Chapter 94

 In Frigonia, a roadwork currently in progress, had forced Jeraddin and his men to take a detour through the woods. On the forest-path, they came upon a woodcutter who was heading in the opposite direction, carrying a bundle of sticks on his back. Upon seeing the Vinolians, the woodcutter turned and spat on the ground.  

 

Some of the soldiers took offense to this and muttered to themselves that they ought to teach the woodcutter respect. Their voices reached the ears of their General, who turned around and gave them a stern look. This caused the mutterings to seize. 

 

Suddenly, Jeraddin raised his paw in the air to signal for a complete halt. 

 

 "Something amiss, Sir?" His Lieutenant asked. 
 

"Look there" Jeraddin responded.
 

The Lieutenant peered in the direction that his superior's finger was pointing. At first, he could see nothing, but after a few seconds, his eyes could make out a thin wire, strung up across the road, between two pine-trees.
 

"It doesn't look very strong, Sir" he said. "Still, looks can be deceiving."
 

"Indeed."
 

Having said this, Jeraddin dismounted and approached the shimmering wire. He was just about to reach out and touch it, when a voice called out to him:
 

"I wouldn't do that, General!"
 

Surprised, Jeraddin turned in the direction the voice had come from and found himself eye to eye with a stoat, dressed in shades of brown and green. 
 

Where did he come from? Jeraddin wondered. 
 

Discreetly, he reached for his sword, only for the stoat to shake his head, while pointing his finger upward.
Jeraddin looked up and saw, with a mix of surprise and dismay that the branches above him were now occupied by several individuals, each one armed with a bow.
 

How the...? Jeraddin thought, but as often happens the answer to his question came to him almost as soon as he had asked it (though I'm afraid that, you, dear reader, must wait for the answer).
 

"I advise you to order your men to stand down, General" the stoat said, in a pleasant tone of voice. Our arrows are sharp enough to pierce armor. Shall we demonstrate?"
 

Jeraddin shook his head.

"No, he said grimly. "Everyone! Put your hands in the air and don't move!"

As soon as the soldiers had complied, the stoat, satisfied that his demands had been met, stepped up to the carriage and opened its door.

Now it was the stoat's turn to be surprised. He had barely peeked inside the carriage, when a pair of strong arms seized him and dragged him inside. 

 

The Door shut and from inside the carriage, the sound of a brief struggle could be heard. Then, a gloved paw appeared in the window, doing a thumbs-up.
No-one moved a muscle. After a moment, Jeraddin (keeping his arms in the air), spoke:
 

"Listen to me, Frigonians!" He called out. "Your leader is now our prisoner! If you value his well-being, I suggest that you let us leave these woods in peace!"
 

"How do we know you won't kill him once you're out of the woods?" A raccoon asked.
 

"You have my word" Jeraddin said.
 

"I suppose we don't have much choice", said the raccoon. "Everyone, stand down!"
 

Reluctantly, the stoat's followers lowered their weapons and so, the Vinolians were allowed to continue on their way.
 

****

In his castle, the Governor of Frigonia was busy taking a bath, when someone knocked at the door.
 

"Yes?" He called out, somewhat annoyed at being disturbed.
 

"Sir, General Jeraddin has just arrived."
 

Upon hearing this, the Governor left his bath as if he had been shot out of it. Not long after, he appeared in the courtyard, fur still a bit wet, but wearing his finest outfit.
 

"Welcome, General. It is good to see you."
 

Jeraddi nodded, as he dismounted.
 

"Thank you, Governor."
 

"I thought you'd be traveling in that carriage?" Asked the Governor, indicating the aforementioned mode of transportation.
 

"No, I'm afraid that one is occupied. Bring him out, men!"
 

To the Governor's surprise, four individuals emerged from the carriage. Three of them were Vinolian soldiers, but the fourth one was not. What's more, his arms were tied behind his back, marking him as a prisoner.
 

"Who's he?" The Governor asked.
 

"One of the rebels that have been causing you trouble. We happened him and some of his friends on our way here."
 

"Is that so?"
 

The Governor walked up to the raccoon, a grin playing on his vulpine face.
 

"So, you're one of the scum who dare defy the laws of his betters" he said. "What have you to say for yourself?"
 

The Stoat answer came in the form of a glob of spit, which splashed against the Governor's shoes.
 

The Wolf's grin turned into a snarl. He raised one arm, but before he could strike, Jeraddin stepped in front of the stoat.
 

"Take care, Governor" he said, "I shall not allow you to lay a paw on my prisoner."
 

The Governor stared at Jeraddin in disbelief, it took him a few seconds before he regained the use of his tongue.
 

"General, I demand that you hand this prisoner over to me" he growled, teeth bared. The Affability with which he had greeted Jeraddin mere moments before had vanished completely.
 

Jeraddin's eyes narrowed slightly. He did not care for the Governor's tone. When he spoke again, there was frost in his voice.
 

"Careful, Governor. I am not one of your subordinates."
 

Wolf and lynx glared at each other and then, the Governor lowered his head.
 

"Of course not, General. I...I apologize for my outburst."
 

"Very well, Governor. I accept your apology."
 

"I suppose you'd like to question the prisoner. We have a special room for that purpose. Sound-proofed."
 

A chill came down Jeraddin's spine as he remembered his own torture, not too long ago.
 

"Thank you, Governor" he said, stiffly. "Your study will do quite fine for what I had in mind."
 

"My study? Certainly, General, its all yours."
 

While the Governor's mouth uttered these words, his brain was busy composing a letter home. Oh, yes, the Queen would know about her General's arrogance. Sooner or later.