The next thing I knew, I was being dragged away from the tree to my feet. The woman had taken the dagger off my throat, but she kept her hand clamped onto my mouth, as if I'd cry out for help to my captors who hadn't even given me anything to eat and didn't care if I lived or died, as long as they got payed.

The woman's hands were small and wrinkled, but they were strong. Her nails bit into my skin and she didn't even seem to notice. She was hunched over to about my height. Her left arm was wrapped around my shoulders and clamped on my mouth. Her other hand held the chain and tugged on them any time I slowed down. My wrists were bleeding and they'd gone numb. On top of all that, she didn't take off my blindfold, so I couldn't see where I was going. I would trip and she would haul me painfully to my feet.

After what felt like hours of walking, the old woman drug my down to the ground with her. She took her hand off my mouth, but left the blindfold and chains where they were. "W-who are you?" I asked.

There was a snort. "Doesn't really matter, does it? What's important is that The King will pay me heavily for you, cursed boy."

"I have a name," I said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, yes. I know all about you, Asher. I've been following you ever since those men attacked you the first time and killed your sister. And are you still wearing those clothes I gave you all those years ago? They look awfully small."

I gaped. "You mean-"

"Yes," the old woman said. "You thought I actually cared about you? That I wanted to help you?" She laughed. "Its so easy to manipulate children.

I winced. I'd been so desperate that I'd believe anything. Now I could hear the deceit in her voice. Or maybe she was just a very convincing liar. Either way, I felt stupid.

"Now, to discuss what I expect you to do for the rest of our little trip," the woman said. "We will travel by night." I felt my arms being pulled tightly around the tree I was leaning against. "You will not speak. If you struggle, there will be consequences." The woman pulled too tight on the chains and it felt like my arms were being pulled off my body. I bit back a yelp of pain. "And when I bring you to the master, you will go quietly."

"Who is the master, anyway?" I asked.

A hand struck me across the face, hard enough for it to sting. "Don't ask questions, boy!"

"But I just-"

I was struck again. "All you need to know, is he is the ruler of all this land. He's been on a search for you for three years and he has a large reward for you, which will soon be mine."

Suddenly, I was grasped by fear. This master, whoever he was, had been looking for me. And he knew about my curse. My breaths came shallow. Even though I'd overheard the two soldiers talking about it last night, him being said that he was the ruler of all this land made me scared. What did he need with me?

Eventually, I heard the old woman's light snores. I tried to get to sleep, but couldn't. The chains were too tight and my mind was filled with too many questions. Then I tried to think of an escape plan. Maybe if I used my power over fire to somehow melt the chains, then I could escape.

I grasped for the chains. It hurt my wrists, but I had to try. I bit my lip and tried to use my fire. I felt my hand heat up. Then, there was an explosion to the right. I stopped and smelled smoke. Oh, no.

The old woman gave a small cry. Great, I woke her up.

I felt the chains being undone from around the tree, then my arms were being pulled harshly in front of me. The next thing I knew, a bucket was being pushed into my hands and my blindfold being pushed up onto my forehead. "Go put out that fire!"

I blinked a couple times, trying to get my eyes used to the light. I saw that the grass in a clearing was on fire and it was spreading fast to some trees. I'd forgotten that we were in the forest and that my fire could only be used at a distant. I quickly doused the flames closest to the trees. It went out and the water stopped the fire from spreading. The old woman doused the rest of it. Then she turned to me, a look of rage on her face. She was my height and wearing a worn blue riding cloak. She slapped me hard against the face. "What were you thinking?" She screeched at me. She grabbed my hair tightly and dragged me a few feet. She was about to chain me to another tree, when her eyes met mine for just a second.

We both froze. She'd forgotten to put my blindfold back on. Then, she screamed in agonizing pain. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what happened. I've seen what happened to animals too many times. This was much worse.

It scared me even more when it only took about ten minutes for her to die. Her screaming kept getting worse and I put my hands over my ears, though it didn't block it out entirely.

When she fell silent ten minutes later, I took my hands off my ears and opened my eyes. The woman didn't move and she was deathly pale. I tried to swallow, but couldn't. I didn't like the woman, not one bit. But...I still killed her.

I stumbled to my feet. Dragging the chains around my wrists around me, I backed away from the old woman's dead body. I ran into a tree and slid down, burying my head in my hands.

I don't know how long I stayed there, but I heard the shouts of men. I froze, knowing the voices. I tried to hide, but my chains rattled too much. The voices stopped. "I heard something over there!"

I couldn't make my legs move. The first soldier came into view. "He's over here!"

I closed my eyes and leaned back against the tree. Suddenly, the close to sleepless night crashed down on me. I felt two soldiers grab me by the arms and haul me to my feet. Me knees buckled and I fell forwards, my eyes flying open.

"Put the blindfold back on!"

The cloth on my forehead was shoved over my eyes once again. I didn't move. "Get up," I heard Canus' voice say over me. I couldn't find the strength. I was hit. "I said, get up!"

"I...can't," I got out.

I felt a whip crack across my back. I couldn't help it. I cried out, tears or pain and exhaustion running down my face. "Please..." I whispered.

Another whip crack. I cried harder. Another.

"Enough!" Canus yelled. The two soldiers let go of me and I fell forwards. I wanted to be home. And not in the castle, but back in my village, with Bretta. Before I knew about this stupid curse. Before she...died.

My arms were yanked forwards and they started to drag me. I didn't cry out. I shut my eyes, wanting this nightmare to be over.