What Kind of Favor?

Elize swirled around as she grappled her shawl. Blood trickled down from various places, pooling on the snow beneath her. She was feeling weaker than she already was. Not being able to feed properly and hungry as hell, she knew that her body's ability to heal on its own was almost depleted. Her lips quivered as she swiveled her head left and then right to see who was there. She started running towards her home. The snow coated ground crunched beneath her feet. The soft flurries that had started drifting slowly downwards had changed into angry ice specks that pelted her. She needed to go home.

"There! There she is!" came a voice. "Quick!"

Elize picked up her speed. She looked back as she ran. There were two men running in her direction and one of them was… was the same she saw in the market square? Gods! Dread seized her chest. Thorns of panic pricked her skin. She just had to get in her apartment. And what was Ileus doing here? Why was he running after her? Was he acting as Caleb's henchman? Did they want to kill her or—? Shit. Shit. Shit. They wanted to kidnap her and take her back. She barked a vulgar curse as she ran. Terror flooded her. She would never go back. A sheet of sweat coated her forehead despite the cold. Her muscles cried in protest but she refused to give in. This wasn't a flight from death, but a flight to be free from him, of him. So, Elize ran as fast as she could.

The invisible hands wrapped around her, halting her speed. A murmur carried through the winds whispered, 'Stop love.' She shook her head vehemently. She had to reach home. She rounded the corner. Only a few more meters and she would reach safety. She was prepared to leave this place forever after that. "Please god!" she murmured.

"Stop!" Ileus shouted in frustration. She didn't. But the next moment she slammed into hard muscles. She staggered with a gasp. Her vision blacked out for a moment and she wheezed. When she collected her thoughts a second later, she saw a towering man with gray eyes standing in front of her. She started running to her left to avoid them. And then she saw him.

"Elize," he growled. He was coming directly to her in long steady steps, his black cloak trailing behind him. His size was just as massive and powerful and broad as she remembered him. His thick, voluminous hair that clung to his neck, fell over his forehead. She could see the stubble over his jaw and he was strongly reeking of whiskey. "Stop Elize," he growled. There was rage and desire burning in his eyes.

"No. No. No." She shook her head and then twisted in the air to go anywhere from here, but she was cornered. Three bulky, massive men had surrounded her. She was so weak. The hunger… the blood loss… the terror…

Suddenly a bag was thrown over her head and she was plunged into darkness as a smell filled her nostrils. She felt those sinewy arms around her waist before she hit the ground. From whatever sensation was left in her, she thought she was hauled over his shoulder and he ran wherever they were going.

Pain exploded along her back through all the stab wounds. The sweet smell in the bag was so strong and overwhelming that there was nothing that could stop her from plunging into the darkness that was rushing around her rapidly.

When Elize came to her senses next, she sucked in a deep breath of air, the sweet smell still lingering around her. But this time it was mixed with that of fresh snow and woods, horse sweat and Caleb's. She opened her eyes wide to see, but all there was this darkness. And why were they on a horse without a saddle?

The horse was… wide. So wide that her feet dangled in the air. No stirrups. She found herself sandwiched between the back of a massive man and a hard chest. Her hands were tied on her front as strong arms from behind had clutched her hard. The way the horse was moving, its gait was less symmetrical than what it should have been. Every time a bounce caused her heels to kick in the horse's sides. Instead of making the horse run faster, she would hear angry grunts from a man in front of her. Did that mean there were three people sitting on a huge horse with no saddle? Gods above! And did that mean that Caleb had finally succeeded in abducting her? Fury rose in her chest and she wanted to scream, but her throat was so dry that she ended up groaning.

"Fuck!" he said, when he listened to her groaning.

There was a more sweet smell inside her face bag and once again, Elize fell into oblivion.

---

A few hours back:

Sitting on the ledge of the roof with their feet dangling in the air, Caleb and Ileus were passing the canteen between them. It was when Elize drew the curtains apart, Caleb pushed Ileus back with him to the ground. Ileus grunted as he fell on his back, spitting the whiskey and cursing his cousin. "You bloody asshole!" He got up coughing and wiping his mouth. But Caleb didn't pay attention to his swearing. When Ileus tried to sit straight, Caleb put his hand on Ileus' head and pushed him down.

"I have come here to ask for a favor," Ileus said, trying to put his words carefully. He knew that Caleb was the only sorcerer in the Lore who could match the powers of the King of Galahar, Edyrm. But leaving Elize would be very difficult for him. He had to convince him because force was not an option.

Caleb perched beside him and closed his eyes as he tipped his head back to rest against the wall of the parapet. "What kind of favor?"