Chapter 2: Fight and You'll never Survive...Run and You'll never Escape.

1990 Santa Elena de Uairen Slums, Venezuela

(Speech is in Spanish)

"Class today we are going to learn English vocals, so I need to put you in pairs" The teacher at the front of the class said as Alejandro and his classmates sat on the rickety benches.

"Did you see the Soccer world cup?" A boy asked Alejandro.

"Kid, You know I live in the slums……TV my arse!" Alejandro laughed "If it wasn't for school I would be a hood."

"Argentina lost One Nil" They boy carried on. "Penalty 85th minute, the German…Breheme scored it." Alejandro looked on as the teacher started naming partners. "I had my money on the Germans the whole time."

"Not me" The boys turned to see a dark haired girl standing in front of them. "I thought that when Argentina beat Brazil they were going to win it." She turned to Alejandro. "You Alejandro?"

"Yeah" He was shell shocked at the beauty of this girl, probably the first time he had ever really liked a girl.

"What it was either America cause everyone is scared of them, England cause of the striker Gary Lineker or Germany cause they are too good." The boy nodded.

"Julio, we must support all South America teams when we are not in it." Alejandro tried to side with the girl.

"Please losing four nil and six nil to Brazil and then losing three one and five nil to Chile, does not deserve my support" Julio said pompously as he walked off to ask the teacher who was his partner.

"So you like Soccer?" The girl sat down next to him.

"Only cause I like Julio" Alejandro answered, there was an awkward silence.

"I'm Ynez Rios……So why don't you have a last name." She blurted out.

"Nice to meet you Ynez…because My mother doesn't use her last name so neither do I…Father Torres says soon I will have to choose one I will probably pick a Saint that I connect to the most." Alejandro nodded as he was thinking.

"Well pick a good one because I can't very well go round as Mrs Ynez 'Saint James the Great'" She laughed until she realised why Alejandro was looking at her funny.

"Cool" He smiled.

March, Chester, England, 1644

"Is my brother preparing for his siege of Lyme Regis next month" Prince Rupert asked Gerrard Legge.

"No my Prince" Gerrard was many of Ruperts replaced officers after four died at Bristol and the other three getting promoted or transferred.

"Fool" Rupert petted his dog, Boye.

"But there is word from the King." Gerrard said.

"And why is this only now you tell me?" Rupert stood. "Well what is it man?"

"Colonel Lucas has failed at relieving Sir Richard Byron at Newark." Gerrard bowed.

"A thousand Thunders!" Rupert Roared. "What is the situation?"

"Sir Byron has under two thousand men, fatigued and injured." Gerrard said. "Sir Meldrum the Commanding officer of the parlimentarians has two thousand cavalry and five thousand foot with plenty of artillery." Gerrard finished

"Legge, Quickly ride to Shrewsbury and send all musketeers to Bridgnorth" Rupert ordered as he got to his horse.

"Milord what are your intentions?" Gerrard asked before he left.

"To find Wentworth under the command Loughborough who should help us." Rupert rode off.

Few days later

Rupert awaited the arrival of Gerrard Legge and hopefully an army. He saw Gerrard ride up and meet him on his own. "Well?" Rupert asked

"A few Milord." Gerrard answered. "What of Wentworth and LoughBorough" Gerrard asked.

"He is in the Wolverhampton, Lichfield region." Rupert looked past Gerrard to see an empty road from which legge came. "I have got only two thousand musketeers in the army and my cavalry is only at three hundred, I hope you have at least five hundred muskets and two hundred cavalry." Rupert looked dead at Gerrard.

"My Prince" some one rode up in the Royalist colours.

"Yes."

"I am, Colonel Henry Tiller, Gerrard Legge has informed me of your situation so I have brought you some men." Rupert turned from Gerrard to Tiller. "I have one hundred cavalry." The Prince hid his disappointment well. "But one thousand musketeers." Henry stated proudly. Rupert was about to answer when a lone rider rode up to them.

"My Prince I heard you needed an army, although mine is busy in Cheriton and Arundel." The rider removed his hat. "I am here to offer assistance"

"Major General Jacob Astley, I am Humbled" the Prince laughed

"Shall We" Jacob laughed back.

"Very well" Rupert smiled. "Welcome to the big leagues Colonel." He rode between his two officers. "To Newark."

Few days later

"So Wentworth how is Loughborough?" Rupert smiled as the five of them sat upon there horses allowing the hedges in the fields to be cut down for easier mobility.

"Stop it, Rupert, I don't see why waste time like this" Loughborough sighed.

"The Governor of Nottingham is for Parliament, so Sir Meldrum will be watching the roads." Rupert smiled to Boye. "So our total army is?"

"Six thousand musketeers and four hundred cavalry….and we got to beat about one thousand more bodies than us, plus artillery" Gerrard concluded.

"Doesn't bother me" Wentworth laughed. "Rupert maybe crazy but he is a good commander." They all laugh.

"So what is your special plan, My Prince" Colonel Henry Tiller chuckled out.

"Attack in the dark" Rupert replied seriously.

The next night.

It was two in the morning and just down the hill was Newark fort with a huge army just in front of it.

"Who is the best battle aged solider?" Rupert asked as his men prepared to attack.

"Broughton" Gerrard answered.

"Legge send him me and then you can form a third rank of two thousand musketeers, preferably more fatigued than fit ones." Rupert knew that it sounded like he was condemning him but it was all tactics.

"Loughborough" Rupert demanded as Gerrard trotted off.

"My Prince"

"Form the second rank with two thousand musketeers but you have majority fit than fatigued please." Rupert looked at his former tutor Astley who had been uncharacteristically quiet over the last few days.

"MiLord I was sent for." A Burley man ran over to the Prince.

"Broughton?"

"Yes"

"I'll give you one hundred Cavalry to go on the right flank and then…" the Prince tellls them of a crazy plan. "can you do that for me?" the prince looked towards the others who thought he was mad.

"Of course." Broughton knelt.

"Get him a steed" Rupert ordered. "Wentworth you mirror him on the left" Rupert ordered prompting him to leave.

"Jacob, Tiller you have a thousand muskets each complete the plan." Rupert concluded as he left to join his two hundred cavalry.

!i!

Charge!

The Royalists charged against the unaware roundheads with such speed down the hill the opposition wasn't ready and their reserves were destroyed. Meldrum still was able to launch his main army into attack-but backwards and as his flanking cavalry went against the royalist cavalry, Wentworth pulled his flank off as did Broughton foiling the attacks of Colonel Thornagh and Colonel Rossiter. And then Jacob charged into the turning cavalry concurrently as Tiller decimating the flank of the Parliaments and letting Royalist cavalry to attack the unprotected sides of the musket ranks.

Rupert had led the charge to show no fear he smiled as felt the weakness in the opposition soldiers more fatigued than them. Meldrum went to retreat but Sir Byron had ordered a counter attack as soon as he realised that Rupert was there forcing the Sir Meldrum to Surrender.

!i!

"How badly did we do?" Rupert asked Gerrard.

"We lost only a hundred men from our side although untold amounts of Byrons sir. But that was hardly our doing." He half smiled to Rupert.

"How many of them survived?" Jacob interrupted.

"Three thousand Muskets, no cavalry and 13 artillery weapons still active." Gerrard smiled. Wentworth brought over three prisoners as Loughborough looked through Sir Meldrums diaries.

"Sir Rupert Hartop, Sir Michael Hobart and Colonel Thornagh are confirmed dead and these are their remaining officers, Sir Meldrum, Sir Gervase Holles and Colonel Rossiter." Loughborough announced.

"He killed your soldier called Broughton" an injured Tiller pointed to the cavalry Colonel.

"Thank you" Rupert nodded. "Let them go to the city of Hull unmolested" Rupert ordered as Sir Byron came into view.

"Thank you my prince" The weary nobleman fell to his knees and gave him a kiss on the ring. "We are for ever grateful" he continued.

"Don't worry Byron, just keep up what you are doing for the King" Rupert replied as the Sir of Newark rose and left nodding to him in agreement.

"Jacob, thank you. You gave the men courage with your words, if ever you need a Prince I am always here for you." He bowed as Jacob smiled and left.

"For The King, for in him we trust to lead us to God" He waved and trotted back towards his own battalion who came a bit late for the battle after they realised he was missing.

"Colonel, Same applies to you. The king will here about your assist." Rupert turned to Henry Tiller. Rupert then went to ride into his tent.

"Loughborough….if you ever tire of Wentworth send him back to me." He rode off so he could retire.

1101 Alamut, Iran

Ghazi woke up with a start, his head pounding, eyes blurry hearing distorted. "Where am I." He started to clear up his senses but he could feel luscious grass underneath him, he could hear a babbling stream, he could smell a roasting boar. "Where am I" he repeated as he rubbed his eyes to quicken his ability to see.

When he was able to see he realised he was in a courtyard with other men being tended to by naked females and one man by another man. As he got up he saw two girls walk over to him offering him many things (things which made him blush)

"I must be in Heaven!" he smiled as he remembered the spiders attacking him.

1990 Santa Elena de Uairen Slums, Venezuala

"I don't believe it, you live in a church!" Ynez said as they walked around her huge bedroom.

"Yeah well you live in a mansion" Alejandro replied whistling impressed like he was at the room.

"You didn't have to come for tea when I invited you" The seven year old girl put her hands on her hips smiling the whole time.

"Well, what else am I going to do……go to Julio's and watch soccer?" He laughed before Mrs Rios called.

"Alejandro, dear would you like us to drive you home or for you to call your mother or…?"

"No thank you, I will walk home in a minute, Mrs Rios" Alejandro said after a moments hesitation.

"It's a bit late for a seven year old to be walking" Ynez's mom opened her bedroom door.

"Mother!" Ynez screamed. "Privacy!" her mother stopped.

"Darling, I just want to speak to Alejandro." The mother was still using the soft spoken mother voice.

"I'm coming" Alejandro walked to the door. "Goodbye Ynez, Goodbye Mrs Rios" he said. "Bye Mr Rios" he shouted to the house as he walked on downstairs then out of the door.

"What is his problem." Scowled Mrs Rios.

"He doesn't want you to know he lives in the slums." Her daughter said as she went to go past her in a huff.

"WHAT!" Mrs Rios screeched. "You brought a street rat into my house." She slapped her child.

"What's going on?" A weedy white man came in.

"Your daughter brought a hood to our house today" Mrs Rios turned to her husband.

"A Hood?? Who? Who do you know who's a hood?" Mr Rios lloked to his sniveling daughter.

"That rat Alejandro. That's who" she was fuming.

"That nice SEVEN year old boy" He was confused at his angry wife.

"You know how hard I worked to get out of that place." She screamed at him.

"You worked? Melaina you married me?" this time she hit him.

"Don't grow a pair now Emilo, I still know some hoods who would still kill for some of me!" Melaina threatened.

"You speak of infidelity in front of our child." Emilo was shocked

"Please, you always watch me and the trans-woman maid." She said disgustingly. "That is the last time you shall see that boy." She ordered he daughter.

"See what he has already done to us" Ynez's father gently said to her then walked off ashamed of himself.

Chester England 1644

Prince Rupert sat on a trunk in Jacob Astley tent the morning after the battle. "I would like to thank you "Jacob, you tutor me still" he smiled as Astley finished washing his sleep dust off.

"No, that is you still teach me" Jacob turned to face him. "I hear you are up for a promotion."

"From a Prince?" Rupert laughed the only time you could tell he wasn't English.

"You know when I became Sergeant-Major-General, My successor sat me down and gave me two letters" He was deadly serious. "He said to me…'if I do something dumb and I make it out alive read the first letter. And you will trust me'" Jacob slightly smiled. "'that will get you out' he then said 'if once again you do something dumb and survive read the second letter' so time passed by and a new lieutenant started and I told him this story and gave him the two letters." Rupert furrowed his brow. "Well…please I'm perfect at everything" Jacob laughed "But this new man got in a bind and when Charles questioned him, he opened the first letter and it said 'Just blame the old man' so the LT. came to me and read the letter to me and I smiled and said 'do it'" Rupert stifled a laugh this time. "He did and it worked like a charm Charles forgave him and he carried on doing well" Jacob then put his armour on getting ready for the ride back north. "soon enough he was in over his head again and read the second letter. Do you know what it said?"

"I do not have a clue" Rupert was mesmerised by this story. "Go on" he urged.

"it said 'time to start writing your own two letters'" Jacob laughed. "Good Luck, My Prince" he ruffled the Kings Nephew's hair as he walked past and out of the tent.

1101 Alamut, Iran

Ghazi strolled around the evergreen courtyard eating a tender roasted goat, drinking fine ale and attached to his arm was a scantily clad woman. Music was playing other men and women were frolicking, until above the courtyard was a balcony where a clothed man stood all in white. He just picked up and dropped another male into the courtyard. "Another has entered the Haven of Allah"

Ghazi just carried on, not realising that being dead is awfully a lot like being alive and who a Muslim(Him) is drinking alcohol. "Hail the gatekeeper who let us in to the Heavens" Gahzi replied drunkenly before pouncing on to the naked woman next to him.