Chapter 22

She was convinced that she was about to be sucked fully beneath. As the vile mud came to her breasts, she felt the bottoms of her left feet make contact with the hard surface. Her right, on the other hand, was unable to alter positions. She lacked the willpower to break free from the shackles that held her captive. She screamed for help, completely assuming that no one would hear her.

Unexpectedly, a noose was dropped right in front of her face. When an extraordinary male voice called out from the ridge, "Milady, hold on tight. "I'll get you out of there," says the voice.

Lucinda grasped the rope and was relieved when it taunted her. Slowly, she felt herself being drawn upward and out of her entrapment as the rope hauled her. Within minutes, she had regained her footing and was able to scramble up the obstacle. She met Osmond, the strange, crooked troll of the forests, while she was there. "Thank the goddess, Osmond, you've tracked me down."

However, Osmond was an awful s