Alliance in the Ice - The Guardians of Noindaith

Lichtenfels - Soldier Paul

It took us four days to get through the high mountains to the border of Lichtenfels. The weather didn't do us any favors, and spring was a long time coming. We now had two days left. That wasn't much, because within that time we had to cross the border and take a look at the fortress where the meeting was to take place. Then we had to finalize our plan.

When we got to the border, we watched the goings-on from a safe vantage point in the mountainous surroundings. We saw soldiers of various nationalities standing at the guardhouse. They were probably soldiers from other neutral nations who wanted to enter the country to support Lichtenfels. After all, the armed forces of the small state could not guarantee security at the meeting of the kings on their own.

Shortly before the border crossing, we stalked a group of soldiers who had sought shelter from the rain under a rocky outcrop not far from our hiding place.

The sky had suddenly darkened, the weather could change quickly here in the mountains. The heavy drops that now began to patter on the vegetation and rock drowned out our footsteps.

We crept along the rock in a crouched position and approached from the side. The four foreign soldiers laughed carelessly and placed their rifles next to them. They passed a bottle of schnapps around. I listened. They were speaking French to each other.

"Now!" I hissed and gave the signal. With a purposeful sprint, we broke out from our cover. The surprise was written all over the foreign soldiers' faces. They hastily reached for their weapons, but by then it was already too late and we overpowered them. It didn't even come to a fight, the moment of surprise had played into our hands.

We bound and gagged them and dragged them into the bushes. I took a quick look at one of the young soldiers with his moustache and panicked eyes.

Then we put on their blue uniforms, which were pleasantly clean compared to ours, which we hid in a crevice. Kaya did the same. She hid her hair under a fur cap. We smeared the tattoos on her face with soot from the campfire so that they wouldn't stand out. The documents in their pockets marked the men as Helveter. With this new identity, we were able to cross the border without being detected at the checkpoint.

The border house, a small brown wooden building, was only sparsely lit and the rain was collecting in puddles on the concrete forecourt. My heart was pounding as I showed the border guard my papers. But he only gave it a cursory glance and waved us through with a nod of his head. I began to worry. The attack on the Helveter, crossing the border, it was all too easy for me.

In Lichtenfels, we stole food from a farmhouse that was built in isolation in an open field. I got into the kitchen while the others stood on the lookout and took what I could grab. Bread, cheese, a few apples.

We set up camp for the night in a cave, of which there were many in this rocky area. To make it a little more comfortable, we spread the blankets on the ground and built a small fire. Then we enjoyed our meal while the flames crackled comfortably.

In its glow, there was almost a peaceful expression on the faces of my companions. But time was running out, we only had one day left. Although it was difficult to keep a cool head, caution dominated our thoughts.

The fortress of Vaduz stood on a mountain spur high above the city. We recognized the whitewashed walls from afar as the symbol of Lichtenfels. The towers shone in the sun, which briefly managed to break through the gray cloud cover. An airplane emerged from the fog and circled the complex. Then it touched down. At the foot of the mountain, several trucks were queuing up at a checkpoint. This must be the access road to the castle.

Lars pointed up the mountain with his binoculars. "The approach to the fortress is already well guarded. We have to try to climb up the rock and then sneak into the fortress. There seems to be enough vegetation to hide us."