Before they arrived at the stables, Mikael and Percival, accompanied by the rest of the group, had been leisurely strolling the path from the servants' courtyard towards the stables, where the horses were kept.
They had recently wrapped up a discussion about the issues with the wooden planks that creaked under their feet and the roof that dripped water when it rained, and they had come up with some practical ideas to fix them.
In the middle of their walk, the group was unaware of the impending crisis that was about to unfold before them, the hidden chaos that was waiting to erupt just outside their current range of perception.
As they got nearer, they began to pick up the faint noises of some commotion. Mikael furrowed his brow, exchanging puzzled and curious glances with Percival and the rest of the group.
Mikael tilted his head, trying to make sense of what he had heard. "What is that?" he wondered aloud.