So Jack and I decided to head to the Forsythe manor at eight o’clock in the morning, a decent time when the household staff would be running rampant trying to get ready for the wedding which would kick off ten o’clock. We decided to walk through the slums and passage through the forest to get to the manor from the back. A direct route would run the risk of us getting seen by unwanted people. Also, R?ven would be able to lead us through the trees much more quickly. Hopefully we would arrive at the manor at nine o’clock when the guests would start arriving and everyone would be distracted. So far the plan seemed all right. The next part however frightened me. If Camryn was not in the stables we were going to steal two of her Pegasi. If Camryn was there and denied us use of her Pegasi … we were going to steal two anyway. I felt bad that this was going to happen, Jack and her had been friends for many years. I hated that I was ruining this friendship.
So Jack, R?ven and I rugged up, R?ven looking so much prettier than myself in her long travelling cloak. Every now and then I caught Jack staring at her. I sighed and folded my arms rather self conscious. For the first time in weeks I left R?ven’s home and stepped out onto the cold street. I had a scarf wrapped around my nose and mouth, and my hood was pulled over my head hiding my long black hair. All that was visible was my eyes, and due to the severe cold I looked no different to anyone else. Jack’s face was also mostly obscured by a scarf and thick woolen head warmer, complete with rather hilarious ear flaps. Smiling beneath my scarf I watched Jack as we made our way slowly down the street. Although my heart was pounding very hard, I felt safe with these two. I ignored the begging, half humans as we passed the less civilized parts of Frost Arch. A elderly woman grappled at my cloak as I walked by. Rather frightened I gasped and tugged free of her grip. The old woman screamed at me for money and Jack put his arm around my waist and led me in the direction of the thick row of trees before us. He held me close as we stepped into the forest and R?ven walked a few paces in front of us, barely making a sound as she walked, while Jack and I crunched noisily through the snow. Once we were hidden amongst the mass of trees Jack dropped his arm from around my waist and R?ven gave a small twirl, transforming into the elegant bird mid-spin. She flew ahead of us, but not so far that we would lose sight of her. Every now and then she would perch herself on a low branch and twitter a sweet little tune as Jack and I approached. It took us much less time than usual to make our way through the forest. R?ven’s sense of direction cut our travelling time in half. Sooner than I had expected the trees were beginning to thin and I could see the stables in the distance, and a little beyond that, a great stone manor. I felt as though it had been years since I had stepped foot within its halls. R?ven transformed back into her human form and held out a hand, indicating to Jack and I that we should stop and lay low. We did as we were told and hid behind two larger trees, watching as R?ven took flight once more to check whether the coast was clear. We lost sight of her for a few minutes but she glided into view after a little while. With a reassuring chirp confirming that it was safe to emerge we left the cover of the trees. I felt far too exposed as I made the short walk from the forest to the stables. The snow crunched under my feet loudly in an offensive way as though it wanted to alert the manor of my presence. Jack and I scampered across the lawn and were soon in the shadow of the stables. We shuffled along its walls, trying to be as quiet as possible. Jack briefly peeked through a frosted window, and when he confirmed that there seemed to be no one inside, we made our way to the entrance. Eventually we came to its large wooden doors, and to our great delight they were unlocked. We pushed them open quietly and slipped inside, R?ven flying in behind us and perching in the rafters above.
As I looked at the stables for the first time in a long while I let out a gasp. Almost all of the Pegasi were gone. There were only two left. One was a feeble looking brown, the other was young and black.
“Where have they all gone?” I asked Jack.
Jack frowned, “I forgot … the Pegasi are used as a mode of transportation for the important guests across the city and will most likely be some sort of spectacle after the ceremony. Not many people own them you see so it’s sort of a big deal to show them off.”
“Why are these two left here then?” I said indicating to the remaining beasts.
“Well that brown one looks a little old and weak, where as the black one looks quite young and probably not trained enough to be around a lot of Mages.”
I frowned, “How are we supposed to get to the top of that mountain then?”
“You’re only small, I’m sure the older one will be able to support your weight.” Jack said slowly, “But I’d be more worried about this little fella going for a joy ride and not taking me where I want to go without Camryn here to tell him what to do.”
I sighed impatiently, “Let’s do it.”
“Are you sure?” Jack looked a little worried, “We can always think of another way-”
“I’ve been without Hawthorne for too long, Jack.” I said, my chest feeling rather tight.