Cops and Robbers - part 3

Like every day, despite the almost 40 servants that lived inside the Darcian castle, Luc and Pascal were always the last to go to sleep, and the first to get up as well. And if one of the boys stuck to his schedule out of duty sense, the other did it out of wit and ever-bursting energy. Actually, as they got up, washed and dressed, Crispin was taking Hyde outside of the castle's patio punctually, which didn't allow for the boys ever to see each other.

One particular morning, Crispin had awaken a bit more late than usual by mistake, since the day before was quite exhausting as he and his parents went for some sightseeing outside the village, and even take a peek at the nearby region of Champagne by car. He still had a piece of a cracker held between his teeth when he skulked outside granny's house still putting one of his mounting boots on.

Meanwhile, Luc and Pascal were finished with their breakfast and started to tend to the newly awaken horses. Nike and Sebastian were, respectively, the first to be taken out hacking.
Suddenly they heard horse hooves galloping away and turned their heads towards the sound, spotting a stranger taking Hyde away.

- Hey Luc, do you see what I see? – asked Pascal in disbelief.
- HORSE THIEF!!! – both boys shouted.
They mounted up in the blink of an eye and threw themselves in a hot pursuit of Hyde and the stranger.
Crispin shortly noticed he was being followed, knowing he got caught red-handed, his first instinct was to speed the former police-horse up.
- Faster Hyde, faster! – he cried while squeezing him further between his legs.

The terrain would soon start to get tricky as they left the grain fields behind, with all sorts of natural obstacles such as knocked down trees, the river and small stonewalls that delimited local farmers properties.   

- It's no use! Hyde is too fast! – said Pascal.
- Let's split up! – said Luc – Nike is faster than Sebastian, take the stream shortcut and surprise them before they can reach the forest!
Pascal nodded and kept galloping away to the right.

Despite Nike being fast and Luc had his experience with jumps, chasing the rascal was proving more difficult than he thought.
- Stop! Stop right there you! – he shouted at Crispin, trying to reach out for him, but it was just no use.
Suddenly, Pascal and Sebastian, who had successfully taken the shortcut, appeared right in front of them from nowhere. Pascal made Sebastian rear which together with the surprise effect, startled Hyde, who abruptly stopped his tracks with a rear and Luc could finally snatch Crispin from the saddle before he fell.
Oh but they were not through yet, especially Luc, that once he had the boy on his hand pressed him against the ground face down, holding one of the arms behind his back so he wouldn't try to run and confronted him, not even realizing he was just a child.  

Pascal had grabbed Hyde's rein to detain him and calmed him down, but Crispin was struggling so much Pascal tied the horses to a tree and went help Luc keeping him still.

- You've got a lot of nerve coming in like that and taking a horse!  - Luc was mad with rage.
- Let go! You two are hurting me! – Crispin cried – It's not what you're thinking!

- What's all this? – Ivan asked, jumping off Arion and running towards the boys, while a beauty-sleep-deprived Astaroth just slugged down the same horse and blabbered while following Ivan.
- "Into the coffin!", "Out of the coffin!", this is better be good! – and then as Luc and Pascal lifted a bit for him to see the reason for the commotion – This is not good. – he bent his knees to see Crispin more closely.

- I say we cut his hands off for being caught stealing! – said Luc in a really irritated tone.
- Please!… don't tell prince Astaroth! – the blonde boy cried while grabbing on to his own throat – Granny said he's a century-old hideous monster that will rip my throat off!
- …What else will these people make up about me these days…?  - Astaroth mumbled with an expression of repugnance in his face. He was feeling sorry for Crispin, but now his eye was twitching.

Seeing the poor boy in such distress, especially after seeing Astaroth's fangs, Ivan instinctively helped him up and held him close to himself.  
- Don't be scared, you've done nothing wrong…
- The hell he didn't! – objected the outraged prince.
- He's just a boy, Astaroth! – Ivan glared back – Do I have to spell it out for you? Well read my lips then, he is but a child, children like horses and don't usually have a well developed sense of right or wrong, as you should! It's obvious they'll take anything they want that is within easy reach.

- Oh but Hyde wasn't, the horses were still locked tight when we got to get Sebastian and Nike, the little rascal was able to pick the lock and lock it again! – Pascal laughed

- Well? What do you say to that smartass? – asked Astaroth.
- That your father needs to increase expenditures concerning the castle's security. – Ivan flared back, leaving Astaroth without anything to say.

- And that's not all! – continued Pascal – He may look small but he outran Luc from the castle's hill to here. I think he'd make a fair cross country rider!
- Shut up Pascal! – Luc growled between his teeth, not wanting to be embarrassed in front of Astaroth.
But the prince opened his eyes wide, almost in disbelief, his interest surely picked by those remarks.
- A 10-year-old,… beat Luc… on cross-country? – one could almost see the euro signs glittering inside his eyes.

- Oh no you don't, you greedy fang-face! – Ivan growled – The boy must have a family to come home to, you know! He's not a stray dog you can pick up. Oh, no offense Pascal.
- None taken. – he smiled.   
- And he must have a name as well. – spotted Astaroth getting Ivan out of the way and looking into Crispin's green eyes – What do they call you, sweetheart?

- C-crispin, but… - he strangely started to feel calmer around the tall vampire.  
- Then there's much we have to discuss. At the breakfast table! – Astaroth beckoned everyone towards the horses to mount up.

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Continues...