Morning all and happy Monday. Also, welcome to June. That feels strange to say. I think it is because it was so rainy and chilly this weekend. Nevertheless, here we are so lets jump into the first prompt of the month shall we? Timers set for fifteen minutes and off we go.
I kind of like where this is heading. Need to decide on the calamity of course, but I like the start.
drawbridge was down. Gavin slowed his horse at the edge of the woods. From here he could see the castle clearly even though it was at least half a day’s ride. The woods petered out along the ridge, the road wide and clear as it descended down into the basin and then rose up again as it climbed the hill to the castle. This hill was slightly lower than the actual castle, the castle being built not only on a natural ridge but added too specifically so that it could be a higher elevation to the fortified castle.
It meant that he had a pretty clear view. ‘And the drawbridge is down.’
He dismounted and moved to the side of the road. He had planned to make camp anyway, although he had planned on riding an hour or so further before doing so. Now, he liked the concealment of the woods. He was at their edge, his horse grazing at the tufts of grass that grew at it’s edge. However he felt less exposed with the trees just behind him than he would on the open plain directly in front of the castle. Like the elevation of the building itself, the forest had been razed that close to the castle to provide a better field of vision. The builders wanted to be able to see anyone approaching well before they arrived.
It was a caution he applauded, but he did want to bring himself to anyone’s notice just yet. He sat down on the grass a few feet away from the edge of the road and studied the castle. He knew the routine. As dawn approached the guards would lower the gate and market carts would come into the castle from the outlying farms. He had been here on many a market day. The road was lined with carts overflowing with produce to be sold in the castle’s market. Some would go to the castle itself for their use, other items would be sold or swapped to others who came in from the smaller villages.
He looked at the empty road. Not a cart in sight. It was not a market day. They were held once a month in season. The season ended a few weeks prior. Now even though the grass had yet to be touched with frost, those in the lower villages would be settling their villages and farmsteads for the winter. The last of the necessary items would be gathered in. No one would be coming into market until well after the spring thaw. By the time the churned up mud of the roads dried out in the baking summer sun, the first produce would be ready for market.
He studied the road. There was no signs that anyone passed it in the last week let alone recently enough for the drawbridge to still be lowered. He knew that if a rider approached, the guards would call down asking his business. Messages would be carried inside and after discussion it would be decided whether or not to let him in. If passage was allowed the drawbridge would be lowered, the rider would ride in and the drawbridge raised. It was a precaution so that if the rider intended ill he would have a much harder time escaping.
It was also why he planned to camp for the night and then ride up to the castle. The decision or not to lower the drawbridge could be a lengthy one and he didn’t want to have camp at the very doorstep of the castle simply because someone didn’t want to make the decision until the morning.
But the drawbridge was down.
Gavin plucked a long piece of grass and chewed the end as he studied the castle. Part of him was waiting for the drawbridge to rise, the rest wanted to see if he could find some detail that would let him know what was going on.
Ten til Midnight 