Lost Amongst Many

Chapter 59

-Preston's POV-
Rob was pissed.

He came out of Kenneth's room, and he was clearly seething.

"What happened?"

"We're gonna give Mitch and Kenny's parents a visit."

"What? Why?"

"They're awful people. C'mon."

I followed, tentative and nervous.

A man was starting to walk our horses away, and Rob had a fit.

"Excuse me! Who are you?"

The man turned, the horses stamping their hooves.

"Taking these here horses with me."

"Why?"

"They were left there and no one owned them that I could see."

"Well, give me my horses back."

"They're yours?" He looked amused, "no way. You're just a kid!"

I snuck up behind him as Rob kept him distracted.

"These are my horses. Give them back."

"No way. Go cry to your mommy and leave me alone," he scoffed.

"My mother is dead. The old King is dead."

"What does this have to do with the King?"

"Well, if you heard my mother was dead, you'd naturally say that I should then go to my father, but he's dead. That's what's about the King."

"There's no way you're the King's son. You look nothing like him. He look like a city folk."

I slipped the leads from the man's loose grip, and he didn't notice. I turned them around and led them back to the fence, where I tied them again. I ran inside and grabbed their silks and bridles.

I got back out and saw Rob continuing to argue with the man, and so I ran forward and dropped his crown on his head, since he'd left it inside in his fit of anger.

"Now what are you doing, boy? What is it you've put on this kid's head?"

"His crown. That is what I have put upon his head, human."

Rob looked down at me, happily surprised I'd spoken at all to this man. The man was bewildered.

"Human? What language is this?"

"Old-fashioned. And yes, I said human."

"Why say human?"

"Because you are one."

"But so are you."

"No I am not."

"Yeah you are."

"Are you willing to categorize me in a deliberate human way? That is very speciesist of you."

He reared back, totally confused by my big words.

I smiled, and went back to preparing the horses. I laid on their silks and pulled the bridles up and over their faces, latching the buckles and clipping a martingale on my horse so he didn't pull me. I mounted.

The man was still clueless I had taken the horses. He finally realized after reeling from my words for a good five minutes.

"Hey! Those are my horses!"

"No they are not," I said sternly as I took my horse a step toward the human, "they belong to the King, who just so happens to be Robert here. So you can go home and leave us be, or I will call a guard to come get you. Understand me now, human?"

He backed up, and held his hands up in surrender.

Under his breath he muttered, "Stupid delirious teenagers..."

Without warning, I spurred the horse and held him steady as I then stood the horse in front of the man's path. Rob caught on and we cornered him with our horses.

"I will not stand for your ignorance. You are being horrible to us and I do not take that well."

I scared even myself with my tone. I never raise my voice, even to myself when I do something stupid.

His eyes widened as a guard came forward off the street and arrested him.

"You little asshole! I'll get you!"