Dragon Scales

Chapter 12

Commander Werlek sat on his stool. He had successfully captured the girl. But he wondered how she had escaped the soldiers so many times.

Werlek wanted to know if she was
dangerous, or just smart. Therefore he would let the prison be very unguarded. The girl would see a chance to escape. He would stop her, and see if she was dangerous or not.

It had been years ago that anyone had beaten him. He wanted to see how long the girl could last against him, and also he wanted to know why she had come to Tarbor, and what she was going to do next. His soldier instincts told him not to do it, but he shook his head. This was his chance to catch the whole batch of them.

He hadn't had any action in years, because he always caught whoever he had to catch very quickly. And mostly he only gave orders, and did nothing himself. That is how it is when your a
commander. Werlek longed for the years when he had spent almost every day chasing, finding and catching criminals. Being so good at his job he had been promoted to commander, which was more responsibility and less action.

The next day Aresa saw the commander coming into her cell.
She stood up and glared at him. “Sit down.” Werlek commanded.

Aresa sat down hesitantly.

“I was commanded that you be caught, all your friends with you. You probably don't know who I am. I am Commander Werlek. Now, are going to make my job easy for me?” Werlek asked.

Aresa did not answer.

“Were did you stay the night?” The commander asked.

Aresa knew that Thon, Regorn and Dion had probably gone back there, and if she told him were it was, the soldiers would find them.

She did not know what to answer so she said nothing. “Where did you stay the night?” Werlek asked again.

Aresa said nothing. “If you don't tell me now, we'll still get it out of you. I won't help you to try not to tell me. In the end you will tell us and then you won't be so comfortable as you are now.” Werlek's voice got more threatening.

A shiver went down Aresa's back. The voice of the commander was cold and
unfeeling. He would kill her without blinking. She did not know what they would do with her but knew that it would be painful.

Aresa had a plan. She said, “Maybe you are very evil like the king, or you are deceived. Either way, it's your own fault.”

Werlek had tried to be a good soldier. But he had always felt that something was wrong. Maybe the girl was right. Maybe the king was evil. Maybe.... But Werlek pressed those thoughts
away. He was angry at himself for his treacherous thoughts against the king. It made him angry at the girl.

Werlek spoke in a stone cold voice. “Your not answering the question. But you will soon.” Werlek stood up and walked out of the cell.

As he left he called to a soldier, “Give her punishment with the whip. In her cell. The other prisoners can see what happens to people who don't tell us what we want to know.”

The soldier walked into Aresa's cell a whip in his right hand.

They where foolish to keep my hands unbound, Aresa though grimly. I'll
show them.

The soldier smiled cruelly at Aresa, a silver tooth blinking. “Here is a present for your foolishness. The commandant will have you talk in a second.”

Suddenly Aresa had a idea. If she could knock the soldier out maybe she could escape. The soldier struck at
her with his whip. Aresa ignored the whip and sprang at him. It hit her, biting into her flesh, but she didn't stop. She punched the soldier in his face and grabbed his sword from its scabbard.