Chapter 8
Going into Shadow
Derek had no notion as to where his captors were taking him. After reaching the foothills of the Boundary Mountains they had placed a blindfold over his eyes. They took it off occasionally, but otherwise it stayed on his face.
But now he could sense a change in the environment. The horses' hooves rang on stone, but their going was smooth–as if on a man-made road. An air of oppression hung over them all, but it only seemed to affect Derek. His captors were laughing amongst themselves as they rode along.
Presently Derek felt the horses slow, then come to a complete stop. There were more voices, then the loud creak of a gate with hinges desperately in need of oiling. He was roughly pulled off the horse and led away.
His footsteps echoed as he walked down the stone hallway. It was eerily quiet, but with the quiet came a growing feeling of malice. On and on they walked, Derek had lost all sense of direction as time passed.
There was a screech of rusted metal, then with a rough shove from behind he was pushed into an open space. The blindfold was removed–and Derek found himself staring at the stone wall of a prison cell.