Chapter 11 - Stealing supplies

Jens and his parents climbed down the stairs. He noticed that the other people present backed away from him.

"Relax, I'm here to take you away from here. Please gather everything that can be useful. I'm talking about supplies, tools, equipment, everything."

No one responded and everyone looked at him suspiciously.

He sighed and faced his parents. "Can you help me? Please get everything."

His father hesitated but moved away anyway. His mother faced the other people. "Please do as he said. He is here to help us. If you can get out of here, don't you want to?"

"We can't get out!" Someone said hopeless. "We have seen what happens when you do!"

"But my son isn't from here. He entered this place to help us. If he can sneak in, he can sneak out. This is our only chance!"

Some of the people were whispering amongst themselves. "I haven't seen him before. She might be telling the truth. If he can get in, he might be able to get out."

Some people stood up and started to gather supplies. He looked at what was happening and was relieved to see that more and more people were listening.

"Now what?" His father asked. He had a wheelbarrow before him that was loaded with nails, hammers, saws and other tools.

The people around were carrying shovels, sacks and other stuff. The entire barn was almost completely stripped.

"Good, now we leave." Jens said with a smile.

"Leave? How do we leave so easily with all this stuff?" Someone asked worried.

Jens started casting a portal. People got scared when the purple colored portal was created in front of them. Everybody stepped away from it.

"Don't worry, this is a portal. Step through it and you will be safe, look." Jens said while he stuck his hand inside. He pulled his hand back safely.

The others were looking suspiciously at him.

"Go, go through the portal. There are friends of me at the other side. You will be safe there."

No one moved and he was getting frustrated.

"Mom, dad, please trust me."

His mother walked forward with a scythe in hand. She hesitated but continued toward the portal. He lowered the scythe and stopped walking. She slowly pushed the blade of the scythe through the portal and pulled it back. She was still suspicious but then continued and walked through the portal. People mumbled between themselves. His father looked at him afraid.

"She is okay. Just follow her." He urged his father. He watched how his afther cautiously walked forward and through the portal. Others followed behind his father now. It didn't take long for everyone to pass through it.

He looked around for anything left. There were a few empty crates. Jens got those and threw them through the portal. When there was nothing left he closed the portal with a guilty feeling. He knew Rock and Siem would welcome them. He just couldn't go yet. This was only his parents's farm. There were a lot of others. He walked up the ladder toward the hatch. He climbed up the roof and looked around. When he could spot no movement het created a portal towards the nearest forest. He traveled through the forest towards the next farm.

When he got near the next farm and walked out of a portal he suddenly noticed something moving ahead of him. He quickly hid behind a tree. He peaked outside slowly and watched a man sneak through the forest. He had his back towards him so he knew the person had not spotted him. The person was moving very cautiously, without any sound, through the forest. Jens was following him, curious what this person was up to. When they reached the end of the forest that person lied down on the ground, scanning what was happening at the farm in front of them.

He was wondering what that person's goal was. After around an hour the person crawled back and moved towards Jens. Jens hid himself and followed the person back from where he came from. It was a long hike. They left the forest and even traveled the open land. He was heading straight for the mountains. Suddenly the person walked over a hill and disappeared from view.

Had he been spotted? He had made sure to stay far away from him. It couldn't be, right?

Suddenly Jens recognized the sounds of a horse running. He quickly ran for the hill and noticed a horse and rider run off towards the mountains.

Jens casted a portal and followed them at a distance.

The rider headed straight for a mountain pass. Jens followed until he stood at the beginning of the pass. He noticed that the rider had also slowed down significantly. The rider would sometimes disappeared out of view and come back a few seconds later. He was afraid that his portal was spotted so he decided to continue on foot.

After a few minutes the rider turned right and entered a narrow passage.

Jens followed him without cautiously. At the narrow passage he waited for a few seconds. He didn't see or hear anything. Slowly he stepped forward.

Someone suddenly grabbed him from behind. He fell hard on the ground with someone else on top of him. He struggled to get free. The other person person was bigger and stronger and held him down easily. He had his arms pinned behind him. They were being bound together.

"Hold still!" The person ordered. "You're only hurting yourself."

Jens felt horrified. He had made a huge mistake.

The other person stood up and pulled Jens up as well. "Who are you?"

Jens stood deviant and refused to answer. He could see now that other person was an adult man. He seemed to be in his thirties.

"Not answering? Fine, come with me."

He pushed Jens ahead of him through the ravine. When they turned a corner some lights were visible. To his surprise there was a large camp here. He noticed dozens of horses to the side and around ten different fires along the wall.

Jens tried to cast with his hands bound. It was harder but he felt like it was possible. Maybe he could run away and get free.

The other person noticed something. "Oh no you don't."

Jens felt a sudden pain on the back of his head. He fell on the ground and was dizzy. He fought to stay conscious and not black out.

"Try that again and I will hit you harder."

He was being pulled up again and was shoved forward. "Keep going."

It was hard to walk straight. His head hurt and he was still dizzy. Every so often he was pushed forward. He had to resist falling down on the ground again.

They were now getting close to the first fire. He noticed several people sitting around the fire. They noticed them now as well.

"What do you have there?" One of the man said surprised.

"Did you caught a rat?" Someone laughed.

"I'm taking him to the Commander. He won't talk to me. Can any of you take watch at the passage while I'm gone?" The person holding Jens said.

"I'll go. Just make sure to come back soon. It's not my turn." Someone said reluctant.

Jens could hear that the others around the fire were making fun of him.

At every fire they passed people would make fun of him or cheer on the person behind him. None of them were looking sorry for Jens.

He started to feel like an enemy, even though he wasn't sure he was. This group was hiding in the mountains. Someone had been scouting the farm and had returned here. They might be from this kingdom. If that were true, they wouldn't be enemies but allies. He started to feel hope.

Soon they got closer to the last fire. There were some people having a fierce discussion. Jens counted six persons. None of them had noticed them arriving.

"Ahum, Sir?" The person holding Jens said.

They suddenly stopped arguing and looked around.

"What do we have here?" The tallest person of them said. He walked towards them.

"I captured him sneaking into our camp. He came shortly after Roy had returned."

The person in front of Jens grinned and looked back for a second.

Jens noticed one person looking surprised. Perhaps he was the Roy that was mentioned.

"Who are you and why are you here?" He asked strictly.

Jens looked surprised. He had never been questioned as a prisoner. He was unsure what to do.

"How long have you known about place?"

"Do you need me to rough him up?" Someone asked.

Jens hesitated. He didn't want that to happen.

The person questioning him noticed him hesitate.

"Kid, just tell me. There is no harm to that." He said calm. "Who are you and why are you here."

Jens thought again about them hiding here in the mountains. He didn't think they were the invaders. They didn't act like that. He decided to take a gamble.