Risk

Chapter XXX

Jasta woke when the cart gave another jolt, but this time it seemed worse. She looked around. The sky seemed the same as it had when she'd fallen asleep, but she knew that couldn't be true, so she guessed that it had to be around the same time the next day if that was even possible.

She frowned in confusion as the cart lurched one more time, and then stopped completely.

She was about to sit up, but then a sickeningly familiar voice stopped her cold. Her chest tightened with fear, and she could feel her heart quickening.

"Looks like an easy catch." She had only heard it a couple of times before, but the voice was unmistakable. It belonged to Totin, her kidnapper. Was she dreaming?

"An easy catch indeed. Like fish in a barrel." This voice was less familiar, but it was still clearly recognizable as one of the other brothers. They had rough voices that sounded like thunder.

"Ay, old man, clear out or get skewered." Yet another of them spoke this time.

She looked over at Rowan to see that he was tense and wide-eyed. He caught her gaze and held a finger to his lips. She nodded and silently ducked lower into the cart. Jeb scrambled up out of his seat, clearly scared, and he disappeared a moment later, his joints just as creaky as the cart he was stepping on.

Rowan closed his eyes. She could see that he understood just as clearly as she did that they were in serious trouble. He looked at her after a moment, his eyes sad, and then he stood up.

Jasta's breath caught in her throat. What was he doing!?

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the runt." She recognized Totin speaking again. "I thought we killed you."

"Well, you didn't, and I'm here to offer you something." He glanced down at her.

"What could you possibly have to offer?" another of the risks piped up.

Rowan took a deep breath and glanced down at her again. "I want to fight you, Totin. Whoever wins gets to walk away without another word as the better over the other, and no cheating or outside help, either. The winner will also get Jasta."

Jasta stifled a gasp. What was he saying? He couldn't possibly win against Totin. The other Risk was much larger, and if he noticed that he was losing the fight, he would simply call on one of the other Risks to finish the fight for him.

"Oh, so you have the girlie with you?" there was a sickeningly sweet lilt to Totin's voice.

Rowan nodded then knelt down next to her. She suppressed the urge to shy away. He had practically just sold her to Totin.

"Jasta." He sounded close to tears as he spoke. "When you see an opportunity, I want you to run." He blinked a few times.

She shook her head, the words a few seconds in coming. "I can't just leave you here, Rowan."

"You have to." He closed his eyes and turned away.

"But you'll get killed." She was hardly surprised to feel tears beginning to prick her eyes. The hope she had been feeling so strongly seemed to have evaporated as quickly as dew on a summer day.

"You can't worry about me, Jasta. You have to get back to your family. They need you, remember?" his voice seemed just about to crack.

She shook her head and stood up.

"Why, Rowan?"

He stood up in front of her. "I made a promise. I know I won't be able to get you all the way home, but I can make sure you have a better chance of getting there. You have to run." A single tear traced down his cheek, but he brushed it away.