Chapter 10

"This camp is not far?" wondered Anaella as they pulled their horses onto the main road and let them go at an easy walk.

"No. None of my camps are very far apart from each other. Only the ones in the Sparrow Mountains are hard to get. But I've not been there in over a year since Felipe has gained much of that area. The lone wizardess…Veronica I think her name was, takes care of that section." He suddenly became very quiet and looked around him warily as he recognized his surroundings.

"It is the feeling of darkness, isn't it?" asked Anaella sensing the sudden change of mood.

Dasian nodded his voice lower. "Aye, I've been here before. Up ahead is the site where we use to have a very large camp. Felipe destroyed it a few years ago. Terrible day that was," he muttered. After they passed a branch in the road, they crossed a bridge that was lined with tall trees that fluttered their golden leaves. The creak beneath them babbled happily and Anaella looked around her with enjoyment.

Dasian must've noticed because he said almost bitterly, "It is here on this very bridge that my horse was killed I also was almost killed."

"What happened?"

"Felipe's men agreed with Gespian to have me murdered right here while riding by. Gespian at the time thought I was a traitor. I heard, though, that someone was planning to ambush Gespian here, so I rode out, as they planned. I shot the murderer before he could strike a blow on Gespian who was watching. When he realized I had saved his life, he warned me of the bridge and I was able to jump off. But my horse…was shot on all sides. I never mourned because right then a second assassin stabbed Gespian in the back. I killed him too and was able to save the king."

"With the red rock," concluded Anaella thoughtfully.

Dasian looked surprised and nodded vaguely. "Aye, with the red rock. I suppose it is common among you fairies?"

Anaella flushed like she always did when anyone, especially the Captain, again referred her as a fairy. She nodded curtly and said, "Aye, it is common. Though I don't know how you came to have it."

She was startled at his response which was to give low amused chuckle. He glanced at her and said with a twinkle in his dark eyes, "I'm sorry, Anaella, but you aren't very good at being irritated. You may be part human but you certainly don't have their ability to be angered. Isn't that so?"

Anaella's blush deepened as she realized she really wasn't angry or annoyed at all. How could she? Especially with Dasian. "Yes," she murmured. Then her eyes danced with mischief and she added, "That is one reason I am glad to be part fairy, so I won't have to be overcome with anger like some men."

Dasian smirked at the playful insult and said glancing around him, "Sometimes our passions can help us, yes?"

"Some rare times," agreed Anaella. Her horse suddenly stood stock still and began to dig its hooves into the ground restlessly. Dasian immediately noticed and halted his horse too, who was bobbing his head in frustration.

"They sense something," he muttered, "Or someone." Quietly he placed an arrow into the bow string and Anaella glimpsed about nervously. He glanced at her and instructed, "You be sure and run when I tell you."

She nodded subtly and kicked her horse's sides. The horse reluctantly followed Dasian's grey stallion. Nothing in the air or on the road seemed different. The birds still sang and the sun shone brightly through the trees. But Dasian was not fooled. He knew that when a horse was uneasy it was best to be on your guard.

They had not walked two feet when a single arrow flashed right in front of the stallion's nose. The horse reared with a neigh right when Dasian had raised his bow, knocking him off aim. As his hooves hit the ground, Dasian prevented him from running off by holding firm to the reins and backing him down. Anaella's own horse skittered and she caught sight of the black robed assassin moving swiftly passed the trees.

"Two o' clock, Dasian," she muttered. Dasian swung his head in that direction and sighted the figure just in time to dodge another arrow. His cat-like dodge included jumping from his horse and as soon as he hit the ground his horse reared and began galloping away. He swore but scrambled quickly to the side of the road behind some bushes there he scanned the area for the foe. Anaella was about to do the same when a whole volley of arrows rained around her, and she indistinctively raised her cloaked arm over her head. One struck her horse's flank and he bolted violently. When all the arrows had landed, Anaella found three sticking from her cloak.

But she had no time to lose and didn't even wait for Dasian to mutter, "Run!" Her horse needed no encouragement as he dashed wildly across the road with arrows chasing him. Anaella felt a slight guilt tugging at her for leaving Dasian in such a predicament but she knew he'd be furious if she returned. She couldn't help but smile, Passion would overcome him then.

She turned her thoughts on her situation and her eyes became glued to the road. Up ahead she could see a thin string crossing her pathway and she wondered what it was. She knew in an instant, but before she could shout out to her horse, the stallion had tripped over the rope and collided with the ground. Anaella had clutched his mane with all her might, but she toppled off and landed on the ground next to her horse. Stings rushed to her knees and elbows but she hardly noticed them as she jumped up. Her horse was staggering to his feet and she heard hoof beats behind her.

"Run, Eldane!" She cried, leaping onto her horse's back. But she forgot about the rope. As soon as she had fallen, the rope across the road triggered something and a large wooden cage clamped down on horse and girl. She knew Dasian would have sworn if he was there and she nearly felt like doing the same. But she didn't feel anger, only some frustration as she turned to see who her captors were.

Five men all dressed in black were riding up on their horses. Their faces were covered but Anaella could see their beady black eyes peering at her curiously. When she had lived in Jengo's and Felipe's camp she often saw them and knew them right away, they were the assassins of Felipe.

"Sssee whatss we have enssnared," smiled the leader in a voice that reminded Anaella of a snake Dasian once caught to feed to a hungry Willy. He had a heavy accent and couldn't seem to pronounce his Rs.

"What iss de pretty lasss from de Masster doing in our traps?"

She gulped unsure how to answer. Eldane snorted in indignation and walked around warily, but Anaella just stared at the men. Finally she said, "I was going to General Pancrazio and when the shooting started, my horse…"

"We knows that you are a ssspy from de Captain. For we ssaw you were vith him," growled the man his eyes beginning to flash. "But you have no needs to vorry about the Captain. We have him under controls." He barked at two of his men, "Bind de girl to her saddle and attach de horse to your own. We will take her to our campssite."

Right away the cage was slowly lifted from the ground and as it lifted Anaella laid a hand on her horse's neck, a sign to run. The two men approached her and she did not resist as they tied her hands together; Anaella rarely ever resisted to anything or one. She wondered why in the world Eldane was not charging off as he should. He just rolled his eyes at the man and pawed anxiously at the ground.

The leader was very pleased. "The girl has decssided to come willingly?" he crooned.

As soon as the cage was lifted back in place in the tree tops, the men returned to their mounts. Anaella's hands were tied in front of her and she gripped the horn tightly just as Eldane went into action. He reared suddenly, and kicked one of the men. They tried to grasp him, but he began bucking violently before galloping with all speed down the road.

"Affter her you foolss!" yelled the leader.

Anaella would have liked to have gone off into the woods to throw her pursuers off track but Eldane had other plans and only bobbed his head in annoyance as he continued to dash down the road. She couldn't do anything about it since her hands were tied and she could only cling tightly to his mane and press her legs against his sides. Anaella glanced back, the riders were not far behind, and Eldane's wound was deepening; she wondered how long it would last. Noises in front of her made her turn her attention to the next bend coming around. She hoped desperately that it wasn't more assassins.

As she turned the corner she realized that the road had narrowed considerably, making it possible for only one horseman to ride by. It was also set up on a cliff that had come from no where and the drop beside her was a thirty foot, steep slope that was covered in sand and rocks. When her eyes returned to the road she gasped in alarm. Directly in front of her was another rider, galloping just as speedily.

She had no time to halt the horse, and she found herself frantically jerking the reins the left, down the slope. The other rider had also yanked his horse to avoid collision and the two horses slid down the steep hill, sending up a cloud of dust. Eldane fought to keep control, but Anaella felt like she was about to be tossed over his head. Through the dust, she could see the rider of the second horse was in front of her and his horse had lost his balance, now both man and horse rolled down the hill.

Eldane tripped near the bottom and for the second time that day collided with the ground. Only this time, Anaella did not fall off and he quickly regained his footing just below the mountain. He retreated into the forest in front of them as the man had done. She gulped and her eyes darted to the second rider who was on his feet and glaring up at the mountain where the black riders were lined, looking down at them.

"Dasian!" she cried looking at the young Captain covered in dust and scratches. His cloak was torn and his dark blonde hair was even darker with the dust as well as his smudged face. He turned to look at her in surprise and his eyes flashed and twinkled at the same time.

"How did you stay on your horse?" he cried his eyes darting from her to the men looking for them.

She couldn't help but smirk a little. "He's a unicorn fairy, remember. Fairies keep their balance."

"Aye," he grinned now and fitted an arrow to his bow. "Like I told you before my excitement helped me escape those black hearted fools."

"How so?" she asked and winced slightly as she heard the scream from the mountainside. She was use to bloodshed and killings, but the cries of the dying still made her shudder. A volley of arrows immediately followed the scream and Dasian and Anaella had to retreat further into the jungle. She raised her hands to brush a lock of yellow hair from her eyes and Dasian instantly noticed her bound wrists.

"So you can keep your balance on a horse but you can't keep yourself from being tied up, eh?" he said.

She glanced down at her wrists and said, "Ah, yes, that. Well, I certainly wasn't going to fight back. I want to keep my head on you know. But do tell me how you managed to escape those brutes. I'm surprised you even got captured, Sir Captain."

He grinned and took hold of his horse's reins. "Now that's a compliment, fairy. I'll tell you once we've made a camp in these woods and seen to your horse's wound."

Anaella had forgotten about Eldane and quickly slipped off the heaving horse. The wound was deep and blood trickled down the flank and leg. Reluctantly she placed both hands on the arrow and with one quick jerk pulled it out. Eldane jumped and nickered faintly and painfully. She touched the bleeding gash gently, and the horse gave a long sigh as the bleeding stopped, and the cut slowly healed itself.

She took the reins and said before starting out said, "He is healed. Now it might make it easier if you cut me loose, the rope is getting bothersome." She held out her hands and with one stroke he cut the ropes from her wrists.

Again she asked, "How did you escape, and then pop out in front of me, when I had left you behind?"

"As soon as you were out of sight, someone snuck up behind me, and would have killed me if I had not heard him. While I was wrestling the knife away from him, the leader and dozen men rode down just as I cut his arm, it was badly cut and many of the assassins were friends and demanded revenge. But the leader stalled them and took the friends and kinsmen after you. The wounded man was cared for and I was watched carefully. They would have tied me up but luckily the leader had taken the rope with him. One of the men hurried back and told the others that you were dead. Of course I didn't believe them, but knew that they must've captured you."

Anaella laughed, "So you decided to leave then."

"Aye, I decided it was time to go. I got very angry at the guards because they had taken my sword and was gambling over who should have. I'm very protective of my sword so I jumped on the back of one of the guards and brought him down, with his own knife at his throat. This made of the guards laugh, which infuriated me and I was only too glad to accept when he challenged me to a duel. He was very good, but I was over come with passion and killed him in a minute. The others were so shocked it took them a while to gather their wits and follow me. I ran back to the cross roads and that's when I met my horse who had decided to come back after all. The branch before the bridge we saw is a short cut to the road you took. It ended another mile past the slide. When I reached there I realized I had forgotten you and came back on that road where we nearly collided."

"That was a rare time when your anger did help," agreed Anaella quietly, with a small smile. He just twinkled his eyes and let his grin flash.