16 Hostages

The hut is the least expensive house in the whole city. The house has a single room with a small fireplace, a table with eight stools, a sideboard, a bed (obviously for the girl) and a series of straw beds scattered on the ground.

Simon has not yet had the chance to invest more money in their lifestyle. "Next goal appears a few more beds, I would like to sleep comfortably ..."

George sitting on the stool at the head table "Simon? But can you explain to me who is interested in the beds at the moment? Sit down and let's give us a move. The knight started at full speed, there is not much time left to act. "

The others look at all of Simon inviting him to sit down and start. At the table are all present, except Michael and Igor. Selin pulls the stool closer to Simon, touching the boy's arm with his shoulder. Simon at the touch only feels the blood spin much faster. After breathing deeply and recovering a minimum of self-control begins "We must anticipate the times. We were all convinced that the royal troops took a few days to organize, but in less than a few hours they are already a short way from the valley. We must free the hostages immediately! "

Desmond quietly "Tell us what we have to do." John instead "We bring those poor girls home" and Selin enthusiastically "Attack!"

The group walks quietly outside the house and at the first intersection it is divided into two groups. The first group composed by Simon and Selin heads towards the left side of the walls while the others on the right side. "As far as I know, the rooms where the Count's guests are held should be those in the small east wing of the castle. There the castle walls join the perimeter walls. So Zacharias explained to me. All women are kept there while the men are free to perform their duties and then be forced to return to the castle before the curfew. We will free women while some rebels infiltrated in the city will think to inform the men not to return to the castle. "

During the discussion the two arrive in front of an almost smooth wall. On the top of it the wall of the castle rests on the walls and at the point observed by the two boys two windows with the guts can be observed. And here is a handkerchief popping up from the highest window. It is the sign that Gemma, Zacharias' daughter had to put to make Simon understand which window to aim for.

In a short time Simon enchants the long capes with the 'chameleon' rune. Once camouflaged with the stones of the walls, the two await the passage of two guards and begin the climb. Simon enchants the area of walls with a rune of 'silence' and proceeds by inserting nails between the spaces of the stones. Very slowly he and the girl go up behind the battlements. Since the times calculated during the various walks of these days, the guards should review soon. "In fact, here they come. Silence ... ok they left. Now it's your turn to make magic. "

Selin extending his hot hands near the bars of the window. In a few seconds the metal runs off leaving the window free. The girls inside hold the emotion once the glass is open and in complete silence they slip out one behind the other.

Simon obviously does not waste time. He takes the two long cloaks and after having laid them out carefully on the walkway enchants them with the rune 'hardness', making them like wooden planks and then joins them using the rune 'glue'.

The group meets on the edge of the walls. Simon stretches stiff capes over the wall and creates a small slide resting on a wagon parked down there. George, Desmond and John while they are diverting passersby and after preparing the cart are preparing to leave at full speed.

The four girls start, helped by the boys, to go down the slide and sit on the cart full of hay. The last ones to go down are Gemma followed by Selin. When Selin is about to go down the two guards sound the alarm.

Agitated Simon "Damn! We were slow and they realized. "The boy hugs the young woman and throws her down on the hay, shouting" Go! I will earn time! "

The cart leaves quickly towards the main road of Vanein where the boys have planned to mix in the crowd and disappear in various directions.

Simon standing on the walls observes the guards running towards him. "But because I was not chosen by the god of agriculture. The potatoes have never killed anyone. "

Elza not convinced "You're the hero who will save the world! Rather prepared because immediately behind those two there are three others. No one comes from behind. "

Simon carefully controls the space in which he can move and with a quick step forward he hits the rune 'glue' on the ground and then back away. The two guards running face down on the ground, when the boots remain glued to the stone walls. Simon does not miss the opportunity and in the middle in a blink of an eye stabs at the base of the neck both.

Three other guards are running towards him. Jumping without straw is suicide and still trying to make the glue is not at all realistic. The boy then picks up the sword of one of the guards and puts himself in position. Fortunately, the passage allows the passage of only two people. The guards come to shot.

Two shots of the sword. Simon seems to keep up the pace thanks to the 'minor warrior' ability but he does not believe he can make it any longer.

The sun is meanwhile descending behind the mountains declaring the beginning of the sunset. Elza promptly "Lower yourself now!" And the boy lowering let the last light of the sun pass in the eyes of the two guards. Disoriented they are landed by a blow to the legs. Simon shrugs the sword from the third guard by a hair.

A somersault and Simon moves away from the opposing weapon to be near the open window. An idea. With decision he turns and loads the last guard, knocking her to the ground. Simon unloads a series of punches on the face of the enemy and withdraws when he sees a lot of guards coming from the courtyard.

Despite the wound on his side by the guard's sword during the charge, Simon concentrates on his 'Resistance' ability and closes the cut with the 'glue' rune better. With a shot of kidneys jump into the room.

The room is richly decorated and there are five beds inside. "What envy" Cloth draperies hang on the walls and on the canopies of the beds. Then you see a wardrobe and other small dresser. Simon wraps himself in a drape and prepares the 'chameleon' rune, after which he climbs onto the closet and in plain sight is camouflaged with the stone wall.

From outside a group of guards starts to enter through the window. Two free the entrance door blocked by a dresser. Other guards join the group after opening the door.

Each begins to scour the room. They open the wardrobes, move the drapes and blankets. Agitation and imprecations fill the room. No useful place to hide seems to contain the intruder. The elderly begin to stab any mattress or pillow "But how can they believe that I am hidden in a pillow? I'm thin but this is exaggerating. "

The guards continue the systematic patrol for an hour but fortunately no one controls a visible space like the top of the closet. Anxious and tired Simon incites a rune of 'silence' to make sure he does not betray himself and prepares himself for a long night.

Elza standing in the middle of the guards "Good night thief of my boots! Do not worry, it will be the goddess of fate to watch over you tonight. If someone kills you, I will scream out loud to wake you up! "

Simon shocked "If someone kills me, I think even your screams can not wake me up!". And then, living with acute pain at his side, he surrenders to having to wait for a more favorable moment to get out.

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Ben, a guard for twenty years at the castle, is the unlucky to which he tells the Count how much success. "My lord, some rebels have escaped the women of the east wing. And the men have not yet returned to the castle even if it's already dark. "

"Are you telling me that all my tricks up my sleeve, to keep the people who count in the city of Vanein in check, disappeared in just one night ???"

Ben looking at the floor "Yes my Lord!"

"And how many were there? One hundred, two hundred, four hundred? "

"We counted only five ..." the head starts rolling on the ground.