The forest felt endless. Tree branches scratched at their cloaks as Alina and guards pushed their horses as fast as they could. The head guard, Thomas, rode slightly ahead of Alina while the other two guards stayed behind her.
"The river is close," Thomas said. "If we cross it fast, it’ll be difficult for them to find us."
Alina nodded. Minutes later, the river finally ca into view. The mont they reached at the river bank, three of Crane’s n appeared on the ridge behind them.
Arrows flew instantly and one hit Thomas’s shoulder. He cried out but kept riding into the cold water.
"Keep moving!" he shouted. "Cross the river!"
Alina followed. The freezing water soaked her instantly. The river was deeper than it looked. The horses struggled against the strong current, threatening to sweep them downstream. Behind them, the riders entered the river as well.
Alina turned around and her stomach dropped. The two guards who had been riding behind her were gone. Their bodies were floating in the river, turning the water red around them.
"Alina!" Thomas shouted, snapping her back to the reality.
One of the riders lunged at her but she imdiately turned her horse and cut his arm. He howled and dropped his weapon into the river. The second rider tried to grab her reins, but Thomas, despite his injury, shot an arrow into his thigh. He scread and fell into the river. The third rider turned and ran away in fear.
They finally reached the opposite bank, completely wet and exhausted.
"We can’t stop. They’ll co back with more n," Thomas muttered.
Rain began to pour again making the ride even more difficult. They rode for almost an hour before Thomas found a hidden cave on a rocky slope. The cave’s entrance was hidden with thick vines and overgrown grass. From a distance, it was almost impossible to notice.
"Perfect!" Thomas said.
Alina helped him inside. The mont they entered, Thomas almost collapsed. Alina quickly lit a small fire and and cleaned his wound. While Thomas rested, Alina pulled out the docunts from her cloak.
The papers were damp but still readable. By the flickering firelight, she read all of them. One sealed letter caught her attention. She opened it and read it carefully. Inside was the proof of Crane’s corruption throughout the years. He had bribed the officials, silenced witnesses, and even killed innocent people who got too close to his secret.
Carefully, she spread the docunts near the fire to dry. Then she sat beside them and stared into the flas.
"Austin...find soon."
She had never been this much afraid in her life before but sohow she felt more stronger and determined. They both had survived so much to give up now.
"We’ll get through this! We have to!"
Miles away, Austin and his two companions were still being chased.
"There’s a ravine ahead!" one of his companions shouted.
Austin looked ahead and an idea ca into his mind. They rode a little and reached a narrow ledge above a steep ravine. As the riders closed in, he jumped down from his horse. Then using his sword, he struck several loose rocks near the edge.
"Ride!" he shouted.
The rocks slid down the slope and blocked the path, crushing two of the riders. One of his companion, Thorne, took an arrow ant for Austin and slumped forward in the saddle. Blood oozed out from his mouth as he smiled grimly.
Austin caught him before he could fall.
"Go on. I’ll slow them as long as I can. Make it count."
Austin nodded after a few seconds, thanking him for his sacrifice. Then Thorne turned his horse back towards the blocked ravine buying them ti as Austin and the guard leader rode on into the hills.
By sunset, they reached a small outpost hidden deep within the hills. The mont they appeared, several ard n erged from the post, pointing crossbows at them.
"Stop right there."
Both of them stopped. One of the n walked towards them and recognized him imdiately.
"Duke of Ravenmoor?"
Then another man stepped forward.
"Crane’s bounty has your face on every wall from here to the capital."
"I’ve not committed treason," Austin said as he got off the horse.
"No?" the man laughed. "Then why are half the king’s soldiers looking for you?"
Before Austin could answer, the guard leader stepped forward.
"I’m the leader of the Old Royal Guards’’ network."
He rolled up his sleeve and showed them a tattoo on his wrist. The outpost guards imdiately beca serious.
"We might not trust the duke but we trust the guard leader," Outpost’s leader said and gestured towards the building. "You can stay the night."
Austin glanced towards the forest, thinking of Alina.
"We don’t have ti to rest," he said.
"You won’t have any ti at all if you die from exhaustion," the man replied.
Austin couldn’t argue with that logic. A small boy imdiately took care of their horses while another brought clean bandages. Only then did Austin realize how much blood he had lost. One of them bandaged his wound as Austin sat silently near the fire.
"You should sleep," the guard leader said.
"I’ll sleep when I know she’s safe," Austin replied, staring into the flas.
The night felt too long. Every sound outside made him look towards the door, ready to fight.
Eventually dawn arrived. Austin stepped outside while everyone else was still asleep.
The hidden valley wasn’t far from here.
"If Alina had managed to escape, she would be heading there too,"
After a while, the guard leader approached him carrying a hunting horn.
"We use this to send signals to our mbers," he said. "I’ll blow it three tis. If they can hear, they’ll answer."
Austin looked at him nervously.
The leader lifted the horn and blew three short notes. The sound echoed across the hills. For a mont, nothing happened. Then they heard the sound of the sa horn from far away, blowing the sa three notes.
Austin froze.
"Alina!"
Relief hit him so hard that he almost laughed.
"She is close," he muttered.
Far away, Thomas lowered his horn. A small smile appeared on Alina’s face for the first ti since they had separated.
"He is close," she whispered.
For one brief mont,, it felt like everything would be normal soon.
Then they both heard the sound of dogs barking on their respective locations. Both of them turned. Riders were approaching them along with the tracking dogs.
"We need to move!!!" Both the guard leader and Thomas shouted at the sa ti.
And the tiny hope of reunion vanished instantly.
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