Liala sat back and worked out what she would say when she got to shore. This time it would be her speech ... not a message from the guardians.
***
They entered the small harbour. At some time in the past it had been a holiday destination for people who liked to go sailing. Liala glanced around. Ruins of ancient buildings were everywhere. Decaying steel-and-concrete structures stuck up amongst the village houses which were made of stone and had quaint thatched roofs and tall chimneys.
A woman and three men were standing on the wharf. They were dressed in work clothes. Bryn said the woman was his mother. He jumped ashore and gave her a hug, Liala followed and did her best to deliver her speech.
'My name is Liala and I've come to help you fight ...'
She got out no more than a few words.
'Right, Princess! Quick smart!'
One of the men sprang forwards. He showed none of the shyness that had infected Bryn when they met. A strong hand fastened on her arm and rushed her to a truck that was standing beside the wharf with its engine running.
'We've got to get you out of here before the trolls arrive ...'
He bundled her onto the back seat. Bryn climbed in beside her. Balduur was pushed in at the rear. The engine raced. The clutch was let out and the truck shot forward.
Liala glanced back and saw Bryn's mother staring at them as they raced away. Her face was flushed with tears. It wasn't the reception she had expected. Her idea of a fishing village was of a sleepy place where life moved slowly. The TV programs made the villages appear so quaint and idyllic.
The houses might look quaint but the people were not. The man beside the driver had a ray gun. It was standard issue to the trolls. Liala suspected it had been taken from one and wondered if the villagers had any way of recharging them. That involved high technology and a massive power plant.
The men referred to one another by rank. The man beside the driver was the commander. The man behind her, with Balduur, was called sergeant and the driver was captain. Bryn called him Uncle.
The commander turned to her.
'Do you know if the guardians are tracking you, Princess?'
'My name is Liala ...'
'Answer my question, Princess.'
'I have an implant. All members of my family have one.'
'Where is it?'
'In my shoulder.'
'When was it renewed?'
'Last year.'
'Did it leave a scar?'
'Yes.'