The Scarlet King (26 page)

Heather looked at Jeremy and asked, "Would
Betty fit?"

Jeremy held up his hands about a foot apart
and looked at Betty before replying, "It would be a tight fit but
might work."

Heather asked, "How heavily is the area being
patrolled by those from the East?"

The commander replied, "They patrol
regularly, but since we increased our attacks on the supply lines
the patrols are much larger and pretty easy to avoid."

Heather was quiet for a while as she planned.
She spoke up, saying, "I wish not to endanger Betty, but it seems
that the God of the Sacred Water has assigned her this
responsibility. I would you watch over her." She then asked, "When
would you travel?"

Jeremy paused eating and replied, "We will
have a small moon tonight and I would travel with the moon. If we
carried Betty, we will be back in our patrolled area by
daybreak."

Heather accepted his plan, saying only, "As
the God of the Sacred Water deems it, so it will be." She added,
"Let the Spirits of the Forest guide and assist you."

When the others had left, Heather and the
commander of the Red continued their planning. Heather wished for a
method of moving the heavy cannon without leaving a sign but knew
not how. They finally decided to simply use the wagon and prepare
to move their camp if those from the East followed their trail.
They both agreed that since the attack on the Great City had begun
that it was unlikely that those of the East would split their
forces to pursue them. Those of the Forest had reported another
small convoy of supplies headed towards them from the east.

The planning centered on how and where to
attack the convoy. Those of the Forest functioned primarily as
scouts, with the Army of the Red assuming the burden of the actual
attacks. The partnership had been very productive and the flow of
supplies to those of the East had been severely limited. The scouts
reported that all of the local farms had been scavenged of all food
and fodder for use by the invading army of the East.

The evening meal was made more festive by the
stories told by Jeremy, but Heather worried about Betty. When
nightfall was complete but yet two hours before moonrise, Jeremy
prepared to depart. Betty was dressed for travel with her small
sword strapped to her side. They set off with Jeremy in the lead
with two others of the Forest. They alternated carrying Betty and
traveled quickly despite the darkness. One of the three always went
ahead scouting for signs of the enemy. As Jeremy had planned, they
reached the perimeter of their patrolled area about the time of
moonrise. They traveled somewhat slower as they traversed the
valley to the west of the Great City. They arrived without incident
at the area of the door. Here the river had cut deeply into the
hillside, exposing a rock cliff and an area strewn with large
boulders.

With the change in light things were
different, and it took Jeremy a while to again find the door
amongst the huge boulders. They rested for a few minutes before
opening the small door, which moved amazingly well for something so
ancient. Before allowing Betty to try and enter, Jeremy lit a torch
and peered into the opening. Before him lay a road of stones which
extended into the blackness beyond the circle of his light. He
could see no danger but also no internal mechanism which would
allow the opening of the door. The roadway was wide enough for a
small wagon but barely tall enough for someone of his height to
stand. He told Betty, "It looks safe enough but I am not sure you
will be able to open the door."

Betty removed her cape and carefully folded
it with her small sword carefully placed on top, and replied, "I
try."

Jeremy knelt in front of the door and created
a step with his hands for Betty to climb upon. She studied the
small opening for a few minutes before telling Jeremy, "I need to
be more sideways."

Jeremy shuffled on his knees more to the side
and Betty put her arms through the small opening and said, "Raise
me up some."

She wiggled first one shoulder and then the
other through the opening before telling Jeremy, "Up." Jeremy
slowly raised her as she continued to wiggle through the very small
opening. She did well until her hips became stuck in the small
opening. She said, "You need to push."

Jeremy did as he was told. Betty continued to
wiggle until finally her hips were free and she was now hanging
down from the opening. Jeremy carefully lowered her legs through
the opening until her hands were resting on the ground. He did his
best to lower her legs, but in the end it was a bit of a tumble for
Betty. He passed the burning torch to Betty saying, "I hope you're
alright."

Betty replied, "Me okay." She then began
looking around, but there was no visible mechanism or lever. She
did see a key slot but no key. She called out to Jeremy, "We need
key to open door."

Jeremy again stuck his head through the
opening and asked, "Have you checked to see if it is hidden
nearby?"

Betty replied, "I too short to see up high
but no key here." She then said, "I will walk up the tunnel and see
if I can find key."

Jeremy passed another torch through the
opening and Betty headed out walking on the stone path. There were
many spider webs hanging down which continuously wrapped around her
face. She liked not spiders. The walls were hewn in solid rock and
were rough. She went slowly, looking for the key in the multiple
small crevices. Every time she reached her hand into one of the
crevices she just knew that a spider would be waiting for her, but
she was diligent in her search. She knew not how far she walked but
soon the torch was burning low.

The rock was now smoother with few crevices,
but the spider webs did not diminish. She lit the second torch and
rested for a minute trying to decide what to do. She sensed people
ahead and decided to continue. The second torch was more than half
gone when she came to another door which seemed even more massive
than the first. She could find no mechanism for opening the door.
She again rested, trying to figure out what to do. When she was
quiet she could tell that the one Edna called the Scarlet King was
close by. His mind was jumbled and Betty could not understand his
thoughts.

Chapter 13

Betty could hear those within but was unsure
how she was hearing them. She yelled, trying to get their
attention, without success. Her torch was burning low and her
anxiety kept building. As the torch flickered and went out, she
could think not except of the spiders. In desperation she began
pounding with her fist on the metal door—to no avail. Only after
she had nearly exhausted herself did she sit to rest; with the rest
her mental hearing returned. She concentrated on the Scarlet King,
letting him know she was here and needed the door open.

On the other side of the metal door was the
palace war room, and within it were the King and a few of his
advisers as well as the one known as Don the Great. They had been
discussing their options, but in reality they were simply receiving
the report from Don the Great, for he had assumed command of the
palace guards in addition to their military. The situation was
grave, for those of the East had developed new weapons of war which
were destroying the fortress walls. In the harbor their ships were
attacking with smaller catapults, but again inflicting significant
damage on the city and its walls.

Don the Great felt that they would be able to
resist the siege for but another week. When asked what would happen
then, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I would expect a vicious
battle with lots of lives lost and possibly the end of the
kingdom."

They had met to discuss the option of suing
for peace. The arguments had gone long into the night, with the
advisers seeking peace at any cost and Don the Great rejecting
their request. Those without knowledge of the past understood not
the danger those of the East represented, and believed not Don the
Great when he told them, "To surrender would be a certain death to
many or most of our people with enslavement of those left."

One of the advisers was asking a more
specific question when he was interrupted by the Scarlet King, who
said, "She is here. Open the door."

One of the advisers who Jeremy had called
"The Pet Bird" complained that the door could not be opened and
wanted to know who she was. The Scarlet King but repeated himself,
standing and pointing to the door, saying, "I command that the door
be opened."

Don the Great and the commanding officer of
the palace guards conversed; rising, they went to inspect the door.
There was a large slot for a key but no accessible bolting
mechanism. It had a small secondary door that could be opened. They
discussed the danger of opening just the small door. It seemed to
have little risk, and when the King again commanded that the door
be opened, they decided to take that risk.

They undid the latch and slowly opened the
small door, or window shutter. They peered into the blackness but
could see not until Betty moved into the shaft of light. What they
saw startled even these men of war, for within the tunnel appeared
a being covered in a fine mesh of ethereal material and who was not
recognizable as a normal human being.

Betty spoke up, saying, "I need speak to the
envoy."

Don the Great was startled by the use of his
name, given by those of the Forest, and then he recognized Betty's
voice. He replied, "Are you Betty, who travels with Heather with
the Golden Hair?"

Her response was, "I help the Princess. I
need come in."

The one known to those of the Forest as the
Pet Bird demanded to know who was there in the tunnel. The Scarlet
King spoke, saying, "She is the one who changed the trees in my
dreams from fearsome to soothing. We must let her in."

The commander of the palace guard said in a
quiet voice, "I know not how to open the door, for it is left over
from the ancient ones and has never been opened."

Betty spoke up, saying, "I fit in window but
need help."

Don the Great reached in with his arm and she
was able to grab his hand. He lifted her up until she could grasp
the edge of the door and then helped her pull herself through the
door. Again her hips were a tight fit, and significant wiggling was
required before she was freed. She had no sooner regained her
footing than the Pet Bird began screaming something about a witch
or ghost. Betty just looked at him, and when they made eye contact
the screaming stopped; for he sensed the trees closing in again
upon him. The King spoke up, saying, "I welcome you and thank you
for the comfort you have brought me."

Betty replied, "Not me. Spirits of the Forest
do it."

The commander of the palace guard asked, "How
did you know of the tunnel and why are you here?"

Don the Great said not, and Betty tried to
explain that Heather and the young priest had figured out the
tunnel but they were not able to open the outer door. She then
explained, "The Princess say we have one of the new weapons and
want to bring it to you." She continued, "We bring it to the other
door in two days time."

Others had many questions but Betty had few
answers. Finally Don the Great spoke up, saying, "Maybe the seer of
the ancient ones can help us. If not we will need to mount a major
counterattack to free one of the gates." He then turned to Betty
and asked, "Is it one of the cannons that use the powder?"

Betty replied, "Not powder but similar. It
uses fire and water."

Don the Great was quiet but for a moment
before responding, "It must be one of the weapons those of the East
are using to destroy our wall. We must bring it in."

Others in the war room had many questions,
but Betty had not the ability to give answers. She finally said, "I
must go. We bring cannon in two days."

The Scarlet King stood again and walked over
to Betty, taking her hand and saying, "May you travel well." He
then took the heavy gold chain he wore around his neck and handed
it to Betty, saying, "Please take this as a gift and as a sign of
our eternal friendship with those of the Forest."

Betty accepted the chain but then handed it
back, saying, "Too heavy. Me small."

The King accepted back the chain and squeezed
Betty's hand ever so slightly, saying only, "My thanks for all you
have done."

Don the Great help Betty squeeze back through
the window of the great metal door and fresh torches were supplied
to her. The torches were much brighter than those of the Forest,
and she made good time back to the outer door. When she arrived and
called out, Jeremy responded, "Where have you been? Are you all
right?"

Betty responded simply, "Me tired go
home."

The journey back to the camp was made slower
with the rising of the sun, for they were now far more vulnerable
to the scouts of those of the East. They were still two hours from
camp when they were met by others of the Forest. They said little
but added to the scouting, changing their course to the west to
avoid an oncoming patrol of those of the East. When they arrived
back at camp they found a very worried Heather, who also asked many
questions, but Betty replied, "Me hungry eat first."

Only after she had eaten most of her food did
Betty began to tell her story. She spoke first of the spiders and
cobwebs and how black the tunnel was. She then described how she
had heard those within and decided to try to make contact. When the
Scarlet King finally heard her, they opened the window and she
relayed Heather's message. Heather had many questions but Betty was
tired and had few answers. She said, "Me tired."

Heather looked at her companion, and she
surely was tired. She said, "Betty, we thank you for your bravery
and now you must sleep."