Mist on the Moon

Captured by the enemy

 Cara hated to see her family go. She had hugged her father so tightly that he looked at her wondering why she seemed so intense. Cara also held both her sister, Evie, and her brother close before they left to travel back to their kingdom. On the night just ending, Cara had a bad dream of their trip back home. From that, and from her own feelings, she had a premonition that there would be trouble.

Of course, she had told Trent in the morning of her dream, but he didn't seem to give it much credence. However, he did assign an extra guard to travel with them. He sent fifty knights, all battle trained and utterly reliable to go with them. Trent told her that with such a large force no enemy could harm anyone of her father's company unless it was a whole army that went against them.

Cara listened to him. What Trent said should have calmed her fears but it didn't. She knew she would worry about her family until at last a messenger came back telling her that they were all safely back at her former home and kingdom. In the meantime she set about doing what had become her main routine, that of caring for her two little babies, nursing them, changing them, and on occasion attending meetings of importance while another trusted woman temporarily looked after her children.

On the night of her family's departure and early the next day Cara heard nothing. But of course that was to be expected. It was a two day journey for anyone other than mounted knights who in a quest for speed could travel all day and part of the night to arrive quickly. Likewise, a swiftly traveling messenger could make the journey in one day.

On waking the following day, Cara was glad that there was still no message of her family for to hear of them so soon would likely not be good news. She waited patiently, hardly saying anything to anyone of her fears, and hoping against hope that Trent was right, that there was scarcely any chance for danger. As the day wore on there was still no word. But then, as night was falling, a troop of knights appeared at the gate to be let in. Cara was soon to discover that Evie was with them.

Evie was still breathing hard when she came to Cara and Trent's suite. Trent was not there for he had gone immediately to the gate to hear the news while Cara needed to stay with her babies. Evie burst into the suite.

"Cara, they have captured our father and Gilbert!" said Evie, almost gasping for air as she spoke.

"No! No, Evie! I was so afraid something bad might happen.!" Cara put down Brendan to come to her sister. "How did it have happen? You were traveling with such a strong force."

"They tricked us. We were a short distance from the gates of our kingdom, and thinking that all was safe the knights that Trent sent left us to begin their return journey back. That's when a large band of villains struck in force. They seemed to know that our father was king, for they quickly surrounded him, and when Gilbert tried to save him they knocked him off his horse and captured him as well. They would have seized me too but I quickly grabbed an arrow from my quiver and stuck it in the hand of the evil knight that tried to grab me. Then, I escaped alone at first before later meeting up with the knights that Trent sent with us."

"But the knights? They didn't just sit there on their horses while this was happening, did they?" Cara was still incredulous at how it could have happened to her father and brother.

"Oh, no, Cara. They had left us but returned when they heard all the noise. But coming with such a large number of mounted soldiers the brigands quickly escaped. Not only that, but they sent a messenger back who told the knights that if they attempted to follow them our father would be killed"

Cara turned away when Evie said that. It was deeply troubling to know that her father and brother were in enemy hands. Then a thought came to her. "So, that's it. They want to hold our father and brother for ransom. Those black hearted rogues will likely want a huge payment to return father to us. I hope that is what they want. Trent will find a way to punish them. Oh, Evie, I hope they will treat our father with respect as the king of his domain. I hope they will not be mean to him."

The two sisters embraced in dismay as they thought of their father in the hands of the enemy. "Oh, Cara, I have been riding so hard and had hardly any thought of that. I do hope they will not hurt father."

"Me too, Evie," answered Cara, getting more and more worried at the thought of her father being harmed. "And Gilbert too. I hate to think of them both being thrown into some dark, dirty dungeon. God, I pray they will be civilized and not maltreat them."

"Yes, God help them. Oh, Cara, I love father so much and Gilbert too. I pray nothing happens to them." Then Evie's eyes took on a faraway look. Cara could tell that she was thinking of something else. "Dear sister, there is one bit of good news," she said.

"Good news, Evie? How could there be any good news when our father and brother are in the hands of the enemy?"

Author note: Busy, busy, busy. Guess we all have times like that. But did want to get this out to you. Have started another story as well. Title is The real Jesus: Dangerous then and now. Think you might like it. Anyway, hope you liked this part.