The Troll War

Chapter Eighteen - Potts Castle

It was near high moon when the bat arrived at Potts Castle.  He called out, "Hello, anyone up there on the wall?"

A guard responded, "who's there?"

"I bring a message from Prince Charred for King Potts"

"I'll have someone come out to get it."

"No!  My instructions were to hand this personally to the King, no one else may touch it.  I will only surrender it to the King in person."

"There are at least three arrows aimed at your heart, we could just kill you and then take the message to the King."

"You could, but I am expected to return with his reply.  If I don't return it will be all the worse for your King and his family.  So let the arrows fly if that is your desire."

"Wait there bat."

A guard hurried off to wake the King and get instructions.  As he was about to knock on the King's door one of those standing guard at the entrance stopped him, "Why are you disturbing our King?"

"There is a note from Prince Charred that apparently must be presented personally to the King, and the bat is expecting a reply."

The guard on station sighed, "Very well."  So he pounded on the door.  Nothing.  He pounded again, and harder, and longer.  Still nothing.  Just as he started to pound again he heard, "Hold on, I'm coming" from the King, who then opened his chamber door.

"Your Majesty," the guard began, "there is a bat at the gate with a message for you from Charred," at the sound of his son's name the King frowned, "and the bat has instructions to hand it to you in person, without any one touching it before you.  I fear it is a trap Sire."

The King thought for a minute, "Bring him inside the castle walls and have him surrounded with weapons drawn.  I need to confer with my advisors, and will decide how to proceed."  

"Yes Sire."  The guard then bowed and hurried away.

The King turned to the guard on station, "Wake my daughter and advisors, have them meet me in the war room.  I'm going go put on something more presentable, and will join them shortly."  He turned and closed the door while the guard hurried off to wake those we was told to.  As the King dressed he thought, 'At least they didn't sound the alarm bells and scare everyone into some sort of tither.'

When he entered the War Room everyone stood, he motioned them to sit as explained the situation.  When he was done, one of his Generals asked, "Did they see any signs of other bats or trolls?"

"None were reported."

"Why does he have to personally hand it to you?" asked an advisor.

"No idea, probably my former sons' idea."

Another General, "What if it's an assassin bat?"

The King nodded, "That thought had entered my mind, and it would be a clever trick.  But he should know that Tea would immediately take over for me, and surely he would assume that there are healers here to come to my aid immediately."

Tea then spoke, "Father, what if there is poison on the note?"

"That is another possibility.  Any other potential problems?"

No one could think of anything else, so King Potts gave his instructions, "There will be two guards with weapons drawn and at the bats' throat between the bat and myself; Tea, I want you to wake Eric the Healer, brief him and have him come down to the courtyard; General, get two of our best swordsmen, and have them meet me in the courtyard; everyone else remain here and put guards in Tea's room, I'm going to get some gloves."  Tea tried to protest but he just smiled and waived as he turned and left heading for his armory.  Once there he spoke with the head of the armory, whom had been woken out of a very pleasant dream, "Do we still have that metal suit that Gauldarn made for our troops to try?"