Red haired girl

Chapter 14

Bryan followed his father and the other knights outside. Will had done it! He had gotten that girl to release them! He looked around for his friend, but he didn't see him. Bryan shrugged. He would probably be further on. The knights gathered at the edge of the forest, where he and Will had gotten of their horses. To his surprise, he saw Owen standing there. 

"Owen? What are you doing here?" he asked. Owen stared at him. 

"You... you're alright?" he asked unbelievably. Then he sighed. "Thank goodness!" Bryan frowned. 

"Why did you make us go all the way here actually?" he asked. The question had been in his mind since they had found the swords.  

"I didn't," Owen said slowly. Then he cursed. Loudly. "Someone has been messing with your exercise! Where is Will?" he exclaimed. Sir Steven, Will's father, joined them. 

"What's wrong?" he too asked. Owen started to pace. 

"Someone has been messing with their exercise!" he repeated frustrated. Sir Steven looked shocked. He was speechless.  

More and more knights listened to their conversation and they all looked around for the small boy named Will. He was nowhere to be found. Bryan started to feel uneasy. Where was Will? They all looked at the castle, as the remains collapsed with a lot of noise. The knights fell silent, as the realisation struck them that Will must have still been inside.  

"No," sir Steven whispered. "NO!" It was terrible looking at him at that moment. Seeing a father losing his son is just heart-breaking. Bryan's mouth fell open. Will couldn't be dead. He just couldn't. Bryan felt lost between all of the kingdom's greatest knights. He felt a hand coming down at his shoulder and he looked up.  

"Let's go home," his father said. Bryan knew his father and sir Steven didn't like each other, but he couldn't believe his father could be so heartless.  

"No!" he exclaimed. "We're not going home! We have to find Will." Most of the knights mumbled something like 'It has no use' and Bryan got angry. 

"Look, I don't know whether or not you care, but he's my friend. I'm not going to abandon him after all he's done for me. I'm going back and if necessary, I'll go alone!" Without waiting for a response, he started to run towards the collapsed castle. He smiled as he heard at least fifteen men follow him, but his smile faded as the men lifted him up and took him with them, back to town. He kept on protesting during the whole journey, but no one listened to him.  

He couldn't believe they would just abandon Will. He couldn't be dead - he knew he wasn't dead. He didn't know why, but he got this feeling that if he could just reach the castle in time, he could get his friend out of there. He pushed the knights holding him away and sprinted back - only to run into the arms of the next knights to hold him.  

"Let go of me!" he screamed frustrated, struggling to get out of their grip.  

"Stop it, Bryan," his father said, coming from out of nowhere. Bryan turned around and sent him an angry glance. "Look, it has no use going back now. We'll look for him later." Bryan crossed his arms over his chest and ignored him. His father sighed and increased his speed, going back to the front of the group. Bryan pushed his heels to the ground, forcing the knights to literally drag him away from the castle.  

It had no use going back later, then it would be too late. Somehow, Bryan just knew this, but no one would listen to him. Not even sir Steven or Owen, who were quietly discussing something, apart from the other knights. They looked devastated. Bryan couldn't blame them: he felt devastated himself. He thought of the day he had met Will. It had been during the introducing ceremony, before the training started. He had been mean to Will, only to keep the false friendships with the other boys. All their 'friendship' was based on, was impression. The one who was the cruellest, most fearsome, was the one with the most 'friends'. He had regretted that moment ever since, but he believed he couldn't tell anyone. Now he wished he had told Will.