Chapter 5
Poor Dom
"Where am I?" Dom asked looking around. His head hurt a lot and everything was dark and shadowy.
"Dom? Is that you?" A voice answered from the depths of the darkness.
"Raoul? Do you know what happened or where we are?" Dom whispered to his friend and commander.
"No, I don't the last thing I remember is a sharp pain in my head before everything went black. But I still have a pain in my head so it couldn't have been that long ago that that happened." Raoul answered.
"Yeah, that's about all I can remember too." Dom sighed and leaned against the slimy wall.
They sat in silence listening to the distant drip of water. Footsteps echoed around the room. As the echoing footsteps got louder they could also hear the distinct jingle of keys on a key ring.
"Raoul, you don't think that we were captured do you?" Dom asked nervously.
"No Dom, I don't think we have. It's probably a stupid prank Jon pulled trying to get me back for doing something idiotic back when we were squires." He answered sarcastically. "Of course we're captured. And Dom, all great warriors get captured at one point. Look at Alan-" Raoul was cut off by a high pitched laugh.
"Hear that brother? They know that Squire Alan. What a coincidence. I captured him too." A voice mocked.
Raoul made his way over to Dom and whispered. "Do you know of any squires named Alan?"
"No, sorry I don't. But I think that's because there aren't any. But you were talking about the Lioness being held captive, right? Could these be the people that did it to her? And they just don't know what happened after she was knighted?" Dom stated logically.
"Maybe…" Raoul trailed off. "If they are talking about Alanna, then I know exactly who they are." He continued after a moment of thought.
"You do?" Dom cried forgetting to be quiet. The man who had spoken slowly walked over to them. A raw of light pass over him and Raoul's thoughts were confirmed.
"Jem Tanner." He spat at the man with great disgust.
"H-how do you know me? And by that name?" Jem sputtered.
Raoul started to laugh, "Or should I call you Count Jemis? I should've known you and you're stupid brothers would side with the enemy, well the enemy of Tortal at any rate. The king'll find out what's going on. He's not stupid, and he'll get rid of the three of you for good."
Dom started into the shadows at Jem, "you're Count Jemis? Brother to King Ain and Duke Hilam? The person who killed Thor to capture Alann-ow!" he was cut off by a sharp pain in the leg where Raoul kicked him. Jemis laughed at Dom.
"Ah, I'm famous in your pathetic Tortall? Just wait, once I'm done with you two I'll never be forgotten!"
"Come brother, we have a war to win." Duke Hilam stepped out of the shadows and dragged his half crazy brother out of the cell. Dom and Raoul could still hear Jemis's crazy bursts of laughter echoing in the dungeons long after he was dragged away.
"This is great." Dom sighed leaning against the cold slimy cell wall. "When we need Kel the most she's lounging in Mindelan." Jemis's laughter had died away and once again all they could hear was the distant drip of water.
CHIRP!
"What in Mithros's name was that?" Raoul asked sitting up.
Chirp!
"Sounds like one of Kel's sparrows." Dom sighed. "I must be loosing it."
Chirp.
The chirping started to sound more demanding. Raoul started to look around. The cell was in complete darkness, the ray of light that had shone down from the ceiling was now gone. He heard a slight rustle of feathers and was almost immediately blinded by the ray of light that shone directly into his eyes. He felt something very light land on his shoulder.
Chirp! This time the noise was right in his ear. Raoul held out his hand and a one legged sparrow hopped onto it.
"Peg?" He asked surprised. Peg chirped again and nipped his finger affectionately. Dom looked up surprised that the sparrow was actually there. Peg flew back up to the roof and down again, this time carrying a piece of charcoal. She flew up again and returned with a small piece of parchment. Raoul quickly wrote a note and gave the paper to Peg. She nipped at him again and flew out the hole in the roof causing the cell to be in complete darkness for a second.