Angie watched the children scale the wall and drop in the garden on the other side before she moved to the small door they had found. She slid along the wall in the shadows until she reached the small wooden door set into the brick wall. As her hand curled around the bronze handle she took a deep breath.
Just open the door and go in, she told herself sternly.
She looked down at herself, marveling in how normal her clothes appeared without her dappled cloak. She had become so use to the cloak walking around without it made her feel practically naked. But the cloak would only be a hindrance in the estate so she had to go in without it.
Just go, she shouted in her mind, pushing down on the handle.
A small part of her wished that the door was locked. A small part of her wanted the door to be locked so she could go back to where the horses were waiting and she could devise a better plan. But the door opened and she could walk in. She had to go in; she had already sent the other three in.
Angie slipped through the door and shut it quietly behind her.
The yard was as vast as it had appeared over the wall during her observations during the past few days. The grass was neatly manicured, the shrubbery pruned to perfect square rows lining the walkways and buildings. If she had been there for any other reason Angie would have marveled in how beautiful the grounds were, but there was no time.
She jumped over a hedge row and started running doubled over toward the house. During the run across the yard, she regretted leaving her cloak rolled up in her saddle bags. But once she reached the house she was glad it had been left behind.
At the entrance to the kitchens Angie slipped in with a group of girls around her age that had been getting water from a well. One had seemed to be expecting her and handed a bucket off to Angie as soon as she was close. The girl smiled, gave a brief nod and started to the house. None of the others took any notice of her.
Angie fell in line behind the girl who offered her the water bucket. They crossed the small courtyard and passed a pair of guards. The guards stared at the girls, especially Angie and the girl a head of her.
"Who's this?" they stopped Angie and the other girl.
"New girl," Angie lowered her head, trying to hide her face as much as possible.
"She didn't go out with you," one of the guards narrowed his eyes at Angie. "And she's not in the shift of the kitchen workers."
"She's not any of our uniforms," the other added, barring the door.
"She's new. Just came in," the girl quickly offered, elbowing the guard roughly. "Now move, we have work to do."
"Fine. Just get her in a shift, and if I catch you slacking off it'll be the cellar for both of you," the guard threatened moving aside to let Angie and the other girl in.
Angie stared at the ground as she passed the guards. Would she be able to get Rachel out past them? Maybe Evan and the girls had been right, she should have thought this through more. Panic started to swell in Angie's chest as she followed the girl.
Inside, after they deposited the water in barrel inside the kitchen door, the girl took Angie by the upper arm and led her down a side hall, holding her finger up before her lips signaling Angie to remain quiet. They moved more than halfway down the hall before they stopped. The girl pushed Angie in a small alcove and checked the hall behind them before joining her.
"I'm so glad they sent you," the girl gasped taking both of Angie's hands in her own. "With the General's coming and beginning the march south I thought we'd lost our only chance."
Angie's mouth opened slowly, trying to process what had happened. This girl obviously knew who she was, but Angie had no idea who this person was. This girl also seemed to have knowledge of why Angie had come in, and had even been expecting her that very morning.
"What's your plan? How can I help?" the girl's eyes searched Angie's face waiting for her answer.
"Who are you?" Angie finally managed to ask, pulling her hands free.
"Sorry, I forget sometimes." The girl smiled sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. "I'm Aleigha, first year apprentice with Timothy from the next Fief over. I've been in this hole for three months trying to learn their plans. And when the wolf brought Rachel in here I thought we'd run out of time!" Aleigha's voice remained quiet, but it became breathless as she talked quickly. "Jacob told me Will was with them at the cabin, and the King, so of course I was waiting for you to show up. But I was expecting you to be here like two days ago."
"You said something about running out of time," Angie decided she would sort through the rest of that story later. Aleigha had said something about generals, and they were running out of time for something. "And what generals?"
"Scotti generals," Aleigha answered quickly.
"And we're running out of time," Angie prompted, motioning with her hands.
"Right," Aleigha smacked her forehead with on open palm. "I keep forgetting; the generals are coming back tonight!"
"Tonight," Angie nearly shouted. Scotti generals were serious business. "Do the others know? Will, Frank, Timothy; they know don't they?"
Aleigha nodded quickly. "But we have to do something by nightfall or it'll be too late. So what's the plan. I know Will would have come up with a good one."
"I wasn't sent by Will," Angie looked away from the girl. She had not planned on some kind of war happening here. She had just come to get Rachel and prove to Will that she had not deserved to be sent away. "I just came to get Rachel."
"When Jacob said Will had showed up I thought," Aleigha sighed shaking her head. "The Scotti are marching, they're using this as the base while their troops come through One Raven Pass and they mean to overthrow Queen Cassandra and use her army to take over the world."
"The Rangers would never allow that," Angie interrupted. "If you're here, they already know about the Scotti's plans. The march will never make it out of Norgate."
"That's why they have Rachel. Using her as leverage the Ranger's will focus all their attention on saving Rachel, and if standing down is the only way, we both know that's what they'll do until they find a way round the guards.
"And I heard Axel say yesterday that he saw the others. If they catch them the Rangers won't do anything until they have the children back," Aleigha whispered quickly shaking her head.
Angie's stomach dropped. She knew she should have left them with the horses, she had even told Johnny that she had not wanted to include them in the plans. But she knew they were stubborn and would have come regardless of what she said. Now she had delivered the rest of the Ranger's children into the hands of the enemy. She had just enabled them to advance their plans to that very afternoon.
"What's that face? You have a plan don't you?"
"Of course I have a plan! I wouldn't have come in here if I didn't have a plan," Angie snapped, her brow falling to a point. "The news about the generals just complicates it a little."
"Good," Aleigha sighed in relief. "Now, what's your plan?"
"It should be starting now," Angie muttered leaning to look around the corner toward the kitchens. "What's to protocol here for guests from Castle Araulen?"
"Unless it's part of the Royal Family its imprisonment like everyone else. Why?"
"Where would they be held? And where's Rachel?"
"Rachel is in a suite on the third floor. Two Scotti guards at all times. New prisoners are taken to the cellars until they can be controlled. Why? Who's coming in?"
"Johnny's suppose to causing a diversion. But if he's taken captive too I'll have to change our plans a smidge." Angie chewed on her lip, her hand taking hold of her oakleaf charm.
"So what's the plan?"
Now what was she suppose to do? The priority was Rachel, she seemed to be the lynch pin on stopping the Scotti march. But if there were three Rangers fully away of the situation they could stop the march so long as Angie got Evan and the other girls out.
But she could not just leave Johnny here indefinitely. He was part of the team, not to mention family. She would just have to find a way to get Johnny and Rachel out. Two apprentice Rangers could figure that out, right?
"I've got some reinforcements waiting to take Rachel in the north gardens. Once we get Rachel, the two of us will go for Johnny. Can you signal for help from Frank and Timothy?"
"Not until nightfall."
Angie nodded, half expecting that answer. "Then it's just the two of us."
"Who are you're reinforcements?"
"Evan and the other two," Angie sighed. "It's a long complicated story. We can discuss after this is all over. Do you have access to Rachel, or know someone who does?"
"I'm her maid. I'll see her after the tutor leaves this afternoon."
"Good, we'll make our first move then."

Johnny shifted uncomfortably standing in the empty parlor before the lord of the manor. He was off for two reasons. This first was that this man seemed more battle worn than even the King who had fought on more campaigns than Johnny cared to remember. The second was that the man eyed him with skepticism about his claim of being sent by the King and Queen.
He had no letter to support his claim, there was nothing apart from the young apprentice's word to make this man believe what he was doing. And it was clear the man did not trust Johnny at all. But Johnny had to continue, Angie and the others would have been in position hours before he had reached the wall via the road.
"Why would the King send you, a lowly apprentice, all the way here?"
"Her majesty regrets that she could not visit sooner," Johnny had to remain calm, this lie was one he had devised with Angie, but if he seemed insecure this man recognize it for what it really was. "And that she could not come to offer her condolences on death of your uncle, I was sent to check on the condition of your troops, and your loyalty to Macindaw, Norgate, and all of Araluen."
The man started at the mention of his loyalties, but he quickly checked his features, reassuming his skeptical watch of Johnny.
"I have done nothing to warrant a question of my loyalties," the man finally responded, his fingers lacing before his chin. "I have only been the lord of this estate for a few months."
"I have not said anything to question your loyalties, it is only a formality that we ensure you are loyal as your uncle was." Johnny knew that, he had talked with Horace about such matters. It was customary that the fidelity of the nobility was questioned and sworn again when a new lord inherited a larger estate or keep. It was just the way things were done, and how they had been done for generations. "It is merely a formality."
"It just seems odd, that the King has chosen now to send a messenger. And not even a messenger, but a young knight in training."
"I am being trained personally by King Horace, I was available to travel while he was busy with other matters."
"One of his brats," the man muttered behind his hands. "It is still strange to me. Why was a Courier not sent? Of all people, why send an apprentice?" As he spoke the man summoned a guard forward with a nod of his head. "I'm afraid I do not believe this claim of being sent by the King, nor do I even believe your claim of being a knight.
"Take him," Scotti warriors took hold of Johnny's arms. "And ready the council chamber. The generals will be arriving soon." Axel stood as the guard stripped Johnny of his weapons.
"I'll be eating with our guest, send for me once you have the others in custody."
"Yes sir," a guard saluted as they led Johnny away.