The legend of friendship: Never losing faith again

Chapter 21

"Please come out with your hands up, son." Williams III ordered calmly. "And Madeline. Walk slowly next to Arvid or both of you will be shot. The entire Inn is surrounded by patriots and wolves."

"Oh, no!" Madeline cried in fear. "They found us!"

"Open the door, Madeline." Father Wolf said sadly. "I am truly sorry that this is happening, but it has to happen. Open the damn door."

"What are we gonna do?!" Arvid whispered in utter fear. "They cornered us!"

"Let me think." Madeline said. She tried to think up a plan.

"We don't want any trouble, Father!" Arvid cried to his Father. "Please just go! We're not coming home!"

"You have to, son." Williams III said. "You have to come home and face the consequences of your actions. Now, open the door."

"Hurry up and think of a plan, Madeline!" Arvid cried in utter fear.

"Hey! You two!" A familiar voice said. "Get in here. And follow me. Hurry!" Madeline and Arvid found a secret passageway on the ground opened by a shadowy figure.

"This is your last chance, son." Williams III said. "Open the door or we are gonna have to use brute force."

"Come on, let's go!" Madeline said, as she and Arvid jumped into the passageway and closed it behind them.

"Follow me! Hurry!" The shadowy figure ordered, as it ran with Madeline and Arvid following from behind.

"It's so dark in here!" Arvid cried. "I cannot see a damn thing!"

"Grab onto my back like in the woods!" Madeline said. Arvid grabbed onto her back and they both continued following the figure.

"I see light!" Madeline said. "Come on!" She, Arvid, and the shadow jumped out from another ground door and found themselves outside on the other side of town.

"Are you two okay?" The shadow asked, revealing himself.

"You're the bartender from the Inn." Madeline said. "Thank you very much for saving us. But, why did you do it?"

"I shouldn't have to tell you that your Fathers are corrupt narcissists with hate-filled agendas..." The bartender said. "Now, go! Get out of here and never stop running!"

"What about you?" Arvid asked.

"Someone has to run the Inn." The bartender said. "Run!" Madeline and Arvid took off into the woods.

"Good luck and Godspeed, young ones." The bartender said, looking beyond the woods.

Madeline and Arvid ran through the woods as fast as they could, never stopping and not tripping once.

"It feels like the trees are closing in on us!" Arvid cried.

"Just keep following me!" Madeline cried. "Annabelle said this is the safest direction to the mountains!"

"Who?!" Arvid cried. 

"She's a woman I met while I was out!" Madeline said. "Come on!" They kept running and running and running until they were far away from the town. They stopped to catch their breath.

"God...!" Arvid gasped. "They are never gonna stop until they catch us! Even if we get to the damn mountains!"

"Can you please stop saying that word?" Madeline gasped as well. "It isn't appropriate."

"Neither is being chased by a messed up militia who wants to get rid of us both!" Arvid cried. "They are never gonna stop chasing us!"

"Listen, Arvid. We will never get caught." Madeline cried. "You just gotta trust me."

"....................I will try." Arvid said reluctantly. "That's all I can do is try."

"That's good enough for me." Madeline said. "Come on, let's go." She and Arvid continued running through the woods.

Back at the town...

"Do you mind telling us where those fugitives ran off to?" Williams III asked the bartender, who is sitting behind his desk at his office. The bartender is being questioned by both Williams III and Father Wolf.

"I don't have the slightest clue of where they are nor do I know of any such fugitives." The bartender lied. "Maybe you're just tired and think in your feeble minds that they wandered into my town. Maybe you should just sit down and have a nice cold beer."

"I don't think I made myself any more clearer." Williams said. "Where. Are. They?!"

"I don't know, ya damn children!" The bartender snapped. "I really think you should have a beer. It will soothe your nerves. I added a special ingredient myself. You want alcoholic or nonalcoholic?"

".............." Williams III didn't say a word. ".....................Just give me nonalcoholic. I will be right back..." He left the office. But, Father Wolf didn't.

"Listen to me, beverage man." Father Wolf said to the bartender. "That wolf running with the human, Arvid, is my daughter. And they are both in danger! You have to tell us where they are and we will hide them both in the mountains where the law will never find them."

"How do I know you aren't lying to me?" The bartender asked suspiciously. "You could be in on this for all I know."

"Please! Tell us!" Father Wolf cried. "They are in danger!"

The bartender let out a deep sigh. "They went into the woods over there." He said pointing into the direction where Madeline and Arvid headed. "But, if you are lying to me, I will report you to the authorities!" Father Wolf nodded and headed out.

Later...

After Williams III had his drink, he, along with the patriots, met with Father Wolf and his pack in the center of town.

"Okay, we questioned everyone that may have seen Madeline and Arvid and, so far, we never gotten anywhere." Williams III said. "Everyone said they didn't see the direction where they headed."

"The bartender told me where they went to while you had your drink, Ridley." Father Wolf said. "They went that way." He pointed at a different direction. "Your group look over there while we look over there." He concluded, pointing at the direction where Madeline and Arvid headed.

"Right." Williams III said. "We will split up for now and we'll meet back here if we can't find them." And then the patriots and wolf pack went their separate ways.

"Listen, everyone." Father Wolf said, stopping his pack in their tracks. "Madeline and the human, Arvid, went this direction, but we are not gonna turn them in. We have to hide them in the mountains and make sure no one finds them."

"I thought your plan was that we attack them!" A wolf growled. "I was itching for a fight!"

"I promise we will have the chance to attack them if they find us at the mountains." Father Wolf said. "But, we are not letting those bastards kill my daughter or even Madeline!"

"Do you really have to use such foul language?" Mother Wolf asked. "It's not exactly appropriate. Even if I agree with you."

"Come on, let's go find our daughter." Father Wolf said. He and the pack continued moving through the woods. Unaware that a patriot overheard the entire conversation.

"So, those two fugitives went this way..." The patriot said to himself. "And, Madeline's Father apparently lied to us... I need to tell the King immediately."