“I will find it then. If you need me, call. I shouldn’t be far off,” Sovann said as he backed away farther.
“Valor can you hear me?” Jala whispered. Carefully she placed a palm on either side of his face and gently smoothed his hair back from the wound. Leaning back a bit she daubed at the blood with the sleeve of her dress. It didn’t look like a deep gash, but she could already see the lump rising beneath it. Chewing on her lip once more she looked down at his pale face and swallowed heavily. “I don’t ever want to see you like this again, Valor Hai’dia. I’d rather you be fuming and cursing me then bleeding on the ground before me,” she whispered hoarsely as she began to form a healing spell in her mind.
“I’d rather you not give me a reason to fume and curse,” Valor replied in a broken whisper, his eyes still closed. “Gods be damned but it feels like my head is split in two,” he mumbled.
“My father always said that it’s easiest to fight with those you care for. And it’s not quite split in two but it is a nasty bump. Give me a moment and I’ll have you fixed up,” Jala returned softly. The glow of magic radiated off her hands and highlighted his face making it seem even more ghostly. “I know I’ve seen you wounded before, Valor, and I don’t recall you bleeding like this.”
Valor’s eyes flashed open at her words and then widened quickly. “Jala duck!” he bellowed weakly.
Ducking quickly, Jala snapped her head to look behind her as she rolled to the sand beside Valor who was trying desperately to free himself from her and rise. Lightning flashed in the sky illuminating the edge of a sword blade as it fell directly toward her. “No!” she screamed uselessly as she frantically tried to form a spell.
“Yes,” came the mocking reply as the flat of the blade connected solidly with her head. Spots danced before her eyes and she struggled to remain conscious. “Tough little bitch, aren’t you?” The voice was faint from the ringing in her ears, yet she still tried to target where he must be standing now.
“You will die for that,” Valor snarled and she felt the wind rise once more. This time however she knew it was not the storm causing the violent gust.
“Tasty little peach isn’t she.” Hot breath washed across her face with the words and Jala struggled to open her eyes. Her head felt exactly as Valor had described his own wound earlier. “And already waking up. Can you hear me, little girl?” the voice called again, thick with mockery.
“Get away from her!” Valor snarled and Jala felt relief wash over her at the sound of his voice.
“Just like an Arovan. Trussed up like a pig and still trying to bellow orders,” another voice called and judging by the laughter that followed there were quite a few others with them as well.
Her eyes still closed, Jala let out a slow breath and tried to force her mind to think clearly. They were inside. Of that she was certain. She could hear the storm raging still, but there was no sting of wind or rain. Her arms were bound behind her and someone was holding her upright from behind. Carefully she flexed her leg and felt her heart sink farther as she felt the pull of bonds there as well. Apparently, Valor wasn’t the only one trussed up like a pig. This definitely wasn’t how she had planned to make her entrance.
“Shy one, aye?” The first man spoke again, squeezing one of her breasts painfully as he did.
“I’m not shy, and if you do that again I will remove that hand. I am here to speak with Kithvaryn, not his lackeys,” Jala hissed with as much command as she could muster given her current situation. Where are you? Jala worked the link to Marrow as quickly as she could and took care to keep any expression but outrage from her face.
Outside in this wretched storm. I wish you would soothe him so this bloody rain will stop. They didn’t see me when you were captured and I followed you here, but couldn’t get inside without notice. It’s difficult to hide in a well lit room even for a Bendazzi, Marrow replied almost instantly and she could hear the relief in his voice.
Stay close, but don’t risk yourself. This doesn’t look good at the present, but I don’t think my life is in danger yet, Jala said quickly and dropped the link between them. There was a chance that this room held mages other than herself and Sovann, and she had been told many times how loud her mental links with Marrow were by others sensitive to such things. She may have just given away the fact that Marrow was on the island, but they didn’t know exactly where he was. If any of them were stupid enough to go hunting a Bendazzi at night in this kind of weather she would lay all of her gold on Marrow for the fight.
Laughter echoed through the room once more. “She must be Arovan as well,” the second man called loudly through the noise of the room.
“I am High Lady Jala Merrodin and I demand you release me at once,” Jala bellowed over the amusement. The room fell deathly silent at her words and she slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes. There were perhaps thirty in the room all dressed in assorted armor. From the looks of it they were in a sort of mess hall and had interrupted dinner with their arrival. Benches and tables filled the area surrounding them and she could see several more men still seated. Apparently the entertainment hadn’t appealed enough to them to leave their supper. Turning her head slowly, she let her eyes travel over each and every face. There was no longer any amusement written in their expressions, it was anger now. Valor was perhaps ten feet away from her, bound as she was at hand and foot. Sovann hung limply between two of the mercenaries, his face still lax.