and switched in on. I'd picked it up from home after the episode on the Dragon World. I had vowed to myself that never again would my boxers remain hidden in the dark at a critical moment.
“Just point it where you want to see,” I said, handing it to Urda. She moved the narrow beam of light around the cellar. She stopped and held it on a bundle of rags someone had thrown in a corner.
“Anna, it's me.”
The rags moved and I saw a couple of eyes appear. Urda moved the light so it wasn't blinding the girl and she stood to reveal an emaciated child of ten or eleven. She was filthy and I thought I could see bruises under the dirt on her face.
As soon as she stood it was clear that Anna couldn't get out of the cellar as she would be unable to reach the hatch. Urda lay on the floor and offered a hand to the girl. I don't think it took her any effort at all for Urda to lift her out of the cellar.
“Don't take her. She's all we've got,” Urda's mother pleaded. When I looked at her she shied away in terror.
Urda wiped the hair away from Anna's face and kissed her forehead. Then she rounded on her parents.
“Still beating up your children to show you're a man, Father.”
The man cringed away from her.
“Don't torture us. We meant no harm.”
“I'm taking my sister and you'll never see me or her again.”
“Take her. Just don't hurt us,” he begged. He dropped to his knees and put his arms up in supplication. “Please don't hurt us.”
Urda stared at her parents in contempt.
“I used to look up to you. Hop us back, Jake.”
There was something not quite right about this whole situation. Things were moving too fast and I wanted to take a few moments to try to work out exactly what the wrongness was.
“You take her. I'll be along in a few minutes.”
Urda nodded, took her sister by the hand and vanished. Her mother gave a wail of despair and fell to the floor weeping.
“Who do you think we are?” I asked her father, who knelt before me with his head bowed.
“Demons who take and torture, bringing bodies back to leave them rotting in the streets. The servants of the devil who rules Barren.”
Urda's father stopped and seemed to think better of what he'd said.
“Our Masters, and we your humble servants. We give you our daughter, Anna. Use her as you wish, but spare your servants.”
Well that made it all much clearer, didn't it? I gave up and hopped to Urda's room.
Chapter Eighteen: Deeper In
Urda was wiping Anna's face with a wet cloth. As the dirt came away the damage below became more visible. I felt sick. I often do when confronted with what the strong do to the weak. Urda didn't want me here, but I couldn't leave until I knew she didn't need anything more from me, so I stood like an idiot and waited for her to notice I was there.
The door flew open and smashed against the wall. Anna screamed and magic flowed as Urda and I put up shields. Shields we dropped a few seconds later as my brides-to-be strode into the room.
“What the hell do you two think…?” Jenny stopped in mid-sentence as she saw Anna. “Oh.”
Esmeralda stood a little behind Jenny and I noticed that a couple of servants were behind them by the door. Esmeralda took in the scene and addressed us.
“We were concerned when we heard that you and Urda had been alone in her room for several hours. I see our concerns were unfounded.”
Urda's face flushed red. She put an arm around her sister who was cowering. “It's all right Anna, these are my friends.”
Jenny sidled up to me and nudged me in the ribs to whisper. “Who is she?”
“Ladies,” I said grandly. “May I introduce Urda's younger sister, Anna Bretch. We've just returned from her world where we visited Urda's parents. Anna doesn't know the language of Salice and I think you're frightening her.”
“We should leave,” Jenny said quickly. “The poor child needs time to adjust.” She grabbed my hand and started for the door. I resisted and
“Just point it where you want to see,” I said, handing it to Urda. She moved the narrow beam of light around the cellar. She stopped and held it on a bundle of rags someone had thrown in a corner.
“Anna, it's me.”
The rags moved and I saw a couple of eyes appear. Urda moved the light so it wasn't blinding the girl and she stood to reveal an emaciated child of ten or eleven. She was filthy and I thought I could see bruises under the dirt on her face.
As soon as she stood it was clear that Anna couldn't get out of the cellar as she would be unable to reach the hatch. Urda lay on the floor and offered a hand to the girl. I don't think it took her any effort at all for Urda to lift her out of the cellar.
“Don't take her. She's all we've got,” Urda's mother pleaded. When I looked at her she shied away in terror.
Urda wiped the hair away from Anna's face and kissed her forehead. Then she rounded on her parents.
“Still beating up your children to show you're a man, Father.”
The man cringed away from her.
“Don't torture us. We meant no harm.”
“I'm taking my sister and you'll never see me or her again.”
“Take her. Just don't hurt us,” he begged. He dropped to his knees and put his arms up in supplication. “Please don't hurt us.”
Urda stared at her parents in contempt.
“I used to look up to you. Hop us back, Jake.”
There was something not quite right about this whole situation. Things were moving too fast and I wanted to take a few moments to try to work out exactly what the wrongness was.
“You take her. I'll be along in a few minutes.”
Urda nodded, took her sister by the hand and vanished. Her mother gave a wail of despair and fell to the floor weeping.
“Who do you think we are?” I asked her father, who knelt before me with his head bowed.
“Demons who take and torture, bringing bodies back to leave them rotting in the streets. The servants of the devil who rules Barren.”
Urda's father stopped and seemed to think better of what he'd said.
“Our Masters, and we your humble servants. We give you our daughter, Anna. Use her as you wish, but spare your servants.”
Well that made it all much clearer, didn't it? I gave up and hopped to Urda's room.
Chapter Eighteen: Deeper In
Urda was wiping Anna's face with a wet cloth. As the dirt came away the damage below became more visible. I felt sick. I often do when confronted with what the strong do to the weak. Urda didn't want me here, but I couldn't leave until I knew she didn't need anything more from me, so I stood like an idiot and waited for her to notice I was there.
The door flew open and smashed against the wall. Anna screamed and magic flowed as Urda and I put up shields. Shields we dropped a few seconds later as my brides-to-be strode into the room.
“What the hell do you two think…?” Jenny stopped in mid-sentence as she saw Anna. “Oh.”
Esmeralda stood a little behind Jenny and I noticed that a couple of servants were behind them by the door. Esmeralda took in the scene and addressed us.
“We were concerned when we heard that you and Urda had been alone in her room for several hours. I see our concerns were unfounded.”
Urda's face flushed red. She put an arm around her sister who was cowering. “It's all right Anna, these are my friends.”
Jenny sidled up to me and nudged me in the ribs to whisper. “Who is she?”
“Ladies,” I said grandly. “May I introduce Urda's younger sister, Anna Bretch. We've just returned from her world where we visited Urda's parents. Anna doesn't know the language of Salice and I think you're frightening her.”
“We should leave,” Jenny said quickly. “The poor child needs time to adjust.” She grabbed my hand and started for the door. I resisted and
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