The weather here sure changes a lot thought Bryon as he got up from where he had slept that night. The day was already steamy and he knew the sun had not been up too long. He looked around and did not see Eric anywhere. Was he off finding something for the morning meal? Bryon did not think so he now wondered if there was someone following them and Eric was trying to find out whom. But why had Eric not woke him and told him then. Would it not be better if both of them where out there scouting around for any potential danger.
Just then he heard his name and saw Eric coming towards him. When Eric got to the camp Bryon asked him where he had been. Eric told him how he had a feeling someone had been watching them since the day before. And from what he had seen it was only local men out hunting. Probably wondering what they were up to as well. Eric told him he did not think there was any danger. That who ever it was had not tried to hide their presence.
They finished up what was left of the trout from the night before. If Eric had not been looking so hard for signs of Lord Drasken following them, he would have noticed that the men that were following them were not hunters at least not the kind hunting for game. They were friends of the man that Eric had hired to go to Lord Drasken in the South and tell him of Bryon‟s plans. Their friend had not yet returned and they wanted to know why. They waited and watched just in case he was still with Lord Drasken the man that Eric had sent word to. Maybe he had decided to come on into the Highlands with the safety of traveling with someone and not alone.
But they had not seen Lord Drasken‟s party pass either.
About mid day they came to a plateau. Eric stopped and told Bryon this was where the thistle mint grew. They would have to look around for it was more plentiful in some places then in others. It was not long before Eric found a patch of it growing and as Bryon bent down to dig up the roots he understood why it was called thistle mint. It had spines that looked like hairs but stung when you touched it. After he touched a pod he tried very hard not to touch it again. His fingers were stinging, Eric told him not to try to rub off the tiny hairs for it would just make them go deeper and would be more painful. And not to get his hands to close to his face for he did not want any of those hairs getting into his eyes. The roots had the smell of mint therefore the name thistle mint.
They dug for the roots the rest of the day only to stop for a bite to eat. Now that Bryon had the roots he was in a hurry to get back. So he could take the root to his homeland and come back for Katelynn. The sun was almost gone when they stopped digging. The air up here was chilly and they had not thought about a fire for the night. So they both got under the same covers so that they could share the heat of their bodies.
Bryon dreamed that night, but his dreams disturbed his sleep. In his dreams he saw Lord Drasken and Katelynn together by the stream in the forest near Katelynn‟s village. They seemed to be laughing. He called out to Katelynn but she could not hear him. He was trying to warn her but every time he called her name the wind would blow and his words would be lost. He then saw blood on his hands and Katelynn lay at his feet and her dress was soaked in blood. What had he done? He wanted this dream to end but was it a dream it seemed so real. Why could he not wake up if it was a dream?
When he woke Eric was shaking him. “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” replied Bryon, “It was just a dream I think.”
“I hope I never have a dream like that,” replied Eric. They both lay back down and tried to sleep but neither of them could.
“Would you like to talk about it?” asked Eric. “Sometimes when I have a dream that disturbs me,” continued Eric, “ I talk about it and it makes me feel better.” So Bryon told him what he had dreamed now Eric was concerned what if Lord Drasken was in the village. What if he was to cause harm to come to Katelynn and his village? He could stand the guilt no more and told Bryon what he had done and why. Bryon told him they must put that behind them and try to figure out a way to get back as quickly as possible. For he knew that Katelynn and the village was in danger.
They sat up the rest of the night thinking of a plan. They had to get back to the village. But what after they got there, they did not know if he would still be there or even if he had came at all. For it was just a dream and that was all. Bryon had had many dreams but this one was different and he knew it was.
When there was enough light to see they had decided to get their gear together and start back. They were both so deep in thought of what they must do they did not see the three men coming up behind them. The three men knew they would need to talk to Eric to find out about their friend and that the other must be the man Bryon that he had sent word of to Lord Drasken in the south. As Bryon bent over to get his cover rolled up they hit him from behind with a large rock and grabbed Eric and held him.
“What has happened to our friend you hired?” they asked. “We have not heard from him since he left. He told us what you had asked him to do and if he was not back in three days time we were to find you. Now what has happened to him we want to know now?” Eric had no answer that he could give them. He had no idea what had happened to their friend and this is what he told them.
The three men tied Eric up and put him on his horse and took him with them. They did not think that Bryon would make it. The cut on his head from the force of the rock hitting him was very deep and he was loosing a lot of blood. They would take Eric and he would tell them where they could find this Lord Drasken. But it was not so much for their friend as it was that he had the coins that Eric had paid to him and they all wanted their share.
There was a cave not to far away where these rouges stayed, because they were not welcome in any village in the Highlands. And everyone knew them by face. So they had found this cave to make there home. They made money by doing deeds for people that they could not do for fear of being found out.
As they came upon the opening of the cave the men all got off their horses and let the horses roam. The horses had always been there when they had came out so they felt no need to tether them. Eric got down off his horse and the men assumed that it would stay with their horses grazing. But the horse had a sense that he was not home and began to wonder away. By the time one of the men had noticed it was gone it was quite sometime later. Now they had to worry about someone recognizing the horse and wondering where it‟s owner was.
Bryon tried to get up but it was no use he could not move. The pain in his head was too severe. If he tried to move it made the pain worse. His last thoughts before he blacked out again were of Katelynn. Was she in the clutches of Lord Drasken? Had Eric got away and was he going to be able to help her? As these last thoughts went through his mind he spiraled into darkness.