The ride in the wagon was unpleasant. The road was bumpy and the blanket was heavy. Rina was burning in the midday heat below the blanket and the hay only further insolated the heat. Rina bounced every time the wagon passed over a jolt or a bump on the uneven road. Her feet fell asleep from lying motionless for hours.
Finally at midday, Keith stopped the wagon beside the road. Rina and Phil were allowed to take a walk and stretch their legs and nibble on cheese and coarse bread. Too soon were they forced back into the wagon.
Over the next three days, Keith would wake everyone up at dawn and drive continuously only stopping once at midday and again at dusk. At first, the only people they met were friendly civilians, but as the wagon neared the border of Keron, more and more soldiers could be seen pacing the road. Often, they would stop the wagon and check its contents. Rina wondered why they were being so careful. She questioned Keith when they stopped for the night.
"Nargul knows," Keith answered, "that people like me who are loyal to the old king are still out hiding in the wilderness. He knows we will wait until you have grown to try to gain back the throne. He is cunning. We must be careful." As if to prove his point, Keith stopped letting Rina and Phil out of the wagon at all. They had to eat and sleep beneath the hay.
Rina was tired and filthy and covered with dusk from the road. She hadn't had a bath for days. She itched from the dirt and hay. Phil was just as dirty. He, unused to the grime, was having a harder time dealing with it. He became more and more sharp and quick-tempered. Keith reacted much the same way. He blew up when a rustle was heard from inside the hay. He spoke less, ate less, and worked harder. His face grew gaunt and hollow. He was always curt and annoyed. The air became tense as if something was waiting to explode.
One night during dinner, Keith instructed Rina and Phil about the guards at the border. It was the night before they crossed the border to Keron and Keith was particularly worried.
"I just want to give you instructions in case we get caught tomorrow at the border." Keith said. "Tie your bundles to you so we will have them if we get caught. Don't make a sound or anything that signify that somebody is hiding in the wagon. If we do get caught, run and hid in the trees. Don't look back." Keith's words emphasized the danger. Rina shivered. She had not realized the gravity of the situation until now.
The day was gloomy and dim. The numerous rain clouds blocked the sunlight and threatened rain. 'Not a good omen' Rina thought to herself. She curled as flat as she could in the wagon and Keith took extra care to arrange the hay over the blanket. When he was satisfied that everything looked normal, Keith climbed into the driver's seat and causally drove the half mile to the gate at the border.
Keith drove the wagon right up to the gate. He stopped by the tollbooth. From inside the wagon, Rina could hear steps approaching. She forced herself to take short quick breath and lay motionless. "State your name, business, and destination." She heard a brisk voice command.
"My name is Charles and I come from a small farm in Keron. I have brought this wagon of hay from my friendly neighbors to feed my stock."
Rina held her breath as she heard footsteps pace around the wagon. The guards
poked and stirred the hay, oblivious to all the straw they had knocked down. Finally, with nearly half of its contents missing, the wagon was allowed to enter Keron.
Rina sighed with relief but her joy was short-lived. She discovered, to her horror, that the corner of the blanket was revealed. She vehemently hoped that the guards would be careless, but luck was against her. Just as the wagon was about to drive around the corner, one of the guards shouted out. Keith continued to drive on in hope that the guards were not referring to them. It soon became obvious that the guards had seen the blanket because they came running up the path.
Keith parked the wagon beside the road. Getting off the driver's seat, he met the guards at the back of the wagon. "Is there anything wrong?" he asked innocently.
"I was just wondering," the guard drawled, his hand inching slowly towards the corner of the blanket.
Before he could touch it, Keith whipped the blanket from under the hay. The straw scattered, temporarily blinding the guards. "RUN!" he shouted as he shoved Rina and Phil roughly off of the wagon. The guards recovered to find hay strewn everywhere and Keith attacking them with a sword he kept hidden in the folds of his clothes. He stalled until Rina and Phil disappeared into the forest, then dropped everything and ran for cover.
Rina felt the blanket roughly whipped from on top of her. Suddenly hay was everywhere. Rina stood dumbstruck by the surprise until a hand shoved her off of the wagon and a voice shouted "RUN!" She obeyed the command and ran until she reached the edge of the forest flanking the road.
Remembering Phil and Keith, she whipped around. Phil was dashing up to her but Keith wasn't with him. Frantic, she glanced at the wagon. Three men were in a battle. She recognized one of them to be Keith. Instinctively, she grasped the air around her, search for a weapon. Keith noticed her at the edge of the forest. He ducked a stab from one of the soldiers and mouthed to her to run. Rina hesitated, but Phil grabbed her forearm, dragging her into the forest.
It was only when they were deep within the forest he released her. "What about Keith?" Rina cried in anguish. "We should have helped!"
"We would have been more of a hindrance than help, Rina. Keith would do better on his own, without having to save us." Phil replied. "Besides, you're no use dead."
"Maybe you're right." Rina agreed, still guilty for running away. "What do we do now?"
"Get away from here, I guess, and just wait for Keith."
A hand was clamped tightly around Rina's mouth. Night had fallen and a full moon was out. Rina silently cursed herself for falling asleep in such an unprotected place. A dark figure kneeled hunched over her. His face was unidentified. Believing she was caught by the guards, Rina started to thrash around in the undergrowth. Strong hands seized her flailing limbs and lifted her into a sitting position. The stranger released her cautiously and backed out into the moonlight. She squinted at the face. "Keith?" she uttered in incredulity.
Keith grinned. "The guards can't catch me that easily. I gave them the slip. How are you?"
"I'm fine. Where's Phil."
"Right here." Keith cocked his head towards another figure behind him. "I'm glad you're both in good health because you'll have to do some traveling. Look, I lave to leave."
"Leave? Why?"
"Guards are still on my trail. Anyway, I want you and Phil to travel to the town of Console. Ask for Jerrold."
"Console? Where is that? What for? Why can't you come with us?"
"Just head North. Remember ask for Jerrold. Say I sent you." Keith seem to hesitate for a moment. "He'll probably believe you, but there's no margin for error. Take this ring. Show it to him and only him. Keep it hidden, it's gold." Keith removed a signet ring from his pouch and pressed it into her hand. He cocked his head towards the sound of footsteps in the distance.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to led them away from you, than head to the hideout."
"Can't we go with you?"
Keith shook his head. "It's too dangerous. The country can afford to lose me, but not you."
"Can't I go directly to the hideout?"
"You couldn't find it even if I told you and besides, they wouldn't let you in. No, better stick to Jerrold. Look, I have to leave." Keith glanced nervously over his should at the footsteps that were gradually growing louder. "Remember, Console, Jerrold." Keith hauled himself off the ground. With out a backwards glance, he circled the guards and shouted, "Hey you idiots, over here!" He then headed south away from Rina and Phil.
Silence hung in the night air following Keith's department. Phil waited until the guard's footsteps could not be heard before addressing Rina. "Come on. Let's leave before the guards come looking for us."
"But were do we go? What direction?"
"Keith was traveling down this road, right? Then let's follow it and ask for directions at the nearest town."