dragonhunter did not seem concerned by Elian’s silence.
‘I’m going to tie you up now, boy,’ he said. ‘I’ll not risk my men making a foolish error that might allow you to slip away. We’ll be lighting the fire
shortly, so you won’t freeze. Now put your hands behind your back.’
Elian stared defiantly into the man’s strange eyes and did not move.
‘We can do this the easy way, or the hard way,’ Kasau said, his soft voice impassive as he met Elian’s stare with a cold, heartless expression. ‘It’s your choice. I
care not.’
The dragonhunter pulled a length of cord from a pocket and wound one end around each hand to form a garrotte. Elian maintained his stare for another few heartbeats before relenting with a sigh.
He placed his hands meekly behind his back.
‘Ah, you do have some intelligence then. That’s good. I like to see that in a boy.’
With swift efficiency, Kasau tied Elian’s hands together. Despite Elian’s best efforts to work some slack into the cord as the dragonhunter bound him, subsequent testing proved the
knots to be well tied. Kasau then bound Elian’s ankles together, and pushed him to the ground. A third piece of cord was used to join the two sets of knots together. He left about a handspan
of cord running between the wrist and ankle knots, allowing Elian some flexibility to alter his position, but not much.
By the time Kasau had finished, Elian realised that although he could manoeuvre his body to lie on one side or the other, he could not roll through a full three hundred and sixty degrees. He was
helpless. Within moments the shame and frustration of his situation built within him until tears began to well. He had been a dragonrider for a day and already he had failed Aurora so badly that
she might die.
‘Give it up, boy,’ Kasau ordered. ‘There’s nothing you can do. Get some rest. It’ll be over soon enough. When we have your dragon, you’ll be
released.’
Elian did not believe Kasau for a heartbeat. The dragonhunters could not let him go. Once they had killed Ra, they would have no choice but to kill him as well. He had to escape. It was easy
enough said, but how?
Darkness fell swiftly under the leafy canopy. Dusk had barely settled before the blanket of night smothered the campsite. The guards lit the fire and sat idly chatting about how they would spend
their fortunes, whilst Elian secretly worked to free his hands and feet.
Throughout the evening he felt the ground around him for a stone with a sharp edge, or anything that he might use to cut through the cord. Pretending to seek a more comfortable position was not
difficult, for in reality he never achieved one. He moved frequently, shuffling his body a little at a time to extend his search, but he found nothing. Hiding his straining muscles from the guards
with careful body positioning, he flexed against the cord until the pain became unbearable. He tried so hard he felt sure he was in danger of breaking his wrists, but the cords remained as tight as
ever.
Eventually, late into the night, exhaustion caught up with him and he slipped into a troubled sleep. Waking with a start, the first thing Elian noticed was that his hands and feet were totally
numb, as was the whole of his right arm from having slept on it for some hours.
‘Be strong, Elian. We’ll be together soon.’
It was Ra! She was nearby.
‘No, Ra! You mustn’t! They’ve set traps for you. They’ll kill you. Please stay away,’
he thought, focusing hard to project his words loud and clear.
Even as he completed the thought, he noticed Kasau silently waking those men still under blankets.
‘She’s back,’ he whispered as he shook them. ‘Get to your positions.’
If he had not been so frantic with worry, Elian would probably have admired the men for their response. They melted into the trees in the pre-dawn half-light without a sound. Having roused his
men, Kasau made a final check on Elian’s bonds.
‘It
‘I’m going to tie you up now, boy,’ he said. ‘I’ll not risk my men making a foolish error that might allow you to slip away. We’ll be lighting the fire
shortly, so you won’t freeze. Now put your hands behind your back.’
Elian stared defiantly into the man’s strange eyes and did not move.
‘We can do this the easy way, or the hard way,’ Kasau said, his soft voice impassive as he met Elian’s stare with a cold, heartless expression. ‘It’s your choice. I
care not.’
The dragonhunter pulled a length of cord from a pocket and wound one end around each hand to form a garrotte. Elian maintained his stare for another few heartbeats before relenting with a sigh.
He placed his hands meekly behind his back.
‘Ah, you do have some intelligence then. That’s good. I like to see that in a boy.’
With swift efficiency, Kasau tied Elian’s hands together. Despite Elian’s best efforts to work some slack into the cord as the dragonhunter bound him, subsequent testing proved the
knots to be well tied. Kasau then bound Elian’s ankles together, and pushed him to the ground. A third piece of cord was used to join the two sets of knots together. He left about a handspan
of cord running between the wrist and ankle knots, allowing Elian some flexibility to alter his position, but not much.
By the time Kasau had finished, Elian realised that although he could manoeuvre his body to lie on one side or the other, he could not roll through a full three hundred and sixty degrees. He was
helpless. Within moments the shame and frustration of his situation built within him until tears began to well. He had been a dragonrider for a day and already he had failed Aurora so badly that
she might die.
‘Give it up, boy,’ Kasau ordered. ‘There’s nothing you can do. Get some rest. It’ll be over soon enough. When we have your dragon, you’ll be
released.’
Elian did not believe Kasau for a heartbeat. The dragonhunters could not let him go. Once they had killed Ra, they would have no choice but to kill him as well. He had to escape. It was easy
enough said, but how?
Darkness fell swiftly under the leafy canopy. Dusk had barely settled before the blanket of night smothered the campsite. The guards lit the fire and sat idly chatting about how they would spend
their fortunes, whilst Elian secretly worked to free his hands and feet.
Throughout the evening he felt the ground around him for a stone with a sharp edge, or anything that he might use to cut through the cord. Pretending to seek a more comfortable position was not
difficult, for in reality he never achieved one. He moved frequently, shuffling his body a little at a time to extend his search, but he found nothing. Hiding his straining muscles from the guards
with careful body positioning, he flexed against the cord until the pain became unbearable. He tried so hard he felt sure he was in danger of breaking his wrists, but the cords remained as tight as
ever.
Eventually, late into the night, exhaustion caught up with him and he slipped into a troubled sleep. Waking with a start, the first thing Elian noticed was that his hands and feet were totally
numb, as was the whole of his right arm from having slept on it for some hours.
‘Be strong, Elian. We’ll be together soon.’
It was Ra! She was nearby.
‘No, Ra! You mustn’t! They’ve set traps for you. They’ll kill you. Please stay away,’
he thought, focusing hard to project his words loud and clear.
Even as he completed the thought, he noticed Kasau silently waking those men still under blankets.
‘She’s back,’ he whispered as he shook them. ‘Get to your positions.’
If he had not been so frantic with worry, Elian would probably have admired the men for their response. They melted into the trees in the pre-dawn half-light without a sound. Having roused his
men, Kasau made a final check on Elian’s bonds.
‘It
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