Chapter 14

Footsteps awoke Dasian, and he sat up in bed, listening intently. There was someone prowling around the house. Felipe's men, he thought, we have to leave now! He pulled off the covers and quickly pulled on his boots, making no sound. As he hurried up the stairs he tied on his belt, and threw his cape over his shoulders. Caleb stood at the top of the stairs, a candle in his hands, looking scared. Dasian immediately snuffed out the candle with his hand and put a finger to Caleb's protesting lips. Looking around him cautiously, he saw Anaella, peering out the window warily. She turned back to him and held up ten fingers, indicating the number of men outside.

He nodded and shook Willy, who was in the middle of a deep snore. The dwarf snorted in surprise and jumped. He started to say something, but Dasian's hand silenced him. Dasian looked about him worriedly, wondering what to do.

Suddenly Caleb grabbed his sleeve and whispered, "I know. Follow me."

He led them back to the cellar and its back wall. He pushed some shelves away, revealing a small secret door. Dasian opened it, and the four peered down a long wooden shaft. It was filthy, and the dusty, cool smell swirled around them.

"It leads to the barn," Caleb whispered. "At the dead end the door will be on the ceiling. The barn is right next to the woods, so you can escape easily."

Dasian grinned at Caleb in appreciation and slipped into the chamber. Anaella followed, and after Willy gave Caleb a silly salute and grin, he too disappeared down the tunnel. It was too short for them, and they had to bend over; except for Willy who was just the right size.

When they came to the dead end Dasian stood up, and braced his shoulders on the ceiling. A small trap door opened, just big enough for him to fit through. He jumped up, looked around him, and then reached back down to help Anaella. She touched his hand lightly and pulled herself up. Even though Willy was skinny, it took both Dasian and Anaella to pull him up. After they were all up, the trap door was closed, and Dasian had looked out the small barn window guardedly, they saddled their horses and led them quietly to the back of the barn.

Willy opened the door and peered out, then nodded the safety signal to his companions. They entered the woods Caleb said would be there and mounted their horses. Dasian could see two of the men going up to the front of the house. He prayed none of his family members would be hurt, and almost waited to see if Felipe's men tried anything. But there was no time to lose, and the travelers got back on the road and continued their journey.

After another day of no problems they reached the main base. It was a fort built from the trees around them. A man from the tower saw them coming, and the news quickly spread that the Captain was coming. By the time they reached the gates, the whole fort was present. The three newcomers rode in with dignity and smiles.

There were some children in the fort, and they all stared wide-eyed at three riders. They had all heard of the Captain and his legendary adventures. For many of the children it was their first time to lay eyes on this great Captain. Anaella also enraptured them, "Because," as their mothers later told Anaella, "You are the most beautiful and most elegant lady they have ever seen."

All of them knew Willy, but still looked at him in awe and giggles as he demonstrated a trick, by standing up in his saddle while the pony patiently trotted on. He stood there bowing and waving to the delighted children, 'til the shaggy pony had had enough and gave a kick of impatience, and Willy went flying heels over head off the pony's back. The children burst into laughter, and even the housewives cracked a smile. Willy scrambled up in no time, and, along with some boys, began to chase after the run-away pony.

Dasian and Anaella dismounted, and their horses were led away. Then Fidel, Tnsaiu's follower, came to them and said, "Captain Dasian, we've been expecting you. How was your trip?"

"Just fine, Fidel. Are General Audrey and Sir Williams ready to see me?"

"Aye, Captain, they are in the great hall."

They followed Fidel inside one of the doors in the fort to a large room. Inside, men were seated all along the wall, conversing in urgent tones. Before they entered, or were seen, Anaella stopped and touched Dasian's arm.

"I'm not sure I should be present," she said. "If ever I am tortured I'll have nothing to give."

Dasian saw the sense in her words and nodded his consent. "You may stay here then, and wait. I'll return and tell you what you are to do."

As he entered the room, the men became silent, almost reverent. Fidel closed the doors, and Anaella sat down on a stool to wait. She folded her hands in her lap and kept her eyes averted downward.

"Are you the fairy who first accompanied the Captain to Quari?" asked Fidel; he may have been a wizard, but his memory was short.

Anaella nodded briefly, but did not look up.

Fidel got the hint; she did not want to talk. He nodded and said, "If you need me, I'll be in the stables."

She nodded again. As soon as he was gone, she raised her head up quickly and stared expressionlessly at a large glass window before her. She had already decided not to tell Dasian, but still how she could persuade him to change his mind? The question was literally driving her crazy, and others like it. Was the witch lying? Would Dasian be killed? And if he was, what would become of his army? She stood abruptly and began to pace the room.

Many hours passed before the door finally opened and Dasian strolled out of the room. Anaella stopped her pacing and waited for his decision.

"You can go back to the camp, and assist Tnsaiu in all he needs. Sir Williams has a letter for you to take to him and Henry."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to carry out plan B."

"What's that?" asked Anaella, although she feared she already knew the answer.

Dasian sighed; he was not sure he wanted to tell her the details. "Not far from here is the castle. Felipe and Jengo are there. I'm going with Willy to dispose of them."

"No!" cried Anaella.

Dasian gave her a strange, befuddled look. "No? Why do you say that?"

"You can't. What if you're captured, or killed?"

He scoffed. "I won't be. You have nothing to fear." He was about to turn away, but then asked, "Is that all you're worried about?"

Anaella stared at him, not sure how to answer. She tried a different tactic. "What if you are killed, what will become of your men, to Willy, to Tnsaiu...to me?"

"You will be separated into different armies and continue the fight against tyranny," he said simply.

She turned away and sighed, knowing he would not alter his set course. At last he sensed the fear, the worry and mixed emotions in her voice and eyes. He touched her shoulder gently and she turned to him, slowly. He forgot what he was going to say as her dark blue eyes bore into him, begging him to stay.

He heard himself saying, "Anaella, I promise you I won't get killed. Captured, perhaps, but it is easy to escape. I will return in a few days; you'll see."

He sounded so sure of himself, Anaella almost believed him, though she knew he couldn't make a promise like that.

Suddenly he did the unthinkable. He leaned down and kissed her gently on her lips. She was too surprised to react, and before she could, he pulled back. He lifted the corner of his mouth to a small smile, turned, and strode swiftly out of the room.

The trail curved through the woods, and Dasian often had to bend down as the trees tried to scoop him off his horse. Willy, however, commented that the trail was perfect for his size. Dasian had never been in this part of the forest, but Sir Williams, the old veteran from the fort, had fashioned him a map through the darker parts of the forest to the castle.

There came a time when the birds stopped singing. Willy, for a change, was first to notice it. He had been trying to whistle along with the birds, but in vain. He stopped his pony and looked for the colorful singers.

"Hey!" he squawked. "The birds are quiet."

Dasian stopped too and glanced around, warily. But in a few moments the birds commenced singing and Willy was satisfied.

They soon came to a fork in the road, and Dasian looked at it, befuddled. The fork it seemed was not on the map. The left side was a small and darker trail. Thorns and vines crossed the path. The right side trail seemed to broaden a bit, but that was the only difference from the trail they had been taking. He looked at Willy, who was waiting patiently to continue. But Dasian wasn't sure which to take. The map's trail seemed to venture to the right, but Dasian did not turn his horse in that direction.

He pulled the horse to the left, but it snorted in protest. Dasian did not want to go to the left, and tried to pull the horse to right, but he couldn't. His left arm was pulling the horse's head in the direction of the darker path. Again the horse tried to go right, but Dasian jerked it to the left. He was appalled at himself, he had never jerked his horse! What was wrong with him?

"Captain?" said Willy nervously. "Is everything all right?"

"No," cried Dasian. "Everything is not all right. I'm trying..."

He was cut off by a thump. A huge club had pounded him on the head. He crumpled off his horse in a heap.

"Captain!" shouted Willy in horror, as he stared at his unconscious leader. Dasian's horse reared and shrieked then backed off as a huge man stepped before it. The man tried to grab hold of the grey horse's reins, but it turned and galloped away. The man growled at Willy and was about to lunge at him, but the pony turned and hurried after the grey horse. Willy did not want to leave his Captain, but he had no choice.

The big man lifted his snarling mouth into a satisfied smile and turned his attention to his prisoner. Dasian was not moving, and the giant bent down and lifted him up as if he was a doll. He looked around him, snarling, and then sauntered off into the darker forest on the left fork. When he was gone, that trail disappeared and only the right path remained.