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Tobias continued, "That’s when the soldiers told the driver about your death They even showed hi fronized it as the saether"

"Fink saw them too?"

"We all saw it, Jaron, and it was all any of us could do in thatout Fink even rose to attack them but I held him back" Tobias licked his lips "It was the worst news of my life, and no better for the others It took several minutes after the soldiers left before Aain, Tobias shook his head "I tried to persuade A before word spread of your death She felt that Carthyans would look to the throne for leadership and that so back to Drylliad"

The idea of that was insane If the soldiers who stopped those thieves knew the princess was in Avenia, they’d turn the country inside out to search for her And Isel was their closest escape Retracing their steps all the way back to Carthya was far too dangerous, and I told Tobias so

"I agree," he protested "But she’s the princess and I’m her servant If she wanted to return to Carthya, I had no choice but to follow Fink went on to By theer and had to remind myself to stay quiet "You sent him off alone?"

"He insisted he could do it And he is Avenian, so his chances of getting past any soldiers are decent We had no choice, Jaron"

Maybe not, but I still didn’t like it "How’d you get captured?" I asked hiht and I heard a noise in the darkness I crept out to investigate and the soldiers found edwith any trace of her trail"

I felt terrified for what had happened to the princess since then, and by the expression on Tobias’s face, he felt the saht of ould happen if she was also captured was unbearable, made even worse since I had become so helpless here

No more It was time to break free from this place

Despite my best intentions to find an escape from the Avenian camp, the realities of our situation coe, their work on me intensified Even if the opportunity for escape arose,Tobias offered to help where he could, but his treatment was little better than et worse for hien, Tobias and I were questioned about the plans for the war, this tier’s h just to be there, with a clear view of the hill where Ien had stood only days before I repeatedly scanned the ridge, hoping against reason to see her, and then ain, back for another of their endless lines of questions

"How many soldiers have you kept in Drylliad?" Terrowic asked

"Don’t answer that!" Tobias begged, which earned hi on his breath, and I felt the same pain within e ust,it out of you if we must"

"No, you can’t do that," I mumbled It wasn’t their intentions I doubted, only the reality that there was nothing inbehind only the dregs of any spirit I ht have had once