The Heroes of Armagh

7: At their destination

Benji:

At first Benji thought that it was Arran, but Arran wasn't that rough when waking him. He was still exhausted after yesterday's effort with the portal and the monster and he was not really awake before he was pulled up and his wrists locked together with a strange kind of handcuffs.

He looked around, puzzled, and realised that it was royal soldiers who had pulled him out of bed. Had he not been so exhausted he probably could have managed them even without using his hands, but right now he was not worth much.

And where was Arran ? He wasn't to be seen anywhere. It had to be early morning, then Arran would be out as always he knew.

"Excuse me, but where are we going ?" He asked as they dragged him outside, but he got no response. The soldiers glanced nervously at him and it dawned on him that they were scared, which had to mean that they knew what he was.

A closed carriage was parked in the square and they dragged him over and pushed him inside, quickly closing the door behind him.

He looked around quickly, there was plenty of room in the wagon and soft padded seats in both sides. There were already three people in the wagon, two men and a woman. Two of them were asleep, the last stared suspiciously at him from the corner.

Benji sat down on the nearest seat. Most of it was occupied by a large blonde man who snored lightly, on the opposite seat was a young woman curled up and sleeping too.

"Hi, I'm Benji, sorry I can't really shake hands, but I'm a bit stuck here." He smiled kindly to the man who sat curled up in the corner and looked at him with hazel eyes under the dirty curls.

Levi looked at the newest arrival. He was wearing only a pair of trousers and had obviously just been dragged out of bed. His hands were opposite to the others in a kind of handcuffs. "Levi".

The wagon started moving and Benji leaned back with a sigh, wondering what Arran would do when he discovered that he was gone?

Arran:

He arrived back to the tent just in time to see the closed wagon, surrounded by royal soldiers leave the plaza and he immediately got a bad feeling. He ran into the tent.

Benji was gone and there had clearly been a lot of people in there. What do they want with Benji ? Do they know his secret? He can't just let them take him, so he quickly packs the most necessary things in a backpack and follows the wagon, moving across the rooftops and into the woods.

The wagon wasn't moving very fast and he could easily keep up with it. He really wondered what this was about and where they were headed.

After what felt like hours, a large building appeared in a clearing. It mostly looked like a fort of wood with a high wooden fence around, but from the top of one of the trees, he could look down into the courtyard.

The soldiers opened the wagon and Benji was the first to step out. He was wearing only pants and his hands were linked together. Behind him, a young slender woman appeared. She was dressed in a simple peasant girls dress and her dark blond curls was hanging loose down the her back. She wasn't in chains. Neither was the next one coming out, he was big and muscular, looking like a man who was accustomed to fighting.

"Keep an eye on the thief, I do not trust him". The leader of the soldiers called out to those who were standing at the vehicle door. "He may try to flee".

The guards were talking to each other and not aware of the vehicle's door. Therefore they did not see the person sneaking out, had they been aware and looked directly at him, the camouflage would not have been enough.

Arran can't help chuckling at the soldiers incompetence and he hopes for the guy that he makes it clear out of the gate.

Unfortunately for Levi the leader was much more attentive and a moment later he felt a whip slither around his ankle with a searing pain and he fell to the ground. The pain and fright made him go instantly visible. "Didn't I not just tell you to keep an eye on him ?"

The soldiers at the wagon looked embarrassed and one muttered lowly. "Damn thieving rabble, you can never trust them".

"Hey I will not hear an ill word spoken about my guests". An authoritative voice suddenly sounded and Arran saw a beautiful young woman step out from the fort. She was dressed in a beautiful expensive dress and all the soldiers were bowing to her.

"Excuse me your royal Highness, but he is just a thief". The soldier nervously said and his eyes darted around.

The woman was shaking her head. "No one is just a thief, everyone is more than they look like at first glance, and I understand why he tried to run away".

She went over to Levi, who had gotten to his feet. Three soldiers had their spears pointed towards him and his chest was moving rapidly along with his breathing.

"I am Princess Talia, welcome Levi. I'm sorry about the way it had to be handled, but I have need for your help for something important. Will you let me explain?" She looked softly at him.

Levi breathed deeply in and then he nod, Talia smiled at him. "But I think a hot bath and some food will be needed first." She showed him towards the fort and he followed her.