by Travis Pond
Elis grabbed a chair and slid it over to the window. He sat down hard and with a slight edge to his voice as he asked, “Tureis has trained with him? What are you talking about? Tureis has never told me about training. Training to do what?”
“Now Elis, calm down,” said Emmett. “It’s not like he’s training for war or something. Just learning some fighting skills. Tureis is pretty good with a sword.”
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Elis asked, “Ok, so what happened to Braon?”
“Yeah...Braon.” Emmett sighed and seemed to be staring out the window intently at something, gathering his thoughts. “Well, the short story is that he broke into the king’s stables and stole the king’s horse. He apparently got drunk, broke into the stable and proceeded to ride the king’s personal horse around the training ring. He then left the ring and rode along the castle grounds and tied him up in the blacksmith shop. Braon then decided to go to sleep in the woodpile outside the shop. Early in the morning, Jareth, the kings messenger, found him.”
“What happened to him?” asked Elis.
“He was brought to me,” said Emmett.
“What did you do?” asked Elis.
“I asked him what was going through his mind when he did what he did,” said Emmett shaking his head. “He’s never done anything like that in all the years I’ve known him.
“What did he say to that?” asked Elis.
“Well at first he just sat there dumbfounded,” Emmett continued. “He acted like I was crazy to even suggest he’d done it. Then I think it finally all sunk in and he became angry. He was shouting that he didn’t do it and he was set up. I just looked at him and told him they found him in the woodpile asleep with the king’s horse tied to the rail right next to him. What was I supposed to think?”
Emmett got up from his chair and began pacing around the room. It was evident by his hunched shoulders and slow movements that he was deeply saddened by the events. Braon Fogart was Emmett’s second in command and a good friend. He was in charge of all the training for the guard as well as the chief of security to the king. Emmett was the captain of the guard but Braon was the leader that directed all the guard’s activities.
Second in command was a very coveted position that came with a lot of power and authority. Emmett trusted that person with great responsibility. They could make decisions about training or security detail, even punishment of individual guard members without consulting Emmett first.
“Who did he say set him up?” asked Elis.
“Emron, my third in command. Braon said he and Emron went out and had a couple drinks last night. He said they went their separate ways after that. Braon says he went back home. After that he doesn’t remember anything.”
“What did Emron say about the accusation?” asked Elis.
“Emron says he went back to his house and went to sleep after the drinks. I will admit though, when I was talking to Emron, he didn’t seem very upset about the whole thing,” said Emmett.
“Well, he just got a promotion didn’t he? Second in command,” said Elis
“Yeah, I guess he did,” said Emmett. “Still with nobody to backup Braon’s story, I had no other option but to send him to prison.”
Ailish made an audible gasp and quickly covered her mouth. She held her breath hoping she hadn’t been heard. Tureis held up his hand and mouthed the word, “Wait.”
“Prison? That seems a little harsh for a midnight pony ride,” said Elis.
Emmett nodded, “I agree. To be honest, I really don’t think Braon did it on his own. It makes sense that he was set up. Why would he do it? What would be his reason? After so many years of faithful service, why do something that you know would get you kicked out of the guard? It just doesn’t make sense.”
“But prison?” Elis asked again. “Why not just whip him and send him away?”
“King Seathan was pretty angry,” said Emmett. “He made me promise a message would be sent to the rest of the Guard. I had no choice. Braon actually begged me to whip him and send him away, which now that I think about it seemed odd.”
“Why do you say that?” asked Elis.
“Braon’s always been a fighter, one of the smartest fighter I know. This behavior is something he would never do. But instead of continuing to insist he was set up he gave up the fight so quickly. It makes me stop and think,” said Emmett.
They both took a big breath and let it out slowly as they stared out the window. After a minute, Emmett said, “That’s not all. He’ll spend tonight in the stockades inside the walls of the castle. He will be next to the outer wall near the shops, right by the blacksmith shop where he woke up this morning. The King thought it a fitting place to learn his lesson. Tomorrow morning he will be taken to the prison and will be there for three months.”
Elis shook his head in disbelief and said, “I wish him the best. He’s always been a good man, loyal to the king. I will miss him. But now I need to get back to the castle.”
“So do I,” Emmett said. They both left the house and closed the door.
With the shock of hearing of their friends punishment, Tureis and Ailish slowly sat down on the ground under the window. They didn’t move for several minutes, just staring out into the yard thinking about what they’d just heard.
Chapter 4
- Signal -
Slowly, Tureis and Ailish got up and made their way to the bench. Ailish picked up the book and sat down next to Tureis. With his head in his hands, Tureis sighed and asked, “What did we just hear?”
There was no response from Ailish, she just sat on the bench staring straight ahead with a blank expression on her face. After a minute she came out of her trance, “Huh? What was that you said?”
“I was wondering what we just witnessed,” said Tureis. “What were our fathers saying about Braon? What did he do? Is he really going to prison? That just seems such a hard punishment.”
Tureis knew the prisons in Thaven were very harsh and only the worst of criminals were ever sent there. For a member of the King’s Guard to be in the prison with some of the worst criminals in the kingdom was not good. They would not be very accepting of Braon and his life would be very difficult for sure.
Again, his head found his hands and he sighed. Ailish shifted on the bench to face him. “They said he was going to be in the stocks tonight before he goes to prison tomorrow,” she said. “Specifically the stocks near the blacksmith shop. That’s a strange place to put a King’s Guard in the stocks. That’s a place for common thieves.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a guard being placed in the stocks at all. This really does seem strange... but they said the king wanted to make an example of him. I think that qualifies,” he said.
“I wish we could do something for him,” said Ailish in a soft voice.
That caught Tureis off guard and he sat up straight. “What are you talking about?”
“Braon is my friend and he’s been a good friend for a long time,” she said. “He’s taught me so much about fighting. I really feel sad for the way he’s being treated.”
“I agree. But...even if we were to do something, what could we really do? It’s not like we could just walk into the castle, free him from the stocks and walk back home,” said Tureis.
Ailish smiled and looked at Tureis with a mischievous expression on her face and said, “Why not?”
“What do you mean why not? You’re not thinking of actually….” his voice trailed off. She just sat there with a devious smirk. “No way, Ailish. There’s no way we could do it!” he said. “We would get caught and end up right next to Braon!”
She stood up and placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned in close so they were looking eye to eye. “I think we could do it,” she said with certainty.
He stood up to face h
er. “Ok. Answer me one question,” he said.
She placed her hands on her hips and looked up at him. “Ok. What question?”
“Why? Why do you want to help him? Why should we help him?” asked Tureis.
That question appeared to surprise her. She sat back down and looked forward, staring at nothing, pondering the answer. After a minute of thinking she responded, “I could answer that question in several ways. Most of the answers would be my personal reasons. I guess the real answer is that he is our friend. He is loyal to us...and I think we should just do it for him. I feel he’s been wronged and unfairly punished. I also think he’s been set up...possibly by Emron. But mostly I think we should help him because he’s our friend.”
Tureis sat next to her on the bench. “He really did a lot for us. Remember when we were ten and we tried to sword fight in the training area and nearly killed each other? He covered for us and no one ever found out.”
“Exactly,” responded Ailish. “And he’s trained us without telling your father, or anyone else. He’s a loyal friend, and friends like that are hard to find.”
Tureis exhaled a very long sigh and said, “Like I said, if we get caught they’ll likely hang us. I’m not kidding. It could even be worse. Helping a prisoner escape goes directly against the king. It’s treason.”
“So....what do you think?” Ailish asked with some uncertainty in her voice.
Tureis didn’t respond immediately to that question. He sat back on the bench and looked to the sky. “If we do this,” he paused and took a breath, “We can’t get caught.”
Ailish smiled, “Okay, so how do we get into and out of the castle without being seen?”
Tureis thought for a moment and said, “We need Seth.”
‘I agree,” said Ailish. “Can we get a message to him quickly?”
“I think so,” said Tureis a bit unsure. “I’ll work on that. Shall we meet in the yard behind the bookstore?”
“Yes. No one will see us there,” she said.
“Ok. I’ll go into town and get a message sent to Seth and meet you behind the bookstore around mid-day,” he said.
The castle in the Kingdom of Thaven sits in a valley at the bottom of the Cossack Mountains. In this area the mountains form steep cliffs that rise several hundred feet and form a semicircle around the back half of the castle, with the castle sitting in the middle. Behind the castle and around both sides extending up to the cliffs is a dense stand of trees known as the Claggem Forest.
Outside the castle gate is a bridge that spans a river which divides the villages from the castle. The end of the bridge opens to a large and very busy square. This common square is the hub of buying and selling for not only the people in the villages of Darish and Grinnurd, but also for those who work and live in the castle.
Tureis stood in the center of the common square, his eyes searching the people around him for someone. Unable to find her he began walking around the square, now searching the various carts. Finally he spotted her, a middle aged woman with long brown hair, wearing a long skirt and an apron. She was sitting on a stump resting her elbows on her small cart full of flowers. Tureis moved through the crowd until he came up to her cart. “Hello Rinn,” he said.
“Well hello young Mr. Atreyu. What brings you here today?” asked Rinn with a smile.
“It would appear I need to buy some flowers. What do you have today that looks nice?” he asked.
Rinn stood, reached down into her cart and brought up a small bouquet of wildflowers. “What do you think of these?” she asked.
“I think those are very nice. How much for that beautiful bouquet?” he asked.
“The usual,” she said with a grin.
Tureis took out his coin bag and removed some coins. “Is there any way to deliver those today?”he asked as he handed her the coins.
“Why yes, of course. No problem at all,” she responded.
Tureis lowered his voice, “Any way to deliver them now?”
Rinn winked and smiled, “I do think that can be arranged young Mr Atreyu.”
Rinn stood up, closed the cover on her cart and without even a backward glance walked toward the castle holding the beautiful bouquet of wildflowers in her hand.
Chapter 5
- Secrets -
“Did you get the message sent?” Ailish asked as she walked through the opening into the yard behind the bookstore. Tureis was sitting on a turned up crate with his back against the wall, eating an apple.
“I did,” he replied. “There’s really no way to know when he will get the message, but I paid a little extra to have it delivered quickly.”
Ailish sat down and sighed, “I guess all we can do is wait.” She set her bag down on the table and opened the top.
“Hey there,” Seth said as he entered the yard. He walked over to the table and sat down at on a crate. “What’s all the excitement about? I came as quick as I could.” Seth removed his hood and set his bag on the ground. “Oh, by the way, I really liked the bouquet. Very nice,” he said with a smile and a wink. He reached into his bag and pulled out the small bouquet of wildflowers and presented it to Ailish. “These are for you my lady,” Seth said as he bowed his head and held out the flowers.
“Stop it!” Ailish said, punching him in the shoulder. She took the flowers, smelled them and set them on the table.
“Well! I’ve never in my life been treated so poorly,” Seth said as he rubbed his shoulder and smiled.
“Wow! You came quickly,” said Tureis.
“Yeah, but it wasn’t easy. It’s getting harder to get out of the castle during the day without being seen, but I did it,” said Seth. “So...what’s happening?”
Tureis and Ailish looked at each other, neither of them wanting to be the one to explain things to Seth. Finally, Seth folded his arms and asked, “Are either of you going to tell me or do I have to guess?”
Tureis nodded toward Ailish and said, “She can tell you.”
Seth turned to face her and waited. “Ok,” he said. Ailish looked down at the table as she organized her thoughts. They really needed Seth’s help, and if she didn’t do this right he may not agree to join them. She looked at Tureis and then over at Seth, not sure of what to say. Finally, Seth spoke up, “Does this have anything to do with Braon?”
They both looked surprised. “As a matter of fact it does,” said Ailish.
“I overheard both of your fathers talking about it in the castle today,” said Seth. “They were saying something about him possibly being set up by Emron?”
“Yeah. We overheard them talking at my house,” said Ailish. “We’re really upset about it.”
Seth cut in and said, “I think we need to break him out so he can escape.”
Ailish and Tureis sat there with their mouths hanging open, not a word coming out. Hesitantly, Ailish asked, “You really think so?”
“There’s no way he did this, and it’s just wrong to do this to him,” said Seth. “I pleaded with my Dad to let him go. But he just said ‘no one rides my horse and gets away with it, not even a guard.’”
“Really...he said that?” asked Ailish. “Actually, that’s why we wanted you to meet us.”
“We need your help to get into and out of the castle without being seen,” said Tureis.
“We need to learn your secret way in,” said Ailish.
Seth sat there pondering that last comment, looking back and forth between them. “Are you serious?” he asked at last.
Tureis looked at Ailish bewildered as if not expecting that answer. “Uh…well...we don’t know how to get into the castle without being seen, so we hoped you would show us your way in,” he said.
Seth stood up and paced across the yard with his head down. After a minute he returned to the table, “I have never tol
d anyone how I get out of the castle. It’s sort of my secret.”
Seth continued pacing around the yard, contemplating his decision. Tureis and Ailish sat and looked at each other, unsure why this was such a big deal. Seth returned again to the table and sat down. “We have been friends for most of our lives, and I guess I didn’t realize that I’ve been keeping this secret from you,” he said. “I guess you’ve always known I can sneak out and meet you and you’ve kept that secret for me. I’ve just never told anyone how I am able to get out of the castle unseen.” Seth fell silent again. Tureis and Ailish just continued to keep quiet.
“How I actually get out of the castle is a secret I’ve guarded close,” Seth continued. “I’ve never told anyone about that. I was afraid if anyone found out, that my secret route would all of a sudden become blocked and I’d never be able to get out of the castle again.” Seth looked at both of them and finally spoke softly, “I just wasn’t prepared to let it go.”
Ailish looked at Seth with a hopeful smile. She finally asked “So...will you help us?”
Seth looked at Tureis, expecting a plea from him as well. Tureis just shrugged his shoulders. “What do you think?” he asked.
Seth was silent for a few moments as he thought about whether or not to share his secret. Finally he said, “Ok. I’ll show you how to get into the castle.”
Seth stood and began walking away from the table when he spun on his heel returning to the table quickly. He raised a finger and pointed it towards them and said sternly, “But you better not tell anyone! I don’t want to lose my secret exit.”
“We promise,” they said in unison.
“Ok then,” said Seth. “How do we do this?”
Ailish jumped up and gave Seth a tight hug. “Thanks so much. I know Braon will appreciate it too.”
Just then shouting sounded from the alley entrance. Moving quickly, all three of them backed up against the wall and Seth put up his hood, covering his face. The sounds grew louder in the alley way. Someone was coming toward the yard. Almost instinctively Tureis and Ailish backed up in front of Seth to hide him and prevent anyone from discovering his identity. Seth pulled his hood lower over his face and looked down.
