The Rogue and The Prince

Chapter 9- Traveling and Tracking

The Rogue and The Prince

chapter 9- Traveling and Tracking

France

May, 1576

Archer's POV

The sun peeked through the canopy and occasionally warmed my back until a new tree covered it up again. I could hear Ranger's horse's hooves behind me as we dodged and leaped over fallen trees. When we came to one of the many streams that inhabited this forest, I slowed down my horse and signaled Ranger to do the same. Our horses went over to the stream and took a much needed break. We had left the castle when the moon was at its highest and at that moment the sun was just over the mountain range. We hadn't taken one break, and that showed in the way the horses were gulping up water like they may just fall over right there.

I myself cupped my hands and sank them in the stream's clear water. I brought the water to my dry lips and almost sighed with the wonderful feeling that the water gave my throat.

"Why is this taking so long?" Ranger asked me as he also dropped to his knees and followed my drinking technique.

"Well truth be told, I have this weird feeling that were being followed. So to try and shake that feeling I have been going all over the place to try and confuse the person that could be behind us. There is most likely no one behind us but you know me; can't take chances," I explained as I got up and took a little food from a pouch on my horses saddle. When I found a measly handful of berries. I sighed and went over to Ranger's pouch to find nothing but air.

I sighed and walked back to Ranger handing him our only food for the moment. No worries though, we would be at the meeting place in a few hours. Besides Ranger looked like a starved lion from the way he savored the berries. He knew that I could go for a while without food so he didn't offer me any.

After he finished eating we untied the horses and started at a steady walk. Again I got that creepy feeling of being followed. I eased Rosemary into a steady trot, and gradually got him into a light gallop with Ranger behind me.

Ian's POV

My plan was working perfectly. At the moment I was pretty sure that neither of them knew I was hot on their tails as I kept a safe distance away yet still keeping them in my sights. I was going to have to keep it that way to keep this up. It was hard enough catching up with them in the first place.

After I had ran out of my father's study with the life-changing piece of paper in my hand, I had ran strait to my courters. I took a medium sized burlap bag and stuffed it with my comfy cloths that were sturdy and showed no sign of me being a prince. After changing into one of those said pieces of cloths and changed into them. I followed that by putting on my sword that was given to me by him and ran out of the doors with my bag in hand. I didn't run into any guards as I ran to the stables and saddled a horse when the stable boy was sleeping. I lead my horse through the stable doors and tried to find the two people that were most important to me at the moment. The ones that could help me.

Mouse and that other guy.

I was still kind of skeptical on the whole 'Mouse' name thing but didn't think much of it at the moment. I made my way over to the street in front of the castle so that I could see a good distance into the town and a little bit into the woods.

I saw two figures running to a run-down hut type thing and I immediately knew it was them. I got off of my horse and lead him to a house nearby, tying him onto a spare post and then slowly creeping my way to the edge of the hut. I listened to people walking around and this scuffling around and when I saw the then climb out of the back door and into the woods I retrieved my horse. I got on and waited a moment on the edge of the woods looking for them. When I saw a glimpse of them on their horses moving deeper in the woods I followed a safe distance away.

I continued to track them as I watched them stop then continue to move on multiple times. That's how I found myself at that moment, still behind them. They slowed again and got off their horses. I followed suit and watched them behind bushes keeping out of sight. When they broke through a wall of trees and other plants I silently made my way over as well. I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the encounter I was going to have to endure.

But, as I broke through the wall of vegetation, what I was greeted with was not as I expected it to be.

Archer's POV

The ride to camp was long and restless. I kept following the route to the camp and as we got closer I became more relaxed. The markers that were put up guided me as we reached the large wall of vegetation. Ranger and I got off our horses and lead them through the branches and leaves. I could feel them nipping at my skin, but that was pushed to the back of my mind as we emerged coming face-to-face with who I presumed to be our little rogue army. I glanced around seeing all kinds of different people.

Woman, children, men and even people who weren't from Renatia, but from different kingdoms who also opposed Zander. I didn't dwell on this for too long, because I heard a rustle shortly after everyone came to greet us. I turned so that I was facing the plant wall and that everyone was  behind me. grabbing my bow and quiver, I took an arrow out and notched it, but not lifting it into the ready position. When the person who I now know was the cause for my uneasiness, stepped out I almost laughed.

There before me was the one and only Prince Ian.

This should be good.

(A/N- I was going to end here but since it has taken me awhile to upload the last couple of times I decided to kill the suspense so that you all may know why Ian was following them. ENJOY)

"What do you want?" My voice rang above all of the murmurs that had broken out from my team. Ian stood up straighter and looked me in the eyes.

"I came here to join you," his voice was smooth and unfazed. Laughter broke behind me but stopped when I took the hand with the arrow off the bow and rose in a fashion to silence everybody. They took my command immediately and became as silent as death itself. I could feel everyone's gaze as they looked at me to know what to do next.

Ian still looked completely unfazed as he kept his gaze on mine.

"What brought you onto this decision?" I questioned him as I put my hand back onto the bow re-notching it and tensing my muscles ever so slightly as I waited for the trick or the guards to pop out at any moment.

"Something not worth mentioning other than to you leader," he replied. I smiled slightly then nodded. I turned to everyone else.

"Back to what you were doing," I called out over the clearing, then motioned Ian with my hand to follow. I didn't trust him, but there were too many people around so he couldn't try anything. That and the fact I still had my bow ready were the reasons I let him behind me.

He followed me as I made to what I assumed to be my tent, since it had a small red flag on the top of it. Walking into the twenty foot tent, I made my way to table which was scattered with maps and papers. Bane was hunched over it, reading away and marking away on one of the maps of the kingdom.

"Please leave for now and when I say so come back so that I may show you what I found," I whispered in Bane's ear. He nodded and looked up to the entrance of the tent before walking out passing Ian on his way. I could hear Ian's steps as he started to follow Bane out of the tent.

"Don't you want to talk to the leader?" I said before he left. I heard his steps falter and take one step towards me.

"Wasn't that him?" His voice was full of suspicion and I had to chuckle at his slight sexism. I mean, do all leaders have to be big, muscular, scary looking men? I say they don't.

Oh, Ian. You just made this day a lot more interesting.

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Ok guys sorry it's short and sucks, but right now I am trying to write 3 stories at once.... pile that on with sports and school. I get almost no time to myself so I would appreciate it if you understood my predicament at the current time. So to sum it all up: I won't be uploading as often as I normally would... so yeah there you go.

BUT- if you guys vote and comment like crazy on this story I will upload this one more frequently since it would be more popular than my others.

<3,

Wildthang