The Sapphire Pendant

Chapter 10

Adeline

I awoke in a must, dark wagon.  But I wasn’t alone. 

Josh was also passed out at the corner of wagon.  I nudged him with my elbow since my arms were bound behind my back and my legs were tied as well.

“Mphh,” he groaned, eyes still closed.

“Josh,” I whispered and got no response.

“Josh,” I tried again.

“Prince Joshua of Fire Kingdom,” I said in a considerable higher voice.

“What?” he said sitting up straight then losing his balance, fell back on the bottom of the wagon.

“We’re trapped in a wagon,” I said quietly, not wanting the bandits to hear me.

“I can see that,” he said in a low voice.

“Who were they?” I asked.

“Bandits or spies of King Fox,” he said looking around.

“Why would King Fox send bandits after us?” I asked confused.  I surveyed the area around us.  The wagon was damp and musty.  I looked down at my chest, my necklace was still there.  That meant that these bandits weren’t after my jewelry so what were they after.

“Listen Addy,” Josh began, “Sir Steven told me that he overheard my father and your father saying that this alliance needed to be a success if King Fox should issue war on Collaner.”  He looked around at the door entrance hitting my head on the door a couple times.

I stared at him with my mouth open, “So these thugs are taking us to the Rebel Realm?”

“I believe so,” he said looking me in the eye.

“Well,” I said.

“Well, what?”

“Well, how are we going to get out of this wagon and back to Collaner?”

My question was left unanswered because as soon as it left my lips the wagon jerked to a stop.  I once again fell on top of Josh.

“We keep ending up like this,” I said half to myself.

“I like it,” Josh said mischievously, I started giggling.

“Yes, get it all out,” the gruff voice said as the wagon doors slid open.  Sunlight poured in, nearly blinding me.

“Get out of the wagon,” another deep voice said.

Before I could even move, large meaty hands grabbed my shoulders and hauled me out of the wagon.

“You cannot treat me like this,” I said defiantly, “I am Princess Adeline of Air Kingdom.”

“Yes we know who you are,” the gruff voice said, “Thor get the boy out.”

The man called Thor shoved Josh out of the wagon.

“I demand to know who you are and who you work for,” he said authoritatively, even though we already knew who the bandit’s employer was.

“I am Ironfist,” the bandit said, “I work for King Fox.”

I looked around me.  We were at a mountainous ledge.  I peered below, holding my breath.  I recognized the murky body of water below us: it was Lake Peril.  We were in the Rebel Realm at least a two day journey from Collaner.

“Why does King Fox want us?” Josh asked.

“King Fox wants the girl,” Ironfist responded.

“Me?” I asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” Ironfist nodded, “my orders were to capture the Princess Adeline.”  He tightened his grip on me.  I shuddered trying to shake him off.

“Oh,” Ironfist laughed, “and to kill any tagalongs.”

Before I could even begin to comprehend this, the large man named Thor pushed Josh off the mountain.

I screamed so loud, Thor covered his meaty hands over his ears.  I looked down and screamed, “JOSH!”

Tears began rolling down from my eyes as I stared at Ironfist.

“Well that was fun,” Ironfist said as he made his way to the front of the wagon.  I kicked him on the shin but he wouldn’t let go of me. 

I saw a splash in the middle of the lake and waited for Josh to surface.  But he never did.  I dropped to the ground and cried heavily.  I tried to will him to appear from the depths of the lake with my tears.  They came down one by one from my eyes.  I crawled all the way over to the ledge prepared to throw myself off the cliff.

“Thor,” Ironfist called, “bring the girl back to the wagon.  King Fox expects us by dawn.”  He grabbed me by my neck.

Thor led me back to the wagon and I was crying too hard to put up any kind of fight.

“It’s okay girl,” Thor said quietly stroking my hair.  This reminded me when Josh carried me to the castle, he stroked my hair like that too.

I whipped my head around and bit his hand, hard.

“Evil, girl,” Thor said jumping back and pushing me into the wagon.

“At least I didn’t kill anyone,” I replied my voice heaving from my tears as the wagon doors slid shut.

Joshua