eyes widened. "Alto? Of the
Blades of Leander? You've changed some since I last seen you."
"We've met?"
"I was with the jarl when he marched in the
spring to Kingdom lands to help with the siege of Highpeak," the
guard said.
Alto stepped forward and offered his hand.
The guard took it and they embraced. "The honor is mine," Alto
said. "Those were interesting times."
"Seems you live in interesting times." The
guard cast a look at the unicorn. "Is this a gift for the
princess?"
Alto turned to Winter and saw the unicorn
looking suspiciously at him. He smirked. "Winter has his own wants
and goals. I have no claim to him; he's been a great friend to me
in my travels. He does what he wants, but with a sweet apple, I
find I can get him to do a little more than most."
Winter stomped the ground, earning a chuckle
from Alto. "May we enter, my friend?"
"Of course, the stables are to the right of
the gate."
Alto turned to look at Winter. The unicorn
had refused to spend time in stables before and he suspected this
would be no different. His memories flashed back to the trouble
he'd gotten in the first time he'd ridden Sebas into a Kingdom city
instead of stabling the stallion. He shrugged. "My thanks. Could
you tell me how to get to the palace? I've never been here
before."
The guard laughed. "Straight away. The jarl's
hall is in the center of the city; it's also the highest
point."
Alto nodded. "Defensible, that's smart."
The guard grinned.
Alto led Winter into the city, eschewing the
stable and walking the unicorn into the city. He hoped that
majestic nature of the beast and his own history with the jarl and
Trina would earn him some leniency. "No pooping in the city,
okay?"
Winter bumped him with his hindquarters and
sent him stumbling a few steps before he caught himself. Alto
returned to the unicorn's side with a red face.
Their journey through the city was quicker
than he expected. Holgasford, for being the second most important
Kelgryn city, was not overly large. It was smaller even than
Portland, or at least the city proper was. Buildings and merchants
were set up outside the timber walls. Inside were mostly houses and
halls, as well as a few smithies and bakeries. Alto walked past two
earthen ramps that took them past sharpened spikes driven into the
ground to act as pikes. The city was built to be defended from
attack. Alto found himself approving of the design even as he
couldn't imagine a way for an enemy army to attack without
incredible loss of life.
"Hold!" a guard called out when they reached
the final ramp. "The stables are at the gate; you'll need to leave
your mount there."
"This is no mount," Alto said while Winter
stomped his hoof. "This is Winter. He's a unicorn and I owe him my
life."
"No animals allowed in the jarl's hall, nor
left to roam free," the royal guard said.
"This is no animal," Alto protested.
Winter snorted in agreement.
"Our laws is laws," the guard on the other
side of the road said, backing up the first one.
"I won't leave him behind."
"Fine by us," the first guard said. "You'll
need to step off to the side so others can pass by, though."
Alto glowered at the guard. He turned to
Winter and was about to speak when the unicorn swung its head
around and pushed Alto forward a few steps. Alto stumbled and
turned, but only in time to catch Winter's horn in his side. The
painful poke made him step away even as his hand went to his side.
Alto stared at Winter, his mouth hanging open in surprise. The
unicorn nodded with his head towards the palatial hall ahead of
them.
"You want to wait here?"
Winter stomped the ground.
Alto shrugged. "All right." He turned back to
the guards. "Nobody lays one hand on him, understand? I'm a friend
of the jarl and Princess Patrina."
The first guard laughed but the second one
stared at the two of them. "Be quick about your business."
Alto nodded and walked past them stiffly. He
entered the hall and found himself at the end of a long procession
of
Blades of Leander? You've changed some since I last seen you."
"We've met?"
"I was with the jarl when he marched in the
spring to Kingdom lands to help with the siege of Highpeak," the
guard said.
Alto stepped forward and offered his hand.
The guard took it and they embraced. "The honor is mine," Alto
said. "Those were interesting times."
"Seems you live in interesting times." The
guard cast a look at the unicorn. "Is this a gift for the
princess?"
Alto turned to Winter and saw the unicorn
looking suspiciously at him. He smirked. "Winter has his own wants
and goals. I have no claim to him; he's been a great friend to me
in my travels. He does what he wants, but with a sweet apple, I
find I can get him to do a little more than most."
Winter stomped the ground, earning a chuckle
from Alto. "May we enter, my friend?"
"Of course, the stables are to the right of
the gate."
Alto turned to look at Winter. The unicorn
had refused to spend time in stables before and he suspected this
would be no different. His memories flashed back to the trouble
he'd gotten in the first time he'd ridden Sebas into a Kingdom city
instead of stabling the stallion. He shrugged. "My thanks. Could
you tell me how to get to the palace? I've never been here
before."
The guard laughed. "Straight away. The jarl's
hall is in the center of the city; it's also the highest
point."
Alto nodded. "Defensible, that's smart."
The guard grinned.
Alto led Winter into the city, eschewing the
stable and walking the unicorn into the city. He hoped that
majestic nature of the beast and his own history with the jarl and
Trina would earn him some leniency. "No pooping in the city,
okay?"
Winter bumped him with his hindquarters and
sent him stumbling a few steps before he caught himself. Alto
returned to the unicorn's side with a red face.
Their journey through the city was quicker
than he expected. Holgasford, for being the second most important
Kelgryn city, was not overly large. It was smaller even than
Portland, or at least the city proper was. Buildings and merchants
were set up outside the timber walls. Inside were mostly houses and
halls, as well as a few smithies and bakeries. Alto walked past two
earthen ramps that took them past sharpened spikes driven into the
ground to act as pikes. The city was built to be defended from
attack. Alto found himself approving of the design even as he
couldn't imagine a way for an enemy army to attack without
incredible loss of life.
"Hold!" a guard called out when they reached
the final ramp. "The stables are at the gate; you'll need to leave
your mount there."
"This is no mount," Alto said while Winter
stomped his hoof. "This is Winter. He's a unicorn and I owe him my
life."
"No animals allowed in the jarl's hall, nor
left to roam free," the royal guard said.
"This is no animal," Alto protested.
Winter snorted in agreement.
"Our laws is laws," the guard on the other
side of the road said, backing up the first one.
"I won't leave him behind."
"Fine by us," the first guard said. "You'll
need to step off to the side so others can pass by, though."
Alto glowered at the guard. He turned to
Winter and was about to speak when the unicorn swung its head
around and pushed Alto forward a few steps. Alto stumbled and
turned, but only in time to catch Winter's horn in his side. The
painful poke made him step away even as his hand went to his side.
Alto stared at Winter, his mouth hanging open in surprise. The
unicorn nodded with his head towards the palatial hall ahead of
them.
"You want to wait here?"
Winter stomped the ground.
Alto shrugged. "All right." He turned back to
the guards. "Nobody lays one hand on him, understand? I'm a friend
of the jarl and Princess Patrina."
The first guard laughed but the second one
stared at the two of them. "Be quick about your business."
Alto nodded and walked past them stiffly. He
entered the hall and found himself at the end of a long procession
of
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