Taken
When they reached their house Diana and her mother silently dismounted and put their horses back into the stable. Only when they reached the security of their home did they begin to talk.
"I can't believe I was chosen for servant!" She raged angrily then cursed. "Of all the shadows!"
"That is the path you will lead," her mother sighed. "I have to find work for you within a week or they will take you away. Do not curse in my house."
"But where will I work?" she asked unnerved by the thought of being taken away. She had heard to many horrible stories when she was a child of what happened to servants who were taken away to even concentrate on anything else. Dungeons and slow painful deaths, never to see the light again or to never go home. Or maybe just moved to another place to work for someone with no pay little food and little water.
"You could work for me," a smiling Mr. Tibbens said from leaning against the doorframe. "It would be low wage but worth it nonetheless."
"He is right," Diana's mother said not minding that Mr. Tibbens had invited himself in. "Then you could stay home and not have to live on your own in a far away place."
"It sounds delightful!" Diana exclaimed, she didn't mind at all having to work for Mr. Tibbens!
"Good, then you will start tomorrow," he said with a smile. "Be at my house at sunrise and I will report to the main office right now that you will be fulfilling your duty by working for me."
Now, Mr. Tibbens didn't need a servant but he knew that this was the best opportunity to ever just fall into his lap! Now he could watch Diana grow along with the power he had given her and there would be no problems as to when the power took effect. He quickly headed off to the hut in the middle of the town to tell the inspector that she would be working for him. But a surprise awaited him there.
"Ahh Mr. Tibbens what might you be doing here?" he asked politely.
"Well Narcos, I've come to report that Diana will be working for me," he said with a smile.
"Oh well that just might be a problem," he said his smile fading. "You see the palace in Thane has run low on servants and needs a new one. I was sort of hoping that she would fill that position, but if you have already claimed her then so be it."
"Wait," he said now indecisive. "Let me think for a little while okay?"
"All right, but I want the results soon," he said with a strained smile. "Good day."
Mr. Tibbens did not know what to do. Diana could work with him where he could keep an eye on her but with a low wage or she could work at the palace for a much higher wage but he would not be able to keep an eye on her. He knew that their money was getting quite low and it would not last much longer. He could not spare anymore of his own. This decision was going to be harder to make than he thought. He sighed angrily and started to pace back and forth. What would he do?
"Of all the shadows!" He cursed silently.
Diana sat by the fencepost on the far side of the farm. Here she could get away from all the noise of the animals, and her mother, to have some quiet time and think. She was to be a servant then a warrior and mage. That was a large task to carry out. She knew that mages and warriors had to practice for years and that servants had to serve for a very long time. There was no telling what was going to happen. She sighed trying to get her thoughts off of the task at hand. The trees slowly blew in the wind creating a sort of rythm that made Diana's eyes droop wearily. When she started to drift off she heard a ruffling sound in front of her. Opening her eyes Diana looked up to see a man around her mothers' age looking down at her. With a shock of someone being there she almost jumped.
"Can I help you?" she asked him curiously.
"Hello I'm looking for a girl named Diana," he said smiling. "Do you know of her?"
"I am that girl what would it be that you want?" she asked.
"I was sent here by the castle of Thane to inform you that you will be working there as a servant from now on," he said grinning.
"Who says I have to work there?" she asked aghast at the fact of going all that way to the castle of Thane. "Someone has already claimed my services."
"Not anymore," he said.
Diana felt a sudden pain in her arm and looked down to see a small metal piece stuck into her skin but she did not seem to feel the pain from it. She furrowed her eyebrows in question but everything around her began to spin then blur and the world went black.
Mr. Tibbens ran back towards the Tarrow's house to tell them the news he had just heard. He was talking to Aribeth the blacksmith and she had informed him that the castle was so desperate for servants that they were actually sending out agents to claim any new ones. That meant Diana was in deep trouble if she was not careful. Mr. Tibbens just hoped he wasn't to late. He finally made it back to the Tarrow's house, out of breath of course, with his side burning like a raging fire. He gasped a few breaths in an attempt to breath and swung open the door so suddenly that Diana's mother jumped at the noise.
"Mr. Tibbens what are you doing swinging doors around until they crash into walls!" She exclaimed, "That is highly unlike you to do that!"
"Diana...Trouble...." he rasped panting.
"What's that?" asked Diana's mother suddenly alert. "What trouble?"
Mr. Tibbens leaned against the doorway in a desperate attempt to gain some air. Diana's mother ran over to him and grabbed his arm.
"Come now have a seat and we will discuss this when you have regained your breath," she said helping Mr. Tibbens to a chair. "I will fetch you some water."
"No....Time..." he panted.
"There is always time for you to catch your breath so we can discuss this when you are ready," she said in a 'final words' tone.
Mr. Tibbens could only nod respectively. It was very hard for a man of his age to be running all that way. He's like 40 years old and he just ran from the town to the farm! That's an awfully long way if you ask me! But he also needed to tell her quickly of the dangers that Diana could be in. As far as he knew she wasn't even in the house and might be already on her way to the castle! If only he knew how right he was.
Diana's mind slowly came back into consciousness. She twitched a few times then regained her memory. Where exactly was she now? Why had she been knocked out? How had she been knocked out? All she could remember was that small metal piece in her arm then everything was a blur. She slowly opened her eyes and squinted in the darkness. There were barrels all around her. Where the heck was she and why was she on her back with ropes around her hands and feet? Her eyes gradually grew accustomed to the darkness and she started to move but found her muscles felt like jelly and she could barely move them.
"I see you are awake," she heard someone say from behind her. "Don't try to move or you will just make things worse."
"What do you mean?" Diana asked her voice rasping unexpectedly.
"This is what he means," said a voice from beside her.
She felt a knife pressed against her neck and she could barely breath without the risk of being cut. The blade was cold and gave her a tingling feeling of fear. She was now really afraid.
"What do you want with me?" she asked afraid of the knife at her neck.
"We want you to work in the palace," said the man behind her.
She felt him coming closer until his face was right next to her ear.
"And if you don't we'll send you away to the torture chambers, then force you to work in the castle," he whispered menacingly.
Tears began to form in Diana's eyes. What had she done to deserve this? She was still afraid to talk with the knife so dangerously close to her neck and the pleading look in her eyes must have caught on.
"Ease up on the knife and let her talk," he commanded and the man pulled the knife away from her neck. "Now what do you say?"
"I...I will work at the castle," she said frightened.
"Good," the man said, "Even though you are young you will make a great asset because there is much the other servants will teach you."
Diana gulped. Why had this happened on such a nice day?
"What?" Diana's mother exclaimed after Mr. Tibbens had explained everything. "How can this be true?"
"It is very true, Mary, and we had better find Diana fast!" He said jumping up from the table. "I fear she will not be safe on her own."
"But where will we look?" asked Mary unhappily.
"I know of a spot where she goes to think and I have often followed her there, making sure she didn't go to far of course" he added. "Well it's a start so let us go now!" she insisted.
"I'm afraid that won't be necessary," said a voice from the doorway. "She has already been taken."
They looked over to see Narcos standing in the doorway spinning his finger in his hair. Mary's face was horrorstruck and she was trying to form words but just moved her jaw up and down. Finally she formed some words.
"Alr-r-ready t-t-taken?" She stuttered.
"Yes I'm afraid," he said. "When I informed the higher level of her fate they seemed very interested because they needed servants desperately at the castle. I followed her and she was taken while leaning against a fencepost on the far side of your field. Sorry to say but she's long gone."
He didn't look very sorry at all. Rather pleased really.
"Why didn't you stop them from taking her?" she asked enraged.
"Now, now let's not get hysterical," he said smirking. "You have to remember that the law is the law and they had permission to take her."
"Who gave them permission?" she asked angrily.
"Me," he said grinning.
Mary ran towards him through pure anger and hatred. Narcos merely watched unmoving as Mr. Tibbens tried desperately to hold her back.
"You best be leaving sir," said Mr. Tibbens. "She is hysterical because of her loss all she needs is some time to cool down and she'll be fine."
"Tsk, tsk," he said waving his finger at Mary. "That temper is going to get you in trouble one of these days."
With that he closed the door and walked back towards his pure black horse awaiting him by a tree.
"Mr. Tibbens!" She yelled, "Why did you do that?"
"Because he has the power to lock you away for good and if I wouldn't have covered for you, why you'd by in the torture chambers just like he wants!" he answered.
Mary knew the sense in this but didn't want to. She finally broke down crying and Mr. Tibbens felt awfully sorry for her.
"Don't worry we will get your daughter back," he said trying to cheer her up but making a promise to himself also "I promise."
When they reached their house Diana and her mother silently dismounted and put their horses back into the stable. Only when they reached the security of their home did they begin to talk.
"I can't believe I was chosen for servant!" She raged angrily then cursed. "Of all the shadows!"
"That is the path you will lead," her mother sighed. "I have to find work for you within a week or they will take you away. Do not curse in my house."
"But where will I work?" she asked unnerved by the thought of being taken away. She had heard to many horrible stories when she was a child of what happened to servants who were taken away to even concentrate on anything else. Dungeons and slow painful deaths, never to see the light again or to never go home. Or maybe just moved to another place to work for someone with no pay little food and little water.
"You could work for me," a smiling Mr. Tibbens said from leaning against the doorframe. "It would be low wage but worth it nonetheless."
"He is right," Diana's mother said not minding that Mr. Tibbens had invited himself in. "Then you could stay home and not have to live on your own in a far away place."
"It sounds delightful!" Diana exclaimed, she didn't mind at all having to work for Mr. Tibbens!
"Good, then you will start tomorrow," he said with a smile. "Be at my house at sunrise and I will report to the main office right now that you will be fulfilling your duty by working for me."
Now, Mr. Tibbens didn't need a servant but he knew that this was the best opportunity to ever just fall into his lap! Now he could watch Diana grow along with the power he had given her and there would be no problems as to when the power took effect. He quickly headed off to the hut in the middle of the town to tell the inspector that she would be working for him. But a surprise awaited him there.
"Ahh Mr. Tibbens what might you be doing here?" he asked politely.
"Well Narcos, I've come to report that Diana will be working for me," he said with a smile.
"Oh well that just might be a problem," he said his smile fading. "You see the palace in Thane has run low on servants and needs a new one. I was sort of hoping that she would fill that position, but if you have already claimed her then so be it."
"Wait," he said now indecisive. "Let me think for a little while okay?"
"All right, but I want the results soon," he said with a strained smile. "Good day."
Mr. Tibbens did not know what to do. Diana could work with him where he could keep an eye on her but with a low wage or she could work at the palace for a much higher wage but he would not be able to keep an eye on her. He knew that their money was getting quite low and it would not last much longer. He could not spare anymore of his own. This decision was going to be harder to make than he thought. He sighed angrily and started to pace back and forth. What would he do?
"Of all the shadows!" He cursed silently.
Diana sat by the fencepost on the far side of the farm. Here she could get away from all the noise of the animals, and her mother, to have some quiet time and think. She was to be a servant then a warrior and mage. That was a large task to carry out. She knew that mages and warriors had to practice for years and that servants had to serve for a very long time. There was no telling what was going to happen. She sighed trying to get her thoughts off of the task at hand. The trees slowly blew in the wind creating a sort of rythm that made Diana's eyes droop wearily. When she started to drift off she heard a ruffling sound in front of her. Opening her eyes Diana looked up to see a man around her mothers' age looking down at her. With a shock of someone being there she almost jumped.
"Can I help you?" she asked him curiously.
"Hello I'm looking for a girl named Diana," he said smiling. "Do you know of her?"
"I am that girl what would it be that you want?" she asked.
"I was sent here by the castle of Thane to inform you that you will be working there as a servant from now on," he said grinning.
"Who says I have to work there?" she asked aghast at the fact of going all that way to the castle of Thane. "Someone has already claimed my services."
"Not anymore," he said.
Diana felt a sudden pain in her arm and looked down to see a small metal piece stuck into her skin but she did not seem to feel the pain from it. She furrowed her eyebrows in question but everything around her began to spin then blur and the world went black.
Mr. Tibbens ran back towards the Tarrow's house to tell them the news he had just heard. He was talking to Aribeth the blacksmith and she had informed him that the castle was so desperate for servants that they were actually sending out agents to claim any new ones. That meant Diana was in deep trouble if she was not careful. Mr. Tibbens just hoped he wasn't to late. He finally made it back to the Tarrow's house, out of breath of course, with his side burning like a raging fire. He gasped a few breaths in an attempt to breath and swung open the door so suddenly that Diana's mother jumped at the noise.
"Mr. Tibbens what are you doing swinging doors around until they crash into walls!" She exclaimed, "That is highly unlike you to do that!"
"Diana...Trouble...." he rasped panting.
"What's that?" asked Diana's mother suddenly alert. "What trouble?"
Mr. Tibbens leaned against the doorway in a desperate attempt to gain some air. Diana's mother ran over to him and grabbed his arm.
"Come now have a seat and we will discuss this when you have regained your breath," she said helping Mr. Tibbens to a chair. "I will fetch you some water."
"No....Time..." he panted.
"There is always time for you to catch your breath so we can discuss this when you are ready," she said in a 'final words' tone.
Mr. Tibbens could only nod respectively. It was very hard for a man of his age to be running all that way. He's like 40 years old and he just ran from the town to the farm! That's an awfully long way if you ask me! But he also needed to tell her quickly of the dangers that Diana could be in. As far as he knew she wasn't even in the house and might be already on her way to the castle! If only he knew how right he was.
Diana's mind slowly came back into consciousness. She twitched a few times then regained her memory. Where exactly was she now? Why had she been knocked out? How had she been knocked out? All she could remember was that small metal piece in her arm then everything was a blur. She slowly opened her eyes and squinted in the darkness. There were barrels all around her. Where the heck was she and why was she on her back with ropes around her hands and feet? Her eyes gradually grew accustomed to the darkness and she started to move but found her muscles felt like jelly and she could barely move them.
"I see you are awake," she heard someone say from behind her. "Don't try to move or you will just make things worse."
"What do you mean?" Diana asked her voice rasping unexpectedly.
"This is what he means," said a voice from beside her.
She felt a knife pressed against her neck and she could barely breath without the risk of being cut. The blade was cold and gave her a tingling feeling of fear. She was now really afraid.
"What do you want with me?" she asked afraid of the knife at her neck.
"We want you to work in the palace," said the man behind her.
She felt him coming closer until his face was right next to her ear.
"And if you don't we'll send you away to the torture chambers, then force you to work in the castle," he whispered menacingly.
Tears began to form in Diana's eyes. What had she done to deserve this? She was still afraid to talk with the knife so dangerously close to her neck and the pleading look in her eyes must have caught on.
"Ease up on the knife and let her talk," he commanded and the man pulled the knife away from her neck. "Now what do you say?"
"I...I will work at the castle," she said frightened.
"Good," the man said, "Even though you are young you will make a great asset because there is much the other servants will teach you."
Diana gulped. Why had this happened on such a nice day?
"What?" Diana's mother exclaimed after Mr. Tibbens had explained everything. "How can this be true?"
"It is very true, Mary, and we had better find Diana fast!" He said jumping up from the table. "I fear she will not be safe on her own."
"But where will we look?" asked Mary unhappily.
"I know of a spot where she goes to think and I have often followed her there, making sure she didn't go to far of course" he added. "Well it's a start so let us go now!" she insisted.
"I'm afraid that won't be necessary," said a voice from the doorway. "She has already been taken."
They looked over to see Narcos standing in the doorway spinning his finger in his hair. Mary's face was horrorstruck and she was trying to form words but just moved her jaw up and down. Finally she formed some words.
"Alr-r-ready t-t-taken?" She stuttered.
"Yes I'm afraid," he said. "When I informed the higher level of her fate they seemed very interested because they needed servants desperately at the castle. I followed her and she was taken while leaning against a fencepost on the far side of your field. Sorry to say but she's long gone."
He didn't look very sorry at all. Rather pleased really.
"Why didn't you stop them from taking her?" she asked enraged.
"Now, now let's not get hysterical," he said smirking. "You have to remember that the law is the law and they had permission to take her."
"Who gave them permission?" she asked angrily.
"Me," he said grinning.
Mary ran towards him through pure anger and hatred. Narcos merely watched unmoving as Mr. Tibbens tried desperately to hold her back.
"You best be leaving sir," said Mr. Tibbens. "She is hysterical because of her loss all she needs is some time to cool down and she'll be fine."
"Tsk, tsk," he said waving his finger at Mary. "That temper is going to get you in trouble one of these days."
With that he closed the door and walked back towards his pure black horse awaiting him by a tree.
"Mr. Tibbens!" She yelled, "Why did you do that?"
"Because he has the power to lock you away for good and if I wouldn't have covered for you, why you'd by in the torture chambers just like he wants!" he answered.
Mary knew the sense in this but didn't want to. She finally broke down crying and Mr. Tibbens felt awfully sorry for her.
"Don't worry we will get your daughter back," he said trying to cheer her up but making a promise to himself also "I promise."
