Daughter of Hauk (The Raven Chronicles Book 1) (12 page)

              She shrugged off his vow and stood up, brushing some dirt off her skirts. “Keep practicing and it’ll get easier with time. I’ll see you in the morning.”  She waved good night and left him to his sleep.

              A few steps out of the tent, she ran almost straight into Mialee. A startled “Eep!” jumped out of her mouth before she realized who was in front of her. “Sorry, Mialee. I didn’t see you there. I must be more tired that I know.”  She smiled at her friend but the smile slowly drained from her face at the strange, almost angry, look on Mialee’s face.

              “What were you doing in there tonight, Arwenna?  You have your own tent to sleep in.”  There was a harshness to Mialee’s voice that Arwenna hadn’t heard before.

              “There was a meditation Senyan asked me to teach him. So I taught it to him. Is there a problem?”  A small idea began to form in the back of Arwenna’s mind.

              “Meditation? Is that what you’re calling it?” Arwenna finally began to recognize the tinge of jealousy in Mialee’s voice.

              She took a moment, trying to make sure Mialee couldn’t twist what she said. “I don’t care for your insinuation, Mialee. I assure you, nothing improper happened between me and Senyan. If you don’t mind, I’m going to bed.”  With that, she shoved her way past Mialee’s stony figure and found her own bed.

              The sound of metal being struck by a hammer invaded her memory like a blast of cold air. Pain shot through her fingers and hands, intensifying as she tried to move them unsuccessfully. Cold hands held her upright, her braid roughly jerked to one side. The tines in her comb scraped against her scalp, giving her some comfort in knowing it was still buried deep within. Her heart began to pound as she felt something being placed around her neck. Panic took over as she blacked out.

Chapter Fifteen

            
 
A
rwenna slowly began to regain consciousness, the recent events flooding into her mind. She jerked herself upright, only to collapse again from the pain that radiated from her hands. Looking down she saw the swollen and bruised digits that were once her fingers. She could not move any of them.               Desperate to take her mind off of the pain, she started to take stock of her surroundings a bit more thoroughly. A small bed sat behind her. Running off a central post, wooden beams loomed from the dark canvas top. Chairs and tables sat in recessed areas too dim to focus on. A small table with some food and a jug of water on the other side of the room beckoned her.  She leaned against the bed, using her elbows to regain her feet. A tugging on her neck stopped her just short of the table. She slowly turned to see a chain running behind her, one end secured to the central post. Tentatively, afraid of what she would find, her hands reached for her neck. The unmistakable feel of leather bound with steel met her palms as she found the collar around her neck. Ignoring the pain, she desperately searched for a clasp or some way to remove it. A small voice in her head whispered that he’d finally won. Arwenna screamed out, silencing the voice in her head as she collapsed on the floor in tears.

              After a few moments, Arwenna started to regain her composure. She tried to think of ways out of this place.
If nothing else
, she thought,
Barek and Y’Dürkie will raze this place trying to find me
. Memories of the last time she was a prisoner of Bohrs came flooding back and determination welled within her. She’d been through this before and survived. The sound of boots outside, and the tent flap being moved, alerted her to the presence of someone else.

              She sat silently on the ground, listening to the steady tread of his boots as he approached.               Swallowing the fear rising in her throat, Arwenna swore silently not to let him see her fear. A strong hand hauled her up and she brought her face up to meet his. The motion jarred her hands, causing the mind-numbing pain emanating from them to flare anew.

              He hadn’t changed much since the last time she had seen him. His face was still as hard, the same hunger burned in his black eyes. There was satisfaction mixed in there now, though. He thought she’d finally been tamed somehow, finally his to play with. She could feel his hand grab at her hair, yanking her face upward as he forced a kiss onto her. She bit down hard on the tongue forced into her mouth. Bohrs shoved her hard. Instinct took over and Arwenna reached out with her hands to break her fall. Pain seared through them once again, making her bite down on her lip to keep from crying out.

              “Bitch!” He screamed at her through clenched teeth, blood slowly trickling out of his mouth. A smile of satisfaction made its way through the pain and onto her face.

              “What’s wrong, Brother?”  She put every ounce of scorn and hatred she could into the word. “Find something that bites back?” Bohrs slapped her hard, knocking her head into the nearby tent post.

              The impact made Arwenna’s ears ring, dazing her slightly. More hands grabbed at her as she tried to clear the fog. The cold steel of shackles encircled her wrists. The disturbing sound of chain being pulled across a wooden timber penetrated her brain and she felt herself being pulled almost off the ground. Her feet scraped the carpet. Her arms had to support nearly all of her weight. Struggling to regain her breath, Arwenna faced Bohrs. He stood in front of her, a whip in his hand. Clamping her eyes tight, she bit down on her lip in an attempt to keep the screams inside. The first lash stung as it cut into her abdomen. She heard him move deliberately around her. The second landed across her shoulders. 

              Images of Joss began to float into her head, giving her something to focus on besides the whip that bit into her skin. The comfortable way she fit up next to him, the sense of security and safety she got when he was near. The way he smiled at her. Even now, she could feel him near, lending her strength to find a way through this and back to him.

              A cool breeze shocked her awake as it hit open skin. Night had fallen, and shadows danced in the room from lanterns making ominous shapes. A curtain had been drawn in the tent, separating her from the rest of it. Her arms ached from being held up in the shackles and chains for so long. What little remained of her dress now hung in rags from her shoulders. A soft voice carried in from the next room. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she recognized the voice of her old mentor, Father Morgyn.

              “I’m not sure why you risked so much to get her, Bohrs. Lord Corse told you to wait. That little raid of yours did nothing for us except give the enemy a taste of what he can expect.”  The priest’s voice crackled with age.

              “Because she’s
mine
!” came the reply from Bohrs. “I saw a chance and took it. There’s nothing that I sent out there today that will make that tame half-orc of hers think we’re this far away. He’s probably heading back north with his tail between his legs. After all,” he paused,” what hope does he have to come against us if he can’t even keep the one person safe who he’s set up as a figurehead?  His troops have to be deserting by the hundreds.”

              The partition moved and Arwenna found herself face to face with Father Morgyn. He’d aged considerably over the years since she set out from that little mining town. He met her steely gaze and slowly looked her up and down. For a moment, Arwenna saw a tinge of regret in his eyes, but the look was gone almost as quickly as it came.

              Turning away from her, he spoke to Bohrs. “At least do something about the wounds. For such a coveted prize, you don’t want her getting sick and dying on you. Then,
he’d
have a chance to collar her.” The emphasis on the word made Arwenna shudder involuntarily as they both left the tent. The world began to spin around her and welcome darkness overtook her.

              The feeling of cold salve roughly being applied to her wounds jolted her awake, a whimper of pain slipped past her parched lips. The unmistakable sound of Bohrs’ chuckle made Arwenna bite her cracked lips in an attempt to keep more from escaping. His hands traveled over her body, making her try even harder to keep the fear down. She moved her face away from his hot breath. His hand traveled down between her skirts and her skin cringed from the touch. Arwenna’s head jerked involuntarily away from his as he whispered into her ear, “There is much planning to be done today, my pet. But I will have you tonight, so be ready.”  He bit her earlobe painfully and grabbed at her crotch before stepping back from her.

              Arwenna turned her head and brought her own cold, hate-filled eyes to meet his. “What you want you’ll never get from me, Bohrs. I promise you that.”

              She watched his eyes narrow in thought for a moment before feeling his fist as it slammed against her jaw. Small lights danced before her eyes from the pain. “You’re going to break just like every other whore out there. I promise you that.” He threw her words back at her before leaving the room.

              Arwenna began to turn inward, drawing on that spark given to her by Hauk so many years ago. As long as she could hold onto that part of herself, Bohrs wouldn’t beat her and she knew it. Some long-forgotten prayer formed on her lips, and the words brought comfort. Still chanting the litany under her breath, she lapsed into a trance designed to give her strength for the trials to come. Images began to float in and out of her vision. Y’Dürkie and Joss galloped through a forest as if pursuing someone or something. Y’Dürkie’s great warhorse drenched with sweat, an arrow in its flank. Joss drawing on every bit of magic he had to heal the wounded animal. His eyes were closed, but Arwenna felt the threads of what magic he had left being sent to help her survive until they could find her.

              Her arms felt the tension in the chain holding them aloft go slack. Legs that had too long supported her weight buckled and she fell in a heap to the floor. The relief in her arms was greater than the pain in her fingers as they hit the floor. She took a moment to draw a breath and gather herself before raising her head. Bohrs stood before her, the chain leading to her collar wrapped around one fist. The look of hunger in his eyes was unmistakable. Arwenna swallowed hard, trying to quell the fear that rose quickly. She crawled away from him slowly, attempting to put some distance between the two of them.

              A hard jerk on the chain propelled her towards him; a strong hand on her arm hoisted her to her feet. The sound the chain made as Bohrs methodically wrapped it around his fist, tightening up the slack to her collar, grated in her ears. “It’s time, Sister.” His voice was almost a growl. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep the fear out of her eyes any longer. Bohrs’ own eyes brightened at the sight of her fear, only to darken in pain. The chain dropped to the floor with a metallic thud. She scurried backward, out of reach. Gaping from his chest was the point of a sword, blood dripped from the tip.

              “Your need for flesh has always gotten in the way of your ambition, Bohrs.” Senyan’s familiar voice drifted quietly across the room as a form took shape behind Bohrs.

              Arwenna gaped in horror as Senyan’s form was revealed behind Bohrs crumpled body. The handsome elf she’d once known and loved was gone, replaced by a demonic grimace. Slowly coming to her wits, she sensed Senyan wasn’t fully human anymore. Her eyes widened as she felt the collar around her neck unlock from unseen hands. It floated towards Senyan, who plucked it out of the air. The shackles on her hands dropped to the ground.

              Glowing orange eyes met hers. “We’re even, Arwenna. Any debt I had to you is repaid. You have an hour to leave this camp or this,” he held up the collar and chain, “goes back around your neck and I’ll be holding the other end.”

              Taking a minute to gather her racing thoughts, she swallowed some of the cold night air. “Senyan, whatever happened in the past, whatever I did, it wasn’t a conscious choice. We still want to help you.”

              “Help me?” His laughter rang in her ears, hollow and mirthless. “You’ve helped enough, Cleric!” He sneered at her. “If it wasn’t for your ‘kindness’, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Leave now, and don’t look back. If I see you again, I won’t be at all inclined to be merciful.”  The chain in his hand rattled ominously.

              Arwenna blanched at the hatred in his voice and began to slowly back out of the room. Her hands found the flap to the door and she darted through it. Taking a moment to find the woods in the dark, she started to run. Every now and then, she slowed to maneuver around a campsite where creatures were still awake, but they didn’t seem to take notice of her. The lack of a moon helped, but she still moved as if pursued. She halted near a large tree at the edge of the forest, pausing to look back to see if she was being chased. A familiar face stepped out of the darkness, startling Arwenna.

              “Get out of here, Arwenna. You’re not wanted.”  Mialee’s green eyes shone bright in the darkness.

              “Mialee? How? Why?” Arwenna’s voice cracked with emotion at the realization of her fears.

              “You don’t have much time left, Arwenna. He’s
mine
, and I want you long gone from here before he decides to do something else with you.” Jealousy ran rampant on Mialee’s face.

              Arwenna considered pleading with her friend for a moment, but the stony look on her face kept her from voicing an argument. Unable to hold back the tears, she darted off into the forest at a dead run. She knew not where she should run, but it would be far from here.