Chapter 22: Capture
Logan had found himself being attacked by three knights at once. The man in front was trained in a different style of fighting than Logan had ever seen; he had two shorter swords, and they flashed out around his body and his horse's head in a whistling, gleaming, deadly arc. Try as he might, he couldn't see a way clear to get under the man's guard to kill him. The man rode in, his swords dancing, and Logan backed away.
Straight into the sword-path of another man behind him.
Logan leaned forward in his saddle to avoid the deadly blade sweeping in an arc behind him, and dropped the reins of his horse in the process. If he was going to have to battle two opponents at once, he might as well see how effective this riding without reins could be. Hefting his shield and gripping his sword, he traded blows with the second man. This man was skilled with a sword; maybe better than Logan himself. He completely forgot about the other man behind him.
His first reminder was a line of fire slicing across the back of his neck, a sword-cut that began to bleed profusely. Logan yelled in pain, the sudden attack causing him to miss a parry from the man in front of him. He got his shield up just in time to catch the blow on it, and swung his sword against his first opponent. But having two opponents distracted him, and the second man's next blow landed against his shield arm, stunning it as the vibrations from the dented shield traveled up his arm. Logan tightened his legs around his horse's girth, and the black responded with a burst of speed, carrying Logan out to the edge of the battlefield before he was confronted by another green- and blue-clad knight.
This man raised his sword too, and Logan groaned as he raised his shield arm. He was tired; he wanted this clash to be over. And he was slightly worried about Lee; from what he could see of the battle, the fighting had been carried all the way back to the foot soldiers' lines.
Another horse came galloping up, ridden by a knight wearing a red and gold tunic. Logan recognized the irregular white splash on the horse's face as Julian's big bay horse, and sighed with relief. Julian would help him.
Across the field came the solemn tones of a trumpet, and the other knight turned, searching for the source of the sound. When he realized it was his side that was retreating, he wheeled his horse and galloped off.
Logan lowered his shield, sheathed his sword, and unbuckled his vambrace, wiping his sweating forehead with his sleeve. "Thanks fer comin' ta my rescue, Julian," he said, blinking as salt sweat stung his eyes. "Thankfully it wasn't necessary." He raised his arm to wipe his forehead again, and with his eyes blocked he never saw the other man bring the hilt of his sword down on his head.
Julian looked down at Logan, who'd fallen out of the saddle and was lying on the ground. Taking a quick look around to make sure no one was watching, he began to unbuckle the armour from Logan's body, tossing it in different directions all over the battlefield. Then he picked up the shorter knight and heaved him over his horse's saddle, mounted his own and began leading Logan's horse up the side of the valley wall and into the treeline.
He never saw Lee following him.
He had taken the precaution of leading his packhorse, the second one, around the rim of the valley to the opposite side, tethering it to the trees there. Bringing his own and Logan's horse to a stop, he then dismounted and dragged Logan off his horse. Opening the pack on the pack pony, he took out one of the coils of rope and quickly tied Logan's hands behind his back, then put him back on his big black and wrapped the rope around the horse and man, tying the unconscious man into his saddle. Then he reached in again, this time pulling out clothing of a nondescript brown and green hue. Dressing quickly, he stuffed his red and gold knights' uniform into the pack. Traveling in peasants' clothes would help him get to Gallas's fortress with Logan, then he'd drop off the knight and come back the same way, donning his red and gold uniform when he crossed back over the border. By telling the king he had been captured in the thick of battle, his absence would be explained, and he could get back into the palace. He'd kidnap Lee, sneak out of the palace with the boy, and drag the boy off to his family's house in the capital city. There was an old dungeon in the bowels of the house; Julian was pretty sure he could keep the boy there with no one the wiser until Gallas invaded using whatever information he got out of Logan. Once Gallas came to power, Julian would take over the lands the usurper granted him in return for service rendered to the state, and he'd take the boy to the lands and live out the rest of his life in comfort, served by his boy slave.
He sighed happily. It was all going according to plan. He mounted his horse and began to lead Logan's horse after him deeper into Gallas's territory.
Logan stirred, groaned. His head ached abominably; his hands were numb, from being tied behind his back; and his nose was buried in sweaty horse mane. He raised his head slowly, blinking the sweat out of his eyes and trying to clear his blurring vision. The sudden movement reopened the wound sliced into the back of his neck, and he groaned again. "What the hell…"
He started to struggle furiously in his bonds, glaring around him as he did so. In front of him was a big bay gelding, and riding it was…"Julian!" Logan gasped as the rider turned around.
"Yes," Julian stopped his horse and turned to face Logan. "Julian. I was the best knight in the King's Knights, at least until you came. I left Gallas to serve in Richard's court because I deserved more respect, more recognition for my skills, than I was getting with him. Then you made knight last year, the youngest knight to ever do so, and I went back to second place. Let me tell you something, Logan; I don't like second place. So I'm eliminating the competition. I'm taking you to Gallas's fortress; you'll be questioned there, as the Queen's spy you should know a lot, right? And Gallas's knights will keep the king occupied here while a small, secret invasion force besieges and takes the capital. Once Gallas has the throne, Richard's life will be worth a fortune to the mercenaries. How many of them do you think will jump at the chance to turn the once-beloved King over to the usurper in exchange for lands and titles?"
Logan ground his teeth. "Julian, you'll pay fer this," he snapped angrily, struggling harder with the rope that bound his hands. "Ya think they're gonna fall fer yer stupid act, ya got another think comin'. When they see ya comin' back over the border…"
"I was captured in the heat of battle," Julian said smoothly. "And I'll appear to be injured. You know what happens to squires who've lost their knights, right? They get reassigned? I'm going to have your boy Lee assigned to me. He'll have to wait on me. It will be so sweet, Logan. And when we get back to the castle, I'll tell the King that I wish to return to the quiet life of a city noble, and retire to my family house in the city with my serving boy."
Logan growled. "Put one finger on the boy, Julian…"
Julian grinned. "You'll be in no position to object, Logan. You'll be screaming in Gallas's torture chamber. You'll probably wish you could change places with the boy. Be easier serving me than serving the torturer."
"When I get my hands on you…"
Julian stopped his horse and dismounted, fishing around in his pack for a bundle of rags. "Idle threats will get you nowhere, Logan," he said dryly as he came up to Logan's horse. Logan struggled, turning his head away from Julian's hand, but being bound, he couldn't avoid the hand that shoved a mouthful of musty-tasting rags into his mouth and tied a length of rope between his teeth to hold the rags in. Thus gagged, they rode onward.
Jubilee clenched her fists and gritted her teeth as she saw Logan's face while Julian was gagging him. How dare Julian treat Logan like that! She wriggled her way out from underneath the bush and continued to follow the two horses through the scrub brush, keeping a careful eye on both Julian and Logan.
When she'd seen Julian stop and pick up the pack horse, watched him change and tie Logan up, she'd known something was terribly wrong with the whole picture. Anger swirled in her mind, but she didn't let her anger control her. She had no hope of facing down Julian for Logan's freedom; she couldn't win against Julian. So she had decided to follow the two knights. When Julian stopped for the night, when he lay down to sleep, she would sneak in, free Logan, and free the big black horse. With Logan unencumbered with armour, the horse would be able to carry both of them back to King Richard's camp.
She just had to follow them until they stopped. Which, from the lengthening shadows in the forest, wouldn't be much longer.
And she was right. Another hour or so later, and Julian halted for the night by the edge of a small clearing, with a stream running through it. He untied Logan's legs from around his horse's belly, and pulled the knight off the horse. Without bothering to remove the gag, he pushed Logan's back against a nearby tree and tied the rope around the trunk, securing Logan to it.
Julian settled against another tree after he untacked and picketed the horses, munching a strip of dried, salted meat he'd brought along just for the purpose. "We should reach Gallas's fortress by midday tomorrow, and I'll be well rid of you." He saw Logan's glance at the dried meat, and at the cup of water he was drinking. He laughed. "Are you thirsty? Hungry? Well, you wouldn't want this anyway, maybe Gallas's torturer will give you some nice, wholesome bread and meat and wine…after you tell him what you know about Richard's plans so we can put an end to this war." Laughing at his own wit, Julian spread his bedroll out on the ground and stretched out. In moments he was snoring.
Jubilee waited until Logan too was almost asleep, despite the pain of the sword wound across the back of his neck and his uncomfortable position against the tree. Then she slipped out from behind the large, old oak tree she'd hidden behind for the last few hours, and tiptoed to Logan. A gentle touch on his shoulder woke him, and she placed a finger against his lips quietly. She grabbed the cup Julian had drunk from, filled it with water from the stream, and untied the rope around Logan's mouth, letting the tightly wadded rag spill from his lips. She held the cup for him, letting him drain the cup, and then went around behind the tree and began to work on the knots. Logan knew he should be silent, but he couldn't help asking quietly, "How did ya know where I was?"
Lee replied, just as quietly, "I've followed you and Julian since you left the battlefield. I was looking for you when I saw him climbing the far side of the valley leading your horse. You were unconscious on him. I dropped my sword somewhere back there; I don't remember where; so I knew I couldn't challenge Julian. I figured I'd have to steal you away." The knots around Logan's wrists came undone, and she dropped the rope on the ground. "Come on, let's get your horse. We'll get back to everyone faster on him." Logan carefully pushed himself away from the tree, tiptoeing as quietly as he could after Lee, who was so light he could drift noiselessly over the leaf litter on the forest floor as if he were a wood nymph.
They got the horse's bridle from the pile of other tack, and Logan bridled the horse quietly, whispering quietly to the horse as he tacked the big black. Lee glided off into the darkness and came back with the saddle. Logan jumped as the boy came tiptoeing out of the darkness.
The black reared, his shrill whinny of surprise splitting the quiet of the night. Julian's horse, and the packhorse beside him, neighed at the sudden sound, and from the direction of the campsite came Julian's startled shout. Logan threw the saddle on the black quickly, trying to calm the horse as he buckled the girth strap, and flung himself in the saddle. Lee was untying the packhorse's tether rope from the bush he'd been tied to, and was scrambling onto the horse's back. Logan, assuming the boy was right behind him, started to gallop off between the trees, when he heard a familiar whistling sound, the thud of an arrow striking flesh, and Lee's scream. Logan spared a quick glance back, and reined his black to a halt.
Julian had had a crossbow loaded and waiting under his pillow. When he saw Lee scrambling onto the packhorse, he had fired without hesitation. The arrow had flown true and pierced the boy's shoulder. The boy screamed, lost his grip on the horse's reins, and fell to the ground, crying out with pain. Julian sprang to the boy, grabbing a handful of the boy's short dark hair and seizing the arrow in his hand. "Logan!" he called to the suddenly silent forest. "I know you're still close enough to hear me. Come back. Come back or I'm going to kill the boy!"
"No, don't! Logan, go!" Lee screamed out through gritted teeth. "You have to warn the King that Gallas plans to invade aagghh!" Lee's words tapered off into a scream of pain as Julian grabbed the shaft of the arrow and twisted the arrowhead inside the wound brutally.
"Hear that, Logan?" Julian shouted into the forest. "I'll kill the boy if you don't come back!" There was a moment of silence. Julian seized the arrow and gave it another twist. Lee half-screamed, half-sobbed in agony as fresh blood stained he back of his tunic, and Julian looked down momentarily, enjoying the look of agony on the boy's face. When he looked back up, Logan's horse was standing at the edge of the clearing, and Logan himself stood beside the horse, his face a mask of anguish as he looked at the tears on the boy's face.
"Grab that rope," Julian said, nodding toward the coil of rope at the base of the tree. Logan hesitated, and Julian twisted the arrow savagely. Lee screamed out again in agony. Logan flinched and hurried to the tree, picking up the coil of rope. Julian pushed Lee to the ground, setting his foot on the back of the boy's neck. "Tie the boy's hands behind him. Don't touch the arrow; I want the boy to suffer." Logan stared, hesitating, until Julian twisted the arrow again. Lee sobbed aloud in pain, and Logan, unwilling to cause the boy any more pain, looped one end of the rope around the boy's wrists. Julian smiled. "Very good, Logan. You're much more obedient than this insolent child here." He grabbed the end of the rope and tugged, causing Lee's arms to jerk sharply and the boy to cry out again. Lee stumbled, sobbing in anguish, at Julian's side until they reached another tree, and Julian pushed the boy to his knees at the base of the tree before tying the end of the rope around the tree and then to the boy's ankles. Lee wouldn't be able to get himself free.
Logan gritted his teeth as Julian grabbed another piece of rope from his half-open pack beside his sleeping roll, and proceeded to tie Logan's hands behind him, then tied his legs and wrapped the rope around Logan's torso. He finished off by tying the end of the rope around the tree, tethering Logan effectively to it, and stood back. "Thought you were going to escape, eh?" he walked over to Lee, kneeling in the dirt with his head lolling. "Thought you were going to free Logan and return, eh?" Lee didn't answer. Julian reached down and twisted the arrow again. Lee's head flew back on his neck, and he cried out in pain. Logan couldn't stand the sight of tears on the boy's face. "Julian, stop it! Stop torturin' the boy, I swear, when I get my hands on ya, yer gonna pay…"
Julian grabbed a handful of the boy's hair and jerked his tear-filled blue eyes to meet his own hard brown ones. "Threaten all you want, Logan. You'll spend the rest of your days in Gallas's torture chamber, and I…" he smiled. "I have the boy now. I have what I want. I don't have to go back. I'll stay in Gallas's court, reaping the rewards of delivering you to him, and enjoying my new toy. Gallas allows people to own slaves in his kingdom, did you know that? Lee will be my slave. A very attractive one, too. Hopefully he'll understand the value of obedience before I'm forced to scar that pretty face, hmm?" He smiled and raised his fist. "The first lesson begins now." The fist descended.
Lee cried out. Logan turned his head away, closing his eyes tight, but he was unable to block out the sounds of fists and boots striking flesh, and a boy's choked cries as he was beaten. Julian didn't stop until Lee lay, silent and still, beaten, on the ground. Julian brought the boy back to consciousness by jerking the arrow cruelly out of the bleeding shoulder, and held it in front of Lee's face. "You call me 'Julian', as if you were my equal," he told the boy. "Now you'll call me Sir Julian, giving me the respect I'm entitled to."
The boy's lips moved, but no sound came out. Julian leaned closer. "What was that?"
The boy suddenly spat in Julian's face. "You've dishonored your vows and assaulted another knight. You shot me in the back. I will never call you 'Sir', you don't deserve the title." Logan stared in disbelief at the kid. After that beating, the boy was still defiant…
Julian's face darkened with rage. "Fine," he said, tight-lipped. "We'll get to Gallas's fortress, and after that we'll see how brave you are." He grabbed a handful of rags and stuffed them in the boy's mouth, then returned to his sleeping roll. Confident that they wouldn't be able to go anywhere, he was soon asleep. Then, and only then, did Lee give into the pain and begin to sob. Logan leaned his head back against his tree, feeling tears prick his own eyes. The prospect of torture was horrible, but thinking of Lee's young body bruised and battered by whatever Julian forced the boy to endure…it was unthinkable.
How were they going to survive what was to come?