What had happened to him, and more importantly, what had happened to the king? He was aware of a dul , throbbing ache in his head, but he ignored it and tried to sit up. It took him a few panicked moments to realize that he couldn’t move at al . Had he broken his neck in the fal ? Did he lie paralyzed on the forest floor, hidden from sight, alone in this threatening wilderness? He fought to keep his breathing even and tried to think. He lay on his back, but it didn’t feel as if he lay amongst the green mossy vegetation of the forest. In truth, it felt more like he lay in a bed. Was he at the summer palace? Something about the quality of the silence around him and the unfamiliar smel s didn’t seem to fit that scenario either. He tried to open his eyes, but found himself unable to see. He was either blindfolded or in complete darkness. Neither option made him feel any better. He remembered the ambush and the way he’d been forced off his wulfran. Had he and the rest of the king’s party been captured, and if so, where was the king?
