"Master of Light : Part 3" by Laura Beth Levinson

As the firm hand clasped over her mouth Auriana stiffened with shock. The cold metal of the dagger pressed against the soft skin of her throat as she sucked in her breath. I was almost free! The irony of it all washed over her; here she was about to escape from the tyrant Merdock when some unknown assailant attacks her. Anya barely breathed and feared that her racing pulse would cause the dagger to sink into her throat. After what seemed like hours, her attacker finally spoke in a hushed voice, "Don’t try a thing…understand?" Auriana let out a small sound through his hand in response. "Now, I’m sure you know where your master has locked the princess…you will take me there."

Her eyes widened in shock. He must think I’m a stableboy or something. Now that she thought about it, the man’s voice did sound familiar, she was just too afraid to pay attention. Who was it though? The man continued, "Now…I’m going to remove my hand. If you make a noise I swear I’ll kill you on the spot."

This was her chance. I have to be careful though or he’ll kill me before he knows. Wait…his voice…Ash! The hand slowly left her mouth and Anya took a deep breath…it was now or never. "Ash?" she whispered and closed her eyes hoping for the best but fearing the worse. Her ears picked up a clatter in the darkness as the dagger left her throat and was dropped to the cobblestones below.

"Auriana? It can’t be," he said a confused note in his voice.

Spinning around to face him Auriana replied, "Yes it is…I just managed to get out of where Merdock had me."

A lopsided grin passed over Ash’s now relieved face, "Hey, I thought that was my job. I’m supposed to rescue you remember, not you rescue yourself." He chuckled dryly as he wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "You alright?"

"Yes…I’m fine. We have to get out of here though," she said as she gave him a squeeze before pulling away. "And then you have some answers to tell me."

He nodded and took her hand in his pulling her along. "Come, I have two horses hidden in the trees right outside the walls."

The two figures moved through the shadows toward the far wall that surrounded the castle. Ash stopped by a rope hanging down from the top apparently the way he got into the castle in the first place. He placed his hands around Auriana’s waist as she took the rope in both her hands. He gave her a boost to help her start her way up. Once she made it over Anya stood on the ground watching Ash come over behind her. Ash was a tall man of around twenty-seven winters with a thick shock of mousy brown hair hanging to his shoulders. His dark green eyes showed signs that a seasoned warrior lay behind them though he was still young. One could not help but find Ash handsome, though his dimples and lopsided grin gave him a boyish quality at times.

Landing on the ground beside her, Ash took Auriana’s hand again leading her to the horses. She took a medium sized black mare and easily mounted the horse with the ease of one who has ridden all their life. Ash had his own brown gelding, Starfire, that he always road. After he swung himself into the saddle they both turned their horses toward the woods and started off at a gallop.

A few hours after dawn shed its pink rays upon the earth, Auriana and Ash stopped near a stream to rest the horses. Giving her horse a gentle pat on the neck, Anya left her by the stream to drink as she walked over to Ash who had relaxed against the side of a large oak. He turned his eyes to her as she settled on the ground beside him. Auriana turned her own dark blue eyes to him and spoke up. "Ash…I thought you had stayed back in Rhydin. How did you make it here?"

Ash sighed and answered her, "Some guild problems erupted and I was sent as a messenger to come inform you of them. You know how I wanted to join you here from the beginning but you wouldn’t let me come, so I insisted on being the one to come. When I got here I found the castle in an uproar once you never came back. I figured that the most logical place for you to have been was Merdock…I know how he works." He clenched his fist at that a soft growl escaping his lips.

Anya turned her eyes down to the ground. It appeared the Ash still had not gotten over his feelings for her as she had hoped the separation would do. "What was the message?"

"Tangien has taken your long absence to install himself into the commanding position. You are to be captured as soon as you return."

Auriana’s face flushed with anger. "What?! How could he? The guild is one of the Light, I designed it so it could never condone such an action. We were a group of people who lived to serve others, not ourselves."

"It appears that he was being paid by one of your enemies, though I don’t know who. He never really followed the Light. Auriana…you are far too trusting."

Shaking her head Anya replied, "Perhaps. I never saw it coming, I think that is the worse of it. And here I left him in charge. I am such an idiot."

"No." Ash reached down and took her hand in his as he stared into her eyes. "Anya, never say that about yourself…you, you are perfect." He then brought her hand up to his lips kissing it gently.

She stood quickly pulling her hand away from him and stared out over the stream. "R’yin is dead," she said with a bit of ice in her voice.

The silence that followed lasted forever. Finally Auriana heard Ash get to his feet behind her and nearly jumped as his hands rested on her shoulders. "He was a good man and will be missed. I swear…Merdock will pay for all he has done." Still gripping her shoulders, Ash pulled Auriana back against him.

Sighing, Auriana bent down out of his grip and turned to face him. "Ash…you know I am engaged to Aire."

The warrior blushed and looked to the ground scuffing his foot in the dirt. His next words came out softly, "I know."

A loud sound overhead brought Auriana’s attention to the sky just in time to see a raven circle over their heads before flying back off…toward Merdock’s castle. Running a hand through her long blond hair she turned back to Ash. "We better get going before Merdock has a chance to catch up with us. If we leave now we can get home before night falls." With that she turned to the horses and remounted leaving Ash to follow her example. He did, completely silent not giving her another look. So be it…he needs to get over me. Silently they road their horses off toward her father’s castle.