Brett woke up with a headache. He felt his forehead and noticed a bump where he had been hit. He looked at his hand for blood and noticed he did have a cut. He looked around to try and find his friends. Marc-Andre was still on the ground and not moving.

Brett crawled over and shook his friend to see if he was alive. At first, there was no reaction and Brett thought Marc-Andre was dead. As he was turning away, Brett heard a moan from Marc-Andre as he started to move around.

“Marc-Andre! Thank God. I thought we had lost you. Where are you hurt?” Brett asked.

“They must have knocked me from behind. I’m not hurt anywhere other than my head.” Marc-Andre said as he rubbed the back of his head. He looked around for Ashley and Mary-Kate, but realized they were nowhere to be found. He quickly got to his feet and searched around frantically for his sister and her friend. He called out their names into the forest around them.

Brett walked up to him and took Marc-Andre’s shoulders in each hand and faced him. “Listen to me. We are in Hresnan territory so they might know what is going on. We just need to see the king and get some answers.”

Marc-Andre’s fears weren’t calmed by the plan. “But what if he doesn’t know about it?”

“Then we will find another way to find them.” Brett said. “I will not rest until we find them.”

They collected the rest of their supplies and walked to Hresna without any trouble. They walked through the market place, noticing the villagers were acting like they frightened them. A group of guards came up to them.

“Oh, great.” Marc-Andre said. “More people wanting to fight.”

“Why does everyone have to be so hostile in this world?” Brett asked.

The lead guard walked up to them, his sword drawn. “You will come with us.” He said.

“Your sword is big.” Brett said, “But mine is bigger.” He added as he drew his sword.

“Wait.” Marc-Andre said. “We are no help to Mary-Kate and Ashley if we’re dead.”

Brett looked at Marc-Andre then back at the guard. He reluctantly put his sword back in its sheath. “We won’t be much help if we are locked in the dungeon either.”

“Where will you take us if we go with you?” Marc-Andre asked the guard.

“We will take you to the dungeon and ask you a few questions. What happens after that depends on you.” The guard said in a deep voice.

chapter 10
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