~~Chapter 15~~
The Kirizo had been traveling all day now, and Kel had no idea where she was anymore.
"Why does your 'boss' collect females?" Kel asked Trick.
Trick was a few years older than Kel, but the only company, besides for Riix (who really was no company at all), she had. So far he was the only one who had given her any food, and from his own rations. Like Riix had told her— they didn't have food to spare on prisoners.
"The Boss is a strange man. . . An evil man." Trick's green eyes looked sad.
"Then why do you follow him? You act like you dislike him."
He laughed. "Very few of the Kirizo choose to follow him. Some are blackmailed and bribed, and some –like me— are forced."
"Forced?"
"Yes. My mother was a fighter. He took her prisoner, much like he is doing to you. When I tried to stop him, he told me that he was going to kill her unless I helped him with his next kidnapping. So I did, and I took the dark skinned woman named Buri. When I returned, my mother was dead, she had tried to escape and he killed her. Yet for some reason I still do his work. He is a mage, and I believe he weaves a spell over us. I cannot stop following him."
"Wait a minute. . . It was you who kidnapped Buri??"
"Is she a friend of yours?"
"I have known her most of my life! Is she alright?"
"I don't know. . . Last I saw her she was imprisoned in her rooms. The boss will keep her in nice quarters for a year, then move her to the dungeon once he tires of her. That is what he will do with you as well."
"But what does he do to the woman?"
"The boss is an evil man. . ."
"Trick—"
"My superior is calling me. I have to go now."
Kel watched him leave, then turned her back and tried to sleep.
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"Look— I didn't mean to make you mad or anything. . . Honest. You just look sort of young, but hey! That's a good thing right? Who doesn't want to look younger?? Take my mom for example. . ."
The strange witch stopped her ranting long enough to listen to what nonsense Dom was jabbering about.
". . . And I mean, she's always going on about how she wants to dye her gray hairs black, and how she needs face creams to keep her skin soft and unwrinkled—She empties out my purse weekly trying to look younger! So really I didn't mean it to be an insult. It was a compliment! Besides. . ."
Trying not to laugh, the witch stopped his little speech. "Enough young man! Enough! What is your name?"
"Dom."
"I am Eilya."
"Are you human?"
"Ha ha! No, no. I am a siren. Or I use to be a long time ago. Then age caught up with me, and I came here to study magic."
"A—a siren?"
Eilya just gave him a wicked grin. "Now, I'll ask you again. Are you lost?"
"Yes. . ."
"Are you part of that group of men that passed by here yesterday?"
"What group of men?"
"Oh they were horrible! I had a mind to get rid of a few, but they left quickly the next day."
"Can you take me to them?"
"Now why would you do that?"
"I think they may have my friend with them."
"Oh I see. . . That tall young woman they took last night?"
"Yes! You saw her!"
"I went to go see what all the yelling was in the middle of the night. They had a woman tied up. She was knocked out though. Anyway, they had her and they were celebrating her capture."
"I have to save her."
"There is no way you can get her through all of those men."
"I don't have a choice now do I? If I did I doubt we'd even be in Scanra! If I had a choice Sir Grant would never have come to the fort, Kel would still love me, and Buri would never have been kidnapped. But I don't have a choice!"
Eilya studied him carefully, "You love this woman?"
"I do."
"Well then, we must save her. Love is too important to ignore."
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"Peachblossom! We have to stop. We can't ride non-stop. . ." Raoul heaved. Peachblossom had been going at a steady trot through the forest since morning, and it was now dusk. Raoul and his horse were exhausted.
The old horse just snorted, yet slowed to a walk.
"Thank you."
After dismounting and pulling out his water flask and a slice of bread, Raoul sat hard on a stone. "Do we have much farther to go?"
Peachblossom's head snapped up just then, and ears forward, slowly crept into the dense brush ahead.
Curious, Raoul got up and quietly followed.
Two men, both in the gray cloaks of the Kirizo, sat talking. Raoul guessed that they were probably sentries.
Going around behind then, he carefully listened to their conversation.
"So who is the girl we caught yesterday?"
"Name's Sir Keladry from Tortall."
"Woah! I knight? Boss will love her."
"No kidding. He's been after her for awhile. I think he knows her."
"Really? Well you know that the superiors talk sometimes that he's from Tortall."
"Yeah, I know. Too bad we can't meet the boss—Find out ourselves."
"Ha! Like he's ever gonna show his face!"
"Too bad though."
"I guess so. But how much further is it until we get to his estates?"
"I dunno, a day, maybe two."
By this time, Raoul crept back to his horse and supplies. Peachblossom was there too, going through all of Raoul's food.
"You stupid horse! Get out of my bag! Go find your own food!"
As he tried to find food not ruined by horse spit, the sentries jumped into the clearing.
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Ok, there you go. Please please please review! I only got a couple reviews the last chapter and I was SO sad! Review and let me know what you think!