Chapter 16

He released his hand from hers and hurried from the dungeon before any of the guards could stop him. He slipped through the castle, unseen. Just before he bolted to the exit door, he suddenly heard voices, and wondered whether or not he should go. He waited too long. Guards rounded the corner, and immediately caught sight of him.

One of them threw a spear at him. He dodged it, and slammed against the wall. He turned and picked up the fallen spear. The first two guards came at him with swords. He parried the first blow with the spear and pushed the man back. Before his friend could strike, Dasian kicked him in the chest. He fell on top of the guard behind him. With two guards down, Dasian was about to run down the hall, but four more guards were coming from that direction. They grabbed him, and were about to lead him away, but a rasping voice stopped them.

"Hold it, men."

The guards turned. A short figure with a hood was walking slowly towards them. Dasian knew who he was, and his hopes dropped like a rock. Felipe's main executioner was a dwarf named Ansel. But unlike Dasian's cheerful Willy, he was very ruthless, and often tortured his prisoners before killing them mercilessly.

"Felipe said I may take him, and do with him what I will," Ansel rasped.

The men hesitated. Then four of them left and two continued to have a tight hold on Dasian.

"All right, Ansel," said one of the men. "We'll take him to your dungeon."

The dwarf nodded and led them down to his dungeon. They threw Dasian in a cell and left, chuckling. Dasian sighed and sat down on the chair, wondering what he had gotten himself into. Ansel entered and pulled his hood back, revealing a hard face. He was bald, and his face was covered in hideous scars, having been tortured himself.

"Captain Dasian," chuckled the dwarf. "How long I've waited for this moment. It was my dream to dispose of you. At last it can come true. Tell me, what would be the most effective way to kill you, to maybe to get you to talk?"

There was no reply.

"After I torture you with hot irons, maybe I'll deprive you of food and water. Perhaps I'll cut your right wrist off with something dull. But before all of this, I must let you have a priest." He turned to go, then stopped and looked at Dasian with a gleam in his eye.

Dasian didn't look up.

"He'll be here in the morning." Ansel smiled and left the cell.

There was no light in the cell, and Dasian had squint to see his surroundings. Nothing, just the chair he was sitting on and a bucket of water. He sighed and put his head in his hands. Anaella had been right about getting captured. Now he had to wonder if she was right about getting killed.

The door slowly creaked open and Dasian glanced up. It was the monk Ansel had promised him. He gave the robed figure a strange look. He was short, and bent over with years. He was very short. He hobbled slowly to Dasian, and the door slammed behind him.

"We'll give you ten minutes, old man," called out one of the guards.

"I hear you are soon to meet your Maker," said the monk, his voice unsteady.

"Aye, in due time, after I've been tortured," answered Dasian in a bitter tone and he looked away his eyes flashing.

"Are there any confessions you wish to tell me, young friend?"

"Nay. I've nothing to hide from anyone. You are wasting your time, old man leave. I will die in honor, and for my country and king. For me, let death come. It will rid me of these chains, and heavy burdens."

"Be not so hasty to accept death as your only option. You may have a great life ahead of you, and yet you sit here, waiting to be killed. Death is sweet to the old. But to the young, it is a tragedy."

"I've seen countless young and old die by my side, and nothing good has ever come of it," admitted Dasian. "But my death might end the raging war outside these walls. It won't end for the good, but at least it will end."

The monk shook his head solemnly and changed the subject. "Have you any friends that I might bear a message to?"

Dasian started to shake his head then stopped. "I have many friends, but they will hear the news as gossip. But there is one good friend you might bear a message to. Someone special in my army that has helped me countless times, to whom I owe a deep debt."

The monk appeared to be smiling, but Dasian did not notice. "It is only now that I realize this friend has helped and loved me more than any man could dream of. I fear for her future if I die. She was a very beautiful friend."

"Excuse me?" the monk huffed. "This special friend, is a girl!"

Dasian now seemed embarrassed to be throwing out his feelings to strangers. "Nay, not a girl," he scoffed, "A fairy, who has helped my army. It was her magic and knowledge that saved us many a time. I owe her for that; any man would. Now leave, I am to die, and would like to spend my last hour of peace alone."

The monk seemed very disappointed. Then he was angry. "You are a fool, blazing like a fire, not caring what you burn. Therefore, your remedy," He picked up the bucket of water and poured it over the prisoner in a single swish.

Dasian had already been doused by an annoying man, and he did not like it.

"You madcap lunatic!" he cried. "I'll beat you for this!" He began to pound on the monk with his bound hands.

"Help!" cried the monk, "Ho, guards, he is beating me!"

The door flew open and the two guards rushed in. One shoved Dasian to the ground and held him at bay with a sword aimed at his throat while the other made sure the frustrated monk was not hurt.

"Are you well, old man?" he asked.

"Well beaten I may say!" yelled the monk. "If I had but a sword I'd run the fool through myself!"

"Here," said the first guard, "Take mine." He handed his sword to the monk, who took it gratefully.

"Nay," said the second man, not wanting to be left out, "Take mine."

"I thank thee both," smirked the monk. He raised them to Dasian, who was still lying on the floor. Then he coiled around and pointed the two swords at the stunned guards. "And again, I thank thee. Now be very still."

"Willy!" cried Dasian leaping to his feet. The hood had fallen off, revealing the cheerful face of the dwarf.

"This is to pay for all the many times you've saved me," said Willy, keeping a careful eye out for the jittery guards. Dasian snatched up the keys from the first guard and started to free himself. Willy suddenly became irritated.

"A beauteous lady, your best friend indeed!" he cried. "You didn't give any thought to me, your faithful comrade. Nay, but had to think of the fairy first."

Dasian, now free, grinned and took a sword from Willy. "Tis the truth. You've not helped me as much as Anaella has. But now we have other problems to solve. We'll take care of these guards here and leave this place."

They locked the cell with the gagged guards inside and left quietly. It was still very early morning and no one was stirring. They went through the castle quickly, and in no time Willy took Dasian to the place he had hidden the horses. They mounted and rode south, back to their camp. Plan B had not been completed, yet.

When they reached their camp, Anaella and Tnsaiu weren't there. Dasian was disappointed, but didn't show it. He asked everyone where they had gone, but no one knew. That baffled him even more. But he had so many other things to do, the spies soon left his mind.