The legend of friendship: Never losing faith again

Chapter 29

Madeline and Arvid slowly backed away in fear.

"Listen, Ridley." Madeline said. "We don't want any trouble. We just want to live here and never break the law ever again. PLEASE let us go! We're not a threat to your country!"

"You need to give me a chance to talk, Madeline!" Williams III said. "I didn't come here to kill either of you!"

"What?!" Both Madeline and Arvid yelled.

"You've been chasing us nonstop!" Arvid shouted. "You've threatened us with death, you let your commander put a weapon on me, AND you tried to murder Madeline's family!"

"That was all done to hide the true reason why I was after you!" Williams III said. "Me obeying my law, me threatening you both with execution! The real reason why I was after you two was so I could hide you from the law!" Both Madeline and Arvid made extremely shocked faces. "When you lost your family, I promised that I would protect you from anyone trying to harm you!" Williams III continued. "I went after you so I could hide with you and Madeline in the mountains to protect you! Ever since you came into my life, I was DEDICATED to keeping you safe from the evil in this world! Why do you think I made the law?!"

"What are you trying to say, Ridley?!" Madeline cried.

"I'm saying that the real reason why I wrote this law wasn't because of the war!" Williams III said. "It was because of Arvid's fear of wolves! I was deeply close to your family! I promised them that if they were to leave you forever, I would keep you safe! I wanted to keep you away from wolves to protect you! I wanted to keep everyone else away from wolves so they wouldn't lure them anywhere near you! This wasn't about war or the country! This was about assuring your safety!" Madeline and Arvid stared at Williams III in utter shock.

"............Do your men know of this?" Arvid asked.

"No, they absolutely don't!" Williams III said. "I couldn't tell them after everything I put them through in the war!"

"Then, why did you bring them here?!" Madeline cried. "What would you have told them after you brought them here?!"

"I would've staged your deaths and the death of myself so we could live here and.........start a new life together..." Williams III said in utter guilt. "I know I would've left my family and our country, but I couldn't let anyone kill you. I know I was tough on you, son. But, that is only because I want the best for you." Madeline and Arvid were completely speechless. They didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry I lied to you, son." Williams III said. "I know I've made bad choices, but I've made good ones too. The world is such a bad place. I did everything in my power to teach you how to be a man. Please believe me, son. I wanted you to have a good future."

"The world is not an evil place, Ridley." Madeline said, walking up to Williams III. "It is full of love, kindness, and compassion. God is watching over everyone and loving everyone. You and your son need to understand that God is real. He's as real as the world itself! He is SALVATION!" Williams III and Arvid looked down in sadness. "You two need to know God more. He isn't evil. He did not allow this sin in the world. WE did." Madeline said. "We have sinned every second we breathe. We are ALL hypocrites. But, we must love one another as God has loved us! We. Are. Creatures of God!" She turned to face Arvid. "Arvid, you must understand." She continued. "God isn't to blame for your family's deaths. Man is to blame. And God did not allow this to happen. This was all the work of Satan, the Father of all the lies that try to poison humanity."

"But, Madeline..." Arvid said sadly.

"God is good." Madeline said. "Satan is bad. We all sin, but we have to choose God over the Father of lies." She then turned to face Williams III. "Call off your men." She said. "We are staying here." Williams III nodded his head.

"I understand." He said. "I will-"

"No!!" A voice interrupted aggressively. "The law is the law! All must suffer the consequences for disobedience!" It was the commander pointing a rifle at Madeline and Arvid.

"Commander?" Williams III cried in shock. "How much have you heard?"

"Everything." The commander said. "I heard everything! You lied to us! We came here to kill these fugitives and that's what we intend to do!"

"Commander, hold your fire!" Williams III ordered. "That's an order. We made a mistake chasing these two. We need to let them go."

"I'm sorry, sir, but we did not come all this way for nothing." The commander grunted, cocking his rifle. "We came here under the law of our Thirteen Colonies! And, the law must be followed! Now you two better come with me!"

"No!" Madeline shouted. "We will not, savage! You are not one to judge! GOD is!"

"God has failed me when he made me suffer so much abuse at the hands of my Father!" The commander cried, tears in his eyes. "He beat me constantly and constantly for never obeying the law! It was terrible! Now, I have to make him finally proud of me by being a man and following the law!"

"Back off, commander!" Arvid cried, slowly backing away in fear. "You've lost it! And, I thought Father was insane!"

"You haven't seen insane, old friend." The commander said, getting ready to pull the trigger. "Now, it's time to die, Arvid. You're going first."

"Noooooo!" Madeline yelled, as she jumped in front of Arvid.

POW!!