At the end of the courtyard, Lianna cast her eyes over her shoulder, getting one last look at the manor. Even under the moonlight, she knew every line of its architecture.

She turned away and forced herself to focus her eyes ahead of her. Tonight would be the most difficult part of the journey. She had to make it past Mills Yard and avoid any lookouts that the knight might have left. It was possible the knight had not posted lookouts, counting on a delicate noble girl to stay at home until the situation resolved itself, but Lianna couldn’t take that risk. She’d stood up to him earlier, and he just might think she had more backbone than that now. In fact, placing lookouts along the road that leads from the manor to the town would be one of the first things she’d do if she were in that knight’s shoes.

Thinking that, she turned Thicket’s head off the road once she got out of the manor. Charlona had already scouted around the area near the manor and determined there were no lookouts there, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t hid some over the next hill or bend in the road. At least with the cover of night, it would be hard for any lookout to notice her. They might hear hoof beats but they wouldn’t be able to tell much else.

A light mist had begun to fall before she reached the cover of the trees. It chilled her face and hands, clinging to her, but soon the overhead branches sheltered her from it–at least when she stuck closer to the trees. But she had to slow down and follow the open bits of sky here. The moon’s light gave just enough light for her to make out shapes and for her horse to find a good path. For a moment, she pulled Thicket to a stop and glanced behind her. She’d heard something, but now that she was listening for it, there were no sounds except her own, the occasional call of a night bird, and the steady, slow drip of rain off the leaves.

Her heartbeat picked up speed at the thought that someone had hidden themselves outside of the manor–someone Charlona had missed–and had followed her. Her shoulders hunched against the thought of eyes on her, she turned and gave Thicket a nudge once again. The horse was much better at avoiding tripping on tree roots than she would have been, and once they were out of the trees and in the fields outside of town, she planned on letting him run faster by the creek that ran there at the bottom of the hills.

She kept glancing back, but the darkness beneath the trees gave up nothing, and soon they were at the edge of the fields. She picked her way along the edge of the trees until the reached the little valley where the creek ran. She carefully pushed Thicket to jump the small creek. The other side was flatter and easier for her horse. The last thing I need is for the horse to get hurt! On foot, she would have no hope at all of reaching Rithan in time.

The gurgle of the creek, the billowing of frogs, and the singing of crickets was deafening down in the ravine. She couldn’t have listened for a follower if she’d tried. The creek also wound back and forth, keeping visibility behind and in front of her to minimum even with the moon’s light shining clearer here than it had within the trees.

Around the next bend, a dark figure stood in their path. Lianna jerked the reins as panic bolted through her like lightning, starling Thicket as well. The horse reared back. Only a deathgrip on the reins kept Lianna from being thrown. When Thicket landed back on all fours, Lianna fell forward, the pommel digging into her ribs. But even though the pain, she kept her eyes locked on the space ahead of them. Finally, she was able to make out the figure as it bounded away.

A deer! Ah… Sucking in air as she gasped hurt. She pried her hands off the reins and rubbed Thicket’s neck, slowly calming the horse. Sorry boy. Thicket snorted and shook his head, but finally his ears, which had been laid back, stood up again.

Lianna willed her racing heart to slow as she nudged Thicket forward once again. The sides of the creek alternated their steepness, and Lianna had to urge Thicket to jump the creek a few times before they finally reached the end of the fields. As she climbed out of the ravine, she could see a faint glow in the distance. Some lights were still on in town and they created a distant and dim dot of light along the horizon. She had come out a bit closer to town than she expected.

The trees on this side of the field were sparse, forming little clumps to either side of the road up ahead. She debated getting off her horse and walking him from one clump to the other, but if someone did happen to spot them, it would take a longer to remount and run away. So, she guided Thicket from one bunch of trees to another as best she could from the saddle. They had reached the third set of trees when she heard a noise behind her.

Craning her head around, she caught sight of a shadow merging with one set of trees behind them. Every bone in her body was sure that someone was following her now. She urged Thicket onward, looking back over her shoulder over and over. But as she neared the road, the one she would be able to take towards the border with the Rithan Duchy, she heard voices.

She swallowed hard. A shadow behind me, voices in front of me…do I wait and let whoever’s following me catch up or do I keep going? She edged Thicket to the side of the trees and looked ahead of them. There, she saw two shadowed figures moving by the edge of the road. Two men seemed to be standing there. Their voices were low. Lianna strained to hear what they were saying, all the while keeping her eyes on the direction they’d come from in case their pursuer made a move.

“Hell if I know,” one man said, seeming to answer a question that Lianna had missed. “But I don’t mind standing out here and getting paid for doing nothing.”

“Right!” agreed the other man. “He’s one crazy knight to think some girl would be wandering the road this late at night. Ugh, I wish I’d had one more helping of my wife’s cooking before we came out here. I’m hungry.”

“Man, quit bragging about your new wife already!” the first man complained. “Your stomach can wait a few more hours.” The shadows blended together as the men stood close together. The second man just laughed.

So they are out here because of that knight. If they see me, I’m pretty sure I can get away with them on foot, but they will report back to the knight for sure. Lianna bit her lip in frustration. Should I wait until they walk a little farther away? Her gaze looked farther down the roadside. Or try to make it farther down without being seen?

Just as she was about to make a decision, horse hooves pounded down the road towards them from the direction of town. They slowed, and Lianna saw a figure on a horse come to a stop by the men.

“Hey! Who are ya?” one of the men asked the rider, but then answered his own question with, “Ah, this ain’t no girl. Mister, what are you doing out here?”

The rider responded, “Ah, I was told you two had come out this way. A knight told me to come tell you that he needs you closer to the town.”

Lianna’s mouth dropped open. The voice of the rider was none other than Reggie. She covered her mouth with her hand and tears stung her eyes. He followed me, and he’s distracting those men so I can get past them. I didn’t know he was so skilled! She almost laughed with the relief she felt, but she held it in.

“He did? Ah, fancy knights and nobles always change their minds. I guess if we want to get our full payment, we’d better do it.” The men grumbled but began following Reggie–though they didn't’ know that–back towards the town.

As they got farther away, the last audible words she heard was Reggie say, “You two have certainly put up with a lot. How about I give you the last half of this wine skin? I think you’ve earned it.” The two men laughed in agreement.

Thank you, Reggie! I promise I will try my hardest to make it back in time to save you and everyone else! She wasted no time in urging Thicket forward. She kept to the side of the road until she could no longer hear the men at all. Once on the road, she pressed her heels into Thicket’s sides, urging him to a gallop. It was time to put some distance between herself and Mills Yard.

I will be back, she thought as the wind and mist rushed over her.