by Martin the Warrior
“Wake up!” Daniel said, shaking Alfred. “WAKE UP!”
“Huh?” Alfred said, rubbing his eyes sleepily. “Will you be quiet. I’m trying to get some sleep.”
“We don’t have time to sleep, Alf,” Daniel said, hurriedly. “Someone’s taken Martin’s sword! I just saw it happen in the Great Hall.”
“You were dreaming, Daniel. Go back to bed,” Alfred told him.
“I wasn’t dreaming!” Daniel persisted. “Come down to the Great Hall if you don’t believe me!”
Alfred looked at Daniel skeptically. “Alright, I’ll go,” he said at last.
Daniel led Alfred through the hall, stopping in front of the tapestry. “See?” he said. “It’s gone!”
Alfred looked over at Daniel. “Daniel, I love a good joke, but this is just too big for me.”
“What are you talking about?” Daniel asked, confused.
“You can stop the act. I don’t think that you should hide the sword just to get back at Abbot Cornelius,” Alfred answered.
“I didn’t!” Daniel snapped. “The shadow took it!”
“There isn’t a shadow here,” Alfred said, looking around.
“Believe what you want,” Daniel answered. “I’m going after it.”
Daniel quietly crept up in between Gunthre and Gonjur’s bed’s. “Pssst!” he whispered. “Guys, get up!”
Gonjur, being a hare, heard the message and immediately sat up. “What?” he whispered back.
“Something took the sword,” Daniel told him, “I’m going to get it back. Wanna’ come?”
“Sure,” Gonjur replied. “It’s better than having to work in the infirmary all day tomorrow.”
Gunthre had just heard the talking and rose up. “What are you guys talking about?” he asked.
Daniel and Gonjur quickly related the entire story to him.
“Sure, I’ll come,” Gunthre said. “You’ll need a nice, swift squirrel like me along.”
“Then, come on,” Daniel said. “We have to sneak into the kitchen and get some food to take.”
Alfred then came in carrying four haversacks of food.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” Daniel said.
“Did you think that I’d let you have all the fun?” Alfred replied, jokingly.
“Then, let’s go!” Gonjur said.
The group crept out of the abbey through the south gate. In their haste, they forgot to listen for other beasts and ran right into Burgune and his army.
Trager laughed and settled down by the riverbank. He had their sword and he was home free. Too bad that he had been seen. It would have rattled the entire abbey if their sword had just vanished. No matter. He had the sword. That was all that mattered!
