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11

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“Lady this is futile,” exclaimed Baldo, when the cell door was slammed shut. “Use your magic and get us out of here.”

“I can’t, Baldo,” said the Lady. “Isla has Ferol. I know she’ll kill him if we try to escape.”

The cell they were in was dark with a high barred, narrow window. A wrist thick bar, with a six-inch bolt on the outside, held the heavy iron door locked. The floor of their prison was strewn with straw, some of which was matted with old blood.

“Lady,” said Baldo, nodding to Feverfew. “The Special boy will have to be sacrificed. Our quest is much more important than any one of us.” He shook his head. “We don’t have much time. We can’t stay here. We have to escape.”

The Lady sighed. “You’re right, Baldo, but I don’t want to risk Ferol’s life.” Frowning, she shook her head. “I can’t risk getting him killed.” 

“Lady, he will die anyway, if we don’t get out of here and find the amulet,” said Baldo quietly. With a heavy sigh he sat down.

Feverfew studied the Lady. She looked worried. If only my magic would come, she thought, perhaps I could help. But she knew if the Lady or Orleo had wanted out of the cell they could have easily blasted the door apart. It was because Isla held Ferol captive that was preventing them from escaping.

****

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An hour later they heard the door being opened and there stood Alatia and Salter.

“Quick,” hissed Salter. “The guards have been bribed, but they won’t stay away for long.”

The Lady frowned. “Salter, we can’t go, not without Ferol.”

“He’s gone,” said the boy. “And so has Isla.”

“Gone?” exclaimed the Lady.

“Thirty minutes ago,” said Alatia. “Lady, if my husband found out we have helped you, he would have us executed.”

“Then why have you taken such a chance?” exclaimed the Lady.

“For my son. I... I want you to take him with you.”

“No!” shouted Baldo.

The Lady frowned as she studied the small boy.

“Valter beats him. He will kill him one day,” explained Alatia. Tears brimmed her eyes. “Salter is... is not my husband's son. Salter’s father died shortly before he was born. Valter hates Salter. Please Lady, please take him with you... ”

“You know the quest we are on is dangerous. He might be killed anyway,” said Orleo.

“I’d rather he was with you. Besides, Salter wants to go with you.” Alatia smiled at her son.

“Lady no,” exclaimed Baldo. “We’ll have enough to do looking after ourselves, never mind watching out for the boy. He has no magic. He will hold us back.”

“I wouldn’t,” exclaimed Salter. “I can travel as fast as any of your mounts. I can hunt. I can track anything. Please Lady.”

The Lady smiled at him. “You’re a very brave boy,” she said quietly and thoughtfully.

“No, I'm not,” exclaimed Salter. “But I won’t hold you back.”

The Lady turned to Orleo. “Orleo, what do you think?”

“If he does not hold us back, then I can see no harm in him coming with us, and perhaps we owe him.”

“Very well,” said the Lady, holding up her hand to stop Baldo’s objections. “You may come with us, Salter.”

Smiling, Salter turned to his mother, then suddenly his face grew sad and they were hugging each other tightly.

A short while later, the Lady and the others were following Alatia along the corridor, heading quickly up rows of steps to the lower castle floors.

****

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They were just coming through the door, heading for a wide room that led into the courtyard, when suddenly Valter was there. Beside him stood three Gourgers. Glaring at Alatia he shouted, “You have betrayed me! For that you will die!”

“No!” shouted Baldo, stepping in front of the queen. “You will have to kill me first.”

Valter glared at the General. Smiling, he withdrew a sword, with a blade almost as long as a fence post. “Then I will have to kill you, little man,” he hissed, suddenly leaping at Baldo, swinging the sword at the same time. The point of his blade missed Baldo by a hairs breadth, skiting on the hard stone floor, sending sparks flying into the air.

Baldo, who had no weapon, leapt for Valter's throat.

Together, the king and the General fell to the floor, rolling over and over trying to get a better grip on each other. As they did, Valter’s sword fell from his hand.

In an instant both the General and the king were on their feet.

“A sword!” screamed the king to one of the Gourgers.

But as the guard reached to hand him one, the Lady waved her hand. Balled magic shot from her to hit the Gourger on the head. With a shocked cry he slumped to the floor.

“Now, Valter!” screamed Baldo. “We both have the same advantage.”

“I don’t need a weapon to kill you!” shouted Valter, leaping at the General. But Baldo was too quick. With a roll he was under the taller man, kicking hard up into his stomach. With a gasp, as the breath was knocked from him, Valter scrambled to his feet, then before Baldo could roll out of the way, he leapt at him again. Huge hands gripped Baldo’s neck. As they rolled over and over, Feverfew and the others could see the General's face turning blue. But suddenly, a hard fist exploded into the king’s nose. The crack, as Valter's nose broke, echoed around the room. They parted.

Rising unsteadily to his feet, Baldo rubbed at his neck trying to get a breath. At the same time, Valter was holding his nose. With blood pumping from it he screamed a curse then leaped at Baldo again. Feinting to his left, Baldo stuck out his left foot. With a cry Valter flew at the wall. The crack, as his head hit the wall was as loud as his nose being broken. With a gasp he fell unconscious.

The two Gourgers stared at their king, then, crying out with fear, they turned and fled.

****

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Half an hour later, Alatia, her son and the small company, were leaving the castle. Shortly, the queen was saying goodbye to her son once more.

“Don't worry about me, Salter,” she said smiling. “There's a place near the mountains where I'll be safe. I've been prepared for something like this for over a year. I'll hide there until this is all over. Valter will never find me.” She sniffed. “Salter, don't... don't... forget about me... ”

Reaching to hug her tightly, Salter cried, “I'll never forget you, mother. Never! When this is all over I'll come back for you.”

“Go now. Go with the Lady,” whispered Alatia, tears brimming her eyes as she glanced at the Lady.

****

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When they were riding away from the mountains, along the edge of the Strellaham, Feverfew saw Salter looking back at the lonely figure of his mother waving. There were tears in his eyes. 

“You’ll see her again, Salter,” she whispered.

“Will I?” he said quietly.

Feverfew nodded.

Baldo frowned. He didn’t think any of them would see Alatia again. If Valter found her, he would probably would kill her. He wondered now about the Special. Where was Ferol? Was he all right?