Thirty Thieves and Two Princesses

Chapter 1

The Hidden Castle

Two men were walking together toward a rock that seemed to rise straight out of the surrounding forest. The somewhat shorter and broader-shouldered man said, "I hear something, Olum."

The taller and more gentlemanly looking young man stopped short and listened. "It's horse's hooves, Brant." With that, they ran for the rock, stopping only when they had gotten to a point where it dropped off like a cliff. About twenty feet below was a road, which wound its way through the forest. Three carriages passed right under their feet, along with a cavalry escort twenty strong. They caught sight of two regally dressed young women in the middle carriage, each of whom wore a diadem on her head.

After the carriages passed, Brant remarked, "Those were fancy carriages, fancy enough for royalty. What's more, I saw not one, but two young women with crowns on their heads." He paused for a moment. "We might have missed some valuable loot." Olum didn't say anything. A group of men had followed their leaders to the rock. The fellows were varied in appearance, ranging in both height and age. They were armed with a variety of weapons, and they all carried empty sacks. They wore an odd assortment of clothing. The preferred dress was military pants and a gentleman's shirt.

Brant turned toward the men and said, "Those were special carriages, gentlemen, riding in well ahead of the normal supply train. We missed 'um, but I think there will be more traffic on this road than before. I want to keep a watch here as often as we can."

A tall man spoke up, "We'll wait if there is anything to wait for."

"Of course, there is something to wait for," Brant growled. "Two princesses just rode by." Then he whistled. "I need a man to come up here and watch the road with me." He pointed at a short fellow a little farther back in the crowd. "How about you, Bandy?" he asked.

The fellow replied, "I'll be proud to watch the road with you." Bandy walked up to the top of the rock and joined Brant, while Olum went down to the rest of the men.

Meanwhile, the carriages rolled on. Their goal was a castle that rose in the midst of the forest, which stretched interminably into the distance on all sides. It was so large that thousands could have resided in it, but there was no town. Instead, the castle stood on its own with only a road to connect it with the rest of the kingdom. Nearby was a crystal-clear lake. Beyond were snowcapped peaks, that marked the boundary of the realm. The only road ran right to a large gate in the castle wall. The smooth granite walls rose in the air nearly forty feet. This was, however, merely the first line of defense, for the outer walls contained, not just a tower, but a full-fledged castle. The outer wall was surrounded by a moat. There was, in addition, another moat, which surrounded the inner castle. Between the outer wall and the inner moat were several mansions and other buildings, including two large and well-appointed stables, military barracks, and storage buildings. The inner castle rose hundreds of feet into the air, and was truly a remarkable structure. The base was a square tower-like structure fifty feet high, decorated with battlements on top. Within the walled-in area on top of the base, another tower rose to a height of two hundred feet.

Anyone who climbed one of the nearby hills would have been struck by the fact that there were no farms or villages. The surrounding area was forest, apart from the mountain-tops and places where bare rock lay exposed. The only areas below the high peaks that were not covered with a thick carpet of trees were the castle itself, an area surrounding the walls, some nearby meadows, and the lake. Yet here stood this impressive palace with a cobblestone road leading back to the kingdom.

The air was fresh and clean here, and the locale had several streams running through it, as well as a creek. The road itself wound along the long mountain lake, then diverged down the small river which flowed out of the mere. If an observer had been standing on the other side of the lake that afternoon, he might have spied a number of carriages traveling along the road toward the castle. They would have noted that these were well-appointed carriages, for royalty or nobility, unless perhaps they belonged to some very wealthy merchant.

The carriages came to the gate and stopped. After what seemed like a long time the gate was opened. After they passed through, it clanged shut once more. The carriages rode up to the largest and most well-appointed home between the outer wall and the inner keep. It was a mansion of extraordinary proportions, with one side fronting the inner moat. It appeared to be a home that could only belong to the highest-ranking nobility, or to royalty. The two carriages stopped, and four women disembarked from each carriage, and gathered in front of the mansion door. Six of these eight seemed to be attending to the other two. The two were perhaps the youngest of the lot, yet the most regally dressed. One had on a fine white dress with pink frills, the other had on a light pink dress with yellow trim. The young woman with a white dress had long dark hair and a very pretty face, the other had long blonde hair. In spite of the difference in hair color, they could have been twins, they were so similar in appearance.

One fine nose almost touched the other as the dark-haired girl said, "He was worried about you."

"He said he was worried about our safety after you rode off with Count Blessed," the blonde shot back.

"Count Blessia," the brunette corrected.

"Well, for you he seems to have been Count Blessed, unless something happened on one of your rides," the blonde said.

The brunette blushed, then said in a louder tone than before, "He was giving me horseback lessons, Anne."

"So, you say," said Anne, "But forgive me if I didn't see an engraved locket on your dresser with the word 'Elaine' etched on it." Elaine's blush deepened and she seemed at a loss for words.

"Your court gossip won't matter here, I'm afraid," said a stern lady in a plain brown dress. "Out here, there are no gentlemen, and few courtly functions. You must stay put until the king is assured there are no assassins looking to do in members of the ruling family. However, you will find the accommodations to be excellent, and the country around to allow great opportunity for outdoor exercise."

They both looked shocked for a moment, but were soon inside the large mansion, accompanied by their ladies-in-waiting. The entrance led into a well-appointed great hall with fine furniture. A large fireplace had a pile of logs blazing inside. The carpet appeared to be one giant piece, of intricate design. Portraits and pictures painted by talented artists adorned the walls between the large windows.

Another young lady was there, too, dressed in a white lacy dress befitting a wedding. She had light blonde hair, and was just a little older than the other two, but strongly resembled them. "Well, it's good to see you," she said, in a tone that suggested they should have been there a long time ago.

"It's hard to see what's so good about it," said Anne in a loud whisper to Elaine.

"I heard that," said the young lady with light blonde hair.

What do you mean by that, Victoria?" Anne asked directly.

"I don't suppose you understand yet, do you? We are here for our safety, and we aren't allowed to leave. As your older sister, I will be in charge of this house." There was silence.

"What do you mean, you'll be in charge of this house?" Elaine asked.

"Just that," Victoria answered.

"Just!" Elaine exclaimed. "We are all princesses, and we are all in charge."

"I am your older sister, and I was here first. That makes me queen as far as you are concerned," Victoria asserted.

"The queen is the one who marries the king," Anne sniffed.

Both Elaine and Victoria stiffened, but it was Victoria who seemed the most effected. Her chest expanded, and she pointed a plump finger at her thinner sister. "I told you that I am in charge here. If you can't accept both that I am older than you, and that I was here first, then you had better expect trouble."

"We're not accepting your orders," Anne quipped. The commanding woman in the plain brown dress walked over.

"Miss Mayfield," Victoria said.

"What is it?"

"They are not accepting the fact that I am in charge," Victoria said stiffly.

"Oh, well," Miss Mayfield said. She seemed at a loss for words for a moment, then she continued, "When your father first directed us to come out here, he said that Victoria should go first and set things up for the rest, since she was the oldest daughter."

"Which unquestionably says that I am in charge," Victoria interjected.

"Of course, dear," said Miss Mayfield. Then she directed her gaze at Anne and Elaine. "Now I want the two of you to pick out your rooms. Bear in mind that your servants need places to sleep near you, or else they will have to live in another section of the mansion. We aren't lighting fires in the rest of the house, and it is still cold weather." Elaine and Anne hesitated for a long moment, then Miss Mayfield said, "The rooms are upstairs. Just use the main staircase behind you. After that, you will have time to explore the king's secret palace." Still, Anne and Elaine didn't move. "Take their bags up at once," Miss Mayfield shouted at the ladies-in-waiting. As one, the attendants turned and went out to get the two princesses' possessions. The young ladies headed for the stairs to make sure they knew where their personal treasures were going.

They climbed the stairs while their ladies-in-waiting went out to the carriages. One such lady, Lily, noticed that several men were pruning the bushes that grew along the exterior of the royal mansion. She called to them in a none-too-ladylike voice, "We need help here." They didn't seem to hear, although one man glanced their way. "Hey, you men over there. We need help unloading the ladies' things from the carriages. They have some rare heavy trunks."

"Well, of course, me lady," one of the caretakers answered.

The men began unloading the carriages, bringing everything up to the second floor, while Anne and Elaine searched for suitable rooms. They ended up picking adjoining suites on the side overlooking the inner moat. Each of these suites had a sizable balcony. In addition to the lady's bedroom, each suite had a large sitting room, with fine furniture and a substantial fireplace. Above the mantelpieces were sets of good books with handsome covers. Altogether, it seemed that they were pleasant and well-appointed suites, but not quite grand enough for royalty.

Elaine turned to Anne after inspecting her suite, "It reminds me of the summer palace near the great lake in the pine forest, the one near Armigen."

"Yes, I know the one you mean," Anne replied. "That is the palace that had hundreds of rooms and sat next to the lake. It had no fortifications at all, it was really just a great mansion."

"It was wonderful for a vacation, but we would never have thought of living there," Elaine commented.

"What you are saying is that this is hardly more than a fancy vacation home," Anne said.

"Exactly," Elaine replied. "And when we were in Armigen, we had such a wonderful set of companions, nobles from all over the realm, and visiting royalty and nobility from abroad. Here we have none of that."

"We are alone in this mansion except for the servants and Victoria," Anne said.

"We will miss the summer balls unless they choose to have their vacations out here," Elaine added, sounding somewhat alarmed.

From behind them a voice said, "This place is supposed to be a secret. There won't be any balls here." They turned and saw Victoria standing in the sitting room. "I need to have a private word with the two of you. Let's go into your bedroom."

After they went into her bedroom, Anne asked tartly, "What was all that about your being in charge?"

"We are almost prisoners here," said Victoria in a hushed but emphatic tone. "I am the only one old enough to hold any responsibility. It is a difficult situation because we barely have any power here. I am scarcely able to assert authority over Miss Mayfield. Both she and the captain of the guards have the right to detain us within the walls."

"What are they doing to us?" asked Elaine.

At almost the same time Anne exclaimed, "We are princesses, how can they have any power over us?"

"It's simple," Victoria explained. "Our father is keeping us here for our safety, and has authorized those with authority to detain us if necessary."

Anne and Elaine looked at each other.

Victoria continued, "I want to retain as much power as I can. That protects us as princesses, and allows us to keep some freedom."

"I see what you mean," Anne reluctantly admitted.

"Is there anyone here besides us?" asked Elaine.

"That depends on what you mean by anyone," Victoria answered. "There are the guards, a force of about one hundred men. Then there are a number of ladies-in-waiting, and men who work the grounds, but there are no men of suitable ancestry for women like us to have a relationship with, not even boys."

"Are we in some sort of hideaway just for us, or will the court be coming out here?" Elaine asked.

"I'm honestly not sure what they intend to do," Victoria answered. "It may be that more will come. There are certainly rooms for many more, and half at least are appointed for men. There is a school building here, too, for boys, and a training ground for sword play."

"What does Miss Mayfield think?" asked Elaine.

"She thinks it is just us for the time being. You see, our brothers are leaders in the royal military. Among our male relatives, only the boys would come here in a time of crisis. The nobility have their own estates. And unbelievable as it may seem, this place is still secret. At least, I never heard about it at all when at court, although I can't say I was leading the gossip circuit. Did either of you hear of this place?"

"I don't believe I did," said Anne.

"Wait, I did hear something of a faraway castle in the woods, but the location was hidden," said Elaine.

"Who said that?" asked Victoria.

"Why, some young men I overheard," Elaine answered.

"Perhaps we shall get some visitors after all," said Anne, eagerly.

"Then they will probably lock the gates and we won't be able to go out," Victoria quipped. She paused for a moment, then continued, "Perhaps some young men heard of this place, but we haven't had any visitors. There are some bandits who raid the road farther down, but we have never seen them."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a servant who announced, "Some men are coming into your rooms with firewood. Are you ready to allow them in?"

"I am," Anne answered.

"Please do," Elaine said.

"I wouldn't even think of interfering with a man bringing in firewood," Victoria added. They exchanged pleasantries until the men were done and the servants had left. Then, they continued their discussion.

"Did you say there were bandits down the road?" asked Elaine.

"Are they handsome?" Anne asked.

"What do you mean by asking are they handsome?" Victoria asked in turn.

"I am merely asking what they look like," Anne replied.

"Your question suggests a greater interest than that," Victoria quipped.

"Why do you have to be such a stuffed shirt?" Elaine asked Victoria.

"I can be as stuffed a shirt as I like if either of you asks questions like that. To think," Victoria sniffed, "that Anne would ask, are they handsome?"

"I told you it was just a question," Anne said.

"Ha," Victoria shot back. Anne looked flustered and didn't say anything more. After a while Victoria said, "I see you don't have a word more to add to your defense."

Later, Anne and Elaine met in the hallway of the palace. "It looks like we are going to have to be friends here," said Elaine.

"I agree," said Anne, although she sounded a little reluctant.

Elaine put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Do you think there is any chance they're handsome?"

"Well, there might be a handsome devil among them," Anne said.

"A swashbuckler hanging off the walls at night trying to get a look at us," Elaine added.

"Well, maybe of royal blood," said Anne.

"A nobleman's bastard," Elaine retorted.

"I wouldn't consider anyone like that," Anne said shrilly.

"There might not be anyone else for us to consider here," Elaine said tartly.

"That is no way to start us off as friends," Anne said in a high voice.

"I didn't mean to insult you," Elaine said, "It's just that a bunch of thieves must all be lower class. However, if that is all we have to consider, then consider them I will."

"So, then, if there is a handsome thief among them who will treat a lady right, then which of us shall have him?" Anne asked.

"Whomever he likes best," Elaine replied.

"Well, then, I will be competing with you for the affection of a thief," said Anne. "However, as you say, if that is all we have to consider, then consider we will."

Chapter 2

The Plot

The days passed more swiftly than either Anne or Elaine thought possible. They often went out and walked on the lawns of the palace compound, which was relatively open, because many structures had yet to be built. Little did they know that their conjecture about thieves being interested in them might turn out to be true. The party of thieves was indeed watching the road. For their own security, they were several miles from the castle. The rock they stood on was in the forest below the lake, whereas the castle was above it. One afternoon, the entire gang was gathered on the rocky prominence overlooking the road. There were about thirty men in the gang, armed with an odd assortment of weapons. Some carried swords, others clubs or axes. The only weapon every one of them seemed to have in common was a knife, and a bow and arrows or crossbow. These implements were essential for hunting.

The man who appeared to be of higher bearing turned to the strong-looking but less gentlemanly fellow and said, "Brant, there hasn't been any sign of activity since those royal carriages went by a week ago."

"Don't I know it," Brant said.

"Perhaps we should scatter out and hunt," said the gentlemanly man.

"Well, Olum, I guess you must be losing your guts," Brant said.

"What is the point of waiting here for nothing?" said Olum.

"We are waiting for a passing royal carriage or the next supply caravan, and that's not what I would call nothing," Brant said.

"But we have been waiting for days," Olum remarked.

"Well, perhaps we should follow your suggestion, and take a look-see at the Palace, and maybe at those ladies that were in the carriages," said Brant unexpectedly."

"Well, yes," said Olum after a pause.

"Yes, indeed, you'll be peering at ladies in their dresses." With that, Brant gave Olum a poke. Olum frowned, but he didn't say anything. Then they heard the click of horses' hooves on the road below. They stopped talking and looked down. The men were picking up their weapons and edging toward the road. The sound of the horses' hooves grew louder. Then they saw an armed man riding ahead of a train of seven wagons. The caravan came closer, and soon the lead rider was under their noses. Brant suddenly shouted, "Now!" A barrage of arrows hit the party. At least six were for the lead rider, who slumped in his saddle, then fell on the ground.

With a shout, twenty of the men ran down the slope and into the road. One thief was kicked in the head by a horse and fell dead, but the rest pressed on. The sound of sword banging on sword echoed in the road, but soon it was over. The gang killed the drivers and began emptying the wagons of their contents. The wagons were full, and at first the thieves were delighted. They pulled out chests and barrels, but soon, grumbles of dissatisfaction began to be heard.

"Flour," shouted a man in dismay. "Half what is in this wagon is flour and sugar."

"Another fancy quilt," shouted another man, throwing the fine-looking comforter onto the dusty road.

Another man swore and then said, "A barrel of butter."

A young man, silly and friendly looking, suddenly spoke up, "I found a barrel of apples, enough for all of us." The others looked at the smiling fellow as if he were daft. However, he seemed to be unaware of their looks. Instead, he took out an apple and bit into it. As he chewed, someone else reached into the barrel and took another apple. Soon, a dozen men were eating apples, while the others continued searching the wagons.

"Nothing of any special value," Brant grumbled as he stepped on a quilt. He looked at Olum. "Maybe your idea of spying on those princesses was a good one. If we could capture them, we could collect a ransom." Brant didn't wait for a reply. Instead, he went and got an apple. He took a bite, then he went back to Olum. "Let's take up a position and watch the castle."

"All right," Olum said, but he sounded a little reluctant.

Brant caught his tone of reluctance. He stopped chewing his apple and stared at Olum. "All right, sure it should be all right. You get to stare at some princesses with your peeking glass." Olum flushed a little but didn't say anything.

"Hey, boys," Brant shouted, "load up what you want out of this trash and get ready for a trip to the ridge. Be sure to take all the foodstuffs, even flour and sugar. We need food. We'll use the horses as pack animals. Rope as many of the barrels and packages to their backs as they can handle. If there is anything left, divide the load up amongst yourselves. Just remember, the horses are for all of us. No one man can have them."

"We need to take the good stuff to our hideout," a man said. "Are we going that way?"

Brant took a commanding position in front of the men and said, "We have two choices. Take the long way to the ridge so we can spy on the castle, or go straight to the hideout." He paused for a moment, then asked, "Who wants to go to the ridge?" No one raised his hand. Then Brant asked, "Who's in favor of taking their loot from these wagons to the hideout?" Almost everyone raised his hand, and so it was decided.

They made sure to hide any evidence of their attack, and soon, they had dragged the bodies off the road, had the wagons safely hidden, and all the loot they could carry tied to the horse's backs or to their own. They followed a devious secret path to their hideout. This took them half a day, for to be safe, they had chosen a spot deep in the forest. As the sun was setting, they got to the campsite. It was a cluster of cottages and lean-tos that resembled a shantytown.

After they got there, Brant noticed that Olum was alone. He strode over to him and said, "I know we're both leaders, but you had better remember that I am the senior leader." He looked for a long moment at Olum, then shouted, "You got that?"

Olum said, "Yes I do."

"Good," said Brant. "Tomorrow we are going to take a look at that castle. If there is any way to kidnap the valuable ones, we are going to do it, and for that your upbringing might be of assistance." Olum looked a little glum, but he just nodded in agreement with Brant.

Anne and Elaine were playing croquet in the yard. Ann wore a long blue dress with flower patterns stitched on it, while Elaine was dressed in a yellow dress with a white sash. Victoria walked over to them. She was dressed in white. She stepped up to Elaine and Ann, then stopped beside them.

After a pause she asked, "How is the game going?"

"Well, thank you," Anne replied stiffly.

"I have news that should interest you ladies," Victoria said. "We will be having an outing outside the castle walls tomorrow, in the high field. You can play croquet there."

"Why are we going on this outing?" Elaine asked.

"They are going to be smoking meat all day tomorrow. It seems that one of our supply caravans was intercepted by thieves. We could end up being short of food. For that reason, we are going to lay a store of meat by. While the palace grounds are filled with smoke, we will be up in the high meadow. In fact, we will be doing it for several days, until they have proper smokehouses built."

"Well, then, it's off to the country," Anne said.

"We'll be taking the high road to the meadow," Elaine joined in.

And so, it was that the very next day found them in the high meadow. Below them was the castle and the lake. Above, perhaps half a mile away, was a cliff. The woods seemed to stretch on and on in all directions. From the meadow, they could see several snowcapped peaks. It was a wonderful scene, complete with a gentle breeze blowing from the direction of the lake.

That same morning, Brant and Olum, with about twenty of their men, headed for the ridge. By early afternoon, they had assembled on a cliff overlooking the castle. The palatial fortress was clearly visible from the ridge, but it was too far away to see who individual people were. There was a large pine tree, thick and old, growing near the cliffside. Olum climbed this tree. He used a rope to get to a high point where he could look out on the country below. He planted his feet on two branches, one of which was dead, and pulled out the spyglass. With one hand, he held onto a higher branch. He looked toward the castle green, but there was nothing to see except workers smoking meat. Then, as he lowered his spyglass, he glanced toward the field between the castle and the forest directly below. He almost dropped his spyglass. He saw the three princesses playing croquet! He noticed that the young women were in their ordinary outdoor clothes, not the formal attire they were usually seen in. He leaned forward slightly, muttering to himself, "They don't look quite as regal in regular clothes."

Suddenly, the dead branch cracked, and Olum tottered a little. He looked down, first to his left, then to his right. Then, with a loud snap, the branch gave way, and he was forced to hold onto the higher limb to keep from falling. He almost dropped the spyglass.

From far below he heard his co-commander's voice. "If you drop that spyglass, I will twist your neck like a chicken's."

"The branch broke," Olum replied defensively. For an answer, he got a throwing knife, which landed in the tree trunk near his head. Then, Brant tugged on the rope which Olum needed to climb down. Olum tucked the spyglass into his jacket, and said, "I've got it and I am coming down." He started downward as quickly as possible, trying to get onto the ground before Brant did anything more. But Brant kept tugging on the rope, and swinging it one way and the other. Almost unable to descend, Olum looked down and shouted, "Stop, I'm trying to climb down. I've got the spyglass."

"You darn well better have the spyglass," Brant said. Then he tugged on the rope some more and called up, "I want my knife."

"You threw it at me," Olum called down. "It stays up there." Brant began tugging on the rope with a vengeance. "All right, all right," Olum called down, "I'll get it." Brant kept pulling on the rope and Olum called down again, "I said I will get it." Brant stopped tugging and Olum slowly climbed back up, and stood on a branch so he could pull the knife out of the tree trunk. He stuck the knife in an outer pocket of his vest, and began climbing down again.

As soon as he reached the ground, Brant came right up to him and said, "Give me the knife." Olum pulled it out of his vest and gave it to Brant, trying not to show any anger. Then Brant said, "Give me the spyglass."

"It's my spyglass. I stole it off the gentleman after a fair fight," said Olum.

"I'm in no mood for an argument," Brant said, moving forward with open hands.

"It's mine, and I want to keep it," said Olum, sounding exasperated. Brant stepped forward and Olum stepped back. They began a little game of dodge and dart, Olum trying to move away from Brant, while Brant kept trying to grab at Olum. Of course, Olum wasn't a willing participant in this game.

"It's mine, I tell you," gasped Olum as he sidestepped Brant again.

"I know it's yours," said Brant unexpectedly. After saying that he stopped and flushed a little.

"Then what do you mean by grabbing for it?" Olum asked.

"Don't push your luck," Brant said menacingly. "I'll let you keep what you took because we were friends and this gang is our family. Just remember, that it's our only spyglass, and that we have a big advantage over anyone who doesn't have one. We can see and not be seen. I like it that way."

"I understand," Olum replied. "That's why I climbed the tree, so that I could tell you all what I saw with the spyglass."

"What did you see, then?" asked Brant.

"I saw three princesses in the meadow down yonder playing croquet. They were in plain dresses, and didn't look as regal as they might have in public."

"Are you saving the spyglass for when you find their bath?" asked Brant.

"We want to find out who is in the hidden castle, and I saw the three princesses in the field. I will try to find out more about …" Olum was cut off by Brant.

"Find out where they take their baths, you crack gazer," Brant chortled.

Olum blushed, not because he was a crack gazer, but because Brant's rude remark embarrassed him in front of the others. In fact, it would have embarrassed him had it been just the two of them, even though the accusation was false.

"Wheeeew," Brant exclaimed, "blushing like a virgin."

Olum was starting to get angry, but he didn't want Brant to see that. "I'm only telling you what I saw," Olum explained. "We have been ever since we found out there were princesses there."

"You sure have," Brant replied with a snigger.

"Who wouldn't want to look at a bunch of princesses?" said Fredric. This defense didn't really please Olum, since he hadn't been, as they called it, crack gazing. Still, it distracted Brant.

"Why don't you ask Olum for a peek," said Brant to Fredric.

Now it was Fredric's turn to blush, but he wasn't too embarrassed to ask Olum, "You don't suppose I could take a look-see, do you?"

"I guess it's okay. Just give the spyglass right back to me when you are done," said Olum. Fredric stepped over to where Olum was standing, and took the spyglass. From the edge of the cliff, he got a good view of the surrounding country, though not as good as the view Olum had gotten when he was high up on the pine tree.

Fredric stared for a long time. Finally, he took the spyglass away from his eye and said, "They stepped into an area I can't see." He sounded disappointed.

"These must be quite the princesses; give me the spyglass for a minute," said Brant. Olum stiffened, but didn't' say anything. Brant took the instrument from Fredric and stared out at the field below. He looked for an even longer time than Fredric. At last he announced, "I see them. They came into view again. At this distance I can't really make out their looks too well." He stared a while longer, then put the spyglass down. Olum waited, looking his way. Brant lifted it to his eye again, forcing Olum to wait some more. As he lowered it, he noticed that Olum was staring at him. Brant examined the spyglass and touched it in various places with his hands. Olum waited silently. Finally, Brant asked, "What are you staring at?" Olum didn't say anything. The tension in the air would have been noticeable to anyone present. The men were all watching their leaders. At last, Brant handed the spyglass back to Olum, saying, "Be sure to keep it safe, we might need it someday."

There was a pause during which they stared at each other. Then a man asked, "Where are the princesses?"

"They are playing in the field below. They can't be more than a half mile away," Olum replied.

All the men had been listening to their leaders argue, expecting a fight. When they heard that the princesses were nearby, they shouted, "Let's get 'um."

Brant turned to Olum and said, "Well, it looks like we are going after the princesses."

The party of men proceeded into the forest below. It was a woodland with tall old trees. The forest floor was relatively clear of undergrowth. They made good time, walking quickly through the woods.

The game of croquet was going badly in the meadow. Anne hit the ball, sending a small tuft of grass flying. The ball rolled a few feet to her right. "It's impossible to play here. The grass is too high, and it's tufted," Anne said.

"This is a field, not a lawn," Victoria commented.

"It looks like the grass is thinner near the trees," Elaine said. She walked to the edge of the forest, and Anne followed.

"You're right, the grass is thinner at the edge of the woods. We can play better here," Anne said. Soon, the servants had brought all the croquet equipment up. They set up a playing area under the trees. Victoria stayed out in the field with the horses. A brisk but pleasant spring breeze cooled the players as they hit their balls through the hoops. A few guards stood nearby, discreetly watching the princesses play their game.

Meanwhile, the thieves strode through the forest, eagerly looking ahead for the field, and maybe a sight of the princesses.

"How far is it to the meadow?" muttered an odd-looking man in a loose shirt and tight pants stolen in a raid.

"It's right up ahead," said Brant, even though he wasn't sure exactly how far it was. They kept going until they saw light ahead.

"Quiet, everyone," said Olum. "That might be the meadow up yonder."

"Is it or isn't it?" Brant asked in a low growl.

Olum was startled, but he didn't let it show. He said, "The open area up ahead might be the meadow, so I thought it best that we be as silent as we can from now on."

"I'm going to be quiet for what?" yelled Brant.

"In case the princesses and their escorts are in front of us," Olum replied.

Brant stood firm with his hand on the hilt of his knife. "Are they up ahead or not?" he asked.

"I am not sure," Olum replied. "We'll have to see when we get to the edge of the meadow."

"You're telling me to be quiet and you're not sure," Brant growled. Once again, the men had stopped and were listening. At that moment, they heard a yell from Anne, who had just hit a post. The sound came from ahead and a little to their left.

"Move silently, men, and keep together," Brant said in a guttural whisper, as if he had never heard Olum. The party moved to the edge of the woods, and looked out at the green and pretty meadow. One of the guards was watching the woods intently. He had obviously heard something. Anne and Elaine were playing croquet, still a little to the left of the thieves. The guard took an arrow out of his quiver and fitted it to his bow. He was looking straight into the forest, but not directly at the gang. One of the thieves noticed that the guard was looking for them and panicked. He fitted an arrow to his bow and fired, sending a projectile into the guard's throat. Another man sent an arrow flying, hitting the guard in the chest. He fell onto the grass with a thump. Brant swore, then drew his knife and charged out. The others followed, and soon they were all out in the open.

As this was happening, Anne's ball went through a hoop. "Well done," said Elaine. At that moment, the guard dropped to the ground. "Anne, for some reason one of our guards fell onto his back. He is lying in the grass right now."

"Why would he be doing that?" asked Anne.

"I don't know," said Elaine impatiently. Just then, the thieves rushed into the open with shouts. Arrows flew, and the other guard near them fell down without a fight. Elaine spied the arrows in the first guard who had fallen. She covered her mouth and turned to Anne, only to see her sister running away. She turned and followed, pulling up her skirt so that she could run fast.

Brant saw them running. He turned for a moment toward Olum, but didn't say anything. Then, he ran after them at top speed. Victoria saw what was happening. She sprinted to a horse and rode off toward the castle. The remaining guards fired off several shots from their bows, before being brought down by a hail of arrows from the thieves. Olum took in the whole picture fast. He saw that Brant was chasing two of the princesses, and he ran, too. He passed one of the thieves as he was grabbing at a lady in waiting, who was trying to fend him off with a croquet stick. Olum ignored the battle and ran on after the princesses. Brant had a slight tendency to be bow legged, which allowed Olum to catch up.

Anne fell, and Olum rushed toward her. Just then, Brant changed direction, butting Olum with his shoulder. As Olum staggered to one side, Brant grabbed Anne. She screamed and tried to fight him off, but Brant's grip was too strong. Olum wasted no time in running after Elaine. His long legs got him to her after a short chase. He seized her, and she slapped him in the face. He said, "You had better stay still." She tried to slap him again, but to no avail. He caught hold of her hands, and she was unable to break his grip.

Meanwhile, Brant growled at Anne, "I've got you, my pretty. You had better stop struggling." Anne was breathing hard and appeared to be in shock. The thieves began to gather around their leaders, inspecting the princesses. Anne stiffened in horror, and Elaine looked away. For some reason, Elaine's cheeks were crimson.

Then one of the thieves pointed in the direction of the castle, toward which Victoria was riding as fast as she could go. He shouted, "One of them is riding toward the castle. They can catch us easy in this meadow."

Brant said, "All right then, bind up their hands and feet. Two big men will carry each princess through the forest." Then he turned toward Olum. "I think we will need the help of a literate man."

They left the note Olum had penned on a stick pounded into the meadow. Although it fluttered in the wind, there seemed to be no danger of it blowing away. The thieves entered the forest and followed a devious path to evade pursuers. By nightfall they were back at the encampment, and the princesses enjoyed some of the stolen supplies for dinner.

Victoria sent the entire mounted contingent after her sisters, but by the time the men arrived on the scene, they were long gone. Thirty mounted men rode about. Several noticed the note, which was brought back to the castle. Victoria's fingers trembled as she laid the note out on a table. It asked for a ransom of five hundred gold pieces, large even for two princesses.

"It's a king's ransom they want, and no mistake," Miss Mayfield remarked. Victoria stared at the note for a long time.

The commander of the guard walked over and said, "This money would have to come from the king's treasury. There is no such fortune here. I could try sending out mounted messengers to the king, but they might get ambushed. I think it best to send out all thirty of my cavalry along with the messengers, leaving you with the seventy foot. Then, the messengers will have an escort and we can also protect the next set of supply wagons on their way back to the castle."

"Would such a plan rule out trying to find my sisters now?" Victoria asked.

"I'm afraid so, ma'am," said the captain, "but the king can send more men or the ransom money, or both. If we want them back unharmed, then I think the ransom money will be best."

"I suppose," said Victoria reluctantly.

The next morning, just an hour after the sun rose, the cavalry rode out escorting the messengers, two men mounted on sleek riding horses. The gate clanged shut behind them. They departed down the forest road in columns of four. The thirty men were well armed and equipped, carrying lances, bows and arrows or crossbows, and swords, along with shields, knives, and armor. It was very unlikely that their force would be attacked, unless overwhelmed by superior numbers.

That same morning, Brant and roughly fifteen men, half their garrison, hiked to the road, coming just in time to see the cavalry cantering by. "Missed 'um," Brant snarled. "Too many, anyway," he muttered afterward. "Well, let me think. The two dressed differently might be couriers," said Brant to a short but strong man next to him.

"Aye, they might," said the man. "Does that mean we'll be getting the ransom?"

Brant scratched his chin and looked down the road. "Could be," he said.

"Five hundred gold pieces. We'll be rich," said the man.

Brant eyed him narrowly. "Yes, if we get it."

By sunset of the next day, the mounted party came to the edge of the forest, where a small fort had been constructed. This wooden edifice housed about a dozen soldiers, but had supplies for many more. There were also horses for the messengers, so that they could pick up fresh mounts and deliver their letters faster. The cavalry camped by the fort. The very next morning, while the grass was still wet with dew, the messengers rode off toward the capital.

Chapter 3

Olum's True Identity

It had been a long week for Anne and Elaine. They had been kept bound the first few days, and were confined to a shack, along with their ladies-in-waiting. It was a rude shelter for two princesses, but the hut had been made into something that resembled a peasant's house. It had a thatched roof and a clay fireplace. There was even a kettle. This shelter had been picked by the men because it looked like one of their homes. Wooden sticks were fastened to the windows in a fashion that resembled a jail. After a few days, they were left untied when they were inside the house. The weather was getting warmer, and the men didn't seem to mind giving up this cottage.

Brant, however, put a few twists into things. He gave them ankle bracelets from a prison, so that they could go out but not escape. The women were forced to gather their own wood and water, under the watchful eye of either Brant himself or Olum. Brant went fairly often to the road with some of the men, leaving Olum in charge at their camp. The princesses and their ladies-in-waiting used their own flour, captured in the raid, to make bread. Soon, the men were eating it, too.

One day, Elaine tripped while bringing water back, nearly dropping her buckets. Olum rushed over to help her. He took up the buckets in his own hands and brought them back to the cabin. They went inside, and he stood up, revealing a necklace with a gold pennant. It was so tight that he would have had to break the chain to get it off his neck if he couldn't unhook it. Elaine spotted the necklace and laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" asked Olum.

For a moment Elaine was scared, but she tried not to show it. She said, "The necklace looks very small for you, and it is a woman's."

"It was my mother's," said Olum.

"You wear your mother's necklace?" asked Anne.

"Well, yes," said Olum, as if he had never realized until this very day that there might be something wrong with that.

"It is a very fine necklace for a thief's mother," said Anne.

Olum stood straight, and seemed threatening for a moment. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Anne and Elaine looked at each other. To counter his anger Elaine asked as threateningly as she dared, "Did you steal that from her?"

"No," said Olum, sounding both angry and upset.

Their eyes were round, but Elaine let no fear show when she asked, "Then why do you have it?"

"My mother gave it to me just before she died," Olum explained.

"We didn't mean to hurt your feelings," said Elaine timidly. "I do wonder though, why she gave it to you, since it is such a feminine thing."

Olum blushed and said, "I never thought of it as a feminine thing. She died when I has hardly more than a child, and from then on, I kept it. It is all I have left of her."

Elaine and Ann looked at each other, realizing for the first time that there had been tragedy in his life. Anne asked, "Was your mother a lady of noble birth?"

"I'm not sure," Olum replied. "We lived in a nice little cottage near an estate. It was a pleasant home, and there was little I wanted for as a child. When she died, I had to make my own way in the world. I knew of no one to go to."

"What did your mother do?" asked Elaine.

"She didn't do anything that I remember," Olum answered, "except sewing. Well, she did grow vegetables for us. Actually, I did a lot of the gardening work."

"So, your mother didn't work, and you had a cottage," said Anne.

"Well, yes," Olum said, wondering where this line of questioning might lead.

"Was the cottage family property?" asked Elaine.

"I don't know," Olum replied.

"Who else lived there besides your mother?" Anne asked.

"No one, except our cats," Olum answered.

"Do you know if your mother bought the cottage?" Elaine asked.

"I'm not sure," Olum replied. "We had it for as long as I can remember."

"Was your mother pretty?" Anne asked unexpectedly.

"I think so," Olum answered, looking a little puzzled.

"You think so," Anne exclaimed, "Don't you know if your own mother was pretty?"

Olum seemed taken aback, even though they were his prisoners. He didn't answer for a moment. The two ladies looked at him expectantly. "Well," Olum said slowly, "she was my mother. I don't remember thinking too much about whether she was pretty or not."

Anne and Elaine cast a quick glance at each other. "How could you not know if your mother was pretty?" Anne asked. Olum looked flustered.

"Maybe I don't know because I was too young," he finally replied.

"How old were you when she died?" Anne asked.

"Round about sixteen," Olum answered.

"At sixteen you didn't know whether or not your mother was pretty!" both Anne and Elaine exclaimed.

"No!" Olum shouted. The two women looked at each other. Olum immediately changed to a more apologetic tone, "it was a long time ago."

"That's not the point," Elaine exclaimed. "You were sixteen when she died. That is old enough to know whether or not your mother was pretty."

Olum looked more flustered than before. He seemed at a complete loss for words.

Anne couldn't resist asking, "How was it possible for you not to know that when you were sixteen?"

Olum looked even more flustered. He stuttered, "I was young then. I'm not sure that I thought about how pretty my mother was."

"You're not sure," said Anne and Elaine in tandem. Olum's eyes were round now, and he seemed nervous. It looked as though he was thinking of leaving.

"Well, we will let it go for now," said Elaine.

"What kind of furniture did you have in your cottage?" Anne asked.

Olum thought for a few moments about her question. "Well, we had a table with chairs in the kitchen, and the living room had a number of straw chairs and a bench. We had feather-stuffed mattresses and down comforters for the long cold winter nights."

"Were they always there, or did your mother buy them at different times?" Elaine asked.

"I seem to recall them always being there," Olum replied.

"So, the furniture was part of the house from the time you were a baby," Elaine said.

"I think so," Olum replied.

"Now we're getting somewhere," Elaine said. "You were in the cottage with your mother from the time you were a baby, she never worked, and you always had enough."

"I suppose that's right," Olum said, looking a little perplexed, "but what of it?"

"Don't you think it's a bit strange that you and your mother lived alone, that she always had enough, and she never worked?" Elaine asked.

Olum looked very uncomfortable. "I suppose so," he mumbled.

"You suppose so!" said Anne, sounding severe. Olum looked very puzzled.

"You might not be who you think you are," said Elaine.

"What do you mean?" asked Olum.

"Let me ask a question about the necklace before I answer," said Elaine. "Did she tell you where she got it?"

"From my father," said Olum.

"Did he give her anything else that you know of?" asked Anne.

"Some other jewelry, and some fine clothing," Olum answered.

"Well, it might be very interesting to know who your father was," said Elaine.

"I'm beginning to wonder where all of this is leading," he said.

"Oh, come on," said Anne.

"We are trying to help you understand your past," Elaine interjected quickly. "Knowing who your parents are is important for anyone, and you might have had a high-ranking father, or at least a rich one."

Olum looked a little happier than before. "What makes you think that?" he asked.

"The description of your mother's cottage and your life when you were a child makes me think so," Elaine answered. "You might have a great heritage."

Anne's eyes were round and her tone sounded a little sarcastic when she said, "A magnificent heritage from your unknown father."

"Yes, that is the key," said Elaine quickly, "the identity of your father." She cast a glance at Anne, who didn't say anything more. "Did you ever see your father?"

Olum seemed taken aback. This, he was fully aware, was a question whose honest answer would put him in ill repute. Still, he said, "I don't recall seeing my father." He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Maybe he died or something."

"Did you ever visit his grave?" Anne asked.

"I don't recall," Olum replied.

"If you visited his grave you would have some memory of it," Elaine remarked.

Olum's brow furrowed, but he simply said, "I don't remember going to any graves. If we did, then I must have been too young to remember."

"I bet he was still alive then, or if he died, then your mother didn't know," Elaine said.

"I guess," said Olum nonchalantly, but he seemed to be thinking.

"Do you recall any manly possessions in your house?" asked Elaine.

Olum thought for a moment, then he said, "No, I can't recall anything specifically for a man. Wait, that may not be quite correct. There was a knife which I inherited."

"Do you still have the knife?" Elaine asked

"Yes, it is right here." With that he pulled back his cloak and drew it out. The knife had obviously been used a lot, but was still sturdy looking. The blade was designed for fighting, not for cutting meat. It had an ornate handle with a design on top.

"What sort of pattern is that on the hilt?" Elaine asked.

Olum said, "Why, there are animals, and a snake, which curls to the hilt. At the top there is a cross."

"May I see it?" asked Elaine. He passed it to her, and she looked at it closely. Anne bent over to see it as well. They looked at each other. For some reason Anne blushed.

Anne and Elaine kept staring at it, until Olum said, "I'd like it back." Elaine gave it back to him and looked at him as if puzzled. He asked, "Why were you staring at it?"

"The design on the handle caught my interest," Elaine replied.

"Why did it interest you?" asked Olum.

"It is a design that resembles our family crest and that of several related noble families." She stopped speaking, as if she had said a great deal more than she planned.

Olum appeared to be lost in thought. Then he asked, "Who do you think I'm related to?"

"I don't know," Elaine replied, sounding impatient. Olum seemed taken aback.

Anne unexpectedly broke in. "I thought it looked like our family crest for a moment, but it is really the crest of the Desmond family. They are almost as good as royalty."

"Do you think I'm a Desmond?" Olum asked.

"The family crest on that dagger suggests your father might have been," said Anne in a restrained tone.

"To think," Olum exclaimed, sounding pleased. Then he frowned for a moment. "I may have been in here too long," he said.

"What of it?" Elaine asked.

"The men might have noticed," he replied.

"Well, if you have to go, then so be it," Elaine said. "I will think on whether or not you're a Desmond, and what that might mean."

"There is more to discuss on this matter," Anne added.

"I look forward to finding out more about my Desmond heritage," Olum said. Then, he got up from the log he had been sitting on, and walked out the door, closing it behind him, and bolting it from the outside.

They sat together in silence for a few minutes, then Anne exclaimed in a tone of voice that imitated Olum, "To think that I'm a bastard."

"You were almost giving away the fact that you thought that during our conversation with him," Elaine complained.

"And who wouldn't think that?" Anne countered.

"I do believe Olum doesn't really understand," Elaine replied.

"You mean to say he understands that he is a Desmond, but not that he is illegitimate?" said Anne.

"More or less," Elaine replied. "I don't think he knew anything about being a Desmond before we brought it up. If he did, then he must have forgotten. I also think that he doesn't really understand what having that ancestry might mean."

One day, about a fortnight after the princesses were captured, a rider thundered through the woods with several small chests tied to his horse. As he hastened toward the castle, the ropes loosened, and one of the chests dropped onto the road. It so happened that the chest fell right under Brant's nose, landing at the base of the rock where he liked to watch the road. Brant waited until the horse and his escort had galloped by, then he ran down and grabbed the chest. He and his men then went several hundred yards into the woods to a small clearing. Here Brant banged on the chest with a mallet, and pried at it with his knife, until he finally got it open. He let out a yell of triumph, for inside were twenty gold coins.

This was a lucky thing for the princesses, because Brant took to watching the road every day. He ceased to be interested in their activities. Thereafter, only Olum watched them on their outings.

As the days passed, they got to know Olum better and better. He came to visit often. They entertained him as if it were a guest at a tea party. Although several of their own ladies-in-waiting were imprisoned with them, Anne and Elaine liked to do chores, because it gave them a chance to go outside. Thus, he was with them every day. He had plainly become very fond of Elaine, bringing her flowers, and allowing them all to relax outside. In order to keep the men from spying on them, Olum simply ordered them to stay away. This method was surprisingly effective. He spent a lot of time talking to Elaine, sometimes even walking or sitting with her after he had locked all the other women away in their cottage.

On one such occasion they wandered into the woods a little farther than they had before. As they talked, Elaine remarked, "I hear the sound of running water in the distance."

Olum stopped and listened, "I hear it, too. It sounds like its over there. Let's go see what it is." He pointed into the woods to their left, where the ground sloped upwards. They walked together through the forest until they came to a ravine no one had seen before. The small valley, really a dip, was hidden by the forest.

"There must be a stream in this little ravine," Elaine said. They walked down and came to a waterfall that ran into a small pool. The water flowed over a sheer granite cliff about six feet high, surmounted by large round stones on either side. The spot was lovely, and the water looked clean and usable.

"We've found a new place to get water," Olum said. They sat down by the rivulet and watched the waterfall for awhile.

"Do you have a wife?" Elaine asked.

"No," said Olum.

"Are you married?" Olum asked in turn.

"No," Elaine replied, "but surely you must have known that."

"Well," Olum hesitated, "I didn't think that you were married, but I just asked."

"I am just a single young princess," she said.

"Have you had any suitors?" Olum asked.

"Of course," Elaine replied. "I have had many suitors and many proposals, but I like being free. Last year, at the summer palace in Armigen, I met so many men that there were times when I couldn't remember their names. We went to balls and parties almost every day. Most were just pleasant social occasions, nothing out of the way, you understand, but it was so agreeable. There were times when I rode off for a short time with a gentleman on a magnificent steed. But this place is nothing like it. We were hidden away for our safety, and then your gang kidnapped us. It isn't fair." She paused for a moment, and her eyes were red. Olum didn't know what to say. "I'm missing an entire summer social scene," she continued, "and I am sleeping in the same room as our servants."

"I know your position must seem bad, but actually, we put you in the best cabin in our camp. I spent last summer in these very same woods, and we didn't eat every day. Brant can get very strange when he doesn't eat. There is nothing pleasant about it. This summer, we had enough food before we captured your supplies. After that, we had even more. For us, it has been a very good year."

"You were in this forest without food!" Elaine exclaimed.

"Yes," Olum replied, "being a thief isn't all glamour."

"Then why would anyone do it?" Elaine asked.

"Most of us had nothing before becoming thieves. We were either out of work or didn't have enough to live on. Otherwise, we wouldn't have done it."

"So then, being a thief is more of a matter of desperation than of choice," Elaine said.

"You could say that," Olum replied, "although we like to think of the gang we pick as our choice."

"Could you leave if you wanted?" asked Elaine.

Olum thought about that for a moment. "I don't think I would want to face Brant if I were leaving, but it is possible to go. It might have to be done in secret. But if anyone suspected that the person leaving was going to betray them, then that person would be killed."

"It sounds very risky," said Elaine.

"Yes, it would be risky to leave, but not just because of your fellow gang members. There are other gangs, and the royal authorities would deal very harshly with a captured thief. Then, there is the matter of basic survival, like finding food and shelter. It is very difficult when one is alone and trying to stay out of harm's way."

"You sound as though you have been alone," said Elaine.

"You are guessing right. I have been alone on occasion, and I have wandered the country at night. I remember looking at the cottages I passed, wishing I could go in, but knowing they probably wouldn't let me. It was terrible to feel so cold and lonely when people were nearby. Yet, I couldn't risk being reported. I don't know if I can tell you what it is like to be alone like that, but I can say that sleeping in a hay barn is uncomfortable. Worse is the worry about getting caught sleeping there. It doesn't make for a restful night. Now, without explaining more about what it is like to live on your own without resources, I think you can understand why joining a gang of thieves is something a person would choose."

"I suppose so," Elaine said slowly.

That response seemed to upset Olum. "Why do you say it like that?"

"I am simply responding," Elaine answered.

"Why did you say it so slowly?" Olum asked.

"I was thinking about what you said," she replied.

"You don't understand why we became thieves," he commented.

Her brow furrowed, but she asked, "Why don't you hunt out in the wilderness and live on the meat? You could trade animal hides for anything else you needed."

"We aren't even supposed to have crossbows, and regular bows are restricted. Hunting here in your vast royal preserve is illegal. We have no rights at all! And there are already others besides our gang hunting in the wilderness. The point is, there is no way for us to support ourselves legally. Most men here wouldn't be thieves if they had a way to live decently. It is natural to crave a safe and secure life, including enough food every day. This life can be very insecure."

"What would you do if you could safely leave with enough money to take care of yourself?" Elaine asked.

Olum thought about it for a moment. "I guess I would desert this gang and go somewhere where I could start a new life, maybe buy a farm or a business. I would want to enjoy some legal entertainment, like going to dinner and watching a play if I were in a city, or going to the fair or a festival if I were in the country."

"Can't you go to a fair now?" Elaine asked.

"Yes, but it's not a good idea. I have gone to a few fairs and carnivals since becoming a thief, but that isn't smart to do that when you are trying to lie low. And it's hard to find one where the whole gang can go. In a place like a fair one of the men might wander off or something. If anyone runs away, we risk exposure. A man could get a small reward for giving away our location. However, most wouldn't do it. Any man who goes to the authorities takes the risk of getting whatever punishment they want to impose. There are deaths worse than hanging." He paused, and Elaine stared at him with round eyes.

"It sounds horrible," she said.

"It is terrible compared to the life of a princess, but it's not so bad if you're used to it. At least, it hasn't been too bad this year."

"How do you know that my life is so good?" she asked.

"Well, it has to be good, you are a princess," he answered.

"It may be better than being a thief, but it isn't as good as being a prince!" she exclaimed. Then her tone turned more serious as she said, "There are things that aren't good, even if you are a princess. Being forced to stay in the castle here is one of them. I can't choose everything I would like to do. Many things are expected of us. We are privileged as princesses, but we don't have much real power. There are other things that I won't mention."

"I see," Olum said, although he didn't completely understand.

Chapter Four

The King's Answer

The cavalry had a long wait at the guard tower. It took three days of hard riding for the messengers to reach the king's court. Then, there was a further delay as the king prepared an expedition. However, he sent messengers immediately, like the one who accidently dropped a chest in the woods. The next three were shot by Brant's men, who watched the road intently.

About a month after the cavalry took up residence at the fort, a man in the tower shouted to the cavalry below, "Your relief is here." They saw over four hundred people approaching, soldiers, cavalry, and the men driving the wagons. In the lead were riders wearing breast plates and helmets. They carried a large flag, to announce the fact they were on a royal mission. The thump of horses' hooves and the sound of marching stopped just short of the guard tower. The commander of the castle's cavalry assembled his men and horses to greet them. His force of thirty looked paltry compared to the larger force that had just arrived. The large force disembarked at the guard tower, and camped in a nearby field. There was plenty of wood and water in the area, so it made for an excellent campsite.

The next morning, the party assembled, the commander's thirty horse in the lead, followed by the infantry and the wagons, with the one hundred strong royal cavalry contingent in the rear. It was a long column that entered the forest that day. They made good time, proceeding past Brant and his men on the rock.

When Brant saw them coming, he crouched low, and prepared to flee at a moment's notice. He and twenty of his men watched the road below, glad they had hidden all signs of their prior attacks. The long line of wagons commanded his attention. There was one wagon attended by royal guards as well as soldiers. Brant guessed correctly that that wagon contained the ransom chest. The party passed by, and Brant pulled his men back into the forest for a council.

"That could have been our ransom," Brant told his men.

"There are a lot of them," a man remarked.

"I know that," Brant growled.

"We'll be rich," another man exclaimed.

"All those wagons weren't filled with gold for us. Those supplies are for the soldiers. They have an army now," Brant cautioned.

"But the wagon with the guards might have had something special," another man said.

"That's right," Brant said firmly. "But we don't have it yet. I am all for staying here for the night, and watching the road to see if they send anything else, without so many soldiers tagging along."

"Another chest!" a big man shouted with glee.

Brant's eyes widened. "I am hoping, but we can't expect it."

It took longer for the party to march through the forest than it had for the riders alone. When they arrived at the castle, the seventy foot remaining at the stronghold marched out in good order. They formed a line on either side of the main gate, and the entire party entered the castle, wagons and all. Then the seventy foot marched back in, and the great gate clanged shut. Soon after, the sun set, and the advancing night was greeted by the howl of a wolf from some spot far off in the forest.

The next morning dawned clear and cool. As the morning passed, it grew warmer. A party rode from the castle to the meadow where the princesses had been captured. There were fifty riders in all, well-armed and equipped. First, they blew horns to announce their presence. Then, they shouted into the great woods, "The ransom will be paid!" There was no answer.

The party waited for over two hours, then they left a scroll at the site. It was attached to a lance driven into the ground. A gold coin was stuck on the note with some sort of glue. The wind blew fitfully, causing the scroll to flutter. Yet, no one came or saw. A serious mistake had been made. The royal commanders had no way to contact the thieves, who in turn had made no provision for this situation.

In fact, this very problem had been discussed by Brant and his men the day before. "How will we know if they are leaving us the ransom?" asked Bandy as he watched the road with Brant.

"Well," said Brant hesitantly, "they might announce it." He scratched his chin for awhile. "You know, Bandy, collecting the ransom could be a problem."

The day the trumpets blew, a man from the thieves' camp heard the horns blowing in the distance. He told Brant, who in turn ordered him to go with two other men to the meadow and investigate. They walked first to the ridge, then through the forest to the place where the princesses had been captured. They saw the note on the lance, and took it back to the only man they knew who could read.

Brant watched as Olum read the note. The sun was setting, and his men looked frustrated.

"What does it say?" asked Brant.

Olum took a moment to answer. "They want us to meet at noon, with the princesses and their captured ladies-in-waiting. They will keep coming at noon until we do. They will have the treasure chest ready for us to take, but they must have the princesses first."

Brant rubbed his chin. "There are hundreds of them," he remarked. "We could easily be wiped out by an attack. They can ride through that part of the forest if they really want to. When they marched by, we estimated one hundred and thirty cavalry and three hundred infantry. We have, all told just thirty men."

"Perhaps we should meet at another location, like at the base of a steep hill we can retreat on?" Olum suggested.

"Up a hill with the cavalry or the infantry after us, lugging a treasure chest? Only you could be that stupid," Brant replied unfairly.

Most of the men had already gathered around their leaders. One said, "There must be some way for us to get the ransom."

Another man said, "Perhaps meeting at the bottom of a hill isn't such a bad idea. The cavalry might not be able to ride after us."

"Just what I was thinking," Olum interjected in self-defense. Brant's eyes seemed to grow larger, and he looked menacing for a moment, but his anger passed. However, the men were already suggesting ideas for how to get the treasure.

"Let's tell 'um we have to have it first, then we deliver the princesses," a large man shouted.

"We could have them assemble at the base of the cliff we stood on when we observed the castle," another man said.

"What cliff?" a man asked.

"The one we stood on when we were watching the princesses with Olum's spyglass."

"No good," a mean looking man remarked. "They could easily send troops around the cliff and get us. Besides, the base of the cliff is in the middle of the forest. They won't want to assemble there."

"Then how are we going to get the gold?" a tall man asked.

The mean looking fellow snapped, "I don't know."

The tall man looked angry, and put a hand on the hilt of his knife.

"All right, all right," Brant shouted. "The note asks for us to turn over the princesses first, but we want the gold. If we give them the princesses first, we have no clout. They could come and get us."

"Let's leave them a note telling them our terms," a man said.

"Well, then, what terms do you propose?" asked Brant.

"We get the gold first," the man answered. "They have to leave it unguarded and unwatched for a day. We leave the princesses the next day."

They discussed it a little more, but no one had an idea that the men liked better. Olum penned the note on the back of the scroll left by the royal cavalry. They took out the gold coin, which they broke into pieces, dividing it among the three men who had found it. In an amazing gesture of generosity or restraint, Brant let them have it without taking any. However, he had gotten more than his fair share of the small chest, and the men back in camp had gotten nothing. It was finders-keepers in the thieves' group.

They left the message as early as possible the next morning, so they wouldn't run into enemy cavalry. Since they wanted to keep the lance, a large stick was driven into the ground, and the note was stuck through it, ripping the fine paper. They ran back into the forest, without making any unnecessary noise.

The royal forces were more efficient, and could afford to be. They rode out every day at noon to the meadow with fifty men, more than enough to equal the force of thieves, although they didn't know it. Several riders spotted the note, and soon the party was on its way back to the castle.

The leaders met together with Victoria in the dining room of the mansion in which she lived, the same one Anne and Elaine had occupied. The fine paper was placed on the table, and they took turns reading it.

"Why is the paper ripped?" Victoria asked.

"Whoever left it stuck a stick through it," her commander answered.

"Can we rely on them to honor these terms?" she asked.

"It would be unwise to give them the treasure without getting the princesses first," said the royal commander.

The commander of the palace guard said, "We should leave another note saying the princesses must be brought forward before we even consider leaving the treasure."

The royal commander agreed, and they brought out a fresh piece of paper, and penned another note, leaving the lower half blank so that the thieves could write their reply on the bottom. The magnificent royal paper was brought that evening to the field, and left on a stake. The next morning, a thief dashed out into the meadow and grabbed the note, bringing it back to Olum and Brant by midafternoon. That very day, at noon, the fifty cavalry rode by, observing that the note was gone.

Chapter Five

The Attack

As the afternoon wore into evening, the thieves discussed the reply. "We can't march to the edge of the woods with the princesses and wait for them. There is no way for us to outrun their cavalry," Brant said.

"Why do we have to worry about that?" asked a man.

"Why?" shouted Brant, "because we will be run through by the horsemen. They won't spare a bunch of thieves who kidnapped two princesses!"

As Brant finished, a man hurried up to him. "There are two royal scouts by the creek. I was about a mile downstream when I saw them, but they are coming this way." The creek he mentioned ran directly below the camp, although they were on a flat area above the steep bank of the creek valley. Still, it was too close.

"We can't let them see this camp," Brant shouted. "If we do, then we are done for. Are you sure there were only two?" Brant asked the messenger.

"Yes, I'm sure. They looked something like forest patrol rangers. They could be dangerous if they are regular army."

"What are we going to do?" asked a small man.

Brant got up and shouted, "How many of you served in the army?" More than half the men raised their hands. "Good," Brant shouted. "Now, I want Olum and five men to stay in the camp itself. Ten more will patrol around the camp in pairs. I'll take fifteen men and go downstream to get those scouts. I want woodsmen to lead, so that we can surprise them."

The party was organized, and Brant went downstream. The air was still, and they walked quietly. There were all skilled in the art of hunting and moving through the forest silently. Meanwhile, the royal scouts were working their way upstream, glancing this way and that. They were also silent and stealthy. They practically ran into each other before realizing the other unit was there.

A thief spotted a royal scout first, and fitted an arrow to his bow. Just as he did so, the scout stopped and looked ahead. He had seen something. Even as the thief drew his bowstring back, the royal scout was fitting an arrow to his bow. The thief let his arrow fly, and hit the royal scout, who staggered backward, dropping his arrow. Another shot sent him to the ground. The other royal scout turned toward the thief and fired a quick shot. However, the arrow merely passed by the thief's left shoulder. A moment later, another thief fired at the remaining royal scout. The arrow zinged by the scout, and the whistle caused the man to turn his head. He saw three of the thieves approaching. Seeing that he was outnumbered, the scout turned and ran. No less than three arrows hit him. He fell to the ground dead. They removed all weapons and valuables, then carefully hid the bodies.

Two days passed, and the royal commander had once again set up a meeting in the dining room of the royal mansion. He had a series of maps out on the table, and was discussing something with his aides. "Have all the scouts returned yet?" he asked.

"All but two have returned," an aide answered.

"All but two," the commander remarked. "Where were those two supposed to go?"

"Up this creek," an aide replied, pointing at a map, "and then up this stream to the base of this mountain, which they were to climb far enough up to see the surrounding country."

The commander looked at the map for a moment. "If they don't come back in the next few days, have another expedition sent to that area. Make it a real strike force."

"How many men should they take and who should lead?" the aide asked.

"Send Larch as their captain, and give him fifty men."

"Yes, Commander," the aide replied.

Olum could no longer visit the princesses as much as he would have liked, because Brant was at the camp all day, and he was asking Olum to join him in patrols. They surveyed the woods for miles around, looking for any sign of intruders, but several days passed without event. Brant never let his guard down, but the men were already relaxing, and talking about what they would do with their share of the ransom money.

"There must be some way to get the treasure without risk to ourselves," the tall man remarked yet again.

The mean-looking fellow snapped, "We've already been through this. There is no way that doesn't involve a lot of risk, and we aren't going to agree to it."

"Then what is the point of passing notes?" asked another chap.

Just then, a man ran into the clearing. "There is a troop of royal scouts headed this way. They are armed for battle and could do us injury."

Brant was ready for action. "Gather around, men, gather around," he shouted.

They formed a circle around their chief leader. "The royal scouts are coming our way. We can arrow them pretty good, but hand to hand is another matter. I want you all to start the battle with bows and arrows or crossbows, unless you have no other choice. We can outshoot them, and that might just give us the edge to win. Now grab your weapons and follow me."

Then Brant walked over to Olum. "Now, since you seem to be the one watching the princesses, you can stay here and guard them. But, if we have to retreat, we're taking them. I am not leaving anybody with you at all, so we will have to shut the princesses and their ladies-in-waiting up in that cottage." Brant turned to a couple of men who had already picked up their weapons. "Help Olum get the ladies in their cabin, and then join me for the battle." He started to turn away, then he looked back at the men. "Don't let 'um know you left."

When the princesses and their ladies-in-waiting had been put in the cabin, the two men joined the main body of the thieves, who had run into the forest with Brant in the lead. The scouts were close, perhaps only a half mile below the thieves' camp. They had formed two lines, marching parallel to each other. They simply walked around objects like trees, one following behind the other. They were fifty strong, and well-armed. The thieves came at them from the left, unleashing a barrage of arrows. Scouts on both the lines were cut down, but the ranks were too long for the thieves to get them all. Soon, the royal scouts were positioning themselves alongside trees, and firing back. It wasn't long before the thieves started to take heavy casualties.

Then, about twenty of the royal scouts pulled their shields off their backs, and drew their swords. They advanced swiftly toward the group of thieves, and, although several of them fell, they engaged them in hand to hand combat. The ring of metal on metal echoed in the woods. The royal archers came forward, and began shooting into the ranks of the thieves, most of whom had thrown down their bows and crossbows so that they could fight hand to hand. Brant himself was fighting with a royal scout's sword and shield that he had taken. The battle raged, but the ranks of the thieves were thinning swiftly. Brant took an arrow to his neck, only avoiding death because he wore a leather collar. He saw the inevitable, and hurried to the rear with his crossbow. He fired a few shots into the royal ranks, then ran back toward camp without saying anything to his men.

Brant charged into camp, with his weapons tied to his back. The battle was still going on when he came upon Olum at the door of the cabin. "Things went badly," he said in a hoarse voice. "If we don't want to be stuck or hung, then we had better get out of here."

"What about them?" asked Olum.

"We'll take the princesses with us, and we leave the ladies-in-waiting behind. Only the princesses have real value. Get them out now." With that, Brant turned and ran back to his cabin. He came back with a small sack, no doubt filled with his treasure. He ran over to the princesses with a key, and saw they were unshackled. "Where are their irons, you idiot?" he shouted at Olum.

"In here," Olum replied, pointing to a small barrel by the door. Brant dumped the irons out, took a key out of his pocket, then chained the two princesses together by their arms.

"We captured several horses in our raids. There are at least four good ones. Let's ride them," Olum said.

"I don't know how to ride a horse," Brant snapped. "Anyway, where we are going it's going to be too steep for horses."

Then he pointed his bloody sword at the mountain which towered above their camp, and away they went.

Even as this was happening, the last of the thieves were running back to camp, with the royal scouts in hot pursuit. Brant and Olum entered the woods with Anne and Elaine, forcing them to walk as fast as they could. As soon as they were out of sight, Brant changed direction, taking them into a rocky woodland. After traversing a wild wooded valley, they began an uphill trek. As the ground sloped upward, they entered a steep evergreen forest. The air was still, and the tall pines almost shut out the light. As they climbed up the hillside, Olum wondered what Brant intended to do. The mountain they were climbing was enormous. It rose and rose into the sky, until its icy summit touched the clouds.

The ground was so steep that they all had trouble making it. However, Olum and Brant were happy that mounted men couldn't easily pursue them up such a steep slope. The princesses began to tire, sometimes slipping on the pine needles, which left skid marks. Brant led them to a rock in the midst of the forest. A small stream ran nearby, dashing over the stones on its way down the mountain. They could look straight into the tops of the trees below, noting that the breeze seemed to ruffle the higher portions of the trees much more than the lower. After a short rest they continued on, scrambling up a cliff suitable only for a mountain goat.

Chapter Six

The Chase

The soldiers pursued the last of the thieves to their own camp. There were only eight left. Five took up residence in a fortress-like hut, built like a tower, with the second floor overhanging the first. Inside were more crossbows and arrows, enabling them to put up a fight. Meanwhile, the other three thieves ran into the forest in separate directions, each with several scouts pursuing. Only one of these men got away. A royal scout found the hut where the princesses had been held.

As he looked into a window, one of the ladies-in-waiting shouted, "We are captives, please let us out." Soon, the door to their cottage was open, and they began telling bits and pieces of their story to the scout. After he got the gist of what they were saying he shouted, "Over here. I found their jail."

Captain Larch and several of his men came over. He listened to the lady's story for awhile, but the battle was still raging.

The majority of his remaining royal force was now in the vicinity of the fort, firing arrows at the defenders. The captain came over and looked at the situation. Then he called over several men and said, "The best way to end this is to burn those rabble out. Make fire arrows and let them have it." Soon, the fort was burning, and the royal forces waited for the thieves to try and escape. The house burned brighter and brighter, and yet no one came out.

"There are few who would stay inside a burning building, come what may," the captain remarked.

A soldier standing beside him said, "I wonder if we got arrows into all of them?"

"I want five men to start looking around. See if they have an escape route," Captain Larch commanded. His troops started circling the area, looking at the nearby woods. Still, there was no sign of the five thieves. Finally, the building began to disintegrate. Then a pole fell, and instead of landing on the ground, it seemed to fall into it. They went to investigate, and found that a ditch had been dug from the fort into the woods. The ditch had been covered with a wooden roof, and then dirt had been thrown on top. The falling timber had been a large beam, heavy enough to break through the cover.

"Find out where this tunnel ends, then locate them," the captain shouted. Soon enough the soldiers had found the exit to the tunnel. There was no sign of the thieves. Ten scouts were sent to track them. However, no sign of the five thieves was found. The sun was setting and the men made camp. They had lost nine men, and almost twice that many were wounded. Captain Larch spent the night encamped in the thieves' den.

When dawn came, he took the able-bodied men and two hounds into the forest, leaving behind the seriously wounded with a few guards. It was still early when they left, and soon, the hounds picked up the scent.

The hounds brought them to the skid marks in the pine forest, where the princesses had slipped on their way up. Then they found the rock where the foursome had rested the day before. Using ropes, they surmounted the cliff that the foursome had climbed the day before. After that, they began an upward climb, until they came to a cleft in the mountain. The air coming from inside the cave felt strangely cool. It appeared to be a natural cavern, but someone had cleared it out within. They stared, but could not see far into the dark interior. Remembering that the thieves were good shots, the soldiers stepped back from the entrance. One looked at the other, but they didn't seem to know what to do. Finally, a man said, "I can make a fair pine torch."

Another said, "I have two fire arrows."

"Good," said Captain Larch. "Let's make pine torches and explore the interior of this cavern. When the torches are ready, we will send in a fire arrow and see what its light reveals. If we don't see any of them, we will rush in carrying torches."

The men were busy for about a half hour, making torches, which they then managed to ignite over a bonfire. As soon as the torches were burning, the archer moved quickly to the cave entrance and launched one of his fire arrows. The blazing oil revealed nothing but rock inside. Torches at the ready, ten men rushed in, a torch in one hand, and a sword in the other. The cave widened into a fair-sized cavern, large enough for their entire unit to take shelter in. They saw evidence that there had been a fire in here, but no one was there. A scout looked at the cave walls, and saw paintings on them. He passed his torch back and forth, noting the detailed stick-style drawings on the cave walls that had been painted by some primitive people ages ago.

Just as the men were about to give up, they found a fissure in the rock, which seemed to lead into another cave. The dark crack was worn smooth, as if by the passage of many people, but no one had been there for a long time, unless the thieves had taken the princesses down there. The dog handler brought the hounds over, and showed them the entranceway, but at first, they didn't seem to pick up a scent. Then one howled, and pulled forward. The other followed, and the handler shouted for a torch bearer before he himself went down the passageway. The rest followed, and soon they were in another cavern. From somewhere, fresh cool air blew in, allowing them all to breathe comfortably in the cave. On the walls were more pictures, some of which resembled large cows and a variety of other animals. There were also numerous hand prints on the walls.

Although the royal scouts didn't know it, Anne and Elaine had been looking at those very pictures just the day before. Brant forced them down to the second cave. At that time, he left Olum with a large torch, and went to look for a passageway to the outside. Brant was hoping to find treasure as well, which he was intending to pocket for himself, unless it was large enough to share. Visions of a dragon's hoard danced in his mind as he explored up another passageway. This gave Olum and the princesses a rest.

As Anne stared at the numerous cave drawings she remarked, "Whoever this retarded artist was drew quite the second-grade art in here."

"It's more like a class of second graders all got their chance to draw and leave their handprints, too," Elaine said. Olum put his hand up against one of the hand prints, and saw that his hand was just a little bigger.

"Well, they must have been big second graders," Anne remarked.

"And quite the sportsmen," Olum added unexpectedly. He was looking at simple but interesting drawings of hunts, showing various beasts and birds with spears and arrows drawn through their bodies.

"I wonder who drew these pictures and how long ago it was?" Elaine asked. No one answered her. Instead, they looked at the cave paintings until they tired of it.

There was no sign of Brant, and the cave remained quiet. It was cool, and Anne sneezed. The torch spluttered a little, and Olum picked up another one. "I wonder when he's coming back?" Elaine asked.

"I'm not sure," Olum replied. "He went up ahead to explore."

"I'm scared of him," Elaine said. Olum didn't reply, but he looked a little flustered. Elaine glanced at his face, which was imperfectly lit by the flickering torch. She put her hands on his arm and asked, "What if he does something to Anne or me?"

Olum gulped, then answered, "He's dangerous, but his mind is fixed on the ransom money."

"Are you sure?" Elaine asked.

"Yes," Olum replied, sounding doubtful. Anne was dabbing a lady's handkerchief under her eyes.

Elaine gripped his arm tighter and said, "You sound like you're not sure."

"I'm sure he wants the ransom money, and they want you first before they give us the …" Olum stopped speaking, as if he had made a mistake.

"They won't let you have the money unless we get returned first," Elaine exclaimed. Anne was staring round eyed at him.

"Well, yes," Olum stammered.

"What are you waiting for?" Anne exclaimed.

"A way to safely do it," Olum replied.

"You dragged us to this cave when you could have had your ransom already?" Elaine asked.

"No," Olum answered. "We were still trying to make arrangements when a royal scouting party came toward our camp."

"I'm sure that they will leave the ransom after they get us," Elaine said.

"That is the best way," Anne added.

"It didn't seem possible to do it that way," Olum answered slowly.

"Why not?" Elaine asked, sounding incredulous.

"I can't explain it to you," he answered.

"What are we worth?" Anne asked.

Olum shook his head and said, "I don't want to answer that, either."

"We are just wondering what the ransom is for the two of us. After all, it's our ransom," Elaine said.

Olum was frowning a little. "That is information you shouldn't have," he said, "and it's better for all of us if Brant doesn't know you asked."

"He left us alone in this cave," Elaine said.

"Don't you think he left you here a long time?" Anne added.

Olum growled, "Yes, he has." Then he flushed a little.

"You shouldn't let him do that," Anne said.

"We've talked enough about this," Olum said firmly. Anne and Elaine glanced at each other.

"Of course," said Elaine. "We have spoken enough on the matter for now." Olum glanced her way but didn't say anything.

Brant returned a few hours later, his torch almost burned out. He called Olum over and said in an undertone, "This cave goes on down to other caves with pictures on the walls. There may be more than one way out, but I found a tunnel that goes into Linterland. I saw a Linter style log hut on the hillside, just at the tree line, which is where we are now, but on our side of the border."

"I thought you had to climb over the mountains to get into Linterland?" Olum questioned.

"No, I've been on raids there, and brought over stolen goods to sell. While there are few known routes which don't require that you go over a high pass, there are other ways, like these caves," Brant replied.

"Do you think we should escape by going into Linterland?" Olum asked.

"I think we should get the ransom, then go into Linterland as rich men," Brant replied.

Olum knew that Brant was a difficult man. He had spoken fairly this time, and he didn't want to argue. Still, it was quite a project that lay ahead, and there was danger. Then, too, there were his feelings for Elaine. Olum was tempted by the thought of being rich, but he was worried about taking such big risks. However, if he never got money, he would have a hard life ahead. Possibly he would be killed if he remained a thief. He was a marked man in the kingdom, and there was no way to avoid the realization that the only jobs he could get were menial and low-paying. Regular work was at best a life of poverty; at worst, it was grinding poverty. Many men died young living such a life. That is why there had been thirty thieves in his gang. A dangerous life of banditry looked better to many than a dull life of poverty, especially when one faced the risk of privations that could lead to suffering and death. The ransom was a way out. Nothing was risk free, but if they got away with the treasure, then they might be able to start a better life somewhere else. He knew that with that in mind he would take the risk, although it seemed like a bad idea.

He realized that Brant was staring at him. "Have you thought enough about it?" Brant asked.

Olum could only say, "Yes, I've thought about it. I think it's a good idea."

Unfortunately, he had waited too long. Brant hooted at him. "Five hundred gold pieces ain't good enough for you."

Olum blushed, and said, "Of course, it is."

"Well, there's no harm to daydreaming," Brant said. Olum didn't reply.

Chapter Seven

The Deal

The royal scouts camped that night in the front cavern, sharing a spot that had been used the night before by Olum, Brant, and the princesses. The cave could actually be cozy if you had a roaring fire going. Not far away, in another cavern looking out on a different section of the mountain, Brant and Olum were quartered with Anne and Elaine. They were enjoying a better campsite than the night before, because this cave was more like a lean-to than a cavern. Yet, they were completely sheltered from the elements.

Brant was restless next morning, pacing to and fro. "Something is wrong," he muttered. He took a torch and walked into the cavern, and began looking around. He walked back into the darkness, sniffing the air. Just then, he heard sounds. Someone was inching his way down a narrow passageway; the same one they had followed to come here. Brant ran back to Olum and shouted, "Someone is following us. It could be those royal scouts."

"We had better run," said Olum.

"They are coming this way, and we don't have time to get away," Brant said.

"If they are in the caverns, maybe it's better to get out of the cave and go into the pine woods," Olum suggested.

"No," said Brant emphatically. "There are too many of them. We would only have a chance if we fought in a narrow space. And we can negotiate from here for the ransom. In the open, we are doomed."

"What should we do?" asked Olum.

"We have to move back into the caves," he lowered his voice to a whisper, "toward the passageway to Linterland, then we let them know who we have, and we negotiate." Brant gripped his weapons, and said in a loud and commanding tone, "This way." He walked back into the dark cave. Olum hesitated for a moment, then followed with both Anne and Elaine in tow. They heard a stone fall, and a grunt. Brant turned rapidly to the right, and entered a cleft. On the other side was a small chamber, large enough for all of them. However, Brant went back to the cave they had come from and waited. In a relatively short time, several scouts entered the cave. They carried spluttering torches, and looked all around.

Just then, Brant jumped out and shouted, "Watch it. I've got them." The scouts turned and Brant crouched inside the narrow passageway, ready to fight or run. The men hesitated and turned toward another scout who had just entered the open area.

"Who are you and what do you have?" asked Captain Larch.

"I have the princesses in question. I will deliver them when you bring the ransom chest to me," Brant answered.

"We must have the princesses first," Captain Larch said, remembering the negotiations at the castle.

"No," Brant answered. "I will only hand over the princesses when I have the treasure in my hands. We can exchange the chest for the princesses right here."

"Our messages were clear," Captain Larch said. "We must have all the women you captured, then we deliver the treasure."

"We only have two, now," Brant said. "Just two, and they are princesses. We want to let them go, but we have to have that gold first. The best I can say is that we meet here and exchange them for the gold. If you try to pursue us up this cavern, we will kill one of them."

"The terms have already been …" Captain Larch started to say. Then he stopped. After a moment he asked, "Do you mean to make the exchange right here?"

"I do," Brant replied. "Give me the gold and I will give you the princesses."

"I don't have the gold. It's back at the castle."

"Then go get it. When you have the gold, we can make the exchange, but I don't want it to take more than a day."

"One day!" Captain Larch exclaimed.

"That's right," Brant said, "and don't come back until you have the ransom. We will meet you here tomorrow afternoon."

Captain Larch hesitated. He seemed at a loss for words. He stood quiet and still, holding a drawn sword.

After a few moments of silence Brant said, "Well, that's the deal. What do you say?"

"I will send my men back to the castle to advise them of the situation. If they agree, I or another royal official will return to this cave with the treasure. If not, we will leave a note stating our new terms," Captain Larch replied.

"That will do," said Brant, for lack of a better answer.

Captain Larch turned to his men, and ordered them back up the cave they had come from. When they left, Brant walked out into the cave and looked around. They had left nothing of value. He then turned toward the entrance to the outside, and went out to view the mountains. The air was still, and the sky lovely. The trees at this altitude were getting thinner, which left patches of grass and flowers. In a rare show of generosity, he went back and brought the others out. They stayed out in the warm sun for the rest of the day, and Olum went hunting. He used his long bow to bring down a wandering sheep, which they roasted for dinner. They hadn't eaten since the morning of the battle, so this feast was very welcome. There were strawberries in the field, and a number of edible plants in the meadows. It was enough of a repast to satisfy them.

After they ate their dinner, Olum looked out at the pleasant meadow and said, "Perhaps the people who made these drawings lived all the way up here because of these meadows."

"What made you think of that?" Brant asked.

"Why, the number of these caves, and the myriad drawings made me wonder why so many were up here," Olum replied.

"What difference does it make?" Brant asked.

"None, I just wondered," Olum replied. Brant rolled his eyes as if this was outrageous. Anne and Elaine sat silently nearby, glad to be out of the cave, but worried about Brant. After dinner, they made a campsite in the woods. There they built a large fire, and rested. It wasn't until late the next morning that they went back into the caverns. Brant took a position at the crack leading into the cave where he had spoken with Captain Larch. Olum waited with Elaine and Anne in the small cave farther down.

They were no longer chained together, and Anne had wandered off to another section of the cave. Elaine walked over to Olum, who was watching the passageway Brant had entered. It was hardly more than a crack in the rock, and he could neither see nor hear Brant. Elaine said, "I need to talk to you privately."

"What?" said Olum, turning toward Elaine.

"I need to talk to you about this ransom business," said Elaine. "You can't return to the kingdom after this. If you get the ransom, you must go someplace else. I don't know what will happen to you with that man, but you have no choice. If you have enough money, you can live in another kingdom. But you can't stay in ours unless you live in hiding your whole life. It will be decades before people forget this."

"I don't understand," Olum said.

"You are a marked man," Elaine explained, "and if we understood your life story correctly, a nobleman's bastard as well. You need to flee and start a new life in another kingdom."

In the dim light of the flickering torch, Olum looked at Elaine. He stared as her with a look on his face that plainly said that he didn't fully comprehend her words.

"You can't stay here unless you want to live in misery, and it is risky for you to do so. Your crimes alone would put you in a bad position. However, being a nobleman's bastard is socially untenable. We didn't want to tell you this. You have good blood in your veins, but I know that you can't use your heritage here. It could be an embarrassment to a very powerful family if you did. And without that you could never expect any clemency for the crimes you committed. You have a chance to take this money and build a new life somewhere else. It is an open door for you. Go, and remember in secret that you are of noble blood, virtually royal blood." She stopped for a moment. Olum didn't look happy. "I have to tell you this. It is a very bad idea for you to stay in the kingdom," Elaine said.

"I understand part of what you are saying, but my heritage, you don't think it's good?"

"It was a good ancestry for a thief, excellent in fact, but it isn't at all right for a regular member of society. I expect that you were supposed to get that cottage and live there without ever knowing who you really were. With part of that ransom you still can live a decent life somewhere else," Elaine answered. "In fact, you won't have to be all that quiet in another country. Just don't expect them to listen to you if you tell them about your heritage."

"So then, I really don't have any choice. I need to do this," he said.

"Yes, that's right," she affirmed.

He looked away for a moment, into the darkness of the cave. After awhile, he turned to look at Elaine, but he couldn't think of anything to say to her. The cave had a slight breeze, which caused the flame from the torch to bend in Olum's direction. After a moment, Elaine said, "I think you must have some idea of what I'm saying. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Olum replied, "I do understand. At least, I understand what you said, but why is it like this?"

"Why!" she laughed. "I don't know why, but it is the way it is. You know, like you have to wear clothes in public, or you greet someone by saying hello. It is just part of the way things are in society." Olum looked a little put out, but he didn't say anything.

Suddenly, they heard shouts up ahead. Then they heard the echoes of a conversation coming down the passageway.

"We have the gold, now where are the princesses?" asked a man.

"Stay where you are and leave the treasure at the entrance to this crevice. I will get them." Then Brant turned and went down the passageway.

He spotted Anne, and while Brant turned his attention to her, Elaine whispered, "Goodbye," to Olum.

"Goodbye, my dearest Elaine," Olum whispered in reply. He hadn't meant to say dearest. They looked at each other for a moment, then Elaine took a place behind her sister. Brant took the lead and Olum followed in the rear. They came around the bend to the cave entrance, where several royal scouts were standing. At least a half dozen men were holding torches. There were several regular army soldiers as well, and an important-looking man in a lieutenant's uniform. He seemed to be very imperious, and looked rather glum.

Brant brought Anne forward and said, "Push that chest toward me." They did as he asked, but a scout held onto one handle of the chest. Brant grabbed Anne and pushed her forward, so that the royal commander could see her. Brant then put out a hand and grabbed the chest, pulling it toward him. When he got it into the cleft, he pushed Anne out into the open. Elaine followed immediately. Then Brant pulled the chest into the declivity.

After Anne and Elaine entered the cavern, and the torch bearers surrounded them while the commanders inspected the newly freed hostages.

Meanwhile, Brant was already well down the passageway with Olum right in front of him. Olum said, "I'll take a handle."

"I'm sure you will," Brant said in reply. After he moved so that Olum could take one handle, he took the other and said, "Go." They ran down the narrow cavern, stopping only to strap their gear onto their backs.

Elaine and Anne were carefully checked over by the royal scouts. None other than the commander of the castle garrison himself had come, down the narrow passages. Anne said, "It's finally over, just like that."

"Yes," said Elaine. "They got their gold and we are back to being princesses again."

But just as she spoke this, Captain Larch said, "We have them, now we can pursue those thieves without fear of the princesses being hurt."

"I agree," said the commander of the garrison. He turned toward Anne and Elaine. "How many of them are there?"

"Two," Anne replied.

"Two!" the commander of the garrison replied in surprise. "Just two?"

"Yes, there are only two, a nicer one named Olum and a low but strong man named Brant," Anne explained.

The commander of the garrison turned to Captain Larch and said; "I want you to select twenty men and pursue them, and I will select two more as messengers. If there is a problem, send the messengers back together."

"As you wish," Captain Larch said.

They entered the tunnel that Brant had used to announce his demands. It seemed very narrow, and they were forced to move in single file. When they got through the first crevice, they rested in the larger cave, then noticed there were two crevices branching off besides the one they had entered by, as well as an opening to the outdoors. One of the crevices was wider, and seemed to lead into a more spacious cavern. The other was narrow, but a breeze blew down it, freshening the cave. They weren't sure which one Olum and Brant had used. Captain Larch walked up to the entrance to the wider cavern and listened. He even grabbed a torch and walked down it for a short distance. He returned to the cave scratching his chin.

Captain Larch turned to one of the messengers and said, "Go back and get the hounds." The messenger disappeared down the crevice and returned in a quarter hour with the two strong hounds who had been used to track the thieves the day before. Captain Larch brought them to the larger cave, but the dogs didn't seem to smell anything. Then he brought them to the entrance to the crack. The dogs picked up the scent, and followed the thieves up the narrower crevice. If Captain Larch was surprised, he didn't let it show. As they struggled along, they didn't see any larger caverns or additional passageways.

"We are going too slowly," Captain Larch remarked. "I want Aris and Till to run forward. If you come to another place where there is more than one passageway, wait." The two scouts ran ahead, moving quickly up the passageway.

Chapter Eight

The Escape

Brant and Olum had snaked their way up the crevice, but it was hard to carry the chest. At a narrow spot they stopped, unable to squeeze the box through. Stones had fallen in, making the narrowest pass yet. Finally, they levered the chest from end to end, raising it up over their heads, then dragging it at other points until they got to another cave.

Brant stopped and said, "Wait." Olum slowed down and looked at Brant. "We can barricade the passageway here," Brant said.

"I think that is a good idea," Olum agreed.

Brant looked at him for a moment. "Of course, it's a good idea."

They began to fill in the crevice with stones. As they piled them on, the first of two scouts came up the passageway, they saw the torches, and the stones being piled into the crack. One let his torch drop and strung an arrow to his bow. He fired through the remaining open space. The arrow passed near Brant's head. Brant dropped the rock he was going to place in the crack, then pulled his crossbow off his back. He let loose an arrow that struck the scout in the passageway as another arrow whished by him. Brant heard a shout as the man took the hit. Then, the other scout fired an arrow, which flew by Brant's left shoulder. He in turn sent another arrow flying from his crossbow, but it hit the cave walls. The remaining scout's second shot hit Brant square in the throat. He fell down, hitting the cave floor with an audible thud. At this very moment, Olum fired an arrow from his long bow. The shot hit the remaining scout in the chest, and he fell. Olum froze, not sure if any of the scouts were left. At first, he heard nothing, then he caught the rasp of a dying man in the passageway.

In desperation, Olum snatched up one of their two remaining torches and threw it down the crevice. Then, he peered over the edge, arrow at the ready. He saw two figures down, and saw that both were royal scouts. He fired an arrow into each one, then he turned to Brant, and picked up the remaining torch. Brant lay still, face up in the cave. He wasn't moving. The man who had fought so many fights with such hatred was still. The appearance of death stunned Olum. He stared for a long time at Brant, and sat down for awhile, bending over with his hands on his head. Then he heard a rock falling some distance up the passageway they had just traversed. He jumped up and began shoving rocks into the crack, filling it up completely. He stopped for a moment, realizing that he had no idea how long this had taken. He didn't hear anything more, but he knew that he must move soon.

Olum pulled Brant's body into a hollow in the cavern floor, then put several rocks on his body, making a cairn. He strapped Brant's satchel and some of his weapons to his back. He then ran as fast as he could up the passageway, holding the chest and a torch as well. When he could go no farther, he stopped and rested. He thought he heard something echo far behind him. Perhaps they were trying to clear the crevice he had blocked up? Perhaps they had gotten through! As soon as he was able, he ran on, sweating in spite of the cool darkness of the caverns. His torch was burning down, but he wanted to get as far ahead as he could. Olum guessed that the way the breeze was blowing led to an exit, but he wasn't sure. His muscles ached from holding the chest loaded with gold coins. Yet, he kept on going.

At one turn, he saw several large rocks lying on the floor of the cave. Olum stopped and put the chest down. The crack behind him narrowed gradually to a point where it was so thin, he had barely made it through. He managed to roll a heavy stone on the cave floor, getting it into the crevice in such a way that it was almost completely blocked. With difficulty, he forced another one between the rock and the cave wall, making an almost impenetrable barrier. He pushed the stone in as far as it would go, making the block too tight for anyone to pass through. They might have to break his stones to get by.

After that, he picked up the chest again, hurrying on until he had to rest again. He put the chest down and rubbed his arms. He was tired. As he did so, the sound of water came to his ears. Somewhere, there was a stream. He waited for a moment, listening to the water, but feeling too tired to move. At last, he got up and proceeded on his way. He came to a stream and walked in, realizing that the hounds would lose his scent, should the scouts get through his barricades. He walked downstream for a long way, hoping to emerge from the caverns, but to no avail. Tired, and with his torch burning to a stump, he reached a dead end. The water swirled into a channel too narrow for him to go through. He looked and looked, but there didn't seem to be any way to continue. He started back and then stopped. His keen ears had picked up a sound. He could have sworn it was a sheep bleating. He looked up and saw a round hole over his head that marked the entrance to a vertical tunnel. He put the chest down in the water, and grabbed the cave wall at a convenient point. He then hefted himself up. It was a narrow hole, but there was a faint scent of fresh grass coming from up above. He dropped back and picked up his chest, but the entrance was too high, and afforded no resting spot for his treasure. Reluctantly, he took off some of the weapons strapped to his back, freeing up a long piece of stout rope, which he tied around the chest. Then, he hoisted himself into the hole.

It was a tight squeeze, and he was barely able to move once he entered it. It was almost impossible to reach the chest, but somehow, he managed to pull it up. As he struggled up the narrow tunnel, he had to put his torch down, pull the chest up, then pick the torch up again. As he writhed and wriggled in this manner, the torch fizzled out. It was pitch black, and he could see nothing. Had he imagined the sound of a sheep bleating? He rested for a few minutes in the damp tunnel. Then, he grabbed his possessions and struggled forward. After what seemed like an interminable time, he saw light. It was up ahead, a white glow. He struggled forward, viewing the numerous rocks that marked the cave entrance. Finally, he crawled out of the hole. He looked around, dazed by the light.

He was in a meadow, dotted with small evergreens. The grass was green, and the field was filled with flowers. A sheep was standing nearby, staring at him. As he stood upright, the sheep trotted off. Mountains rose all around. There was a snow-capped peak directly behind. He enjoyed the lovely spot for several minutes, then he turned back to the hole. It would be a tough job, but somehow, he had to fill it in. He knew the tunnel wound and twisted a lot, so he could easily block it off at some point. For ease and speed, he simply pushed in stones and debris, until the hole was nearly full to the top. There was no way light, sound, or air could enter the caverns via this tunnel. He almost felt bad about what he was doing, but it was a necessity. They would be much less likely to find him, or even to notice the passageway he had just crawled up.

Chapter Nine

A New Life

After the cavern entrance was safely blocked, he turned his attention to his surroundings. The meadow was pleasant, but as he looked up, he saw that it ended in the cold rocky summit of the mountain. He didn't want to be seen so close to the border. He was a stranger in a new land, and the border was a likely place for them to watch for newcomers. The land below was heavily forested. He entered the alpine pine forest, finding it to be the same as that on the other side of the border. Soon, he was wending his way down a logging trail that seemed to go on forever. By and by, he reached the bottom of a wide valley. It was definitely inhabited. However, hungry though he was, this wasn't where he intended to stay. He bypassed the village, walking on a cart path instead. At last, he came to a crossroads and waited. This was a major thoroughfare, with signs of frequent use by horses, wagons, and people.

He hadn't eaten or even drunk anything since leaving the mountains. It was still a nice day, but it was late in the afternoon. A man rode by on a horse every so often, peering at him. Olum found a hidden spot where he could view the road and waited there instead. He groomed himself as best he could, but his clothes were very dirty from crawling in the caverns. He found a small stream near the crossroads. He used the water from the brook and a rag to wipe his clothes off. As the afternoon turned into evening, he began to worry. Then a carriage came, a large horse-drawn affair, complete with lanterns. He repeated a placename he had learned from a Linterland trader, "Sern, Sern," he shouted as he ran into the road. He hailed the carriage and it stopped. He asked, "Is there a seat available for me and room for my possessions? I want to go to Sern."

"Sern," laughed the driver. "Yes, we have room for you and your goods, and of course we are going to Sern."

Inside were a gentleman and his wife, and a generous amount of empty space opposite them. He put his possessions into the carriage, having wrapped some of the weapons in cloth. He kept all the gold with him.

"What is in that little trunk?" asked the gentleman.

Olum was taken aback, and felt a thrill of alarm at the man's question. He had thought of the treasure chest as a large box, but he saw that the trunks the couple were using were considerably bigger, no doubt because they contained clothing and such.

After a moment, he answered as smoothly as possible, "Just some personal possessions."

"You can't have much in that little chest," the gentleman sniffed.

"I am on a short trip," Olum lied politely.

"Oh, indeed," said the gentleman, sounding as if he didn't believe him.

Olum pretended he wasn't interested in conversation. He tried to ignore the much larger trunks his fellow passengers had for their clothes and personal items. His fatigue gave him the perfect out. He took a nap, which turned into a long sleep.

He woke with a start, how much later, he didn't know. He was in a town, and the driver was pulling to the side of the road. It was dark out, but judging by the crowd, not too late. The sign over the door said it was the Gersfledt Inn. He looked at the sign for a moment, wondering what do with his weapons. However, they were shown to an outdoor stairway that ran to the rooming section of the inn. He put his things in his room, then realized that he had a problem. He didn't want to leave his gold behind, but he needed food, and maybe a bath if they offered it. He thought and thought, finally hiding his gold under some old blankets. After that, he went downstairs. The inn was packed and almost every table was taken. However, most were drinking. He was able to get a small table to himself, where he enjoyed what seemed to him a wonderful dinner. The bread was particularly excellent.

After his repast, he went upstairs to his room to sleep. However, the sounds of the tavern drifted up through the floors. He went to bed that night listening to the inn's patrons singing away, punctuated by occasional loud arguments.

It seemed that the arguments and singing had disturbed the sleep of the coachmen as well, because they didn't leave until mid-morning. However, they were well on their way when night found them in another town. This one was a smaller village, and the inn was the biggest establishment in town. He found himself on a straw mattress that night, but there was no help for it.

Next day, they entered Sern at last. At first, they came out of the mountains and entered a wide river valley. There was a small river flowing through this valley, and as they went forward, they passed more towns and farmland. They came to a spot where the river valley they had been traveling in joined another valley, with a bigger river. On low tableland above the juncture of the two streams was Sern. The town had high walls, but there were lots of buildings outside of the fortifications. In fact, there was a whole town outside the walls. They rode into this town, and the driver tied his horses up to a post outside a place called the Four Horse Inn, the most magnificent establishment yet. It was a brick building with a large wooden horse hanging out over the street on a pole. The interior of the dining room was filled with lanterns and heavy wooden tables. A blazing fire was burning for no other purpose than to warm up the room.

Olum made a deal with the innkeeper, and stowed his small stash of possessions in a corner room. He went out every day into the city, in order to learn his way around. The old city of Sern was on a higher plateau, while the newer one was on a lower plateau. However, both were above the flood plain of the river. The old walled city was more secure, and more expensive. However, as a foreigner, he didn't feel comfortable in this section. He liked it better outside the walls, where it was freer. Overall, Sern was a very nice city, even though it had its defects. Boat trade was possible on the river, because from Sern down it was a navigable waterway. They were so much lower than the surrounding countryside, that the mountains towered all around them.

Olum had enough gold to last him for a long time, but not enough for his whole life if he lived at an inn. He began looking for a business, a niche to fill in the local economy, as well as for a less expensive residence. It seemed that Linterlanders already had a lot of stores and inns. The skilled tradesmen had experience beyond that of Olum, although he thought of being an apprentice. However, the Linterlanders appeared to be filling all the vacancies. The only gap seemed to be in boat building and repair, so it was to the river that Olum went, looking for a skilled tradesman to work with.

Olum learned the boat building and repair trade quickly. Riverboats were usually a simple affair, but they were prone to damage. The reason they were often damaged were the difficulties of navigating the river, including running into rocks. Although full of clean rushing water, the river was stony and had many rapids, especially upstream. With his gold, he was able to go into business with the tradesman's guidance. He started his concern about a year and half after arriving in Sern. By and by, he built up a small fleet of cargo boats, and repaired many of those damaged by the trip upriver. His business of shipping and boat repair became a steady thing over time. Many people from places downriver came to him for repairs before starting on the return trip. Others paid to have their goods shipped in his boats. As time passed, his business grew into a profitable enterprise. He built himself a fine home in the city and became of man of high standing in the town's business community.

Anne and Elaine were greatly relieved at being free again. They waited in the cave until after the hounds had been dispatched. Elaine was worried about Olum, but Anne was gleeful. They returned to the castle by a winding trail running down the mountain. They camped once more in the forest, before finally getting back to the hidden palace. They were both thinner, and Anne had a cold, but otherwise they were fine. The castle was now full of soldiers, and a doctor had been sent from the royal palace. The two princesses were attended to by one of the finest physicians then known. He pronounced them sound in body and mind. Yet, they would often think about their captivity, and dream of the mountain.

After this, the king thought less well of his secret hiding place. Soon, he recalled them to the summer palace outside the capital. Anne and Elaine were once more in the center of social life and intrigue. Things were going very well until they attended a tea party one afternoon.

"Did you both get pregnant at the same time?" asked an elegantly dressed young woman as they sat together at tea.

"What do you mean by that?" Anne asked in reply.

"Oh, come on," she said, "You two have been gone for months without an explanation."

At that moment, a young woman in a maid's outfit came over and said to the elegantly dressed woman, "Miss Desmond, your mother asked me to tell you that we moved the carriage down the drive to the watering pond."

"Thank you," said Miss Desmond tartly. The maid frowned a little bit, and left. "Well, where exactly were you two?" she asked the moment the maid was gone.

"That is a secret," said Elaine.

"A secret," Lisa Desmond repeated. "Then I suppose it would really bother you to know that I heard that both of you were kidnapped from a hidden castle in the border forest." She stopped and looked at them. Elaine and Anne looked at each other, not sure how to reply. "What's secret, the hidden castle, or the fact that you two were kidnapped?"

They were caught. "Our father was concerned about our safety, so he sent us to the borderland castle," Anne explained.

"We were virtual prisoners in the place," Elaine added.

"Where does a kidnapping come in?" Lisa asked.

"There was a gang of thieves out in the woods," Elaine said. "They were looking for some kind of king's ransom."

"How did they get you?" asked Lisa.

"We were in a field playing croquet. It was near the woods and they ran out and grabbed us," Elaine replied.

"Were there any handsome ones in the gang?" asked Lisa. Elaine didn't say anything.

"There was a handsome one named Olum whom Elaine liked," Anne answered.

"Perhaps the two of you are going to bring us some bastard royalty," Lisa sniggered.

"The man was named Olum Desmond, and may very well be a relation of yours," Anne said, standing up as she did so.

"Impossible!" Lisa shouted as she also stood up. A number of heads were now turned their way. Both Anne and Lisa sat down again. Lisa spoke in an undertone. "How dare you say that I'm related to some thief in the woods. What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with us," Anne replied.

"The man was really a relative of a noble family," said Elaine carefully.

"Well, it must be yours then," Lisa snapped.

"It's not our family!" Anne exclaimed indignantly. "He lived alone with his mother as a boy, and his mother didn't work, and he had a fancy knife with the Desmond family crest on the hilt."

Lisa froze for a moment, then turned to look directly at Anne. "That had better not be a lie," she said menacingly.

Anne's eyes widened and she said, "It's not a lie. I wouldn't make up something like that."

"How could you have gotten so much information about this thief if you were his captive?" Lisa asked.

"He wanted to talk to us ladies," Anne replied defensively. "We questioned him a lot, and he told us more than he intended."

"That still doesn't explain how you saw the knife," Lisa said.

"We happened to see it and questioned him about it," Anne explained.

Lisa was silenced, seemingly unable to respond. Then, she turned red, and unexpectedly, tears came out of her eyes. "I would expect that neither of you would mention this to anyone. It's an embarrassment to our family," she said in a shrill voice.

"Of course not," Anne said reluctantly.

"No, we won't," said Elaine more willingly. "In fact, we won't mention him at all as long as we don't have any reason to."

"You must promise me that under no circumstances will you mention this to anyone," Lisa sniffed.

Elaine frowned. "If anyone says I liked him, then I most certainly must reveal his identity as a Desmond," she said.

"That is your sordid affair," Lisa snapped.

"I am saying that I would only reveal it if I am accused of having been fond of him," Elaine said desperately.

"It's your sister that mentioned him," Lisa pointed out with fists clenched.

"I won't say anything about it," Anne said quickly.

"I'll take that as an agreement," Lisa said. Anne and Elaine both remained quiet. However, the tables nearby also seemed to be very quiet. This was worse for Lisa and Elaine, for they both had something they wanted to hide. The silence went on for a long time. Finally, they said a few words to each other, then got up and left.

Word spread quickly that Elaine had a love affair with a renegade who was related to the Desmond family. The tale went beyond anything that had actually happened. Many said Elaine was pregnant, and continued doing so even after she had been back for over a year with no sign of being with a child. No Desmond would speak with either Anne or Elaine. They were fortunate in that neither the King the Queen seemed to have been informed of these rumors. Perhaps no one wanted to mention it to them.

Over time, the incident was forgotten by most. Anne and Elaine both found suitable husbands, although not of the Desmond family. They each found themselves living on lovely estates. The business that Olum established turned into a thriving enterprise. He grew wealthy, and eventually married a pretty woman. Thus, both Olum and Elaine came to live good lives, although they never saw each other again.

THE END

Bio: I have written a number of short stories and novellas, as well as three books. Most of my literary works are Fantasy or Science Fiction. My educational accomplishments include a Masters in History. My hobbies and interests include reading and hiking.

E-mail: George Casey has requested that his email address not be shared.

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