Gail rested her head on her arms as the wind tussled her hair from her high vantage point on the hill above the smelting grounds. She had been lying on the ground long enough for the cold to seep deep into her bones. She didn't know when she would ever feel warm again.
Climbing slowly to her feet, she backed away from the ledge, staring down at the strange geometric lines drawn on the icy plateau below. Even from a distance she could see thick, orange liquid flowing through the channels as the lords stood at intersections with their staffs held vertical in both hands. A strange chemical smell lingered in the air, catching at the back of her throat as she backed away from the ledge, trying to stay out of sight.
'Do you see anything interesting?' a deep voice said behind her.
Gail turned with a sense of panic already rising up inside her. A figure stood before her beneath the brooding black sky. His long black robe fluttered in the wind behind him and his pale faced stared back at her from the shadows of his hood as his eyes watched her like a hawk.
'Who are you?' she said, taking a step towards the ledge behind her.
'You can call me Lord Rosha.'
A thin smile formed on his lips as he stepped towards her. Gail glanced over her shoulder towards the ledge behind her. She could jump but it was a long way down and her fall would be painful, tumbling over large jagged rocks. She didn't know if she would make it to the bottom in one piece.
More lords waited on the smelting grounds below. They weren't aware of her yet but that wouldn't be the case for long. It was a hopeless case, but then what other options did she have?
Leaning back, she tried to jump but a strong hand grasped her robe, yanking her back before she could fall. She stumbled a few steps and fell heavily on her wrist, banging her hip on the cold, hard rock. The pain was excruciating.
She tried to run but Rosha pounced on her, grabbing her by the hair before dragging her along the ground as she twisted and kicked her heels behind her. Her boots slid back and forth across the ground, leaving a trail dirty foot marks in the snow. She had little choice but to grip his hand with her own, fearing he might tear the hair from her head.
'Let me go,' she said between gasps and cries. 'I can walk on my own.'
'Maybe you thought to run?' Rosha said. 'Nothing you can do will make a difference now. Do you understand?'
Gail struggled, scraping her back against the ground as Rosha dragged her across a wide clearing and down a steep grassy slope that descended between tall trees on either side. It was the same route she had taken to escape the smelting grounds and now he was taking her back where she had started. There was nothing she could do about it. Panic rose up inside her a she realised that she had no answer this time.