The smoke was still rising behind them as the four bikes dove into the woods. It pained Richard to leave, but the longer they waited the further their quarry would go.

“Our best bet is up these trails.” Benji had said, pointing out the map. “We’d have seen them if they’d come up where we were at, and there’s no way they would have headed towards town.”

“Chief.” Joseph leaned close, keeping his voice low. Henry was behind them, still tending to the injured farmer. “You said the kids asked after their mother?”

Richard’s head shot up. “We haven’t found anyone else.” Joseph confirmed. 

Richard closed his eyes. “Then there’s a good chance they have a hostage.” He replied as quietly. “That might work in our favor; it will slow them down.”

He looked at the map again. “I doubt they’re local, so they won’t know that stretch of the forest all that well. Joseph, you grew up around these parts, right?”

“My uncle’s farm is just down the road.” Joesph nodded. “He’ll be one of the first ones up here.”

“Then you take point. Me, Benji and Sal will follow.” Richard took the map and folded it up. “Barry, you and Henry stay here; someone’s got to keep those kids calm, and I don’t want any of you alone in case they come back. Keep the kids in the root cellar until help arrives; once it does, and hopefully it is Joseph’s uncle, get all three out of here and into town. We’ll meet you there once we’re done.”

Barry nodded and turned his attention to Henry. The rest turned towards the bikes. “Let’s be quick.”

“There’s a small campsite at the top of the trail.” Joseph called over the roar of the engines. “If they’re going to lay low, it will be there.”

The bikes roared like lions as they tore out of the farmyard, back up into the hills. Roads untraveled by merchants and tourists soon became no more than dirt paths overgrown by weeds and bushes, unpassable by most vehicles. Even the motorbikes struggled, bouncing over larger rocks and dips in the road. 

Finally, Benji held up a hand and pulled the company to a stop. “Over there.” He nodded, sliding off his bike. “Tracks-and not ours, either.”

Joseph knelt to the ground, steadying his own bike with one hand. “Can’t say how many there are, not more than five.”

“Oh, great, was worried we would be outnumbered.” Sal muttered sarcastically. 

Richard peered into the underbrush. The woods were dark, and thick with brush. “We leave the bikes here.” He decided. “We won’t be able to take them father, and we need the element of surprise.”

The bikes were hauled off the trail and hidden in a small batch of bushes. Not that the sparse spring foliage could do much to hide them. Joseph and Benji took the lead, carefully picking their way through the underbrush. Sal stumbled a couple of times, but managed to keep from falling through the brambles. The forest was quiet, save for the chirping of the birds.

Joseph stilled the group, waving Benji forward with one hand. Benji nodded and vanished through a gap in the underbrush. The three remained, silently, watching for signs of movement. 

After ten minutes Benji returned silently, slipping under a branch like water. “Four of them,” He whispered, kneeling down next to Joesph. “And two women tied up next to a rock. Two guards, the rest are relaxing.” A dirt outline of the campsite was created, then marked. 

“Any of them look like the boss?” Richard asked.

“Yeah, wearing a red bandanna. He was taking an awful close interest in the two girls.” Benji confirmed. “The guards seemed to defer to him.”

Richard rocked back on his heels. “Two guards; they’re cautious but not expecting trouble yet. Were they armed?”

“I saw a few pistols.” Benji shrugged. “I didn’t look that close, I was just getting a headcount.”

“We should assume they’re armed.” Joseph nodded. “Notice anything else?”

“One of their bikes had a flat tire.” Benji added. “I’d wager more, but they’re all in a pile.”

Joseph looked at Richard. “They’re holed up waiting for the heat to die, or until they can fix the bikes.”

Richard closed his eyes, thinking. Drat, now’s the time for all that military strategy Blackwood shoves down my throat and I can’t think of a thing. And we can’t wait for backup.

“How are their sight lines?” Joseph asked, pointing at the sketch in the dirt. “Forest isn’t quite in full bloom yet.”

“They didn’t seem that focused on the woods behind them.” Benji scratched his head. “Both guards were looking out at the trailhead.”

Leaving their flank wide open. Richard opened his eyes and looked at the map again. “Joseph, you know the land; can we make use of the terrain?”

“Hill turns into a cliff about here.” Joseph pointed to a point on the little map. “The other side dips down into a gully. This all gets too steep to climb easily.” He pointed to the rest of the circle.

“Can we get to that side of the camp without taking the trails?”

Joseph leaned back, then nodded. “Then let’s go.” Richard said. And hope I can come up with a better plan before we get there.

It wasn’t easy; off the trails, even the ones left by creatures, the young men were left to scramble and claw their way along boulders left by a rockslide decades before. The hill was steep, causing them to be short of breath when they reached the top.

“There’s the Camp.” Joseph paused, leaning around a boulder. “You were right, Benji-they’re starting to settle in.”

A campfire had been struck, the smoke wafting gently into the air. One of the two guards was starting to wander, his guard lowered as the threat of pursuit passed. 

“What’s the plan?” Joseph asked, looking at Richard. 

Richard gulped. He still didn’t have a plan. 

Oh Creator, what do I do?

Trust Me.

His heart calmed. “Our first goal is to take out those two guards before they can react. It’s evenly matched, so if each of us takes a man we should be able to take them by surprise.” He looked up. “Joseph and Sal, you two take the guards. Benji, take the shorter one poking the campfire. Bandanna is mine.”

Joseph nodded, and quietly pulled out his own pistol-unlike the ragged ones the guards were carrying, this one was clean, smooth, and more importantly, well-maintained, as befitting the Prince’s guard. It would fire true. 

“Remember, we want them alive.” Richard said softly. “Nothing lethal.”

The four crouched behind the boulder, ready to strike. Richard took a long, slow breath, and counted them down.

Three.

Two.

One.

Joseph moved fast, moving from behind the boulder just enough to get line-of-sight. One, two, three shots sailed through the shoulders of the guards and the one at the campfire. Bandanna rolled before he could get shot, diving behind the hostages. 

Benji and Sal moved fast, elbows and knees driving into chests and backs, forcing their targets to the ground. Joseph’s pistol was holstered as he dove after them, clocking the second guard across the face so hard the man fell to the ground and didn’t move. 

The man in the red bandanna took one look at the tide of battle, then turned and skidded down the hill, abandoning the hostages. 

“Hey!” Richard shouted, diving after him. The sounds of combat faded behind him as the two plunged back into the forest. Rocks skittered underfoot as Richard followed the bandit down the hill. 

Wait.

Something brought his heart to a halt, deep troughs being left in the dirt as he went tumbling. He grabbed a branch in desperation, trying to right himself as momentum continued to carry him. His legs flew out from under him, slamming his chest into the rocks. Richard saw stars.

But the branch held. After a moment, the stars faded as Richard blinked. He had a death grip on a small tree, its boughs bending under his weight. He planted his feet in the stony soil and let go, leaning against the hillside to catch his breath once again. 

The hill stopped, dropping a way a few scant meters from the soles of his feet. Bracing himself against the hill, Richard leaned forward to look over the side. It wasn’t a deadly drop, by any means, but it would certainly have been painful. As Red Bandanna was currently learning at the bottom. It looked like at least one leg was broken.

Richard leaned back, letting out a long breath. That was close. He wasn’t sure where the instinct to stop had come from, but it had saved his life. Once his heart had settled enough to move, he pulled himself into a lean against the hill and looked for a way down into the gully. 

There was a small rockside to his left that provided relatively easy access into the gully. Richard stepped carefully, lowering himself to the forest floor. How am I going to get him out of here? He thought to himself, looking up at the drop in the hill. It will probably take two  people-I’ll have to go back and get Sal or Joseph to help me. 

He looked down at Red Bandanna-the man had passed out from the pain, and one leg was bent at an angle that legs usually weren’t bent at. Richard knelt down. The man’s pistol was swiftly removed from its holster and the cartridge emptied of bullets. Don’t need him pulling anything while my back is turned. Richard thought sourly. The last thing I need now is unexpected-

He turned around.

The gully was filled with a bright, warm light. A lion sat at the far edge of the gully-at least, it looked like a Lion. But its mane glowed like the sun, golds and oranges wrapped around a regal face. Its pelt-white, or gray, he couldn’t tell against the sheer light-gleamed as it reflected the mane. But the eyes glowed the brightest of all, bronze and gold that seemed to stare into his very soul. 

His breath caught. Richard was mesmerized, unable to do anything but stare at the majestic creature that had appeared before him.  Then the light grew brighter, to the point he was forced to shield his eyes. 

Seek Me.

The light faded. Richard squinted and dared to look past his arm. The gully was empty, and dark, just as it had been before. He hadn’t even realized he’d fallen to his knees. He wobbled, slowly letting himself adjust to the sudden absence of light.

Then turned to the side and retched into a bush. 

“Sire!”

He felt a hand on his back as the bile faded. Richard’s throat burned as he looked up. Benji had a hand on his back, another on his neck as Richard coughed up the last of the sick. He slowly leaned back on his knees, head spinning. 

“Here.” Benji handed him his water flask. Richard took a long drink, eyes closed as he tried to chase the stars and the blinding light out of his eyes. His breath still came in ragged gasps as he handed the flask back to Benji. 

“Are you alright?” Benji asked, keeping a firm hand on his shoulder. Richard nodded his head quickly. “You gave us a scare when you took off like that!”

Richard tried to look at the bandit still lying on the forest floor. Joseph was standing over him, frowning as he nudged the man with his foot. “You’re not supposed to run off.” He said, looking over at Richard. “You’re not hurt?”

“N-no.” Richard panted, shaking his head. “I-I’m alright. I saw the cliff in time.” His heart was still pounding. “He-he was out cold when I got d-down here.”

“Well, he’s not going to have a good time getting back up.” Joseph frowned. “Probably for the best he’s out right now.”

“Can you stand?” Benji asked, offering Richard a hand. Richard took it and stood, wobbling slightly as feeling came back to his legs. 

“Where’s Sal?” Richard asked, leaning against a tree as he tried to keep his knees from shaking. 

“Back at the campsite-He’s taking care of the ladies while we came to find you.” Benji said, keeping a hand on his shoulder. “The other guys are all down.”

“They’re not hurt?” Richard asked. Joseph had found a couple of sticks and had tied them to Bandanna leg to keep it from moving.

“Shaken, and some bruises and rope burns.” Benji replied. “But we got there before anything serious could happen. They’ll be all right once they get home.”

Home. Not that there would be much left of it. “They’ll want to be sure the family is safe.” Richard said, pulling himself together and standing upright. He chased the thoughts of the vision out of his head. “Let’s not keep them waiting.”

**
They were forced to leave the bandits tied up at the campsite; there was no good way to carry men as big as they were tied up on the backs of their bikes. Richard ignored the curse words hurled at his back as they had walked away. Their knives had been tossed to random parts of the woods, the bandits tied to separate trees. What congenial company. 

“Chief.” Joseph nodded towards the campfire. Richard knelt down and inspected the remains. There was paper curled In the ashes. Grateful he was still wearing his gloves, He reached in and gingerly pulled the paper out. It was a letter, though most of it had been burned by the fire. As he tried to straighten it out, it crumbled to ash in his hands. 

“So much for that little lead.” Richard sighed to himself, standing up. “I don’t suppose any of these lovely chaps feel like chatting?”

The silent scowls from the three remaining bandits served as his answer. “Thought so.”

“’S it all right to leave ‘em out here?” Benji asked as the group walked out of the campsite. 

“Oh, we’ll send some people up to fetch them.” Sal said with a shrug. “In a day or two.”

The Farmer’s wife and daughter were quiet. The girl had all but glued herself to Sal’s side, much to the young man’s bemusement and mild embarrassment. Joseph helped the farmer’s wife onto the back of his own, before leading the pack down the hill. They drove slow, until the trails turned back into the more friendly packed dirt paths. 

The smoke still trailed into the air, but it was less dense, and moved slowly as the wind died. Richard’s stomach clenched when he saw the small mob gathered in the farmyard. This is going to get awkward if they bring out the tar and feathers. People don’t do that anymore… right?

The crowd parted as the bikes slowed, depositing them into the middle of the mob. The farmer’s wife screamed for her husband as she slid off the back of Joseph’s bike, running for the wagon parked at the gate. The daughter stayed glued to Sal, even as he gently pulled her off the back of his own bike. Richard scanned the crowd for the rest of his crew. 

He spotted Barry first, standing with arms crossed in front of Nate and Henry. His glower did a fantastic job of keeping the mob away from them, but it also did a fantastic job of sowing distrust with the mob, creating an uneasy tension that hung in the air like smoke. 

“Mr. Keon!”

The child’s voice rang out like a bell. The little girl ran out through the legs of the adults around her, dragging her toddler brother in her wake. “You found them!” She cried, hugging his leg tightly. Richard carefully knelt down, trying to keep his balance. The toddler clung to his sister, looking up at him with wide eyes. “Thank you.”

“Sally!” The elder daughter finally tore herself away from Sal’s side, running to pick up her sister. “Are you hurt?”

“Molly!” The little girl buried her face in her sister’s shoulder. “You’re okay!”

Richard smiled and made to stand again, only to have stars bloom across his vision. When they faded he was sitting on the ground again. 

“You alright, lad?”

“Mn?” Richard blinked through the stars to see a man standing over him. “’M alright. I’m just… a bit dizzy.” He took a long breath to steady himself. “I.. Might have lost my lunch earlier.”

“Lost your lunch? We didn’t even get lunch!” Sal protested, also standing over him. “No wonder you’re flat on your arse!”

“I just need a minute.” Richard protested, slowly trying to roll his shoulders. “I’m fine.”

By this time the rest of the cohort had gathered around, collectively giving him grief about fainting. Something small tapped his knee. Richard looked down to see the toddler holding up a cracked mug, dripping water. He didn’t say a world, but his large eyes spoke volumes. “Thank you.” Richard said with a quiet smile, taking the mug from him. The water was tepid, but it still quenched the thirst and dispelled the fog in his head. 

“So you’re Keon.”

Richard looked up. He was keenly aware of six pairs of eyes on the back of his neck. “Ah-Yes.” He fibbed, only feeling slightly guilty-admitting his true name now would only bring about another round of mild chaos, and he was in no mood or shape for it. 

“You and your lads have done us a service.” The man nodded. “I’m Bailey, the mayor around here.  We saw the smoke but didn’t know what to make of it until your man came screaming into town. Shame we don’t know who did it.”

“We do.” Richard said, taking another drink of water. “We tracked them up the trailhead west of here. There’s four bandits tied up at the campsite.”

“Really, now?” Bailey raised a hand to grab the attention of someone standing behind him. “We’ll drag ‘em down and put them in the gaol for the night. I’m sure some of the local boys will have… words for them.”

Bailey looked down at Richard. “Thank you. The Carrets alive thanks to you and your lads.”

“Think nothing of it.” Richard said, pulling his legs under him. “I am glad that the family is unharmed.”

He stood, only to wobble dangerously. Sal and Barry both put hands on his shoulders to hold him up before he fell on his face again. 

“You boys look like you could use some food.” Another man standing behind the mayor said. “Bailey, I’ll take them in for the night.”

“You sure?” Bailey looked at him. “We could give them a grand old party in town.”

“Lorraine’s been fidgety these days; cooking for guests would do her good.” The man shrugged. “Besides, these lads look half-dead on their feet-they’d probably fall asleep halfway through your party.”

Richard felt it. He blinked more stars out of his eyes and looked at the second man, who he recognized as Joseph’s uncle. “Thank you.” He said.

“It’s the least we could do, after you helped the Carrets.” Joseph’s uncle said. “Now, as long as you’re safe to ride, we should get going.”

**

Joseph’s aunt was, as any lady suddenly beset by hungry young men with little notice, in a tizzy. She also gently refused all help save for setting the table, which Benji and Henry took to with abandon. Sal and Barry went about setting up their tents in the back garden; the fact that there weren’t near enough beds for the seven of them aside, there was a certain ‘fun’ in camping out, even as adults. Richard was forced to sit down with a large mug of water until the room stopped spinning. He sat, staring into the mug trying to think of anything but the vision in the woods, lest he be struck by another round of illness. 

“You all right?” Benji slid a plate in front of him. There was already a large slice of bread on it, and a small pat of butter on the side. “You look like you saw a ghost.”

Dinner slowly settled into a far quieter affair, as the adrenaline of the afternoon began to fade. Soon all seven boys were falling asleep at the table. It wasn’t until Nate’s head slipped off his hand and nearly into his peas that Joseph’s aunt quietly cleaned up the table and shooed them off to bed. 

He was lying in his tent, alone, with the starlight filtering through a gap in the tent flaps. The other boys had collapsed into their bags as soon as they’d reached them, all but dead to the world. Only Benji remained awake, standing guard until Joseph had a chance to rest. The thought made him sick to his stomach, but there was no putting it off. 

He slid the glove off of his hand, and looked at the King’s Blessing. 

And there it was. Clear as the Stars in the sky. 

What did he mean?

Seek Me.