Alyss's face paled. She wiped her face clear of emotion almost as soon as they appeared, but Shelby noticed. The moment they were there, she detected the distress.
"At the castle?" Alyss asked in a hushed tone. The man nodded.
"Yes. People have been trying to set fires, and acting violently towards soldiers." Alyss breathed in.
"Perhaps I should go speak with the Baron," she said. "There have been things going on at Castle Araluen that need to be reported." The man hesitated, then nodded.
"Of course, Lady Alyss. Whatever you think is fit." Alyss brushed her hair behind her ear, and knit her eyebrows. Shelby studied her mother warily. "We must hurry," the man said. "The outbursts won't get any better." Alyss nodded.
"Of course," she said. She turned to Shelby. "Get my horse," she said. "Please." Shelby nodded and bolted out the door. She ran to the stables, and ran to her mother's horse's stall. She swung the wood door open, and guided the white horse out of its stall.
"Come on," she urged the horse. Shelby grabbed the saddle blanket off its hook, threw it on the horse, and then turned to the saddle. She grunted as she pulled the heavy saddle off the post, and situated it on the horse. She buckled the buckle under the horses' stomach, and then tied the muzzle and reins around his mouth. She pulled him along out of the stable and rushed out into her yard. Her mother was already there, slinging a leather bad around her shoulders. She ran up to Shelby, and climbed on the horses' back.
"Stay here, Shelby," she grunted as she settled herself in the saddle.
"But-" the girl started to protest.
"Stay here," Alyss said firmly. "I don't know what's going on, and until I am, you're staying here." Shelby closed her mouth. She wanted to complain that she could help, but she knew against her mother, arguing would be pointless. "Keep the house clean and orderly. Take care of the animals."
"How long are you going to be gone?" Shelby demanded.
"I don't know," Alyss said, facing the sun. "But I hope not long." She looked back at her daughter. "I must go." She leaned down from her horse to kiss her daughter's dusty forehead. "I'll be back." Alyss turned again towards the sun, and kneed her horses' rib cage. They sped off, along with the young man from the door, heading towards the castle. Shelby sighed dejectedly, and trudged back to the house.
She slammed the door behind her when she reentered the house.
"Alone again," she grumbled. "They always leave me." Which, of course, wasn't totally true, but they were gone a lot. Shelby knew her parents loved her, but she wished they could spend more time with her. And then her heart softened as she though of Abigail, and how her parents ran the kingdom that Shelby held so dear. She knew with a job like that, Abigail and Mason must never spend time with their parents. Well, at least they are always close by if they need them, Shelby thought. The small girl sat down hard on her chair at the dinner table. She stared at her soup. A few moments later, she was surprised to find tears clouding her vision. Shelby didn't describe herself as needy, but she hated the feeling of being alone. She didn't understand how her father could stand in darkness, all alone, all the time. Going on missions across the country, without company a lot of the time. Going where there were none other like him, with only his horse, Tug, for a companion. If there was one thing Shelby was sure that she wasn't going to be, it would be a Ranger.
Shelby sat around the dinner table feeling generally miserable for quite awhile. The minutes ticked by, and soon, the sun was setting. Shelby wondered what could be keeping her mother. She said she would be back. What could be taking her so long? Shelby also remembered her mother telling her to take care of the her horse. Shelby got up lazily from the wood chair, and walked outside again. She trudged to the stables, and pushed open her horses' wooden blockade away from its hinges. Shelby coaxed her horse out of the stable, and led him to his corral. She took off his nuzzle as he trotted into the corral. The horse walked around the wooden corral for a few moments. Shelby ran back into the stable and grabbed the bag of oats. When she returned to the corral, she poured the oats into a bowl, and freshened the water. Her horse gingerly took a drink, and then trotted around some more. Shelby put her hands on her hips and watched for a moment. Then she started thinking.
"I can't just sit around," she huffed eventually. "What if Mom needs my help?" She was staring at her horse, expecting an answer. He blinked a couple of times, and then looked away, chewing oats. Shelby sighed. She knew that her mother probably didn't need her help, but it was her excuse. She hadn't even been gone long, but something could have happened in a short time, or at least that's what Shelby convinced herself. "I have to do something," she decided. She jogged back to the house, and stuffed a piece of bread in her mouth. She went into their living room, and opened a drawer, revealing a knife. "Just in case," she said aloud. She rushed back outside to her horse. She debated taking him, but then thought that it might be a little too obvious.
"I'll be back," she promised him, and walked into the forest.
Shelby was afraid her feet would get tired after walking several miles through the forest, but she was so pumped to see what was going on at Castle Redmont, she didn't even notice. She jogged at a steady pace for what seemed like hours, which in real time was only about half an hour. She heard and smelled the town before she actually saw it, just like in the castle town. She heard people shouting, and smelled ash, like a fire had recently been extinguished. She climbed around trees and undergrowth, and emerged on the south-east side of the town. People were rushing around everywhere, carrying buckets of water, or dragging people into houses. Shelby frowned.
"How could this happen?" she whispered aloud.
"Cruel people," someone answered. Shelby turned quickly in surprise. A middle aged man was leaning on a door post leading inside to a bar behind her.
"Oh," Shelby said. The man pushed off the post and slowly approached Shelby. She subconsciously took a step back. "What happened exactly?" she asked.
"I don't know," the man said, spreading his arms. "I wasn't there. But I do know some cult of people attempted to set fire to the the castle." Shelby frowned.
"The castle is made of stone. It wouldn't catch." The man shrugged.
"That was their problem. The tried, first burning down trees around here, and generally causing a riot." Shelby nodded. She started to turn away, but the man grabbed her wrist.
"Where are you going?" he whispered, and Shelby could smell alcohol on his breath. Shelby's tried to back up, and wrench his grip off her wrist.
"Joel!" another voice came from inside the bar. "Where'd you go?" A man appeared from the door. "Come on." Joel sneered at Shelby and let go of her, then followed the man inside the building. Shelby rubbed her wrist and back off the porch. She walked towards the castle. Just as she got within a few feet, she saw her mother and the Baron himself walking the perimeter of the Castle. She gasped, put a hand over her mouth, and hid behind a barrel. She noticed them look in her general direction, but then continue walking. Shelby sighed in relief, and followed them with her eyes. She couldn't catch most of what they were saying, but when the two walked by her, she caught them saying;
"...They group together and start riots. They get the people wired and ready for a fight. It takes a lot of calming down for them to eventually leave." From her hiding spot, Shelby could see Alyss frown.
"What do you think started this...?" They walked out of ear shot and Shelby cursed under her breath. Then, a group of people standing off to the left of them, started conversing in hushed tones. They looked around, as if you see if anyone challenged them, and then stepped forward. They both stood high on a raised dais in the center of the town square. They said several words, most of which Shelby couldn't understand, and people started gathering around the wooden dais. Alyss and the Baron looked up from their conversation in confusion. The two people from earlier were only getting just started; exciting people, and trying to make them believe things they were saying.
"The so called monarchy is not ruling the way they should," Shelby heard one of them accuse. She winced. That alone could be a offense worthy of death. But they continued. "They are living in their stuck up ways, telling us to do their biding, and demanding taxes!" People kept gathering, and some were muttering their assent. "They are selfish people, wanting us to give our lives to their service! But I tell you now, we can change that! We can overthrow them!" Cheers actually went up this time. Before she knew what she was doing, Shelby stood from her place and walked to the group of people, a frown on her brow.
"What do you people think you're doing?" she demanded, loud enough for everyone to hear her well. The two people high on the dais stopped talking to look down at her. "Before these people showed up, you had no complaints! Don't just do what the crowd does." She pointed at the two people from before, one she now recognized as the man from the bar. "What they're saying alone can cause more trouble than it's worth. So go home now, all of you, before you cause any problems." Everyone was silent for awhile, and Shelby was afraid they would just laugh at her, and continue what they were doing, but instead, they exchanged looks with one another, and then started to wander off. The men on the dais sneered at her, and started towards Shelby's direction. As they moved to grab her, two guards from the Castle intercepted their reach, and grabbed their arms with iron grip.
"You're coming with us," one of them said, and together, they hauled off the offenders. Shelby straightened. Maybe she should be a public speaker. She smiled as the thought amused her. But then she heard someone call,
"Shelby!" and her smiled melted away. She turned gingerly to face the Baron and her mother.
"Hi, Mom," she said weakly.
"What do you think you're doing here?" Alyss cried. "You could have been hurt, or worse-"
"Lady Alyss," the Baron interrupted. Alyss stopped glaring at her daughter for long enough to look at the Baron. "She did a brave thing. Let me speak with her." Alyss closed her mouth. Shelby got the feeling that as soon as they returned to their cabin, she would get it from her mother, but the time being, she faced the Baron.
"Yes, Sir?" she said. The Baron smiled.
"So polite. Yes, well, your mother is correct on the dangerous part. You never know what crazy protestors are going to do, and it isn't wise to go around picking fights with them, and telling them they are wrong. They are of course, but without at least a few other people with you to hold them back, I wouldn't suggest it. As for the bravery part of it, you spared us another outburst in the making. I thank you for that." Shelby nodded once.
"Of course. I will always stand for what's right. I know the King and Queen personally, and I think they're doing a rather fine job." The Baron smiled and turned to Alyss again.
"That's a girl you have there." Alyss's expression softened a little, and she uncrossed her arms.
"I'm sorry for what's happened today, my Lord," she said. "But thank you for giving me information." The Baron nodded.
"Of course," he said. Alyss nodded too, and said,
"I'm afraid we should leave." She turned to Shelby with a stern expression again. "I need to get this young lady home." The Baron smiled warmly at Shelby.
"Good luck," he whispered, and headed towards his castle.