Redemption of Thieves: Legends of Dimmingwood, Book 4 by Greenwood C

Author:Greenwood, C. [Greenwood, C.]
Language: eng
Format: azw
Tags: Legends of Dimmingwood, Book IV
Published: 2014-01-13T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

The sudden stillness was thick on the air. A night bird screeched in the distance. My breathing and that of the companions around me seemed loud in the darkness. The quiet lasted only a few heartbeats and then was split by a series of terrified screams nearby.

We all scrambled to see what was happening. I put my face to the bars, Terrac following my example, and together we watched the scene unfolding in the clearing. Dark figures in feathers and hides moved among the cages, spears held aloft, the distant glow of the fires revealing splashes of scarlet paint standing out on their pale flesh. The result was hideous, the feathers and animal skins giving the impression of giant beasts walking upright, while the red paint looked like smears of blood.

They flung open doors of cages I hadn’t realized were occupied and dragged out terrified men, women and children, who wailed and wept and tried to plunge away from them. These prisoners were from my province. I recognized the homespun clothing of woodsfolk and the flashes of sun-darkened skin that stood out against the pale flesh of our Skeltai captors.

The savages’ spears flashed out to lodge into any who tried to escape the lines they were being shepherded into. It was obvious the captives lacked the strength or courage to save themselves, and they quickly fell into order. Skeltai warriors moved down their ranks with grim efficiency, mercilessly silencing protesters and cutting loose those they killed from the ropes binding them to their partners.

A numbed silence descended, broken only by the guttural grunts of the savages giving one another orders. The lines began to move out of the clearing, toward the firelight glowing through the trees. I knew these kidnapped woodsfolk went to a horrible fate, one I was powerless to prevent.

As if reading my thoughts, Terrac squeezed my hand. “Reconsidering trading the bow?” he whispered.

I licked my lips. “Maybe.”

“You told me once you’d die before you’d be parted from it.”

“That was before I dreamed anybody would take me up on it.”

There was no time to say more. The door of our cage was thrown open and several dark figures plunged into our midst, hefting threatening spears and herding us away from the walls and toward the door. During the jostling Terrac’s hand slipped from mine and I let it go.

We were shoved roughly into a double line and quickly rebound, tied wrist to wrist and ankle to ankle with one another, each pair secured by a longer stretch of rope to the one behind it. There was just enough rope to allow walking but none of us would be able to break into a run without tripping the others or dragging them along. It reminded me of a silly race I used to see children playing in the woods villages. I’d laughed with them then but it was far less amusing now.

Our captors never turned their eyes from us until we were all secured in this fashion. Then we filed out the door and into the open.

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