Dale's Fate

Author's note: Sorry for the delay, but my mom was sick and live has a way of making away with you. Anyway, if you haven't read the other two chapters I strongly recommend you do.

Thanks

Carla

Dale's Fate Ch. 02

Elizabeth.

"We have to hurry, Dale has been gone for seven days already and we will arrive at Rosen at nightfall that will probably make it eight days, I am really worried." Elizabeth said

"I know that you are, but you need to stop and concentrate, or we will not be able to help him, you need to calm down and think with a clear mind" Raven answered.

They had been riding three days without stop, both knew that their task was very important, although Raven was still not sure what had Elizabeth so worried, she knew that Duke Dragon didn't like Dale at all, but this concern was too much, at least in her mind.

They arrived at the town of Rosen when the sun was low on the horizon; the bustling village was starting to slow down for the day.

"Where did you nanny say her sister lived?" Elizabeth asked.

"In an old cabin at the edge of the woods, her name is Mrs. Pine because of her late husband, my nanny said that the Duke didn't like her at all and threw her out, I think that Dale was responsible for given her that cottage to live in" Raven explained.

"That sounds like something Dale would do" Elizabeth said with a weary smile.

"There it is" Raven pointed "It really looks bad, doesn't it?" Raven asked.

"Yes it does, but I am sure Dale made sure it was comfy and better inside" Elizabeth answered.

They went straight to the door and knocked, a cracked old voice told them to come in, the door was unlocked.

Mrs. Pine was sitting next to the fire on a very comfy couch, Elizabeth smiled to herself as she looked around, Dale had done exactly what she thought, made the inside of the shack look and feel like a palace.

"Mrs. Pine?" Elizabeth asked

"Yes my dear, how can I help you? They say I am the best wise woman around" Mrs. Pine said.

"I am sure that is true but I haven't come calling because of that, I am a friend of Dale's and I am worried about him, do you know anything about him?" Elizabeth asked coming to stand in front of the old woman.

"Why do you want to know? Are you a spy for Duke Dragon? Hasn't he done enough to that boy?" Mrs. Pine asked getting really nervous.

"Mrs. Pine I assure you I am not a spy for the Duke, I am a very good friend of Dale's and the reason for me coming here is that I want to know what happened to him, he promised that he would go see me four days ago and he never arrived so I am really worried for him" Elizabeth pleaded while lowering her hood "And you know me, I am princess Elizabeth, please Mrs. Pine what is going on?"

"My princess, I am sorry for my behavior, I am really worried too, I only know part of what happened" Mrs. Pine said, then she told them what had happened with the Duke and Dale in her house.

"A few hours later, Pierre, Dale's servant arrived at the door looking very pale, I gave him something to eat and he told me that the Duke had sent Dale to hell, then he told me to be very careful and not to talk about what happened here and told me he will go to hide in the woods, he believed that someone will come asking for him and he said that if that someone was you to tell you he will go to Dale's bluff, Do you know what that means?" Mrs. Pine explained

"Yes I do" Elizabeth answered "What do you think happened to Dale after they left?" she asked.

"I don't know and don't want to imagine it either, I know that you knew what the Duke did to him, he told me, but I have no idea what happened this time, usually when this kind of thing happens, Dale comes back after a few hours and I take care of him, but this time he didn't and that is the scary part" Mrs. Pine answered.

"Thanks for telling us this, I know how much you care for him, he told me that, I will go now to find Pierre, I am sure there is more to this story, or Dale would have come back here, bye and again thanks for your help" Elizabeth said

"Thanks for caring for my boy, he needs that, and please come by after you have talked to Pierre I want to know were my boy is" Mrs. Pine said

"I will, god speed" Elizabeth said as she left.

"Ok, explain this to me, because I don't understand anything" Raven said

"Ok than I think Dale won't mind given the circumstances" Elizabeth said and told Raven Dale's secret while they rode into the forest.

"Wow, I would have never guessed, poor Dale, damn that man" Raven said after Elizabeth finished "We need to be careful though I think I heard horses on the other side of the path" Raven warned all senses getting alert.

"Yes, I heard, but the path to the bluff is a secret that only Dale and Pierre knew, he told me how to arrive in case that I came to the castle and he wasn't there" Elizabeth explained.

The forest was very thick around them and the path was getting difficult to follow, suddenly Elizabeth turned into what seemed a solid wall of green, but she moved it aside quite easily and they could see a very well kept path behind it.

They rode in silence, Elizabeth getting more and more nervous and Raven digesting the news of Dale's suffering all those years.

"There it is" Elizabeth pointed to a ragged shack near a precipice.

As they neared the shack a small figure came into view, he seemed pretty scared at the sound of the horses, and was huddled in a small ball. Elizabeth lowered her hood once again.

"Pierre!! It's me, Elizabeth, don't be scared"

"Princess, you came, I was starting to think that you wouldn't, I am so glad to see you" Pierre said without taking a breath.

"What happened? Where is Dale?" Elizabeth asked bluntly not willing to wait

"Oh my god princess, it was so bad and I couldn't do anything" Pierre cried, and then told everything that had happened to Dale. "I followed them afterwards, he tried to tell the merchant who he was and he was hit in the face, and called a liar, I did hear that they were going to Enoa though, damn, I couldn't do anything, I stayed close to their camp that night after I informed Mrs. Pine, but it was too well guarded."

"Oh my god, he was sold as a slave? Damn the Duke I hate him, damn, damn, we need to get Dale back, but in Enoa we will need reinforcements, Pierre, I need you to take a message to my brother, Enoa is nearer to the castle than here at least, It will take us seven days to arrive there from here, three days for you to arrive at Capital castle, and four for them to arrive to Enoa that means they should arrive with us, use the entrance you use when you don't want anyone to see you, I know you have used it before" Elizabeth said, she was trembling but she needed to stay clear headed if she was going to help Dale.

"Yes princess, I knew you wouldn't abandon my master even if he is unclean now" Pierre said.

"Don't say that!! It wasn't his fault, and he shouldn't suffer anymore, I will get him back and anyone that treats him with less respect than he deserves will get me very angry" Elizabeth answered.

"What about the guards?" Raven asked "They are all over the forest and they are loyal to the Duke"

"There is another way out of the forest, they don't know, two paths one going to Capital City and the other to leave this area wherever you want to go" Pierre said after Elizabeth had given him the message for Richard.

"Then let's go there is no time to loose, I hate to imagine what we will find in Enoa" Elizabeth ordered,

They left each on their own direction with only the thought to save Dale on their minds.

To be continued.....