The Wolf With No Name

Chapter 4: Back

Prince or no, Jax had quite an extensive vocabulary when it came to swear words. He hissed several as he pulled away from me, bow in hand and arrow notched in seconds. 

The knights had their swords drawn and shields raised, but there was no enemy to fight. Arrows were raining down on us. I heard a whistle and jumped out of the way right before an arrow smacked into the ground where I had been standing. I could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest. 

"They're hiding in the tree line!" someone yelled.

"We're sitting ducks up here!" yelled another. 

It was utter confusion. The arrows were flying everywhere. We must be surrounded. People were getting hit. Then Jax took charge. "Fall back!" he barked over the chaos, "Into the Pit! Move your sorry hides!" Something inside me sparked and I started to run to the entrance. Then I stopped half way. For a brief moment, I had regarded Jax as my master. An arrow narrowly missed my face, reminding me that I had no time to think on it, and made me start running again. 

Entering the Pit was a logical move, even if it did make me uncomfortable. The hill was a natural fort. We didn't know where or how many men were attacking, so it was best to find a safe place so we could figure it out. Then, something stopped me for the second time. Bear. I'm not going to abandon him.

I turn and run to where I had left him. I let out a howl to let him know where I am. "Wolf!" I hear him yell to my right. I follow his voice, running past knights as they retreated. 

I found Bear running with one of the knights slung over his shoulder. The man was limp, and probably unconscious. I didn't have time to ask questions.

"Follow," I said, and started running towards the entrance, arrows whizzing past us. I can't believe we haven't been hit yet. He followed me without question. That is, until we got to the trap door that lead to the Pit. I pulled the door open and turned back to Bear. He looks like he's going to be sick as he stares at the hole in the ground.

"Bear!" I yelled, "Please." He looked at me, then back to the hole. I hated making him do this, but it was either this, or let him die. I wasn't going to let him give up that easy. Not after we just obtained our freedom. I was about to yell at him again when I heard a soft thunk. Bear grunted in pain and staggered forward. Something must had hit him. Survival instincts gave him the nudge he needed. He jumped down into the hole, not even bothering with the ladder. I hurry down after him, closing the door and plunging us into the darkness of the underground.

Welcome back home.

***

When I reached the bottom of the ladder, I notice someone had already lit several of the torches in the hall way. Quite a few knights were crammed near the entrance, and a few of them ran over to us to check on their unconscious comrade.

Bear was standing with his back to me, and from here I could see the long shaft of an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. His body trembled slightly. I couldn't tell if it was physical, or emotional. I was just about to ask him when Jax walked over to us, running his hand through his hair. "Do you guys know where the infirmary is?" he asked, "A few of my men need treatment, and our supplies are still topside." I was about to respond, but Bear spoke first.

"I know where it is," he said quietly, "I'll take take your men there." Jax nodded, but I was worried. Would Bear be okay? I looked to Bear but his emotions were masked. I decided not to speak against it. I knew Bear's temper, but I also trusted him to know himself. If he offered, that means he knows he can do it.

Jax raised his voice so it could be heard above the muttering of his men. "Thomas!" he called, "Grab Rob and follow this man to the infirmary. Anyone injured, follow Thomas to get treatment." His men instantly reacted. An older knight with a scraggly beard came forward.

"I'm assuming by follow this man, he means you?" the knight, who must have been Thomas, asked as he grabbed the unconscious knight from the ground and held him carefully in his arms. Bear nodded and pushed through the crowd, quickly vanishing from my sight as Thomas and several other men followed after him.

Jax's gaze returned to me. I saw something strange in his eyes. Excitement? I forced myself to keep looking into his face as he spoke. "How many exits are there?" he asked quickly. It was definitely excitement.

"Four," I said, "This one and three at the base."

"Are they secure?"

"All except for the one, and the one in the stables, since you unlocked both." He nodded his head, and turned back to his men.

"James, Issac, step forth," he called. Two knights, both on the small side, made their way through the crowd to stand in front of their prince. "I'm going to need you both to go out the stables exit, and scout the tree line. Find out where they are, how many there are, and report back as quickly as you can. Be careful and quick. Return within the hour." The nodded and quickly hurried away without a word. Now there was only ten men left. Jax called out five names and told them to go guard the stables entrance, and commanded that the remaining men guard this one.

With that he finally took a deep breath and gave a content sigh.

"You're enjoying this?" I asked. He glanced at me strangely for a moment, then grabbed my arm and pulled me through the remaining crowd. For a thin man, he had a surprisingly strong grip. Even so, I could probably break his arm, but decided against it. He wasn't forcing me, he was leading me away. As soon as we were out of ear shot, he turned around and asked.

"How could you tell?" I shrugged.

"There's just something in your eyes," I replied. It was the best explanation I could give. He shook his head, a smile reaching his lips. This one I hadn't seen before. The closest thing I could compare it to was childish delight.

"I know it's wrong," he said, "A commander should hope that things run smoothly, but it is when things go wrong that true skill comes to play. Yes, my men have been injured, and right now we don't even know what's going to happen, but that's the fun of it. I can't help but enjoy the thrill of the challenge."

I was surprised to find that I could actually relate to that emotion. Only with me, it was fighting. One would think after years of being forced to fight, I would hate it. But I don't. Unless I'm fighting Bear, fighting fills me with a fire that I just can not explain. I love the intense thrill burning inside me. That was the light I saw in the silver prince's eyes.

"So, what are you going to do?" I asked, "How do you know if your scouts are coming back? We're surrounded."

"James is a field mouse and Issac is a sparrow," he answered, "I chose them because they make the perfect scouts. No one looks twice at such insignificant creatures. But, if they do not return within the hour, I will go myself." That came as a surprise.

"But you're the.... leader." I had to stop myself from saying master. I knew he wasn't a master. Still, I couldn't help but think of a master when he barked orders and commanded his men. Then there was that moment when I accepted his order without question. I almost shuddered at the thought, but managed to keep myself still.

"Yes, but I can't just send men I know won't succeed," he said, "If James and Issac fail, I am the only one who can slip out of here undetected. Besides, I have faith in my sneaking abilities." His eyes shined mischievously.

He was quite odd. Perhaps that's why I was starting to grow a liking to him. I tried to avoid attachments at all costs. They rarely bring me anything but misery. But, just like Bear, I couldn't help but like him. 

"So what now?" I questioned, "Do we just wait for your men to get back?"

"That depends," he said, "Do you know what black powder is?"