....
In a dank, dark dungeon, far beneath even where the other Merry Rogues were, Charlotte Hood lay chained to the wall, her face streaked with blood. She knew not how long had passed - it seemed forever, and she longed for the day when Maid Hobbie would come and rescue her - which of course he would.
She was pondering over her fate when she heard a door creak open, and she looked up, ever hopeful. But it was only La Gar.
'Company,' the magician said. The door to Charlotte Hood's cell swung open and Tarris and Christian were flung in.
'Tarris!' Charlotte Hood exclaimed, and threw La Gar a nasty glare.
'What do you want, La Gar?' She asked, spitting out her words as if they disgusted her. 'Tarris doesn't have anything. None of us do. WHAT DO YOU WANT?'
La Gar's eyes narrowed, then glazed over, as if she were looking back into the past.
'Some time ago, a curse was placed on this land. I have reason now to believe that it was through the misdemeanours of the ancestor of one of your Merry lot. At first we thought it was you; but, it would appear, it is not. But as long as we kept you here, the others would follow. We have some of them trapped. Four we allowed to escape - too many at a time we cannot have; it drains the magic. I must admit, though, torturing is fun; I was reluctant to let them go. As for these two?well, their capture breaks the link in the Rogues' rescue plan - thus breaking their spirit - and compensates me for the four I lost. Besides, Tarris has money we could use. Christian was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Who am I to complain?' La Gar shrugged.
'What the-' Charlotte Hood began. She was thinking, 'I have never heard such a great amount of bantha poodoo before in my life,' whilst wondering if there WAS a glimmer of truth in what La Gar said. Something was niggling the back of her mind?something distant?
'So forgive me if I cannot let you go,' La Gar finished, and swiftly left, leaving Charlotte Hood's questions unanswered.
And Charlotte Hood was now very puzzled indeed.
____________________________________
Meanwhile, several floors above La Gar and Charlotte Hood, the Merry Rogues were disheartened by the disappearance of two of their members and the two others they had recently acquired. Maid Hobbie was pacing the ground. 'Wes is gone. Charlotte is gone. Even Rachel and Nat and Jenique are gone! Soon there will be even fewer?oh, what shall we do?' His face was more mournful than ever.
Little Horn was in deep concentration. 'I sense a disturbance in the forces?some evil magic is at play here.' He said, shivering. Lady Mirax put her arm around him.
Friar Tycho was glaring at the wall opposite, his arms folded over his chest. 'I would rather be facing a hundred Sir Wedges than be here?at least Sir Wedge is quite nice to us now he has his money,' he muttered.
'We all wish that,' Maid Hobbie replied. He sighed. 'But for now, I don't really see what else we can do.'
____________________________________
In another part of the forest, Commander Hosho and Kell Tainer the Second were making their way silently through the dense trees.
'Where are we headed?' Tainer Two asked, in a stage-whisper.
'Towards - ah ha! Here we are.' Hosho stepped into a clearing, Tainer Two emerging close behind. They had come before a silent cottage, the door wide open.
'Whoever lives here sure is careless.' Tainer Two muttered.
'Something's wrong.' Hosho made his way gingerly towards the door. He drew his bowblaster, and peered round inside.
'Hello?'
'No-one's here,' Tainer Two muttered.
'Strange?' Hosho lowered his bowblaster and looked around for any indication of what had happened. 'Ah ha!'
'What?'
'See here?a scorch mark. As made by lightstaffs. There has been foul play here.'
Tainer Two gasped.
'Freeze!'
The two swung round, Hosho mentally cursing himself for allowing himself to be surprised for the second time in a day.
Sir Wedge stood in the doorway, fully armed. 'This isn't your property. What are you doing here?'
Kell Tainer the Second hauled himself fully upright and threw Sir Wedge a threatening look. 'This isn't YOUR property. What are YOU doing here?'
Sir Wedge frowned. 'Enough. I'm here to collect rent for my wife.'
'Honestly. Wedge, let ME do it.' Lady Iella pushed past her husband. 'I'm sorry, whoever-you-are, but this is MY property and I am here to collect rent. Okay?' She folded her arms and stuck her nose up in the air.
'Well, you're too late. Tarris Vaal has vanished.' Hosho gestured towards the scorch mark. 'Looks like he's going to need our help. Any volunteers?'
____________________________________
Darth Stosh bowed before King Rickety, trying hard to use Sith power to push away the pain from his foot. 'My king.'
'Watch La Gar, Stosh. I don't trust her.'
Darth Stosh stood upright. 'HUH? But-'
'But nothing. I suspect she is cohering with that Sheriff Cracken; and I will not stand for it any longer. Watch her, Stosh. Watch her.'
Darth Stosh bowed deeply, then threw the king a solemn nod. 'It shall be done,' he said.
___________________________________
Lady Rachel felt her stomach lurch as Derek threw the B-Dewback into another tight spin.
'Can't you be a bit more careful?' She heard Jenique groan. Jenique was holding her arms round her waist and looked a little green.
'Sorry, but I think the inertial compensator's gone,' Derek called out.
'Really? I didn't notice,' Wes Scarlet said sarcastically.
'Look!' Nat, the only one who didn't bear any signs of effect - even Derek was a little pale - shouted. The others peered out of the viewport. Far below them a little clearing could be made out.
'It's home!' Lady Rachel gave a sigh of relief. She could make out the little cottage she shared with Wes Scarlet, and the tree-houses that belonged to the rest of the Merry Rogues.
'Derek, stop here,' Wes commanded the pilot. 'We're just going to collect a few supplies.'
Twenty minutes and a toilet stop later, the five were back in the B-Dewback, and heading towards King Rickety's palace?
'Rescue party incoming!' Derek yelled, and the others shared his enthusiasm.
__________________________________
In a dungeon in the depths of the palace, Charlotte Hood heard Tarris Vaal groan. She twisted as best as her chains allowed her to, to gain a better angle of view.
'Tarris?'
'Where AM I?'
Charlotte Hood sighed. 'King Rickety's castle. You were captured and brought here - and now you're as stuck as I am. Congratulations.'
There was a heart-felt sigh/groan from Tarris' vector. 'Why?'
Charlotte's face lost its momentary cheer and she shook her head slowly. 'I don't know. But I do know this.' She repeated La Gar's words to Tarris.
'You know, I-' Tarris broke off, and turned to Christian. He shook Christian awake.
'Hunh?' The other moaned.
'Christian, we need your help. Do you remember hearing about a curse being placed on one of the Merry Rogues' ancestors? There was much discussion about it several years ago.'
Christian shook his head to clear his mind of the last vestiges of the sleeping drugs he'd been administered and then slowly nodded. 'Yes?yes?wasn't it-?' He proceeded to tell Charlotte Hood what he'd heard.
'I thought so. Charlotte, there's your answer.'
Charlotte just remained open-mouthed, trying to come to terms with what she'd just been told.
'Who'd have believed it?' She said, wonderingly....
