"There's an army on the way!" a voice pierced the mist of early morning, alerting the town of impending danger. Johan, Sabina and Peewit were helping to replace some thatch that had been damaged by winds during the storm. Johan leapt from the roof to where Peewit and Sabina were trying bundles when the news reached them.
"The Brothers haven't returned…" murmured the foreman helping the cleanup efforts. His voice was tense with worry. "We have to alert the chieftain."
"I'll fetch my father and Maenad and we'll meet you in the main hall," Johan said
The hall was crowded with villagers when the five friends arrived. The runner, dressed as a ragged castle servant was describing the size of the army, and how it was dangerously close to their village, led by one of Fulk's knights and a lieutenant with a mechanical arm.
"Why is he dressed like that?" asked Sabina.
"We put spies wherever we can to stay a step ahead of our enemies," replied a village woman.
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"It is, but they are proud to face that danger to act as the eyes and ears of our people," the woman replied.
More voices rose.
"I'll go to warn the Brothers, how close are Fulk's men?"
"Can they get here in time?"
"We can help you defend yourselves; I've helped defend villages from ruffians before." That was Johan.
"Two knights against an army? When one is an old man, and one is barely old enough to wear spurs?"
"Watch who you call an old man, boy…"
A cacophony of voices made it difficult to make out what was said next. But the villagers were right, even though the underestimated her friends, they would have little chance of fighting an army. Sabina used to chaos to slip out of the hall back to their lodgings where she found her sword and the clothes she'd worn as Dennis. Johan and edelhart would need a squire. She would fight by their side, and she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.
"No. Absolutely not." She rode up to where Johan, Edelhart, and Peewit were organizing a militia of villagers with improvised weapons. Others had abandoned storm repair and were building a hasty palisade around the perimeters of the village mounds.
"But you need a trained fighter, and you trained me yourself, you and Johan!"
"That was before we knew you were heir to a kingdom. We're expendable, you are not."
"But wouldn't I be safest with you?"
"No, you'll be safest with the women, children and elders in the main hall. Maenad is going to guard it. You can help her if you want to do something."
Sabina pouted until she realized it was making her look more like a spoiled girl. She rode to the main hall to stand guard with Maenad as she was told…for now.
"As soon as they need me, I'll go to them. Don't you try to stop me," she said to Maenad, who sighed in agreement.
Gerard and his men pushed the tiny skiff through marshes and canals, where the trees grew thick and the reeds came over their heads. They felt completely lost, and the mist didn't make things any better.
"Are you sure you know where we're going, my liege?" one of the knights asked, a young man named Geoffrey.
The pink ribbon fluttered in Gerard's fingers. "I do. Bear left…now, around that bend." The men followed faithfully, until the outline of a village appeared in the mist.
"Thank God, we're here…wherever here is," murmured Gerard, half to his men, half to his Smurf companions who were hidden in a clay pot.
They slowly paddled to the village, which seemed to be on islands in the floodwaters. As they drew closer, they saw crude fortifications everywhere, as if the village was preparing for an attack.
"I don't like the looks of this, sire."
"Take us to the main gate…if there is one. We're outnumbered, but we can try to reason with them."
As soon as the boat was in sight, it was met with a rain of arrows.
"Reason, with them eh?" Arrows whizzed by as they made a frantic retreat.
"Wait! Stop! Hold your fire!" that voice was familiar. Johan? A gate slowly opened.
"Should we trust them?" whispered Geoffrey.
"We don't seem to have a choice. This is where the princess is being held.
They cautiously left the boat and waded ashore, the knights surrounding their king, swords drawn, the King looking as regal as possible while clutching a simple pot.
They were met by fierce looking common folk, clutching pitchforks, axes, and old fashioned machete-like seax knives.
The men parted to let a rider though. It was Johan. Behind him came another mounted nobleman, who looked like an older version of Johan. That must be his father, Sir Edelhart.
"King Gerard! What are you doing here?"
"I think I should be asking that question! What are you doing hiding with these pirates, and where are Dennis and Princess Sabina?"
"That's…complicated. Please, come with us and we'll explain everything." Johan said, signaling the villagers to back down.
"Tell me, your highness, did you come with just these men?" Asked Edelhart.
"There are others several miles from here waiting for me, not more than a dozen."
"Then we need to make this a quick explanation, because we're all still in great danger. There's an army on the way, and they are close."
"An army, close behind? Who would…oh, no…"
…you can't trust them. They're bullshitting you…The mysterious Mesa Ryu's words echoed in Gerard's mind as he and his companions went to a drier place to hear the story of how Sabina had come to the Village of Runaways.