Creative Writing - A collaborative novelette | Part 4

Hello Steemians,

we will continue a collaborative novelette, initiated and started by @themagus.
The idea is to split the story-writing-process to different users, where everybody can continue the story in any direction they want. We are 4 authors now and after we'll finish our part 4 it starts again with @themagus for part 5 and so on...

So here's the story so far:
Part 1, written by @themagus:
https://steemit.com/novelette1/@themagus/creative-writing-a-collaborative-novelette
Part 2, written by @mrprofessor:
https://steemit.com/writing/@mrprofessor/creative-writing-a-collaborative-novelette-or-part-2
Part 3, written by @krabgat:
https://steemit.com/novelette1/@krabgat/creative-writing-a-collaborative-novelette-or-part-3

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Last passage of part 3 for better reading:
The king smiles at her and indicates for her to take a seat at the table. The smile makes her feel more comfortable, but she still looks at the hooded figure at the table with suspicion. Slowly she steps forward and sits on the empty chair indicated by the king. “Welcome to our meeting, Ziona”, the king addresses her in a pleasant voice. “I need to apologise for bringing you her in the middle of the night, but it is urgent”. She gives him a weak smile back. “There is a spy in our mids which we need to find before it is too late for our forces. How well do you know Aitan?”

„What is going on here?“ Ziona asked, without answering the question. “I don’t understand, King”. She remembered all the stories and rumors about the king she heard when she was a kid. But these were only bed time stories, right?

“I will explain everything to you, Ziona, but not now. We don’t have time now. You need to trust me” the king said, “what do you know about Aitan?”
“He is our friend, Ortis’ friend. He saved his life and they have been friends ever since.” She said.
“Do you know where he comes from? Where are his parents?” the king asked.
“They live in a village far away, in the south, I think the name of the village is...”- “Kartan?” the king asked.
“Yes” Ziona said, “the name of the village is Kartan. How did you..“ "ok Ziona” the king interrupted again, “that should be enough for us by now, I need to go now. Ziona, listen, don’t tell anyone about this meeting. Not even Ortis or Daewron. It is really important that nobody knows! Go home now, they must not arouse suspicion.”

Ziona was confused. She had a thousand thoughts at the same time. Why did the king ask about Aitan? How did he know about Kartan? What does all of this mean? A spy? In our forces? She tried to remember everything Aitan ever told her. ‘Ok he can be annoying. But a spy? He saved Ortis. But what did he do before? I don’t know him as a kid, but I do know everyone from the village’. Ortis once told her he is the family-select to serve for the sentinels. But who is his family? Does anybody know them?
‘You think too much’ she said to herself, ‘go to sleep and everything will be fine’. She sneaked through a loose wooden plank in the back of their house. It was loose since she knows about herself. As kids she and Lothar always sneaked out to go to play by the river or watch the stars. Their rooms are at the back of the house and Ortis and Daewrons are at the front, so they never noticed their nocturnal excursions. Lothar was always her best friend, he would always have a good advice or would make her laugh when she was sad. She could speak with him about everything and she would love to speak with him now. ‘But I can’t’ she said to herself so she tried to imagine what he would be saying now ‘sleep, little sister. You are thinking too much. You will see, everything will clear up and be fine’ ‘you are right, Lothar’ she thought and then she fell asleep.

The next morning she woke up of loud voices. The voices of the brother Ortis and her father Daewron. They sounded very tense. Then her memory came back, the king, Aitan, it was not a dream! ‘No!’ She yelled inside.

“They took him” Ortis said, “the enemies took him! I had no chance to help! They surprised us at our night shift and took him. It must be the army of the south! I was able to escape, it even seemed like they let me but that was their mistake! I will find them and I will destroy them! This means war! I need an audience with king, I need to tell him that the enemy is coming and we need to fight first!"
He was in rage, he couldn’t think clearly. “Son, first you need to calm down” Daewron said.
“I can’t! He is my best friend! He saved my life! And I let him down! I need to save him!”
“Son, I see but you need to calm down. Sit down and tell me everything. What did the enemies look like? Are you sure they were the forces of the south? Did they wear the badge of the scorpion?”
“No” Ortis said, “I mean I am sure it’s them, but I didn’t see them. I couldn’t see them because they were hooded, everything in black.”
The expression in Daewrons face changed, “hooded, you say? Son are you sure? Did you notice anything else?”
Ortis was disheveled “Yes, hooded. No nothing else. It was too dark and everything happened so fast” – “Son!” Daewron interrupted “you cannot go to see the king”
"Why?” Ziona had enough, “listen, I need to tell you something.” she said.

She got interrupted by a panical knocking on the door. Lothar opened. One of Ortis men ran in “They’re coming! They’re almost here, we have an hour, maybe two!” “Who is coming?” all of them yelled at the same time.
“The scorpion army! The souths are coming! They’re attacking us!”

To be continued ....