EMERGING FROM THE DARKNESS 

I was disoriented and the sounds of the forest were muffled by the oppressive darkness that enveloped me. My head ached, my ankle hurt, and I was unable to determine if the pounding in my chest was due to dread or the struggle's reverberating echo.

Through the mist, voices floated, low and tense, each syllable rapid and crisp. I pushed my eyes open, trying to put together where I was while the world around me spun.

"Assemble her!" There was a bark.

I was startled to my feet when a hand seized my arm. My ankle began to hurt, so I let out a cry, but before I could stop myself, the sound tore from my throat. The hazy shapes around me became more distinct.

Three of the successor's men were standing close by, piercing the darkness with their spotlights. Two were in rigid, combat-ready positions with their weapons in their hands. With an iron grasp on my arm, the third, the one who had dragged me to my feet, had a gloomy face.