Disclaimer: *gasp* I am actually changing it! The old new one bored me so now I'm changing it again … essentially I own nothing (minus anything unfamiliar) that has to do with Valdemar… no suing I have no money!
A/N next chap… maybe I'll throw a villain POV here somewhere… that'd be fun if I eventually get around to introducing a villain… right… speaking of the story maybe I should write it instead of this… Azori by the way…
Savannah had insisted on walking right beside Justus the entire way. I was thoroughly sick of the two of them pestering me. As if I didn't know the stakes, they treated me like a child. We were finally at the place where we planned to set up a more permanent base. I gave Savannah her supper and slipped away while the others set up camp.
I was well beyond the boundaries of the camp before I stopped. There were trees all around me, and a smallish brook. I sat on a conveniently placed rock to stare down into the dark water. I was basically feeling quite sorry for myself. My shields were at full strength no one would be finding me unless it was the old-fashioned way.
"I don't see where that over-grown grain bag gets off, telling me how to live my life," I grumbled, "I just wish they would all leave me alone."
"That has been arranged M'dear," a silky smooth voice interrupted my mutterings. I spun to face the speaker.
"Who are you?" I whispered getting off my rock and taking up a fighters crouch and pulling a knife.
"Come now," he said harshly stepping forward, "surely the killer of my father recognizes me?"
"Malken?" I asked squinting at him, "I didn't kill your father …"
"Close enough, you were with him; you were the only one in a position to help him and he died. It's your fault."
"Get out of here Malken," I said firmly.
He laughed, "You are in no position to order me around deary, now I suggest you disarm yourself before you force me to do it."
"I'd like to see you try."
"Done," Malken gestured and the knife started trying to pull itself from my grasp. I mentally cursed myself for not remembering Malken's proficiency as a mage. I let the knife go knowing I couldn't compete with him as far as mage-craft went.
"I had no stake in saving your father, these people helped me."
"That's what they'd like you to believe now isn't it? Father was good to you girl."
"Good to me? How could you even say that?"
"He would have taught you all he knew. You would have surpassed even me. He treated you as he would his own daughter."
"Go away Malken, please?"
Malken laughed again, "I don't think you understand what's going on here my dear. We are finally moving to expand our borders. Valdemar will fall to us. Come back to us willingly and you will live as you wish. If I have to make you come then you will live as I dictate."
"And if you can't make me come?"
"Then you will die," he said lightly.
"I will not go with you Malken, I don't care how little I like Valdemar right now, it's better than living with you."
"I suppose this is the part where I knock you over the head and you wake up in my dungeon then?"
I tried to measure the distance back to camp in my mind. Too far to run, and he was between me and freedom anyway. I tentatively reached toward Savannah with a call for help.
:SAV!: I cried out.
:Azi?: that was all I heard before an explosion of stars went off somewhere behind my eyes and blackness blotted out my consciousness. The last thing I heard was Malken's low chuckle as he hoisted me up to carry me away.
As Malken had predicted I came to in the all too familiar dungeons of his father's, now his, estate. There was no use in calling out, he would know when I woke and he would see me in his own time and not a moment sooner. It would only be wasted breath. I thought briefly about speaking to Savannah, but a massive headache dissuaded me. I didn't want to do anything remotely pertaining to thinking. It felt as though my brains were trying to pound their way through my skull as it was.
I was half-asleep trying not to breathe much in order to keep from disturbing my head when Malken stalked into my cell. He spoke loudly knowing full well that it caused my head to pound all the more.
"As I explained last night, since I had to bring you here I dictate the terms for your life now."
"Yeah," I managed to choke out when it became clear that he expected an answer.
"You've changed quite a bit since we were betrothed," he said conversationally.
The comment made me fell cold all over though. With that one comment his reasons for bringing me around became all to clear. He was still talking but my mind was reeling from his opening statement.
"Is that what this is about?" I interrupted, barely even realizing how angry an interruption would make him until I had spoken.
He glowered for a moment before smirking at me, "Yes, well, you haven't gotten any uglier than last I saw you, and you still have the potential for amazing strength as a mage. Father had everything in place you know? So I see no reason to change his plans."
"I …" I started to argue but he clapped a hand over my mouth.
" Tsk, tsk, tsk, no talking back dear, you know the rules. You will resume your lessons with Master Yoshi tomorrow. You may spend to night in here or your old quarters depending on my mood, do not try to escape, you would greatly regret the attempt."
I didn't say anything, but I knew he was right. I was stuck. If I couldn't sneak out as a child there would be no sneaking out now, and no one here would help me. This was a nightmare. I reached for Savannah, Malken seemed to have been waiting for that. He had shields lying in wait for just such a move and they pounced on my attempted communication.
"None of that now dearest," he said shaking a finger at me, "We can't have those nasty heralds finding you."
I glowered and Malken laughed as he left, "you have the same access as you did before girl, don't try anything sneaky though or you will be restricted."
I nodded dumbly and watched him leave. He made a point of not shutting my cell door. He wasn't lying about letting me have the run of the estate, but I didn't feel like doing anything but sleeping off my headache.
A/N hehehe, I love toturing my characters… righto, isn't Malken perfectly nasty? Right, now we can a) go back to Cy to get the view from the other side or b) stick with Azi and worry about the others later… decisions decisions…