Part 2
He sat up in fear and looked around. He was in a forest and it was nighttime. He was lying on a cot in a glade and he felt and heard a campfire near him.
"Did I hurt myself during the rescue?" he thought.
"Sir are you alright", a man bent down to him but Scott just stared up at him not recognizing him. "Prince Samuel, is everything alright?"
"Samuel, who the heck is Samuel, wait that's the prince in the story John talked about before the rescue…"
"My lord", the man asked and Scott looked at him. The man was dressed in chain mail and had a sword in the belt around his waist. Over his chain mail he had a blue coat with a white eagle on. "Sir you took quite a bad blow to your head. You've been unconscious for almost two days."
"Wait, I've been unconscious…" Scott thought."Maybe… just maybe I really am Prince Samuel and Scott Tracy is something I dreamt. No no no that is crazy… Maybe I should ask… just to make sure. Or at least try to find out where I am."
"Where am I", Scott asked and looked around.
"We are almost back at the castle sir", the guard said softly.
Scott decided he should just play along with this dream, maybe he was unconscious after the rescue and John's stupid story haunted his dreams. Maybe if he lived through the whole story he would wake up home.
"Is everything alright sir", the man asked again when Scott didn't answer him.
"Yes, Humphrey everything is just fine. Jonathan's stupid stories haunt my dreams again."
"Wait, where did that come from? How did I know his name is Humphrey and why did I talk about Jonathan? Who the heck is Jonathan anyway? The name sounds familiar…"
"With your entire respect sir", Humphrey said softly. "But his stories haunt many brave men. They cause abnormal things to happen to them in their sleep. You told me that sire; you told me that your brother Jonathan's stories haunt you, your brothers and your father the king."
"Right Jonathan is one of the princes…" Scott thought and to the man he said. "Yes it is true, damn that Jonathan. How far away from the castle are we Humphrey?"
"Two hours riding sire give or take."
"Good, then we'll leave right away the safety of Rokea lies in our hands."
The men sat up and rode off and all the time Scott thought he knew too much about what was going on. So maybe he was Prince Samuel and not Scott Tracy.
The castle was just about to wake when Scott entered the corridors and headed for his father's chambers. Scott was amazed that he found everything without problem and when he walked past a mirror he stopped and looked at himself. He looked like himself, he only had a small gash on his forehead and he wore a white shirt, dark blue vest, black jacket, dark trousers, black boots and a dark blue cloak. Around his neck he had a pendant with a white eagle and he also had one on the back of his cloak.
"Really strange", he thought and continued walking.
Soon he reached his father's quarters and knocked on the heavy oak door. A servant opened it.
"Can I help you sir", he asked softly.
"Yes Morgan I wish to speak with my father."
"This way sir", Morgan opened the door and let Scott inside.
King Jeremiah of Rokea was looking out of the window. Three of his five sons had returned and none of them had found anything that could help them defeat Howard.
"Excuse me your majesty", Morgan said and bowed. "But your son Samuel wishes to speak with you."
"Is Samuel back?"
"Yes father", Scott bowed and looked up at the king. He saw that the man looked exactly as his father in his dream or was it the reality? He was still confused about it. "It is good to see you again."
"I feel the same about you son", Jeremiah said and walked over and enveloped his son in a hug. "Have you found anything?"
"No I'm terribly sorry father, I couldn't find anything. I've met and asked people that had been in countries attacked by Howard, but they didn't know his weakness."
"Have you met your brothers?"
"No father I just arrived, though Jonathan is still causing me trouble."
"You've seen him?" There was a strange look of hope in his "father's" eyes that Scott thought was unnerving. Suddenly his father blurred and was replaced by his look alike, Jefferson Tracy.
"Scott", he said looking really worried. "Wake up son."
Scott shook his head and felt hands on his shoulders.
"Samuel", Jeff Tracy looked like King Jeremiah again. "Have you seen Jonathan?"
"No but his stories gave me nightmares… I was hit in the head and was unconscious for two days and during those two days my dreams was haunted by his stories and by Jonathan himself."
"What do you mean Samuel?"
"John asked me to help him, to save him, to find him and not to lose faith in him no matter what happens."
Scott wondered where that came from; he didn't remember that in his dreams. And was his brother in danger? He had to find him!
"Who is John", Jeremiah asked.
"Did I say John? I uh mean Jonathan… his stories are still clouding my mind. He looked so desperate it frightened me. He has not returned then?"
"Strange things have happened and Jonathan is yet not back", King Jeremiah said with a sigh. The hope in his eyes gone again and he let go of Scott's shoulders. "Go and meet your brothers. I know William has missed you an awful lot."
"Then I shall go see him and put his heart to ease." He bowed and slammed his heels together when he did so. When he rose he looked at the king again. "Father have you heard anything from Jonathan, anything at all?"
"No Samuel I have not and his absence is unnerving."
At the door Scott turned. "He'll be fine father."
"Wake up Scott."
"What did you say", Scott asked in confusion.
"Huh did you say something Samuel?"
"You just… no I guess I'm just tired", he said and left.
Scott left his "father's" quarters and had just shut the door when he heard a happy voice call his name.
"Samuel", a blonde young man came running towards him. "Well met it's wonderful to see you!" The two brothers hugged.
"Well met to you too Arthur."
Arthur smiled and Scott eyed him. This Arthur looked exactly as Alan, blonde and blue eyes. He was dressed like Scott himself, except he didn't wear a cloak for the moment. The only thing that wasn't exactly the same as Scott's clothes was the colors. Arthur wore a white shirt, dark brown vest, red jacket, dark trousers and black boots. Around his neck he had a pendant with a golden dear and Scott remembered, if it was possible, that he had a golden dear on the back of his dark red cloak. But suddenly he blurred, just like his "father" had done and before him stood a worried looking Alan in his blue IR uniform.
"Scotty come back to us", he said and Scott stared at him.
Arthur laughed when he saw Scott stare at him.
"What", he asked and laughed. While he laughed he started to look like Arthur again. "You've missed me so much that you have to look at me as if I was a small child when you left and turned into a man before you came back?"
"No", Scott said and shook his head. "I've just missed you and want to take in every single piece of you."
They laughed but then Arthur turned solemn again.
"Have you found anything Samuel?"
"No", Scott sighed. "I am sorry Arthur I haven't. How about you? Have you found anything?"
"No not a single lead." He was quiet for a moment. "Have you…" He trailed off.
"What?"
"If I were you I'd better run…"
"Why?"
Scott got his answer when a pair of arms caught him from behind and hugged him hard.
"Well met biggest brother", the one hugging him said. "Long time no see."
Scott turned around and saw a man with red hair.
"The same to you Gregory, but in your case it is long time no sea."
Gregory chuckled and shook his head. Scott took the opportunity to look him over. Gregory wore a black shirt, black vest, yellow jacket, dark trousers, yellow boots and cloak. Around his neck he had a pendant of a black shark and he had one on the back of his cloak too. Scott thought he looked a lot like Gordon, except from the scar beneath his right eye and the thin long scar going across his left cheek. But they disappeared and Gordon Tracy stood before him, glaring at him.
"Come back or I'll prank you for life", he said.
Scott heard Arthur chuckle and Gordon Tracy was gone.
"You're doing it again Samuel", Arthur said smiling teasingly.
"What", Scott asked and saw Gregory look at Arthur in confusion.
"Have you missed Gregory so much you have to take in every piece of him too?"
Gregory smiled wide and patted Scott on the shoulder.
"It's okay Samuel", he said just as teasingly as Arthur. "You are just stunned that I'm so handsome."
"Very funny Gregory", another voice said and Gregory jumped high. "Who could have missed your ugly face?" Scott smiled even wider, he knew that voice it was his brother and best friend William. "Mine is much more handsome. Well met Samuel."
"Well met William", the both men hugged really hard. "It is good to see you again."
"I feel just the same about you brother mine."
William had the same face as Virgil and Scott started to wonder, which was right, was it Virgil or William, Gregory or Gordon, Alan or Arthur and John or Jonathan. Was he really Samuel and the whole Tracy thing just a dream? William looked out the window and Scott took the opportunity to look him over. William wore a silver shirt, black vest, black jacket, dark trousers, silver boots and a black cloak. Around his neck he had a pendant of a silver stallion and he had one on the back of his cloak too.
"He is doing it again", Arthur said in a singsong voice and Gregory laughed.
"Who is doing what", William asked.
"Samuel has missed you so much he has to check over every little piece of you", Gregory said and smiled wide. "He did the same when he saw me and Arthur."
William laughed.
"Maybe we should go to my quarters and talk", Scott said and they started to walk.
"So", Scott said as his brothers sat down. "Have anyone of you found anything that can help us in this time of need?"
"No", his brothers said.
"Neither have I", Scott turned and looked at them. "So the next question is, have anyone of you heard something from, met or seen a glimpse of Jonathan?"
The brothers looked at each other. Scott startled when he saw Virgil Tracy sit in William's chair, well it was one of the chairs of the sickbay on Tracy Island. Virgil looked really, really upset and almost as if he was praying and suddenly he had a hand on his shoulder. But Scott only saw the hand, nor arm or body attached to it.
"I haven't", William said and rose and that shook Scott out of his hallucination. "And I think his absence is breaking father's heart."
"I haven't heard anything", Gregory said with a sigh. "And it makes me worried."
"I", Arthur looked at them. "I'm not sure but I think me, Kent and Tina saw him in the woods three months ago."
"Really", the others exclaimed and stared at him.
"Father sent me out with Kent and Tina to the woods to look for some herbs Kent need to his special tea. We were walking into the woods when a pack of wolves appeared. We tried to hunt them off but they refused. Then suddenly the leader got an arrow through his throat."
"Could have been any hunter or person at all", Gregory said.
"We saw a man in a dark green cloak with a silver wolf on its back", Arthur said and looked at his feet. "We called out for him but all he did was raise his hand in farewell and run into the woods. Tina and I followed but he had disappeared as if by magic."
"And you are absolutely sure it was Jonathan", Scott asked.
"As I said we think we saw him."
"Then if he really was out in these woods", William asked. "Why hasn't he come home?"
"Maybe he can't", Gregory said after they had been silent for a while. "Maybe he got on to something while he left the woods."
Scott told them about his dream and the others looked at each other.
"Or maybe he is on his way home", Arthur said softly.
"What if he actually has been here in the town", William asked and walked up to the window. "Jonathan can make himself invisible when he wants to. Maybe he is around here somewhere."
"Have any one checked his quarters", Scott asked and turned to look at them.
They all looked at each other and then rose as one.
They walked down the hallways and stopped outside Jonathan's doors.
"It will not do you any good sirs", said a voice and Scott and his brothers saw five men walking towards them. They all had a small silver wolf embroidered on their jackets.
"What are you doing here", William growled. "Aren't you supposed to guard the city?"
"No", one of them answered. "We didn't feel like it."
"Then feel like it now", Gregory ordered and pointed down the hallway.
"No."
Gregory took a threatening step forward. "Do I have to remind you of who we are?"
"You are prince Jonathan's brothers", the man answered. "We don't obey you."
"Michael", an older man yelled as he came running down the hallway. "Stop this nonsense and do what you've been ordered!"
"Yes sir", Michael answered and disappeared with his group.
"I'm terribly sorry sirs", the older man said. "They are just worried about your brother and want to leave to search for him. But they know they can't because prince Jonathan ordered them to stay here and obey orders from your father and you."
"Don't worry Charles", Arthur said and the man walked away and the princes turned to the door again.
They knocked, but no one came to open so William pushed the door open. The room was cold but that was not what caught their attention. It was books and paper all over the floor and the fact that the room was a mess and Jonathan was known for being organized and having a tidy room.
"What happened here", Arthur asked and picked up a book. "It looks like someone was looking for something."
"Or trying to hide their tracks", Scott said and picked up a paper. Beneath it he found something that looked like dried blood.
"What do you mean Samuel", William asked and as answer Scott just pointed at the dried blood.
"There has been a fight in this room", he said as he rose. "And someone has gotten hurt."
"Or somebody cut their finger on the broken glass", Gregory said and picked up a piece of glass. "What does this tell us?"
"One", Arthur said. "Jonathan was here and looking for something or two someone was here looking for something Jonathan got or three there has been a fight in here."
"What is the most likely", William asked and looked out the window. "What the…" he leaned out and stared down on the courtyard. "Bloody hell, that's Jonathan's horse!"
The four brothers took off down the hallway and entered the throne room and found their father, looking pale. In front of King Jeremiah was an old man in brown cloak with a hood on it. He held out something in front of the king. Scott saw that it was a pendant with a silver wolf and he felt fear grip his heart.
TBC Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter:)