The Mages of Royas Bay (Mages of Wrystan 1)

Chapter 2: Capture, Part 2

IT WAS A cold, unpleasant day, overcast and dreary with the promise of rain. The forest was dark and silent, and down in the dell the mood was watchful. The leader of the slavers had been busy all morning, moving amongst his men, sending small parties out into the trees.

It made Hawk feel cautiously hopeful. If their captors were unsettled there had to be a reason for it. He only hoped it was something that might help him and his own.

Two slavers moved amongst the guardsmen, carrying water and a basic healer's kit to deal with the worst of the wounds. They handled the unconscious guards with brisk efficiency, but were much more careful with the awake ones. Their ministrations were greeted with suspicion, their drinks accept in sullen silence. All except Ren, who refused to take anything from their hands.

Hawk frowned. He knew how his squad leader was feeling, but he also knew better than to refuse what was on offer. Ren's arrow wound needed attention and water was too precious not to be taken. Even if it did prick Hawk's pride to have someone else hold the bottle for him.

As the day slid into afternoon and the shadows began to lengthen, the search parties returned empty-handed. They hung their heads before their unimpressed leader and muttered darkly, shooting Hawk and Sidony accusing glances.

Apparently not everything was going the strangers' way.

Wichaka? each of the returning parties was asked, and all answered with an angry shake of their heads. Across the dell, Ren smiled.

Sidony wriggled against Hawk, trying to get comfortable, and he almost smiled himself. "Where was Irissa when you were caught?" he asked, barely moving his lips.

"She went to look around," Sidony replied, equally quietly.

"She wasn't killed or captured?"

Sidony shook her head. "Not that I saw. They snatched me up by the horses, but Irissa was nowhere to be seen."

Because she was hiding, Hawk wondered, or just lucky? Perhaps the witch had bolted, but as he looked across the dell and caught the gleam of anticipation in Ren's eye, he doubted it. Perhaps there was hope yet.

The head kidnapper growled and stormed across the dell beneath a dark fir tree. There was a brief argument before he emerged with the bent-backed figure of an old man.

They glared at each other for a long moment, then approached the young mages. Not trusting either of them, Hawk tried to shield Sidony with his body. A difficult task when his legs were half-numb and his arms were tied. It was made even trickier by the fact that Sidony was trying to shield him.

Scuttling closer, the old man wheezed at their shuffling movements. "Scared, little mages?" he asked in a breathlessly high voice, his accent different to the rest of the kidnappers. "You should be."

"Enough," the leader growled. "Just look them over."

The old man hunched a shoulder and shot the man a look of resentment. "You needn't drag me out here to look at them. I could have told you everything from back there."

Although once a tall man his back was bent with age, the joints in his hands swollen and gnarled. Yet he seemed to have no problem kneeling down and grabbing Hawk's ankle.

Sidony shrieked in outrage and tried to kick him, but Hawk silenced her with a look. The ringing sound of metal being freed from a sheath also helped, as the head kidnapper drew a long knife from his belt.

"Patience, little viper," he crooned. "Your turn is coming."

Hawk clenched his teeth and tried not to cry out as cold, heavy magic crept through his leg. It felt unpleasantly oily, as though staining his own magic with a taint that might never wash out.