(A/n: Well, I hope I can write this chapter without rushing it! I've been wanting to write it for a while, so I wrote about 2 pages and then it all got erased! Now that I've gone through all this trouble, can at least ONE of you review? Lol. Anyway the first chapter was a typo. If it was cut off when you read it, it's fixed now)
After breakfast Dodson and Cedric decided to go for a ride in the Royal Forest. They put away their trays, declined Yule's offer to train, (explaining that they had already done so) and hurried to the stables.
"Does something seem…not right to you?" Cedric asked Dodson immediately.
"The horses seem a little on edge," Dod replied, and opened the door of his gelding's stall. His horse, Swift, was a tall, gorgeous steely gray. Swift was waiting eagerly for him.
The boys brought their mounts to a tacking row and began to brush them.
"Can you hand me that stirrup leather? Mine's broken." Cedric strained for the wall, while still trying to hold Rafe. Laughing, Dodson fetched the strap in question from the box where Stefan kept his extra tack and handed it to his friend.
After several moments of silence, Cedric fixed his saddle and came around from the far side of his horse.
"You really shouldn't hound my Lord like that. It might get you into trouble some day," he cautioned.
Dodson peered at Cedric from over the top of swifts tall back. "What has gotten into you? Seriously, what's wrong?" He reached up to brush Swift's high neck.
Cedric scuffed his toe on the ground. He was acting strangely untypical and reserved. "Oh, I don't know. We've been friends for a long time, Dod. And when a knight asks us to be his personal squire, we might not get to see much of each other."
"You'll be jousting so much, I bet you'll forget all about me," Dodson insisted jokingly.
"And the King himself will probably choose you for a squire," Cedric said earnestly. "But it's not just that. Don't you feel like…like something is going to happen?"
Dodson scooped up a handful of soiled hay from the stable floor and tossed it at his year-mate. "You think too much. Live life!"
He mounted Swift and Cedric did the same. As they were riding out of the stable, Cedric muttered: "You live life enough for both of us."
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The ride was peaceful and uneventful at first. Soon, however, the boys strayed from the designated path. They often did this, and Cedric, who had brought his bow along, quickly shot two grouse for the cook's pot.
"This ominous feeling is getting worse," Dodson said suddenly as the sun disappeared behind a dark cloud. The forest sounds had stopped. Not a single bird chirped, no crickets played. Even the wind had stopped its gentle whistling through the swaying pines and oaks.
Suddenly, with an ear-splitting screech, a huge hairy creature dropped from the trees, suspended on a sticky pink strand of web. Although he had never encountered one, Cedric recognized it as a spidren at once. The thing's silver teeth glinted in the muted sunlight, and it was so close the two squires could smell its rank breath. Before either Dodson or Cedric could move, the Spidren had swung up it's right foreleg. Dodson drew his sword and hacked the tip off. With a strangled scream the creature cleared its spinneret and readied to launch its deadly web. Finally shedding his paralysis, Cedric nudged Dodson and kicked Rafe to make their escape. The terrified horses wouldn't move. Finally Dodson managed to get Swift to back-up, and Rafe followed. Soon the boys were galloping towards the palace, ducking branches and jumping logs. After what seemed like hours of glancing over their shoulders, the friends arrived at the palace's Lesser Gate. Both horses were covered with sweat and foaming at the mouth, fighting to get the bit out of their teeth. Rafe's eyes rolled frantically when the guard appeared to let them in.
Stefan the hostler vowed to sooth and groom the horses while the boys took their story to Wyldon. The training master heard them out and hurried to the King's council room. Surprisingly, it was occupied by King Jonathan, Gareth of Naxen, and Raoul of Goldenlake.
"Dodson of Akins and Cedric of Tessol, Jon," Wyldon said with a small bow. The squires copied him.
"Of course, of course," said Jon. "I'd like to speak to you boys about something."
(A/n: sorry, I was going to continue, but my baby bunny requires my attention. So I will write more after 10 (TEN) reviews!
