meanders will be spared a battle that you can't possibly win today, the crystals will still be with us…." Jo tried to convince them, her eyes moving from one unsure face to another. A harder task than she had anticipated. Maybe it was that they could sense just how nervous she was about the whole idea herself. Maybe it was herself she was trying to convince. Suddenly it didn't sound anything like the good idea it had seemed a few moments ago.
" You're not going," Guillaume's opinion was voiced loud and clear.
" But don't you see…I have to…" Jo moved before him, her tone pleading.
" You're not going!" Guillaume repeated firmly before whirling around. " She's not going!" He all but screamed out over the bridge at where Dedra stood. His eyes glittered madly with what might have been anger, but was in fact tears.
" You promised me…you told me you had no intention of getting lost, remember?" Guillaume held Jo's shoulders tightly, his voice trembling.
" And I don't sweetheart, but…" Jo started to explain but was cut off.
" Then don't leave me…" Guillaume's voice had suddenly become much quieter, his face more frightened. " Jo, you just can't."
" I'm not leaving you," Jo whispered, laying a hand on his cheek. " I'll be back, I promise…"
Guillaume threw a dark glance at the black castle across the river and an even darker one at Dedra, stood waiting for their answer.
" I think that's a promise that's beyond even your keeping…" Guillaume swallowed.
" Look, if I go now there will be no fighting today…we'll still have the crystals, and we'll have Mithras back. Who will have at least one plan of what to do next I have no doubt of that!" Jo continued, turning Guillaume's face to look back at her. " Something in here tells me that this is the right thing to do…just like I know marrying you is the right thing to do…!" Jo took Guillaume's hand and put it over her heart. " I don't have a choice…" Tears leapt into Jo's eyes and her voice broke. " Do you think I want to leave you…? Leave all the people I care about, that I love? I never ever want to leave your side, but unless you can think of some other option right now what choice do I have…?" Jo collapsed against Guillaume's chest, holding him tightly. " I'm so scared…" She whispered over and over again as he stroked his hair.
Their friends watching on, their arms around each other, all with tear bright eyes and nervous faces.
Suddenly Jo felt Guillaume pushing her away to the side and whirled around to see Dedra in front of them. His guards had filed over the bridge and had surrounded them, cutting them off from the Meanders.
" Time to go Jo," said Dedra, not quite looking anyone in the eyes.
" No, not yet," Jo tried to argue, backing away slightly as several other guards began to approach her. " I've not said my goodbyes…you promised me I could say my goodbyes!"
Dedra didn't reply, although his jaw visibly tightened as he waved his guards forwards.
" She said she's not ready," Guillaume roared, drawing his sword and charging at Dedra.
As Jo watched everything seemed to slow down. Guillaume's sword seemed to arc lazily in the air down towards Dedra's, which had had only just managed to draw in time. Her friends began a charge of their own but they weren't moving quick enough. There were guards all around her now, she fumbled with her own sword, crying out in frustration as she felt a pair of hands grip hold of her arm and pull it away from her blade's handle. She struggled and somehow managed to break free from the hands, but only for a moment. She tried to run to Guillaume, still fighting Dedra, but out of nowhere another guard appeared blocking her path. She ran straight into him.
" Noooo…" Jo cried out as she felt her arms being restrained behind her and her feet lifted from the ground.
Suddenly the world went back to normal, the cries and yells of her friends ringing in her ears. But none so loudly as Guillaume's.
As he turned to see her being carried away he let out a cry of such anguish Jo felt as if her heart would break into a thousand pieces. Then Dedra struck. While Guillaume's attention was focused on Jo, he swung his sword and caught the back of Guillaume's head with his sword's handle. Knocking him to the ground.
As Guillaume fell to the floor and out of Jo's sight, she struggled afresh, kicking out at anything and anyone near her. But she couldn't break free. Not this time.
They carried Jo over the bridge as Mithras was hauled back over the other side and dumped unceremoniously on the muddy bank. Dedra turned to follow Jo and his guards when he felt someone grab his leg. Looking down he could see it was Mithras.
" What have you done…?" Mithras croaked, his eyes wide and bright with fear. " You fool…Don't you realise what you've done…?"
" It's not your concern any more," Dedra said angrily, shaking his leg free of Mithras' hold although he couldn't honestly say whether his anger was more at Mithras for pointing out his mistake, or at himself for making it in the first place.
Dedra quickly sheathed his sword and ran to catch up with his guards, once again not quite looking Jo in the eyes.
" Straight to the grand hall," Dedra instructed the soldiers as they marched their way over the bridge and into the enemy camp on the far side.
" You bastard!" Jo screamed at him. " 'Goodbye'…that's all I wanted to say to him, to tell him I loved him!" Trying to lash out with her feet at Dedra as he marched alongside her, eyes fixed on the ground. " You'll regret this! I swear you'll regret this someday…!"
" I already do…" Dedra sighed heavily as the group marched onwards towards the black castle.
Jo didn't stop struggling for a moment, not even when her friends blended in with the swarm of dark soldiers that amassed behind the group carrying her, their shouts and cries lost on the wind. Not even when they reached the drawbridge. Not even when they passed through the ominous gateway and inside.
Only when the sunlight was taken away and the distinct chill in the air sent a shiver down her spine did Jo stop. She was trapped and, for the first time on this adventure, she really did feel as if she had made a very grave mistake.
