studied her as she watched her supplies
spill onto the ground with growing anger.
“You said you’re after a boy,” he
said. “Your brother, I assume. Why do you think he was taken away from you? Do
you have any relatives who have been banished to the outskirts?”
“The waterskin isn’t bad—not dried
out yet, either,” said the voice of his companion.
“Shut it, Hal,” said Tobin.
Adala looked away from the
scrutinizing eyes of her captor. She yearned to slide her hands up to the
binding strap and feel the type of knot that restrained her. She wanted to take
back her knife and her things and leave these foolish boys in the dust. But
Tobin’s eyes watched her like a hawk, and his questions persisted.
“Why was your brother taken away?”
he said. “And what made you come after him alone?”
She stiffened in defense,
thinking, I shouldn’t have come alone. This was a mistake. The insult of
his words stung, though his expression was not malicious. “My father was away,”
she said hesitantly. Another thought came to her mind, and she blurted it
without thinking. “I’m promised to the master of arms in Gerstadt. He will come
for me and he won’t be alone. You would be well advised not to harm me.”
Tobin chuckled, “Master of arms? Sure you’re promised to him.”
Her face grew hot with
embarrassment and indignation. “I am,” she insisted, somehow upset by his
disbelief.
His eyes scanned over her dusty
sailor apparel and ratty hair, even the bandage on her right arm, brown with
old blood. “Oh no, I believe you,” he said with false reassurance, as if
speaking to a child with an overactive imagination. “I’m sure your fiancé will
be uprooting his army and charging through the valley any minute now.”
This insult was not disguised.
Adala cringed, not because he noted her haggard appearance, but because of his
insinuation that John would not come. An honorable man like John would not let
her disappearance go forgotten, she knew. He held much affection and respect
for her and her family. However, she hadn’t left any sign of her whereabouts in
town. Maybe he would never realize that the kidnappers went by land instead of
sea.
“No one knows where you are, do
they?” Tobin murmured solemnly, sounding more like a statement than a question.
“I left a note,” she lied, raising
her chin.
“Fancy,” he said to his companion,
his eyebrows raised. “This one claims to know how to read. Burano will want to
see her right away.”
The other boy, Hal, smacked his
lips. “I ate all the meat, Tobin. Hope you don’t mind.”
“That’s fine, but I’m taking the
boots. If I don’t grab them, someone else will.”
“You won’t fit in them,” said Hal.
Adala scowled in disgust to hear
these two boys bickering about who gets what from her belongings.
“Don’t be greedy,” Tobin murmured
to his companion. “Sorry,” he said, gently pulling out her bound ankles from
her curled sitting position and fiddling with the buckle on her boot. Without
hesitation she drove her coveted boots straight into his face.
“Damn,” Tobin cursed as he jerked
back, out of range of her feet.
Serves you right, Adala
thought to herself, gritting her teeth.
Hal, next to her, threw a reckless
punch to the side of her head, causing her ear to ring. “I got her legs, Tobin;
just grab the boots and let’s be done with the wench.”
The force of Hal’s weight pinched
Adala’s legs to the dirt. The pain was enough that she barely noticed her boots
coming off.
“All right, just let off of her,”
Tobin said. “I’ve got the boots; let’s leave her until Jarod’s men arrive.” He
touched his nose, traces of blood coming away with his finger, and cursed
again.
At last Adala was left alone,
curled up on the hard earth. As their footsteps dispersed, she slid a finger
over her leather bindings. The knot was quite simple, elementary even. It
wouldn’t hold under pressure. While her young captors
spill onto the ground with growing anger.
“You said you’re after a boy,” he
said. “Your brother, I assume. Why do you think he was taken away from you? Do
you have any relatives who have been banished to the outskirts?”
“The waterskin isn’t bad—not dried
out yet, either,” said the voice of his companion.
“Shut it, Hal,” said Tobin.
Adala looked away from the
scrutinizing eyes of her captor. She yearned to slide her hands up to the
binding strap and feel the type of knot that restrained her. She wanted to take
back her knife and her things and leave these foolish boys in the dust. But
Tobin’s eyes watched her like a hawk, and his questions persisted.
“Why was your brother taken away?”
he said. “And what made you come after him alone?”
She stiffened in defense,
thinking, I shouldn’t have come alone. This was a mistake. The insult of
his words stung, though his expression was not malicious. “My father was away,”
she said hesitantly. Another thought came to her mind, and she blurted it
without thinking. “I’m promised to the master of arms in Gerstadt. He will come
for me and he won’t be alone. You would be well advised not to harm me.”
Tobin chuckled, “Master of arms? Sure you’re promised to him.”
Her face grew hot with
embarrassment and indignation. “I am,” she insisted, somehow upset by his
disbelief.
His eyes scanned over her dusty
sailor apparel and ratty hair, even the bandage on her right arm, brown with
old blood. “Oh no, I believe you,” he said with false reassurance, as if
speaking to a child with an overactive imagination. “I’m sure your fiancé will
be uprooting his army and charging through the valley any minute now.”
This insult was not disguised.
Adala cringed, not because he noted her haggard appearance, but because of his
insinuation that John would not come. An honorable man like John would not let
her disappearance go forgotten, she knew. He held much affection and respect
for her and her family. However, she hadn’t left any sign of her whereabouts in
town. Maybe he would never realize that the kidnappers went by land instead of
sea.
“No one knows where you are, do
they?” Tobin murmured solemnly, sounding more like a statement than a question.
“I left a note,” she lied, raising
her chin.
“Fancy,” he said to his companion,
his eyebrows raised. “This one claims to know how to read. Burano will want to
see her right away.”
The other boy, Hal, smacked his
lips. “I ate all the meat, Tobin. Hope you don’t mind.”
“That’s fine, but I’m taking the
boots. If I don’t grab them, someone else will.”
“You won’t fit in them,” said Hal.
Adala scowled in disgust to hear
these two boys bickering about who gets what from her belongings.
“Don’t be greedy,” Tobin murmured
to his companion. “Sorry,” he said, gently pulling out her bound ankles from
her curled sitting position and fiddling with the buckle on her boot. Without
hesitation she drove her coveted boots straight into his face.
“Damn,” Tobin cursed as he jerked
back, out of range of her feet.
Serves you right, Adala
thought to herself, gritting her teeth.
Hal, next to her, threw a reckless
punch to the side of her head, causing her ear to ring. “I got her legs, Tobin;
just grab the boots and let’s be done with the wench.”
The force of Hal’s weight pinched
Adala’s legs to the dirt. The pain was enough that she barely noticed her boots
coming off.
“All right, just let off of her,”
Tobin said. “I’ve got the boots; let’s leave her until Jarod’s men arrive.” He
touched his nose, traces of blood coming away with his finger, and cursed
again.
At last Adala was left alone,
curled up on the hard earth. As their footsteps dispersed, she slid a finger
over her leather bindings. The knot was quite simple, elementary even. It
wouldn’t hold under pressure. While her young captors
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