I respond as we walk in and shut the heavy door. It clicks and locks itself behind us. “I and Percival escaped after they took the Jarl prisoner.” We’re inside a small room constructed of stone brick, with a simple arched door on the other side and another to the left. Barrels sit in the corners. I help Percival into a chair.
“He’s a prisoner then! He was not killed?” pushes the captain.
“Few men of ours were. All who survived were taken prisoner. Where are we?”
“We’re in the ruins of Fort Greymane, in the middle of the Wolfpack Mountains. There is a path leading out to a main road that we can take in the morning. You said the Jarl was unharmed?”
“Well, he’s a prisoner.”
“There is hope, then. What are your names?”
“Kadmus!” somebody else yells in excitement. I wonder who for only a moment because he greets me with a giant hug.
“Gunther!” I respond, returning the favor. “You’re alive!” we exclaim together.
Nathaniel joins the hug. “I thought I’d never see you again,” he says. “Where’s father?”
My face falls. “He too is a prisoner.”
“What?” Nathaniel says.
“He is a prisoner,” I repeat.
“Kadmus, then?” the captain interrupts.
“Yes,” I respond, a little annoyed. Nathaniel stares at me in disbelief. Gunther is silent, with a solemn face.
“Do you know any of the plans of the enemy? Did they track you here?” presses the captain.
“A few of them found the entrance but Percival and I took care of them.”
“Why did you leave father?”
“I had no choice-”
“So then we are safe?”
“I don’t know-”
“Was there anything you could do?” asks Gunther innocently.
“Not that I could-”
“Is the Jarl unharmed?”
“He’s going to be executed soon, probably tomorrow.”
Halfway through my comment Nathaniel is already saying, “But he’s your father!”
“Yes I know-”
“Executed!” pipes the other captain.
“Yes, killed.”
“What, well we have to-”
“QUIET!” I roar. The room goes silent. I wait for only a moment and then say, “I am going back for them.”
The room stays silent. Then someone brave enough says, “That’s suicide.” It takes me a second to realize that it was the captain.
“You yourself said that there was hope.”
“Yes, but I meant with reinforcements and a trained army. Not with a group of armed businessmen.”
“I am going. Think of it what you will, but I am going. He is my father and I will not leave him in the hands of the enemy. Neither will I let such a fate befall the Jarl.”
There’s another pause. “Then you’ll need these,” says the captain. He hands me the ring of keys.
“You will not join me?”
“The Jarl charged me with the responsibility of taking all survivors and travelling with them to Kera. We start in the morning. I must fulfill my orders, especially if those orders are the Jarl’s last.”
“They aren’t.”
The captain does not respond, but exits the room and walks up the stairs.
“How are Mother, Ethan, and Nicholas?” I ask Gunther. “Did you see them before you left?”
“Yes,” he answers. “They came to my house. That’s where they’ll stay. They’ll be safe.”
I give a sigh of relief.
“Rachel was with them when I left,” he adds. “I hope she’s safe…”
Having had no time to grab anything, I have no bedroll or food. Nathaniel and Gunther graciously share.
Frederick approaches me. He appears older now, as though the war has already taken its toll on him. He is smiling now, however. “It’s good to see you alive and well,” he says, shaking my hand.
“You as well,” I respond with a small smile. Even under the circumstances, I find myself contracting his positive attitude.
“Where are the others?” I ask Gunther. “James and Jericho?”
“They’re upstairs,” Gunther answers. “Probably sleeping. I’d leave
“He’s a prisoner then! He was not killed?” pushes the captain.
“Few men of ours were. All who survived were taken prisoner. Where are we?”
“We’re in the ruins of Fort Greymane, in the middle of the Wolfpack Mountains. There is a path leading out to a main road that we can take in the morning. You said the Jarl was unharmed?”
“Well, he’s a prisoner.”
“There is hope, then. What are your names?”
“Kadmus!” somebody else yells in excitement. I wonder who for only a moment because he greets me with a giant hug.
“Gunther!” I respond, returning the favor. “You’re alive!” we exclaim together.
Nathaniel joins the hug. “I thought I’d never see you again,” he says. “Where’s father?”
My face falls. “He too is a prisoner.”
“What?” Nathaniel says.
“He is a prisoner,” I repeat.
“Kadmus, then?” the captain interrupts.
“Yes,” I respond, a little annoyed. Nathaniel stares at me in disbelief. Gunther is silent, with a solemn face.
“Do you know any of the plans of the enemy? Did they track you here?” presses the captain.
“A few of them found the entrance but Percival and I took care of them.”
“Why did you leave father?”
“I had no choice-”
“So then we are safe?”
“I don’t know-”
“Was there anything you could do?” asks Gunther innocently.
“Not that I could-”
“Is the Jarl unharmed?”
“He’s going to be executed soon, probably tomorrow.”
Halfway through my comment Nathaniel is already saying, “But he’s your father!”
“Yes I know-”
“Executed!” pipes the other captain.
“Yes, killed.”
“What, well we have to-”
“QUIET!” I roar. The room goes silent. I wait for only a moment and then say, “I am going back for them.”
The room stays silent. Then someone brave enough says, “That’s suicide.” It takes me a second to realize that it was the captain.
“You yourself said that there was hope.”
“Yes, but I meant with reinforcements and a trained army. Not with a group of armed businessmen.”
“I am going. Think of it what you will, but I am going. He is my father and I will not leave him in the hands of the enemy. Neither will I let such a fate befall the Jarl.”
There’s another pause. “Then you’ll need these,” says the captain. He hands me the ring of keys.
“You will not join me?”
“The Jarl charged me with the responsibility of taking all survivors and travelling with them to Kera. We start in the morning. I must fulfill my orders, especially if those orders are the Jarl’s last.”
“They aren’t.”
The captain does not respond, but exits the room and walks up the stairs.
“How are Mother, Ethan, and Nicholas?” I ask Gunther. “Did you see them before you left?”
“Yes,” he answers. “They came to my house. That’s where they’ll stay. They’ll be safe.”
I give a sigh of relief.
“Rachel was with them when I left,” he adds. “I hope she’s safe…”
Having had no time to grab anything, I have no bedroll or food. Nathaniel and Gunther graciously share.
Frederick approaches me. He appears older now, as though the war has already taken its toll on him. He is smiling now, however. “It’s good to see you alive and well,” he says, shaking my hand.
“You as well,” I respond with a small smile. Even under the circumstances, I find myself contracting his positive attitude.
“Where are the others?” I ask Gunther. “James and Jericho?”
“They’re upstairs,” Gunther answers. “Probably sleeping. I’d leave
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