The Rescue Part 1

In the early morning hours, Keogh, Aria, and Erica approach House Cath to rescue Duke's daughter, trapped in her room by Duke's impostor...

   Lenna Ridgemont stared out of her second story window, the same window that she sat by every night for the past week. Lonely and despondent, she sat and waited, watching the unchanging view of the garden below. The beautifully colored flowers that she so carefully maintained since her father’s disappearance were beginning to wilt. She wanted so desperately to sneak out one night and tend to her garden while the guards outside her room were asleep. Ever since that man arrived with his soldiers, claiming to be her father, anyone who refused to acknowledge him as the Duke was either imprisoned or exiled. The mass exodus of her father’s staff, the friends and family she had grown up with, meant that no one was left to tend to her garden. Lying back on her bed, she recalled her last memories of her father…

  

   The sun shone bright in the sky that day, 5 years ago, when she was helping her dad in the garden. Despite having maids and housekeepers, he insisted on tending to the garden himself; it was a passion of his. Together, they had finished planting some perennial flowers along the brick walkway which snaked through the garden. While they were cleaning up, she worked up the nerve to ask a question which had been bugging her for some time now.

   “Daddy?” she asked, “When did you first start your garden?”

   “Why, I think it was about a year before you were born,” he answered, patting her head gently, making her laugh, “Your mother started it, actually. She loved flowers, and wanted to make this place beautiful!”

   “I wanna make your garden beautiful too!”

   “My garden, is it?” he said, a sly smile spreading over his face, “Don’t you mean your garden?”

   “Really? You really mean it?” she exclaimed.

   Her father kneeled down and pointed to a small mound of dirt where they had planted a flower earlier. “One day, Lenna, this bulb is going to grow and fill this garden with color and beauty, just like you! From this day forward, this garden is now yours!” he said, his voice full of pride, “Of course, I expect you to care for it as you would your own child!”

   Elated, she ran over to embrace her father. “I will, father! I promise!”

  

   Lenna was jolted back to reality by a loud thud from the hallway outside her room. Glancing out the window, she noted a few of the imposter Duke’s soldiers running through the garden, shouting at each other. She yelped in surprise as something was slammed up against her door with an even louder thud. Silence fell once more as she sat up on her bed, shaking in fright. Without warning, the door burst open and a red-haired young man in a guard uniform entered the room.

   “You’re Lenna?” he asked, his voice soft yet stern, “Sorry about the noise!”

   “Yes, sir…” she stammered nervously, “Who are you?”

   “I’m Keogh, a friend of your father, and I’m here to rescue you!”

 

One Hour Earlier…

 

   Keogh, Aria, and Erica approached the Duke’s mansion just outside of Cath early in the morning, under cover of darkness. The mansion itself was a modest, two-story building, with a courtyard out front and a smaller garden out back. According to Duke, the mansion was built by the first Duke of Cath, although several descendants added their own modifications and expansions. The courtyard out front contained a well-kept lawn and a few trees, none of which provided reliable cover, complicating their approach to the house.

   The plan, as discussed with Duke and his butler Dupre the night before, was to sneak into House Cath and locate Lenna, Duke’s daughter. At sunrise, Duke and Dupre would rouse the citizens of Cath and march on the mansion. Keogh and the others would use the ensuing chaos to escape with Lenna.

   “Foolproof?” Keogh mumbled to himself, “Not hardly.” He was pressed up against a tree while Aria, perched in the same tree, followed the movements of a nearby guard. He waved at Aria, and she quickly exited her perch, joining Keogh at the base of the tree.

   “We’re gonna have to give this one a wide berth,” she whispered in his ear, “We could sneak up on him, but it won’t be easy.”

   “I didn’t really expect anything about this to be easy,” Keogh sighed.

   Hearing a soft whistle nearby, Keogh and Aria turned to look as Erica rejoined them, carrying a guard on her back. “You two behaving?” she asked, slightly out of breath. They blushed slightly, realizing how close together they were sitting, and Keogh quickly stood up.

   “Where were you?” he accosted Erica, “And more importantly, why are you giving a guard a piggy-back ride?”

   “Don’t worry, he’s only unconscious,” Erica winked as she let go of her companion, who slumped to the ground limply, “His uniform is too big for me, but you, Keogh…”

   Realizing what Erica was thinking, he found himself blushing. “No! No way!” he cried. Aria looked intrigued, realizing Erica’s plan as well. Knowing they had no other choices, Keogh quickly gave in.

   “Just give me some space, okay?” he said, turning away from the two girls, “Geez, this is embarrassing…”

 

   Keogh’s face was still flushed red with embarrassment after changing into the guard’s uniform. The uniform fit him a bit loosely, but both Erica and Aria agreed that he could pass for a guard easily now. He didn’t expect to find any female guards, so he decided to go in alone, undercover. Erica and Aria were reluctant to leave him for their own reasons, but he told them to help Duke with his side of the plan. “I can get her out myself if you make a good enough distraction at sunrise!” he had insisted. But in reality, he didn’t want to put Aria in danger. He had a feeling he could trust Erica to protect Aria should anything happen. Shaking his head, and checking to make sure his katana was still strapped to his back, he approached the guard at the entrance.

   “Halt!” the guard called out, and Keogh obeyed. He felt the guard’s eyes examining him, sizing him up. Finally, the guard was satisfied. “You look tired, kid. Get some sleep,” the guard said, gesturing toward the entrance.

   Slipping into the role of the young newbie, Keogh nodded. “Yes sir! Thank you sir!” he replied obediently, slipping inside.

   The main hall of House Cath was a grand spectacle indeed. A great chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the hall with numerous lit crystals scattered among the other intricate glass structures. The light filled the hall with comforting warmth, making Keogh feel at home as he climbed the great staircase leading to the second floor. He passed through the door leading to the east wing of the house, where Lenna’s room was located. Approaching the end of the hall, where he was told Lenna’s room would be, he came into the view of the two guards outside her room.

   “What do you want?” one of the guards said to him.

   “I’m supposed to take over for you,” Keogh said to the other guard.

   “What? I never heard nuthin’ about that!” the other guard exclaimed, slouching in a wooden chair.

   “Really? That’s too bad!” Keogh sighed, kicking the seated guard up against the wall.

   “Hey!” the other guard yelled, “Why you little punk!” The guard rushed him, and Keogh was knocked off his feet for a brief second. Regaining his footing, he planted his knee deep within the soldier’s gut, spun around, and threw him headfirst into the door. The soldier bounced off the sturdy door, quickly crumpling into unconsciousness. The other soldier, having recovered, charged him next, but Keogh was prepared this time. He sidestepped the charging guard, caught him, and slammed him into the door head-first. The door let out an audible crack but remained intact. Disappointed, Keogh dug through the guards’ pockets until he found a key to the room.

   “Guess I have to do this the hard way…” he muttered to himself as he tried the key in the lock. He forced the door open to find a well furnished, modestly kept room. A slender, blond-haired girl about his age sat shaking on the bed, scared out of her mind. “You’re Lenna?” he asked, feeling kind of bad for frightening her, “Sorry about the noise!”

   “Yes, sir,” she replied, “Who are you?”

   “I’m Keogh,” he answered, “A friend of your father, and I’m here to rescue you!”

   “Rescue! Me?” she stood up quickly and backed up against the wall.

   “It’s okay!” Keogh turned around, trying not to frighten her any further, “Just let me clean up this mess, and we’ll get out of here!”

   As Keogh turned to tend to the unconscious soldiers outside, Lenna, in a fit of panic, picked up a wooden chair and proceeded to smash it over Keogh’s head. Keogh crumpled to the floor and drifted into unconsciousness, thinking to himself, “Not again…”       

Author's Note

Finally! It took me well long enough, but I'm finally back, after dealing with some personal problems. So glad I was finally able to continue; it took me a while to start again, but once I got going, it flowed out just how it used to! Any advice, criticism, and/or comments always welcome and encouraged! Thanks for reading!

Reviews

[Alexanne Dauntless]

As a whole, I liked this. The dialogue seems a bit choppy at times; almost forced. And I am not entirely sure what time setting this is placed in, or where it is taking place, but I don't believe "punk" is part of their vocabulary.

If I may, I would also recommend a bit more narration along with the dialogue. Unless of course your intention is to keep the reader in the dark as to the details of what exactly is happening at the moment; around the time when you switch to Keogh, Aria, and Erica, the narrator should perhaps divulge a bit more. The first section, of Lenna with her father, was very well done though. I really enjoyed reading that part.