Chapter 11

A loud honk resonated within the walls of the tunnel. Sar and Kin woke up. Sar looked around him blearily. He felt disoriented to wake up in different surroundings other than the usual dirty walls he was accustomed to see everyday back in the village.

The door opened . Sar saw the head of Jared peeping into the room. Jared saw Sar and threw some clothes. "Freshen up and wear these. They are mine. They will be a bit large on you. But they will definitely be better than the ones you are wearing." Sar looked down and saw the clothes which he had stolen. They were dirty. He looked up at Jared and smiled," Thanks." Jared just grunted and turned to leave. On the way he said, " By the way after changing, you have to meet Kira in the meeting room. Kin show him the way." Sar sighed. It seemed like Jared did not like at all. Kin looked at Sar and said"Don't mind him. He is like that to strangers. Even though he looks tough, he is actually kind and caring..." Kin lead Sar to a room and said," You can wash here. We have no hot water so we have to bathe in the cold water. And you better hurry Kira does not like to wait for anyone." Sar nodded. He entered the room. It was the first time he saw a room being set apart for bathing. In the village all the men and the boy took bath in the river, even in the cold winter. Sometimes in the winter, if the river got frozen up, nobody would bathe at all. The women would bathe upstreams.

Sar quickly washed himself and wore Jared's clothes. They were big on him so he folded cuffs up. They were definitely old clothes but they were better than the clothes he wore in the village. Sar felt cleaner than he ever did in his life. Kin was waiting in the room for Sar. When Sar came out, Kin was shocked. With all the grubbiness and dirt gone, Sar actually looked good. Sar smiled at Kin. "Do I look presentable enough?",he asked. Kin looked at him and said, "Of course. You actually look more better than before."

"Then let's go before your sister comes to find me herself. She can be scary."teeenagers

Kin laughed. He felt so much at ease with Sar. Even though Sar was elder than him. Sar never looked down on him. Sar treated him like an equal.

Smiling Kin lead the way to the rebellions meeting room. Kin lead Sar through many twists and turns in the tunnels. Sar could see many rooms like the one they stayed in. Many people stared at him as he passed. Even though he felt uncomfortable with all those staring, he kept his calm. He noted that most of the people were of his age and older. He saw only a girl and a boy near Kin's age. Poor boy, Sar thought, he must have been lonely.

Kin lead Sar to the meeting room and knocked at a rusty door. The door was opened by Jared.When he saw Sar his jaw tightened and he opened the door wider. Sar entered the room and saw that Kin did not follow him inside. When he looked at him questioningly, Kin mouthed that he was not allowed inside. Sar nodded and Jared closed the door. Sar finally looked around. The room's wall was completely covered with maps. Sar wondered were he was now. He finally looked at the people in the room besides him. A small table was placed in the center of the room which had a map. A total of five people surrounded the map. Kira was at the head of the table directly facing him. Beside her on the left stood Jared. The rest were unknown to him.

On the immediate right of Kira stood a white haired man, he had a long scar running on his cheek. Next to him was another girl. She had raven black hair that reached her waist, coal black eyes and she was extremely beautiful. The fifth man was slightly older. He looked about forty years old. He was the oldest person Sar saw in the tunnels till now. That man had a slightly protruding belly and an overgrown beard. When he saw Sar looking at him, he smiled. The skin near his eyes crinkled lightly. Sar found himself smiling back at him. He,then ,faced Kira.

...

Kira was watching him from the second he had entered the room. She had seen the interaction between him and Kin. It seemed like Kin had befriended him. She waited for him to finally face her.

When he did, she was surprised. Now that he was clean and tidied, she saw that he was startlingly handsome. He looked like a different person. His thin frame was clearly emphasised by the lose clothes. His hair was a bronze brown and it was slightly messy. His brown eyes were warm and clear.

She hid her surprise and waved at him to come forward. She looked at others in the room and said," This was the boy I have been telling you about...This is Sar." The girl spoke up," Are you planning on keeping him in the rebellion?" Kira looked at Sar for sometime and said," We don't know what he is good at or whether he has any skills...for the time being he will be here with us unless we are sure he is trustworthy..only then he will be given a choice whether to join the Rebellion or whether to leave it. I have planned to give him some training and send him on small missions." The white hairedman suddenly turned to Sar and asked," What are you good at? Have you got any skills?"

"Bernoulli, I think he has got some skills as he escaped the wedding feast amidst all the soldiers alone without any help." Kira said. She was looking at Sar's reaction. Sar blushed slightly remembering the green-eyed girl. Kira noticed it. Nevertheless she continued saying," Is this matter decided? He stays here until he is proven trustworthy and during that time he will have to go on missions for the Rebellion. " All the people present nodded, including Jared.

"Okay then. Let's talk about the other matters in hand. Ricel what about the iron and steel which we were supposed to have from the Northern Clan.", she asked.

The dark haired lady looked questioningly at Kira. Kira smiled and said," Don't mind Sar. Give your reports as you usually give. He has to partake in missions. So we have keep him informed about somethings." The others looked at each other in surprise. Sar looked at Kira and saw a kind of challenge in her eyes. This was a test,he realised. She wanted to see how he would react after getting the information. Ricel looked at Kira and said," I got the information that they will be arriving in two days. It was supposed to reach sooner. But the kings men are guarding the gates of the capital. The only way to smuggle them will be by the port. So there is the delay."

"Good.. for the supervision of the smuggling I want you to be there Ricel. And take Sar with you."

It was the second time everyonein the room, including Sar were surprised. The man named Bernoulli asked,"You trust him that much... besides that he is still new...he hasn't got any training yet."

"That will be solved...Jared you have 2 days to train him... abandon all your duties and train him. He is to accompany Ricel to the port on the day of smuggling. Both of you meet me tomorrow here at afternoon. We have to plan this well. Understood Ricel and Sar?"

Both nodded.

"James what have you got to report?"

"In the target section the soldiers have only one thing to say the royal joust and the upcoming royal wedding. The wedding is not yet confirmed. But it's a rumour among the elite families and the soldiers about the wedding that is to take place between Prince Jen and Princess Lu. As you must have heard, the princess just arrived here two days back. I saw the procession myself."

"A wedding?....We must be prepared soon. We have to strike during this time when the whole kingdom is busy with the wedding. When is the wedding supposed to happen?", Kira asked.

"I say we have two months before the wedding, three months at the most to prepare."

" The time is running short. Bernoulli, what about the assassins you talked to me about."

"They are not ready to join us. I have tried my best to persuade them. Even though I was a former member, they don't want to join the fray for me.",Bernoulli said. So that explained the scar,Sar thought, he was a former assassin.

"Jared what are the fighting force we have?"

"Thirty three including this one here..",Jared said pointing at Sar.

"Jared recruit more. We need at least fifty trained people before the wedding. Check among the peasant boys... and be careful. Everyone keep your eyes open for possible recruits and spies of the king alike... be careful. The meeting is adjourned. Sar go with Jared and get your training."

Saying this all them left the room except Sar and Jared.... Jared grunted out," I'll begin your training with throwing daggers...follow me." Jared left the room. Sar hurried behind him, not wanting to get lost in the tunnels. Seeing Jared' stiff back in front of him and thinking about his dangerous mission looming ahead of him he wondered what he had got himself into.

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