This was inspired by a picture of a raccoon when my niece asked what is that
*this is a revised version and has been changed but I tried to keep most of the chapters to the same topic as they were previously sorry if you find yourself reading something twice*
ps please comment on any thing that can be fixed
A gaudily dressed man stood in a dark room with one table two chairs and a lantern. He paced impatiently as he thought of the man who was to come see him. What if it’s a trap? He had asked himself this a million times as he paced and now he asked himself once more. In the corner two other men, both huge and with bovine looks on their faces, stood with much agitation at the other man’s pacing. Then there came a knock at the door. The two large men disappeared into the shadows as two cloaked men entered. One sat at the table and the other stood behind him. The gaudily dressed man sat across from them. The cloaked man at the table started the whispered conference, “I want possession of the Golden Finch by the full moon next month.”
“And just how much are you willing to pay?” inquired the other.
“My man here,” the cloaked man gestured toward the man behind him as he spoke, “will pay you fifty gold drebs total, but you will only get five gold drebs after this meeting is over. He will give you twenty for getting the job done and the rest for a man to blame it on.”
“In that case I have a boy who’s perfect for the job.”
“And this boy, I won’t have any trouble with him? I will need his full cooperation if my plan is to work.” said the cloaked one.
“And what is this plan exactly?”
“Well I will present the Finch to Lord Falon, and for my great deed, he will give it to me as a gift. Then I will be able to rule as King of this and all the surrounding kingdoms. Oh and for a reward for your help I may consider giving you some land.”
His man came up to them with a small money pouch and whispered into his ear, “My lord, you have a short ride tomorrow morning, and you should get some rest tonight.”
“I will leave you with your money. For now I must go but I will send my man every few days to check on you.” He finished the meeting, left the money pouch with the man, and departed without another word.
A Telishan guard saw movement at the edge of the forest. In the pale light of the full moon he saw the shape of a late night traveler hobbling towards the gate. When the traveler got closer, the guard saw that it was only a boy, but the deformity on his back caused him to hobble like an old man. The boy was dressed in thread bare, travel worn clothes covered by a dark cloak. On a cold night like this, the guard knew how insufficient the clothes were and the thought caused him to shiver and pull his cloak tighter. “The gate closes at nightfall. Come back in the morning if you want in.” He bellowed in a voice made harsh by the cold.
“Please sir, I’ve been traveling for days to see my dying mother. I haven’t seen her in many years and I only wanted to see her once more before she died.” The guard could hear the despair in the boy’s voice but he didn’t know if he quite believed it.
“Why ain’t you with your mother any way? Why did you have to travel so far to see her, shouldn’t you still be living with her?” the guard inquired suspiciously.
“My mom is a poor woman from a poor family and couldn’t find enough work in the city to support us so she sent me to live with her brother in the country. I begged her to come with me but she wouldn’t and now she is starving to death and has no one to comfort her at the end of her life,” here a sob escaped the boy, “and if I could only be with her as she dies I might not feel so guilty that I let her stay without me.”
The guard couldn’t see the boy’s face from the wall but he heard the pleading in the boy’s voice and his heart sank with pity. Letting out a tired sigh, the guard realized that if he didn’t let this boy in, he would be haunted for years by visions of this boy standing by a cold grave. On the other hand, he had a duty to his Lord and the law was that no man could enter the city after nightfall. With one last sigh, his head gave way to his heart and he disappeared behind a battlement. The bar on the gate was heavy but the guard lifted it easily. As the gate creaked open he spoke again.
“”Since I also have once had the worry of a dying mother, I’ll let you in this once, but hurry. If I get caught I’ll no longer have a job and my family depends on me.”
The boy passed through the gate with a look of relief on his face. Once past the guard, the boy hesitated for a moment. He pulled a battered leather flask from his cloak, said, “Thank you so much sir. You don’t know what this means to me.” passed the flask to the guard, and disappeared.
The guard returned to his post, looking to make sure no one had seen him let the boy in. When the guard settled back down, he looked at the flask. It was old and worn but the grog inside was good. He drank deeply and felt the warmth of it run through his veins. He drank some more. Then he looked up to watch the entrance feeling refreshed from the grog when he began to feel fuzziness in his head and realize that he had been drugged. Then he entered into a long dreamless sleep.
The guard had believed him, the boy thought as he lifted the cloak just enough for a small animal to come out from under it. A small gray furred animal with a black mask and black stripes on its tail replaced the deformity on his back. “Good job Zeb.” the boy whispered to the animal and offered him a bit of dried fish. The boy had never been in Telisha before that day but it had been easy to scout routes to his destination that morning because it had been market day and he was able to explore unnoticed. Though the shadows were unfamiliar, the boy allowed his instincts to guide him.
He came to an alley that would lead him to Lord Falon’s castle, but something about it didn’t feel right so he passed it. When he got past it he heard a dog sound an alarm. He had to pass many alleys that would have led him straight to Lord Falon’s castle but he knew that if he was to succeed, he couldn’t take chances. He would have to stay safe and unnoticed in the night. The moon had just passed the center of the sky when the boy finally made it to the castle. While keeping to the shadows, he circled the castle trying to determine the best way to enter. He decided to enter through a door, most likely a kitchen door, with a small window close by. “Okay Zeb you know what to do.” the boy whispered to the animal on his shoulder. The animal crawled down and headed in the direction of the window. The boy sat in the shadow of a nearby tree as he waited for Zeb to open the door. Normally the boy would never use Zeb to open a door but his lock picks had been missing for a week. Zeb used the small window to enter the castle and it took him a while to unlock the door but the boy was okay with this because it gave him time to think about the best route out of the city. He could use the same route as he did coming in unless there was nobody in the alleys he had passed by, then he would use those alleys since they were faster. The door crept open silently and Zeb returned to the boys shoulder as he entered. Leaving the door ajar, the boy entered a large kitchen. The kitchen had been deserted for the night but the boy knew the cook would begin breakfast preparations in a few hours. That’s okay he thought I won’t even need one hour to get out. There were two doors out of the kitchen: one led down a hallway of pantries and servant sleeping quarters, the other led to a dining hall. Looking around the dining hall, the boy was disappointed to find that it was not there.
Kathline had been fuming since the fight with her father. Now she had a plan to prove to him that she was right. She would run away and then he might understand. She quickly changed into the breeches she had begged her father to buy for her. Then she found a small sack and put soap and a brush into it. She knew she needed more clothes but she only had one pair that was fit to travel in. That meant she would have to buy some; she had a few gold drebs under her mattress. Those she placed in the sack with the soap and brush. She thought of taking her blanket but it was too big to carry comfortably; she would get a lighter one from the servants’ cupboard. She would also need some food which she would get from the kitchen on her way out. She decided to leave her father a message to tell him how she felt and then she left.
She slipped down to the kitchen silently so she wouldn’t wake her father. Her plan was to grab food and a blanket and then leave through the kitchen door. She would then stay in the city until the next market day and slip past the guards then, but when she entered the kitchen and found the door ajar, she took a detour from her planned route. She knew that the cook would never allow the door to be left open and if she found that it was open, she would skin whoever had left it open. A suspicion crept into her head so she slung her bag over her shoulder and followed her instinct through the dining hall.
He left the dining hall and entered a ball room, at the other end of this room stood a fireplace that made the boy look like a small child. The mantle was plain and above it stood a mirror. The only thing that sat on the mantle seemed insignificant compared to the grandeur of the fireplace but somehow it drew peoples’ eyes. It was a small golden statuette that resembled a small bird. The boy held his breath in anticipation as he approached it. This was it he thought, this was what he had been sent for, the thing that made this whole trip worth while, the entrance fee to the Realm of Thieves, the legendary Golden Finch. He reached out and touched it with tentative fingers while noting the way it bathed the elegant mantle in soft golden light. As his fingers gently closed around it, his breath caught in his throat at the sound of rustling clothes and footsteps. Oh know, if I don’t succeed, how can I become part of the Realm of Thieves? He thought while he turned around. The boy found himself staring into the legendary crystal eyes of Kathline, the beautiful daughter of Lord Falon. Her proud face and slender figure made almost every man who saw her fall head over heels in love, but at the time the boy saw her with fear. Not noting her beauty or even her clothes. Before she could scream, the boy pulled her into his arms and covered her mouth. His mind raced through ideas of escape but in the end he knew he would have to kidnap her. He still had one more flask of the drug he had given the guard. In seconds, he calculated how much he would need to keep her asleep until he reached Crystalline Falls and leave her memory in tact and made her drink it before she had time to evaluate her situation. Before she collapsed, the boy hoisted her onto his shoulder.
He silently reentered the streets, noting that the moon had moved a ways and it was just past 2 o’clock. He followed the same path he had come in on. He was almost to the gate when he turned into an alley with a dog in it. The dog barked and the boy knew he had to get back into the shadows and away from this dog before his master woke up to see what was wrong. His heart raced as he ran. He ducked into another alley and stopped to take a breath. Then a man’s angry voice reached him, “Yuh stupid cur. That ain’t nothin’ but a stray ol’ alley cat.” At the sound of the reprimand, the boy’s heart beat slowed. He silently reprimanded himself for being careless and not sensing a dog that was so close. He continued to the gate without trouble. The guard he had encountered earlier was passed out near the gate with the drugged grog in his hand. The boy guessed he had drunk enough to sleep ‘till morning. Once outside the gate, the boy waited long enough for his pet to knock the bar back into place and climb over the wall, then he left.
The boy had chosen a nearby area to camp since he would be out so late and the animal followed him, wiping away the trail with his tail. The boy paused several times to adjust the awkward weight of Kathline but he didn’t stop completely until he reached a small clearing filled with moonlight which reflected off a waterfall and the pool below it. The boy gently laid Kathline- whose face seemed to glow like that of a goddess in the pale moonlight- down near the pool and splashed cool clear water onto her beautiful face.
Kathline awoke with a start. She looked around with a bewildered look on her face. She had no recollection of how she had gotten into the forest until she noticed the boy. She recognized his dark hair and dark green eyes. She didn’t quite remember why she recognized him at first but then she remembered his hand closing around the Golden Finch. Then, without thinking of anything else, she began her demands, “I demand that I and anything else taken from my home be returned immediately. Furthermore, I demand that you pay for any damages to my father’s property and then I will have you hanged.” It only annoyed Kathline further to see the boy standing unflinchingly silent and unreadable. How dare he show me such disrespect, she thought indignantly, he should be begging for my mercy and forgiveness. Then she sneered, “Well have you nothing to say for yourself or are deaf and dumb? If you will not return me to my home, then I will have to find my own way back and then I will see that you are hunted down and then hanged.” Although she knew she didn’t have the slightest clue where she was, she hoped he would fall for her bluff and with her head held high she turned around and stalked off in the wrong direction. Before she got far the boy reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her. In response, she turned to look at him with the most reproachful look she could muster. But in seeing him, she noticed that there was gentleness in his eyes. They were sad and pleading, they also seemed to ask forgiveness for what he had done and may still do. She also saw that he was a mere boy only a little older than her, maybe seventeen. She wondered what his life was like and how he came to be a thief and kidnapper. She even felt sorry for him as she gazed into his eyes. His appearance changed in seconds and her attention was caught by a movement in the shadows. From some bushes a gray cat-sized animal with long back feet, a striped gray and black tail, and a strange mask-like marking on its face came towards them. It crept without sound all the way to the boy and continued on to the boys shoulder.
The boy patted the creature on the head and gave it a bit of dried meat from his pocket. “Good boy Zeb.” The creature, Zeb, held a small cloth sack in its hand and gave it to the boy when he was given his treat.
The appearance of the animal made Kathline forget about her demands and the boy’s eyes and ask, “If you won’t take me back, you can at least tell me what that thing is and who you are?” her curiosity showed plainly on her face though she tried to hide it.
“I guess I could. He’s what scholars call a raccoon. There aren’t any native to this forest but there are plenty in the forest around Sanial. His name’s Zeb.” The boy had a quiet voice that contradicted his strength. “There’s a place not far from here that is safe for us to sleep.” He turned and walked away into what seemed to be a wall of plants, leaving Kathline alone in the moonlit clearing. This action had a slow effect on Kathline, for as she stood, watching the boy disappear, she was thinking that he had not answered her whole question. Then when she looked up again, he was gone and she realized that she had never been alone in the forest before and especially not at night. She ran towards the wall of plants and grew angry when she found that there was no visible opening. Her anger gave way to ranting, “Boy, boy? Come out here this instant and show me how to get in. What stupid plants. I hate plants. I bet that was part of your plan too. Drag me through plants which I hate…” Without her knowing, the boy had appeared just a little farther down the wall and was watching her in amusement because even a boy in his pitiful situation couldn’t help but laugh at such a refined lady yelling at a bunch of plants. When she finally gave the plants a kick and in fear of her new experience and began to cry, the boy whispered, “over here.”
Kathline let out an angry humph and in an indignant voice said, “You horrible brute. To leave a Lady out in the woods alone and to laugh at her distress is too much even…” but before she could pour any more insults on him, the boy dragged her over to where he had entered the wall of plants. He gently took hold of a few vines and being careful not to bruise the plants pulled them aside to reveal an opening to a maze through the plants.
The boy led Kathline through the maze and to a stone passage that led to a small cave behind the waterfall. Inside, the cave was large enough for a small group of people to stay. The moonlight through shining through the water fall provided enough light for Kathline to see that there was a small stack of wood on the far side, a medium pack and a bedroll sat next to a fire ring. Above the fire ring, a crack in the rock provided a natural chimney. Kathline knew that this must be one of the thieves’ hideouts that she had read about in one of her father’s books. Oh how she loved to read. She even had one of her father’s books in her pack which was still on her back. Unlike a thieves’ hideout though, a pleasantness hung in there air despite the cold and dark. “This is a thieves’ place isn’t it? You’re a thief aren’t you?” Ignoring Kathline’s question, the boy began to start a fire. Kathline the boy watched in amazement. She had only ever seen her maid start a fire and her maid never seemed to be friends with the fire and call it into existence as the boy did. When the fire was started, Kathline watched it intently, trying not to remember what the argument with her father had been about. She was saved from thought by the boy speaking, “It used to be,” Kathline was confused by what he said until she remembered what she had asked him. “It was forgotten when Galleo lost the kingship.” Kathline was again confused because she couldn’t recall any king named Galleo and she was sure she had read about them all. “It was known only to the men who followed him loyally and most of them have died except the one who told me about it and he made me swear never to tell anyone how to get here. You are the only other person who has seen it and I’m quite certain that even if you could find the entrance again, you would get lost in the twists and turns of the maze. So I know it’s late but if you’re hungry I’ve got some bread and cheese to eat.” Kathline had not eaten dinner and was now very aware of being hungry but she knew that she couldn’t just give this boy a kind answer because she didn’t want him to think she was one of those weak girls who couldn’t fend for themselves.
After a moment of thought, she said, “Well after being drugged and dragged across Tanten, I deserve a meal fit for a Queen but I don’t suppose the likes of you could provide that so bread and cheese will do.” She had expected him to get angry and say that she was lucky he was feeding her at all but instead his face showed shame and agreement. She scolded herself for the pity she felt but couldn’t understand why it was so hard for her to detest this boy who had kidnapped her. His shoulder were slumped like a dejected dog as he pulled a loaf of bread and a small lump of cheese from his pack and again Kathline wondered what his life was like. He was a thief and kidnapper who felt ashamed of his work but didn’t quit.
They sat in silence. Kathline was pondering who this mysterious boy was and the boy was pondering his next move. He knew that his situation was bad and something would have to be done about this lady but he hoped that the Realm of Thieves would accept him and then they could deal with the Lady. He just hoped she wouldn’t get hurt. He could avoid the thieves until she was in a safe place but Jod, the king, might not let him in if he was late. He had told Jod it would be done that night and that he would return the following afternoon. He couldn’t jeopardize his chance to get into the Realm of Thieves; they were the only family he had ever known. He might just keep her hidden and they wouldn’t know until after he was part of them. They would understand; he was sure of it. Now he only worried what they would do with her when he told them, but if he didn’t even tell them and found a way to get her back without endangering himself everything would be okay. Kathline was curious about what the boy seemed to be thinking so deeply about but knew she couldn’t ask so instead she said in a self important manner, “You never answered me when I asked who you were. I’m sure you won’t ever let me tell anyone so why not just tell me? And where are we going so late at night? And what were you doing?”
“My name is Damuck and I was going to visit my sick mother.” He said the last part with a smile at how well the guard believed his story.
“I highly doubt you were visiting you mother in my home but I guess I probably can’t even trust that your name is really Damuck.” Kathline sneered. “I suppose though that I must call you that since I have no other way to get a name.”
“Oh really, tell me why I should not have been looking for my mother who was a maid in the castle of Lord Falon last time I saw her in your home and why should I lie about my name?” Damuck wasn’t really in a great mood to lie to this girl about his job but he didn’t suppose that she would take it well if he told her that he was trying to steal the most precious object in her father’s possession. So instead of allowing her time to think about it further he said, “I suppose we should sleep. The grounds hard but that bed roll is thick so good night.” Kathline saw that he was still sitting on the rock when she had lain down and she saw his sad eyes watching her so she rolled over and stared at the wall while she tried to get to sleep. While listening to and watching Damuck, Kathline had found it easy to push the argument with her father to the back of her mind. Now with her mind clearing for sleep, the argument flooded in. They had argued about her needing to be married. “All dignified Girls are married to a good man before they turn sixteen; you are going to turn seventeen in two weeks.” That’s what he had said. He had told her that the prince had asked him if he could marry her and he had said yes so that meant that she would become queen. He told her that he had been planning the wedding for a week and that she was to be married tomorrow. He hadn’t even had the nerve to tell her until the night before. So she had planned to run away. She hadn’t expected to be kidnapped but now she began to wonder that it wasn’t better that she had been kidnapped. If she would have gone into the forest alone she would probably be sleeping in a cold dark place in the forest and she would have gotten lost and starved, but that’s only if she wasn’t found the next morning. The instant before she dropped into a dreamless sleep, she silently thanked the mysterious thief Damuck for kidnapping her.
captain of the Telishan guard was woke up by one of Lady Kathline’s servant’s who happened to also be his daughter. Da…Da? Come see wha’s ‘appened. The Lord’s fumin’ an’ you migh’ wanna be in the castle to speak for mi lady.” The captain looked through the nearby window and judged it to be an hour before dawn. He knew how fond his daughter was of the Lady after all, they were raised together. So although he knew the Lady could speak for herself, he would go to the castle for his daughter’s sake.
“Oh all right, I’m up. I hope you know that whenever that lady o’ yer’s is in trouble you speak like yer from the streets.”
“Oh don’t worry da; I can speak all refined like. The Lady taught me. I just forget sometimes.” She said this with the most refined air she could muster and couldn’t help but laugh at herself as she left her father’s room.
When Hamul, the captain, and his Daughter reached the castle, Lord Falon had just finished ranting to Raul, his personal servant, and was making his way to Lady Kathline’s chamber, all the while complaining about his insubordinate, willful daughter. A crowd of servants gathered fretfully behind him with Hamul and Raul in front. They all had a soft spot for their dear Lady, who treated everyone equally no matter their station. “Would anyone here know what to do with a daughter who refuses to marry the best possible husband a man can wish for his daughter to marry?” The Lord was addressing the walls around him without even seeing the crowd he had drawn. “Oh. Wait I’ve got it. I could send her to be a priestess. Yes that will do. She’ll agree to anything if I tell her that her only other choice is to become a priestess.” The Lord was pleased with his resolution and opened Kathline’s door. The crowd held their breath while the door creaked open and a gasp escaped everyone when the door opened to reveal an empty room. The bed was neatly made as Kathline has made it every morning since she was five and her night gown was neatly folded in the center with a piece of paper laying on it. Nobody was able to move or speak for a good five minutes then slowly Hamul’s daughter stepped forward and gently grabbed the gown and the paper. She unfolded the paper fearing what it had to say and handed it to Lord Falon. She took the gown with her when she walked past Lord Falon.
Took the paper with trembling hands and read it. He sometimes paused on a sentence just to make sure he had read it right and when he continued his eyes grew. It read as follows:
To my Dearest Father,
I have come to the conclusion that the only way for you to fully understand how I feel about this marriage is for me to do something memorable. I have chosen to run away. I will not return until I am married to the man of my choice. I might have agreed to marry the prince if I didn’t know that he is arrogant, egotistical, and cruel to his servants. I hope that you understand and don’t worry, I will be fine. Please don’t send any one after me because they won’t find me. Oh and when Dear Prince Christopher arrives please give him my regards and inform him that I have been kidnapped and I have disappeared and will never be found and even if I am I will never consent to marry him.
With much love,
Lady Kathline of Telisha
Lord Falon roared with anger, “Guards… Guards!!” Hamul, being in front of the crowd was by his lord’s side instantly. A few others joined him after fighting their way through the crowd. “I want Telisha turned inside out and the whole forest searched until she is found. If she is not here before the Prince arrives, I’ll have your heads.” He stormed out of the room amidst the flurry of servants and guards in their attempt to stay out of the infuriate lord’s reach. The guards that were present soon took up arms and aroused the Calvary to comb the woods.
Hamul watched men pour out of the stables mounting their horses as they came “Birkley, take your men to the northeastern border of the forest. Search a fifty mile radius and report back every ten minutes. Jackson, do the same at Crystalline Falls. Franky your men will stay and search the town…” He carried on until each of the 20 lieutenants had a place to go, even those who were in charge of the men coming off night duty. “Hurry up you lazy bumpkins, the sooner you find her, the sooner you get breakfast.” Before the men left, a man from night duty was brought in front of Hamul.
“Sir this man was found asleep on gate guard.” The man before Hamul was a man who had never fallen asleep in the 30 years he had been a guard. Even his children had never fallen asleep on guard duty. Hamul reprimanded the man while the men sat on restless horses. After a ten minute reprimand he looked up and sent the men on their way. The man that had been asleep on the wall was to stay with him.
When the men were gone he spoke quietly to the man. “So I’m sure you have some explanation for going to sleep. I know you; you wouldn’t fall asleep at the wall.”
Timidly the man replied, “I can’t remember even going to guard duty last night, but when the lieutenant woke me, I found that the gate was still locked. I may remember something later but I just remember a fog.”
“Well you had better get breakfast and if you remember anything come here immediately.” Hamul felt pity for the man as he watched him leave because if he didn’t remember something soon, he would lose his job.
Damuck had sat by the fire all night wondering what he would do if the Thieves found out about Kathline. He couldn’t take her back because he would get hanged no matter how well he got in and out of Telisha. They’d be on their guard after her disappearing. He couldn’t just leave her because she had no clue how to survive in the forest alone and would likely get eaten by some hungry beast. And he couldn’t kill her because he had vowed that he would never kill a person needlessly after his mother died at the hands of bandits. He hoped more than anything that the thieves wouldn’t mind but he knew better than that. Having the daughter of the richest lord in Tanten around wasn’t exactly safe. After all, many of the thieves would sell their own grandmothers for money. His thoughts were interrupted by men’s voices. Listening, he learned that they had been up before dawn searching for someone. They most be looking for their Lady he thought. But it was past 11 in the morning. She can’t be that important that they search for her for more than five hours without a break. Then he heard one say, “I can’t believe we’re still out here. I hadn’t even been off duty for more than and hour when I got sent out.”
“I know how that is.” another said, “But when I saw the sorrowful look on Hamul’s little Sarah’s face, I just couldn’t stand the thought of not coming out here, and I remember Kathline helping me out when I wanted to woo my dear Lizz. She was so cute when she went up to Lizz and told her that there was a handsome guard looking her way. She was only eight then.”
Damuck couldn’t bear to hear how his actions had an effect on the whole town. He almost couldn’t believe that such a cold girl could be loved by everyone, but then again he did kidnap her. He also thought about what she might have looked like when she was eight, marching up to a woman to tell her that there was a guard who was looking her way. Damuck smiled to think how kind she must truly be. He turned to watch them, trying not to let their recollections of Kathline get to him. They searched hard and Damuck was almost scared that they might find the entrance to his maze. He feared that maybe he had bruised a plant just enough for these men to notice, and they may even be smart enough to find their way through the maze. After a little while, one of them left the group and Damuck was certain that he was going to tell their captain that they had found something and that soon a hundred or more men would come and between them they would find their way through the maze, but the man returned alone and joined the others in searching some more.
Kathline woke to the sound of men’s voices. They were voices she knew. They were the men from Franky’s crew. She wondered why they would all be near her room in the morning. They were supposed to be on duty. Then she slowly opened her eyes to find that she was staring across a fire at that boy who was in her dream. But it wasn’t a dream. She was in a cave after running away and being kidnapped and the men outside must have been sent to look for her. She knew her father cared about her more than anything. But then she thought that her father just didn’t want to deal with the prince’s wrath. He was known for being ill tempered after all. How could her father even have agreed to the marriage? The boy was watching through the water fall. He must be making sure they don’t find his little hide out. She didn’t know what to do. She wanted the boy to be sorry that he ever thought to kidnap the daughter of the richest lord in Tanten but she didn’t want to give herself away to Franky’s crew. She started to get up and Damuck turned around quickly. “Stay quiet he hissed.”
“I’m a bit hungry. It is breakfast time.” She said this softly enough that the men outside couldn’t hear her. She knew how loud these men’s voice’s were and so she could calculate how loud she could be for them not to hear her, but Damuck didn’t know these things and seeing the alarmed look on his face gave her satisfaction.
“I said to be quiet. You’ll get some lunch soon but for now please just sit there.” His face was a mix of alarm and sorrow when he said this.
“I think I should like breakfast before lunch…” she then looked through the water fall and saw that it was almost noon. “But I see. I must have slept a bit late. Oh well I guess lunch will do.” She couldn’t stand to look at Damuck’s face because it was so sorrowful but she continued. “Those men out there, do you know who they are? They are my father’s guards now tell me why I shouldn’t just scream right now and then you will certainly be hanged.” She kept her voice low but the alarm on Damuck’s face increased and he quickly had her in his arms and his hand was over her mouth.
“I don’t want to be mean. I try to be nice but I can’t be found. I’ll take you back when my job is done. For now you need to be quiet.” His breath was warm on her ear and she heard desperation in his voice. She nodded but he kept her mouth covered and they sat together watching the men. The man, who had left the group before, left several more times and each time he returned his head was drooped even further.
Hamul stood at the gates of Telisha for hours listening to reports of fruitless searching. He hoped more than anything that the man who had fallen asleep on the job would remember something that would help them. The men hadn’t eaten and some hadn’t slept. He knew they couldn’t keep up the search for long but he hoped in vain that the next report would bring some news. At last he sent messages to all his men to end the search and that he hoped to resume later.
When all the men got his message, he turned towards the castle. He didn’t have a clue what he would tell his lord but he still had to report back.
Franky’s men were all worn out by the time the man returned for the last time. He wasn’t any happier on that return, in fact he seemed to be worse, and they all trudged off towards Telisha.
For what seemed like a life time, Damuck watched them disappear into the forest. He sat with his hand over Kathline’s mouth the whole time. When the men finally disappeared, and all they heard was the gentle song of the water fall, Damuck let go of Kathline. “Now will I get food?” Kathline sounded impatient and demanding.
Damuck walked over to the pack, threw her a hunk of bread and pulled on the pack. “Here now hurry up we don’t have much time to get to Sanial.” The mention of the Capital alarmed Kathline because she didn’t want to be found and everyone was certain to recognize her, but she thought that the boy couldn’t be stupid enough to take her to the city without a disguise. “Did you hear me, hurry up.” Damuck walked out of the cave while Zeb climbed to his shoulder.
“Don’t you think I know who those men were? What if there are more of my father’s guards about? Don’t you think I could escape?” Kathline saw Damuck’s impatience in his eyes and it pleased her.
“That’s why I will lead you by the arm.” With that statement, Damuck grabbed Kathline’s arm and dragged her back through the maze of plants, only this time they ended up on the other side of the stream. “Now be quiet or I will gag you.” Kathline knew that if she spoke someone might hear her so she kept quiet.
They walked until midday. Where they stopped for lunch, the stream flowed into a river and a hilly grass land stretched out on the other side. Damuck got the last of his bread and cheese out of his pack and gave it all to Kathline after considering how little there was. Zeb ran off to search for food while Kathline ate. After she finished, Damuck pulled a cloak out of his pack and handed it to her while saying, “We going to get into the city this evening, you will wear this while we are there and make sure you keep the hood up so no one can see your face. If anyone sees you I will frame you for the theft of the Golden Finch and get as far from here as I can.”
“And if I choose not even to go into Sanial, what then?” she demanded in an imperial voice.
“I’m not letting you out of my sight so put it on and be content. There’s still half a days walk ahead of you.” He said it with a forced smile and turned and walked away with Zeb coming out of a shadow to follow him.
Hastily she pulled the cloak over her head and followed. “Have you ever tried to do something besides walk away? What if I chose not to follow you? In fact I think I’ll stop here and take a nap until a traveler with a kind heart comes by.” She stopped, sat down, and began to hum.
Damuck, close to losing his patients, stopped and spoke in a deceivingly gentle voice, “It’s late in the day. Your father’s guards looked as though they have searched since before dawn and I’m sure they went back to their families to eat lunch and rest a bit. So, your father’s guards aren’t around and this isn’t a well worn path. The only people who travel it aren’t nice people and since I don’t have the heart to leave you, you either follow me or we both stay here and starve.” Damuck knew that men actually traveled the path they were turning onto and there was even a village on the other side of the river. He also knew that how to find food so they wouldn’t starve but he hoped that Kathline didn’t. The bluff worked and she followed him docilely.
On the other side of the river, the forest began to pop back up and soon there was a thick forest surrounding them. As the sun began to lower in the sky, the trees thinned and there, at the edge of the forest, a gate rose nearly fifteen feet in front of them and the stone of the wall stood five feet above that. Kathline stood in awe until Damuck nudged her forward. It was market day so the gate stood wide open for wayfarers of all kinds to enter. This allowed Damuck and Kathline to enter without a challenge. Damuck steered them to an alley that seemed to be invisible to most people and the people who noticed quickly averted their eyes as though if they looked at it too long, they might be struck down by Death himself. Kathline felt chills go up and down her back when she saw those people walking by the alley, but that was the alley they went down. Down the alley, they came to an old dilapidating building with a large sign reading: The Black Stallion. The sight of the building filled Kathline’s heart with dread.
Kathline watched Damuck enter that very fearful building and only overcame her fear of it when she realized that if she didn’t go in, she would be outside it… alone. Once inside, she was hit with the pungent smell of alcohol and body odor. Over fifty men and women were crammed into the inn’s pub drinking, gambling, flirting, and conspiring. Very few just sat alone and they were the scariest of the bunch. Among them was an especially cruel looking man with slits for eyes, almost gaudy clothes, a cold feeling and greasy hair. He seemed to hear and see everything that went on and on a few occasions broke up conversations that were schemes against him. Behind him two identical men stood silently. They were large and bovine in looks, but they had cruel eyes that seemed to suggest that they have taken part in murders and violence. To Kathline’s horror, this was the man that Damuck started to approach. Kathline, glad for the hood that hid the fear in her face, hesitantly followed him. She tried to hear what Damuck said to the man but that was as futile as trying to hear the gentle trickle of a stream over the thunderous roar of a waterfall. Kathline wondered why they were here. Surely Damuck could find a better buyer for the Finch and afford to be in better places than this. Unless this cruel man was the buyer he had in mind. Kathline thought.
The man stuck out an oversized had, but before the business was completed, a racket arose in the kitchen. A flash of grey fur climbed up Kathline and jumped to Damuck’s shoulder. It was preceded by the harsh swearing of the cook. Then all of a sudden silence fell in the room and all eyes turned in disbelief to look at Kathline. The hood had come off.
The man stood wide eyed for a moment and then, after regaining his composure, pulled Damuck toward him and said in a tight voice, “get rid of her. She could lead law men hare and we will all rot in the dungeons. So when you have dealt with her, come back and we will be pleased to celebrate your great entrance into our grand society. Now let me take the Golden Finch for safe keeping and go.”
Prince Christopher had been in a bad temper since dawn. His guards were horribly slow this morning so he didn’t get on the road until it was nearly eleven. He was then delayed further by some dolt peasant herding his cows across the road. The guards at the gate of Telisha seemed to be stupid and hadn’t a clue what they were doing. They sent a man to talk to the Lord before they would even let the Prince into Telisha and then when he finally got into Lord Falon’s castle, he was told that he couldn’t see the woman he was supposed to be marrying. Her servants swore she was so sick that it would be dangerous to move her and that it was extremely contagious, but something in their appearance convinced him that it was a lie. How could they think of him as stupid; it was obvious that there was something else going on.
He dismissed the peasants with a sneer and decided that a walk would be good for his temper, after all the servants may actually be telling the truth and he was just too upset to really notice. While on his walk through the gardens of the Telishan lord, he came across a group of servants deep in their gossip. His own name drifted across to him on a breeze and so he turned onto a path that would bring him closer. As he got closer their whispers turned to talk. “Oh I’m afraid she’s gone,” said an older servant with graying hairs.
“Yea I always knew she was a silly girl. Here she is, given a throne on a silver platter (much like the one I carry in with her breakfast) and what does she do?” this servant was a tall brunette that sounded indignant. “She goes running off because she wanted someone better.”
“They said she took something valuable with her too. I wonder what it was,” said a somewhat ditsy sounding blonde.
“Well I think she’s wonderful and whatever she did, for whatever reason, I’m sure it’s justifiable and I don’t think any of you should be standing around here judging her,” the girl who said this sounded sincere which worried Christopher because he didn’t want to believe what he heard and he couldn’t listen anymore because this girls words caused the group to disperse mumbling things like “we didn’t mean no harm by it,” and such.
So that’s what they’re keeping from me thought the prince I must find out more and maybe I’ll get something for finding her just in case other… um… thing’s fail. I’ll have to talk with my advisor and get a search party going. Christopher hurried back to the castle and found his advisor in a breakfast nook. “Kildorn, I need a message sent back to the palace quickly and I need you to take care of a few other things too.” The prince continued to tell his advisor all that he had heard and sent him off to take care of his business.
The rest of the day Christopher was impatient on top of being angry. Finally, at about dinner time, he sent all Lord Falon’s servants scurrying off followed by angry words. Where was this Lord Falon guy any way? And why haven’t I thought to look for him before? The prince thought to himself. So he set off through the many halls to find the Lord of the castle. While walking around, he ran into a servant who was so embarrassed to run into the prince that he bowed too deeply and almost fell over.
Christopher ignored the servant’s feeble apologies and demanded in an almost unkind voice, “Where may I find the lord of this castle? And hurry up with the directions.”
“W-well he’s in his room your Highness; might I show you where it is?” Christopher followed the guard up a flight of stairs, down a hall, and to a door on the left hand side at the end of the hall. Muffled angry voices came through the door and when the servant put his head through the door, he was welcomed by a gruff voice yelling, “What now you confounded fool?”
“S-s-sorry sir but there is some one here to see you.” The servant, seeing the disapproving look on the man’s face, added, “It’s the prince.”
“Well send him in. I had better tell him what’s going on.” At that moment, the door opened wide and Christopher found himself in a large chamber with a large four poster bed in a corner and a large rectangular table in the center. One man was seated at the table and the other was standing near it with a furious look on his face that even intimidated the prince. The prince concluded that the man standing near the table must be Lord Falon and assumed that the other must be his closest advisor. “Don’t just stand gawking boy, take a seat and make yourself comfortable. It could be a long night.”
The prince sat away from the other man and settled in to hear all that the Lord Falon had to say about his daughter’s willful behavior. He didn’t really hear most of what was said because his thoughts were on his own plans of finding her. She was important to him and must be found if he was to marry her.
Damuck pulled Kathline to the door as all the eyes in the inn threatened to pierce holes in his back. Beyond the door, the once fearful alley seemed almost pleasant to Kathline compared to her experience in the inn. Damuck turned to her and gently pulled the hood back over her face and with down cast eyes, walked away. Not wanting to be anywhere near the inn, Kathline stayed close to Damuck as he left. Once on the main street, Kathline almost lost him in the tumult of people; she wanted to run away; she didn’t want to be away from home, and most of all she didn’t want to cause this poor boy any more pain but all that awaited her at home was an arranged marriage to an arrogant man, so she followed him. Damuck, blinded by his disappointment, walked on through the crowd without noticing the man that stood right in front of him. He ran into the man without looking up and knocked the precious carving of a cat out of his hands without an apology. The man who stood behind the stand watched helplessly as his art fell to the ground but the man who had held it was distracted by who he saw and exclaimed, “Damuck me boy. How you been? I haven’t seen you in ages.” He paused for a moment for a breath and then, seeing Kathline, went on, “I see you’ve been to the inn and picked yourself up a pretty li’l thing. What’s her…” he reached out to pull down the hood but finally the voice of the indignant man behind the stand caught the man’s attention.
“EXCUSE ME. Francis. FRANCIS! Would you please hand me that cat you dropped. You know it is sort of important since it makes my money.
*unfinished as of yet*