The Rose Thief (Achievement Hunter)

2. Criminal Scum

Ray was brought back to another, larger clearing where several horses were stationed. He was lifted up onto a brown stallion in front of the aggressive guard who took far too much pleasure in his discomfort. Ray had never ridden a horse before, and it didn't help that his hands were tied behind his back. The guard, too, took only the minimal required effort to make sure he didn't fall off. Gavin marched over to a beautiful steed with hair like woven gold. He put on foot in the stirrup and swung up onto it easily with far more grace than Ray had ever seen Gavin move before.

There was one horse more than the total number of men here. The extra was a stocky beast that carried the carcasses of two deer and several rabbits. It seemed that the prince had been out on a hunting trip. When everyone was on their mounts, Gavin led the hunting party through the woods confidently. Another guard slid up next to Gavin to chat with him, and Ray could overhear them talking. This guard was dressed slightly different from the rest, with more armor pieces that were better kept and polished than the rest of the guards. The guard's voice sounded familiar as well, with a clipped accent, but Ray had more trouble placing it.

"My prince, this Enderman is troubling news," said the guard. "If we had known that there was such danger here, your Highness, we would have never let you go out..."

Gavin raised a hand from his reigns to shush the nervous guard. "Sir Dan, do not fret about that." Oh. Dan. Of course. Why was Ray not surprised? "The Enderman have never come so close to the city; you wouldn't have known. Besides, I can take care of myself." Gavin turned his head to face the guard, and Ray could see his wide, stupid grin. Dan sighed and slumped in his saddle.

"I just fear that they are becoming braver, your Highness," Dan admitted.

"They might be, but it is possible this was just a scout. Highly likely, in fact. I wouldn't worry too much just yet, Sir Dan."

Ray suddenly started to slide sideways on the saddle. He squeezed his thighs to try and stabilize himself, but he surely would have fallen if his guard didn't roughly grab him by the arm and yank him back. By the time Ray was steadied again, Dan and Gavin had moved too far away to eavesdrop on anymore.

The forest began to thin, and Ray realized that they had started following a packed dirt trail. The dirt trail melded into a packed gravel road just outside the forest, which in turn transformed into a paved cobblestone street. After travelling for probably two hours, the hunting party had left the forest, crossed a short stretch of farmland, and approached a tall stone wall that stretched for a few miles in either direction with turrets every 200 feet or so. A wide, softly shushing river cut the city encased by the wall into two to Ray's left. The smaller half contained a massive tower that looked to be cut from all the same stone. Ray would bet both of his arms that that belonged to Geoff.

The cobblestone road led to a wrought-iron gate raised for the daytime. As they went under the arched entrance into the city, the guards posted there bowed respectfully at Prince Gavin and did double takes when Ray passed by. Whispers and second looks followed Ray as the hunting party wound their way carefully through the afternoon crowd and turned from their broad street left onto an even broader street. From his vantage point on horseback, Ray could look across the top of the crowd to see his first looks of the castle.

The stone wall cut inside the city, preventing needless peasants and commoners from wandering the castle grounds at all hours. There was another gate that was opened quickly at the approach of Gavin's party. Inside this gate was a small courtyard with a round little fountain in the center. Ray couldn't even see half of the castle from here, stretching from side to side. He had a feeling he wouldn't be seeing it soon, either.

Most of the guards left to take care of their own horses, but three boys dressed simply yet finely rushed up to take Gavin's, Dan's, and Ray's horses. They did not go through the enormous wooden double doors in front of them. Instead, Ray's aggressive guard gripped him by the scruff of his neck and veered off to the right with Dan and Gavin. Ray was shoved down an open-air hallway decorated and supported with stone arches, through a smaller, locked wooden door, and down a tightly winding staircases lined with torches.