Chapter 5

Dawn

Dawn. Many in the land of Lybrintha awoke at dawn with joyful thoughts in their minds. But Cedric awoke to a world of pain. He still suffered pain from his capture. His head was swelling and his wrists were beginning to chafe from being tied together. It was also a pain of mental shock. From the prisoner quarters in the Yorde Army camp he had witnessed the destruction of Volafar, the destruction of his home. He knew that Princess Kathryn had been in the castle at the time of the attack. Had she escaped? Had she been taken captive? If so she might be here! He decided to watch for her.

"Just think! The princess! Here! What a terrible thought!" he told himself.

Kathryn regretted the coming of dawn. Dawn only brought painful memories of the previous night. She could still see the smoke rising from her ruined town. She hoped the boy she had seen running around town was alive and well. Why he had not run with the rest of the village, she did not know. If he had been taken captive he would be here. She would watch for him.

Several days passed as the army moved slowly westward. Cedric was tied with other prisoners from other villages. Kathryn was given her own tent yet she was guarded night and day, allowed to leave only once a day to fill her water jug; even then she was under escort. The two passed each other several times without noticing the other. It was strange arrangements that brought them together one night.

" What do you mean, The General doesn't want to draw attention to the Princess!" The officer in charge of the prisoners barked at an unfortunate messenger. The messenger, after recovering from being showered with saliva relayed the order once more.

" The General simply wants no separation of the princess. He is preparing for any prisoner escape attempts." The disgusted soldier explained.

"Prisoner escape attempts!" The messenger was once again bathed in flying saliva. " Does the General not trust my men to guard the wretches?" The officer was appalled. "The rumors about Travis being hit in the head by a large sling stone during battle must be true."

"Is that what the men say about me?" A large shadow now loomed in the doorway of the tent. The drooling officer spun around and came face to face with his General. He quickly saluted.

"General! I did not see you! To what end do I owe this pleasant visit?"

Travis's face maintained a cold complacency.

"Do not flatter yourself, my slippery friend; I heard every word, do not hide it." He stepped forward and seated himself behind the officer's desk. A moment was spent in a painful silence. Travis was the first to speak.

" These are fine quarters for an officer. To fine for a rebellious worm like you." For a moment the officer was dumbstruck. He finally managed to stammer.

"But… But…But… You can't do that!"

"I can, and I am."

"No… No, You have no power…"

"I have supreme power. King Abram has appointed me your superior. I hold your entire military career in the palm of my hand. It is within my power to appoint whom I wish, someone who will obey my orders, someone like my faithful messenger." Travis stood up. "Soldier you have shone your commander your quality."

"Sir you don't mean?" The messenger's eyes were aglow

"Yes, I do. Will you faithfully and without question obey each and every order your commander issues?"

"Yes Sir!"

"Then I, Travis Gothic, High commander and general under King Abram of Yorde, long may he rule, promote you to the status of officer."

"Thank you sir." Whispered the breathless soldier.

"You!" Travis suddenly turned to the former officer, "Get out my site I never want to lay eyes upon your worthless form again."

The officer slowly walked to the opening. "On second thought!" Travis pulled a small dagger from a sheath hidden underneath the fold of his cloak. He hurled it at the retreating man. It flew swiftly and firmly lodged itself in the man's back; he fell to the ground dead. He turned back to his new officer. " Now, I know how the mind of a prisoner works, at one time I was one. You are always on the alert for even the slightest chance of escape. Our guest of honor we can not afford to lose. The easy part is over. The danger comes from other prisoners seeing that she is kept under special guard. To disguise this we must place others with her in the guarded tent."

" But who sir?"

" For a beginning, tonight the other shall be that street rat from her town, they are to both be kept under strict guard."

"Yes sir!"

Pain…That was all Captain Weaver could feel. Pain coursing through every fiber of his being. He reached up and felt his head, it was undamaged, but he could not say that much for the rest of his body. Almost every inch of flesh was black and blue from bruises. He looked up and saw the open window of the castle. Now he remembered! Travis had pushed him out of the window. The princess! Was she all right? Where was she? He picked himself up and ran inside the castle. When he reached the princess' chambers he found the door wide open. Evidence of his skirmish with Travis was every where. The room had been stripped of every thing of value except for his large battle-ax, which still lay in the middle of the floor. He grasped the handle and placed it back on the hook hanging off his armor. He walked across the room to where his helm lay kicked under the smashed table. He picked it up and placed it on his head as he stared out the window at the once proud town. Smoke still was curling upward in spiraling clouds, like dark specters trying to engulf the remnant of the town in an evil poisonous fog.

"I shall pursue the villains!" he vowed "they shall not escape with my princess!"