Brian's Adventures Ch. 15

Chapter Fifteen: New Captain In Town

Time is an odd thing, when you are enjoying yourself it will go fast, when you are in anguish it will move ever so slowly. If you're in a rush, it will move so much faster than you wish it to, no matter what you do. If you wish it to hurry along, it will slow down to a crawl just to spite you. So you can imagine that when you are confined to quarters, what feels like two months is actually two weeks.

I remember pacing back and forth with all manner of dark thoughts haunting my mind. We all had started to guess our chances of escape, of fighting our way to freedom. None of us had sunk to the level of actually making a break for it but we were close, ever so close to making a try for it. However, we managed to keep our wits about us and hoped the slim hope that we would be released sometime soon.

After all, since we were proven right we thought that sooner or later someone would want to talk to us, to find out what we knew. At least that was the hope I was clinging to, that someone would find us useful and see the error of the Commander's ways. It seemed obvious to the Guards that guarded us that we had information on the situation and shouldn't have been left to rot in there.

Thankfully someone did come for us finally, I remember the door opening and a strange Guard entering the room. She looked around the room while counting our heads, and without as much as a hello ordered us to come with her. Then she turned and left the barracks and waited for us outside. To us it was almost unreal, almost a dream. We played along anyways and walked outside and winced in the bright light of day.

We were escorted with a few more Guards over to the Town Hall, and again not a word was spoken to us. No explanations were given, no apologies or concern was shown for our time incarcerated. We were marched like cattle being driven to market, to her we were just another thing to deliver. As we walked through the Town Hall we all had an idea of where we were going, namely to the Commander's office. Eventually we found our way to the door of her office but oddly enough the Guards posted outside her office were not regular Guards. These were the 'Council Guards', the Guards that bore fancier swords and finer armour. I knew that could only mean that a person of some import was in there with the Commander, a Councillor or somebody of the like. Nothing prepared me for the shock I got when I rounded the corner and saw Lochel sitting there in the office alone.

Lochel, or rather Director Teroncia was sitting at the desk looking over some papers and didn't seem to notice our arrival. Our escorting Guards stood outside but the lead Guard entered the room ahead of us. We all lined up in front of the desk and waited, not knowing what would happen next.

"The prisoners you requested Director." The lead Guard said in a dry tone, with just a hint of pride in her voice while she stood at attention tall and proud.

"Thank you, but they're not prisoners." Lochel replied, looking up at the lead Guard only just as he finished his sentence, glancing over us once.

"Sir? . . . But these are the individuals you requested?" The Guard asked a little confused over his last comment.

"Yes they are, but they are not prisoners. They were arrested for impersonating Guards yet I have their transfer orders here." Lochel said holding up one of the papers on the desk. "According to this they were properly deputized in Greenglen and then transferred here. Why then were they arrested two weeks ago?" Lochel inquired with a perplexed look. The Guard also looked puzzled over this news but gave no reply for a moment.

"I don't know sir, you'd have to ask the Commander about that." The Guard said and fell silent again, still having a disturbed look about her.

"The Commander, yes." Lochel said with a disappointed and frustrated sigh with a look to match as he rolled his eyes. "Fair enough, dismissed." He said with a commanding glance to the Guard who then disappeared without another word closing the door behind her. "Have a seat all of you." Lochel said warmly to us as he rose and walked toward Treabilla who walked toward her Father. "Good to see you dear. You had me so worried, I swear you will be the death of me yet." Lochel said with a warm smile just before he embraced her and kissed both her cheeks, she did likewise.

"Oh Father, stop worrying about me, I can take care of myself." Treabilla said with a bright smile as she looked into her Father's face "Besides I was with good friends, you should have known that." Treabilla said while still embracing her Father while motioning to the rest of us.

"But still you shouldn't have run off and made me worry so." Lochel said with a cloaked perturbed tone with just a hint of a condescending flavour in his voice.

"Oh Father really! I'm not a little girl anymore!" Treabilla said with just the beginnings of a pout.

"We'll talk about this later dear." Lochel said with a tone that Treabilla knew was the end of the discussion for now. "Why is it Mr. Westlock that when my Daughter goes missing these days I find her in your care?" Lochel said with a curious tone and a raised eyebrow as he looked at me while still holding his Daughter.

"Just lucky I guess sir." I replied respectfully, remembering whom I was talking to.

"To have the company of my Daughter for so long a time on more than one occasion, I should definitely say is lucky indeed." Lochel said proudly with a squeeze of his Daughter who hugged him back. "I'm so relieved that you're alright dear. I came with fresh Guards as soon as I heard the news." Lochel said first to Treabilla and then turned to the rest of us. "Can someone tell me what is going on here? Do any of you have the slightest idea why the Captain of the Guards joined the rebellion she was supposed to quell? And why over two hundred Guards went with her?" Lochel said with the shock and disbelief he felt.

"I can sir, but you'd better sit down for this, it is a bit involved and quite a troubling tale." I said with a regretful sigh and a shake of my head as the weight of the news I had to tell came back to me.

With that we set about telling him everything we knew about The Mistress and her Disciples. Every last detail of the trip that we took from the gates of Teroncia to Greatfoot we told him. Naturally we left out certain intimate and more private details that he didn't need to know. We took our time and described everything else in detail, making sure that he understood all of it. After all, if there was one person in Tania who needed to know and understand what we had to say, Lochel was that person. He asked a number of questions and we answered them as best we could. Thankfully I did not do all the talking, everyone took their turn in explaining a portion of the tale.

Yet again, Treabilla had to drop her drawers and reveal the mark of The Mistress; Lochel stared at it for a moment, almost in disbelief. Once we were finished and he had been caught up to the moment, he fell silent and was deep in thought. As he sat there, I could see a look I hadn't seen before on his normally confident face, now he had an almost frightened look about him.

"My God, it's worse then I thought." Lochel sighed. "I knew that she had Disciples and did strange things to them but I always thought it was relatively harmless. I was assured by The Captain that she was trying to find The Mistress and bring her to justice as I ordered long ago. I suppose she was protecting her instead hunting for her." Lochel shook his head in disbelief. "I always thought she was content with the few she had worshiping her and paid her little mind. Naturally when she took Treabilla from me I wanted her head, but that was as a Father not as the Director." Lochel said and sighed with a frowning forehead.

"Understandably sir." I assured him.

"I never imagined that she would go this far, it never occurred to me that she would actually want Tania!" Lochel said with a sigh and a shudder at the unpalatable thought.

"But it is the truth Father, and we have to stop her!" Treabilla said with conviction.

"Agreed, and thanks to you lot she has been captured and is on her way to Teroncia as we speak, in fact she should be there by now." Lochel said with a smile. "It is good to think of her as locked up." Lochel added with a satisfied smirk.

"As you may be aware sir." Jealile started out. "She is no less dangerous simply because she is locked up." Jealile said respectfully and assuredly. "She is quite manipulative and will most likely continue her troublesome influence from wherever she is." Jealile said plainly with the barest of frown and a troubled sigh.

"Best to just kill her Father. Kill her quickly and publicly." Treabilla said seething with her hidden anger and hatred for The Mistress.

"I'm sure she will die, but after a proper trial of course." Lochel said with a confident and satisfied tone while looking off and thinking for a moment.

"Hopefully the same one I received." I mumbled half to myself, I never meant for it to be said out loud, but somehow it slipped out.

"Unfortunately you were never given one, the law that covered your crime was quite specific. If you arrive, then you die. With The Mistress however, Treason will be easy to prove." Lochel said and fell silent for a moment, once again lost in thought. "That means that I must return to Teroncia as soon as possible and see that she gets what she deserves." Lochel said with a more agitated manner about him.

"Absolutely sir. She must be dealt with once and for all. It will be easier to deal with the body once the head is cut off." I added assuredly, and with that Lochel looked at me with a curious look in his eye.

"That leaves the pesky problem of what to do about the Guards who are now without a Captain." He added while looking at me with that same curious smile. "I need someone I can trust. I need someone who is a natural leader. Someone who is a smart tactician and one who can handle the most delicate of situations." Lochel said to himself as if in thought while watching me out of the corner of his eye where a sparkle lived.

"Agreed sir." I said agreeably.

"Are you interested?" Lochel said as he looked at me with a most serious look in his eye.

"Me Director?" I blurted out most shocked and stunned.

"Yes Mr. Westlock I mean you." Lochel repeated with sincerity.

"There must be many more qualified people you could ask sir. I will do whatever you need of me of course Director, but are you sure that I am the best choice?" I asked in a calmer tone but no less shocked.

"You're the perfect man for the job. You know the enemy that we face very well. You are resourceful and you can obviously get people to follow you, and most importantly I can trust you." Lochel said with a firm, yet pleasant tone. "You are the best man for the job at hand. Will you do it Mr. Westlock?" Lochel asked with an inquisitive and expectant look.

"I would be honoured Director. I'll do my best. I won't let you down." I said sitting up straighter in my chair.

"Well, you'd better not, because all of Tania is counting on you!" Lochel said with a grim look in his eye.

"I won't Director!" I said, as I looked him back with the same determination that I had seen in Jealile's face a few times before. "We won't." I added after I looked at the rest of the Band of Misfits who nodded back at me.

"What do you think we should do first?" Lochel asked curiously and I knew it was a sort of test to see if I truly had what it took to be the Captain.

"The first thing we need is to be sure of who we are fighting with. Every Guard here and all over Tania needs to be checked to see if they bear the mark of The Mistress. Those that do will be held for Treason and we will try to reclaim those that we can. We will try to undo the hold that The Mistress has on them." I said firmly. "It worked with Treabilla so I don't see the sense in killing all of them if it isn't necessary." I added and then waited for his response.

"I agree, but keep them out of the way until everything is settled and the Mistress dealt with." Lochel said with a smile. "And what of the rebels in Kincaid?" Lochel asked with a curious lilt.

"I hope to somehow capture them but not kill them, like the Disciple/Guards. I would like to find a way to restore them to their rightful selves and avoid a large bloody battle if possible." I said and again waited for Lochel's reaction.

"That is why I chose you instead of a warrior Captain Westlock. A warrior would simply charge ahead and kill all those that opposed them and sort things out later." Lochel said and paused to shake his finger at me with a sly smile. "You however take the time and see past all of the appearances. You want to crush the rebellion and yet save the rebel." Lochel finished with a satisfied smile. "A great many people may still lose their lives but I'm sure you will keep the deaths on both sides to a minimum. A great deal more will owe you their lives by the end of this. One way or another you must win! You can't let your desire for a bloodless resolution to this stop you from crushing this rebellion!" Lochel warned and looked at me again with a deadly serious glare. "Too much is at stake!" Lochel added with the same firmness of manner.

"I may not like killing, but I have the stomach for it when it is necessary and unavoidable." I replied respectfully yet with conviction, and returned his glare. In truth I really didn't know as I had never killed anyone neither by accident nor on purpose, but I hoped I was not a coward.

"Good, then I'll let you get to the business at hand. I have one question however, how do you intend on checking all the Guards without raising any suspicion?" Lochel asked curiously.

"That's where I come in sir." Shelea said with a timid voice as she tried to sound confident. "I will conduct a medical exam of the Guards here and during the exam I will check for the mark. After the exam if a mark is found I will signal a Guard who will pull the just examined Guard aside and sequester them." Shelea said with growing confidence the more she spoke.

"Will this work do you think?" Lochel asked curiously.

"It went flawlessly at Greenglen. We only found one Guard mind you and we did not tell her we knew of what she really was. She was to be arrested with The Mistress." Shelea finished with a confident smile.

"Excellent, ingenious, it may just work." Lochel smiled and chuckled to himself.

"Sir, if I may make a suggestion, while it is important to rid the Guards of the Disciples have you thought about purging other areas as well?" Jealile said respectfully.

"Such as?" Lochel inquired.

"What about the Council Guards or those that serve in the Council offices? In short anyone who may have access to something vital to Tania should be checked." Jealile said with confident respect.

"Just check everyone." Shelea added quickly before Lochel could answer.

"That may seem like the simplest answer but it is the most complex to implement." Lochel said while shaking his head. "I would like to but we simply can't. No, I agree with Jealile, we must be sure of all those with access to important areas." Lochel finished confidently. "I will contact the healers and have them conduct the necessary examinations throughout the rest of Tania. I want you to focus on the Rebellion here! However you will need to find a way to 'reclaim' these Disciples sometime soon or we may find our jails full to busting with Disciples." Lochel finished with a half wincing look as he thought to himself.

"I'll be best to do that Father." Treabilla said confidently.

"But you're coming home with me." Lochel said firmly and unwaveringly.

"No Father, I am staying here and will see this through to the end!" Treabilla replied defiantly. "I know the Mistress better than anyone here. I am the best choice to break The Mistresses hold over her Disciples, my place is here!" Treabilla finished with a stamp of her foot and she looked as stern and steadfast in her position as Lochel did.

"I will not have you hurt! Your place is at home with your family." Lochel repeated sternly and glared at his openly defiant daughter.

"If we fail here Father, then nowhere on Tania will be safe! My place is here." Treabilla finished firmly and then softened her tone to her Father. "I don't plan on getting hurt Father but if we are to save Tania then we all must do our part." Treabilla implored her Father. "Let me do my part." Treabilla asked her Father with eyes that would melt the coldest of hearts and held that look until her Father spoke again.

"Damn you for being so persuasive. Who taught you to argue so well?" Lochel said with a grim smile to his daughter.

"You did Father." Treabilla said with a proud smirk on her face that she tried to hide but did poorly at it.

"Too well it seems." Lochel finished with a light chuckle.

"It's alright Father, I have the Captain of the Guards to protect me." Treabilla said giving me a wink and a smile.

"I'll protect her as if she were my own wife sir." I replied confidently and quickly.

"Quite." Lochel chuckled for a moment and then turned serious and lightly glared at me. "Just remember that she's not!" Lochel finished and waited for my reaction.

"Understood sir." I assured him with a nod and a nervous gulp. "Leave it to us, we'll take care of matters here Director." I said confidently and sat up straighter, trying to look the part of a no nonsense Captain of the Guards.

"Then it's settled then." Lochel nodded with a confident nod. "Guard." Lochel said loudly and in the direction of the door and suddenly the door opened up. One of the Guards that had been standing outside now burst into the room and stood at attention just inside the door.

"Yes Director." The Guard said as she stood tall, crisp and firmly at attention, her eyes never wavering from dead ahead.

"Assemble all the Guards and prepare my coach, notify me when both are ready. Dismissed." Lochel said with a commanding look and the Guard quickly disappeared after nodding.

"Are you leaving so soon Director?" I inquired, a little taken aback by all the recent developments.

"As you know there is much to attend to in Teroncia and time waits for no one." Lochel said with a weary smile. "I would like to take the time and teach you the details of what it takes to be the Captain but I haven't the time." Lochel said and then paused looking over everyone else in the room. "Besides, your companions will help you understand what is needed of you." Lochel finished with a confident smile.

"I understand sir." I replied now starting to feel the weight of my new position on my shoulders.

"Do you have any last minute questions Captain?" Lochel asked as he started to gather some papers together.

"About a thousand." I said with a quiet panicked look about me.

Clearly I was not ready for this to happen this fast, but in perilous times things can happen faster then you like. The trick is simply to accept what has been handed to you and do the best you can with what you've got. Having said that, can you imagine going from prisoner to Captain of the Guards in two minutes? Then imagine that you were told that you will be running the show on your own moments later? As you can imagine it was all a great shock to my system. I was still adjusting to everything that had happened and had not quite truly believed that I was Captain of the Guards. When Lochel told me that he was leaving just after announcing my appointment to the Guards my fears gripped me.

"I can answer two, the rest you will have to answer on your own." Lochel chuckled with an understanding smile. "I know it is a shock and an adjustment, but you'll do fine." Lochel finished with a comforting smile. "I'd be worried if you weren't nervous."