As Pascal and Sir Pealot entered the gate, the guards shut the portcullis behind them with a rattling of chains and a slamming of iron on stone. Pascal jumped and a look of fear spread across his dirty face. Sir Pealot told Pascal not to worry, it is only to keep Duc Leogard safe. Even though he had Pealot's reassurance, Pascal still felt like it was meant to keep him from leaving. He felt like a prisoner all of a sudden. He thought of asking Pealot, but decided against it when he noticed the kind look on the runner's face.
Before he knew it, Pascal and Pealot were at the door of the castle. The door was an intricately carved oak door with Duc Leogard's coat of arms carved into it and the various wildlife seen around the countryside. Pascal took a moment to observe the door and its ornate carving.
"It's marvelous isn't it Pascal? This door was carved when your grandfather was a knight for Duc Leocran. It is old, but has stood the test of time."
"Amazing. Simply amazing. I have never been inside the walls before. My father did not bring me here because he didn't want me to think this is what life is like."
"Your father was wise. He experienced life as a young man when there was plenty for both castle and village. He knew that it would not always be that way."
"He always told me that things would someday change for us. I saw them start to change when I was a boy. I enjoy my life in the village, but if I ever experience life in the castle for just a day, I would never be the same."
"That may be true Pascal. It may be very true. But enough talk for now, his Lordship awaits our arrival."
As Sir Pealot told the guards to open the door, Pascal again felt a sensation of uncertainty about the situation. He heard the footsteps of a soldier clad in plate mail behind him and the rattle of chain mail of another. He didn't know why he was alarmed by this, he was in the castle after all. As the door was opened, Sir Pealot walked ahead and told Pascal to follow him.