People joined the crowd from every doorway and side street they passed, until the street was packed with a near-panicked mob.
Robin wove her way faster than the people around her, wanting to keep an eye on the original caller.
He was running out of the main square, heading up the road that led to the castle.
“They are here!”
“They will kill us all!”
“No mercy!”
Robin wanted to cover her ears as the shrieks and wails sounded on all sides. Someone grabbed her hand from behind. She instinctively tried to yank it away, until she realized that it was only Ian.
She looked back over her shoulder.
He gripped her hand tightly, looking down at her with a grim nod.
She squeezed his hand back while she led him through the crowd. She had no trouble navigating through the pressing bodies by herself, but it was growing impossible not to be separated from Ian. She pulled him close to her so they could move as one.
As they left the main square and the crowd spread out onto the grassy green field in front of the open castle gate, the pressure of moving bodies did not ease as Robin expected it would. It felt as if the entire city was piling up behind them, pushing them further forward. Not wanting to be pressed through the castle gate where Ian could be recognized, Robin veered to the left.
She had lost sight of the original caller, but it did not seem to matter. She was not sure if he had intentionally led them to the castle or if the people had naturally turned to the walled fortress as their only means of protection.
Before the people at the front of the crowd reached the castle gate, several dozen castle guards poured out of it in full armor. They spread out into a wide formation to receive the crowd, almost as if they had been prepared for this moment.
The gate closed behind them, cutting off the castle from the crowd.
Panicked, the people surged forward.
The guardsmen dropped long javelins, pointing them at the people to create an additional barrier.
The crowd faltered slightly, but Ian surged forward instead. He lifted his free hand in a gesture of command, as if he were about to issue an order. Robin could see anger on his face.
She pulled back at his hand that was still clasped in hers, holding him back.
Ian fought her for a moment, pulling forward, until she stepped up to his side and leaned her body against him.
As if remembering where he was, Ian finally stood still, but the face he turned down toward her was filled with rage. “The guard has never drawn weapons against the people of Iseldis. Never.” He leaned down to yell this in her ear so she could hear him over the screams of the people.
“Save us!”
“Help us!”
“We want the king!”
A horse rode forward through the Iseldis guard, and Robin instantly recognized the man in resplendent silver armor and a purple cape. Gareth had come out to greet the people.
He calmly raised his hands to the crowd.
The guards kept a loose crescent behind him but did not surge forward to protect him from the people.
It took several minutes, but eventually the frightened people realized that Gareth was asking them to quiet down. He was clearly visible from his seat atop a tall horse at the height of the hill in front of the castle gate.
From their position near the front, Robin and Ian were quite near him. Ian pulled his hood up, turning down his face to avoid being recognized. Pulling his hand, Robin guided him back so that they were at least a few people deep into the crowd.
“My dear people,” Gareth said, his voice unnaturally loud and booming.
Ian tightened his grip once again on Robin’s hand. “They are not your people,” he said, leaning close to Robin so that only she could hear his words.
