Joshua Raxter
Active Member
Lord Henry snuck through the halls the best he could with the distraught prince in his arms. Stepping back into the shadows when guards passed, side stepping from one shadow to the next as they headed for the front of the castle. Henry almost ran into the back of a guard coming around a corner. Stepping back across the corner they stood there and waited as the guards talked.
“We have to find the young Prince!” one of the guards ordered. “Lock the main gate and double the guard, wake them if you have to! He will be found tonight…” The guard ordered watching as his men spread through the hallways.
Lord Henry took Cecil’s wooden horse, waiting until the guard captain took of his helmet to wipe his brow. Henry gestured to Cecil that he stay where he was and walked around the corner. The guard turned and drew his sword.
“Lord Henry? You’re not supposed to be here….not tonight. You should go...” The captain said bewildered.
“I had to stay and finish off some paperwork for the King, what’s all the fuss about?” Lord Henry asked trying to conceal the the wooden toy behind his back, and trying to contain his fear.
The Captain was visually torn, rubbing his bald head with a gauntleted hand. “The Prince has caused some trouble again…” The Captain obviously lied, Henry wondered how much he was paid to go against the king he had served most of his life.
Anger flared in Henry. “I’m sorry Captain…” Henry said bowing his head.
The Captain looked confused. “Whatever for Henry?” The Captain asked.
“For this!” Lord henry swung the wooden horse, slamming the Captain square across the head. Dropping with a terrible clatter to the floor, Lord Henry ran around the corner grabbing the silently sobbing Cecil and bolted for the front door at the end of the hall. Henry grabbed the door handle as the first crossbow bolt sprouted in the solid red oak door near his hand. Not waiting to see who shot it Henry pulled open the door and slipped through with his prince now openly crying under his arm slamming the door shut behind him.
Being so late at night, it took precious moments for the few guards outside by the gate to hear from inside.
Thankful for the moonless night, Henry sprinted down King’s Way and through the main gate before the alarm was sounded and the bolts started flying. Turning his Prince to his front Henry ran with every bit of fear and anger in him. The sounds of hitting bolts surrounded him along with metal boots stomping seemingly just behind.
Pain blossomed in his right shoulder forcing them to tumble down the cobbled street. Trying to keep Cecil away from the stone as they fell Henry took the brunt of the stone. Cecil screamed as Lord Henry scrambled to grab Cecil again to keep running, finding that his right arm no longer worked, he scooped the Prince up with his left and sprinted again towards the docks.
Henry took an abrupt turn, hearing the bolts scatter on the building as he slipped into an alley. Not risking a look back he jumped a small stone wall. They landed in a hay pile almost ten feet below at the start of the docks, where the ship Lord Henry had waiting for just this occasion were raising their sails. An older woman met him at the bottom of the gang plank. Dressed as a house maid in her late thirties she scooped the Prince out of Henry’s arm taking him up to the deck at a run.
“Where’s the King?!” She called not stopping.
“He didn’t make it! Go get Cecil out of here!” Henry yelled finally drawing his sword with his only useful hand.
“What are you doing?! Get your arse on this ship!” the older woman screamed.
“Sail Marge! They were soon behind us.” Henry screamed reading his sword. The ship started to pull away
from the dock as the first of the guards flooded onto the dock. Henry ran the first to try him through,
sharing blows with the next keeping them from running down the pier to the ship.
The Captain walked down the stone stairs onto the dock. His head still sluggishly bleeding from the blow Henry had committed what seemed like a lifetime ago. He walked confidently up to Lord Henry.
“Don’t just stand there! Get to your ships and get Prince Cecil! King Damon paid us too damn much for us to fail now!” The Captain ordered causing most of the men to run off down the docks.
“Traitor!” Lord Henry spat raising his sword.
The Captain laughed fully from his gut. “I would have been a traitor to my coffer if I had NOT taken My king’s offer.” The Captain spat back adjusting his gloves. “I shall enjoy gutting you like the spineless word scribbler that you are…”
Lord Henry lashed out slicing the Captain from his brow down his cheek. The Captain winced covering his face with his gauntlet. “Do not forget who taught you the ways of the sword, little Garith!” Henry stepped back sword raised ready for the traitor or his men to attack. Slowly walking backwards down the dock with the guards looking at the groaning Captain for his order.
“Kill the swine!” Captain Garith growled.
Lord Henry turned and sprinted down the dock with the guards close behind. Henry me the end of the dock, ditching his sword to the water he dived into the water without hesitation. Swimming the best he could with one arm as bolts shot into the water near him. Floundering around in the water trying to get as much distance as he could and keep his head above water he swam from his kingdom. The home he had served diligently for almost twenty years.
When he could surface he could see the ship Cecil was on not yet far enough to outrun the ships that were pulling away from the docks behind him. He had used the fastest ship in the fleet, why hadn’t they got farther away by now. He knew his answer when his hand felt thick hemp rope on the surface of the water. Felling a loop he slipped under his arms. A crossbow bolt grazed his good shoulder as he felt the slack in the rope pull, seeing the sails fully drop on the ship in front of him as he started to get pulled through the water towards his salvation.
“We have to find the young Prince!” one of the guards ordered. “Lock the main gate and double the guard, wake them if you have to! He will be found tonight…” The guard ordered watching as his men spread through the hallways.
Lord Henry took Cecil’s wooden horse, waiting until the guard captain took of his helmet to wipe his brow. Henry gestured to Cecil that he stay where he was and walked around the corner. The guard turned and drew his sword.
“Lord Henry? You’re not supposed to be here….not tonight. You should go...” The captain said bewildered.
“I had to stay and finish off some paperwork for the King, what’s all the fuss about?” Lord Henry asked trying to conceal the the wooden toy behind his back, and trying to contain his fear.
The Captain was visually torn, rubbing his bald head with a gauntleted hand. “The Prince has caused some trouble again…” The Captain obviously lied, Henry wondered how much he was paid to go against the king he had served most of his life.
Anger flared in Henry. “I’m sorry Captain…” Henry said bowing his head.
The Captain looked confused. “Whatever for Henry?” The Captain asked.
“For this!” Lord henry swung the wooden horse, slamming the Captain square across the head. Dropping with a terrible clatter to the floor, Lord Henry ran around the corner grabbing the silently sobbing Cecil and bolted for the front door at the end of the hall. Henry grabbed the door handle as the first crossbow bolt sprouted in the solid red oak door near his hand. Not waiting to see who shot it Henry pulled open the door and slipped through with his prince now openly crying under his arm slamming the door shut behind him.
Being so late at night, it took precious moments for the few guards outside by the gate to hear from inside.
Thankful for the moonless night, Henry sprinted down King’s Way and through the main gate before the alarm was sounded and the bolts started flying. Turning his Prince to his front Henry ran with every bit of fear and anger in him. The sounds of hitting bolts surrounded him along with metal boots stomping seemingly just behind.
Pain blossomed in his right shoulder forcing them to tumble down the cobbled street. Trying to keep Cecil away from the stone as they fell Henry took the brunt of the stone. Cecil screamed as Lord Henry scrambled to grab Cecil again to keep running, finding that his right arm no longer worked, he scooped the Prince up with his left and sprinted again towards the docks.
Henry took an abrupt turn, hearing the bolts scatter on the building as he slipped into an alley. Not risking a look back he jumped a small stone wall. They landed in a hay pile almost ten feet below at the start of the docks, where the ship Lord Henry had waiting for just this occasion were raising their sails. An older woman met him at the bottom of the gang plank. Dressed as a house maid in her late thirties she scooped the Prince out of Henry’s arm taking him up to the deck at a run.
“Where’s the King?!” She called not stopping.
“He didn’t make it! Go get Cecil out of here!” Henry yelled finally drawing his sword with his only useful hand.
“What are you doing?! Get your arse on this ship!” the older woman screamed.
“Sail Marge! They were soon behind us.” Henry screamed reading his sword. The ship started to pull away
from the dock as the first of the guards flooded onto the dock. Henry ran the first to try him through,
sharing blows with the next keeping them from running down the pier to the ship.
The Captain walked down the stone stairs onto the dock. His head still sluggishly bleeding from the blow Henry had committed what seemed like a lifetime ago. He walked confidently up to Lord Henry.
“Don’t just stand there! Get to your ships and get Prince Cecil! King Damon paid us too damn much for us to fail now!” The Captain ordered causing most of the men to run off down the docks.
“Traitor!” Lord Henry spat raising his sword.
The Captain laughed fully from his gut. “I would have been a traitor to my coffer if I had NOT taken My king’s offer.” The Captain spat back adjusting his gloves. “I shall enjoy gutting you like the spineless word scribbler that you are…”
Lord Henry lashed out slicing the Captain from his brow down his cheek. The Captain winced covering his face with his gauntlet. “Do not forget who taught you the ways of the sword, little Garith!” Henry stepped back sword raised ready for the traitor or his men to attack. Slowly walking backwards down the dock with the guards looking at the groaning Captain for his order.
“Kill the swine!” Captain Garith growled.
Lord Henry turned and sprinted down the dock with the guards close behind. Henry me the end of the dock, ditching his sword to the water he dived into the water without hesitation. Swimming the best he could with one arm as bolts shot into the water near him. Floundering around in the water trying to get as much distance as he could and keep his head above water he swam from his kingdom. The home he had served diligently for almost twenty years.
When he could surface he could see the ship Cecil was on not yet far enough to outrun the ships that were pulling away from the docks behind him. He had used the fastest ship in the fleet, why hadn’t they got farther away by now. He knew his answer when his hand felt thick hemp rope on the surface of the water. Felling a loop he slipped under his arms. A crossbow bolt grazed his good shoulder as he felt the slack in the rope pull, seeing the sails fully drop on the ship in front of him as he started to get pulled through the water towards his salvation.
