prophecy and evidently prepared my coming. For that, at least, I'm grateful."
Ned sighed and leaned heavily on his staff. "Prepared indeed. We shall see what other orders he gives to us."
"I for one am more worried about his companion," Pat replied. "I believe she holds an inordinate amount of influence over him."
Ned pulled at his beard, and his eyes took on a pensive stare. "Yes, she is a great mystery, even to me. Perhaps some research is in order regarding this Lady Martley, but first we must deal with another problem."
The youngsters blinked, and Fred hesitated to ask, but knew he had to. "Another problem?" he squeaked out.
The old man chuckled and his eyes fell on a window in front of him. "I believe we've all forgotten about our fourth companion."
Fred and Pat's eyes widened, and a faint cry floated to their ears. That was followed by another and another, and then a howl of amusement. They rushed over to the window and their shoulders collided as they both tried to fit between the stone walls. Their heads stuck out of the window and their mouths dropped open when they beheld Fluffy in the main courtyard of the palace. Their pet pranced behind a half dozen guards, some of whom ran with broken spears and others were missing pieces of their armor. They all were covered in drool.
Pat whipped her head over to Fred, and glared at him. "Get your monster off of them!" she ordered him.
Fred scowed at her. "Hey, it's not my fault these guys are terrible guards. They're part of your unstoppable army, remember?" he quipped.
"I never said anything about them being unstoppable, now stop jabbering and save them from your beast!" Pat shot back.
Fred wanted to argue more, but Fluffy was causing havoc at the door. The beast tried to claw and gnash it's way into the entrance hall and more guards were coming. He popped out of the window sill, and dashed out of the room to the hall. After a few wrong turns he found himself on one of the long balconies that looked over the hall and wound its way down the imperious stairs. Captain Hawkins stood near the entrance while his men pushed up against the log that held the doors shut. "Hold the line! Don't let that thing in!" he ordered the guards.
The wood above the mens' heads splintered, and a tongue lapped through the small crack. It swiped off many of their helmets, and Hawkins pulled his sword from its sheath. He stalked toward the tongue, and Fred realized he meant to cleave the tongue from its owner.
"Stop! Wait!" he cried out. Hawkins paused and watched the boy sprint down the stairs. Fred ran up to him and blocked the captain's path with his arms held out on either side of him. "Fluffy won't hurt anyone, I promise!"
"Then keep your promise and have your beast stand down," Hawkins demanded; he didn't sheath his sword.
Fred glanced over his shoulder at the entrance. The gate was barred and he didn't see much chance of convincing them to open it, but still he had to try. "You need to open the door so I can get to him," he told the captain.
"Open the gate and let that cantankus inside? The king would have my head for allowing such a beast in the hall of his ancestors," Captain Hawkins replied.
"But he's not here right now," a voice spoke up. The pair turned to see Mariana Martley walk down the grand staircase with a smile on her face. Martley's voice was a mix of seduction and cool confidence. The effect was to throw men off their guard and women on theirs; for Fred he was mesmerized by her beauty. "And I believe this boy has the ability to sooth the beast at the gate."
Captain Hawkins scowled as she came to stand before the men. "Then do I have your permission to open it, Lady Martley?"
"Yes, and be quick about it before this boy's fine steed is killed by your men outside," she commanded him.
"Men, pull the barrier aside," he ordered them. They obeyed him and removed the plank that held the door closed.
Fred rushed forward at the same time Fluffy barged into the hall. His
Ned sighed and leaned heavily on his staff. "Prepared indeed. We shall see what other orders he gives to us."
"I for one am more worried about his companion," Pat replied. "I believe she holds an inordinate amount of influence over him."
Ned pulled at his beard, and his eyes took on a pensive stare. "Yes, she is a great mystery, even to me. Perhaps some research is in order regarding this Lady Martley, but first we must deal with another problem."
The youngsters blinked, and Fred hesitated to ask, but knew he had to. "Another problem?" he squeaked out.
The old man chuckled and his eyes fell on a window in front of him. "I believe we've all forgotten about our fourth companion."
Fred and Pat's eyes widened, and a faint cry floated to their ears. That was followed by another and another, and then a howl of amusement. They rushed over to the window and their shoulders collided as they both tried to fit between the stone walls. Their heads stuck out of the window and their mouths dropped open when they beheld Fluffy in the main courtyard of the palace. Their pet pranced behind a half dozen guards, some of whom ran with broken spears and others were missing pieces of their armor. They all were covered in drool.
Pat whipped her head over to Fred, and glared at him. "Get your monster off of them!" she ordered him.
Fred scowed at her. "Hey, it's not my fault these guys are terrible guards. They're part of your unstoppable army, remember?" he quipped.
"I never said anything about them being unstoppable, now stop jabbering and save them from your beast!" Pat shot back.
Fred wanted to argue more, but Fluffy was causing havoc at the door. The beast tried to claw and gnash it's way into the entrance hall and more guards were coming. He popped out of the window sill, and dashed out of the room to the hall. After a few wrong turns he found himself on one of the long balconies that looked over the hall and wound its way down the imperious stairs. Captain Hawkins stood near the entrance while his men pushed up against the log that held the doors shut. "Hold the line! Don't let that thing in!" he ordered the guards.
The wood above the mens' heads splintered, and a tongue lapped through the small crack. It swiped off many of their helmets, and Hawkins pulled his sword from its sheath. He stalked toward the tongue, and Fred realized he meant to cleave the tongue from its owner.
"Stop! Wait!" he cried out. Hawkins paused and watched the boy sprint down the stairs. Fred ran up to him and blocked the captain's path with his arms held out on either side of him. "Fluffy won't hurt anyone, I promise!"
"Then keep your promise and have your beast stand down," Hawkins demanded; he didn't sheath his sword.
Fred glanced over his shoulder at the entrance. The gate was barred and he didn't see much chance of convincing them to open it, but still he had to try. "You need to open the door so I can get to him," he told the captain.
"Open the gate and let that cantankus inside? The king would have my head for allowing such a beast in the hall of his ancestors," Captain Hawkins replied.
"But he's not here right now," a voice spoke up. The pair turned to see Mariana Martley walk down the grand staircase with a smile on her face. Martley's voice was a mix of seduction and cool confidence. The effect was to throw men off their guard and women on theirs; for Fred he was mesmerized by her beauty. "And I believe this boy has the ability to sooth the beast at the gate."
Captain Hawkins scowled as she came to stand before the men. "Then do I have your permission to open it, Lady Martley?"
"Yes, and be quick about it before this boy's fine steed is killed by your men outside," she commanded him.
"Men, pull the barrier aside," he ordered them. They obeyed him and removed the plank that held the door closed.
Fred rushed forward at the same time Fluffy barged into the hall. His
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