TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"I'm hungry!" wailed Ethan.

Connie glared at him,

"I'm hungry, I'm terrified for Rita, but complaining won't get us anywhere. We just have to climb into those caves and…"

"Let me stop you right there, Connie."

Connie turned her rage on Dylan but realised what he was saying was logical.

"It's better if the men climb up and rescue Ethelfritha from that dragon. What she'll need when she's back down here is somebody to talk to, and, without being sexist, ladies open up to each other more."

"I hate it when you're right" growled Connie.

She patted a mossy stone.

"Come on Jess, girlie chat. See you soon, guys – hopefully."

The men finally got up to the Garcia caves. Ethan wanted to turn tail and go back but was too knackered to do that. Cal supported him, while Ben and Dylan helped each other.

"Right, Ethan. You did dragon studies at school. How do we handle this?"

"The thing to remember" said Ethan, whose voice had taken on a schoolteacher quality, "Is that dragons don't attack for no reason. It's only when people try to steal whatever treasure the dragon's guarding that it turns mean. I'd risk annoying that dragon if it was guarding food right now."

Dylan was tempted to smash his fist into Ethan's face and shout "Eat that!" but he remembered that the brothers had suffered near-starvation.

"If we get through this alive, Ethan, I'll buy you the biggest feed you've ever had."

"With what? You admitted we were broke" grumbled Hungry Hardy.

Dylan smiled.

"With those gold coins Wathelbert said we could take from Denham castle."

Ethan grinned and almost ran over to the cave. He made a high-pitched sound.

"Dragon whispering" he explained.

While Ethan was dragon whispering Dylan mouthed:

"You okay?" at Ben. The latter nodded and smiled wearily. Dylan noticed how many times Ben just shut up and got on with things.

Suddenly Ethan ran back, there was a massive roar and out of the cave came…

….An angry female who had a look of Sir Charles.

"Who's tormenting my dragon?" she snapped.

"Ethelfritha?" asked Ben politely.

"Yes. Why the hell-"

"Aren't you the dragon's prisoner?" Cal asked.

"You stupid man, how could anything the size of Morpeth keep me prisoner?"

Then she said wearily:

"My pisshead of a brother's sent you hasn't he?"

They all nodded.

"Got any food?" said Ethan, seizing the moment.

They went nervously into the cave behind Ethelfritha and gave an involuntary "Awwww!"

Morpeth wasn't quite a baby dragon, more of a toddler dragon. He blinked in confusion as he pattered from one newcomer to another.

As Ben gently stroked the dragon's head, he thought that it was Morpeth who'd been carried away by Ethelfritha, not the other way round.

"Please" he said, "Will you come back with us all to Fairhead castle?"

"No! I'd either have to leave Morpeth here or let my nasty brother kill him for a joke."

"Look, we'll find somewhere safe to hide your dragon. But if we don't take you back safely, not only our lady friend but all the people in Griffith Village will be burned alive."

Ethelfritha sighed. Then she growled:

"Oh all right. But make sure you hide Morpy well, and that I can find him."

"We will."

Ethelfritha gave Cal a haughty look and then snapped at Ethan:

"Did you say you were hungry?"

He nodded. She ran back in and came out with half a loaf of bread.

"Eat that while we're climbing down. We can't wait any longer" Dylan told Ethan.

"Aren't you afraid, Rita?" Margaret asked gently as she combed Rita's hair out for her.

"Not any more" Rita said sadly but calmly, "If they're not back by now it means they're probably dead. If Connie's dead I want to be with her. And I don't want those soldiers to come up here and drag me downstairs. I want to walk down on my own."

"Right, bitch, sneered Charles, "Your friends haven't returned; time's up. Tomorrow Griffith Village and all in it will be burned. As for you, we'll see how long we can take to kill you."

Margaret came forward.

"A drink, sweetheart, to give you courage."

But Charles had already knocked the goblet of swift, painless poison out of Rita's hand. He sent Margaret sprawling with a blow across her face and laughed.

"We'll start with a finger, I think-"

"Charlie!" Stop that at once!" screamed a voice from the hallway.

Ethelfritha stood there with the travellers.

"We have brought her back unharmed. You need to fulfil your side of the bargain and let us leave in peace" Connie told Sir Charles.

"Well, a bargain's a bargain, but you must fulfil all the conditions. Which one of you rescued my sister?"

"All of us." Cal told him.

"In that case, I choose you. You marry my sister tonight."

"Then will I be allowed to leave with the others? If I take her with me?"

"No! You see, you're trying to worm out of your duties already. Bargain cancelled", Sir Charles crowed spitefully.

"By the way" Dylan said, desperately playing for time before the inevitable bloodbath, "Sir Wathelbert Kent sends his regards and says you should fear him."

"Sir Wathelbert! I fear no Sir Wathelbert", sneered Charles.

"In that case you'll not mind summoning him." Ethan spoke up.

The colour drained from Sir Charles's face but then he sniggered:

"As you wish."

He bawled loudly:

"Wathelbert Kent, show yourself! I dare thee!"

Nothing.

Rita, Connie and Jess clung together.

"Kill the lot of them. Nice and slowly; hack the women up first" shouted Sir Charlie, then held up his hand.

"Wait. Not the singing boy. I'll keep him around for my pleasure."

"No you won't" Ben replied, sounding calm though fear was turning his blood to ice, "If they die, I die."

"Have it your way" smirked Sir Charles, and, as the women screamed and Dylan groaned, drove his sword into Ben's gut.

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