Red Leaves and the Living Token - By Benjamin David Burrell Page 0,88

him. She felt horrible. She had to help, to do something.

She looked back at the door where they brought her daughter in. She had two children here to worry about and now an angry father who looked like he was about to get himself killed. What a mess, she thought, as she climbed silently over the balcony while the two guarding her were consumed with the terror playing out below them.

-

Rinacht sat up in his cot. He swore he heard something in his tent. Perhaps it was just the wind. He searched the small table next to him for his lamp.

He'd given up trying to make himself useful and had retired early. He felt terrible seeing Emret and Moslin and not being able to do anything about it. As soon as the commander had found the Token he stopped listening to him. He'd even issued a command baring him from talking to Moslin and Emret.

He knew at some point they would probably need his help. He was starting to doubt more and more his influence here. What instruction had his uncle given the commander, he wondered. It made him nervous about his future, about how much his Uncle really was willing to forgive, even if he did deliver the token.

Finally, his fingers felt the cold metal of the lamp. But before he could light it, another flame sparked and filled the tent with light.

A massive Zo man in black armor stood over his cot holding an oil lamp.

Rinacht choked. It was Lord Barnus! That meant Valance! How did he find him here? The only reason he agreed to come back towards the mountain and consequently towards Valance was because he knew he'd be protected by an entire army. Despite the army, Barnus was now standing in his tent. How was this possible?

"Good evening Rinacht. Lord Valance sends you greetings." Lord Barnus smiled big, revealing his teeth. "We've been trying to find you. Seems we still owe you the second half of your money."

"Oh." He forced a smile and laughed nervously. "I'd completely forgotten."

"No you didn't." He leaned in closer. "We want what we paid you for!"

"How did you get in here? I could call the guards."

"You'd be dead before they arrived." Barnus backed away. "Besides, you're not on the top of their list right now."

Rinacht watched him intently. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. They've got what they need from you. Your lucky they haven't already sent you back from where you came from. He turned back to Rinacht.

"Or perhaps your uncle has something special planed for you when you get back. I could be wrong. Maybe your uncle is the forgiving type."

Rinacht shook his head. No, his uncle was not the forgiving type. He was the, hold a grudge but not let you know he was holding it, type.

"Lord Valance understands your position, your allegiance to your family. That's why he's willing to forgive your... momentary lapse in judgment."

Lord Barnus took off a satchel he had around his neck and opened it. "Its time you learned who your real friends are." He pulled two small daggers out of the satchel and placed them on Rinachts lap. He pulled a black breast plate and put it next to the daggers.

"What are these?"

"These are how I got in your tent. These are your freedom from your uncle. These are your future with us."

"What do you want me to do?"

Lord Barnus smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "That's my boy."

-

Emret sat on his cot staring at the shadows of the guards outside his tent. His wheel chair was halfway across the room. As if that were a way of keeping him from going anywhere. Move his chair across the room.

He was so frustrated at the situation. He knew he was getting close to finding what he, at one point, had thought was beyond hope. He was so close to finding his miracle. And now he sat here waiting. There had to be something he could do, somehow he could get the Token back.

As he was sitting there trying to concoct a plan, he noticed a strange glow coming through the back wall of his tent. It looked like a extremely bright light somewhere beyond that was shining through the canvas with a wide defused halo. Emret stared at it, perplexed. It’d have to be really bright or really close.

At the center of the halo was a shape, an irregular shape. He got out of bed and hobbled to his