The Key To Freedom

By Kathryn Webster

Mikhel and his friend Caleb live in a country ruled over by an oppressive and wicked king. In pursuit of Mikhel’s kidnapped sister the friends meet with forces that turn theur quest into an even greater struggle for freedom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kathryn Webster
• Release date: Jan 23, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465971944

Kathryn Webster

Kathryn lives in a village in the North East of England with her husband, two children and two cats. She currently works as a freelance proofreader, and has previously worked as a primary teacher and in a charity working with young homeless people.In days BC (before children), she used to enjoy playing football, skiing, travelling and long walking expeditions. Now, her spare time is spend gardening, reading, playing piano and volunteering for the charity she used to work for.Kathryn loves writing and this is her first complete book, written after being inspired by Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. If you read this book, please review on Smashwords. If you enjoyed the book, please tell your friends - it is free!

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Praise for The Key to Freedom

"I love your characters, story and narrative style - beautiful and accessible, a sheer delight! Someone must publish it."

Freda Kelsall – Author, TV writer (How We Used To Live, Emmerdale, Heartbeat), Director, Screenwriter, playwright, and acting coach to Colin Firth.

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The Key To Freedom

Kathryn Webster

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Copyright 2012 Kathryn Webster

Smashwords Edition

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Smashwords Edition, Licence Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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For more information please go to my author profile at http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KathrynWebster

Chapter One

The day started as many others. Mikhel had no premonition that anything bad was going to happen. Perhaps if he had paid attention to his mother’s warnings nothing would have happened.

He got up that morning as usual, out of the cabin bed on the edge of the one-roomed house they lived in. He quickly pulled on his woollen trousers and tunic – wool was of course good to keep warm, but also the only way of making clothes in Arrima-Leth, the country where he lived.

His pretty blue-eyed sister Maria was already up, preparing breakfast. His father was already out on the lake catching the day’s fish. After eating, Mikhel stood up, stretched, and walked to the door. He put on his long wool cloak, and went out to find his friend Caleb to get ready to do their part in the day’s work. Together they hitched the donkey up to the old cart, and ambled down to the lakeshore. Maria and their mother Valita by this time were already there, along with Caleb’s mother, Joella and his younger brother, Sami. Caleb was munching the end of a loaf of bread. They all sat and waited, enjoying the weak sunshine, as they watched the boat strain towards the shore, weighed down with fish, Sharen, Caleb’s father and Arman, Mikhel’s father, pulling at the oars.

Finally the two men were close enough; Caleb and Mikhel waded in and helped pull the boat up onto the pebbled shore. All set to work, sorting the fish, putting the good ones into baskets. When these were full they were loaded onto the cart. Three baskets was today’s load, and the donkey, Mikhel and Caleb set off along the lakeside path to the town.

This was usually a pleasant walk, and today was no exception. The odour of fresh fish overpowered other more subtle smells, but the sky was blue, and the sun was beaming down cool rays. Small white clouds hurried along, high in the heavens. The lake lapped gently on the pebbled beach. By the wayside snowdrops were in abundance, though these were looking worn with age; the crocuses were in full flower, lilac and golden. The many fingers of the gorse bushes were tipped with yellow; the daffodils yet remained full of promise.

Bonn the donkey plodded along, the cart creaking and rolling reluctantly behind her. The boys walked; there would have been room for at least one to ride, but neither liked the lurching movement of the cart, and besides, Bonn was getting old now, they didn’t want to burden her unnecessarily. Caleb took a biscuit out of his pocket and crunched it as they walked.

A mile along, the path turned away from the lakeside and followed a stream up the gentle valley. The stream wound, snake like, up the flat valley bottom. The path crossed through the stream many times before bearing off to the left up a small hill. In places the ground was boggy, and the fords were deep, the snow just recently having melted. Then up and over the hill they went, and dropped down into the small town of Muna that nestled at the far side.

They went straight to the crowded market place, and in no time at all the fish were selling. Many people came to buy; others just came to talk with the two friendly boys. Caleb, the older of the two, who was seventeen, was engaged to be married to Maria, and some people talked with Caleb about his forthcoming wedding, especially the young girls, wondering if they would be chosen as bridesmaid for Maria. Caleb always had time for the little children; whenever there was a quiet spell, he would lift one of the children onto his knee and tell them stories.

A short, middle aged man with a balding head approached them.

What would you like, sir? A nice bit of trout, or perch? asked Mikhel. The trout is particularly good today.

Nothing, young man. You should have left well alone yesterday. Interfering in the King’s business, that’s not on, you should keep right out.

You mean that I should just have left that baby to die?

It’s up to the King what his Guards do, not for us to interfere. It’s His right.

Mikhel looked ready to hit the man, but Caleb urged him just to leave it. The man turned and left, muttering under his breath.

What was all that about? asked Caleb.

Mikhel looked at once proud of himself, and sheepish.

I hope I didn’t do the wrong thing, he started. Ma always says it’s best not to interfere with anything the Royal Guards are doing, but I couldn’t just stand by.

But what did you do? Start from the beginning.

Mikhel took a deep breath and began. I went out to check on the sheep, and old Demré had wandered away from the flock. So I had to go right over the hill, calling after her. Soon I was not far from Muna, and from above I could see dust rising on the road at the far side of town. It was the Royal Guards entering the town.

I crept down the hill towards town, and before long I could see smoke rising. When I got nearer, I could see that it was Sarella’s house that was burning, you know, the young woman whose husband left her to raise their five children herself.

Caleb nodded; he knew the story.

"So I ran down, and saw what was happening. Eight of the Royal Guards were standing round; one of them held Sarella who was screaming and crying. Someone told me that it was because her youngest child was still in the burning cabin. They wouldn’t let her, nor any of the people nearby go in to rescue it. They hadn’t seen me yet at the back of the small crowd, so I ran round the back of the house, and climbed in the window. I got down low because there was less smoke there, grabbed the screaming baby, and got out again the way I came in. The fire hadn’t taken hold properly yet, so it wasn’t too hard, anyone could have done it.

"However, the Royal Guards - they saw me and chased me, so I ran and hid in the wood behind until all was quiet, still with the baby. I had trouble keeping her quiet when the Guards were near. In fact I was scared of suffocating her, cause I had to cover her mouth to stop her screaming. I crept back to town about an hour later, found Sarella at her neighbour’s house, with the other children. She was sitting there in silence and started crying when she saw me with the baby. She couldn’t stop thanking me when I handed her the little one. She said that they had burnt the house down because she hadn’t been able to pay her taxes since Maron left her.

I didn’t dare tell Ma and Pa, Ma would worry too much that it will get our family into trouble with the Royal Guards, but I don’t think that they knew who I was. Anyway, even if they did, I couldn’t go leaving that little child to burn to death.

Caleb looked concerned. I’m sure you felt that you had to do that, but I’m worried Mikhel, what will happen if they find out who you are?

They’ll only find out if someone tells them, and no-one would do that. Would they?

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They had nearly sold out of fish when Sarella’s neighbour came up to Mikhel. In hushed tones he echoed the thanks of Sarella, and told him that she was leaving the town to stay with her cousin somewhere in the South of the land.

I’m pleased Sarella’s got somewhere to go, said Caleb, after the man had gone,

Yes, said Mikhel, but I hope that she can get there. She won’t have a licence to travel, and if she’s caught she’ll be in even worse trouble.

There really are many pointless laws in this country, Caleb replied. But maybe she will be able to get a licence; she just needs to say where she’s going.

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The sun was high in the sky by the time all the fish were sold. Caleb looked worried about all that had been said that day, and wanted to get away back home as quickly as possible. Mikhel brushed his concerns aside, and insisted they went and visited their friend Mekiesh, the blacksmith’s apprentice. Mikhel quickly persuaded Mekiesh to take a break from work and the three of them fooled around, using the cart to give each other rides while Bonn munched the grass.

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Maria! Valita called out the window, lunch is ready. Maria left the vegetable garden, went to the washhouse to clean her filthy hands, and joined her mother and father for the bowl of broth.

Mikhel not back yet? grunted Arman.

I thought he’d be back by now, but his broth will keep.

All was quiet while Valita served the steamy, thick soup into the earthenware bowl.

What’s that noise? asked Valita.

Maria listened, and could hear a quiet thump, thump, steady, regular, getting louder. Arman stood up cautiously. The noise stopped and a loud knock was heard at the door. Open up for the Royal Guards!

They must be here for the taxes, said Valita. She looked out the window. But there are an awful lot of them for that.

Valita went to open the door, while Arman fished a small bag of coins out of the jar by the fire. Four men came inside, while another twenty or so waited outside. They were offered seats but did not take them, preferring instead to walk around the cabin, looking around, peering into cupboards and bedchambers. The first, a short red-faced man, the redness exacerbated by the crimson of his uniform, demanded the taxes. Arman opened the small bag, tipped the large, dirty silver coins onto the table and counted out thirty, leaving just a few behind. There you are, sir, thirty creda.

Mikhel and Caleb would usually get about three creda for selling a day’s catch at the market, perhaps four on a good day.

Thirty! mocked the red-faced man.

Taxes have gone up to forty five a month now, sniggered the second soldier, this one a little taller with a full beard and a crooked nose.

Valita and Arman knew better than to disobey, but they knew that they didn’t have that much. They looked at each other in despair. The red-faced man cast his beady eyes around the room, looking for something of value.

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Mekiesh ran back to the forge, apprehensive of the blacksmith’s reaction to his two-hour disappearance, while Caleb and Mikhel once more hitched up the donkey to the cart and set off back. Mikhel was light hearted, and was singing, but Caleb’s worry returned to him as they walked along. He quickened his pace, and urged his friend on.

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Valita and Arman had found nine more coins, but they knew they had no more. Valita asked the men to come back next month and they would find the rest for them.

No need for it, my sweetheart, I can see what we can take instead crooned the red-faced man nastily, his eyes bearing down on Maria. Maria looked up at the man, fear filling her blue eyes. She turned to her father. Arman quickly stepped in front of Maria.

You’re not having her. We’ll have the money for you by next month.

She’s not for me, understand, but for the King. He likes his pretty slaves.

The two Guards who had remained silent up until now marched over and grabbed Arman, pulling him out of the way. Maria pushed back her chair and moved away to the back of the room. There was no way out here. The soldier walked menacingly towards her. Arman struggled in the arms of his captors.

Maria ran straight towards the soldier, then dodged him and reached the open door. At this moment Arman broke loose. Maria ran outside, straight into the other Guards who were waiting just near the door; one of them grabbed her and slung her onto his horse. Her father was close behind but one of the ready troop outside shot an arrow deep into his chest. Arman fell backwards into the doorway. The four Guards inside leapt over him, one of them kicking him as he passed; they jumped onto their horses, and galloped off, Maria screaming until the soldier bearing her on his horse clamped his hairy hand over her mouth.

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It was to this scene that Mikhel and Caleb returned: Valita weeping over her husband’s still body, and the screams of Maria still ringing in the air. A few words from Valita were all they needed to understand what had happened, and both set off at a sprint east along the lake, after the Guards. But boys on foot, swift as they may be, are no match in speed for Guards on horseback. The futility of their chase did not halt them however, until weariness took its toll. As they reached the place where the river emptied into the lake, all signs of their enemies lost, Caleb and Mikhel slowed to a halt, clung to each other, and