Treasure By Treason

Lightning flashed! It lit up the outline of the giant trees in the dense forest. A loud rumble of thunder and the skies sent pouring rain down on me. Tonight would be another one of those nights! I fastened my cloak tighter around me in irritation.
I always traveled at night. I was an escaped enemy of Zenobia; actually of the King - if you could call him that.  My throat gave a wheezing cough and my lungs tightened in my chest. I swallowed painfully. I didn't dare stop by any doctors along the way. I could not be turned in! I had a mission to accomplish and getting myself captured by Morlum, the evil king in Zenobia, would not get what had to happen, done. I had learned from experience to trust no one. It had gotten me almost captured twice now and I wasn't taking that risk again.
Lighting crackled and was accompanied by his companion, thunder. I took another step and scrambled over the giant oak.
The sound of horse hooves caught my ever alert ears. My heart sped up wildly. I flew into the thicket and stayed there listening as they apprached closer and closer. Who else would be traveling out in a night like this? Could be anybody, but my fears lay more in what if it was the Black Knights? They were Morlum's men and I had a price on my head. They were sure to be well informed. My fingers brushed the hilt of my sword, and I clenched my jaw. I hated fighting, but if that was the way it had to be...I looked to the sky quickly and prayed to God as I'd never prayed before!
I wasn't really strong enough to fight the approaching horsemen, the sickness which kept returning had weakened me considerably. Then again I had never stayed in one place long enough to completely rid myself of it. They stopped at the fallen oak.
"Great!" A deep voice spat. "Now what are we going to do!"
"Calm yourself, Carl! All we have to do is go around this tree," another, lighter, voice replied.
"Leon, that's risking losing the trail," Carl reasoned.
A horrible urge to cough overcame me. I buried my mouth in my cloak hoping to silence it. Apparently it wasn't enough.
"What was that?" a voice inquired.
Leon spoke, "Is anyone sick?"
There was a chourus of, "No."
"Ballion, let's check the thicket out," Leon ordered.
I groaned inwardly. Well, I would do what had to be done. I unsheathed my sword and waited. It would be a matter of moments now before they discovered me. I drew further back into the thicket still giving myself a glimmer of hope in avoiding the conflict.
A man's figure appeared in front of me and was silhouetted in a flash of lightning. The rain lightened considerably in a moment and I noted that the figure had been well built, tall, and held an opposing stance.
"Who goes there?" Leon's voice asked.
"Tis none of your buisness," I retorted.
Leon's posture stiffened," Anyone who travels at night, is apparently very sick with pnemonia, and going through the Lion's Den is my buisness," He returned.
"If you must know," I said, sheathing my sword, "It's Archer."
He nodded and returned his sword to its sheath, "Perhaps you should have a bow instead."
I chuckled and gave another wheezing cough.
"Ballion! Over hear." He pulled at my arm, "Come stranger, allow the citizens of the Lions Den to help you."
There was the sound of a powerfully large person crashing toward us. I shook my head.
"If you want the Lions Den to stay peaceful and happy you'd better leave me behind."
There was a faint sound of sarcasm in his voice as he spoke, "What is Morlum after you?"
"Yeah."
Ballion was here now and everybit as big as I had imagined from the sounds I had heard.
"Well, you've come to the right place. We're all outlaws here. Not by choice, but we've all been exiled by staying true to the former kings of Zenobia. We went forward and I'd decided to stay with them. I liked Leon. "What of you?"
I threw back my hood and lightning flashed again revealing my features. I heard a gasp come from my companions. All was silent for a couple of moments.
"You look like King Leon I," Ballion murmured.
Leon helped me up onto the back of his horse. "Archer Kendren, your my sister's first child? Do you know what became of Eugene?"
"Only recently. I found out after I escaped Morlum's clutches a six months ago that he was holding Eugene and Counsellor Alfred in the Zenobian Castle," I informed
"Is that where you were headed?" Leon asked.
"Yes." I threw in a question of my own. "You claimed my mother to be your sister, does that mean you are Leon II."
I heard him snort. "Yes. All the way out here in this wilderness. A prince in exile."
I nodded and we came upon a large group of twenty horseman all armed with daggers, bow and arrows, or swords. It was quite an impressive army for being exiles. Usually Morlum was pretty good at killing all his enemies. He must have missed this one, or else they were good at making themselves invisible. The men stared at me showing various degrees of emotion. Some were completely shocked, while others just glared.
"Who do you think you are, kid? The king of Zenobia?" Carl sneered. He and his mare were just behing Leon and Ballion's horses.
I hardened my gaze and replied passively, "No, only a desendant of our late King."
Carl looked taken aback, but stayed quiet.
"Don't take it seriously, Arch. Carl is new and he hasn't learned his place yet," Leon whispered. "He will given time and being worn in by the men. They will test you also, Archer. Ballion especially."
I was thankful for the warning, but what could I not face? I had been the prisoner of Morlum for years. I was derided and pushed past my limits by anyone who came into contact with me. Later though...later I had gained the trust of my guards and we all had a kind of parent/son relationship. I was the son, of course. It had been a welcomed change. They had helped me escape the king six months ago.
I coughed and swallowed painfully as we rode on.
I was just beginning to realize how terribly hot and tired I was. I shied away from the feeling of belonging that rose inside of me. I could not afford those feelings this early. It could very well get me killed if these men weren't who they said they were. We rode into a camp well hidden by the mountain ranges. I got the idea that this was why they were not found. People were there to greet the tired travellers and I was helped to the doctor, who fussed over getting me warm and well "as soon as possible." My eyelids slipped shut and I darkness came over me, but I never noticed.
My eyelids fluttered open sometime later and I got a full sight of Leon's worried face looking at me.
"There you are," he crowed. "We though you were going to die on us there for a bit."
"How long have I been out?" I rasped out in a whisper. Shaking my head to clear how fuzzy I felt.
"Almost a week," He replied. "If we hadn't had such a good doctor I'm afraid you would have died."
I smiled,"I don't give up that easily."
The doctor came in and shoed Leon away. He shoved a cup in my hand. "Drink that," he ordered. "It will make your throat feel better. Then you can leave. No going out in the rain for sometime and don't strain yourself. I can tell you've had several bouts of phemonia and you left before you were completely healed."
I flushed, "Doctor I couldn't stay there. They had turned me in. I had no choice but to leave."
He gave me a glare that clearly said "get out."
I left in a hurry putting the empty cup on the stand. I stood there in the sun soaking it up. My weary body relaxed.
Leon laughed,"What are you doing?"
"Enjoying the sun," I replied. I spared him a glance in time to see a grin spread over his hansome features.
"I thought you had fallen asleep standing up."
I smiled softly. My gaze shot over to a lady coming out of the tent. Her whole posture told of dignity. Our eyes met and shock covered her fair face. A look of relief flooded it a moment later. I staggered at the impact of her body slamming into me, but I laughed.
"Archer! Look at you," She stepped back at arm length and surveyed me critically.
"You honestly didn't expect me to stay twelve, Mother dear," I teased.
Her face lit with a laughing smile and she shook her head. Then the sober look stole back over those familiar features.
"I hadn't expected to see you again, though, Archer. I had expected Morlum to-" She shuddered, not daring to let the words slip through her lips. I knew, however, that she expected me to be dead.
"Neither did I." Everything about that horrible night was coming back. I turned my face away. Morlum had taunted me, and his men had generally been rough with me. I was held prisoner in Casthrop for six years and they had taken their toll on me. "Mother, I had heard news of Eugene and Alfred's capture by Morlum. Is it true?" I asked gently.
Her petite frame trembeled and she nodded, "It happened almost six months ago. Morlum and the Black Knights stormed the Lion's Den. There was nothing the men could do about Eugene and Alfred. They were taken to the Zenobian Castle and are currently being held there, well gaurded in a underground prison."
I figeted, my hands folding and unfolding. "I had better be going. He will attack again when he finds that I am here. He was in a terrible mood when he found I had escaped. Although it does explain some things about why he was moving me after six years in Casthrop."
Violet's fair face came down in a frown. "You mean he just up and decided to move you."
"Five months ago, mother, he showed up at the castle for the first time since he took me there. I was rather shocked myself. He just told me we were going to the Zenobia Castle. No explaination as to why. I heard of Eugene's capture after I escaped and somewhat suspected that he wanted something from Eugene. He must of threatened my life, but you know Eugene. He never believed anything till he saw it."
Leon was catching on. "So he had to get Archer there to show Eugene he was still alive and then Eugene would have never put your life on the line. Especially since he hasn't seen you in six years. Eugene would have told King Morlum anything he wanted just to keep you out of harms way."
I nodded solemnly. "It's good to know I have such a thoughtful brother, but what worries me is what he could have done to Eugene in five months trying to get the answers from him."