[Lyra Greenleaf]

“We’ve won!”
Eäris heard the shout without registering it’s meaning. He was doubled over, panting with exertion.
More voices joined the clamour: “Victory!”
Eäris straightened with a groan at his bruises, looking around. All the Corsairs lay on the ground, most dead, one or two groaning. There were less now than there had originally been Some left to tell their masters about us he realised. We must leave quickly. For now, though, he was content to savour the feeling of victory. He had almost forgotten its sweetness.

“What shall we do now?” asked the coachman, bringing Eäris out of his daze.
“We must leave”, he answered slowly, “but Gilian and Rolan are still missing. First I must find out what has happened to them. Get up those of the pirates that still live, tell them they have a choice of a swift death or capture. If I remember these Corsairs aright, they will choose death. By the way, thank you for your help, you saved my life.”
Eäris smiled at the man and patted his shoulder, glad that he had servants he could rely on. His mind was a jumble of what had happened and what he had to do. He was becoming more and more concerned about his two youngest children. Suddenly his blood ran cold. Asta and Linde! he thought. If anything has happened to them…He refused to finish the thought, not wanting to think of any such event.

Thinking hard of what course would be best, he began to walk to the coach to consult his wife. On the way he accidentally tripped over the body of a Corsair. Thinking the man dead, he began to move him out of the way, but a hacking cough told him otherwise. An idea came into Eäris’ mind.
“Do you know anything of a young lad and girl?” he asked the man sharply.
“Lad and a girl?” asked the Corsair mockingly “Would that be the little brown haired lass and her brother we picked up earlier? The ones who looked a lot like you? They’ll be very useful to us, have no fear- we’ll take good care of them.”

Kidnapped! Earis’ head span. How? Why? What should he do now?
The injured Corsair laughed softly to see his confusion and despair. With studied calmness Eäris asked: “Would you like to be put out of you misery? Or shall I bind you and take you to the King Elessar?”
“King Elessar?” The man laughed again, more weakly than before. “Neither” he said, and drawing a small knife, plunged it into his neck.

Eäris began to walk slowly towards the carriage again. Gil and Rolan kidnapped? He thought quickly I must tell Astarielle at once.