Invading Will Chapter 4 Part 3
#13 of Invading Will
Invading Will
Chapter 4
Part 3
By: D. C. Henry ("Ahndeleck")
The prince pointed with his sword at the last two men and shouted at the guards, "Men, put them in chains! They will answer to this crime!"
The guards surrounded the two men in mere moments and began to carry out Prince Alan's command. A number of the other guards fanned out around the room to collect the dead and carry them away.
"I have one still breathing here, bring some irons." One of the guards shouted. Raogothcar saw he was holding down a slowly reawakening assassin. "I think there is another by the wall over there. Someone get him before he gets on his feet."
Deanna had hopped from the platform to the center isle and walked over to her sword as she watched with intense eyes as the guards gathered the few remaining criminals. She pulled her sword out from the side of her last victim with a rough jerk. The two conscious prisoners winced as she wiped the sword on their deceased friend, then averted their eyes to keep from meeting Deanna's harsh stare.
"Get them ready here for questioning." Deanna hissed, "I want to know every detail about this little scheme. Search the bodies, then burn anything that's not important."
Before she had finished the command, she turned her head to the rushing footsteps coming into the room. Benjamin ran into the room, his hat missing and black hair a complete mess upon his head. He pointed up the stairs he had just come down from.
"Alan," Benjamin cried through his heavy panting, "there is one- escaped. Up to the balcony- He has Elenor!"
"No!" The prince charged towards the stairs. "Men get up those stairs now," his voice savage and nearly desperate with rage. The guards watched stunned as the prince passed, his once bright clothes dark with blood, and hair a matted mess, the crown long since missing.
Deanna recovered before the prince was out of sight and ran out after the prince calling over her shoulder, "Go men! There's no time!"
Those not holding prisoners snapped too and clattered after the prince as well. Raogothcar stood for only a moment longer. He scampered over the ruined tables in his way and began his difficult rush up the stairs following the guards before him.
Raogothcar found his footing difficult in the rush, his back feet kept missing steps and slipping. Despite his stumbling he managed to get to the floor where his room had been and followed the three guards as they ran up the curving stairs leading further above. The top of the stairs opened to a sort of chamber richly decorated in reds and deep blues. Two great doors stood open at the end of the chamber, which looked just as decorated. The guards however were charging towards a large open corridor that lead to another flight of stairs.
These proved more challenging for Raogothcar as they were much narrower than before. The guards were far above him as Raogothcar found a way to brace himself against the far wall of the spiraling stairway and make slow progress up. With grunts of frustration he made it from one floor to the next. His only guides were the shouts of the men above him. Finally the shouts came closer to him as he continued his rough assent.
"You bastard, let her go!" came from above. Raogothcar guessed his climb was nearly complete.
Upon reaching the top he saw a cluster of guards behind Deanna and the prince. They were all facing what appeared to be a balcony out from the tower. The ceiling was still high above Raogothcar's head, and on each face of the tower was what appeared to be very heavy dark blue curtains. He could smell the breeze from outside. The curtain had been pulled aside on the northern side of the tower, the floor spread out from the tower; it could have easily held many dragons his size. Deanna heard the dragon arrive and motioned the guards forward as she retreated to Raogothcar.
"Dragon this isn't good." She said her voice surprisingly calm with no hint of exhaustion, "The fool has Elenor on the edge of the balcony. He says he'll throw her off if the prince doesn't come forward unarmed and alone. The prince knows better right now, but I fear the man's desperation to get the prince will make him do something rash. I can't see any way out of this and neither-"
"Who is Elenor, Deanna?" Raogothcar interrupted, his curiosity of finally gotten the better of him.
"The prince's fiancé, and that man's going to throw her over the balcony unless we can find a way to stop him." Deanna emphasized the last words by sheathing her sword hard.
Raogothcar's spines fell flat against his head for a moment as he lowered his head and squinted in thought. He didn't like the idea of fighting more people. He wondered what would happen if Elenor was thrown. The prince wouldn't like him anymore he was certain. Unless he could keep Elenor safe. If she fell, maybe he could catch her.
"Are we high up?"
"Yes" Deanna had turned back to watch the guards around the prince, all of them calling back and forth to each other in angry tones.
"I could play catch just like with my father. We used to do it all the time, and I got really good at it too" Raogothcar smiled as he remembered the games he played with his father.
Deanna turned back to the dragon with a savage look on her face, "Do you not understand this is not time to play? That man is going to-" She stopped as her expression changed, her hand still outstretched pointing to the group on the balcony. She began again, bringing her hand to her chin, "Catch, are you sure? If we can't get to the man are you certain you can catch Elenor?"
Raogothcar reared up and opened his wings to help balance on his hind legs. Seeing over the guards, he could see the green dressed assassin standing on the wide stone rail of the balcony. At the assassin's side stood a tall thin lady with long dark brown hair. He had a knife on her neck, and she stared, terrified, down at the prince. The assassin's face was red from shouting and Raogothcar could recognize the expression of a crazed cornered animal.
"He looks bad. I hope the guards are careful, that man looks like he is crazy."
"Dragon, can you catch Elenor?"
"Yes, she looks light enough, though she's bigger than anything I've ever played with before. I can do it."
"Good, now go through that curtain there and get to it dragon. That assassin might throw her any minute."
Deanna turned once again and drew her sword. She walked back toward the mass of guards and took her place beside the prince. Raogothcar could see she was trying to get the prince's attention, but didn't know if he would see.
Raogothcar turned to the curtain to the left of the one everyone else was standing on and managed to nose his way out onto the balcony. The day was calm with soft misty clouds high in the evening sky. The bottoms of each cloud shown gold with a tint of red as the sun set behind the forests far to the west.
Raogothcar trotted up to the edge of the balcony and hopped over the edge and snapped his wings open. In a moment he had turned back to the northern balcony and looked up to see what was going on. Flying beneath the large stone outcropping hampered his view, but he could still see the man with Elenor. He had changed his position so now he was holding her just inches from the edge, both their backs were to the sky behind them.