“Looking for who?” I ask with faux curiosity.
“Andrina Tanith.”
I shrug. “Don’t know her.”
“Don’t play games with me, Wyatt. I know you’re lying.” He holds up his hand, pointing to the silver ring on his finger, its large blue sapphire lustres against the light of the fire. “This ring burns my skin whenever someone lies to me. And it pisses me off. Where is she?”
I gulp hard. Well, isn’t that a handy little trinket, a truth finder ring. What next, a presence sensing necklace?
Caelan rises, walking over to his table at the far end of the room, overflowing with sensational-smelling food and a flagon of wine. He pours two goblets and hands one to me.
“You’re protective of her? Good. She’ll need it. I presume you know her story?” Reluctantly, I nod. “I was a commander for her grandfather. I swore on my life to protect the Tanith’s. I failed them. But I can help Andrina.”
Studying his body language, he appears to be truthful, although I don’t have one of those fanciful rings.
“She left for Yiren to find a priest who could help with her magic. Though that was weeks ago, I have no idea where she is now.” I lower my head, shaking it. “I promised to look after her family—our family, and failed. I need to find them.”
Caelan gathers the men around in a quiet discussion, murmuring to each other. The chief watches their expressions and the tones of their voices. I focus on the hut. To my right is a desk, overrun with parchments and a covered map; some silver goblets, and a table full of bread rolls, cured ham, cheese slices, along with cut fruit resting beside a pile of plates.
To my left is a rack, filled with weapons, bows and arrows, crossbows, long and short swords, rapiers, daggers, the list is endless. My eyes light up at the sight. I imagine learning to use them, bopping around the battlefield like Myles did at the temple. Slicing and stabbing my enemies, feeling their lives drift away.
The dirt-covered floor stings my knees. I wriggle around, trying to bring feeling back to my numbing feet. One of the men stops and turns to me. I pause, in a now awkward position, and wait patiently while my whole body aches.
The talking stops, the men gaze at each other in silence, then, with a quick nod from Caelan, a man saunters over to me. Taking a dagger from its sheath, he spins it in his hand. He’s going to kill me. I close my eyes, waiting for the strike.
But it doesn’t come, I feel a swipe at the rope on my wrists as he slits them free.
I rub my wrists where the rope has chafed, it stings, but I ignore the pain because I’m finally free. I honestly thought I was done for. Caelan motions for me to sit in a chair beside him. I stand on shaky legs that tingle as they slowly but surely wake up.
“Hungry? Thirsty?”
I nod, he indicates to one of the men who walks over to the table of food and then hands me a goblet and a plate.
I cautiously take the goblet from him, wary of what it contains, but the sweet fruit smell is too appealing, so I gulp it down in one go. The cured ham melts in my mouth, and my stomach grumbles in delight.
Worried it’ll be the last I see for a while, I stuff it all in my mouth. Caelan watches me with a sympathetic smile on his face.
“We are the Unbound. A group of people who have come together to live peaceful lives, since our towns and villages had been ransacked or brutalised. We take justice into our own hands. Here, we are a family, albeit a dysfunctional one, but we look out for our own.” He motions to his men.
The men grunt and ‘Aye’ in agreement.
“I know you want to leave and find your family; I can’t stop you. But I wouldn’t recommend doing that alone. Untrained, you will be dead within a week. If you choose to stay here, we could help you, train you. Together we can find your family.”
“Stay here? After you threw me in a pit and left me there?” I scoff.
“It was nothing personal. If we really wanted to hurt you, we would have put you in the clifftop cage, where predators roam and feed.”
Oh great, guess I should be thankful. “You would help me find them?”
Caelan nods, “There are tests to pass first, but yes.”
Tests? What kind of tests could there be? It doesn’t matter what they are, I have no choice. I have to pass them if I want to help Nia and Elana. “Okay, I’ll stay. But I want to go out and find them as soon as I can.”
“Let’s welcome Wyatt.” One by one, the men introduce themselves. I’ll try to let go of my grudges for Nia and Elana’s sake. I’ll train and become better, tougher. I won’t fail again.
“My name is Arel, from Nymanora.” He holds his hand on his heart and bows his head. “Caelan found me wandering, many moons ago, and brought me to this… sanctuary. I’m lucky to call it home, as will you.”
I recognise a few who deigned to visit me in my muddy abode. Arel, the elf. Aron, the one I spilled my secrets to. Kaleb, thebig guy who came with Arel, I underestimated his stature. And Izaac, the shy guy who came with Aron.
