The Midnight Storm (A New Dawn #2)

Chapter 11 - Sebastian

Sebastian sprinted towards the black horse standing by the doorway, placed his foot on the stirrup, swung his leg over the saddle, and grabbed the reins. Two Serjeants with beer barrels for a belly were thundering down the tunnel between the castle and the stables.

With a quick kick of the heel, he led the animal out of the stables and onto the busy streets of Sundale. The clattering sound of the hooves on the cobblestones was sweet. The taste of freedom heavenly. 

Shouts came from behind him, but the road ahead was far more important. Men in green uniforms with backpacks on their back were walking in groups of four, five, or six. The patrols were coming home from the camp.

He tugged at the reins, steering the horse left and right to avoid a collision. Heads were turned as he swished by, with the occasional Cadet jumping out of the way.

"Is that Lord Sebastian?" various men said, their voices of pitches ranging from boyish squeaks to low rumbles.

"Don't be daft!" a booming voice towered above the others. "He only ever walks in the King's shadow."

Sebastian huffed. Let them talk. Once he was outside of the city, nobody would recognise him anyway. Bless the Gods of Sloth and Pride that he wasn't wearing his usual uniform. Lady Viviane had laid the grey vest and trousers on his bed, but he had refused to put them on. There were no official meetings today. Nobody would see him apart from his family and the usual servants. Since his Chamber Lady hadn't argued, he had changed into comfortable silk trousers and his favourite green shirt.

Sebastian rode on steadily, following the course of Main Street. He cast a glance over his shoulders. One of the guards had mounted a steed of his own and was now racing towards him, with none other than Stablemaster Dicky in his wake.

Cursing to the heavens, he jammed his foot into the horse's flank. "Go! Faster!"

The stallion picked up the pace, its legs prancing across the stones in leaps and bounces of increasing speed. In the distance shone the gilded main gate in the dim light of the sun playing hide-and-seek behind the thin clouds.

It was almost within reach when Captain Jonathan appeared in the distance. Crossing paths with the man and his pitch black mare would be a sure end to his short-lived liberty. He wasn't ready for it to be over so soon.

A jarring pain shot to his knee as he jerked his leg back and pulled the left rein and, turning the horse into a side street.

The unfortunate people strolling there with their groceries had no idea what was hitting them. Chaos reigned with mothers bumping into the ochre facades, clutching their infants to their chest. Pots fell down from the windowsills and broke onto the cobblestones, the dirt and flowers splattering everywhere.

He didn't see much of the damage. The next street he could turn into, he did. And then another one, and yet another one.  Sundale was a maze, but it was the quickest way to lose the guard and Master Dicky.

He lurched out of a street so narrow no two horses would have been able to pass and dove into the eastern gate. The slow-witted guards scrambled up from the secret nap they were taking, confused that someone was escaping the city instead of trying to get in.

"Hey, you, stop!" shouted one of them.

Sebastian ignored the order. He charged onto the field, the horse trampling the long wisps of grass and kept the city wall on his left.

He couldn't go straight ahead. This side would lead him to The Scorching Plains. He had seen enough of that place to last a lifetime.

In a wide arc, he rode around the main gate. It wasn't enough. Two more horses and Captain Jonathan had spotted him and was now bolting into his direction.