“Do not trouble yourself in future. We have others that bring them.”
“I understand.”
“You will be met in Bulov in three days.” The Shadow rode into the forest.
Silas tapped Vala with his boot. That’s that, then. No money either.
All interactions with Shadows were brief and to the point, but he was always glad when they’d left. He’d expected to become accustomed to their presence over time, but nineteen years hadn’t done it yet.
Mara couldn’t see or move. His head and neck ached. Something covered his eyes, and his wrists and ankles were tied tightly to what felt like a hard wooden chair. “Hello?”
He tried to fidget free, but whatever he was tied with cut into his wrists. The chair didn’t move when he tried to rock it. He felt sick, and his breathing sped up. I shouldn’t have come here. I should have gone back to that village.
A key rattled in a lock in front of him, then a door squealed open. Footsteps echoed. When the thing took his blindfold off, he wanted it to put it back on. The candlelight shone on the smooth black mask inside its hood, with no eyes, nose, or mouth. It stepped back and sat in a chair opposite him, its tight-fitting black clothes almost blending with the darkness behind it.
“What is your name?” A man’s voice and he sounded posh, like the high-class in Talon.
Mara looked at his painful wrists, red raw from the rope. “Sc –” He had to stop himself from using his old name. “Mara.”
The man sat in silence.
“Are you a Shadow?”
“I believe you know the answer to that question.”
Mara frowned. What kind of way is that to answer a question?
“Where are you from?” the Shadow said.
“Talon.”
“North Spring?”
“Yes.”
“A delightful place. How old are you?”
“Ten.”
The Shadow crossed its legs, tapped a foot in the air, and said nothing. Is it looking at me? The black mask looked like something out of a nightmare.
“Very peculiar,” the Shadow said.
“I don’t know what that means.”
“Why would you? I have a predicament, you see. Do you know what predicament means?”
“No.” Why is it talking like that?
“It means I have a difficult decision to make.”
Mara didn’t reply.
“You see… you have seriously wounded one of my brothers. An offence punishable by death.”
The sick feeling in Mara’s stomach became worse. He didn’t want to die. It wasn’t his fault. I was just defending myself. I don’t even want to be here.
“However, the manner in which you did so is fascinating.” The Shadow uncrossed and recrossed its legs. “How does an untrained boy from Talon… in such a malnourished condition… outwit a Brother of Shadows?”