Love of a Thousand Words

Ch. 5 A Fugitive Caught

The General finally looked away from the maid and took a last glance over at the lady hidden behind the drapes before ordering three of his men to go find the man in the stables, unquestioning her claims.

On horseback, the soldiers went over to the cottage and started to search for the man. Hollering could be heard as the fugitive man was found in the warehouse exactly where the lady said he would be.

Some of the soldiers were astonished that the young miss was true to her words. Especially the third in command who was suspicious of the young lady's motives from the start. Her assistance in tracking down the fugitive had not gone unnoticed by the band of soldiers.

"Miss Gunvaldsen, I owe you a debt of gratitude for helping us find the fugitive," his voice rumbled with authority but was rather slow and hesitant.

His voice startled the young miss by not being loud or gruff as one would expect from his earlier behavior. It sounded almost as if he hasn't exchanged pleasantries with a lady much before.

He paused for a second, with his unwavering gaze looking at the shadow of the lady behind the white drapes before bringing his horse back over to his troops.

In a demanding voice he shouted, "Clear the road!"

His soldiers did just that as the sound of hooves hurried to the side of the road. The carriage then started down the dirt path, headed towards the city. A faint looking maid ran after it once the guards let go of the unruly head maid.

The General took one last gaze at the carriage before turning around reluctantly, facing the fugitive man that was found. He was correctly identified by the soldiers from the unusual mole on the left side of his nose. The man looked unseemly with his hair unkept, and clothing soiled.

Nothing of what a distinguished official of the court would be. He had two guards flanking him as they held onto his arms in case he decided to take the chance to run away again.

Instead of pleading for mercy and apologizing for the graveness of his sins, the man was quick to exclaim, "Get your hands off me! You... you have no right to hold me. I did nothing wrong. The King will hear about what you've done!"

Amused at the man's outrageous reaction, the General told his men to take their hands off the man and so they did. He wanted to see how the man would act since he put himself in this position in the first place.

This pleased the man and gave him courage to shrug off the soldiers' hands and stand tall.

The middle-aged man said with confidence, "I'm the eldest son of the Woodson Clan. My youngest sister is the wife of the Gunvaldsen family's fourth son. I won't take orders from a general below me."

"Oh?" The General said with a cruel smile, seeming to enjoy this encounter like a cat playing with a mouse.

He slid off his horse to be facing the man on even grounds. As he strode closer to the man, his regal armor clanged with each step. The crimson blood on his armor foreboding the sentence this man will be given like every enemy soldier.

The fugitive man stayed oblivious to the fact that the General towering over him is not some low-grade commander but the most feared and respected General in the kingdom. He is the favorite adopted nephew of the King. Whose name is whispered throughout the Kingdom as the man given favor over the King's own son's.

Even most young ladies of the kingdom desire him as the perfect husband. Not only does he have years of accomplishments behind him but has a good reputation and wealth backing him. He isn't your average soldier, but the man knew nothing of this. Leading to his second mistake.

"The King must be losing his touch if he has to send out a kid to carry out his every whim," the official whispered in anger.

In one swift motion, the General took his sword out of its sheath and pointed the sword a fingertip away from his neck. Dried blood from the battle coated the blade warning the fugitive man.

Without patience, the General's cold demeaner quickly changed from his encounter with the young Lady. He decided to do things his way when dealing with the disloyal official.

With a change of attitude, the fugitive man immediately begged for his life once he saw the sword. The man went limp with terror needing the soldiers to hold him up.

A tight-lipped expression masked the General's inner turmoil as he stared down the official with his sword now touching the man's neck. The insubordinate words echoed in his mind, a direct affront not only to his authority but also, by extension, to the king's sovereignty.

The general's chest tightened with a blend of anger and frustration, his loyalty to the crown making the disrespect doubly galling. Every fiber of his being resisted the urge to react impulsively, to let the emotions surge forth like a tempest and cut the man's head cleanly off. Instead, he swallowed the bitter taste of insult.

"By decree of the King, you are to be tried for omitting information about the Royal Army's inventory. If you dare to escape again, don't expect me to be merciful. Take him away!" He bellowed, losing patience over the man.

It is a known fact that the General can't stand it when someone mocks his position. He worked very hard to attain the position of a high ranking General just like how his father preceded before him.

With that he lowered his sword and watched as his men tied a rope around the fugitive's chest and arms so he wouldn't be able to escape easily. The man started hollering profanities as he was led by the soldiers knowing that his front is over.

The General's Second in command, followed the rest of the soldiers to bring the man to the prison's gates before his trial. The General watched as the fugitive disappeared around the bend before getting back up on his horse.

With a gesture he signaled the rest of his men to head back to camp. The men in sync put their hand into a fist and crossed it over their chest bowing their head to him respectfully before heading off.