Inktober Day 25: Dangerous

 Chapter 20

Wendell awoke to the sound of laughter. He started, whipping around to reach for the sword the sentry at Tirmagach had given him, only to find nothing there.

“Now, now sir knight,” he heard a cold, haughty voice. “Be a good lad and don’t fight.”

He turned and saw two cloaked figures, one holding his sword, and between them Kandra, holding the dagger Magda had stashed by the side of their makeshift bed.

“Where is your annoying little princess?” Kandra smiled and then men came toward Wendell with bonds. He scrambled to his feet, making a break for the horse tied up in the corner. Kandra tutted and raised her dagger, and he was suddenly yanked backward.

“Don’t make this difficult, my dear,” she said. “I do not use this against you lightly. It would be easier if you submitted to my men.”

The men came forward again, and there was truly nothing Wendell could do to stop them.

Magda looked this way and that, breathing heavily. She had not seen this golden hue emitted from her circlet before and she did not know what it meant, but she knew one thing for certain. Her plan was more dangerous than she had originally imagined.

How could she have thought of walking off alone into the night without Wendell? Why had she trusted this star to guide her? She did not even know what it was or where it came from. She thought back to that night in the woods when she and Wendell first set out, how it had given her light then, but was it always helpful? Was she led astray this time?

She continued swimming, slowly chilling to the bone until she finally made it to the other side. It seemed the circlet was done giving off warmth. Unfortunately, being out of the water was not much better.

How could she have been so foolish? She was exhausted, being unused to such physical exertion and sat on the bank for a few minutes catching her breath. It was utterly dark except for the golden glow from her cold circlet, and she did not know where she was. 

She tried to keep her breathing even, but she was scared. Even if she tried to get back to the farm where Wendell was sleeping, how would she avoid those beasts Jon and Tabitha had warned them of?

Oh, Wendell. She put her head in her hands and wept. What if he was awaking this very moment to find her missing, no clue of where she was? How wretched she was to have done this to him. 

She sat there, head in her hands, thinking of what to do, when she heard a voice from the other side of the lake.