In the year 1678, in the cold stone halls of King Duke Richard II's castle in London, lived a twelve-year-old boy named Kael. He was an orphan, raised in chains, and dreamed of just one thing—freedom.
His only friend was Jace, also an orphan. Like Kael, he worked as a servant to cruel nobles. The two boys worked in the royal gardens from sunrise to sunset. At night, they were beaten by a wicked nobleman who seemed to enjoy their pain. They couldn't fight back. All they had was their dream—to live free, far away from this life.
Then one day, everything changed.
The castle was attacked by Norsemen—fierce warriors looking for land and treasure. Fire and death spread across the kingdom.
The war lasted 36 days. When it ended, the King had won—but 9,000 soldiers had died. With the army weak, France saw a chance to strike. So the King hired three groups of mercenaries to help defend the land.
War returned, and Kael and Jace were made helpers for the wounded. Too young to fight, they cleaned wounds and buried the dead. The things they saw changed them forever.
One day, while they were at a faraway fort, the enemy attacked. In the chaos, Kael saw a chance to escape. He grabbed Jace's arm and said, "Now. We run."
They ran.
A bullet hit Jace's shoulder. Another grazed Kael's cheek. But they kept running. Somehow, they made it into the forest.
For three days, they wandered—cold, hurt, and hungry. Then, near the North Sea, they found a quiet spot and built a small shelter. They fished, planted vegetables, and lived off the land. For the first time, they were free.
Fifty peaceful days passed.
Then, they found the cave.
It was hidden behind thick ivy. Inside, the air was cold and dark. After searching, they found eleven old chests. Most were full of gold and silver. One was different—it was full of old, leather-bound books.
They took one chest of books and a few coins back to their cabin. That night, by firelight, they opened one of the books. It was a diary.
It told the story of a pirate named Brook. He wrote about sea monsters, battles, and the dangers of the ocean. Kael and Jace read for hours, amazed by his life.
Just before sunrise, there was a loud knock at the door.
A man stood there, bleeding and tired. He looked strong, like a soldier, but his eyes were filled with pain. The boys helped him inside. He collapsed on the floor.
They cleaned his wounds with river water and wrapped them with leaves. Then, they hid the chest of books under a flat rock they used as a table—just in case.
The next morning, the man was still asleep. Kael and Jace went into the woods to get food.
Suddenly, they saw a huge rabbit—big enough to feed them for a week. Kael said, "Let's catch that. I'm tired of eating fish.""Why not," said Jace.
They built a trap with bait and a deep hole. Then they hid and waited.
The rabbit came. It went for the bait. Kael triggered the trap. They rushed forward, but the rabbit jumped over the hole and ran away.
Disappointed, they caught some fish instead and returned home.
But their cabin door was wide open.
The man was gone.
They checked the chest—it was untouched. They sat down to talk.
"Where do you think he went?" Jace asked."Maybe to report us?""No," Kael said. "If he wanted to turn us in, he would've done it already.""Maybe he went to find his people," Jace guessed.
They cooked the fish and began to eat.
Then, the man came back—with a bag covered in blood.
The boys panicked.
"Go away!" they shouted.
The man reached into the bag. Jace threw a stone, but the man caught it. He stepped closer.
They thought it was over.
Then he pulled out… the rabbit.
"The same one we saw!" Jace gasped.
"Don't be scared," the man said, smiling. "I'm Rusk. I'm just a runaway soldier. I brought this as thanks for helping me."
"You're not going to hurt us?" Kael asked.
Rusk laughed. "Of course not. Now let's cook this rabbit. It wasn't easy to catch."
The boys smiled and relaxed. They shared a warm meal and told Rusk everything—about the war, their escape, the forest, and the cave.
When they showed him the chest, Rusk froze. He looked at one of the books—the diary.
His face changed. He gently touched the name on the first page:
Edward Marshall.
"I know this man," Rusk whispered.
He remembered a fire from his childhood, when pirates fought in his hometown. A man had saved him from the flames and disappeared.
That man… was Edward Marshall.
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