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“Sir Armstrand!” A young soldier dashed into the stable yard.

“Yes, Achilles, what is it?” Sir Armstrand turned to him from where he was watching a servant currying a horse.

“Lord Deathrock has declared the castle on high alert. Intruders have been spotted. All defenses are to be raised.”

Almost before he had finished speaking, another youth in armor appeared for the other direction. “Sir Armstrand, there have been intruders spotted in your division. His Lordship Deathrock wants them seized and destroyed. And he wishes to see you.”

Armstrand nodded, his face grim. “Very well. You’re both dismissed.” He turned back to his servant. “Jonathan, finish currying The Black Lightning and then have him saddled for me.” He glanced around, then continued in a lower, softer tone, “You did quite well with him today. Take one of the apples for him for yourself.”

Jonathan’s eyes brightened. “Yes, Sire.”

Armstrand nodded stifly, then walked away. Passing through the gate into the main corridor, he turned to the left and quicken his pace.

His shoulders heaved in a great sigh. How much longer could he do this? For the past four months, Lord Deathrock had called him ‘a Centurion higher than a Centurion’. In fact, he sometimes gave him as much power as him self in matters of castle defense and commerce. Why Deathrock favored this young, strong stranger above those he had known so long he couldn’t say. But what profit was all this power and favor to him when the slaves still lived in oppression and terror? Lord Deathrock still hadn’t trusted this ‘returning soldier’ to give him much control over the fate of the slaves, except in giving him Jonathan to lord over.

“Oh Lord,” He prayed as he entered an other corridor. “When can I make a move? I’m betraying these people every day in not doing something. And now I must do more harm in keeping out those who could perhaps help these people. I thought it would be a good way to help the slaves escape by doing this, but the longer I stay, the more I could become guilty of oppression. You know I try to treat Jonathan kindly without blowing my cover. But its not enough in the face of all the suffering.”
He gripped the hilt of his sword. Oh, how he wished he could end all this suffering! Almost every time he met with Deathrock, he wanted to draw his sword and run it through evil man’s heart. What held him back he didn’t know.

He turned off into a narrower, darker passage and paused to lifted a torch from the wall. As he passed the torch to his left hand, a slight sound caught his keen ears. Voices?

Stepping slowly, he advanced down the tunnel, listening. Yes, people talking in low tones.

He walked toward the sound. Deathrock’s order would have to wait just a little longer. This could perhaps the chance he was waiting for.

He paused. There ahead him stood a group of forms-several people and a–wolf? Ah, yes, Redstone had said something to him only this morning about seeing large, strange wolves in one of the courts.

“These must be some of the intruders. They are in great danger. Men will soon be crawling all over this area, looking for them.”

He studied the situation a moment. Looks like they already set off the net trap in this passage. But the trap door is a few yards ahead of them. I must find out if they are for the freedom of the slaves or for their own gain.”

He drew a trumpet from within his cloak and sent a short shrill blast echoing threw the passage.

@kari-karast  @scarletimmortalized @nuetrobolt   @andrew

Please tell me if this is OK. What Jim-er-Julius is trying to do is (1) Hide them for a time until the search is slowed and he can convince Deathrock that they have been taken care of. (2) See, as he thought to himself, if they were friends of the slaves or just pirates.