"Where have you been?" A Lady asked Ayla between bites of her breakfast.
From her own cell, Ayla answered, "In questioning."
Concern rippled the Lady's voice. "You were gone for days."
"Are you hurt?" Zayd asked.
Ayla stirred the cold soup and forced herself to drink. Ignoring the splitting headache behind her eyes, she said, "I was investigating."
Troops walked through the corridors collecting the empty dishes after breakfast.
"Why the early breakfast?" Phina asked, holding on to her bowl half way through the gap in cell bars.
"Let go of the bowl," the trooper demanded.
"Answer me. Is it time for our execution?" she asked.
He released the bowl and continued down the corridors, collecting the others. Phina tossed the bowl to the ground. He ignored her as he came back down the corridors and went up the stone steps.
"Okay, I have one. An animal, five letters, first letter: S. Eaten with pepper."
"Another noble dish? I have no idea!" Ayla shouted back down the corridor.
"Squid!" a noble shouted. "Sir Zayd has not treated you to peppered squid?"
"She would not eat a squid if I forced her!" Zayd said.
"No one cares!" Phina yelled. "When again will we see the light of day? That is more important."
"Squid does sound quite unpleasant," Ayla said.
"You know, Ayla, I always thought you to be frightening."
"Me as well. I heard you were devilish. A manipulator of black magic."
"And given you fought Lady Phina, I thought it must be true. The way you wear your hair never really helped. With it covering your face, you do appear somewhat frightening."
Troops emerged from the stairway. They separated and went down both corridors, opening the cells. They placed sacks over their heads and tied their hands behind their backs with anti-magic cords.
"I thought you girls to be proud and vain, so I understand," Ayla forced calmness into her voice as the troops bagged her head.
"You really are not missing a thing, Ayla," a voice croaked from the end of the corridors. "I find squid... repulsive."
The guards guided them up the stairs then they were handed off to different guards. Ayla counted each step.
"Ayla?"
"Zayd?" she responded.
They were taken down a long hallway. She could tell it was brighter than where they were held before from the glow through the sack on her head. The sounds of crying heavied the hearts of those who were trying to stay strong. They went up more stairs.
"Where are we going?... Where are we going? I am not going!"
"Keep walking!"
"No!" someone screamed, followed by the sound of people falling as she ran into them.
"Ayla?"
"Zayd."
The light changed again. Brighter and arm. The ground was not smooth anymore, but lumpy.
"Lady Anasi?"
"I am here, Sir Gaia."
"Sir Salon?"
YOU ARE READING
His Hand In The Shadows
FantasyNorlyn has suffered many tragedies over the years, from poverty to poisoned waters to drought and now enemy invaders are turning the country to rubble. Ayla Nkri is a villager in Norlyn. She was taught from young what her duty was to her country an...
