Thanks to Robin and Patty for beta reading. Hope you all enjoy this part. Char :-)
Once Upon a Time Part 7:
The Pict guards pulled on the chains that bound the young Knights wrists to the castle's wall to make sure they were tightly bound. The young men squirmed in their fetters until the guards shoved their staves into the captives' stomachs. The blow knocked the wind out of the three brothers. The guards laughed as they left the room, bolting the heavy wooden door behind them.
Richard looked at his two younger brothers who were restrained on each side of him. Then he looked up at his bound hands. His hands were above his head, heavy metal manacles about his wrists attached to a large and heavy chain connected to the ceiling of the room. His eyes followed the chain which ran across the ceiling and down the far wall to a wheel. Depending upon how the wheel was turned would determine if they were stretched further or given the slack their arms needed to rest. Richard knew they wouldn't willingly be given the latter. In just the short period of time since he had been bound this way, his arm muscles had started to ache. They couldn't sit, they didn't even have a wall to lean against. They were simply standing in the center of the room, their feet barely touching the floor. Heavy chains anchoring their legs. The very position they were in was meant to exhaust and to torture.
Timothy turned to his older brothers, his young eyes searching their faces for some sign of hope. Seeing none, he asked with a quivering voice, "What's going to happen to us?"
Richard looked at the boy. He wished he could comfort and protect him. Yet, he knew he couldn't and saw no reason to give the boy false hope. "If we're lucky, they'll just kill us."
Jason closed his eyes at his brother's words. How could this be happening? "There has to be something we can do," he added.
Richard turned to his right looking his brother in the eye. "I'm open for any suggestions you have."
Timothy's blue eyes darted around the room frantically. How had this happened to them? Had it only been two days since their lives were normal? Since they were a happy united family. His eyes focused on the heavy door as he heard the bolt moving. His breathing quickened.
Slowly the door opened and a small, dark haired girl moved into the room. Her face was painted blue with symbols of red and brown. Quickly, she closed the door and approached them with caution. Her large brown eyes studied them and their bonds.
The three brothers all watched the strange young woman who walked around them. She was silent as she studied them. Timothy looked to his elder brothers before speaking, "Please help us."
The strange young woman stared at him. "No."
"We haven't done anything," the fifteen year old started to plead.
"Timothy!" Richard said stopping the younger boy's pleas. Sad blue eyes turned to him. Richard turned from the stare and concentrated on the Pict before him. "What do you want here?"
Her dark eyes bored into him. "HE doesn't like you. Why? Why you here?"
"There's a girl, we came to take her "
"Flame haired girl?" she asked inquisitively.
Richard's heart started beating rapidly at the girl's statement. "Yes. Have you seen her? Is she well?"
"Is HIS woman," the Pict girl hissed. "No help you," she said as she turned to leave.
Jason pulled at his bonds, "Wait, wait ."
"No. Not his. She's been stolen. She's NOT his woman. Listen to us," Richard shouted at her. His curiosity was piqued regarding this young woman's relationship to the jester. The young Pict turned around and walked back toward him. "He kidnapped her, he's holding her against her will. We came to take her and leave. That's all. Please. Please. Let him kill me, but my family's lives ... her life ... they depend on your helping us. Free my brothers, I'll stay ... he can take his anger out on me. He won't know about you."
Jason growled, "No way! NO WAY! WE all get out!"
"I not care about her ... or you," she replied defiantly as she wheeled to leave.
They heard her replace the bolt as she left the room. Jason looked at his brothers, "She'll be back. This won't end this way," he said with all the determination of a Wayne. His eyes met Richard's, they wouldn't speak differently in front of Timothy regardless of what they thought.
Jean-Paul rode his horse hard as he headed past the northern borders. He followed the trail of many riders toward the Pict stronghold. He would rescue the king's daughter from the brigands who kidnapped her. They would taste his blade especially Sir Richard of Wayne. That miscreant and all who aided him would pay for this treachery.
Pulling his horse up to a halt, he looked down the hill as the Pict castle came into view. He took in a deep breath as he surveyed the landscape, strategizing his best way to attack. He was a knight alone after unknown numbers. His objective was clear, his plan was not. He needed more information ... information that he could only gather from close range.
Spurring his horse, Jean-Paul rode toward the castle. As he rounded a stand of oak trees near a glen, he was pelted with a rock. Drawing his horse to a standstill, he looked to his left. His eyes grew wide as he saw Lady Dinah standing near the underbrush. She motioned for him to come over. Dropping to the ground, he walked over leading his horse.
"Lady Dinah, what are you doing here?"
"We came after our Lady," she replied in a low voice as she pulled the tall Gaul into the covering.
He saw her sister and five horses. "We?"
"Sir Jason, Sir Richard and their younger brother Timothy. We met them on the road headed here. Stephanie and I were following Barbara's captors and "
"And, fair lady, you rode in with her captors. The two of you are in danger as well as the princess," he said as he found two pair of blue eyes boring into him. "They are villains and no longer nobility, if they ever were. You are wrong to put your faith in such vile curs."
"Are you completely mad? Jason and his brothers didn't kidnap Barbara. These Picts did. They're here to save her," Dinah said with disgust. Why did no one listen to her?
"Timothy and his brothers scaled the wall earlier to rescue Barbara," Stephanie added as she walked closer. "They've been gone many hours now and I'm worried."
Dinah nodded. "They may be in trouble. I think we should find a way in and see if we can help."
Jean-Paul looked at them incredulously. "We? I'll not put ladies in danger."
"I don't think you're doing anything. Stephanie and I can decide what we're doing for ourselves. We're going in to help. You can come or not, that's entirely up to you."
"I'm not 'helping' Wayne's sons. You may believe in their innocence. I know better," he said. Then he grabbed Dinah by the arm. "Don't stand between Richard of Wayne and myself when we face off, Lady Dinah," the Gaul as he started for the stronghold.
Dinah shook her head as she and Stephanie followed him.
In the city of Gotham, the former Duke, his family, and his men were taken through Traitor's Gate into the old Tower of Gotham and down into the bowels of the building. This was the dungeon of the realm. Most people who entered here never left alive. They all knew this as they were moved into the small cell. The room had no windows, no furniture, no hope. The large oak door was bolted behind them.
"There's got to be a way out of here," the young captain of the Wayne guard said as he walked around the small space. Roy watched as Lord Alfred assisted Wallace in easing Garth to the floor. The Lady Leslie was working quickly trying to tend his wound with meager supplies. Roy watched her tearing her underskirt to use as bandage material. His eyes then fell upon his Lord. How had they ended up in this place? "We can escape."
Lord Bruce turned to his former page, now his most trusted Man-at-Arms. "No one ever has," he said as he moved toward the younger man
Roy smiled determinedly. "There's always a first time, my lord."
Bruce clasped Roy's shoulder before moving back toward Selina. He could read the lost expression on her lovely face. These were not the quarters she was accustomed too. How had he brought her to this? When they married those twenty years ago had it been twenty he had promised her a wonderful life. He hadn't meant to lie to her.
Wrapping his strong arms around her, he pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry, my love," he whispered.
"This isn't your fault. You didn't cause this ... some maniac did. We're just victims of a cruel fate." She buried her head on his strong shoulder. For all her talk, she needed his strength, his fearlessness. Selina knew he didn't fear for himself, only those he loved. They shared that fear ... for all those in this room and, even more for the three sons they shared. "They're in danger," she whispered. "I feel it."
"I know," Bruce answered. They had always shared the connection of their children, and with their children. It was a strong bond that held them all together. His boys needed him. Only these granite walls prevented him from riding to their aid. All they had was his training and each other. He hoped that would be enough. He prayed it would save them.
A soft moan escaped Timothy's parched lips as a tingling feeling filtered from his fingers throughout his deadening arms. His shoulders felt as if they were being ripped from his body. His legs ached with pain, although he was starting to lose feeling from them. Perhaps if he couldn't feel his limbs at all, it wouldn't be as bad. Perhaps. Perhaps it would be worse. Already he couldn't move his fingers and his toes. Couldn't feel that he had any. It panicked him at first. His body was dying but his mind was fully alive.
How long had they hung there in the center of this cell? Hours, minutes, seconds ... days. Already time had no meaning. He glanced to his right, to his older brothers who were similarly shackled. Their breathing was heavy, their heads bowed. They hadn't spoken in ... how long had it been?
Timothy was thirsty. He was hungry too. But he knew he wasn't going to be getting anything to eat or drink here. His captors didn't care about him, or his brothers. Maybe they planned to leave them here ... let them starve to death. Maybe. Maybe they planned to do worse.
He looked up as he heard the heavy door creak open. The thin pale man entered the room. He was laughing. No. Not Laughing. Giggling. Pict warriors followed him into their small prison. Timothy turned toward his brothers. Richard and Jason had raised their heads and had focused their attention on the laughing visage of the Jester.
The Jester walked past them clicking off on his fingers, "One, two, three." Jester stopped in front of Jason. "You were there ... in the room ... interfering with me." His bony finger started tracing the bones of Jason's face. Jason tried to jerk away, but he had nowhere to go. The bony hand slapped him with far more strength than he would have imagined the Jester to possess. "Interfering whelp! She was nothing but a common whore "
Jason tried to lunge his body toward the Jester, but his chains held him bound. "Let me go and I'll make you pay for that you " His sentence was stopped as a club from one of the guards pelted him in the stomach.
A wicked grin crossed the Jester's face. "Yes, bwahahaha, yes, yes." He turned to the guards. "Bring him with us." Jester turned and headed for the door.
"NO!" Richard bellowed. "No! You can't ... I won't let you ... "
The Jester turned back toward the eldest Wayne brother. His green eyes seemed to glow with a mixture of anger and madness. "You can stop nothing. You I remember most of all. I'll start with our little volunteer, but I'll be back for you." He turned his attention to Timothy. "But I think I'll take you next."
Timothy's wide blue eyes turned to his brothers.
Richard was watching, helplessly, as the guards unchained his struggling brother. They left his wrists shackled as they tussled with the youth. "Jason! Jason!" he screamed as they pulled his brother from the room. He heard his name called as the heavy door slammed.
Richard turned worried eyes toward Timothy. He read the young boys panicked expression. Saw his youngest brother's breath start to come in hiccoughing spasms. He thought of their father. What he would do in this situation. He wouldn't be in this situation, Richard's mind berated him. A guttural sound escaped his lips as he pulled at the chains.
"Ri-ichard? What are they going to " Timothy's question was stopped short as screams filtered through the passageways of the Pict stronghold and into their cell.
"Jason," Richard whispered as his heart sank.
TO BE CONTINUED...
