Frog and the Sandspiders of Aridian by Joffre White

produced a small leather bottle.
    â€˜Here, drink this. It is only warm cave water, but I'll warrant that you'll not refuse to swallow it.’ He placedit on Billy's lips and the young boy drank gratefully and deeply.
    â€˜No need for such cruelty,’ said the man as he inspected and loosened the bindings on Billy's wrists and legs.
    â€˜Thank you,’ said Billy gratefully.
    â€˜Don't thank me for showing kindness,’ he replied. ‘The vile witch has an unpleasant use for you, I'm sure of that. She made it very plain how valuable you were to her plans. I'm just making sure that I carry out my orders without giving her reason to inflict her rage on myself. But believe this, if you cause trouble or try to escape I'll turn your keeping over to him.’ He nodded back towards the first man. ‘As long as you're kept alive he'll not worry about what condition he delivers you in.’
    â€˜Thanks for the advice,’ said Billy. ‘What's your name?’
    â€˜Baron,’ the man replied.
    â€˜Where are you taking me?’
    â€˜To her, in her fortress, two days’ ride from here.’
    â€˜I take it that you're talking about Belzeera,’ said Billy.
    â€˜The very same.’ ‘What has she told you about me?’ asked Billy.
    â€˜You ask a lot of questions for one who has no options.’
    â€˜Like most evil witches she tells lies. I'd just like to make sure that you know the truth about me,’ said Billy.
    â€˜All I know is that you are responsible for her brother's false imprisonment and you are thebargaining point that will give her the Rune Stone that will free him. In return for helping, she will give us the power to reclaim and rule Aridian. Then she will be on her way, back to where she came from.’
    â€˜That's a pretty impressive lie,’ said Billy. ‘Anyway, how do you know that you've got the right boy?’
    â€˜She has shown us your image. Every man in our hunting party had it burned into his mind by one of her unpleasant spells. Besides, this leaves me in no doubt that you are the one called Frog,’ he said as he lifted Billy's bound hands and indicated to the shortened little finger on his left hand.
    Billy stared at it in horror.
    â€˜What's the matter?’ asked Baron. ‘It looks like a fairly old wound. What troubles you?’
    â€˜It … It … It …’ stammered Billy as panic rose in his chest. ‘It still brings back bad memories,’ he finished, hoping that the explanation was good enough.
    â€˜Huh! When you lose an arm, like my brother Dre, that's when you need to complain.’ He stood up. ‘I think that we've talked enough. Keep the water bottle, but use it wisely. Once we're on our way, we won't be stopping for a refill.’ Abruptly, he turned and left Billy to clutch at the bottle and stare at his finger. By a morbid curiosity, he was intrigued with the stump and examined it in more detail. Then, he pulled back the sleeve of his robe and examined his arm. No scar! He'd had an accident on his skateboard the previous year, which had resulted in six stitches in his arm, but now there was no sign of the injury. His mind was racing with frustration; he desperately wanted to see himself, to see his reflection in anything so that he couldconfirm the full extent of the transformation. He looked around him. There was nothing and then he remembered; when he had changed from his combats, he had checked his pockets and retrieved his mobile phone. He had rolled it into the waistband of his robes. He felt for a bump in the material; yes, it was still there. He could use the camera facility to take a picture of himself.
    He hooked his thumbs into the waistband, but it was no good; whichever way he turned, he could not retrieve the phone. He brought his knees up and tried to jiggle the illusive phone out, but he was interrupted by a sharp voice.
    â€˜What are you up to?’
    Billy froze as