Garinor felt Tomli’s strong fist plunge into his stomach and knock the air out of him. He should have expected it. Tomli had already acted decisively in the past to protect Garinor from harm. Surely, when the prince was only steps away, he would have done so again.
The tent flap did not close all the way and he could see the guard grab Tomli roughly and shake him about on his feet, keeping him from any sort of retaliation. Garinor listened as he tried to suck air into his lungs and bring himself to his feet. He needed to help Tomli somehow.
“Ah, welcome,” greeted the prince in a friendly tone that was completely at odds with all the other words he had uttered since entering the camp. “A task awaits, yes?”
“Why do you think I’ll help you?” Tomli asked.
“Because you have no choice,” was the flat reply. “Bind his hands.”
The guard stepped closer to Tomli, but he reacted by grabbing the guard’s sword and wrenching it out of the scabbard. He turned to aim it at the prince, but the lithe man was too fast for him. With a quick cross to the jaw, the prince knocked Tomli to the ground. The sword clattered in front of him and blood seeped from a split lip. He stayed there for a moment, dazed, but the prince stepped closer and he looked like he was about to lash out with his foot.
Garinor couldn’t wait any longer. He forced himself up and rushed through the tent flap. Terrian groaned, but those holding him steady kept him quiet.
“Leave him alone!” Garinor called to the prince.
“Well, what have we here?” said the royal voice. “Could this be the one you are really protecting?” He then looked down at Tomli. “And you were the decoy? Yes, yes, that face does match better, doesn’t it?”
“Leave him be!” Garinor stormed forward, but there were two guards for him to get through if he was going to reach the prince at all.
“You’re in no position to make demands, boy.”
“Garinor, no,” croaked Tomli, as another guard bent and bound his hands.
“You know each other well?” the prince guessed. “Then if you were willing to throw yourself at me in his stead, then it seems that you”—and he looked at Garinor—“are the one I have been searching for all this time.”
Garinor stood up straight and stared into the prince’s eyes defiantly. “I know of the prophecy.”
The prince laughed congenially. “Yes, well, destiny awaits us, does it not? Shall we go then and see what claim the scepter makes?”
“We go,” Garinor answered sternly.
“Garinor, no!” Tomli called out.
“Be still or you will share his doom,” the prince promised.
“If it’s a choice of dying by Garinor’s side or abandoning him, I choose Garinor.”
“So be it.” The prince waved a hand at one of his guards. “Bring him along, too. In the end it will save us a trip, now won’t it?”
The prince rounded up ten men to accompany them to the cave. He passed by Terrian, who could not speak for the gag that was stuffed into his mouth. “Once I am finished with them,” he told Terrian, “I will return to deal with the likes of you. Besides”—he grinned—“the more witnesses to my ascension as true ruler the better.”
Garinor’s hands were bound as he and Tomli were ushered roughly toward the northeast where a two-hour forced march awaited them before they reached the mountain cave.