If Adventure Comes Your Way - Fragment Four

Howdy all!

I had a great time at the Homeschool Conference/The Master plan Conference. There was this cool jumping pillow thing, which is kind of a mixture between a trampoline and a jumping castle. we played tons of games of poison/dodge ball on it which was heaps of fun. We also played games of mafia. Lots of games of mafia. and anyone who knows me will know that I like mafia (particularly when I'm the mafia). It was a pretty great time and I met some cool people. Well, it was  a homeschool camp so that was expected, right? :D

I also have a little surprise stored up for a blog post soonish, I've just got to get some photos...so maybe Monday there'll be an interesting post, as I've had a rather interesting happening lately...

Option number three won this time, which surprised me, as I was more expecting that people would prefer option one, but there you go, I was wrong. Maybe this quote can apply to humans/mortals too...

"Hobbits really are amazing creatures. You can learn all there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years they can still surprise you." ~ Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring, Tolkien 

On that note, or rather, quote, I shall allow you to pass on to the story!

I didn’t reply, the reason being that a tapestry on the wall crumpled to the floor and a gaping hole was revealed behind it.

“Woah,” I stared at the large hole.

“Thet’s rather handy fer us,” Maree remarked, tiptoeing over to the hole and sticking her head through the gap. “Leeds to a tunnel by the look o’ it,” she glanced back at me. “Well? Ye comein’ or noot?”

“Wait...What?!” I exclaimed, shocked.

“Are ye comin’ weeth me?” Maree asked, her expression half encouraging and half daring me to say yes.

“I...well...it’s kind of—”

“Oh, thet’s all good then,” Maree interrupted me. “Come aloong; dúinn aller and all thet.” With that she jumped into the darkness of the tunnel.

“Hold on a moment!” I began but then stopped. “I guess I’d better go after her,” I said to myself reluctantly.

“Thees tunnel ain’t gonna get no lighter,” Maree’s voice floated to me from deeper inside the manor wall.

“I’m coming,” I protested. “You could slow down for me.”

“Sure es life I weell,” she said, and I jerked back as her face materialised out of the darkness centimeters away from mine.

“Don’t do that please,” I begged, taking a few deep breaths.

“Eef ye don’t want me to,” Maree raised her shoulders slightly, breaking out in a wonky grin. “Leet’s see where these goes.”

I tripped on my second step as the ground disappeared beneath me. I had time for a squeal of terror before my foot hit the stair that I hadn’t seen in the dark. I grabbed Maree for support lest I fall again.

“Ouch,” she yelped and I let go immediately, realising I’d accidentally held onto a handful of her dark curls.

“Sorry,” I muttered, supporting myself by the wall. This was not difficult in any way, as the concealed stairway was barely wide enough to walk through without having one’s shoulders brush against each side.

Now that I knew the stairs were there I fared better, not even tripping over my lengthy dress. The passage twisted a few times and even widened out into small hallways at times. “I never knew how wide these walls were,” I murmured as we paused in one of these.

“Thet makes fer two of us,” Maree replied. “We seem to be gettin’ cloose ter the ground now; I’d sey as we’ll come to an exeet soon.”

Clearly Maree had more experience than I had in the matter of secret passages as we came to a narrow door ahead. I glanced around, other than that one door the passage came to a dead end so we didn’t really have much choice.

Maree glanced at me and shrugged. “Can’t hurt much can eet?” she asked, trying the handle. It stubbornly refused to budge until Maree – who was equally stubborn – shoved her shoulder into it, with the effect of bursting it open and measuring her length on the floor on the other side.

Sad to say, Maree’s former remark couldn’t have been more incorrect.

Two dozen soldiers sat scattered about the room, all staring at Maree as she picked herself up off the floor. My heart fell further when I saw that all wore the colours of Sir Creighton.

She raised her eyebrows. “Er...neece ter meet you, must-a got the wrong room,” she made as if to return to the passage but the soldiers reacted quickly, like only well-trained men can.

The men closest to her dived forward, and all swords were drawn simultaneously, steel rasping on leather. The soldiers kicked Maree’s legs and she returned to the floor with as much grace as she had the first time, emitting a startled yelp as she went down.

I stood, frozen in the shadows, wondering if I should try move back up the tunnel or if I should try to help Maree.

Maree blinked at the sword waving above her, wielded by a snarling soldier. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his narrow eyes fixed on her. 

The other soldiers crowded forward, all glaring down at Maree. “Hey, don’t I know you?” one asked, frowning thoughtfully.

Maree stuck out her bottom lip. “Neh, I’d sey noot,” she returned hurriedly.

Another soldier clicked his fingers. “That’s it, she’s the one Ha—sorry, Sir Creighton was talking about!”

All the other soldier chorused their agreement, and glared down at Maree with even more ferocity. “What exactly he wanted her for I’ve got no idea,” a soldier at the back remarked. “He’ll explain later I guess.”

“And he’ll be very pleased,” the soldier holding the sword at Maree said, grinning evilly at Maree.

“I’ve a no idea what yer talkin’ aboot,” she protested.

“Geddup prisoner,” the closest soldier growled at her, moving his sword slightly.

She struggled to her feet, but any hope I had of her escape vanished as every soldier’s sword pointed in her direction.

“Well, what a weelcomin’ committee,” she groaned as a soldier shoved her roughly towards a chair, to which he proceeded to tie her.

“Someone else is in there!”

I tried to jump backwards but the stairs and my long dress impeded my movements and a tall, lanky soldier hauled me into the room.

A soldier whistled as he surveyed me. “What have we here? A pretty little princess?”

I swallowed, Maree was pulling faces at me , trying to convey something important. “I...” Maree’s gestures and expressions got even more urgent, but I still couldn’t work out what she wanted of me. Well, Sir Creighton knows me so there’s not much point in me denying it. “I am Lady Louise De Corlette; my father is Lord De Corlette, in whose manor you are currently abiding,” I said, lifting my chin regally.

“Well, well, well,” the lanky soldier said. “What are you doing in here?”

“I was simply following my personal maid down the servant’s stairs, as she wished to show me something. We got lost though as my maid is quite new,” I spurted the most likely story I could think up on the spot, hoping it would satisfy the soldiers. “And I demand that you release my maid immediately,” I added, for good measure.

Maree slumped her shoulders and screwed up her eyes, shaking her head. Apparently I’d just done something wrong. But none the less, the soldiers seemed to buy my story, glancing at each other nervously. 

“Sorry, my lady,” the lanky man muttered, releasing me quickly. He turned to Maree, who quickly changed her expression to confused innocence. “Apologies to you also,” he added, a little more reluctantly.

The soldiers all looked around uncertainly as one of them quickly sliced through the ropes binding Maree. Maree rose and hurried to my side, like a maid ought to.

“We will now leave you, gentlemen,” I said. “Please accept my deepest regrets for dropping in so unexpectedly.”

“Don’t mention it,” the lanky soldier mumbled.

I moved toward the only door, deciding that to return through the secret passage would be too suspicious. Just then the door opened, and changed things quite suddenly.

Sir Creighton entered. He stopped short in the doorway, his dark eyes darting around the scene inside. A smiled quivered on the corner of his mouth as his gaze lingered on me and Maree. He pushed the door shut. “How pleasant, we have company,” he remarked, stepping forward and bowing deeply to me. “Lady Louise, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon, much less in these most humble quarters of mine.”

“Sir Creighton,” I gasped, trying to make my voice sound like it belonged to a human being. “It was quite an accident I assure you, my maid and I shall leave you now.”

My hopes rose as Sir Creighton made no move to stop us as we walked toward the door. But just as Maree passed him behind me he caught hold of her sleeve. “Strange clothing for a personal maid,” he said, fingering the rough fabric.

Maree jerked away, her hands clenched at her sides. “Doon’t you dere touch me, Yerra Hacaz,” she spat.

“I don’t believe we are quite on first name terms, Freespirit,” he replied tauntingly, pushing her backwards.

I stepped over to her, grabbing her arm before she fell again. “Sir Creighton, what conduct,” I chided.

The Knight paused, looking at me with curious eyes. “You don’t know who she is, do you?” he asked, gesturing at Maree. “I find that quite amusing really.”

“I’m glad I can provide you amusement, Sir, but now my maid and I will leave you,” I replied coldly.

“Really?” Sir Creighton asked, “That’s amusing too.”

I looked around, the soldiers had formed a ring around us, their hands resting casually on their sword hilts. I looked back a Sir Creighton, he smiled down at me. “Sorry my Lady, but you chose you associate yourself with the wrong kind of people.”

He drew his sword and levelled it at Maree. “I should have killed you long ago,” he snarled.

“Eet wasn’t a matter of ‘shoold’, Hacaz, your prombleem was more ‘could’,” Maree replied.

“But this time you can’t get away,” Sir Creighton sneered.

“So ye sey,” Maree returned in a carefree voice and lunged to the side, dragging me with her. She knocked one soldier aside and slipped through the gap before anyone – including me – had any idea what was happening. And then she dived out the window. Literally. Dragging me behind her.

***

1. We hit the moat with a fountaining splash.

2. Luckily the ground wasn’t too far away, and we only landed on a fairly soft hedge. Looking on the bright side, it could have been worse. We could have landed on a rose bush for instance.

3. “Ouch,” Maree groaned. “I theenk I got ah bruise. Here, here and...eeverywhere ectually.”

***

I genuinely considered making a fourth option just for the fun of it, but I decided to stick with the three. And I think I quite like this bunch of three, all of them are quite amusing. I'll be looking forward to hearing your  favourite.

Fare Thee Well!