The Surprise Siege - Ranger's Apprentice

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"Will, what's going on?" Pauline repeated, more urgently. She sounded calm, but Will knew she was probably a little scared, if not apprehensive.

"According to Halt, there are at least forty men down there sweeping the castle, looking for the jewels that Halt and I stashed in here a few days ago. Only Halt, the Baron, myself, and a few significant others know where they are. I don't even know if they are killing or taking prisoners. So we need to move fast if we are going to stay hidden. I need to get a message to Halt," Will said as another soldier came running down the hallway. Will grabbed the soldier's sleeve and dragged him into the small office, and hissed, "Listen to me. Are there any openings left in the castle the men haven't taken over yet?"

The soldier said, "There are only small passages left, and the men are being trapped as we speak. They are taking control of everyone quickly because they take one hostage, and then threaten to kill them if the other soldiers don't surrender. Then they take them away into the main audience room and tie them up there. That's why no one is fighting. All of the exits are gone by now. Our only chance is to hide."

The soldier tried to turn away, but Will grabbed the front of his jerkin and said, "You need to escape outside the castle as soon as you can. Don't take anyone with you, because I have message you must deliver. It's for Ranger Halt from Ranger Will. Tell him that I, Pauline, the Baron, a few more nobles, and a lot of soldiers are still inside the castle. Pauline and I are uncaptured but most everyone else is. We will try to protect the jewels and get everyone out, especially those who know where the jewels are so that the thieves can't get to them. Tell him I will try to escape with Pauline but if I don't appear in four hours, it means I was captured. That's an official order! Go!"

The soldier turned frantically and ran back down the hallway. Will turned to Pauline. "Those bangs were all the portcullises closing. That means that no one can get in or out. The enemy men have already taken control of all main entrances and exits. Right now, we need to find a good place to hide temporarily until they sweep up here. A large group of them will run through here looking for stragglers, and we need to stay out of sight if we are going to avoid capture, get everyone out, and save the jewels. Do you know any good places to hide near here?"

Pauline nodded, and then sucked in a sudden breath. A figure in a purple cloak and feathered cap had appeared at the end of the hallway, and was now running toward them. She grabbed Will's hand and they ran down the hallway to the last door. She wrenched it open and fell to the ground, scrabbling at the edges of the carpet. Will shut the door as quickly as he could and jammed the lock in, saxe knife in hand.

"That was a Genovesan! The same one Halt and I just chased off! Mario! That's his name!" Will whispered as he helped her pull it aside to reveal a loose floorboard.

"That's not good. We need to hide, that door won't hold forever." Pauline pried the end up with her fingers and pulled it to one side to reveal a narrow slot, just large enough for one person. "This one is for me. But I have another one for you." She pulled out length of thick gray cord which had a large loop on one end and a series of knots on the other end. "Take this over to the window. There is small but thick iron loop about two feet from the left side of the window. Put the loop end around the hook, the get a good grip, and jump off the window sill. You should be able to pull your cloak around you and hang there for a moment." The door boomed as the Genovesan tried to force it open.

Will looked at her, and said quickly, "Do you have little hooks next to all the windows here?"
Pauline smiled. "Yes."

"And I"m assuming you have lots of ropes like this lying around too."

"Yes." Another smile. Will grinned and the banging on the door started to crunch. Pauline lowered herself into the floor, and Will placed the board over her. He then pulled the carpet over the spot, and went to the window sill. He put the rope over the hook, and jumped up on the sill. He prepared himself, and jumped - just in time. The minute his feet left the sill, the door was kicked down, the hinges broken, and Mario crept into the room. Pauline sucked in her breath and held it as she felt the Genovesan's weight press down on the floor board above her.

"Come out, come out, Lady. I saw you with that Ranger, I know you are both in here... Come out! You have no where to go, you are trapped! Come out!" Mario walked slowly over to the book shelves and ripped open cupboards, and then wrenched open the closet. He then noticed the carpet on the floor. He lifted up the carpet, and was disappointed only to find floorboards.
"Ah, I thought you had been sneaky and hidden in a secret trap door under your carpet. I suppose I have read too many fairy tales..." Mario taunted as he replaced the carpet and sidled over to the curtains by the window. He wrenched aside the curtains, sure he would find one of them. But he was rewarded with naught but a broom. He then leaned out over the window, looking down to see if they were hanging under it, then looked left and right. Once again he saw nothing. He turned away, frustrated, and bent down to look under the bed.

Suddenly, Pauline heard a massive splash from the moat below the window. Oh, no, she thought, did Will fall?

The Genovesan crowed victoriously. "Haha! So you jumped off into the moat did you! You'll be shot by my archers very soon!" Then he called out the window to some of the enemy men stationed on the walls, "Watch for anyone swimming in the moat! Shoot if you see anything!" He then continued laughing, and walked leisurely out the door.

Pauline forced herself to wait five eternal minutes before throwing all of her weight into the board above her. It lifted free, and she threw aside the rug, stumbled over to the window sill, and whispered harshly down to the water, "Will! Will!"

"Shhhhhhh!"

Pauline nearly jumped out of her skin as she turned and saw that Will was still there, hanging from the rope and hook. He had fanned out his cloak and flattened himself against the wall. She had looked straight at him, and not even seen him. He now popped his head out from under his cowl with his finger still pressed against his lips and whispered, "Is he completely gone? The hallway clear?"

"Yes." He let his cloak fall back around his shoulders and he swung himself back up onto the window sill.

"What fell into the water below? I thought it was you! I was so worried!" Pauline said softly.

But Will just smiled tiredly at her. "It was some rocks from the side of the wall. I pried a couple loose when he was walking all over your hiding place making all kinds of noise and let them drop into the water. I knew he would probably leave us alone thinking we both jumped in." He took her hand as he jumped down from the window sill without making a sound.

She smiled at him, and said, "You're as wily as Halt sometimes."

He grinned. "That's good, since that's part of my job. Now let's go find where everyone is being held."

"According to the soldier, that would be in the main audience room," said Pauline as they left the small office and made their way quietly down the hallway. All the lights and torches had been extinguished.

"Then we need to make our way there without being caught," said Will, as they began to descend the stairs.

"Let's go." Pauline followed him down into the dark.

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There you have it. Wonder what's going down next... Thank you all so much for reading, and please vote and comment! ;)