Thomas and Trish - 5

Well before dawn Thomas and Trish were awake and dressed in their traveling clothes. They tiptoed down the hall and into the family room where they found a single lamp burning, and all four the family and Anna, sitting around it with a partially eaten breakfast. They were all dressed in the same clothes they had worn the night before, and the acted like they had been waiting for the couple.

“Come and eat” said Jacquelyn cheerfully. “Everything is packed and we are ready to go as soon as you are done.”

Thomas and Trish were quickly brought up to speed on the engagement, and the travel plans.

“So you just tell Alethra that you were able to procure some additional supplies, and paid us to ship it for you.” said Donald.

Thomas and Trish just stared at them, until Trish stood and with tears in her eyes, gave Anna a hug and said, “Congratulations.”

While Thomas and Trish road back up to the keep to meet up with Alethra, Donald drove the wagon, hastily converted into a sled, past Anna’s house where Donald paid the dowry, and Anna collected her clothes. Her father seemed satisfied, and gave her a light hug goodbye.

About a half hour after sunrise, Donald saw a procession of two polar bears riding horses followed by five other riders bundled against the cold. He nodded as they passed, and fell in line behind them.

The camped close to the road that night and approached the mountains at mid-day the next day. Alethra announced that they would attack shortly before dawn the next morning, and made camp. She told Donald to bring to wait here until they returned.

Thomas approached her with his concerns of killing the men in their sleep. “Shouldn’t we offer then a chance to surrender before just slaughtering them?” he begged.
“Is that how they treated you?” she asked. When he did not reply, she said flatly, “We attack two hours before dawn.”

Thomas slept fitfully that night. He woke sweating and breathing heavily several times before a light kick told him it was time. Alethra was disgusted and thought it was hilarious how the two dressed in white glowed in the moonlight, but she didn’t say anything, and told them to stay in the shadows.

The seven crept up to the narrow entrance, but found no guards. Alethra glared at the nice the others made as they continued up the slope, and peered at the camp through the darkness. They dashed across the open area hugging the wall where there shadows were deepest. They passed most of the camp and slid toward the caves beyond when Thomas motioned toward the tends where the guards slept. She drug a finger across here throat and pointed into the caves.

About fifty feet from the entrance to the caves they paused in the last shadows. Alethra told them to wait there, and promptly vanished appearing right behind one of the two guards. Her hand quickly slid her dagger across his throat and vanished again, this time reappearing behind the other guard as he turned to see his fellow collapse. He too collapsed, and Alethra waved the rest of them forward.

Thomas had a lump in he throat form in his throat as he saw the two men fall. It just did not seem right to kill them without any chance to surrender or even see the face of their assailant.

But, the were already entering the caves. Alethra waved all four of the other man to guard the entrance, and led Thomas and Trish further in. She quietly asked Thomas where Fen slept, and He took the lead across the cavern. One lone torch lit the cavern and they carefully stayed in the shadows.

Alethra waved them both ahead, and Thomas prepared to draw his sword. Two steps into the cave Fen came walking out of the cave dressed in full armor and carrying a sword and a torch.

“Welcome back.” he said cheerfully.

Thomas and Trish knew immediately that something was wrong, but Thomas, focussed on their goal said, “Surrender your camp or, in the name of the king, we will force you to do so.”

Fen smiled wickedly, and returned, “In the name of the king you say? Well that’s funny because it is the king that gave me this land, and sends supplies out here twice a month.”

Trish felt Alethra draw up close to them and Thomas went stiff. Trish screamed as she saw Alethra plunge her dagger into his back several times. Her world began to turn black as something whisked past her.

She felt herself begin to topple as a young voice grabbed her and threw her toward Thomas, “Heal him!” it ordered, and she fell to her knees.

Her vision cleared a bit and she saw Alethra to her left laying face down with a sword embedded well into her back. Thomas, already on his knees, let out a gasp as he fell to his hands. Without breathing she cast the strongest spell she knew and Thomas erupted in blue and white light.

As the spell completed and the light faded, Thomas began to breath normally again, but a Fen’s voice cried out, “Guards! To me!”. He began to run toward Thomas with his sword raised, when a shape slammed into him, throwing him against the wall. The torch hit the ground making it difficult to see, but that same young voice cried out in pain.
Thomas drew his sword, and the cavern exploded in light. He saw Fen raise his sword over a figure on the ground, but he launched himself at Fen taking the sword blow on the back of his breastplate, and barreling into him with enough force to send them both sprawling across the floor.

Thomas and Fen were immediately back on their feet, but Thomas had the advantage with Fen blinded by the light. Thomas paused momentarily and demanded, “Surrender.”

Fen responded with another more urgent call for the guards, so Thomas brought his sword down against him. It was blocked, and countered, but Thomas parried as well. The two swords flashed and the light bobbed and jerked.

Trish found the unknown form sitting against the wall, his breath hissing through his teeth clutching his side. She quickly healed his wound, but didn’t have time to ask any questions before the sound of many running feet were heard entering the large cavern.

The cavern went momentarily dark and Trish heard the voice say, “We’ve got to get out of here. Follow me.”

He took her by the and hand and they ran toward the bobbing and weaving light where Thomas and Fen were in a desperate struggle. Fen had received some gashes on his leg and shoulder, but he was holding his own against Thomas’ onslaught. Trish was pulled passed them toward another tunnel, and she called out, “Thomas we’ve got to go, the guards are coming.”

Thomas placed a kick in the mans stomach and received a gash to his leg, but he turned and fled toward Trish’s voice as Fen went reeling down the tunnel. Their rescuer lead them down a tunnel through a storage chamber, and into another tunnel. As they ran their rescuer instructed Thomas to take his breastplate off or he wouldn’t fit, and he began to undo the buckles.

This tunnel was quite long, but had several passages breaking off. After passing the first couple branches, Thomas was asked to douse his light so they wouldn’t be followed. This slowed their progress a lot, but the floor was even and their guide knew the tunnels well. Finally they were taken into a cavern that sounded much larger but echoed less than the rest.

Okay give us a quick light but cover it as much as you can. Thomas covered his sword in his hand and cloak, and drew it partway out. The light flooded the cavern, and they could see that it was a large level cavern filled with rows of mushrooms. Their guide, a young boy of about sixteen, pointed out a path where they could walk without disturbing the rows. The ran to the far wall of the cavern where the boy reached into the dirt and lifted a square section of the dirt. Underneath was a jumble or rocks with just enough room to slide through. A faint light was visible, and the boy instructed them into the hole. Thomas doused the light and followed Trish down the tight space. There were several places where Thomas had to squeeze through, and was glad he had been warned to move his breastplate.

As they wiggled down through the rocks the boy placed the board with the dirt on it back in place and followed them. They soon emerged from a crack far back in the canyon and tucked away in some bushes. They still had some time before the sun rose, but they were at a loss as to what to do. Again the boy pushed them forward toward the camp. As they went he dragged a bush behind them in an attempt to hide their tracks. Trish helped Thomas back into his breastplate as they walked, and soon they were crouching behind some bushes at the edge of the camp. They could see the back side of the large building, and various tents around it.

When the boy was satisfied, he pushed them them up close to the back of the large building, still dragging the bush behind them. He began with the boards near the ground, and suddenly a large section of the wall opened into the building. He pushed Thomas and then Trish into the hole and followed them dragging the bush in with him.

Thomas was met with the point of two swords and a spear, but was quickly recognized, and was buried in hugs and sighs of relief. Trish too was hugged and kissed, and the whole building began to come alive. One of the women began ordering the women and children back to bed, and send several women with weapons and Thomas to the front door to join the sentry already in place there.

As the building began to quite and the children began to drift off, the woman gave their guide a bit of a lecture.

“Morell, what in the world were you doing out there. You know they could kill you if you are seen, and we can’t let them suspect us.” Trish laid her hand on the woman’s shoulder, and her voice softened a bit, “Please, Morell. No more sneaking around.”

She then turned to Trish who recognized her as Trug’s mother, and sure enough hiding behind her skirts was Trug himself. Trish bent down and gave him a hug before sitting down with his mother.

“We are so glad to see you.” said Myrna.

“What is going on here?” Asked Trish.

“We are preparing to defend ourselves.” began Myrna. “After you left, a man started coming around and helping us stock weapons in case we needed to defend ourselves. We only have a few so far, but we are ready for whatever you need us to do.”

Trish took a deep breath and thought for a minute before standing, “I’ll talk to Thomas, and see what we do now.”

Thomas was at a loss as well, but thought it best to lie low until the things cooled down. They talked with Myrna, and decided that Thomas and Trish would lay with the women and children in case they got visitors.