Thanks a heap my loverrlii's who reviewed! :D now in this chappie where Lukas talks about his little potion thingo there WAS a massive awsumm speech and all this stuff but long story short I lost it and its not there anymore. so right now I am thoroughly pissed at the computer but what can ya do? so here it is, hope you like it as is. please review and as ever

ENJOY!..

Chapter 21 - A New Little Problem

Will was lying on his back, breathing raggedly, sobbing hopelessly and clawing desperately at the shackles around his wrists.

Getting across the river had been so much harder then he thought it would be. He had pretty much been able to only use the one leg and his arms felt like lead - the shackles did not help that feeling at all. After what felt like days of clambering around the forest he finally gave in to the exhaustion, thirst, hunger and pain that had been plaguing him for who knew how long. He at least had the sense to, when he stopped and practically dropped to the ground, to find a relatively covered-with-low-bushes-area so he wouldn't be seen easily.

So there he lay, achieving nothing but making his wrists bleed, making his hands slippery with blood. Not being able to free himself was as if he had not really escaped, that he was still with Lukas.

As distracted and exhausted he was something managed to break through to his muddled mind. He tried to calm himself down, breathing deeply, though trying to without too much movement of his battered chest. He tried to think. Something wasn't right, there was something...something, there!

A footstep.

Will stiffened immediately. Footsteps of more than one man, at least four, heading his way. He tried, as quietly as possible, to roll onto his side and pull his cloak over him. He almost gasped out in pained but stopped himself at the last second.

He squeezed his eyes shut and bit his bottom lip, all of a sudden his breathing sounded like the loudest thing in the forest. He listened in fear as a person, probably a big male by the sound of the steps, walked carefully past his hiding spot.

A minute passed...

Will slowly eased his head up to se if the man had properly left. But his relief was short lived. Never move to quickly. There is always a last man, always wait for the last man. Halt's voice rang through his pounding head just seconds too late. He quickly tried to get back down into his hiding spot but a cold hand on the back of his collar stopped him, and a voice chilled his spine.

"Hello m' lovely."

Will struggled vehermently. The dread and hysteria set in and he tried anything and everything to get away from Lukas. He yelled and kicked and screamed and sobbed and punched and pleaded but all to no avail.

With a blow to the head Lukas forced him into a semiconscious state. From then he was watching events unfold through a misty pane and he was disconnected from everything.

He possessed no energy to even moan as he was roughly hurled over the shoulder of someone. At some point his hands were bound in scratchy, thick rope and he somehow managed to lose his cloak.

Though, in the state he was, he was disconnected from his surroundings he managed to be relieved when, finally, the fog overpowered him and darkness consumed.

When Will woke it was dark, and cold and he became even colder when he realised he was back at Lukas' camp.

His arms were not strung up like they had been before, though they were still bound. He found he could move freely, well, as freely as one can with a broken leg and multiple lacerations and bruises and he wondered why, after escaping somewhat successfully, Lukas had just...left him.

Somewhat successfully...

His thoughts caught on those two words. More like, epic failure. He had been caught, again. There was no sign of Lukas around, Will couldn't even hear him moving around in his tent. No, it would be too easy. To escape again? So soon? There had to be something else... He turned his head to look around and found he was right. There was something else.

He couldn't move his limbs. No matter how hard he willed his hand to clench, his toes to wriggle or his muscles to even twitch, there was no movement.

Then panic set in once again, what had Lukas done to him? Why couldn't he move? Was it magic? No, there's no such thing, even Halt said so. There had to be a logical explanation...he just didn't know what. His breathing increased.

Then, Lukas silently stepped out of the tent. Will was so worried about his personal state that he failed to noticed until his captor was literally in front of him, knees bent and head bowed to, almost, reach Will's ground level.

"You're awake, m' lovely," he crooned stroking Will's blood and dirt matted hair.

Will tried to shake his hand off but as he should have expected, no response from his body. He tried, instead, for a forceful command of 'Get your hand off me!' but it reached both his and Lukas' ears as barely a cracking whisper.

Lukas chuckled cheerfuly. "Dear Will, no doubt you are wondering what on earth is wrong with you." It was not a question but a knowing statement. "A small concoction I stumbled upon a few years ago. A few drops and the victim is rendered helpless, unable to move at first. But the more you are given, the more you become addicted and give in, you start to be able to move again. It usually takes a lengthy period of time, depending on how long it takes one to simply give in. I only use it in special cases, such as yourself, m' lovely."

"You're sick," Will said.

"My, my you are a little ungrateful aren't you?" Then his voice turned dark. "I suggest you change your attitude, m' lovely, things could be going much worse for you." Lukas stood and walked back into his tent.

Will didn't see him again. It rained that night, wind blew viciously and water came down in buckets. After what seemed like hours Will passed out, but not before discovering that though he had no control over his limbs, he was still able to shiver violently.

so in the original version of this chapter from where Lukas explains the potion thingo there was a lot more content until the end. at least 700 more words but this is hurriedly redone and I really wanted to get this up. so sorry if it disappoints but please do review and tell me what you think.

luv u all..

passion.