Page 102 of The Uprising
But no such luck was to befall her; instead Ralph grabbed her arm and pulled her along behind him through an opening which revealed a small cave. He pushed her roughly towards a rock on the ground. ‘Sit there while I make up a fire before we rewrite history.’
Cara could feel George’s despair in her soul—they were always connected even when physically apart. She knew he was going out of his mind and would want to come for her. But how would he know where she was? She calculated they’d been weaving through the forest for at least an hour and she looked about her in the dimly lit cave. She saw some of her captor’s belongings scattered about; it looked like he had brought her to his den. Cara hugged her knees into her chest and rocked back and forth on her makeshift rock-seat.
How did he think she would rewrite history? And why did he call her Caroline?
An image of George appeared in her mind, and she heard him say, ‘I love you—we will be reunited soon.’
Exhausted, Cara drifted off and then awoke with a jolt to the sound of her captor’s voice.
‘Caroline, warm yourself at the fire and I’ll heat up something for you to eat,’ he said. A gentleness she hadn’t heard before permeated his tone.
She warmed her hands next to the blazing orange flames of the fire, grateful for the unexpected comfort. She heard Ralph moving about behind her in the depths of the cave. While she slept he had scattered lamps about which cast an eerie glow around his den.
He handed her a bowl of warm pottage, and Cara hungrily drank the thick broth and nibbled at a hunk of hard, dry bread. The broth warmed her from within and she began to feel stronger. When they finished eating, he cleared away and then came to sit next to her. ‘We’re about to begin. First, drink some of this to soothe your nerves.’
She sniffed the contents of the cup; it was whisky, and she took a few sips.
‘Drink a bit more; it will help you enter into a receptive state of mind,’ he said.
‘A receptive state of mind for what?’ Cara asked.
A flash of irritation crossed his handsome features and he said, ‘I told you we are going to rewrite history. If I could do it without you, I would have already done so. I need you to do your bit which is why you’re here.’
He laid his hand on her shoulder and she shuddered and pulled away.
‘I don’t know who you think I am, but I don’t have the bloody power to rewrite history,’ she said.
He made a tut-tut sound. ‘And yet, you talk like a woman not from this time. How do you explain that, my darling Caroline?’
‘Who the hell is Caroline?’
‘My goodness, we are going to have to do something about your vile tongue, my love. You talk like a village whore, not like the sweet, innocent girl I fell in love with, or the fine lady you became,’ he said.
Cara shook her head and said, ‘Look, Master Knight.’
‘Call me Ralph, that’s what you used to call me,’ he said, reaching for her hand.
‘Look Ralph, I’m deeply sorry for any pain I inadvertently caused you, but you have to believe me, I have no idea who you are, and this has been an awful mistake. You can let me go and I will see to it that my husband doesn’t pursue justice.’ She withdrew her hand slowly; as if hoping he wouldn’t notice.
‘Oh, I see, will you now? How very noble of you,’ a thunderous shadow crossed his handsome face and she saw she had wounded him.
‘You really don’t remember me?’ he asked.
‘No, I really don’t. I’m sorry. Release me and I will find my own way back through the forest.’
He gripped her chin and stared into her eyes. ‘Oh, my darling, Caroline, do you truly think that because you’ve had a momentary memory lapse, I’m just going to let you go, after all of my efforts? Don’t you realise I’ve been tracking you through time for hundreds of years?’
A deep chill ran through her again. This was even more deadly than she had feared.
‘All right, so what is it you want me to do, exactly? Let’s get it over with,’ she snapped.
‘Sip some more of the whisky and we shall begin in a moment. Much like your friend, Sylvia; I too have powers, and I’m going to use them to hypnotise you, so together we will right the wrongs of the future, once and for all.’
He began recanting some strange unfamiliar words, and although she tried to resist, against her will she found herself slipping into a light trance.
‘Don’t fight it, my love. This is your fate; I’m taking us to our destiny. Once we are reunited you will be absolved of the karmic debt you carry, and I will be freed of my compulsion for revenge. I will be released from the karmic warriors and we will live in bliss, forever,’ he said, his blue eyes fiery.
‘You are quite unhinged,’ said Cara, struggling against the trance-like drugged feeling. ‘You don’t have to do this. Let me go before it’s too late. George will set the king’s army on you if you do this.’
