Within the Pages

Chapter 15

Suddenly the man pushing us lets out a gasp and lets go of us while dropping to the floor. Behind him stand the two knights from the stables.

"Merlin sent us to protect you. I guess he predicted you would need to help. Follow behind us and we will protect you."

With a nod, to stunned to say anything after yet another dangerous circumstance, we get behind them. Picking up the torches from the ground we pass them over to the guards who carry them in their left hands with their swords in their right hands. Getting closer and closer to the screams I fear what my parents will look like. Outside an opening in the wall of the cave where the screams seem to be coming from, there are four guards, swords drawn facing our directions. It seems that they don't want us getting in that room. The two knights hand us back the torches and carefully head toward the four guards with swords at the ready. Three guards head for one of the knights and one guard heads for the other. The three guards slash their swords down on top of one of the knights and leave him no room to dodge so he gets stabbed, falling to the floor like the man who tried to squeeze us to death. The three guards turn to the last knight and assault him with their swords. This knight however is way more trained and is able to block a sword and jump back to avoid the other ones. With four guards against one knight I realize we don't have a chance.

"Try to go around them and help my dad" I whisper to Goldilocks. I then grab her torch and rush to try to help. I get beside the knight which brings the guards to laugh. I seize the opportunity and stab two of them with the torches burning them so deeply they fall to the ground and can't get up. This seems to get the other two guard's attention and a very serious look now befalls their faces. Almost at the same time both guards come at us. The guard attacking me raises his sword so I raise the torches to block the sword but the sword passes through the torch easily making me have to dodge to the side and swing with the second torch hitting him in the side making him fall toward the other guard who accidentally cuts the guard falling instead of stabbing the knight. The last remaining guard, horrified at what he did and how he is the only one left after facing us two, turns and runs away screaming like a little five year old girl after seeing a spider.

"Thank you Charlie" Says the knight turning to me, "You are indeed very brave and you have saved not only myself but King Arthur as well. Your parents must be proud"

"My parents!" I remember that they are still in the room and rush in there to see them sitting on a little platform hugging since they hadn't seen each other for almost as long as it was since the last time I saw them.

Goldilocks stands off to the side lonely again. When my parents see me the rush over to me and almost squeeze me to death with the hug.

"I shouldn't have left without you Charlie. I'm sorry. I just didn't want to put you in trouble"

"It's ok dad. You meant the best. As long as you are ok now and the family is together again."

"Aww how touching" A voice calls out from the opening in the wall. "I'll have to separate you again" Morgana the evil sorceress steps into the room.

"We will not be separated again!" My mother announces but reveals that she is scared when she backs up a few steps backwards. "Ahhhhh" she screams suddenly as she falls into a hole that wasn't there a few seconds ago. .The rabbit I saw in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, stands just on the other side of the hole and, seeing that we spotted him, jumps into the hole again which disappears behind him.

"NOOOO!!!!!" My dad and I both yell in sync as we rush toward the hole and it closes up causing us to lose our mother for the second time.

"I would kill you but then that would end your suffering quickly and I want it to last for as long as it can." Morgana tells us, conjuring a metal door with keyhole in it which covers the cave entrance. The door closes as Morgana walks away laughing.

Goldilocks who was standing alone jumps into action. Grabbing two hairpins that were holding her long hair up, she hurries to the door and puts the pins in the lock, twisting, pushing and maneuvering, trying to open it. About a minute later there is a click as the door is unlocked and Goldilocks swings the door open giving us the relieve of freedom after a very torturous minute.

"We have to get to Merlin, he might be able to help us." I yell back behind me at my dad as I start to run out of the room inside the cave, out of the cave and back to our horses. My dad's horse was stolen but since the two guards followed us as one of them doesn't need the horse anymore, my dad gets on that and we are on our way to Camelot to see if Merlin has a way to get us to our mother, who should now be in Wonderland.