Two paladins and a cavalier sigh in relief as they ride to the castle stables. They dismount just outside and lead the horses to their stalls for the waiting stable hands to tend. They then head off to the barracks, exhausted from their missions, and are met at the door by another cavalier, only a year younger that the one with them.
"Ah, Guran, son, what are you doing up this late?" the eldest knight, Janus, a Paladin well in his forties, asks him.
"Waiting for you and Jarod, Father. Eya and Thyre have not yet returned from their mission," Guran explains, light brown hair ruffled by the wind.
"I'm sure they aren't, they had a far more dangerous mission than a simple patrol as we did."
"What is it?" he asks softly, concerned.
"I can't say too much, but it's infiltration," Janus explains, careful to make sure no one else can hear.
"I see. Your bed is ready for you, Father."
"Good lad. Men, you're dismissed. Rest up for your patrol in the morning."
They all nod and leave for their rooms, utterly exhausted.
Janus senses someone watching and turns to look, but sees no one there. He shrugs and heads to his own room, removes his armor and lays on his bed, thinking of the days when he was a young knight of Renais. Soon he was soon sleeping fitfully, unconsciously sensing danger.
Janus twitches slightly as he hears something, no, someone, enter his room, sword drawn. He slowly edged his hand down to his own sword, half asleep.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Father," Jarod warns nervously.
Janus starts and sits up-he'd never heard his eldest nervous like that. Looking around, he sees he's surrounded by the lord's soldiers. "What's going on here?" he asks, seeing Jarod and Tavier restrained behind them, and Guran terrified.
"Our lord wishes to speak to you traitors," one of the soldiers snarls, hate in his eyes.
"Traitors? What do you mean?" he asks, then stiffens as one pressed a spear to his back.
"Quiet, save your speaking for our lord," the spear's owner growls sternly.
"Fine." He drops his sword and allows them to lead him away with the rest of his team, except the four still out on their mission.
Eya sighs as she looks at the swordsman polishing his sword. They'd all ready infiltrated the rebels and were getting their weapons ready for a raid. "What is it, Eya?" the swordsman asks softly.
"Something doesn't feel right back at home, Thyre."
"What do you mean?"
"Something's happened to the rest of our team, I just don't know what."
"Hmm, it's hard to say, sis. Anything could have happened. It could be something minor, for all we know," Thyre soothes with a shrug.
"It's nothing small, bro. I can tell that much," she murmurs, eyes glazed. "Hmm, whatever." One of their scouts comes running, a girl in her twenties.
"We have two major problems," she pants breathlessly, exhausted.
Eya gives her her canteen. "Catch your breath, then make your report."
The girl obeys. "One, we've been discovered by the rebels who are closing in around us. Two, we've all been proclaimed traitors and have been summoned back to the castle to face the consequences of out betrayal to our lord," she explains when she can breathe again.
"What?!" Thyre roars, furious.
"Thyre, calm down!" Eya says sternly. "She is only giving us the message. She is not the one who has proclaimed us traitors," she adds in a slightly gentler tone.
"I... I... fine," he growls in annoyance.
"Good. First off, we deal with the bigger problem at hand. That would be the rebels closing in arond us right now."
"Fine. Let me at them," Thyre grins eagerly.
"Stand down, Thyre," she retorts, annoyed.
"What! How else are we supposed to get away from them?"
"With our brains," she rolls her eyes.
"Well then, what plan do you have?"
She nods nearby to the rocks. "Not even the rebels will go there, for some reason."
"They say an evil mage lives there and kills anyone who comes onto his property," the scout warns, scared.
Thyre softens slightly. "Don't worry, Kaylee. No mage can ever bring me down."
"Getting ahead of ourselves, are we?" a mercenary Janus had recruited, name of Findan, puts in.
"What? Mages don't bother me much."
"Most might not, but he might be a sage, not a mage. Or worse, a sorcerer."
"Hmph. Whatever. I can take whatever they throw at me."
"Thyre, quit." Eya said, lightly smacking him on the back of his head. She looks at Findan, voice perfectly calm. "Would you rather see us killed by rebels? Is that what you want?"
"No," he sighs. "Though I'd prefer to know the identity of those I'm in danger from."
"I understand. But extreme circumstances lead to extreme measures."
"Very true. One straight charge and split at the rocks."
"No; stay together. That way if we run into the guy, we can fight him together."
"Very well."
"I agree with you. For once," Thyre agrees softly.
"Kylee, Finden, Thyre, take charging positions beside me." Eya orders quietly, taking her place, bow at the ready. They do. "One the count of four. One."
"Two," Thyre murmurs.
"Three," Kaylee whispers.
"Four," Findan finishes.
"Charge!" Eya shouts. They all tcharge the weakest section of the rebels ranks together.
The rebels scatter out of the way, surprised by the charge. Thyre and Findan fell anyone who gets in their way until they make it to the rocks, where their pursuers stop chasing them.
The rebel leader snorts. "Cowards."
"What do we do now? We all know what lies in there." from his second.
"We leave them to him," the leader shrugs, turning to walk away. "And march on the castle."
"Very well." He walks away with him, not seeing the broken arrow on the ground at the entrance to the rocks.