Invisible String - A Sebastian Sallow Story

Chapter XXIX

"Where exactly are we going, Miss Sweeting?" Professor Sharp asked as they arrived south of Feldcroft in an abandoned hut along the coast. He reached an arm out to stop the girl, who was insistent on rushing around without help to get back to her friend as quickly as possible.

"There is a camp just north of here, it is not too far but we must walk there on foot to not attract too much attention" she explained as she attempted to slip from his grasp.

"We will not be barging in there without a plan! I refuse to go in without warning as to what we are getting ourselves into. That would be reckless." he told her, realizing that the lack of caution was what ended them up in the position to be begin with.

Poppy looked back at the potions master, realizing he had a point, but still looking undeterred to wait much longer for her friend's sake.

"Can you at the very least recall the layout of the camp? And roughly how many men were there when you left?" he asked her, walking the two of them out to the shore as he passed her his cane so she could draw it in the sand.

Poppy quickly drew a crude map of the poacher's camp, explaining to him how she had overheard Rookwood's men discussing the curse affecting Anne, and how she had attempted to go in for more information when she was apprehended. Poppy also explained how she attempted to get her friend out, and what direction more men came from as she left her.

Aesop Sharp watched with a frustrated sigh at both how reckless, but also brave these girls had been, to brave poachers and possibly even Victor Rookwood for a chance at saving the young girl who's ailment prevented her from being at school any longer. Reaching a hand up through his long dark hair, he pulled it back from his face while looking back at her sketch of the camp.

"I still do not believe you and I alone are going to be able to take on so many men without help Miss Sweeting... we may need to consider other options-" he started to explain and she abruptly cut him off.

"No! You don't understand! Victor Rookwood has wanted to capture her for a while now... if she is even still where I left her, she could already be dead! We don't have much time!" Poppy explained to him, as worry filled her when she thought of the fact that her friend could already have been killed. Sebastian was truly going to murder someone when he found out what happened...

"I understand perfectly clear Miss Sweeting but we cannot just barge in there, the two of us and expect good results. You are nothing more than a student and I cannot move the way I used to!" he yelled at her and she suddenly went quiet as he aggressively clutched his hair again, annoyed by its presence in his face.

"I am sorry... but we can not do this alone. Especially if there is a chance Rookwood himself is there..." he sighed, trying to figure out a possible solution when she looked up and saw a bird flying from the west.

Poppy's eyes lit up as she waved to the hawk, attempting to get it to come closer and when it started flying towards her she lifted out an arm for it to land. Professor Sharp looked confused towards the girl, curious why she was suddenly so excited, and by a mere bird no less.

"We won't be alone." she explained with a smile as the ground below them started to slightly shake. Pushing the student behind him, the professor grabbed his wand ready to face whatever appeared when she pushed his arm back down.

Suddenly, Dorran along with several members of his tribe came rushing from the hill above, stopping just shy of Poppy and Professor Sharp.

"Dorran, I am so glad you came... we need your help." she explained looking up at the Centar, who Sharp was shocked to learn she was on a first name basis with.