by Janice Ayre
***
The day following Brock's disappearance Zebulon scoured the surrounding country with the help of Uri and other men from the village. Uri had closed his inn and gone searching while Elvira and Minerva went around the village asking everyone if they had seen anything that might help. It wasn't until the following day that Brock's horse was discovered wandering around near the river beds that divided Kotonia from the mine. Although it was a lead, it was not an encouraging one and there were some that began to believe that Brock was beyond their reach.
Zebulon would not give up. Uri voiced their shared suspicion and fear when after another fruitless day of search had ended he said, “Do you think Mustafa has him?”
“I think it highly likely. But one thing, though he may have driven the most vile fears into the poor lad’s head, he will keep him alive because he wants to bargain with me.”
“You will need to take great care,” was all that Uri said.