The Hidden Princess: Finding Hope (Book One)

Chapter Twenty-Five: Those Aren't Rumors (e)

 No questions were asked as we rode back inside the walls. "I'm sorry for the abrupt end. I have to get information back to the Dragons," I said as I turned my horse towards the compound and galloped away. The horse had barely stopped when I leapt from the saddle. I looked around frantically. "Where is Orion?" I asked, grabbing the first Dragon that I could reach.

"Sam, what's going on?" Benedict asked jogging up followed by my brothers.

"I need to speak to Orion immediately. I've come from just outside the walls and heard men talking about La Fray's plan," I said.

"...and they will be seeking out the men that have been planted to find out what they have uncovered," I finished looking around at the faces staring silently back at me. As soon as I had said I had overheard part of La Fray's plan, it wasn't long before Orion had Erik, my brothers, and I, were riding for the castle. Seeing seven Dragons approach with two being the leader and his son it did not take long for the King to be found. We were standing over a map of the area. I finished relaying what I had heard to King Philip, Prince Louis, Prince Nikolai, Orion, Erik, my brothers, Sir Simon the head knight, and Sir Gregory the battle master.

Sir Gregory pointed to the spot that I had indicated. "Are you sure this is where you were at?" He asked.

I nodded tracing the line from the city wall to the meadow. "We passed Lady Hannah's Tea House as we rode out of Jarrow and did not cross any water before stopping," I said pointing to a small stream slightly past where we had been.

"Sam, can you take Benedict, Sir Gregory, and Michel back to where you were and retrace all your steps?" King Philip asked looking over at me.

I nodded. "Yes, your highness," I said although, it occurred to me after saying yes that I had no idea who Michel was.

"Good, Gregory, go find Michel then meet Benedict and Sam at the stables. The rest of us will stay here and go over what we just heard," he said nodding for us to take our leave.

I followed Benedict quickly down the hallways. At one turn I ran right into someone. "Sorry," I apologized as the two of us straightened ourselves.

"It's okay," the other man said. I froze for half a second as a memory flashed through my mind, again I didn't know why. I recognized the man I ran into, but didn't know where from.

"Sam, where'd you go?" Benedict asked spinning around at the far end of the hall.

"Sorry," I said again before running towards Benedict. We made the rest of the jog to the stable in silence. "Benedict, who is Michel?" I asked after we had told the stable boys to saddle two more horses and mounted our own.

"Michel is the king's best tracker. He can see signs that most people would never notice," Benedict explained as we waited for the two men to join us. It didn't take long before they came jogging out of the castle and mounted their horses.

I quickly lead the men out of the city and back to the meadow where my friends and I had been earlier. "This is where my friends and I were relaxing. After lunch I excused myself and walked this way," I said, leading them towards the direction I had gone.

Michel grabbed my arm and stopped me. "Let me, I don't want you to disturb anything," he said. Silently we followed him through the trees and before long he stopped right where I had earlier that day. "You move very lightly on your feet, Sam, not much sign of you even being here, but enough," he said, giving me a slight smile.

Benedict, Sir Gregory and I waited where we stood as Michel went further to explore the area where I had seen the men talking. After a few minutes, Michel disappeared, but we stayed where we were. I continued to run through what I had heard hoping to remember something that would give us an advantage. Soon Michel reappeared and called us forward. "There was definitely a group here not that long ago. They headed towards Chains, but when I came to the stream they must have walked through it instead of going down to the bridge because their tracks stop," Michel said. "With the descriptions that Sam gave I am going to head to Chains and see what information I can find," he said.