Back at the village of Carvahall, things were looking grim. The soldiers occupying the town had caused quite the uproar when they killed Quimby. Now just about every family in Carvahall had sent someone to represent them in the secret town meeting in Horst's giant house. Everyone was shouting over each other trying to get a point across, trying accuse someone, or just being loud to add to the terrified distress that gripped the town. And this was the scene that Roran and Horst walked in on.

"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!" The burly blacksmith shouted over the noise, "I HAVE RETRIEVED RORAN FROM THE SPINE!"

Instantly everyone went quiet, ending their arguments to get a good look at the one who had brought these terrible problems to their once peaceful lives. Many people like Sloan the butcher stared at him with a look filled with hate and anger. Some looked at him with stares of confusion and bewilderment. And some people stared at him with looks of hope.

The stare down continued for many minutes, no one daring to even breathe or blink. The silenced charged the atmosphere until Horst was sure his house was about to explode out of the pure tension in the room.

But before it could, Roran broke the silence.

"Hey everyone!" He said cheerily, "Guess what! I can read!"

Everyone in the room blinked at once, and knitted their eyebrows in confusion muttering to each other under their breath. This went on for a couple seconds, but it then died down, stopped, and became quiet again. This time the room was full of not angry silence, but awkward silence. But just before someone could say it out loud, and make the situation even more awkward, someone started to clap.

it was a lone clap at first, but it was soon joined by others. And then it spread and spread until the whole room was shouting and cheering for Rorans amazing new accomplishment.

"Hooray for Roran!" Baldor shouted, "He can actually read!"

The clapping intensified, and even Sloan had to smile. But soon, the clapping died down, and the room was beginning to fall into yet another silence. Roran sensed this, and started to think desperately for anything he could do to keep the villagers preoccupied.

If the subject falls on me again, the villagers are sure to kick me out and hand me over to the empire... But what if I come up with a plan? What if I find a way to get rid of the empire, hold Carvahall, inspire the villagers, and live here happily ever after with Katerina?

And with those thoughts Roran knew what he had to do.

First I have to get the right mood going...

After the clapping stopped, He let the room fall into silence for just a moment. And then he began the speech that would change Alagaesia forever.

"I hear that Quimbly is dead!" Roran shouted.

Most faced in the audience turned sad and mournful. But some people like Fisk the carpenter had to try hard to cover their smiles.

"He was a good man, always trying to keep the peace, he was a very good brewer, and he was always giving out annoying advice!" He continued, "But now the Ra'zac and their blasted soldiers have killed him, trashed the tavern, and nibbled his bones clean of the good man we all knew and loved!"

Roran waited for a response, and heard half half hearted clapping coming from the audience, and he heard coughing coming from Fisk.

"He did give some pretty annoying advice..." He coughed, "Annoyed the heck outta' me that one did..." This brought a greater amount of clapping from the people as they agreed with him.

He was pretty darn annoying... Roran thought to himself, I'm so glad Brigit isn't here...

"But none the less" He shouted over the noise, "He was a fellow citizen of Carvahall, and we must avenge his death! Who here is with me?"

At this the audience stopped clapping, and their faces turned sour.

"Tell me Roran..." Sloan said evilly, "Why should we risk our lives to protect you? This entire predicament is your fault!"

"Because we have to avenge Quimbly!"

"But his death was your fault wasn't it?" Another voice rang out, "If we just turned you over, we would be avenging Quimbly!"

The meeting roared with approval, as people banged their fists against the table, agreeing with the radical new proposal.

"What chance do we have against the empire's army anyway!" Sloan shouted, "There are OVER 9000 soldiers in his imperial army, and only about 300 villagers in Carvahall!"

The group roared in agreement again, and Roran realized he was going to need to do something fast to save himself.

His mind racing, Roran thought over the arguments against him. He thought for several minutes, but was unable to find anything that could help him.

Oh well... He thought gloomily, At least I will die with my dignity... and the ability to read...

And then it all clicked. Reading.

Roran looked down into his hand and looked at the book.

The Brave 300 and The Battle of Thermopylae. The title read. What about the 'Brave 300 and The Battle of Carvahall'? Roran wondered. What if...

Roran quickly flipped through the pages of the book until he found what he needed. Hastily reading, he struggled to memorize the great speech given by the leader of the spartans, the brave king Leonidas. And then he was ready to change history.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"OKAY EVERYONE LISTEN UP!" Roran yelled, "I HAVE A PLAN!"

Roran waited for the villagers to settle down, and then continued his speech.

"TODAY WE ARE FACED WITH A GREAT OBSTACLE..." he continued, "WE ARE FACED WITH THE ENTIRE MIGHT OF THE PERSIAN- I MEAN, GALBATORIXS ARMY!"

"WHY ARE YOU YELLING?" Horst shouted covering his ears.

"BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT A SPARTAN WOULD DO!" Roran replied.

"WELL PLEASE SCREAM IN A QUIETER VOICE!"

"Well anyway," Roran continued, "Today we face a harsh decision! Do we give up one of our very own to our worst enemy? Do we let our own friend, one of our own, to die at the hands of a merciless king? Or do we fight back as one and die as heroes?"

"Surrender the fool that got us into this mess!" Sloan shouted, "You're just trying to save your sorry hide from the empire!"

"What would you do if you were in my place Sloan?" Roran retaliated angrily, "If you condemn me to death, then you have condemned all of us to death! For we are all part of the same family, part of the same village! If you give me up who will be next? Katrina? Horst? Brigit?"

"Why would we surrender them? They're all innocent!" The old man growled back, "And I would sooner die than let my Katrina fall into the hands of the empire!"

"EXACTLY! Why should we surrender ourselves when we could all fight, all 300 of us, and show the empire that Palancer Vally belongs to the people of Palancer Vally!"

"Aye the boy is right!" Horst joined in, "We are all part of the same blood! We are all descendants of king Palancer himself! Royal blood flows through our veins why should we allow the empire to rule us when we could rule ourselves!"

At this the villagers began to get roused. They all got a hungry look in their eyes that longed for revenge. One by one they joined in until Rorans once radical idea became accepted.

They would fight.

AN: Heres another one. I don't think there are that many left sorry guys.