Apprentice (The Black Mage, #2)(90)

"I'm not sure." Darren was staring in the same direction as me. He seemed puzzled. "Only it doesn't make sense. All of the other mentors are at the keep, so why would a mentee attack one of their own?"

"Maybe they know we are out here? It could be a trick."

Darren rolled his eyes. "But why would they think we would help?"

There was a loud boom and the ground beneath us shook violently. That same second, a chorus of men's shouting rang out just north of us.

"I don't think it's the mentees trying to trick us." I reached for my scabbard at the same time that Darren cast out three bolts of lightning into the sky, one by one. They flashed directly above us.

My lips parted in surprise. "What was that for?"

Darren grabbed my arm and started to run, dragging me behind him. "A distress call."

I stumbled along behind him, trying to keep up. "Caltothians?"

Darren released me and pointed to the same path we had taken from the keep. It was at least fifteen minutes from the fortress.

I started to walk toward it and then froze. Darren wasn't following. "Darren," I whispered loudly, "what are you doing?"

"I'm going to find out what is happening."

I stared at him. "Are you mad? What am I saying, of course you are! Darren, you can't - who knows how many of them there are!"

"Ryiah, this is not a request. I am ordering you back to the keep. Warn the others!" His garnet eyes flashed. "I am a prince; you are my subject. Now is not the time to question me!"

I ignored him. "Darren, you can't do this on your own! You need me."

"I need you to do what I…" He gave up when he caught my expression. "Fine," the boy snapped, "but Ryiah, no heroics. I will not have your blood on my hands."

"So kind of you to care." I couldn't keep the sarcasm from my words.

"I mean it, Ryiah."

"Are we going or not?"





****





I followed Darren, darting from one tree trunk to the next and peering out into the dark forest beyond. It was hard to see - the sun was almost completely blocked out by the towering pines crowding the sky… but what I did see through narrow shafts of light was alarming.

Five knights, four men and one woman, were tied and bound in a circle on the ground. Scattered nearby were three bodies with blood pooled around their necks. With a sickening realization I noticed their heads were severed, with just a small patch of skin connecting the neck to the body. I recognized one of them as a soldier from the keep's regular patrol. The young man had escorted me on my weekly visits with Derrick.

My chest tightened. Hensley. He was my age. He had told me he missed his old comrades in Tijan… Now he would never see them again.

The sun's next ray revealed a large gathering of men and women in dress I did not recognize. Caltothians. Their clothing blended in with the surroundings – dark brown breeches and long green tunics, covered in a thick brown cloak that hooded their faces.

One of the first things I noticed was that there was no chainmail or plate armor anywhere on them. That must have helped them catch the keep's regiment by surprise. Without the rustle of metal rings, the enemy had managed to blend right in with the rest of the forest… until a passing patrol had come across their place of hiding.

Who knew how many more would have been captured had it not been the day of our mock battle? Most of the keep's regiment had been dismissed to view the affair from the keep's towers; only a few had been assigned to patrols.

"I count fifteen, but there might be more out back." Darren's voice was barely a whisper.

The Caltothians seemed to be arguing over what to do with the remaining hostages, although it was hard to know for sure as they were all speaking at once. Only short fragments of speech carried over to where Darren and I hid crouching.

At one point, one of the Caltothians strode forward and grabbed a prisoner by the back of his braid. She brandished a jagged-looking blade against the base of his throat and shouted something to the others. Another Caltothian rushed forward to pull her back but it was too late. The woman dropped her grip and a thick spray of blood spewed from the man's neck.

One of the hostages let out a muffled cry.

My fingernails dug into Darren's arm so deep he bled. I dropped it immediately. Three soldiers – and now one knight - were dead. I glanced at the non-heir and saw fury.

"We've got to do something," he growled. "I can't just watch them slaughter my own people."

My throat burned and I forced myself to speak softly. "I can light a fire." I could see it now. "I could cast one large enough to get the Caltothian to investigate… I know they probably won't send all of their men, but they might be confident enough to leave only two or three guarding the prisoners since they are already bound."

Darren's jaw clenched, and for a moment he looked like he was fighting himself. Finally he said, "You need to go far enough that it takes them a while to return. I can handle the ones that stay behind, but I need to know you'll hide as soon as you've got their attention." He ran a fist through his hair. "I'll help the hostages back to the keep, but you need to promise me you'll stay safe until I can send help."