The Heart of Trelyssia Read online

  As Abi was looking directly into Randall’s eyes, she couldn’t help but see that he was genuinely afraid that she might have been hurt. ‘I promise’ she told him softly.

  Randall smiled and then let Abi’s chin go so that he could hug her. ‘I’ll hold you to that you know. If anything happens to you I’ll never forgive myself!’ With that he gave her a quick tight squeeze before letting her go and rejoining James and Steve by the fire that they had now got going. She stared after him in disbelief. She had never expected him to be so caring. Apart from when he had taken her hand to lead her into the village he had come across as very abrupt and not at all empathetic. She quickly pulled herself together and went to join them all and help with the food.

  Much later after they had eaten and cleared up and they had arranged the blankets in the tent, Abi went and sat on her own by the edge of the clearing. She was conscious of her promise to Randall which is why she didn’t go any further, but she needed to separate herself from the others to sort out the thoughts that were in her head. It had been a long and bewildering day and she wanted to get some perspective on everything that had happened. She had cheerfully accepted everything that Theldon had told them in the village but now doubts were beginning to creep in. Abi couldn’t help feeling that this was all some elaborate joke or even a very realistic dream.

  She sighed. It was no use, she was tired and everything was just a turmoil in her mind. She looked up and saw that it was a perfectly clear night and she could see all the stars. She continued looking, searching for the constellations that she knew so well but it was a while before she realised that none of them were familiar. In vain Abi continued looking, desperately searching for stars that she knew, for something of home, but it was no good. This wasn’t the night sky of home and unbidden, tears came to her eyes.

  ‘May I join you?’ a voice softly enquired. Abi jumped. She had been so absorbed in star gazing that she hadn’t seen James cross the clearing and come over to her. ‘I’m sorry,’ James went on, ‘I didn’t mean to startle you. Can I sit with you?’

  Unable to say anything Abi merely nodded. James sat next to her and then lifted his head to look at the stars like Abi had been. ‘Makes it all very real doesn’t it?’ James went on. ‘Not a single familiar star amongst them and that’s not something that can be faked. We really are a long way from home.’ He turned to look back at Abi and saw that she was crying. ‘Hey, come here.’ He held out an arm and gratefully she snuggled into his embrace and allowed her tears to flow. He sat and held her, not saying anything but just rocking her gently. Eventually the tears stopped and she lifted her head, but James still continued to hold her. ‘Feel better?’ he asked.

  ‘A little bit,’ Abi replied. ‘I don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry’

  ‘There’s no need to apologise. I think we’re all feeling a bit like that. Everything round here seems like it could be any old bit of home, then you look up and realise that we are really on another planet. You’re bound to feel homesick.’

  As James said that, Abi realised that he was right. All she wanted was to go home but that wasn’t possible. She was going to have to go on with whatever was being thrown at her and deal with it as best as she could, which at the moment wasn’t very well. James sat holding her for some time until Steve came over. ‘Come on it’s getting late, we’d better be going to sleep. Just think Abi, you get to sleep with three handsome men tonight!’ Steve grinned at Abi realising that she needed cheering up. She smiled weakly at him and moved to get up. James dropped his arms from round her and held out his hand to help her up. ‘Of course,’ Steve went on, ‘you’ll probably find that we all snore!’ At that Abi laughed and walked between James and Steve over to the tent. Randall was already inside sorting out how they were all going to sleep in such cramped quarters. Eventually they all settled down and surprisingly everyone went to sleep very quickly.

  It seemed no time at all before Abi woke up again, but it was morning and she was feeling refreshed and more able to deal with the day. The others were stirring slightly and she was content to just lie there and wait for them all to wake up properly. She turned onto her back and lay listening to the various sounds that were coming from outside. It was a while before Abi realised what she was actually listening to. There were people outside their tent. She could hear their footsteps and the occasional chink of something metallic.

  Abi reached out and nudged the person closest to her who turned out to be Randall. ‘Wake up!’ she hissed at him and nudged him again. He groaned and tried to turn over and go back to sleep so she poked him this time. His eyes flew open at first still groggy with sleep, but when he focused on Abi’s face she could see a dawning realisation in them.

  ‘So it wasn’t a dream?’ he asked. Abi shook her head and held a finger to her lips. He frowned at her seeking an explanation. She very quietly told him her suspicions, but she could see that he didn’t believe her. He got up, threw a blanket round him for warmth and went out of the tent. Randall’s startled yell as he exited the tent woke James and Steve. Abi motioned for them to remain quiet and inside the tent.

  ‘Guys, I think you all need to come out here,’ Randall called.

  Abi hesitated but James and Steve quickly got up and went to join Randall. Not wanting to be left alone and not know what was going on outside, Abi decided to join them. What she saw made her gasp. They were surrounded by about a dozen people. All wearing chain mail or some other type of armour and every single one of them was armed with a sword or bow and arrow. The most frightening thing was that every single weapon that these people had was aimed at the four of them.

  Chapter 4

  At Abi’s gasp James had turned round to face her. He looked as fearful as she felt and she wasn’t sure if it was for her benefit of for his own when he reached for her hand. Abi gratefully took it and then James pulled her towards him, but also slightly behind as if to provide some protection.

  Randall slowly raised his hands up before speaking. ‘You can all put your weapons down. We don’t mean anyone any harm. We’re new to these parts and don’t really know where we are, or who you all are for that matter. Can you help us at all?’

  Of the people surrounding them there was one man who appeared to be their leader as he was standing in front of the others and was in the centre of the group. He was wearing chain mail and was holding a sword as if ready to strike. It looked as though if he gave the command the other members of the group would attack. It was him that replied to Randall. ‘We don’t offer help. These are our woods and you have no right to be here. State your business and we might let you go.’

  Abi and the guys gazed uneasily at one another. The man had offered no explanation as to who they were and they were uncertain of what they could say to them. If they were the Baron’s men then they couldn’t say who they really were. James stepped forward slightly and as he did so the group surrounding them tensed and raised their weapons a little more. Abi held her breath hoping that James wasn’t about to be hurt, but he did as Randall had and lifted his hands, palm outward to show them he was unarmed. ‘My friend here is right’ he said gesturing towards Randall. ‘We don’t mean anyone any harm. We’re travellers who needed to stop for the night and this looked like a good place to set up a temporary camp.’

  ‘Where are you travelling to?’ the leader asked.

  James hesitated before he replied. ‘Well, I don’t really know, we just sort of travel all around the place. We’re of no fixed abode.’

  ‘I don’t believe you! No one in these parts is stupid enough to just wander around wherever they feel like. Not in these dangerous times.’ With that the leader sprang forward towards James, raising his sword and placing the tip of it against James’s chest. As he did this, the other people in the clearing drew in closer and Steve, Randall and Abi also had swords aimed right at them. ‘Give me just one reason why I shouldn’t kill you all now!’

  ‘Wait!’ Abi cried. A medallion had swung free of the cha
in mail the leader wore as he sprang forward and she had seen an elaborate design on it that looked like a crown intertwined with a plant of some sort. She stepped forward round James, ignoring the fact that one of the group had also come forward and was now brandishing a sword at her chest. ‘You can’t kill us, because we’re loyal to the crown.’ Behind her, she could feel James, Randall and Steve tense but she carried on. ‘You have already identified us as being outsiders and you are correct. We are the four strangers who have been sent to this place to fulfil the legends!’ At Abi’s declaration a ripple of consternation went through the people surrounding them and they drew back a fraction.

  ‘We dare not kill them if they are who she says that they are,’ said one of the men in the group.

  The leader turned to face the man who had spoken. ‘I’m well aware of that, Brougan,’ he told him. ‘We must withdraw to consider this. However four of us need to stand guard over these people. We can’t have them escaping.’ With that he turned from the men and Abi and, with some of his group, withdrew to the other side of the clearing where an intense discussion began.

  ‘Do you think it was a good idea to say all that Abi?’ Randall asked her. ‘After all that might get us into more trouble.’

  Abi opened her mouth to reply only to be jabbed lightly by a sword point. ‘Be quiet! There is to be no talking amongst the prisoners.’ Abi shrugged helplessly instead and Randall sighed. All they could do was to stand there and wait for the deliberations on the other side of the clearing to conclude and hope for the best.

  Eventually, the armed group all came back over to where, Randall and the others were standing. ‘I am called Sasket,’ the man who had spoken to them earlier said. ‘Whilst I lead this group when we are abroad in the forest, we have a leader who commands us all. We will take you to her and let her decide your fate.’ Sasket paused and looked at the four people standing in front of him before continuing. ‘However, in case you are spies, we cannot let you see where our headquarters are. So you will travel in the back of your cart and you will be blindfolded and bound so that you will never be able to tell anyone where we live or be able to escape.’

  At these words several members sprang forward and roughly grabbed Abi, and the three men. Sasket’s group were quick and before anyone could put up much of a struggle Abi, James, Randall and Steve had all had their hands tied behind their backs and were being led to the cart. As soon as they were in the back they were blindfolded and told to lie down. Abi lay there terrified of what was about to happen to them all. She had thought that by telling these people who they really were she could get the group out of trouble. Instead, it appeared that she had made things worse, as they were now prisoners of this gang.

  Soon they felt the cart start to move and take them to their destination. At first Abi tried to sense the direction in which they were being taken. But trying to concentrate on that was making her feel sick so she had to give up. Abi could only take comfort in the fact that so far they were still alive and hope whoever the ultimate leader of this group was, she would have the sense not to kill them. But this was a strange land so anything could happen. Abi longed to speak to the others but didn’t dare as she was afraid of retribution and, gathering by the silence, they were too.

  It seemed a very long time before all motion on the cart stopped, and they heard someone issue a challenge. Whatever the answer to it was, it must have been accepted because they went forward again but only for a short distance before stopping once more. They lay there waiting for what was to happen next.

  Almost immediately they heard Sasket’s voice issuing orders. ‘Get the prisoners off the cart. You can remove their blindfolds but keep their hands bound.’

  Someone got in the cart and removed the blindfolds. They quickly looked at each other silently reassuring themselves that everyone was alright. James raised one querying eyebrow at Abi and she silently nodded and gave him a small smile.

  ‘Come on, get up and out.’ One of the captors was roughly manhandling them all to their feet and practically pushing them off the cart in his haste to obey Sasket’s orders. Abi was the last off the back and by then the man was so anxious for them to be on the ground he gave her a very hard shove and instead of climbing off, Abi fell and, unable to break her fall as her hands were still bound, she landed heavily on her side.

  ‘Abi!’ Randall, James and Steve all tried to spring forward to assist her but were restrained by the people around them. Sasket heard the commotion and came over to find out what had happened. On seeing Abi lying on the ground he crouched down beside her.

  ‘Are you alright?’ Sasket asked. Abi had been winded as she fell and could only nod. Seeing that she was basically alright Sasket turned to look at the rest of his gang. ‘Just because these people are currently our prisoners it does not mean that we treat them roughly, especially not the woman!’ he roared at them. ‘Are we savages like the Baron’s men? No! We are not. We treat people with respect until we are sure which side they are on.’

  ‘But you had us tie them and blindfold them before we came here,’ Brougan protested.

  ‘That was a necessary precaution. It’s one we take with all people that we are unsure of that we bring here and you know that Brougan.’ Sasket looked away from him in disgust and turned his attention back to Abi. ‘Here let me help you,’ he said softly and untied her hands. He then assisted her into a sitting position. ‘How do you feel?’ he asked Abi.

  ‘A bit bruised and winded but other than that alright.’ She then smiled, but not at him, at Randall, James and Steve to try and reassure them.

  Sasket helped Abi to her feet and then started to lead her away. Abi couldn’t help limping as she had taken the brunt of the fall on her hip. Sasket saw this and immediately slowed his pace and put an arm under her to support her on the side that she was limping. As he turned to look at Abi he could see the confusion in her eyes at his assistance. ‘It really is true you know. We only hurt the enemy, and as at the moment you are claiming you are on our side you shouldn’t come to any harm from us.’

  Abi took his reassurance at face value but was worried that he was taking her away from James, Randall and Steve. But as she looked over her shoulder, she saw that they were being brought along as well.

  Abi took the opportunity to have a good look around her. They appeared to be in a large cavern that had openings on various levels and stairs going up to the entrances. Sasket, however was leading them to the back of the cavern and towards a large entrance there. There were a lot more people here, and it seemed that every one of them had stopped whatever they had been doing to take a look at the group of four strangers. The entrance that Sasket took them through led to an even bigger cavern with more entrances in it. It seemed that they were in one vast cave network that a lot of people lived in.

  Sasket stopped before a large wooden door which had a small iron grill in the front of it and a large heavy lock. He unlocked the door and led Abi in. The people who had been escorting James, Randall and Steve gestured for them to enter as well, but waited outside.

  ‘Zaria, our leader, isn’t currently here,’ Sasket told them. ‘So I’m afraid that you’re going to have to wait in here until she returns. I’ll see that you get food and water, but you cannot be allowed to wander freely around here. However, instead of separating you, and putting you in individual cells, I thought that you might prefer to stay together.’ Sasket then turned to Randall and gestured for him to turn around. When after a slight hesitation Randall did as he was asked, Sasket untied his hands and then quickly did the same for James and Steve. He then exited the room and they heard him lock the door behind him.

  James was the first to speak. ‘Abi, are you sure that you’re alright? You were limping as we came along here.’

  She was quick to reassure him. ‘Yes, James, I’m fine, honestly. I fell on my hip and bruised it that’s all. A stone floor isn’t exactly pleasant to fall on.’

  ‘You’d better sit down and take your weight
of that leg. It looks painful and you’ll be more comfortable sitting.’ Without waiting for a response, James led Abi to a bench that ran along one wall and got her to sit down, before sitting beside her. ‘Right,’ he said turning to Steve and Randall. ‘What do we do now?’

  Randall shrugged. ‘I don’t see that there’s a lot that we can do. We’re stuck here until this Zaria person returns. There’s no way we can break out of here and even if we could, did you lot see how many people are out there? There’s no way the four of us could take on that many people!’

  Abi sighed and rested her head on James’s shoulder. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said.

  ‘What on earth for?’ asked James.

  ‘If I hadn’t told Sasket about us and that we were here as these stupid legends said we would be, we wouldn’t be stuck here now!’

  ‘Hey easy.’ James put a comforting arm around her. ‘It’s not your fault, is it guys?’ James asked Randall and Steve, who were quick to add their denials to his. ‘If it hadn’t have been for you I think that they would have killed us on the spot and asked questions later! What made you say what you did anyway?’

  Abi raised her head. ‘Sasket was wearing a medallion with a strange symbol on it. It looked like part of it was a crown and after what Theldon said, I figured that only someone against the Baron would dare to wear something like it.’

  The four of them were interrupted by the arrival of food and drink and they gratefully tucked in. None of them had realised how hungry and thirsty they were. After that there was little to do apart from sit and wait. They weren’t going to get any answers until Zaria, the leader of the group, returned. All of them hoped that she wouldn’t be long.