pushed past before they smacked him in the face. He thought, deep down in the sensible part of his mind, that it would be wise to sit down for while, to close his eyes for just a bit and let his body rest. He would never ever ask it. Not from Dusk who did not seem to tire. Pride would keep him on his feet and worry for Victoria.
They did stop momentarily, by a small glade with a pool no bigger than manhole, to drink. Or for Alex to drink.
Dusk stood and scanned the forest.
There was not exactly impatience in his stance, but there was some stiffening of the fluid lines of him that hinted at tenseness. On his knees by the pool, Alex looked into the blackness of the wood and saw nothing.
“Is there something out there?” he whispered.
“No,” the assassin said.
After a long while of travel the assassin very matter-of-factly stated that there were nighthorses ahead. A few steps more and Alex could hear the low guttural tones of an angry conversation. And then the night black bulks of two horses and the mismatched forms of their riders on the ground before them. It was Alex that made the noise that alerted them. Ax and knife were out and threatening before he had taken a step into the clearing. Coal black eyes blinked warily at him, then the ogre was lumbering across the small clearing towards him with something akin to murder in its beady orbs. Alex had a none too gentle hand laid on his arm and he was jerked closer to the ogre than olfactory senses found comfortable.
“Where you been?” Zakknr demanded, looking past him uncertainly.
His gaze registered nothing, so Dusk was still playing at chameleon in the wood.
Alex tried to disengage his arm. The ogre was having nothing of it. He dragged Alex towards the horses and the bowlegged figure of the spriggan. There were no other figures to be seen.
“Where’s Victoria?” He was shaken and starting to develop a nausea born of premonition. He repeated the question, shriller, desperate.
Zakknr and Bashru exchanged quick looks. Almost guilt. Most certainly relief.
With a frantic twist, Alex was free of the ogre. He glared about the clearing wildly.
No goblins. No girl. No damned assassin either, for that matter.
“What’s happened to her?” he yelled loud enough to momentarily quiet the night birds.
Zakknr waved a fist at him. “Gone.”
Simple. To the point. Devastating.
“Gone where?”
The spriggan shrugged. “Wandered off. Lost her. Not my fault.”
The ogre nodded assent. “Didn’t need female anyway.”
Alex gaped at him, past him to the spriggan. Neither looked particularly sympathetic. Where was the cursed assassin?
“Dusk, God damn it! Get out here!”
He was in no mood for shadow games. If these two idiots had lost Victoria, he damn sure trusted the assassin’s ability to find her. Surprisingly obedient, Dusk stepped into the clearing. Alex stabbed a finger at him.
“Did you hear that? She’s lost. We’ve got to find her.”
“No time,” Zakknr declared.
“Master’s expecting us.”
“The hell.” Alex whipped around.
“I’m not going anywhere until she’s safe. Your master can just rot.”
The ogre’s face twisted into a snarl.
The weaponless hand snapped out and struck a glancing blow. Alex’s world reeled. He did not quite fall. He staggered and fought for vision and balance and found no support save for his attacker. The same arm that had struck him wrapped about his waist and drew him in, half fainting. His feet left the ground as the ogre hefted him easily and turned to stride back to its nighthorse. Adrenaline born of panic brought his senses back in full force.
He started to struggle. The first real and desperate struggle he had put up since he had been brought to this place. He kicked and hit and used every dirty trick he’d been taught in the navy and all to no avail.
What held him was in no wise human and had no human weaknesses. All he achieved was a grunt and a tightening of the arm which threatened to
They did stop momentarily, by a small glade with a pool no bigger than manhole, to drink. Or for Alex to drink.
Dusk stood and scanned the forest.
There was not exactly impatience in his stance, but there was some stiffening of the fluid lines of him that hinted at tenseness. On his knees by the pool, Alex looked into the blackness of the wood and saw nothing.
“Is there something out there?” he whispered.
“No,” the assassin said.
After a long while of travel the assassin very matter-of-factly stated that there were nighthorses ahead. A few steps more and Alex could hear the low guttural tones of an angry conversation. And then the night black bulks of two horses and the mismatched forms of their riders on the ground before them. It was Alex that made the noise that alerted them. Ax and knife were out and threatening before he had taken a step into the clearing. Coal black eyes blinked warily at him, then the ogre was lumbering across the small clearing towards him with something akin to murder in its beady orbs. Alex had a none too gentle hand laid on his arm and he was jerked closer to the ogre than olfactory senses found comfortable.
“Where you been?” Zakknr demanded, looking past him uncertainly.
His gaze registered nothing, so Dusk was still playing at chameleon in the wood.
Alex tried to disengage his arm. The ogre was having nothing of it. He dragged Alex towards the horses and the bowlegged figure of the spriggan. There were no other figures to be seen.
“Where’s Victoria?” He was shaken and starting to develop a nausea born of premonition. He repeated the question, shriller, desperate.
Zakknr and Bashru exchanged quick looks. Almost guilt. Most certainly relief.
With a frantic twist, Alex was free of the ogre. He glared about the clearing wildly.
No goblins. No girl. No damned assassin either, for that matter.
“What’s happened to her?” he yelled loud enough to momentarily quiet the night birds.
Zakknr waved a fist at him. “Gone.”
Simple. To the point. Devastating.
“Gone where?”
The spriggan shrugged. “Wandered off. Lost her. Not my fault.”
The ogre nodded assent. “Didn’t need female anyway.”
Alex gaped at him, past him to the spriggan. Neither looked particularly sympathetic. Where was the cursed assassin?
“Dusk, God damn it! Get out here!”
He was in no mood for shadow games. If these two idiots had lost Victoria, he damn sure trusted the assassin’s ability to find her. Surprisingly obedient, Dusk stepped into the clearing. Alex stabbed a finger at him.
“Did you hear that? She’s lost. We’ve got to find her.”
“No time,” Zakknr declared.
“Master’s expecting us.”
“The hell.” Alex whipped around.
“I’m not going anywhere until she’s safe. Your master can just rot.”
The ogre’s face twisted into a snarl.
The weaponless hand snapped out and struck a glancing blow. Alex’s world reeled. He did not quite fall. He staggered and fought for vision and balance and found no support save for his attacker. The same arm that had struck him wrapped about his waist and drew him in, half fainting. His feet left the ground as the ogre hefted him easily and turned to stride back to its nighthorse. Adrenaline born of panic brought his senses back in full force.
He started to struggle. The first real and desperate struggle he had put up since he had been brought to this place. He kicked and hit and used every dirty trick he’d been taught in the navy and all to no avail.
What held him was in no wise human and had no human weaknesses. All he achieved was a grunt and a tightening of the arm which threatened to
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