Kidnapping

"What is THAT?" Amelia could only point at the void.

Ashmayne turned to the darkness, pushing Amelia behind him and drawing his sword.

Both of them stared into the inky black shape as Ash held one arm out to shield Amelia and they both slowly backed away from the looming obscurity before them.

After a few seconds, a young woman draped in sandy colored clothes scrambled out, holding an infant. The void closed behind her as she scooted away from it.

Blinking hard against the light, she tried to take stock of her surroundings as the infant cried. Ash lowered his sword only slightly, perplexed and unnerved by the event.

The woman looked at Ash's sword and then up into his face. "Help me, please," She rasped, as if she had been yelling for a long while.

Overcome with compassion, Amelia pushed around Ash and knelt next to the woman, whose electric blue eyes shined against the backdrop of the face covering. She lifted a hand to lower it.

"Please, help," She repeated. The infant continued bawling in her arms. His cries were that of a newborn, and Amelia saw that his face was red and mottled. Despite that, when he opened his eyes, they were the same electric blue as the woman's.

"What do you and your child need help with?" Amelia asked gently. "Let us bring you to town and get you some food."

"My nephew. He's my nephew. Please help, they'll be coming. Don't let anyone else know. The more people know, the more danger there will be." As she spoke, her eyes searched wildly around, as if expecting some unseen threat to step from the shadows... as she herself had done only a moment before. Amelia shivered, feeling a sudden chill in the air.

"What danger?" Ashmayne spoke for the first time since the woman had appeared. His sword was lowered but not sheathed.

"Soldiers, many soldiers will be after me. I need to get far away, as far away as I can. You should too, now that you've seen me." She seemed apologetic but desperate.

"I don't understand. What soldiers? This kingdom hasn't been invaded in--" Ash's statement was cut off as the hair on his arms stood on end. Something was wrong. "Hide." He finished quietly.

The woman gave the child a cloth to suck on to quiet his feeble cries. The three adults and infant moved to the bushes. Another void had appeared a distance away, and a group of four men dressed in similar garb to the strange woman appeared out of it.

They carried curved blades at their sides and had their faces covered. The four immediately began searching the area. Ash directed the women silently to remain stationary and quiet as the current search pattern did not seem like it would include their hiding place.

At that moment a cry broke loose from the infant, drawing the eyes of all four soldiers, who turned their blades and charged towards the sound.

Ash did not hesitate, but broke free from the bushes, leaving the women and child behind.

His swordsmanship was incomparable, and he easily dispatched the four opponents in a matter of seconds. The speed and skill with which he dodged, blocked, and turned left Amelia absolutely speechless. How he had changed since he left their town!

If not for the death that rained from his blade, it would have been like a mesmerizing, flawless dance. As he turned back toward the women, he didn't even seem out of breath. What a terrifying man he could be.

"I'm going to assume there are many more after you?" Ash asked the woman, who nodded. His military training took over. "These four had the bearing of a scouting party. We should have a short time, I expect, before they are due to report back and are missed. We should make use of that time.

"I think we must get you to Klain. With new clothes and a change of name, there is a chance of hiding you amongst the people. No invading force can penetrate the defenses. We must also warn the Council of the invasion."

"It... shouldn't be an invasion," the woman said quietly. "They just want to kill me and take the child."

"Why?" Ash needed more information, and quickly, to make the best plan he could.

"He is the heir to the throne, and I have kidnapped him." The woman awaited their judgment, but she thought it best to give these people the truth before they found it out some other way.

"I thought you said he was your nephew??" Amelia was growing increasingly concerned. Saving a woman and child from pursuit seemed a very different thing than aiding a royal kidnapper.

"I hope your leaders are... more civilized than mine. Our Great Queen who leads us is ruthless. Her only son took my sister to wife, though she and I were taken into the land as foundlings. We were not of their race. My sister is... was... sweet, kind, and generous. She was softening the heart of the Crown Prince, which was weakness in the Queen's eyes. So, as soon as my sister bore an heir, the Queen had her killed. She blamed it on the rigors of childbirth, but it was poison. As her dying wish, my sister begged me to steal her child and raise him far away from that evil sorceress."

"Sorceress??" Ash cared naught for politics, only protecting the land from invaders. A magical invader would be something he was not trained to handle.

"It's unlikely she will come personally to search for her grandson, but it is possible."

"What's your name?" Amelia asked gently. Though the strange woman was already in a state of agitation before Ash summarily slaughtered four men in front of her eyes, it was a sight that would shake most anyone... unless they were already used to it.

"Songslet," She replied, "and this little nephew of mine is Derek."

"All right, Songslet, we need to be on our way quickly. I agree with your wish for secrecy. I will leave my men locally to defend the town from any invasion or scouts who decide to attack the locals. I will get you to Klain as quickly as I can."

"I'm coming too," said Amelia. "You'll likely need help with the baby on the way, and unless I'm mistaken, Captain Ashmayne doesn't have much experience in that realm."

The soldier cut his eyes over at Amelia. "I don't think..." but he paused. Anyone who knew information about Songslet was in danger, according to her. He also didn't think Amelia be a good liar. His lips formed into a firm line as he briefly thought about the possibility of her capture and torture.

"All right. Quickly run and get some supplies from the inn, and give them an innocuous excuse as to why you will be gone for several days. Make up a trip, an elopement, anything. Something that will convince them you are in no danger so they act normally. I will give Hart some orders and take horses for us to travel faster. We must meet on the North side of town towards Klain within 15 minutes."

"An elopement?" Though the situation was grave, she still picked up on how casually this word was thrown in. Ashmayne turned a little red.

"Whatever will make them believe you." He turned away. "Ma'am, if you'll come with me, I'll hide you nearby so that my soldiers don't see you. Amelia, run, quickly."

She obeyed, sprinting back to the inn, running up to her room and throwing some clothes and money into a bag. She added an extra dress she hoped would fit Songslet. Downstairs, she stuffed food into it as well, so they could travel without stopping. She paused and took a jar of fresh goat's milk from this morning. They would have to find a way to feed it to the baby later.

She decided to leave a note instead of talking to her boss. It would seem odd, but at least she wouldn't have to lie to people or face questions.

"I'm going away with Ashmayne. I know this is very sudden, but don't good things happen suddenly? I took some food from the kitchen, please keep this week's pay for it! -Amelia"

Satisfied that she hadn't outright lied, she left the note on the table in the kitchen where it was sure to be found.

At the edge of town, she found Ashmayne and Songslet waiting with three horses. He must have worked quickly; Amelia had been running the whole way! Songslet had taken the covering from her head and fashioned a sling to carry little Derek so that she could carry him and still have her hands free to steer the horse.

With few words between them, Amelia handed Songslet the extra dress and held out her arms for Derek. Though reluctant to let the baby go, the woman recognized the need for her to be unrecognizable as quickly as possible. She slipped behind some trees to change as Ashmayne concentrated on attaching Amelia's bag to a saddle.

Songslet returned in the borrowed clothes, her hair now flowing freely, looking so different from when she had tumbled out of the portal. She mounted, and Amelia handed the baby up to her.

The three looked at each other and dug their heels into the horses to be on their way.

"We need new names. It's best our real ones are never spoken again," Songslet said a little sadly.

"You seem like... a Beatrice. Betty, maybe? And I adore your little nephew's chubby little rolls. Can we call him Roland?"