Ok as you can guess finishing this story in two chapters was totally not planned properly! Aggrrrr! This will finish by the New Year or I will cry!

Chapter 17 – Panic

Thom wiped the sweat off of his forehead and stood up from the patient's bed where he had been working on for the last hour. He knew that he was drained slightly from the amount of healing that he had accomplished. He stretched his back like a cat and smiled at the old man who was nodding off to sleep. At last he made his way to Neal's office.

First thing on entering, Thom walked to the fire to put a kettle on for some tea. He hadn't stop his administration since Neal had left and now the sun was nearly setting, indicating to Thom that dinner and seeing Emilie would be soon. He sighed with relief as he thought of Emilie.

He moved towards the desk and scribbled down the medication and healing he had preformed on his last patient before tidying the room up. Thom was not the great organiser he wished to be, his rooms when becoming a black mage was always in a permanent state of messiness. He smiled as his thoughts differed to the past and future as he bustled around the desk, fixing the materials back to their proper place.

He was so fixed in his cleaning that he barely registered the loud war cry from the battlements. However the running of several soldiers at his window did. He glanced through the glass to see a reign of arrows flying high in the air towards the ground and many of the common people were running to find shelter. Without thinking, Thom closed his eyes and concentrated hard, focussing on the arrows…he knew he could not change their path and destroying them would produced more damage…

Gasps of surprises filled the air as birds feathers filtered down to the earth and Thom smiled in amusement at people's confused expressions. Another cry filled the air, which forced Thom into action. He headed straight out of the healer's hall to the garrison to find Lady Keladry and be of some use. He had no trouble in getting to the battlement as people moved quickly away at the figure he produced. With his black robes billowing behind and his eyes flashing brightly, everyone remembered that the Lioness' son was one of the two most powerful magicians in Tortall.

Reaching the heights, he met Dom who gave a quick smile and pointed to the person he was seeking.

Dom whispered before heading towards his soldiers, "She forgot all about you until your little display…you're going to be put to work now. We don't where this is coming from!"

"Any ideas who?"

"None! It's very strange…Fort Hope holds nothing spectacular to warrant an invasion."

"Lord Thom!" bellowed a female voice.

The fall of night brought an uneasy calm to the Fort and Thom grimaced further as he saw the worried expression on the children as they hurried to their homes instead of staying out and playing. He stood, hunched at the window of the dining room reserved for the nobles but now a war room.

"Something to eat Thom?" queried a soft voice at his elbow. He turned round to find a concerned Lady Knight Kel with a bowl of soup and a spoon on her hands.

"Thank you", he replied in gratitude and started to blow on the hot liquid before devouring it. He knew that he needed to sleep for a couple of hours to regain some of his strength but resisted, unsure when the next attack would come.

For three hours since he had been drafted in, Thom had been battling with two groups of magicians at opposite sides of the Fort. Although he could have defeated them easily one by one, they would not break from their groups which made Thom think that they knew a black mage was in the Fort. They had finally retreated when Thom broke the left group shield, in fact the whole fighting force recoiled back to the forest soon after allowing the Tortallers time to breathe.

This attack had been planned very well.

"This is all wrong", muttered Neal from behind his hands, "why would anyone assault the Fort…we have nothing important and we are not at war against any of our bordering countries…" He trailed off not knowing what to say.

"Whatever they want, they're not going to break our defences", Merric said with much conviction. "We'll fight til the end."

"Hopefully it won't come to that", sighed Kel, "I wish I knew why and who."

Finishing off his soup, Thom looked around the room to find a group of trained warriors exhausted. "They were prepared for me which means that they have an in."

Silence met that statement until Kel locked eyes with him to explain further.

"I only arrived two days before and no one outside the King and my parents had any idea that I was heading up here."

Frowns appeared in all the warriors faces as well as a mixture of disappointment and disgust as thinking that someone would have sold them out to the enemy.

"But who?"

Thom was stuck. He could not think of any person being so cold hearted to lead a combating group to a Fort for only goal of murdering civilians. Thom rubbed his tired face to hide his helpless anger at the situation.

"Neal", Kel commanded, "I think that we should start evacuating the young families and the infirm out of here by early morning to Giant Killer in case things turn nasty."

Neal nodded at the instruction as Thom yawned loudly before he could cover his mouth.

"You need your bed Thom", Neal stated as Thom scowled, "I forgot that your must have spent more of your Gift from the healing that you did today plus the attacks."

"I'm fine", lied Thom but another yawn escaped.

"Of course you are!" noted Neal sarcastically as the others sniggered.

"Bed", said Kel and pointed to the door. "Both of you," giving Neal a pointed look, "I'll need you healthy and rosy cheek for tomorrow."

"Yes sir", Neal mocked salute before dragging Thom out of the room.

Again the eerie silence filled the halls as the two men walked to their quarters. Thom struggled to keep his eyes open and walk in a straight line which brought a chuckle from his companion.

Reaching Thom's room first, Neal unceremoniously pushed him into the dark room and called out goodnight as he closed the door on him. Totally wearied, Thom walked into the sharp corner of the table until he forcefully decided that a light was needed to make it to his bed safely.

Stripping down to his trousers, Thom crawled under his sheets and settled his head comfortable on the pillow. He glimpsed at the stars from the window and fell into a dreamless sleep.

I wished that I had seen Emilie prior to the clash, he mused. He could pictured Emilie giving him an earful of tactical advice while kissing him to be careful. I wonder if she knows anything about the attackers…the King did send her to rendezvous with a contact…

Thom bolted out of bed and ran out of his door which startled Dom who was heading to his own room.

"Thom!"

Thom could not stop and acknowledge Dom. He had to satisfy his growing fear. It was not today…please Merciless Mother please not today! Please.

In minutes, Thom burst through Emilie's room and flick his room, flooding it with a bright purple light. His eyes roamed the room to find it completely empty…he ran into the side room to find it unoccupied.

As he re-entered the large room, Dom was standing at the door with an ashen face as he had guessed Thom's reason for the sudden dash towards his fiancée. Thom stilled an concentrated on Emilie's engagement ring – praying that she was near by…there was nothing.

"No!" muttered Thom as he swirled around the room, "No…no…no."

Dom grabbed Thom by the shoulder, "She might be out in the Fort helping with packing…I'll go and ask Neal…Emilie always being a busy-buddy."

"She's not in the Fort", Thom stated, staring straight into Dom's wide eyes. "They have her…" He couldn't continue, his knees gave way and he fell to the floor.

"They have who?"

Both men looked into Neal's face which paled considerable as their eyes told everything.

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Please review! I apologise for the bad grammar but I thought you might want an update! Christmas people! Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!