Chapter 5

Little was getting closer but still could not see his target. In truth, he wanted to take to the air, but feared the men that had Riana and Brad would hurt them so he ran, and ran fast.

"Little, are you almost here, I feel strange." Riana said as she was hit with a wave of dizziness. "Little, I... "

Then she was gone. Little was so stunned that his running faltered and he fell. He ended up face down in the dirt trying to get his mind and his body working again. Then his mind snapped and he knew what happened; someone, a powerful someone, had teleported Riana away.

Little got stiffly to his feet, and reached out his mind to touch some part of Riana's mind. However, she was not there. So he cast the tracing spell but could only get a direction. River's T, the mage had taken his Riana to River's T. He turned to go back to the city but stopped. He remembered the animals had taken Brad as well. Little reached out again but back to the men, there were several minds but he knew the one that he felt was sleeping as Brad.

Little started running again and as he rounded an arm of the woods he saw two wagons and many horses. He knew Brad was in the front wagon; eight men were on horseback surrounding the wagons. The road he was on would intersect with the path the raiders were taking not far ahead. That was where he would catch them, and take back what they took and he started planning to do just that.

Seleena was finally able to get back to her human self, but not until she munched down four sheep and a goat. Now she was finishing her last check of all those that needed healing when she ran into Kara.

"Kara, how are you fairing?"

"As well as one can after everything that has happened. How are Master Tim and Lady Madeline?"

"Resting, they're curled around the baby. I'll share the image with Little, Riana and Brad when they get back." The last part caused a knot to form in Seleena's throat.

"Seleena, are they ... are the little ones ... are they still alive?"

"I heard from Little as he touched Riana's mind, but I haven't heard anything for a bit. He'll find them and get them back."

Kara thought for a moment, but Seleena looked at her friend then continued. "Kara is there something you want to ask or say. I have known you since you were born. Just spit it out."

"You always could read me. All right, is Little really going to take that child as his wife? I just don't see how a dragon and a human can ... Even with the spells, she is going to die well before he ever would. He won't even have children to remember her by."

"Kara, I have a secret for you, children are possible, and with Little even more so. You see he's half human."

Kara stood there for all of three seconds more then sat right down on her butt.

Seleena knelt. "Yes, Kara dragons and humans can and do crossbreed. So when Riana is older I believe they will be having several little ones." Seleena helped her friend up. "Now I need to go get..." That was when a large ripple in the magical energies washed over her. "Shit someone just did something big. Kara I need you to take care of things here. I am going to check in with Little then I'm off to get help. Can you do that?"

Kara looked at her friend then shook herself. "Damn, when this is over I want to hear everything. But go I have a feeling this isn't over yet."

Seleena patted her friend on the back as she hugged her then ran for the back door.

"Little please tell me that was you casting something a few moment ago?"

"NO. It was the damn mage. He took Riana; I think they are back in River'sT. I am about to ambush the group and get Brad back. I will bring him home soon. The group comes, I have to go."

The connection was broken as sudden as it was made. Seleena was now outside. She took a breath and released the spell. Once back to her natural form she took to the sky.

"Martin, What you playing at? You'll get in trouble for tending to be one of the King's E's," Said one of the men that came at Martin's calling.

"Don, I'm not pretending. I am and always have been one the King's Elites. Now I called you all here." Martin raised his voice in order to be heard by all, "This city has gone to crooks, bandits, barbarians, and thieves. I am going to start taking it back. My brother and his unit are coming, but will not be alone for long. Help me take back our city. Help me stop the bad. aRE yOU WITH ME?"

There were some loud cheers. Then Martin moved to a large crate, and as he opened the crate said, "If you need arms, I have some here."

It took half a candle to get everyone ready. Then as a group with Martin in the lead, they marched to the constabulary building.

Word spread and there was a good-sized crowd when Martin and his friends got there as well as several armed constables.

"Master Martin, what is the meaning of this uprising? You will tell these people to go home and stand ready to be taken into custody," Said Yrgon, the head of the constabulary.

"I am here to arrest you and any who have supported your corruption. I am also ordering the arrest of Greggor, son of Daxual, for multiple counts of rape, assault, robbery, as well as several other crimes against the people of this city.

"I am also ordering the arrest of Daxual for racketeering, slave trade, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and ordering the murders of several people," Martin proclaimed loudly.

"You have no authority to order... ," Yrgon began.

"SILENCE!" Martin shouted, feeling the power flow through him as he began to advance. "I have sat by long enough. This ends now! By order of the King's Elites, I am taking control of this constabulary. Now tell your men to stand down!" Martin stopped when he was face to face with Yrgon.

It was also at that moment that someone ran forward, sword drawn. Martin drew his and held it point out at the man. Whether the man could not stop in time or the man did not care was never known as the man ran himself onto the waiting blade.

"That's one. The next man to die will be you Yrgon. If any of your men try anything stupid again."

"YOU KILLED HIM!" Screamed Yrgon in shock.

"No, he killed himself," Don replied, "He attacked; he just didn't think old Marty could get that great bloody sword out fast like he did." Several others had come to stand with Don and had their hands on their sword hilts in case the need for force arose.

"Now drop your weapons and put your hands on your heads!" Shouted Martin.

Only two others tried to fight and two tried to run, but were caught before they could go very far.

Little waited hearing the horses get closer. He reached out and projected to the horses making them want to stop and sleep. The men yelled and kicked their horses but nothing they did would get them to move.

That was when Little stepped out of the trees. The men saw him and froze the look they saw on the strangers face was of total hate.

"If you wish to leave here with your lives, you will give me the boy!"

"Mister, we don't have... ," one of the men started to say, but was cut off when his throat was closed and he went flying from his horse into the trees.

"I will have the boy NOW!" Little said as he walked forwards.

Men jumped from their horses and charged. Little wasted no time but killed the fools quickly. When no others wanted to die in such a manner, he turned and walked to the wagon. The driver was still sitting on the bench. A look of utter and total terror filled his face.

Little moved to the back, ripped the canvas open, and the wooden panel off. Little was unprepared for the site that greeted him. Lying in the bed of the wagon was not just Brad but also five other children, all about the same age.

One little girl looked up quickly and ducked back down, but Little could see she was shaking with fear. He reached out to the other and found them asleep. Little chose to leave them that way until he got back to his mother's place. The little girl looked up again and he smiled at her.

Little closed the canvas and walked back to the front of the wagon.

"I will give you three choices. One you drive this wagon back to the keep where the last child came from. Two you get down and return to your home; never to help anyone in an illegal operation again, or three I kill you, and take everything anyway. The choice is yours."

The man threw himself from the wagon and ran into the woods, away from the city. Little climbed up, gathered the rains, and then reached out to all the horses to get them moving back to the keep with the promise of good food and good stabling. To the little one behind him he projected care and safety so she would not be scared.

Once the wagon was turned and the horses willingly following, Little just let them make there way down the road.

"Scuse please," Little heard behind him.

"It's okay little one; you can come up here if you want to. The bad men are all gone."

Little heard the child move closer but did not come out on to the bench.

"You took us from the baddies. All by your self?" the girl sounded surprised.

"Yes I did. I came to take my brother back. I didn't know they had you and the others."

The little girl moved closer and was right behind the bench.

"It really is safe if you want to come out here and sit on the bench," Little said calmly.

"Papa said it was too dangerous for little ones like me to ride up there. I might fall off."

"Oh, if that's what your papa said then you should stay were you are."

"Are you going to do what the baddies did?"

Little's hands tightened on the rains. "No, never, I would never hurt a child and I would and will hurt any who would. You don't have to worry; we are going to my mother's home. My friends there will take care of you and the others."

"But papa won't know how to find me." The little one was very close to crying. Little told the horses to keep going then he sat the rains down and turned to the girl. Little reached down and took her into his arms. "It's okay. I will not let you fall, and I promise, once I find my other friend and make the rest of the baddies go away, I will find your papa. I want you to believe this. I will find him and bring him to you." Little pushed the thought to the girl very gently.

The little girl started crying and could not stop. Little just let her cry and rubbed her back until she fell asleep in his arms. Little shifted her but kept her there so when she woke she would feel safe.

Little took that time to reach out and try to find Riana but he could not. Therefore, he tried to feel the mage but had no better luck. He knew they had gone to the city so he slowly let his mind feel the area and soon found an area of the city that he could not penetrate. A strong shield had been set up. He realized that he would need his mother to help breach it.

After flying over the area, Seleena landed in a small clearing, walked to the road, and waited. She knew the squad from the King's Elites would be there soon. The sun was about an hour from being gone when she saw the group and signaled them. They would normally have returned the signal but they were riding too hard to do that so Seleena just waited.

The ten men came to a stop a short ways away from the woman that signaled. One man in their group knew her immediately.

"Seleena? What are you doing out here?"

"Greetings Ray. I have come to take you to River'sT. Things have gotten out of hand and we need you."

"Lady Seleena we just heard from the mages to make haste and that the rest were being made ready. What more has happened?" The group leader said never taking his eyes off the woman should this be a trick. The others in the group took up a protective stance and watched the area around them.

"My Keep was attacked and my people hurt. This you know as I told this to the mages. But what you didn't know was that Lee's future wife was stolen."

"WHAT?" Said several of the Elites at once.

"That is not all, Ray's brother's stable was attacked as well, but he now waits for you; Martin has accepted his sword," Seleena finished.

The group was speechless for a moment. Several of the men began to grow angry, the leader of the group as well. "How is it you are the bringer of such terrible news? Where is your mount? We should get back on the road, quickly."

"I have no mount, but the need for hast is so grate that I came to ferry you to River'sT."

"Lady, we know you to be a powerful sorceress but even you can not transport all of us." Said one of the other men.

"Three will ride on my back and two will be carried in claw," Seleena said calmly, waiting for the reaction.

"My lady we have no time for you to cast spells to make yourself large enough to carry all of what you have said," Replied the leader.