Lorand's POV

The rest of the night was horrible.  No matter what I did, I couldn't fall asleep.  My mind was racing with thoughts of Aveline, my heart was beating rapidly, and my stomach was flipping over and over again.  I felt so weak. It wasn't until Martha gave me some tea and Charlotte read me a chapter of a book that I felt relaxed enough to close my eyes.  Even then, it took a long while for me to rest, and I awakened several times.

It is at one of these times that I look around and notice that Martha is gone.  Morden’s back! He's back and taking more of my friends…

As I'm getting ready to scream, I notice the scent of bread baking.  Breakfast. Of course. My panic fizzles away, then resurfaces when I recall how Aveline was so aggressively torn away from me only a few hours ago.  I shiver as I get out of bed. Wrapping my blanket around myself to try to keep warm, which doesn't work, I tiptoe downstairs and into the kitchen.

“Good morning, Lorand,” Martha says.  She walks over to me and gives me a quick hug.  “Are you feeling okay?”

“No,” I admit.

She knows just what I'm thinking about.  “We'll get her back, don't worry.”

“But what if we don't?” The words fly out of my mouth before I can even think.  And they don't stop. “What if Morden keeps her forever? What if she dies? What if we die?  I don't want Morden to cause any more destruction than he already has…”

I don't know about the tears drizzling down my cheeks until Martha leans forward and wipes them away with her thumbs.

“Tell you what.  I'll finish making breakfast, and then I'll get the others.  We'll make a plan.”

“A plan to what?”

“Get Aveline back.  We all love and miss her.”

Miss her.  My throat swells up as I think of it.  I fold my arms across my chest, hugging myself.  Maybe it'll help relieve the pain…

“Smile, Lorand,” Martha says.  “It's easier.”

Really?  “It's impossible right now…”

“You'll see her again.  Think of that moment. Think of her smiling back at you.”

So I take a deep breath and close my eyes.  Aveline is there at the castle, wrapping her arms around me.  I stroke her hair, and words can't describe how glad I am to be with her.  Then she pulls away from the hug and beams at me. I smile at her in return, and she starts leaning toward me, letting her eyes flutter closed…

My eyes burst open.  All I feel is the cold breeze coming in through the window.

Martha comes over and wraps her arms around me.  “Aw, poor child… Here, sit.” She lets go of me and helps me into a chair.

The chair Aveline liked to sit at.

I reach my arms across the table, then lay my forehead against the wood.  Being here, in her spot, gives me just a bit of comfort.

“Sit up, sweetheart,” Ruth says, pulling a chair up beside me.

“It'll be all right.”  Charlotte pats my back.

I sit up, rubbing my eyes.  Everyone's here, all starting to eat breakfast.

“Stellar attendance,” Gladys remarks gruffly.  “Now we gotta figure this out. Aveline’s in that palace somewhere.  Any idea where?”

“That dungpile of a man's probably got her in the dungeon,” Lilac says.

Millie taps her chin as she thinks.  “He did say she was under arrest…”

“So we have that figured out,” Ruth concludes.  “Now we have to… Lorand…”

I cover my mouth was my hand to stifle my yawn.  “It's all right. I just…”

“You'll be okay if we have to fight Morden, right?” Nellie asks, concerned.

“Of course.  I just lost a bit of sleep last night, because of…” A lump forms in my throat.  I swallow it down. “I'll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”  They shouldn't be worrying about me.  Not now, when my Aveline’s life is in danger.

Charlotte claps her hands.  “Okay, back to the break-out.  I was thinking we should increase our forces.”

“Wait, how?”  Gladys raises an eyebrow.

“We ask Harriet and Dane.  And they'll get their friends.”

Ruth folds her arms.  “It could work. Charlotte, Millie, you get recruits for our mini-army.”

They nod.

“I'll be the general.  Martha, Gladys, are you okay with helping lead the troops?”

Martha raises a fist.  “Anything to get our girl back!”

Gladys makes an approving grunt.

“I could find the entrance to the dungeon and make sure Lorand gets down there safely,” Nellie offers.

Ruth smiles.  “Sounds good.”

“And I’ll be his bodyguard,” Lilac volunteers.

They're all so brave.  I wish I had that sort of strength.  “Thank you all so much.”

“No need to thank us,” Ruth replies with a smile.  “We're just doing what we have to do.”

We continue to eat.

A loud noise makes me jump to my feet.  I turn and see Gladys kicking the wall, hard.  What is she doing?

“Come on, open!”

Lilac and Charlotte rush over to help her.

“What you're about to see is our biggest secret,” Nellie whispers.  “Other than hiding you and Aveline, I mean. I would tell you not to tell a soul, but I trust you.”

“Of course.  I'll keep my lips sealed.”

“Good.”

We turn back to the scene by the wall.  Indeed, something strange is going on. Lilac and Charlotte pull Gladys away, and Charlotte takes a few steps closer to where she'd been kicking.

“Like this, Gladys.”  She knocks twice in one spot, three in another, and once in a third.

“I could've guessed that,” Gladys grumbles.

“Well, you didn't.  You almost wrecked the door.”  A panel cracks open, and Charlotte slides her fingers in, opening it further to reveal several weapons and shields.  There are swords, clubs, daggers, battle axes, and crossbows.

I gasp.  “How did you…”

“The daggers came from a friend of ours many years ago,” Martha explains.  “He was a blacksmith in town. Wanted us to be able to defend ourselves. Sadly, he passed around twenty years ago.”

My heart sinks.  I know how important it is for my grandmothers to have friends outside the house.  “I'm sorry.”

“You sweetheart.  It's all right, it was two decades ago.  Anyway, the rest of the weapons we either made, found in the woods, or…” Martha lowers her voice - “took from guards patrolling the forest.”

Whoa!  “How?”

Millie shrugs.  “They just left them there, so we snuck up and…” She raises her eyebrows and makes a swift motion like she's grabbing something.  “They wouldn't suspect a couple of sweet old ladies, would they?”

Despite the sinking feeling in my heart from what happened last night, I find myself laughing.  “What do you need the weapons for, though?”

“In case we're attacked,” Ruth says.  “Or something crazy like this happens.”

I start to feel nauseous again.  “Why didn't you use them when Morden arrived?”

She bites her lip in regret.  “We didn't have enough time. And we couldn't risk them seeing where we kept them.”

I nod.  That makes sense.  But still, knowing that there was a chance… Making sure no one is looking, I wipe a tear out of my eye.

“Lorand!”

Lilac is beckoning to me.  I go over to the weapons. She pulls out a large sword with an intricate handle and gives it to me.  I stumble a little under its weight.

“Have you ever used a sword before?”

“Yes, actually.  Some friends of my parents taught me when I was younger.”  It's been a while, a long while. Let's hope I can handle this.

“Good.  Then we don't have to have a training session.”  She gives me a shield next. That's pretty hefty too, but I think I'll be able to manage it.

The rest of the women choose their weapons.  They look unbelievably tough.

Ruth looks around.  “Everyone ready? Great.  Let's go.”

And so, with confidence and strength, our tiny army walks out the door and makes its way to Morden’s castle.