“Woman! You have visitors,” the guard announced, and she walked as close as she could to the bars and got a closer look at the three men. She recognized the hunched man as one of the company wizards. Many thought that he was a Shade due to his colors. The man with the sash wore the symbol of her company and regiment, then realized he was once an officer she had met of another company. Yassin Washt.

“You must be the Commissar,” she observed.

“And you are the defiant wench,” Yassin replied with a smile, “I look forward to your execution when we return.”

“I don’t know, Yassin,” the magician snickered, “I think she would look nice wearing a uniform like yours.”

“Of course, she also looks nice wearing nothing at all, as the company discovered,” the commissar agreed.

“Have you come to say something, or just make your empty taunts that only serves to further your own humiliation once the wizards come back with us?” she asked. In the corner of her eye, Lola spotted Murtagh making a silent chuckle. The Commissar was not as amused, but the magician was obviously humored.

“We’ve come to get you and your team,” Yassin explained, “We leave tomorrow, and it will be a long ride to the forest. I intend to reach it by evening tomorrow.”

“It took us ten days to reach it on foot!” one of the soldiers objected.

“That’s why Murtagh and I are here. We will be riding horses, and we can make them run like the stallions of lore. Of course Murtagh will be riding Thorn,” the magician assured him.

“Why is Murtagh coming with us? Doesn’t he have Varden to kill?” Lola asked.

“I will be there to make sure the wizards don’t make a run for the Varden. You get them out of the forest, I’ll get then to the capitol. If you succeed, that is,” Murtagh said. Unlike the King, Murtagh sounded impatient and bored, uninspired and moody, as if he had better things to do, which he probably did. The guard took out a key and unlocked the door, then unlocked the shackles to their chains. Lola only had one more question.

“So why the rush? Why not make our lives a hell just a little longer? We were just getting to know the rats rather well.”

“We have better things to do than pursue the tall tales of a handful of soldiers,” Murtagh spat, “Let’s go.”

Without questioning the Dragon Rider, the seven soldiers followed them out of the dungeon. One of the prisoners clapped, and was joined by another, then another, until the whole dungeon was cheering the soldiers on as they were ushered out. Yassin noted,

“You would do well to help out the company’s moral, Lola.”

She couldn’t help but smile.