Dragon Scales

Chapter 11

Thon, Regorn and Dion ran over the roofs. Sometimes they would hear soldiers call, but the soldiers were far behind.

They climbed of a house, and into the streets. They had to be very careful. They did not want to be caught.

When they came back to inn they had slept in they quickly entered it. There they sat down and Thon asked, "We have to make plans. How are we going to rescue Aresa?"

"First we have to find out were she is. Then we can make a plan how to rescue her." Regorn reasoned.

"Good, the soldiers did not see our faces well, so maybe they will not recognize us. If a soldier stops us we act like any normal person would." Thon decided.

"Maybe we should split up. Then we could find Aresa faster." Dion suggested.

"Good, if any of us see Aresa we look were they take her. Then that person comes back here and wait for the others to come back. We will come back here at sunset."Regorn decided.

The other agreed with him and they started of on the search for Aresa.

Regorn walked through the streets
looking at passer byes. It was already afternoon, and Regorn felt hopeless. How could they find Aresa in this big city? It seemed that they would never find her.

It started to get later and later. Regorn hoped that Thon or Dion had seen Aresa, but he doubted it. They were probably going to sit in this stinking city till they died.

Regorn longed for the trees and the clean air of the wood. He wondered how it was going with his father and his mother. He wished he had never come with Thon, Dion and Aresa, on this adventure. After all it was their adventure and their problems. Regorn was pulled out of his thought by a harsh voice calling, "Get out of the way! Do you want a flogging?"

Regorn moved out of the way as a big assembly of soldiers passed him. Leading them was the man Aresa had said was at their village. Behind him walked Aresa. A red mark marked her
pale face. She glared at the soldiers. Hate spilled from her eyes.

Regorn did not know that the reason behind her anger was that she was thinking of her parents.

Aresa felt helpless. But she would let no one see that. Would she be brought to the castle of the king like her parents? Aresa had tried to escape just as she had been led out of the house. She had run down the street but the commander had taken his
bow and called after her that if she did not stop he would shoot her. She had been guarded very closely after that, and had earned a slap for her try to escape. Now she walked, between
the soldiers, and she knew that she could not escape.

Then she saw Regorn standing on the side of the road. She was about to
call his name when she remembered that the soldiers would then catch him. She walked on, but with a little bit of hope.

The commander led them around a corner and Aresa did not see
Regorn any more. She had giving up hope that he had seen her, when she saw him following them around the corner.

Aresa was led to a big prison. She stared at the huge building. There
was no way that she could escape from here. The commander took her into the prison and led her down stairs. Then Aresa was looked into a cell, and was left alone. She looked around and saw that she was in a cell connected to other cells, thick bars
looked her away from freedom.

In the cell right to her said a old man with dirty clothes and with a long beard. He sat silently on his hard bed and did not make a sound. On the right to her there sat a young girl, maybe as old as Aresa herself. She
looked at Aresa and called, "Why did you get in here? Did you murder the governor?" The girl laughed maniacally. Then she yelled, "Whatever you did, you don't look like you ever saw a prison in your life before."

Aresa did not answer, instead she sat
down on her bed and thought how she was going to get out of the prison.

Suddenly a shot of fear went through her. Maybe she would sit here until she was as old as the man right next to her. No, the others will get me out of here she comforted herself. But what if they did not? What if they couldn't? What if they gave up and left? No, Thon would not brake his promise, Aresa reassured herself. They where family, they would come
back for her, but, did they even have a chance of winning?

At the same time, Regorn went back to the house were they had slept. It was dark already when he came to the inn. Thon and Dion were waiting for him. Thon looked at Regorn, and
knew that he had not gotten good news. "What happened? Did you find Aresa?"

"I saw her being taken into the main prison. I doubt that we can get her out. The prison is very well guarded at all times." Regorn answered.

"We will get her out. I doesn't matter how difficult it is." Thon vowed and clenched his fists.