Well, here's the update. Sorry, massive writer's block. Gah. Well, I tried to make this chappie a little longer, so enjoy!
James paced back and forth, growling under his breath. Where was she? Cat had promised to return to the inn by morning. She was out scouting forward and cross-referencing villagers on the motives of the king of Malvint.
Nathan was sitting beside him in the breakfast room of the inn, gazing into his cup of apple juice as though it could tell him the secrets of the universe.
"What did she say last night?" asked James cautiously, unsure how Nathan would react.
"What did she say to me, or what did she say to the cats?" asked Nathan with a light smile.
James sighed with relief and said, "I only learned about it while she was recuperating from that arrow. So you trust her?"
Nathan nodded, but was still staring into the amber juice.
"Good morning!" came the voice that James had been waiting for all morning. Nathan looked up too and they both watched Cat enter the room, carrying Cylon on her shoulders and letting the kitten run behind her.
She sat down across from Nathan, taking care not to dump Cylon on the floor and said, "Hey Nathan."
Nathan was watching her as intently as a hawk until suddenly he jumped. Callie had leaped onto the table in front of him and was rubbing her calico head against his motionless hand. "Callie!" reprimanded Cat sharply.
"No, no; it's fine," said Nathan, running a hand over the kittens back. As though he had touched a button, the kitten began purring loudly and she arched her back in joy.
As Nathan continued stroking the feline, Cat made her report, "I spoke with a few villagers and it seems Malvint is going through a rough time. The king has been laying heavy taxes and has been taking more and more peasants into the army. No one was overly happy with their ruler," she finished darkly.
"Well we're here to make peace, so make peace we will," said James, inspecting the royal crest that rested on a gold ring on his right hand. The coat of arms for Coutron's royalty was a sleek gold panther in front of a sword and grain crossed. "I met the prince of Malvint once at a ball. Kris, I think his name was. He's only a year older than us. What'd they say about him?"
Cat's eyes widened. "They have a prince? No one even mentioned him," she answered in surprise. "Well, I think we need to off. Have you both eaten? Good. Now, saddle up!"
An hour later they were back in the woods upon a leaf covered trail. "Malvint is only a half day's ride," said Cat as they rode along. She was in back, slightly farther than necessary due to Ashpetal's tendency to bite the rear of anything in her path. Cylon was around her shoulders and Callie, who had grown very fond of Nathan, had decided to hitch a ride with him.
James rode in the middle as Cat said that that way he would be the least likely to be hit with an arrow. James rode in silence, finding the gentle walk on his bay horse, Sunflash, and the rustling of the leaves overhead very soothing after the roughness in the town.
Just when James was beginning to think about lunch, Nathan called, "I see it!" Jerking out of his daze, James saw huge city gates in the distance.
They reached them quickly, but found something other than just the gates blocking their way. "Who goes there?"
Cat galloped to the front, looking very impressive with her short wild hair bouncing by her ears. "The prince of Coutron and the Lord Stutrian!"
The guard up top raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And I be the king of Itanh himself. Hey Commander! Dese folks thinks they is royal!"
An older looking man came out of the edge tower and strode down the wall, iron hair glistening as brightly as all the badges that bedecked his commander uniform. He glanced down over the edge of the wall and exclaimed, "Cat! Cat Jarewl, is that you?"
Who do you think it is? An old friend or an old enemy?I have one thing to say…… REVIEW!