Aedan grinned. “That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”
“Would you rather marry my sister?”
Aedan stared at him, completely taken aback.
“I heard you, you know,” said Michael. “In the stall. Why do you think I left? I knew what you were doing.”
Aedan was stunned. “But … what would you know of such things?”
“I’m not stupid, you know.”
“I … I don’t know what to say,” said Aedan, blushing with embarrassment and shame.
“You could certainly do much better,” Michael said. “Laera may be my sister, but she is selfish and mean-tempered. She cares nothing for you. She cares nothing for anyone except herself. She will only bring you trouble.”
Aedan snorted. “You mean, this isn’t trouble enough?”
“You may have a point, there.”
Aedan shook his head ruefully. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, it’s over. I finally came to my senses, though a bit too late, I fear.
I am truly sorry, Michael. And deeply ashamed. I’ve let you down.”
“You certainly have,” said Michael. “I see I shall have to choose your wife for you. You seem to have no judgment in such matters.”
Aedan could not help smiling. “And you, of course, are vastly experienced.”
“I did not say I would choose her now,” said Michael. ‘Besides, experience and judgment are not the same thing.”
“No, they’re not,” Aedan admitted. “But it usually takes the one to acquire the other. And sometimes, as I have recently discovered, the lessons can be rather painful.”
“Enough!” the goblin leader said, approaching them. “Time to move on.”
Aedan groaned as the wolfriders mounted up again. The banter had momentarily lifted their spirits, but now grim reality sank in once more. Fortunately, they proceeded at a slower pace this time.
They were obviously less concerned about pursuit.
They were deep in the Aelvinnwode now, and fast pursuit would be impossible. If a rescue party from Seaharrow had been sent out, it would have been difficult for them to pick up their trail, and even if they had, they would have been unable to proceed quickly through the thick forest of the Aelvinnwode.
Aedan held out little hope for rescue now. If they were going to get out of this somehow, they would have to do it on their own. And he held out little hope for that, as well.
He had long since lost all sense of direction, and the thick canopy of branches overhead meant he could not orient himself by the stars. Even if they could manage to escape somehow, he could not see how they could hope to elude the wolves. As he followed along, led on his leash by the wolfrider, his spirits sank lower and lower. He could not share Michael’s optimism, yet he marveled at the boy’s attitude in the face of their dire predicament. Perhaps it was just his youth. Maybe he really didn’t know enough to be afraid. Or perhaps he had underestimated Michael all along. In many ways, he was a stubborn, willful, spoiled child, but at times such as now, he seemed older than his years. Most boys his age would have been reduced to abject terror by their situation, but Michael did not panic. Even at twelve, he was keeping his wits about him, which was certainly more than Aedan could say for himself.
They did not stop again until well after dark. The goblins did not pitch camp or light a fire. They were in elven territory, and clearly did not wish to draw attention to themselves. Besides, they could see in the dark, and had their wolves for protection from predators. They simply stopped, unharnessed Michael’s litter, and leaned it up against a tree to rest the wolves pulling it, then sat down and ate some jerky from their packs. Afterward, they gave some to their captives. Aedan had no idea what it was, but the meat was quite tough and very salty.
Knowing what unsavory creatures goblins were, it was probably some sort of rodent. Still, he was so hungry he would have eaten saddle leather.
After they ate, the goblins settled down to sleep, either curled up on the ground or leaning back against the trunks of trees, their weapons close at hand. Aedan noted that two of them remained awake to stand watch.
After he ate and fed Michael some jerky and some water, they had tied him up again, both his hands and feet, so that he could do little more than squirm along the ground like a caterpillar. Still, at least he had been given a brief amount of freedom. Michael had remained tied to the litter ever since their capture, and when Aedan asked repeatedly if they couldn’t untie him for at least a little while, if only while they ate, one of the goblins cuffed him and told him to keep his mouth shut. It infuriated him; there was no reason for it other than pure meanness.
They were punishing him for his earlier outburst.
But Michael did not complain. At least they had removed his gag and left it off because he had stayed silent.
Feeling utterly exhausted from the long journey, Aedan curled up beside the litter to which Michael had been tied, and as he shivered with the cold, he became overwhelmed with despair. He saw absolutely no chance for escape. What bothered him most was his uncertainty about their fate. At worst, they would be killed in the end, and at best, they would wind up slaves, thralls to some goblin lord in Thurazor for the remainder of their lives. Better to die than live like that, he thought.
He felt sure he was right about Lord Arwyn.
Someone had certainly betrayed them, and he could not imagine who else it might be, who else could benefit
