"Ravine!"  

"Ravine, what?  Shush!"  

Redwar was the one who said nothing but reached out and covered my mouth with his hand, effectively silencing the feral cat sounds I'd been making.  

I was breathing hard.  It could not be him.  How, for all of Thathia, was he here?  How?

But I knew it had to be him.  There was no mistaking that corn cob colored hair.  It could belong only to Corban. 

"I don't think they're saw us," murmured Daxton.  Then he turned and glared at me.  "Ya had better have a good reason as to why ya started screaming at the sight of that blonde guy.  Ya nearly got us kilt."  

I moaned and clenched my head.  "It's him.  It's that filthy traitor."  

"Corban?"  Valeria ventured a guess.  

I nodded.  I was afraid to speak his name, for fear I'd go tearing out of here right then and there.

"Who's Corban?"  Asked Daxton.  

Redwar answered for me.  "He's the Ravagerian spy that lead the attack on Ravine's village.  He's also the one that took her mother and father captive."  

Daxton raised his eyebrows.  "He's Ravager?"  

"Yes," I spit out.  "Through and through.  There's not a piece of him that isn't Ravager."  

Daxton's eyes squinted.  "What's 'e doin' here?"

"I don't know."  I fingered my sword.  "But I know what I'm fixing to do to him."  

"Revenge can be taken later, Ravine, but whether it's yours to take is another question."  Before I could interrupt Redwar went on.  

"We still haven't seen Derrek.  And surely Corban has or will recognize him.  What's important right now, Ravine, is keeping your brother safe, not running Corban through."  

I hated to admit it, but he was right.

"Let's start by outlining the situation.  It seems most of the bandits are distracted by that fight, including Corban and Megidil.  But that's not going to last long, and more than anything we need time.  Time to search those tents."  

"I've got my bow," volunteered Valeria.  "And about thirty arrows."

"We could throw rocks from 'ere," suggested Daxton.  

Redwar nodded.  "Those are both viable options for distraction.  Some of us are going to have to stay up here while one or two will have to go down to look for Derrek."  

I raised my hand.  "I'm going down there Redwar."  My tone made it clear I would not stand to be left behind.  

Redwar hesitated for a moment, then nodded.  "I'll go with you.  There is not much good I can do here."  

For the next few minutes we outlined our strategy.  It was decided that, once Redwar and I were nearly to the camp, Valeria and Daxton would start by throwing rocks and making noise.  Redwar and I would go through the tents.  

If and when the bandits attention started to break off from the rock throwing, Valeria would start firing her arrows while making sure that each one counted.  We wanted to keep her arrows in reserve if possible because she didn't have unlimited arrows.  But we did have unlimited rocks.  They were everywhere. 

The boulder was burning into my hand.  But I didn't care.  My whole attention was focused on the man with corn cob colored hair.  

My fingers ran up and down Bound's handle.  I wanted to take him.  I wanted to fight him again.  But this time, I was nearly sure I could win, my skills under Redwar's training had improved drastically.  

However, I had a choice.  Corban, or Derrek.  

And Derrek would always win out.  

So I turned my eyes to the little dirty tents.  Which one are you in Derrek?  There was only one way to find out. Daxton had better hurry up and start throwing rocks.

A couple of moments later a stone whizzed over my head and hit Megidil solidly on the head.  (I personally would have wished he'd aimed for Corban, but you know, hey.)  The bandit leader cried out and dropped to his knees.  

I dug into the sandy floor as I dashed on light feet to the first tent.  Redwar matched me to my right, and we reached the first tents.  

I didn't bother to stop and see if we'd been discovered.  If they were coming, they were coming and it was too late now.  

I dropped to one knee and brandished my dagger.  The tent's backside made a slight tearing sound as I sliced through it.  I peeked under and scanned the dim interior.

A reeking stench of ale hit me and I nearly gagged.  Bottles were strewn everywhere, but no Derrek.  

I thrust the tent fabric away in disgust and scurried to the next one.  Valeria and Daxton were still pelting the bandits with rocks, and the bandits were in a state of utter chaos.  

I pierced my dagger through the second  tent and yanked down.  Glancing underneath, the stench of ale didn't hit me so hard, but still no Derrek.  

I didn't bother to check on Redwar as I dashed to the next one.  He could take care of himself, and if he'd found Derrek, he'd let me know.  

I repeated the sequence of 'run, rip, look,' several times, and still no Derrek.  We were running out of tents and out of time.  The bandits were beginning to realize the flying rocks weren't as thick as first thought.  

I looked up from the last tent I'd ripped through, trying to gage just how much longer we had left.  Suddenly, I spied what I assumed was Megidil's tent.  It was bigger than the rest, and the one he'd come out of.  

It made sense to me that, if Megidil had captured Derrek, he would be in Megidil's tent.  

It was across a stretch of open area that I didn't want to cross.  It was a strong chance I'd be seen.  But on the other hand, we didn't have much longer, so what did it matter?  

"Go."  

I jerked my head to Redwar.  He waved his hand with his dagger towards Megidil's tent.  "Go.  I'll look through the rest of the tents."  

I nodded and turned.  I crouched, glanced towards the bandits, and picked the moment when two stones whizzed through the air.  

My muscles burned as I ran across the sandy expanse.  Just before I reached the tent, I tripped on a lone weed.  I bit my tongue as I face planted at the base of the tent, scraping my wrist on a rock.  

Ugh, I had sand in my mouth and my tongue was throbbing.  I registered all this as I lunged behind the back side of the tent.  Suppressing the childish urge to scream in frustration, I hoped beyond hope that I hadn't been seen.  

Stabbing my dagger though the fabric while at the same time spitting sand, I pulled downwards.  Please Derrek, please be here.  Pulling back the fabric, which I dimly recognized as being of finer material than the other tents, I ducked my head under.  

A fist of disappoint slammed into my chest.  The tent was cleaner and more well lit than the others, I could clearly see everything.  Except what I wanted to see the most. 

I fell back, letting the fabric fall.  Had this all been for nothing?  Nothing at all?  Was Derrek not here.  Was he dead?   

But just before the storm of doubt and grief overwhelmed me, I looked up and saw something I hadn't been able to before.  

Another tent.  But this one was different than the others.  The others were brown, dirty, and in a triangle shape.  

But this one was like a teepee, and it was white.  

Could this be... Corban's own tent?  

AN:  So... Quite a plot twist there eh?  😏😏

Bet you didn't see that coming.  

Okay, let's be honest here, I didn't see it coming either lol.  When I wrote the last chapter, I was planning on having it be Derrek.  But, uh, my writer brain foiled that plan XD  

Anyhow, these scenes were pretty fun to write. 😝  

See you next Sunday!