Fire and Thorn

by Mary Vee

  Gilbert held his ear to the door. The guards screamed questions at Matthias, giving him no time to answer. The slapping and pounding sounds broke his heart. Matthias didn’t say a word or groan his pain. He didn’t give away their position. Why didn’t he follow them? He didn’t have to sacrifice himself. They would have found a way. “Matthias is giving his life. I won’t let him.” Gilbert pushed past Ben to the door.

  The knight used his height advantage to stop the king. “We can’t help him if we’re caught too. When they move down the corridor, we’ll follow them and see where they take Lord Matthias.”

  Gilbert rubbed his face. “All right.” He huffed. “They better not hurt him.” He stood next to the door and listened again.

  “If we kill him, the commander will be angry.”

  “You’re right.” The beating stopped. A thud resonated. “Why are you here, old man?”

  “Thought you could spy on us? A lot of good that will do. No one escapes. No one.” A guard laughed.

  Matthias remained silent through their tormenting.

  In the distance, another husky voice shouted. “Bring the prisoner here.”

  A thud followed. “Don’t beat him so much,” a guard said. “I don’t want to carry him.”

  “Me either. Carrying bags of bones isn’t easy.”

  “Move it, old man. The commander wants to see you.” Their voices faded down the hall with the echo of marching boots.

  Ben waited until the footfalls vanished down the hall then opened the door. “It’s clear.” He wormed outside the door with Gilbert close behind. They kept to the shadows and followed the guard’s footfalls.

  About five hundred feet ahead, the soldiers turned right. Gilbert and Ben rushed to the corner and peered around the wall in time to see the guards push Matthias into a room. “Faster, old man, get in there.”

  Once the guards walked inside, Gilbert and Ben edged closer.

  A raspy, almost elderly voice spoke. “What is your name?”

  “Matthias.”

  “Speak with respect to the commander.”

  A terrible thud followed.

  Matthias groaned heavily then stammered, “Ma…Math…Matthias, Commander.”

  “Why are you here?”

  Ben whispered, “He isn’t answering.”

  “So, you refuse to speak? Guard, drag him to the prison cell. He’ll beg to answer questions within a day.”

  Gilbert signaled a retreat. Ben followed him into a narrow alcove.

  The commander’s door opened. “Keep up, old man, or we’ll drag you.” The footsteps drifted farther down the corridor.

  From a safe distance, they followed the guards. The passage circled to the left and had doors every few feet on both sides. The soldiers opened one on the right and pushed Matthias inside. “He’ll rot in there before he sees daylight,” one said. They slammed the door shut and turned a key in the lock.

  Gilbert and Ben slithered out of sight, flattening their bodies against a recess.

  The guard’s keys jingled. “I love my work. Let’s go. I’m hungry.”

  “Me too.”

  They marched down the hall.

  Gilbert leaned forward. The corridor was empty. “I wonder if this passage curves back to the main hall.”

  “There’s only one way to find out,” said Ben.

  They crept in the shadows to Matthias’s cell. “How are we going to get this open, sire?”

  The door had a keyhole, this they knew. “I don’t have anything to pop open the lock.” He touched a rectangular hole in the doorframe. “I’ve seen a hole like this before. I didn’t know what it was at the time. Could it be?” The hidden staircase in the castle had an indentation like this. “This is amazing. I think I have the answer.”

  Ben slid his fingertips inside the indentation. “What is this? The guards would have used this keyhole in the door, wouldn’t they?”

  “Yes. They had the correct key to lock it. If I’m right, this lock takes a special key to open. One that only three people have.” Gilbert rubbed his hand against his father’s pendant hanging around his neck. He lifted the chain over his head.

  “You have it? Your father’s pendant?”

  “I think this is a key.” Gilbert lined it up with the hole.

  “Hurry, try it.”

  Gilbert pushed the pendant into the indentation. The door clicked and sprang open.

  Ben patted Gilbert on the back. “Most impressive, sire.” They pulled the door the rest of the way open and found Matthias crumpled on the floor.

  “Lord Matthias. You’re a mess.” Gilbert kneeled before the chancellor and cradled his swollen head. He looked for water or cloths, but the room was bare. “Grab his arm.”

  Ben scooped Matthias’s arm and wrapped it over his shoulder. Together they stood. “I think we can get him out of here between the two of us.”

  They staggered to the doorway, looked both ways, then entered the corridor. “Quick, close the door.”

  Ben gently let the door latch.

  They struggled with the chancellor’s weight on their shoulders following the passage. “We can’t rest yet, Sir Ben. Let’s get him to the supply room where the horses are hidden.”

  So much for treasure and scrolls. Why did he believe that couple? He sighed. Because the clues along the way pointed to the validity of their sayings. He was a fool. As they approached the third door, marching steps resonated from the corridor they’d just left. “They’re coming, Ben. Hurry.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  They would never get down the hall and to the room where the horses were hidden before the soldiers arrived. Gilbert reached for the handle of the first door to his right and twisted. It wouldn’t turn.

  “Look, sire. There’s one of those special keyholes.” Ben shifted Matthias’s weight on his shoulder. “Below. See it? Hurry.”

  Gilbert pulled the chain out from under his tunic and pushed the pendant into the hole. The lock clicked, and the door snapped open. Inside the room, they set Matthias down on the floor, gently pushed the door shut, and locked it. Gilbert's heart pounded with such intensity, he thought it would give them away.

  Their hideaway had a padded bench, four poster bed, a dining table with four high backed chairs, and a tall cupboard. Ornate tapestries hung on the wall and draped to the floor. This was someone’s living quarters.

  Ben held his hand up to his lips then pointed to a piece of the floorboard in the far-left corner that rose slightly higher than the others. Using hand signals, they crossed the room and found a handle embedded in the wood.

  Gilbert nodded back. He lifted a secret hatch high enough for a person to fit through. Tiny, frightened children’s voices squeaked from below. He kneeled down and whispered, “Who’s there?”

  “King Gilbert, is that you? I’ve heard your voice before.” A woman came into the light and pressed her hands to her chest. “Children, come,” she laughed. “We’re free.”

  Gilbert reached down and hoisted each child out of the hole. Their faces seemed so familiar. “I’ve seen you before, and you, and you. What are your names, and how did you get here?”

  Ben tapped him on the shoulder. “Sire, we need to be quiet.”

  Gilbert nodded and turned back to the woman. The children skittered closer to her and hushed as though they’d been well-trained for danger. The woman smiled and bowed. She whispered, “My name is Elizabeth. Before my husband died, he told me of a hiding place, a safe haven from dragons. He took me to the rock in the plain, instructed me how to open the door, and warned me to never come here unless our lives hung in peril. About two weeks ago, dragons flew over our home day and night. I used the escape hole dug by my husband and brought the children here. We’ve asked the Great King to send someone to rescue us.”

  Gilbert sat on the floor by Matthias. “But we didn’t come to rescue you. We didn’t know you were here.”

  “Oh, one of your men is injured.” She went to the cupboard and removed herbs,
a cup, and strips of cloth, and set them on the counter. She ground the leaves in a bowl with the mastery of a nurse, poured water from an ewer, and mixed the ingredients into a broth. “This will make you feel better,” she said to Matthias.

  As she nursed the chancellor’s wounds, Gilbert searched the room for an unusual light source. “This room should be dark. It doesn’t have a window.”

  Ben set his hands on the walls and knocked. “Since this room has a trap door, I wouldn’t be surprised to find other hidden secrets.”

  Gilbert inhaled. “The air isn’t stale like the rest of this ruin. Where’s the fresh air coming from?”

  Ben moved to the center of the room. “Take a look at this, sire.” He walked to the tapestry. “What seems to be light in the picture—”

  “Is real light.” Gilbert pulled the heavy cloth away from the wall. “There’s a hole back here with a grate over it.” An inky black rock reflected sunlight from above. “How ingenious. There’s a ventilation shaft here that provides light and fresh air. The sunlight or moonlight funnels down the shaft then reflects off that hunk of mica. I wonder why we didn’t see it from above.” He remembered the water and didn’t see the source. “Elizabeth, where did you find water?”

  “The children stumbled upon the trap door when we first took refuge in this room, sire. We hid below when someone came near the door. While down there, we found a spring. When the people left this room, I allowed the children to come up and stretch. Once in a while, a guard climbed down into the hole. We hid deep in the cave behind rocks.” She stood and wiped her hands on her dress. “Your friend will need more medical care than I can give. This drink will help him for now, but he needs a safe place to rest.”

  Her children ran to the bed and dragged the top quilt over to Matthias. Elizabeth lovingly smiled at her little ones. “To amuse the children, we explored the underground room a great distance, sire. It twists and winds, covering a great deal of land. There is a chest with parchments down there.”

  “You found them?” Gilbert looked at Ben. “I knew it had to be so,” he whispered. After all that had been said about his lack of leadership, his decision to come here was right. “Will you show me the chest?”

  “Yes, your majesty.” She turned to her children. “Come, sweet things.” They scurried to the trap door and quietly lowered themselves.

  Gilbert sat on the edge of the hole after Elizabeth went down. “Ben, stay with Matthias and keep watch.” He dropped down to the lower level and stood still, unable to see his surroundings.

  “Your eyes will grow accustomed to the dark, sire. Some light always filters from above, and soon, you’ll see more. In the meantime, we’ll guide you. The ceiling is low.”

  He leaned and inched straight for about twenty feet before he could see some objects. The children ran ahead over rocks. The soil was a mucky goop in some places and crusty powder in others. “Is it much farther?”

  “No, sire.” She pointed to his right. “The chest you seek is behind here.”

  He walked behind a boulder and found a trunk wedged in the cave wall. He pulled it down to the floor and lifted the lid. “It isn’t locked?”

  “And it shouldn’t be. Not if what is inside is for the people.”

  Gilbert reached inside and felt layers of parchments. “The scrolls. They’re really here. Have you read any of these?”

  Elizabeth paused, then softly spoke. “I can’t read.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take a few up to the room where I can see what is written.” Gilbert stuffed as many parchments as he could hold in his arms. “Will one of you lead the way?”

  “I will, sire,” the boy ran ahead. They twined through the passages bearing left at times and right at others closer to the light. “Here it is,” the boy said.

  Gilbert set the scrolls down and lifted the children up to Ben then stepped back, giving Elizabeth room to climb onto a rock and up through the opening. Once she pulled her feet out of the way, Ben peered down. “Did you have fun, sire?”

  “Funny. Here, take the scrolls.” He passed up the parchments then climbed out of the hole. One by one he picked up the yellowed rolls bound with thin string. He turned them over in his hands. “Look, three of these have a special mark on the back. The fourth one doesn’t.”

  He walked them over to the table and as the unrolled one, footsteps echoed near the door. Everyone in the room stopped moving, even the children. Elizabeth raised her brows and glanced at the trap door, but before the children could slip below, the door hurled open.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Regent Robert paced inside the atrium while Captain Timon shouted orders to his search party. “Listen,” he interrupted. “Any guards not in service with Captain Timon, follow me.” He ran up the grand staircase two steps at a time not willing to let that couple slip away again. “Spread out. You four, inspect this floor. Leave no room unchecked. The rest of you follow me.” He raced up the stairs to the third floor. Pointing to the next group, he sent them to the right.

  Robert drew his sword and held it ready. The remaining soldiers sprinted to the left toward the prince’s apartments with him. He then sent two of them down a side hall. The rest went with him toward the king and queen’s apartments. “Down here. Hurry. I saw movement.”

  The guards raced with him, tightening the rank. “I see them,” one shouted.

  “Faster.” Regent Robert sprinted ahead. He bolted to the end, turned left, and came to a sudden halt. Robert blinked at the empty hall. “Where did they go?” He ordered two guards to search ahead, two others back down the hall.

  “Open each door. Now. Find those two,” Robert ordered. Doors flung open and slammed shut. The guards inspected each one without success.

  Robert stood in the middle of the corridor checking both directions. “Where could they have gone?” As the last soldier rejoined the group with no results, he shook his head in disbelief. “Tear each room apart, piece by piece. If you don’t find them, tear each room in the entire castle apart. Don’t let them escape. I’m going to the second floor and check the progress there.” He slid his sword back into the scabbard and stomped off. These two will not escape, not on my duty.

  He dashed down to the second floor and found a guard. “Report.”

  “I heard noises a few moments ago, Regent Robert. The sound came from behind a wall over here.”

  “Show me.” He followed the man.

  “Here. I stepped out of the dining hall and turned. At this point,” he touched the wall, “I heard a thumping on the other side.”

  “Thumping? What sort of thumping?”

  “I guess it was like the sound of feet running on a hard surface.”

  A secret passage, and the spies knew about it. The kingdom’s problems exceeded the Banyan Tree invasion. “Find out what’s on the other side of that wall. Hurry.”

  Gilbert gasped. They couldn’t escape the guards this time.

  The door slammed against the wall. A band of men burst into the room each clothed in gray cloaks and hoods covering most of their heads. Gilbert stepped in front of Elizabeth. The scrolls tumbled to the floor as he yanked his sword from its scabbard and took a fighting stance.

  The hooded men marched into the room and removed their outer garments. The gray cloaks fell to the ground revealing their true identities. They were knights from Aerlis. “King Gilbert. At last. We’ve found you. We lost your trail several times.” They looked back at the hall. “We can tell the story later. Forgive us for frightening you. Sir Robert sent us. We used these disguises to blend in with the people of Malum.”

  “Lord Philip. Thank you.” Gilbert slid his sword back into the scabbard. “You gave us all a scare.”

  Elizabeth and her children nodded.

  One of the knights leaned into the hall. “Sorry, sire. We must hurry. You’re all in danger.”

  Lord Philip knelt before Matthias. “Will he survive his injuries?”

  Gilbert nodded to Elizabeth. “Thanks to her g
ift of healing. This woman gave him an herbal healing drink, cleaned his wounds, and applied bandages. Fortunately, her efforts will hold him until he can be seen by the royal healer.”

  “Our time is short,” said Lord Philip. “Please, sire, come with us.” He directed two of the knights to pick up Matthias and carry him.

  “Wait, Lord Philip. Our horses are in a room two doors down.”

  “You two,” the knight pointed to his men, “get their horses.”

  “Yes, Lord Philip.” The two knights left.

  “What about this woman and her children?” he asked.

  Gilbert approached her. “Do you want to come with us? I could find you and your children a place to settle in Aerlis.”

  She nodded and grabbed her littlest one by the hand. The other child stepped in line. “Thank you.”

  Lord Philip motioned everyone out of the room. “Quickly. And keep quiet.” Gilbert snatched the scrolls and followed them down the corridor. They rounded the corner and met up with the knights and horses. “Hurry, turn right, toward the stairway.”

  Thumping sounds from deeper in the underground corridors frightened Gilbert. He whispered. “They’re coming this way.”

  Philip held his finger to his lips. “Run, sire.” They crouched low and scurried to the stairs.

  The first knight at the stairway twisted something attached to the wall and set the secret door in motion. Lord Philip turned to one. “Escort the king out first.”

  “No, get the horses out first, followed by Elizabeth and her children.”

  Lord Philip had fight in his eyes, but he motioned to a knight to follow the king’s orders.

  Ben also took the cue and hurried Elizabeth and her children along. The kid’s shorter legs slowed them a bit. He scooped up one in each arm and ran out of the ruins.

  Enemy soldiers burst around the corner. Both sides drew their swords.

  Sir Phillip turned to the king. “Go!”

  “No, get Matthias out first. I’ll follow.” Gilbert drew his sword.