Swanheart

Chapter Sixteen

Bitter Setbacks

His hand sank after he had cast the spell that would activate the secret door, opening the way for his army right into the heart of Livos. He waited for the soft humming noise of the energy field that would appear along with the silver hue, radiating from the runes and signs, which had been carved into the wooden frame of the powerful, magical device.

The only light in the hall came from the torches on the walls and from the golden jewel he had attached to the top of his ebony staff, giving him control of Pavan's Golems.

The masked sorcerer circled the wooden frame, his lip curled behind the demonic mask in displeasure. What had gone wrong? The spell had been correct. The last grain of the hourglass had trickled to the lower part, indicating that the time was right. Still the portal didn't activate as it was supposed to do.

His footsteps reverberated loudly as he paced. Then he stopped in front of the portal, raising his hand once more, chanting and willing it to open the passage to Livos.

Nothing happened.

Furiously, the dark wizard kicked at the frame with all his might and flung his staff angrily behind him. "I COMMAND YOU! ACTIVATE!" he roared at the top of his lungs, but the wooden frame just stood there like a boulder, bare of any kind of energy.

The masked sorcerer scowled and snarled, cursing the portal. If it wasn't working then he would have to change the plan. Unable to take the people of Livos by surprise he would have to face them in open battle. It would take weeks to march the troops and to get the war machines there. It would take up precious time that he didn't have because the constellation would soon be upon them and for that occasion he needed to have all sacred gemstones of Yuron in his possession. Greatly frustrated, he curled his gloved hands to fists.

"Change the plan. Go for Slidur next!"

The dark wizard jerked in surprise at the hissing voice that had appeared so unexpectedly. Recovering quickly, he stepped in front of the portal, raised his hands and cast the spell.

Again, the portal didn't activate.

"The device doesn't work anymore in our favor," the dark wizard exclaimed, grabbing the wooden frame, trying to tear it down.

The construction groaned under the onslaught and finally gave way, coming crashing to the floor. It didn't break apart as it connected with the ground, but whirled up a cloud of dust and tiny stones.

He stood there, trembling in anger.

A slight cough behind him made him turn on his heel, fixing his silver eyes on the man that fell to his knees submissively. "Forgive me for intruding, my Lord. This was just delivered and General Burak thought it best to bring it to your attention immediately before we set out for Livos."

Snatching the scroll from the man's hand, the masked sorcerer ordered him to leave, wondering why Burak had not delivered the message himself. Unfolding the parchment, he read it, hoping that it had something to do with getting the whereabouts of Ashkyhra's jewel from Prince Tyrel. "NO!" he shouted, crumpling the scroll and flinging it into a corner. A small bolt of fire shot from his hand, reducing the parchment to a tiny pile of gray ash.

"What is it?" the voice inquired, sounding very curious.

"We will have to face them in open battle now and can no longer take them by surprise. My spies tell me that there are armies gathering all over the land. The non-magical countries are partaking as well..."

"Bah, this is just a minor setback. Are you telling me you are scared of a few peasants, brandishing rakes and pitchforks?" the voice asked. "We have three sacred gemstones, the Golems and the Shadow Warriors. We didn't come that far to have you give up now! Think about all that is waiting for you!"

Staring into the flickering flame of a torch, the masked sorcerer asked, "What if they join forces with the other magical countries? Then there are the Elves to consider... the prophecy... the savior..."

A contemptuous snort interrupted him. "Rumors, that's all it is. Think nothing of it. Yes, we have to make small alterations, changing our original plan. Maybe it is time for you to 'join' forces with an old friend. Show them the truth. Win them for us or..."

"...send them to their doom," the masked sorcerer finished, lifting his head, his silver eyes glowing threateningly.

"Begin immediately, time is short as you know."

"Yes, Master," he whispered, snapping his fingers to extinguish the torches. The dark wizard left the portal room to tell his men, who were gathered in the hall awaiting his orders, that there would be no battle in this night. He didn't see the figure that was hiding behind a large column in the corridor.

Burak swallowed hard, fearing that the masked sorcerer would discover him, but luck was on his side.

The dark wizard passed him by in a hurry without taking notice of his silent observer.

Leaning his head back against the smooth surface of the black marble column, Burak breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. He had heard his dark Lord raging. Something must have gone wrong with the portal. Livos was safe for the time being. He also knew the message's contents. Burak wondered if the masked sorcerer would confide in him concerning his battle plans, but he doubted it. Unfortunately, the whole situation was a setback for his own plans of freeing the Prince and the High Sorceress, but he was glad that it would no longer be easy for the dark wizard to conquer.

A quiet scraping noise to his right startled him. Scrutinizing the darkness of the hallway, he also strained his ears, listening intently. After a moment Burak came to the conclusion that it was probably just a rat or another rodent, scurrying through the dark to find something to eat. "That... or I'm hearing things," he muttered under his breath. Shrugging his shoulders, he left his hiding place and went in direction of the kitchen.

*****

Alannah's eyes flew open. A sound had woken her from the light slumber she had fallen into only moments before.

Cerulia had gotten up, though a leash kept her from leaping at the shadow. Her fur bristling, her ears lay back, she growled threateningly, baring her sharp teeth.

Sitting upon the bare, hard wooden floor, the princess had her back against the wall for support.

Leigh lay across her lap, breathing even and steady.

Her arms tightened around her best friend, pulling the unconscious knight closer in a protective manner. The shackles that were still attached to her wrists rattled slightly, while Leigh's head rested on her elbow bend, her cheek against Alannah's bosom. Had the knight been awake, she would have heard the strong heartbeat, which picked up pace in the face of this new unknown threat, pounding hard and fast.

It was hard to see in the dim light that fell sparsely through thin cracks of the walls and the closed shutters of the wagon, which they had been shoved into.

Alannah remembered the man, who had dumped Leigh unceremoniously onto the floor, not caring if he would hurt her further. She was tremendously glad that they hadn't stripped her of the armor, which not only protected her from the rough handling, but it also hid the fact that the knight wasn't a man.

Ramon himself had pushed Alannah into the wagon and locked the door and shutters. Obviously he didn't want his prisoners to see where they were going. Muffled shouts and noises had drifted to her ears. Ramon had given orders to leave.

Soon after Alannah had managed to gather Leigh into her arms and had somewhat calmed the upset wolf, the wagon had begun to rumble along. They had not been going very fast and the motion had slowly lulled Alannah into a daze, a state somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, and eventually she had nodded off.

Now, the princess recognized the gray light of early morning. They must have traveled throughout the night. For the moment they had stopped for a break. She hoped she would be allowed to stretch, since every muscle of her body was aching. The loud growling of her belly reminded her of a few other needs that had to be taken care of. Neither food nor water had been given to them and nobody had spoken to them since they had been locked up. Alannah licked her chapped lips, realizing how thirsty she was. Another gurgling noise from her stomach cut through the silence.

"You are keeping two monsters inside here, aren't you?" a soft, female voice asked at that, an undertone of great amusement clearly audible.

Looking around, Alannah tried to detect the person that had spoken. She thought she saw a shadow move a few feet away from her. "Who are you? What do you want?" she wanted to know, holding on tightly to Leigh. It didn't matter that she was unconscious, just knowing that she was close by gave her courage and strength to bravely face whatever was coming.

The scraping sound of two stones being rubbed together was her answer. A few orange sparks came to life and soon after the interior of the wagon was bathed in the orange light of a lantern.

"There, that is much better, isn't it?" the strange woman asked, smiling, setting the lantern on the small table, which stood in the middle of the otherwise bare wagon. The woman busied herself, putting up two plates with food and pouring water into tin cups.

"I got some rabbit meat for your wolf friend, will that be alright?"

Squinting, until her eyes had gotten accustomed to the light, Alannah felt her mouth water and her stomach growl in excitement as the scent of freshly baked bread and roasted meat met her nose.

What she saw then surprised her greatly. A small woman stood in front of her. She wore a loose-fitting, simple dress of a grayish blue color. Her arms were bare. No jewelry adorned her wrists or fingers, neck or ears. Her straight, jet-black hair reached in smooth strands almost towards her waist though she had braided the sides back to keep it out of her face. It was hard to tell her age, but Alannah guessed she must be somewhere in her thirties. The woman would have been beautiful had it not been for the multitude of scars that marred her pale skin. Several light-red lines ran along her cheeks, across lips and chin, not following any particular pattern, making the princess doubt a ritual origin of the scars. Despite her will, Alannah felt her heart go out to the stranger and what she had suffered.

The white wolf still growled menacingly.

Dark brown, almond-shaped eyes locked on Cerulia's blue ones and a heart-warming smile appeared on the woman's destroyed face. A word, which Alannah didn't understand, was whispered, causing Cerulia to stop growling and lie down.

The princess couldn't detect any malevolent intentions in the woman's eyes or her smile. It seemed to be genuine and that frightened her, since she had no way of knowing what the woman planned. She had never seen Cerulia so subdued. The woman was a magic-wielder. That much was obvious.

The shackles had drained Alannah of her own magical powers, leaving her weak and unable to cast any spell of defense. Scooting back against the wall as far as she could, as if she was trying to melt right into it, she drew Leigh further into a protective embrace. "Who are you and what do you want?" Alannah repeated.

The woman took two steps toward the couple, but stopped as Alannah held up a hand. "Stay back! I'm warning you..."

"Be at ease, I don't mean to harm either you or your knight," she said, holding up her own hands in a calming gesture. "Nor do I intend to hurt your wolf or your tiger for that matter," she added, smiling again. "My name is Neva. May I ask your name?"

"What have you done to Cerulia?" the princess demanded instead.

"Cerulia?" Neva cocked her head, raising an eyebrow questioningly

"My wolf!" Alannah clarified.

"Nothing. I just told her to calm down." Pouring some water into a tin bowl, Neva set it down in front of Cerulia.

Before Alannah could prevent it, the white wolf drank it with loud, splashing gulps. Once she was done, she looked at the princess, a few droplets falling off her snout. Cerulia pressed her wet nose against Alannah's cheek as if to tell her that it was alright to trust the strange woman.

"Do you need help in getting up?" Neva wanted to know. "You should walk around a bit to get your blood flow going again. You have been sitting in that position for a long time, girl."

She didn't want to trust her, but for right now she had no other choice. Neva appeared to be honest and caring. "Alannah, my name is Alannah," the princess replied in a slightly scratchy voice.

The woman's smile brightened. "A beautiful name. How about some food and drink? I swear it's not poisoned." Neva knelt down in front of her. "May I check upon your knight?"

Hesitating at first, Alannah let her put two fingers against Leigh's throat.

"Strong and steady," she muttered. Using her thumb to lift the eyelids, Neva nodded slightly. "Good, she will soon wake up..."

Gasping, Alannah's eyes widened in disbelief. "How do..."

"How do I know, your 'husband' is a woman?" Neva finished the question for the princess.

Alannah nodded.

The woman pointed at her eyes. "I'm nicknamed Hawkseye because I see things where others see nothing. It's a gift. Don't worry though, nobody else knows about your knight. It is good that you made them believe she is a man and your husband. Keep up these appearances for as long as possible. All your lives depend on it."

Alannah stared at her, ready to cry.

"Your secret will be safe with me. I know you are scared, but I promise you, in the name of Denora, everything will be fine."

'Denora, the Spirit of Slidur, country of wood and kingdom of Samira, one of Father's closest friends,' Alannah thought and felt some of the fear fade.

"Terrulli. Could you please check upon Terrulli? I need to know if she is alright," Alannah said softly.

"Your tiger?"

"Yes. She... uh... she is..."

"Quite fierce, yes, I have noticed that," Neva responded, chuckling and winked. "Ramon almost lost a hand when he tried to touch her. I will be careful." The woman rose and brought her one of the water-filled tin cups. "Here, take small sips."

Alannah did as she was told and Neva added,"You really should move around some."

"I will, as soon as Leigh is awake."

Neva nodded. "I understand. They used a large dose of gurah when they attacked. It was enough to take on a fully grown dragon. You do know what that means, don't you?"

"Yes," Alannah replied. "Leigh will feel very weak and sick..."

A harsh yell from outside interrupted them. "NEEEEEEEVA!!! WHERE IN CERRN'S THREE-TIMES CURSED NAME ARE YOU? GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! RIGHT NOW!"

Neva pulled a face. "Ramon," she spat, ridding herself of the bitter taste that the name always left behind in her mouth. "I'm sorry, I've got to go. Eat and drink, feed your wolf and take care of your knight. I will see to your tiger and be back as soon as I can. You are safe. I will not let anything happening to you."

"Wait!" Alannah called out and managed to grab the leaving woman's arm. "Thank you."

Neva patted her hand. "You are welcome. Everything will be fine." Taking the lantern with her, she disappeared from the wagon.

Before the door was locked again, Alannah caught a glimpse of bright sunlight, which momentarily blinded her.

A small groan reached her ears and the princess placed gentle fingers on Leigh's face, calling her name.

The knight was stirring in her arms.

*****

Dawn had come with a blood-red sun, which slowly climbed higher and higher in the sky, reaching out with its rays, driving away the chill that night had left behind. But the concerns and worries that the night had brought didn't fade. They stayed, burdening hearts and souls of many a man and woman.

King Zaylan stood in front of Saberclaw's pole, stroking the big bird's chest. Gently, his fingers ran across the eagle's soft, brown feathers, his forehead marred by worry lines. Dark circles under his eyes indicated that he had not found any rest during the past night. Zaylan's thoughts were far away. Ever since he had searched Mican's mind, ever since he had seen what had happened, he had been praying to Ossyr, hoping that Alannah, Leigh, Terrulli and Cerulia were safe, wishing for the Spirit to watch over them. His other hand was resting above his heart, where the ache had settled, piercing and throbbing steadily. "Keep your sharp eyes open, my friend," the king said to the bird, a profound sadness in his voice. "I know you will find them," he added in a whisper.

The eagle cocked his head, his intelligent eyes shining brightly. As his master's fingers slowly wandered up to his head, he gently nipped at the index finger that passed by his beak, showing his affection for the tall magician.

A brief smile flickered over Zaylan's face at the loving gesture. "Fly now, my friend, wherever the wind will guide you and return safely to us with good news."

After one last caress to his head, Saberclaw spread his wings. Giving a shrill cry, the eagle soared high, and higher still, until he disappeared from Zaylan's sight. "Find them," the king whispered again, staring after the bird. "Find them, or all will be lost." He didn't want to think about the consequences that the whole of Yuron would have to face in that case. He himself would not know how to cope with such a loss. His wife's death had almost broken him. If he were now to lose his daughters, it would completely destroy him.

Horses whinnied in the distance, reminding Zaylan of the search party that was waiting for final instructions. Among the troop of Commander Leander's best men were also Ranib and Wyan. Turning around to leave the gardens, he hurried with billowing robes to the stables.

Once the men had been sent off, he looked for Loreen. Zaylan found her in Mican's box, once more checking on Leigh's mare. "Will she be alright?" he inquired softly.

The healer raised her head to look at him, dark brown eyes scrutinizing him. She could see that he was tired and deeply concerned. "Yes, she will be fine. How are you holding up?"

He averted his eyes, trying not to let her see the light of sorrow that was gleaming in them.

Loreen sighed. Crossing the straw-covered floor, she came to stand beside him, placing a hand on his arm. "We have been friends for a very long time, wouldn't you agree?"

The King of Chitaan nodded, but still didn't dare look at her.

"You don't need to hide from me," Loreen continued softly. "I feel the same pain as you do, because I love them like a mother," she whispered.

"I know," he choked through the lump in his throat, feeling his eyes burn. "We will find them, won't we?"

Before the Half-Elf could reply, Ranya burst into the stables.

Zaylan quickly regained his composure, straightening his posture.

The High Sorceress looked like she had just fallen out of bed, her robes askew and her long hair was in tangled strands, cascading over her shoulders, her eyes brimming with tears. "Zaylan, I just heard what happened," she gasped.

Wordlessly, the tall magician meant to pull her into an embrace.

She resisted, holding up her hands. "Why didn't you wake me up? Why didn't you tell me immediately?" Ranya demanded to know, furiously.

Taken aback in the face of her anger, he let his arms sink. "Ranya..."

"You should have told me!" she yelled and the tears spilled over.

"Ranya..."

"You should have told me immediately!" Each word was punctuated with a rough jab of her index finger to his chest.

To Zaylan it felt like a dagger stabbing his heart again and again. "Ranya..." he tried once more, but she didn't listen.

"By Sastar! Hours have passed where Firetail and I could have been out there, searching for them!" Her hands flew up to cover her face for she could no longer suppress the sobs that were torn from her throat.

Loreen had stepped up behind her. Placing her slender hands on the distraught woman's shoulders, she gently steered her to a bundle of hay in the corner and urged her to sit. "Lady Ranya, please. Calm yourself."

The fire of anger, which had held her upright until that point, suddenly went out. Almost boneless, the High Sorceress let herself be lowered to the bundle.

Zaylan knelt in front of her, reaching for her hands. He pulled them away from her face. Not thinking that it would be possible, the ache in his heart increased another notch as he saw the pain and sadness on Ranya's face, knowing that it was partly his fault that she was so upset. "Ranya, I really am sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to keep it from you. I just... I just..." He sighed. "I don't know. I guess, I just wanted to spare you the pain and..."

The High Sorceress drew her hands away from his grasp and hastily wiped them across her tear-stained cheeks. Taking deep breaths, she tried to get her flaring emotions under control. "Have somebody prepare my dragon," she said firmly. "I will ask Goran for some food and then Firetail and I are going to join the search party. I was unable to keep Urdgard safe from the masked sorcerer. I was unable to protect my people." Her hands curled into fists, she looked at Zaylan, her mind made up. "I will find my goddaughters and Terrulli and if it is the last thing I'm doing."

Again the king reached for her hands. "Ranya, you can't go. We need you here. First, we have to go to Shircon to talk with the High Council. Then we have to prepare for the big battle. You also need to get accustomed with the powers of Ashkyhra's sacred gemstone."

Her hands squeezed his. "Zaylan, our whole plan stands and falls with Leigh and Alannah. When they are not here to fight the Shadow Warriors, I highly doubt we will have a chance to defeat the masked sorcerer, no matter how many jewels we use."

"I know that," he responded. "There is nothing in this world I want more then my daughters safe and sound here with me. I have every man out there that I could spare. Saberclaw is looking for them as well. I have sent out messenger birds to all our allies to keep on the lookout. We will find them."

Still not convinced, Ranya drew in a breath to object, but the look on Zaylan's face kept her from voicing it. Deep in her heart, she knew that he had thought about it long and hard. Sometimes the leader of a country had to make tough decisions for the sake of many people.

"Believe me," he begged. "I haven't made this decision lightly. There is so much at stake and still so much to prepare."

"That's why you were always a better ruler than I could ever be," Ranya admitted still holding on to his hands. "You always have the best for everyone at mind, no matter how much pain it causes you." She rose then and he got up as well. "Alright, let's not waste any more precious time. Firetail will take us to Shircon."

*****

A groan escaped her throat.

"Leigh? Leigh?" The soft voice that was so gently calling her name helped to guide her out of the darkness that had weighed so heavily on her conscience and was bringing her towards the light, even though it was of a very dim consistency. She wondered why it was so dark, until she became aware that her eyes were probably still closed.

Leigh groaned again, her eyelids felt as heavy as lead and it was hard to open them. She tried once more and they lifted, if only a little bit. She could hardly see anything. A face was hovering close to hers and she thought she could detect a small whimper coming from somewhere next to her head. Soon after, something warm and wet was dragged along her cheek.

Cerulia had given her a wolfish kiss.

Alannah watched with bated breath as Leigh slowly came around, wishing there was something she could do to help her. She just continued to call her name, making the knight aware of her presence and that she was safe.

"Alannah... Cerulia...," the knight whispered after what seemed an eternity in recognition.

The names were said with so much emotion, almost like a prayer, evoking a feeling of strong relief in the princess and she sighed. "Thank the Spirits," she said, glad that her best friend had finally woken. "Hey, welcome back to the land of the living."

Licking her dry lips, her tongue feeling swollen to twice its size, Leigh couldn't recall ever having been as thirsty before. She moved her head slightly, which was a mistake as she had to realize immediately. Pain exploded in her head and she bit down on her lower lip to keep from crying out. 'Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop!' she chanted in her mind, tears trickling through the small slits her eyes had opened to.

"Slowly, you have to be very careful," the princess admonished. Drawing her in to hold her closer, she unconsciously pressed her lips in a gentle kiss against Leigh's forehead. "I know you are in great pain. Don't move around too much just yet."

The pounding in her head lessened as she kept still. Her cheek was resting against something warm and soft though she was sure it wasn't a pillow, at least not one in the common sense. "Can you help me? My eyes don't seem to want to open but a crack," she whispered.

"There is nothing here to be seen, believe me," Alannah responded gently.

"You are here and that most definitely is a sight for sore eyes."

Chuckling softly, the princess used her thumb and index finger to carefully aid Leigh in opening her eyes completely. "There you go sweet-talker. Are you happy now?"

The knight's green eyes stared at Alannah's face in the semi darkness. 'By Ossyr, she is so beautiful,' she thought at the sight of the princess. The words almost slipped off her tongue, but she managed to keep them inside. She tried to lift a hand, wanting to cup Alannah's cheek like the princess was doing to her, but she couldn't manage. A distinct feeling of numbness had spread through her body. What was going on?

"You need to drink some water, that will help with the headache too," Alannah said, placing the tin cup, which Neva had given her, against Leigh's mouth.

The knight's lips closed greedily around the cup's rim, attempting to suck in a large amount of the delicious wet to quench her terrible thirst.

"Take small sips or you will get sick," Alannah advised.

Leigh took her time to empty the cup until the last drop was gone.

"How are you feeling now?" the princess wanted to know, her fingers softly caressing the knight's face.

Leigh didn't know if Alannah was conscious of the gentle touches, but she wouldn't complain. It felt too good. "Well, actually not too bad. Very weak and numb, but as long as Mican isn't tap-dancing in my head, it's better."

"Good. I'm glad." At the name of Leigh's beloved horse, Alannah felt a stab of pain in her heart. Hopefully the mare had gotten away.

Slowly, the knight tried to scan their surroundings in an attempt to get her bearings. It was a rather difficult undertaking since every movement of her head caused it to pound again and the rest of her body felt still heavy, numb and was uncooperative. Looking at the ceiling of their confinement, she saw tiny light beams through the cracks and slits of the wood. What was this place? "Alannah, where are we? What happened?"

"What is the last thing that you remember?"

"We were on our way home, using a shortcut that Terrulli insisted would get us there quicker. Then I had this weird feeling because it was just too quiet in the forest," Leigh answered, recalling her memories. "Some mean, little insect bit me and then..."

"You passed out, but not because an insect bit you. You took a large dose of gurah."

Now that explained why she was feeling the way she did. Her body was trying to cope with the after effects of the strong plant poison. "Gurah, but why... what..." Leigh's mind was in a whirl, running wild with all kinds of implications, one more horrible than the other.

"We were attacked. First they lured Terrulli away and then they took you out with a blowgun."

"That was the sting I felt on the nape of my neck?"

Alannah nodded. "You collapsed right after. At first I didn't know what was going on. After I had pulled the gurah-covered thorn from your neck, I discovered all those foreign auras. I fought them as best as I could. Two of them were hidden and they took me by surprise with a bola."

"Cowardly robber pack," Leigh hissed, angry.

"These are not the average thugs that wait in the bushes for some easy victims to rob," Alannah continued. "They were very organized and the two I couldn't detect at first had concealed themselves well."

"Magic-wielders?"

"They used stolen Elven cloaks."

Leigh stared at her in shock. "Who do you think they are? Did they... did they..." She swallowed hard. The thought alone made her throat close up and her heart clenched painfully in her chest.

"Did they what?"

"Did they... do anything to you?" Leigh rasped, looking fearfully at the princess.

"I am fine. Nobody touched me."

The knight exhaled sharply. "Thank the Spirits. What about Terrulli? Is she alright?"

"I don't know. We were separated. A woman was here earlier, bringing food and water and she promised she would check up on her. They don't know yet that she is an Animorph and I pray that she can hold up the tiger shape for longer."

"Did they take Mican?"

Alannah brushed her hand along Leigh's cheek, trying to calm the clearly upset knight. "They had intended to do that, but Mican ran away. She is very smart. By now she will have found her way home."

"By now?" Leigh questioned. "For how long have I been out?"

"Several hours. They used a very large dose of gurah to sedate you. They must have figured you were a threat for them," Alannah answered. "It is morning now. We have traveled throughout the night, though I have no idea where they are taking us. I don't know in which direction we left."

Silence fell as the knight contemplated all she had heard so far. "The pearl!" she suddenly exclaimed, squirming and struggling in a desperate attempt to get up. Her limbs refused to obey.

"Leigh, take it easy. There is nothing we can do right this instant. Ramon took it, but he doesn't know what it is. To him it's just a pretty ring that he wants to sell to the highest bidder."

Grinding her teeth in frustration, the knight managed to roll onto her side. The straining efforts left her gasping for breath and with the increase of pain in her head. "No, that's not good." She groaned and flopped onto her back once more. "I need to get up. I need to move and get rid of this numbness."

"I know," Alannah said sympathetically, her own legs feeling like pins and needles. "We need to take it slow. I'll help you, my brave knight."

Leigh snorted. "I don't feel very brave right now. I couldn't protect you or Terrulli. We are captured and off to the Spirits only know where. They took my weapons and they have our only chance to defeat the Shadow Warriors..."

The index finger of the princess, placed upon her lips, halted her remarks. Her face set, Alannah stared directly into Leigh's eyes. "Stop reproaching yourself. We will find a way out of here."

The knight gave a small nod and reached up with one shaking arm to touch the precious face that hovered above her. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. "You are right. I'm sorry."

Alannah held the hand to her and snuggled her cheek further into the palm. "There is no need to apologize. I know exactly how you feel, believe me. But, to dwell on it is not going to help matters."

Leigh's gaze fell on the shackles, which encased the princess' wrists. Her face darkened. "You fought them with magic. They know you are a magic-wielder, don't they?"

Alannah lips curled in a sarcastic smile. "Hence I was graced with these wonderful bracelets. They are draining my magical powers."

The knight grumbled something that the princess didn't understand, but she was sure that there were a few expletives among the words.

Leigh's arm was trembling so hard that she had to lower it again. She did with great regret. "So, let's see. What do we know so far that could give us an advantage over our captors? Times of war always bring out the worst scavengers, people who try to make money out of everything. If they had planned to kill us and just sell all our belongings and the animals to get a few gold coins, we would be dead by now."

"I agree."

Leigh's eyes turned upward and to the right, a sign that she was deep in thought, analyzing.

Despite the situation they found themselves in, Alannah had to smile as she saw that. They would come up with a plan to get out of here.

"Why are we here? Are they holding us for ransom?"

"I doubt that. They don't know that we are from Chitaan or that I'm the Princess. My guess is they sell stolen goods and meddle in the slave trader business. They will not get much money for me though, because I would be considered 'damaged'."

"What?" Leigh raised her eyebrows. The last comment had completely surprised her. "What do you mean?"

Alannah felt her face flush and was glad that it was mostly dark inside the wagon, so Leigh wouldn't see it. She rushed out an explanation but the words melted together, not making any sense.

"You told them what?"

"I told them we are married," the princess repeated, figuring from the shocked tone of Leigh's voice that the knight wasn't pleased.

'I would marry you in an instant, if I knew that this is what you wanted,' Leigh thought to herself, not knowing about the turmoil that was raging inside her best friend.

"I thought it would intimidate them enough to leave us alone. It was the first thing I could think of," Alannah stuttered, grasping at straws, hoping that the knight wouldn't be mad.

Leigh was far from being mad. A very warm feeling had settled in her chest and she didn't hear the half-hearted excuses Alannah tried to come up with. "And now they think I'm a man?" she wanted to know.

"Yes. I'm sorry... I..."

"No, Alannah, it's alright. Seriously. As long as they don't look under my armor they won't know. They also left you alone so this might have made an impression on them. It also bought us some time."

Drawing in a deep breath, the princess prepared for the final confession. "Ramon, the leader..." She stopped, considering how to tell her as cautiously as possible.

"Yes?"

"He... uh... he made a comment. He... uh..."

"What did he say?" Leigh prodded.

"He mentioned he might sell you to the Women of Kharas."

"The Women of Kharas?" Leigh whispered astonished.

"He remarked that you would father beautiful children." Alannah felt her stiffen in her arms before her whole body started shaking and she hid her face on the princess' chest.

Cerulia whimpered, picking up on the knight's obvious distress.

Not knowing what else to do, Alannah held her close, rubbing her back and running her fingers in soothing motions through the short, blonde hair, inwardly cursing the shackles that got in the way.

The tales that were told about the fierce tribe of Warrior Women were legendary. One was more gruesome and horrible than the other and had many a man quaking in their boots or wet their pants from fear. That Leigh was frightened didn't come as a surprise. "It won't come to that, I promise. They will have to get through me first before I would let them lay a hand on you."

The trembling of the knight's body increased and little noises could be heard, though they were muffled by the fabric of the princess' robes. "Oh Leigh, don't cry," Alannah cooed, thinking that harsh sobs were shaking her frame.

"I'm... not... crying..." Leigh finally managed to gasp out in between laughing fits. "He... he really... said that?"

"Yes, and I cannot see what you find so funny about it," Alannah said, a bit irritated.

"Well, doesn't it strike you funny that a scumbag such as him thinks so highly of me? Wanting to sell me to the Warrior tribe..." Leigh chuckled merrily. "Me... creating children with a Woman of Kharas... oh my, wait till Ranib and Wyan hear of that. These women are supposed to have thighs they can crack nuts with. I wouldn't survive more than a minute. Come on, it is hilarious when you really think about it."

Alannah grinned. "I guess." Her stomach chose that moment to remind her once again that she had neglected it for a long time.

"That was a mighty roar. You said a woman brought food and water. Is there still some left?"

"Yes, it is on the table over there."

Leigh craned her neck cautiously. "Good. Let's try this getting up and move around again."

Alannah looked at her with a concerned expression. "Are you sure?"

Sucking in a deep breath to steel herself against the pain and other inconveniences, which were bound to follow any movement, Leigh nodded. Slowly rolling to her side with Alannah's aid, she managed to get on her hands on knees. Trembling and wobbling like a newborn colt, she concentrated on her breathing, squeezing her eyes shut until the pain in her head somewhat subsided.

Meanwhile, the princess had gotten up and stretched, using one hand to rub some kinks from her own neck and rolling her shoulders. The shackles rattled with each move she made. "Leigh, do you really think you can get up?

"We won't know until we have tried, right?" the knight remarked.

"You are still so weak. I don't want you to hurt yourself further," Alannah replied, taking hold of her shaking friend and assisting her. It took several attempts to get Leigh on her feet, because her limbs were still not very cooperative. As Alannah pulled her up, her head pounded strongly, sweat poured off her and a wave of dizziness hit her. Her stomach churned and rolled, making her feel like she would have to throw up any second. "Ossyr, I want to die," she whined, the pain in her arms, legs and head almost unbearable.

"No, you don't. It's okay. I'm here."

Clutching at Alannah and the wall for support, Leigh gritted her teeth, ordering her trembling legs to obey and carry her weight.

The princess' heart ached for Leigh's pain. She knew it was too soon and that the other woman should rest some more, but she bit down on voicing any objections, knowing that they would fall on deaf ears once the knight's stubbornness had kicked in.

"I think I can feel my toes again," Leigh hissed through clenched teeth.

"Good. It will take about four steps to the table. Do you want to try?"

Leigh looked at the table. The distance appeared to her much larger than it actually was and the scent of the food was enticing. She wasn't sure if she would actually be able to keep anything down, but she was resolute to try. Regarding Alannah, she mumbled weak and hesitantly, "Baby steps?"

"That would be best," the princess agreed.

Resting her head briefly on her friend's chest, Leigh gathered every small amount of strength her abused body had to offer. "Just don't let go."

"Never ever, my brave knight," Alannah assured her, strengthening the grip she had on Leigh.

*****

Curled up in a wagon that was built like a cage, Terrulli lay, pretending to be asleep. Only a close observer would have seen the amber eyes opening to little slits, staring through the metal bars. Once in a while the tip of her tail would twitch.

Terrulli had seen wagons like this before. Circuses used them for their animals when they were traveling the countryside, going from one town to the next. In this camp of the robbers it was the only cage wagon. It smelled strongly of goat and sheep, indicating that it was usually used to hold domestic animals.

She had counted seven other wagons, which had been put in a circle around a small campfire after having traveled the whole night. The one where door and window were tightly locked held Leigh, Alannah and Cerulia prisoner.

Shamefully, Terrulli placed a paw on her head. It was all her fault that they were in this predicament. If only she hadn't insisted on taking the shortcut. If only she had listened to Leigh. She couldn't believe that she had been so naïve and let herself be lured away, stepping right into the trap that the robbers had set up.

Terrulli had struggled and fought for as long as she could until she realized she needed her energy to hold up the transformation spell. Overpowered and outnumbered, she had been shoved into the cage wagon, though snarling and roaring. She had put a scare into Ramon as he meant to touch her fur to feel its soft quality, and he had not dared to get closer than within a ten feet range to her cage.

Now that the sun had set, she hoped she could catch a glimpse of Alannah or Leigh, needing to know that they were alright. She was deeply worried ever since she saw that robber carrying Leigh into the wagon like a sack.

Ramon and his bunch of thugs would probably break camp soon and be on the way to whatever destination they had in mind. To sell them all into slavery was most likely.

Terrulli turned her head away from the wagon. Lying on her side, facing the back wall of the cage, she wanted to cry because she felt so bad, but knew she mustn't.

"Hello."

She was on her paws in the blink of an eye, staring hard at the person that stood in front of the cage wagon. Baring her large teeth, a low growl rumbled from her chest.

Brown eyes regarded the tiger kindly. "I have promised one of your human friends to check up on you," Neva said. "I also have brought you some meat and water. You are probably famished by now, you poor dear."

Terrulli's eyes were fixed on the small woman. Why wasn't she afraid? There were just the bars between them and if she wanted, she could reach through with one paw to tremendously hurt her. Searching her face, the Animorph was shocked and appalled at the multitude of scars. This woman must have had something very bad happening to her and yet was still alive. No wonder, she wasn't frightened of a growling tiger.

The sweet, metallic scent of blood drifted up to Terrulli's sensitive nose as Neva held up two rabbits. Blood was dripping of them. "I already skinned them, because nothing is worse than having to constantly pull hair from between one's teeth, am I right?" Neva asked and winked, carefully sticking her hands through the bars, putting the carcasses on the floor of the cage wagon.

Terrulli poked at them with a claw. The Animorph wasn't exactly fond of raw meat, but it would have to do, especially if she wanted to hold up the tiger shape.

"I know it isn't much for a big cat as you are. I will bring you more as soon as I get the chance," Neva promised, placing a tin bowl with fresh water beside the rabbits.

Terrulli looked at her, trying to express her thankfulness, wishing that she could ask about Alannah's and Leigh's wellbeing.

As the amber eyes met hers, Neva could have sworn she saw a brief flicker of ice-blue in them. "There is more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?" she whispered awe-struck.

Terrulli recoiled.

"No, don't be afraid," Neva said, taking hold of the iron bars. "I will keep to myself what I just saw. Nobody will know."

With a bang, one of the wagon's doors flew open. "NEEEEEEEVA!!!" Ramon's yell echoed loudly through the forest clearing.

"I've got to go," she hurriedly whispered to the tiger. "Eat. You need to keep up your strength. Denora is with you."

Terrulli watched her leave and one name echoed through her head. 'Denora? The Spirit of Slidur?'

*****

Continued...