The Guardians

Chapter 70

"My liege, we caught a couple of intruders trying to sneak into the camp."

Arlan motioned for his guards to bring them in. A moment later, Arlan heard struggling and the intruders were dragged in. A young man with sandy hair and brown clothing had a sword to his throat but he was still struggling. A woman with red-brown hair was being held firmly by both her arms by two guards but she was still struggling to loosen her captors' grips.

"Why do you always fight?" Arlan asked. "Don't you know it's pointless?"

They both fought harder.

One of the guards handed Arlan a scepter. "He's a spellcaster. We disarmed him before he had a chance to use it."

"Good. I'd hate to know what spells he would have used."

One of the guards holding the woman was looking at her and licking his lips.

"This one looks like a scrapper. I'd be wary of her," Arlan warned.

The guard's hand came up and rested on a breast. Her leg came around and knocked his out from under him causing him to let go of her right arm. She stomped his groin and turned on the other guard. Another guard rushed in and grabbed her arm. The lecherous guard was holding his crotch and was curled in a fetal position.

"Told you."

She now had a sword at her throat and a hand holding onto her hair. The guards had her arms twisted behind her. Arlan stepped up to her and studied her. Her emerald eyes held a defiance he'd never seen. But there was also something familiar about those eyes.

"And who might you be?"

In answer to his question, she spit in his face. Arlan wiped his face and then backhanded her. He jerked his head and the two were dragged off. She was a firebrand, that one. He'd enjoy breaking her. But first, he'd find out why she reminded him of someone. And who she reminded him of.

Neve and Draven had crept into the camp while Will and Lyra allowed themselves to be caught. The rest of the group was positioned in the forest. Shara had been trusted with Lyra's bow and quiver and when the assassin and Shadow god had left, she had an arrow nocked and ready. They crept into the command tent and saw that it was actually four tents combined. Neve heard commotion in one and saw three guards struggling to secure Lyra's wrists above her head. Neve bit her lip. Draven touched her arm.

"She can handle herself," he whispered. "Let's get these plans." They flitted into the main command tent and saw that there was no one there. "We need to hurry."

They were briefly left alone in the small tent. They both had their wrists bound and secured to a pair of beams that seemed to have been set up just for them. Because of the kick she'd given the touchy-feely guard, her ankles were bound as well. Lyra could taste blood from where Arlan had split her lip with his backhand and the right side of her face was still stinging.

"You alright?" she whispered to Will.

"For now. That's bound to change."

Arlan and two guards walked in at that moment. He set Will's scepter down on the nearby table. "Why are you here?"

"You brought us here," Lyra said. "Forget so soon?"

"You've got a mouth on you."