Xander {Part 1}

He splashed his face with water, and shook his head like a dog.  “Captain Bolivar, here is the most recent report” a young servant.  Xander nodded, and took it without even glancing at the boy, who scuttled out, as if serving a Captain in the King’s Guard was a death sentence.   

Xander glanced over the report, most of it news he’d heard a hundred times in a hundred days, but he glanced at it again a second time, “Imprisoned hostile nation ambassador?”

He frowned, and rolled the report up, “I’ll need to look into this”.

 

The day was surprising beautiful for a summer, a cool breeze had came in from seaward, and gave the air an almost fall nip.  Xander strolled out onto the training grounds, where Lt. Greven Yark was watching the newest additions to the guard shoot arrows like a gaggle of maidens. 

"If you plan on catching the King's eye, boys, you'd best start at least hitting the target" Xander shouted, he chuckled as a few of the young men dropped their arrows in the surprise of seeing him on the training grounds.

A few enthusiastic 'Yes sirs' accompanied Ernest tried to do better at their archery. 

Greven shook his head and stood beside Xander, "So, what brings the esteemed Captain to the training fields this morning? Surely the King hasn't sent you to me to instruct you, has he?" Greven joked, and Xander chuckled, tapping him on the shoulder with the rolled up report. "Hardly, you bumbling Ox. I think the only reason the King made you archery instructor, was because you are so bad at the actual action of it, you would be a hazard to us on the battlefields" 

"no fair, Xander. You know I could turn your tail to ash with my archery anytime I want" Greven said jokingly. 

Xander smiled, his rebuff practically dropped in his lap, "Tail? So, not only is your archery bad, but so is your eyesight! I'll have you know, Lt. Yark, I do not have a tail". 

Greven pretended to fume for a few seconds before jumping back to the point, "You can't fool me, Xander, what did you come here for? I know it wasn't to get the trainees back in line" Greven gestured towards the boys who were shooting slightly better, and all secretly hoping Captain Bolivar was watching. 

"Ah, Greven, you cunning skunk" Xander winked, and unrolled the report. "This, about the ambassador?". 

Greven scratched his beard, "Hmm...that wasn't my squad..."

"But you always know everything, somehow, you Skunk". 

"stop calling me skunk, and I'll let you in on what I heard"

Xander rolled his eyes, "I am Captain, and could force the information from you, Lt." 

Greven squinted his eyes, "Could you now? Your only Captain because the king needed an empty head to do his bidding" 

Xander felt himself bristling, "Repeat that?" it was one thing to banter about with each other, but saying King Felix needed a pawn...that walked the ridge of too much. 

Greven realized his mistake, and backed up, "Never mind. I'll just go ahead and tell you, so that way you'll scoot, and let me do my work"

Xander let him slip, and nodded for him to continue. 

"A girl, they say she's a real beauty, and young. I heard from Fredrick she looked hardly older then 16. Of course, the squad that drug her back isn't saying anything, nor The jailer. But from what I hear, she was charged with actions of war". 

Xander lifted an eyebrow, "Could she be with the Rebellion?" 

Greven shrugged, "I don't know. Why not ask her yourself?" he winked, and started walking back to his student. 

Xander gave him a glare, and even debating making a face, but realized how that would damage his reputation amongst the admiring trainees. 

Glancing at the report, he shrugged, "Silliness, I can't go visiting every War Prisoner the King arrests. I have better things to do". 

He waved at the trainees, and walked back to his quarters, breakfast would be nice. 

                          -~-

He couldn't get the imprisoned ambassador from his head. 

Xander had tried to rid her from his thoughts, yet stay she did. 

"Why honestly, do I even care?" he grumbled. 

He had wondered whether she was being fed. And how an Ambassador, who surely was used to the finer things in life, was doing in a dark, wet cell. 

Xander sighed, and shook his head, "I shouldn't wonder. A prisoner of war is a criminal, she deserves whatever she did". 

But stay, she did. 

Always bumping against his mental presence, always nagging at something, and guilt. Strange, whenever he thought about her, he felt guilt. 

He dropped the polishing cloth he had been using on R'zyy'k, his heritage sword, and shoved the weapon into its sheath. 

"One thing to do, apparently". 

If the mental nagging wouldn't go away with avoiding her, maybe facing the prisoner would. 

The dungeon wasn't terribly far from the barracks, and as he neared it, the normal amount of servants in the walls diminished. 

Coming to the solid oak door, he righted his appearance, and, feeling like a fool, pushed the door open. 

Just inside was a steep stone staircase, leading down into a dark and wet common room. 

As he stepped off the bottom step, Juno, the jailer, rose from a chair, and made an attempt at a bow, "What an honor to have the King's favored Captain visit us, eh?" he gestured around at the cells, most of which were empty, due to the fact the King did enjoy a good execution from time to time. 

"I heard you had a new prisoner, one of interest" Xander crossed his arms, and tapped his foot. The sooner he saw this ambassador, the sooner he could get back to his work. 

"Ah, yes. The ambassador, I do think they are getting younger and younger, and she isn't a normal gal either, she's-"  It was rumored that Juno could talk your ear to shreds if you let him, so Xander gestured impatiently, "Yes, yes. So I heard, what cell is she in?" 

Xander had glanced around the common room where most of the cells branched off, but couldn't see much in the dim light. 

"Ah, back here" Juno took a light, and led him to a small hallway, "this is where they put her". 

She laid with her back to the door, and wore a Expensive looking white gown that was now as dirty as peasant's fare. Her long blond hair was tousled, and lay around her, pooled like liquid gold. 

"Does she get fed?" Xander crouched, and looked at her firmly. 

"Yes sir, the King might like executions, but he ain't one to outright starve his prisoners". 

Xander nodded, and frowned. Instead of making the guilt and worry over her better, it had grown. 

Juno stepped forward, and clanged his keys on the bars, "wakey wakey sleeping Princess!" 

The girl sat up quickly, a small terrified gasp coming from her. 

She quickly tucked her knees against her, and viewed them from the back of her cell, her face reminded Xander of a trapped rabbit's. 

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and Xander nearly fell back. 

"Y-your, an Elf!" he gasped, quickly standing himself, and feeling every inch of himself go cold and hot in flashes. 

But she looked ashamed, she lowered her head, and as a year rolled down her cheek, asked " where is Tenzin? Oh, please tell me".

Xander slowly stepped back from her cell, but kept his eyes on her, "An elf". 

This wasn't supposed to have happened. 

{{So, sorry for the length of this. :-p And, I know, they haven't escaped yet, but I think I'll do that in Bly's next part. You can still publish yours, Kathrine, it won't mess up the flow of anything. But I'm going to give Anna and Kayla a chance to post before I post Bly's. 

And, second, I really feel like this is second rate work on my part, but it's what happens when you stay up until 1 AM writing because you are threatened. XD }}