Red Leaves and the Living Token - By Benjamin David Burrell Page 0,96

fire you now?"

Rinacht laughed again. "I'm sure he'll do more than that if he catches me."

That was alarming. If Rinacht wasn't planning on being caught by his dad, what was he planning on doing after they made it to the Red? Did that mean he wasn't going to help him get home? And honestly he hadn't really thought much about what he was going to do after he found it.

“Listen, we're going to meet up with some people who've agreed to help us. Even if your father had agreed to come, we wouldn't have been able to do it without additional help.” Rinacht said.

"OK?" Emret made an uncomfortable face. Who could Rinacht possibly know out in the forest? Did he have friends out there waiting for him. Watching everything this entire time? And how did he get into the camp in the first place?

"I know this is a lot to take in. You'll just have to trust me." Rinacht said.

Emret was starting to wonder if he'd made the right choice. He trusted Rinacht. But that was because he had worked for Dad for so many years. Rinacht and his father. That was what he knew. But Rinacht and strangers? He'd never known any of Rinacht friends. He'd never even seen him talk to anyone other than the family.

"Who are they?" Emret asked.

"They're old friends. I told them what happened with your father. How sick you were. And how much you needed to find what we're looking for." Rinacht said.

"And they know what we're looking for?" Emret asked. This concerned him. Seemed a lot of people were looking for the Token all of a sudden, and none of them seemed to interested in sharing it.

"They do. But I'll let them explain themselves."

Emret found himself not wanting to continue with Rinacht. But what choice did he have? He had no better alternative.

Chapter

ELEVEN

A military looking Botann stood in the empty space between The Holy Master Cleric and a crowd of men at the back of the room.

"All captains of the general guard reporting.” The Botan said.

Another man stepped forward next to the first. "As is the High Commander of your special guard."

"Thank you for coming so quickly. The matter is urgent, as I'm sure you've been informed. But there is much you do not know. That's why I've called you all here. I want you to hear this first hand... from me.” He paused.

"Captains please come forward, so we may speak more intimately." He said.

The crowd responded immediately, falling in behind the first two men who stood half way into the room.

"The Holy Token was sighted by a patrol in the mountain outside the city. We sent a company of the special guard to retrieve it.

"They've reported that an entire division of the Petra army has moved into the area of the sighting. The patrol is missing as well as the persons of interest and most importantly the Holy Token.

"We can only assume the Petra command is in possession of it. My friends we cannot allow this. It is a betrayal of the oath we've pledged to protect the sanctity of the holy article, the Token. It must be returned to its shelter here with us. We've made this promise." The Holy Master Cleric said. He paused to study the faces of his captains.

"Who here is willing to fight for this cause?" He asked.

The crowd responded with a unanimous "HO!" as they stomped their right leg and lifted their right arm in salute.

"You honor me with your devotion." He said.

A thin Botan in flowing white rob rushed up to the Master Cleric and whispered in his ear.

"The Petra division has broken camp. They're moving." The Master Cleric repeated.

He focused his glare on his high commander.

"Commander, if we cannot come to a compromise in this situation?"

"We have enough numbers to stop their single division, yes." The Commander said.

"Then we must send our response now." The Master Cleric said.

"This would be considered an act of war, your holiness. A war that we are not prepared to fight." The Commander said.

"Trust me my young friend, we have no choice. The Token is our trust. It cannot be betrayed even at the cost of war.” He paused to push himself to his feet.

“Move the soldiers into position now.” He said with his hand out stretched.

-

Moslin and Handers hurried through the thick leaves, ducking under the branches of the low ferns and bushes. The dense ground covering made it impossible to see more than a few feet in