Sauragia

Chapter 26

Not far away in the same patch of woods, Captain Torilis and his band awoke to another sunny day in captivity. Richard took in a deep draught of morning air and looked around. Things were pretty much the same as always. The two guards outside the entrance to their tent were fast asleep by their spears, the scent of a few cooking fires wafted through the air, and there was dew on the grass. He sighed and the lieutenant stirred beside him.

“Good morning, Quintilius,” said Richard. “How’s that shoulder, hmm?”

“Morning, sir,” replied Lieutenant Rorke, rubbing his back as best he could with a groan. “It’s not bad. Comes and goes, you know? But I swear this wilderness living doesn’t do it much good. It just isn’t for me. And to think, I actually used to camp out all the time in my younger days back home.”

Captain Torilis smiled. “We’re neither of us spring chicks, Lieutenant. But we must keep a stiff upper lip and all that, for the foes out there and for our own youngsters here.” He cast his glance over the young guards, who were only just beginning to stir.

Inside, Richard felt truly proud of them all. They had been through a lot for dinos with so little experience, and had weathered it all practically without complaint. They had the heart and spirit of true Saurahall Guard, even if their minds and bodies had not completely caught up.

“I know, sir,” said Quintilius. “Any ideas yet?”

“Only fragments. And you?”

“Not much, eh.” The lieutenant sighed. “That’s what, two weeks now and still nothing?”

“I’ve given up counting. But we mustn’t give up hope, Quintilius. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, as they say, and my will’s not shattered yet.”

“Nor mine sir, but…”

“Oy! Quit talkin’!” said one of their guards, who had now awakened. “King says you lot ain’t s’posed to say nothin’ ‘less it’s to him.”

“We apologize,” replied Quintilius. “We were merely commenting on the lovely weather today.”

“Well, quit it,” said the brutish Gorvosaurus. “Elsewise you don’t get no food later.” He paused and shuddered at the dampness in the air. “Besides, this weather ain’t lovely. It’s downright ‘orrid.”

“To each his own, lad,” replied the captain in an annoyingly cheery manner, and the guard once more turned away.

And so the captives remained silent for the remainder of the morning, each absorbed his or her own thoughts of home and the lives they had left behind. But however distracted they might seem, their eyes and ear slits were wide open, taking in everything around them, searching for that one chance they needed to get out of this place.

Captain Torilis in particular kept a sharp eye out for anything that would be helpful. In his position, he could hear pretty clearly the activity and conversation going on outside the tent, and from this did his best to work out the enemy encampment’s layout. He knew for sure that King Edward’s tent was not far away, that the food was stored just beside the prisoner tent, and what the daily routines of most of the dinosaurs in this area were, including the guards. In the back of his mind, there had indeed been fragments of a plan forming, and as he listened and observed, these fragments moved ever closer to a workable solution to their dilemma. He would not tell his companions yet, as he did not wish to raise false hope within them. He would wait until just the right opportunity came along. And come along it would.