Young Writers Society

Caden heard River and ran towards the sound of her voice, dodging the swords of both Outlaws and enemies. He had never heard her sound so desparate before.

But as soon as he reached her, he wished he hadn't.

He stood frigid for a moment, staring at Molton's bloodied form, then asked quietly, "Is it serious?"

River pretended not to hear him, hrriedly trying to clean and bandage the wounds with shaking fingers.

He quickly caught one of the healers and demanded, "how bad is Molton?"

the woman hesitated, then said slowly, "I wasn't able to look at him for very lo--"

"Is he going to live?" Caden demanded more urgently.

She glanced back at the old innkeeper, then shrugged helplessly. "We'll see what we can do," was all she said.

Liskano hurried to River's side and saw a bloody mess that was Molten. "What happened?" Liskano asked slowing down and scaring Caden.

"Will you please stop doing that?" Caden complained. "And he was attacked, isn't that quiet obvious."

Liskano glared at Caden. "Let me see him," Once River moved he placed his hands over Molten as his eyes went blank.

Seeming to come back from a trance Liskano looked up. "He lost a lot of blood, but he'll live. He'll need a lot of time to recover, but other than that he's ok."

Caden's knees felt weak, and he sent up a silent prayer to whatever god was there.

"We'd better get back," Liskano said, standing up. "The healers here will take care of him."

River nodded in agreement.

Caden didn't want to go back. he closed his eyes imagining someone else on the enemy side, standing over a friend or brother or even a father, like him. But maybe their news wasn't as good.

"I'm not going back to the fight," Caden said quietly. "I'll stay here."

Liskano put a hand on Caden's shoulder. "You don't have to fight, but I think not be best if you stay here."

"I'm staying with Molten," Caden said confidently.

"No, you'll only get in the healers way. Go to one of the rooms over there and rest for a while then you can come back and see him."

"Ok," Caden said unhappily.

River

I paused to give Caden an encouraging smile before I was once more swept up in the battle. I have never felt such andrenaline as I did then; a mixture of a lust for revenge, a fear that we were losing and something within my heart, throbbing through my blood.
"Your friend do be a strange one," Kasko remarked during an interval in the fighting when River hoped that no more men would filter into the room, that they might have given up.
"Not strange. He's just caring," I replied with a half shrug as if to say you had to know Caden to understand him.

Then, without warning an object rebounded off the wall and landed in the entrance. It didn't take long to analyse the object and the alarm had soon gone around that there was a bomb.
"Quick! Take the injured and retreat down the tunnel," I called, carefully lifting Molton into my arms and looking for Caden. He appeared from a room to the right and took the inn keeper from me. I nodded to him and then hurried back to the entrance to take another of the injured outlaws.

Liskano started was taking down soldiers when he heard the explosion. "Dammit," he cursed and hurried off to see the damage.

"What happened?" Liskano asked when he spotted his brother.

"A bomb in the hospital ward," Kasko replied, "we have to get the injured away." In seconds Liskano was away.

Molton was surprisingly light, so Caden scooped up a child or two on the way out. "The tunnel to Molton's inn hasn't been collapsed!" he shouted. "We need to get everyone out of here and into Molton's cellar!"

As everyone started towards the tunnels, Caden muttered under his breath, "Hake, you've finally done something good for once. I actually have to thank you."

Caden hurried down the tunnel, occasionally glancing back over his shoulder to make sure the wounded outlaws who could walk weren't too far behind. River was already ahead of him, and if Liskano and Kasko had the sudden inclination to help, then they were moving too fast for him to see.

River was running back to help some invalids who were having trouble walking. "How much time until the bomb goes off?" he called.

"it was on ten minutes," she cried back. "eight, now."

Caden nodded and hurried faster. However, before he could get too far, a dark figure blocked his way. "Running from battle again? I thought I cured you of that last time."

Caden bared his teeth. "Hake, get out of my way. I don't have time for you."

"And if I decide I want to stay?" he took a step forward. "You'll call your friends? Why can't you fight yourself?"

"I'm carrying someone. I can't fight with his dead weight on me, now can I?"

Hake laughed. "You have an excuse for everything, don't you?" He stepped forward again. "I guess lying is normal in your line of work."

"Hake," Caden pleaded, painfully aware how pathetic he sounded. "I promise, I'll deal with you later. A fair fight,your terms. Just let me by."

The spy continued moving forward. "A thief never fights fair. No, better to get rid of you now then to let you cheat later."

Caden took a step back and glanced over his shoulder. He couldn't run back, and even if that route was open, he wouldn't be fast with Molton's weight.

Liskano saw Hake and Caden in the tunnel. Drawing his sword, Liskano quietly walked behind Hake. Putting the sword to the back of Hake's neck Liskano said, "I thought your captains taught you to fight with honor."

"Liskano don't kill him," Caden called.

"If you wish to leave Hake, I suggest you do it now."

"I will not run, I'm not a coward." Liskano pulled his arm back and struck Hake with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out.

"Happy, I didn't kill him."

River

I hurried back to the front with another injured man who was struggling to keep up to find the unconscious form of Hake laying on the ground and Liskano and Caden beside him.
"Three minutes left. Hurry. Get as far away as you can," I urged, deciding there was no time for questions. Caden nodded.
"Will you bring Hake, Liskano?" He asked. I did not wait for the answer but hurried off again and then I had an idea. I returned to the entrance where the bomb was still bleeping, snatched it up and ran outside. The army was nowhere in sight so clearly the bomb was supposed to cover a large radius. A strong explosive in the middle of the city? Not good but there was no time. What to do? Suddenly Kasko was beside me.

"Give me it," Kasko ordered but I was reluctant.
"Kasko..."
"You're wasting time River," He replied and with a sigh I handed over the object.
"Be careful,"I warned as I watched him fade out of sight.

Kasko ran as fast as he could. Everything to him seemed to be unmoving. Then he found what he needed; the Empires camp.

Quickly he found the a barrel of ale in the middle of the camp. Placing the bomb carefuly in the barrel, made sure his surroundings didn't speed up.

Running back to the underground city, he found River and said, "The Emperor's in for a big surprise."

"Liskano, could you get Hake?" Caden asked.

Liskano frowned, and Caden quickly added. "If you're thinking it's my stupid soft heart that's getting in your way, Then think of it this way: We can't leave him here for the soldiers to take."

Leskano was gone in seconds, He quickly navigated the halls, advoiding the Outlaws walking down it. Then he saw Hake's body. He picked Hake up bringing him to his speed.

"I got him," Liskano said, scarying Caden.

"I asked you to please stop doing that."

"That's realy getting annoying, Liskano," Caden muttered, hurrying down the tunnel. "I hope you have brilliant fun scaring the crud out of people, cuz I'm not. "

*K, I'll be gone for a week. My characters can be played by anyone, now. You can kill them, but I'd perfer not. Please try to keep the story going! Thanx!

~Jackie*