Jalia and the Slavers (Jalia - World of Jalon) by John Booth Page A

unbearable. Every bump in the road caused him massive pain. And that wasn’t his only problem. A pressure was building in his head. It was similar to the feeling he got when a thunder storm was about to break, but a thousand times stronger. He felt that some part of his mind wanted him to do something and he had no idea what. In many ways, it was a worse feeling than his back.
    It was as daylight began to fail that the ambush happened. Half a dozen crossbow bolts shot through the air killing the horse pulling the cart. The bolts just missed Swift who Jalia pulled sideways at the first sound. Swift reared in panic, Jalia’s reins were cut as a crossbow bolt went through them and she tumbled off her horse.
    The cart horse had slumped to the ground forcing the shafts down with it, which pushed the back of the cart into the air. The motion threw Talla out of the cart and onto the road.
    Daniel fell forward as he and his pillows tumbled to the front of the cart. His body bent and he felt the stitches in his back break under the pressure. As blood started to pour from the wound, he felt the force in his head explode and his back burned. When the heat went away he felt weak, but whole. There was no pain from his wound, nor any feeling it was bleeding. He pulled up his shirt and felt his back. The wound had vanished though his hand came away covered in his blood.
    The pillows had covered him as he tumbled forward. Daniel groped between them and found his crossbow. He moved the pillows out of his line of sight to try and see what was going on.
    Talla stood by the side of the cart with her hands in the air. Six men were coming down the hillside with loaded crossbows in their hands. Jalia was on the ground and looked as though she had been knocked unconscious. Swift stood quietly beside her.
    Daniel didn’t have his magic dagger or his sword. Both would have been dangerous for him to wear while in the cart. His magic dagger was fastened to Jalia’s waist and his sword was tied to Jet’s saddle.
    “Check the woman,” the man in front ordered his men and two of them ran to Jalia. They turned her over.
    “Just a bruise on her head, Malk,” one of the men called back. “She’ll recover.”
    “Strip her naked. Take everything off her down to the ring on her finger. She freed herself and killed Vincend with some kind of magic. I saw it from the window before I ran for my life. Lucky she’s alive though, it would be us fleeing for our lives if the boss discovered we’d killed her.”
    “Do you want me to check on the man in the cart, Malk?” another man enquired.
    “He was unconscious when she carried him to the cart so I don’t think he is going to be able to fight us after the cart spilled over like that. He’s probably dead under those pillows.” Malk looked over at Talla, “We don’t need you, my dear. The boys are going to be mad that they don’t get to have you first but I think you have to die. Nothing personal you understand.”
    Talla stood with her arms raised as Malk’s words sank in. Then she turned and ran for her life. Malk’s men laughed at her attempt to escape. Malk raised his crossbow and took careful aim at Talla’s back.
    He never felt the crossbow bolt penetrate his skull and bury itself deep in his brain. Malk’s eyes turned upwards and he fell as Talla reached the comparative safety of rocks on the far side of the pass and flung herself behind them.
    Malk’s men had been watching Talla waiting to see her fall. Malk was their best shot with a crossbow and never missed a target. As Talla disappeared behind the rocks they turned to discover Malk lying face down on the road.
    Daniel knew that the moments after he shot Malk were going to be critical to his survival. If his men turned towards the cart, he was going to be dead. He had to hope they were so busy watching Talla that they wouldn’t see him climb from behind the cushions and hide behind the cart. His faithful donkey, Ferd waited there