The Elementalist (The Kothian Chronicles Book 1) by Andrew Wood

capture," he pointed once more to Maxim.
    "What am I worth?" Mikel asked, only to be kicked by Melia for doing so.
     
    Clearly getting agitated, Karl kept peering through the small window, "Where are those bloody soldiers?" He mumbled under his breath. Linus was clearly the thinking man of the two, "Aileen, go get the fellow asleep...Now!" he shouted.
    The old lady however was being just as stubborn as her husband was, "I will not...you coward," she spat. "You would hand these children's lives in for a few gold pieces? You disgust me...and to think how long you have worked and lived with us...," she added shaking her head.
     
    Zack was becoming increasingly worried about Maxim, if he started losing control again, the two would likely panic and start firing those crossbows. Standing as close as he could, he placed one of the hands he was holding aloft on Maxim's shoulder, "We will be fine. Stay calm," he whispered again.
    "You...What are you whispering to him?" Linus shouted.
    "Probably telling him he loves him," Mikel said, interrupting, thinking he was being funny.
    Melia gave another sly kick his direction as a result.
     
    "I see them!" Karl finally exclaimed, before returning his gaze from the window to the room. "Another ten minutes and you shall be in chains and we shall be rich," he gloated.
    Danton was actually stood nearer to Karl and Linus than they would ever have thought. Invisible to the naked eye, he was trying to fathom out a way of disarming both simultaneously. Only to do so he would have to become visible again. Whilst out of sight he could not touch nor be touched.
     
    With the thought that they had only a matter of minutes before soldiers arrived, he had little option but to act. He prepared a clenched fist at the side of Karl's head, as he was the one looking more likely to shoot. Linus' attention appeared to be on the stairs, probably still waiting for him to make an appearance. He swung his arm back, and then launched his punch, making sure he reappeared at the very last moment. He felt his fist smack straight into the side of Karl's face knocking the bigger man straight over. As soon as he could, he barged the other way into Linus, knocking him off balance.
     
    As the man stumbled, Stanton stepped forward, picking up one of the pans from the stove, he smacked it over the back of Linus' head, knocking him down to the floor. "Quick help me with this one," Danton asked trying to stop Karl from getting back to his feet. Mikel, the obvious choice being the biggest and strongest of them stepped back. Zack however shook his head and jumped feet first at the man, knocking him back down again.
     
    Aileen was clearly shaken, "Quick you must all go before the soldiers arrive," she said looking out of the window.
    "What about you?" Danton asked binding Karl's wrists together with a piece of cord, as Stanton was busy doing the same to semi-conscious Linus.
    "Don't be worrying about us," the old man said looking over. "Now go...," he added.
     
    Aileen showed them all through the back door, so as the soldiers marching down the road would not see them leave. "There is a disused old barn a few miles downstream. Wait there and Stanton will bring you your horses," she said, pointing the direction they should go.
     
    They had no time to thank her or say goodbye, as Danton looked back to see the old lady moving as fast as she could back into the house. They all crouched low as they moved away, using the cover of a wall to keep them out of sight. Once satisfied they had gone far enough, Danton whispered for them to stop, before he slowly peered over the stone wall they were crouched behind. They had gone several hundred yards across an entire pasture field, and he could see the soldiers walking up to the house. They split, as a dozen or more ran around the back. Some had their swords out, whilst others were armed with crossbows, "Should we not go back and help them," Maxim asked, speaking for the first time during the