Read Sora's Quest for Free Online

hands in front of her. When he was finished tying her, he shoved her into the firelight without ceremony.
    She looked around the camp, truly unsure of herself. The clearing was small and neat, a mere pocket of light and warmth amidst the trees. A rabbit was roasting over a modest fire, the delicious smell of cooking meat rich in the air. A heap of saddlebags rested to one side of the fire. She let out a breath. A dangerous-looking sword leaned against a tree, glinting in the firelight, and several other weapons were laid out alongside it. Next to that were two bedrolls.
    Sora's breath caught. Two bedrolls?
    Then her eyes saw a figure sitting on the opposite side of the fire, half-obscured by shadow. In this light, she wasn't sure if it was a man or a woman. The fire danced, casting peculiar shadows. The person's nose was small and pointed, the lips not overly generous; there was a thin jaw with wide, exaggerated cheeks. Feminine. Yet a thicker neck, muscular shoulders and a flat chest. To her mind, the stranger was completely androgynous. He or she looked youthful, only six or seven years older than herself, and yet the hair was at odds with the age. The locks were pure silver, pulled back in a thick braid that trailed to the ground. Sora had never seen such a brazen color, like concentrated starlight—not even on her most elderly servants.
    The figure shifted, scratching its back against a tree, then said wryly, "Bringing home stray pets, Crash? You know we can't keep it."
    "Quiet, Dorian," her captor said, still the voice of Death. "I ran into her in the halls...couldn't just let her go, could I?"
    The silver-haired Dorian snorted in response. "Couldn't you have killed her?"
    Her dark captor remained silent.
    "I see," Dorian murmured. Sora guessed it was a man by the name and his wide shoulders, but the voice was evenly pitched and could have gone either way. There was a slight accent to the words. It reminded her of the North, thick and rounded. "I trust that the job went well?"
    "It did...though unexpectedly," Crash murmured. Sora thought it was a strange name. Crash. Perhaps not his true name at all.
    "So what are we going to do with her?" Dorian asked.
    Crash left the fire to unsaddle his horse. Sora stood awkwardly, wondering if she should sit.
    Dorian spoke again. "This doesn't make our position any better, you know. We should just cut her loose, let her go."
    "Volcrian will find her," the dark man replied. "And...she might be of some use."
    "Right," Dorian replied. A lopsided grin split his face. "But I don't share my women."
    Crash cast a cold, pointed look at the silver-haired man. Sora shuddered, catching the gist of their conversation. She knew she was in a vulnerable position—they could do whatever they wanted to her, and she wouldn't be able to stop them.
    Then Crash spoke again. "Her necklace," he grunted.
    "What's that?" Dorian cocked his head to one side, then looked back to Sora, a curious glint in his eyes. His gaze fell to her neck. "Is it worth much? Let's see it, sweetness. Where is this necklace?"
    Sora frowned. She was loath to pull the chain out into the open; what if they stole it? It was the only thing remaining of her mother. But one look at Crash changed her mind. Better her necklace than her throat. She pulled the piece of jewelry out of her shirt, dangling it in the open.
    Dorian squinted for a moment, then his eyes widened. His brows shot up to his hairline. "Is that...?"
    "Yes. I am almost certain of it."
    "Ah."
    And the two fell silent.
    Sora dropped the piece of jewelry back into her shirt. She raised a hand to her neck self-consciously. She wanted to ask what they were talking about—demand that they explain themselves—but she was too terrified. They could still kill her. Why keep her alive, just for a necklace? Just count your lucky stars, she told herself, biting her lip. At least they haven't disposed of you yet.
    "So...is that the plan?" Dorian asked again. "We just bring her