Breaking through the springing water of a beautifully modelled fountain, the morning sun drew a complex fractal pattern on Claudia's robe. She yawned gratuitously, holding herself in the saddle only with much effort. She would've given quite a few Xadian critters for some hot, brown morning potion.
There was nothing for it. After two days of running from Duren's guards, she was just as tired as her steed. Next to her, Soren fared not much better.
"How long are we going to do this before we put in a bit of a rest?", she asked him.
"If we keep riding, we could make it to the breach today. You know, late at night. I don't know if that's a good idea though, Elias doesn't look like he can go for much more galloping.", he pet his horse's mane and it whinnied agreeably.
"Why don't we take a break then? Just a few hours to get some shuteye and let the babies rest up. Poor little Izzy-Wizzy!", she lightly tugged her animal's ear without reply, "It looks like there's a guest house over there. We can settle down for the day and just ride at night. Might be better, anyway."
Soren shrugged his agreement, tired enough to want to simply fall out of the saddle.
When they stepped over the threshold into the inn, they breathed a sigh of relief. It didn't look like there was anyone here safe for the black-haired proprietor. This being the middle of the morning, it was perhaps not too surprising.
"What can I do you for?", said the tween barkeeper, her freckled cheeks making room for an adorable smile.
"Beds.", Soren blubbered, his eyes half closed.
Claudia snorted. "What he means to say is; we need rooms, service for our horses and… well, dinner, probably. We've been traveling all night."
"Ah, daysleeping dinner guests, my favourite!", the keeper said with a measuring, then appreciative look at Soren.
Claudia smirked at her obvious admiration. "Oh... I know that look!", she singsonged, then leaned on the bar with a conspiratorial smirk on her face, "He's my brother - so you go, girl"
"Oh", the host said, flushing, her expression worn off by blunt social trauma, "Uh, um… Two rooms, you said?"
"Two", Claudia said, pointedly, dropping four hexagonal silver coins on the counter, "If merlons are okay. Otherwise, uh, no rooms, I guess."
"Katolin money? Yeah I can deal with that", said the host, recovering. She did a quick calculation then started counting a small number of tiny copper coins that each had a daisy imprinted on them.
"Ah, no, I'm good, keep it!", Claudia said, not wanting to mix the round foreign currency into her own, very pointy coin purse.
"Thanks!", the keeper beamed, "Here are your keys."
Sleeping in real beds was extremely pleasant, especially after a quick, cold rinse in the supplied washtubs. The weather outside was still pleasant, like a late summer in Katolis. There was a warm breeze that shook the leaves of palm trees outside their windows. As the road outside became properly alive, they fell into a dreamless slumber, exhausted. In the stands next to the inn, their horses did the same.
When the light turned a dusty orange, the hostess came to wake them.
Rather, she came to wake Claudia.
Soren was already seated at a table, enthusiastically eating what looked like half a chicken with rice and some kind of starchy root.
"Well Sorebear, how'd you sleep?"
"Like I was sleeping on the job", he said, throwing a shy glance at the barkeeper.
Claudia snickered. "She keep you up?"
"Clauds!", he smirked sheepishly, "She didn't! Not like that, anyway. I do kinda wanna try and come back here once this is all done though. She's really nice. Ended up getting up and talking to her for an hour before you woke."
"What about?", his sister asked, somewhat alarmed.
He shrugged. "I didn't tell her who we are, if that's what you're asking."
Frowning, he added, "Really wanted to, though. If she knew where we were going, I'd look even more manly to her."
"Or dumber", Claudia noted, taking a bite out of her own chicken's breast that was technically too large for her mouth, but what did she have those cheeks for, anyway?
"This is so tasty after all the weeds and dry bread we've been eating", she said, closing her eyes to savour the flavour.
"Yeah, I'm not a fan of road food", Soren admitted, "I'll change my mind if I find a jelly tart growing on a tree."
When they had finished eating, they bought a few rations and said their goodbyes to the barkeep who gave Soren puppy dog eyes. She made him promise to drop by soon.
Then it was time to get back in the saddle.
As they advanced out of town, Soren yawned.
"You wanna see if the boys are good to run again?", he said.
Their rides fell into a canter, then a gallop with relative ease.
After a long while of contemplative quiet, Claudia approached Soren's side.
"So. Do you think he killed Ezran?"
Soren's expression was stony when he nodded, "Yeah. He told me to do it, remember?"
Claudia bit on her lower lip, searching the blurred ground for answers.
"I don't know. I really don't know. I don't want to believe that."
"Well, what other kings have died lately?"
"There are the queen and king of Evenere. What if he had something to do with that?"
"Nah. From what I heard, that was moonshadow elves. I told you, they're evil."
"What do you mean, `From what you heard`?", Claudia inquired, not able to recall a time when they hadn't been together.
"Jen told me. You know, the barkeep? We got to talking about what's going on, why everyone's on edge and stuff. She told me a bunch of rumours. Evenere's Queen was killed by Moonshadow elves, there was some kind of massive battle at the border because of it", he shook his head, sadly, "A lot of army families got their red letters. Jen thinks we're at war with Xadia. Her family is actually getting ready to move further away from the Breach. She uh… said, uh, she's not going, though."
"I guess we'll see when we get there. Man it'd be so nice to still get the Avisa. It was nice knowing what's going on."
"Right, I definitely remember what that is", Soren said, with mock confidence.
Claudia gave him a wry smile. "The royal newsletters, Sorebear"
There was more quiet, for hours, as the darkening landscape passed by them.
Soren suddenly became bothered by something moving on the road in front of them.
There were a few mounted figures, moving into the street in the twilight.
"I don't like this", he said tensely, "They're blocking us"
Claudia's hand wandered into her mage's bag and found a glass container containing two fire spiders. They were long dead, but she would still be able to use their desiccated remains for some weak spellcraft.
Behind them, there were more figures, advancing out from under the trees on horseback, the clatter of armor ringing out.
Soren drew his blade, then whipped his horse around to charge at the group behind them.
"Hold!", a male voice called.
The group had stopped and a singular rider approached, his sword sheathed.
"Captain Pan", he introduced himself, "Who are you? Why are you traveling this late at night and so close to the Breach?"
Then he came close enough to recognize Soren's uniform. His face lit up with friendly recognition.
"Oh. Soren and Claudia of Katolis?"
Soren carefully nodded.
"Excellent", he said, with annoyance and his hands moved to his sword.
Seeing this motion, the soldiers ahead and behind started galloping toward the two Katolins who were now forced to defend themselves.
Claudia's spell, aimed at the street in front of the horses of the group ahead exploded in a hail of sparks. This predictably spooked the animals, causing confusion and probably injury in the group.
"Run!", Soren commanded her while deflecting blow after blow from the Watch Captain.
Claudia sent her second spell at the rear guard, similarly scattering them, then spurred Ismael to a gallop. It was as though her steed knew what was at stake because he acted as though he was fresh and eager.
Soren soon disengaged from his cat-and-mouse game and quickly made his own escape from the scene that was lit by slowly fading fires.
The remaining guards were now hot on their heels. In the eastern distance, the fog and steam of the border were now clearly visible, blood red against the starry night.
"Half hour at this speed!", Soren yelled.
'Unless they catch us first!', Claudia thought.
The break-neck ride actually took them forty minutes. Their animals were becoming exhausted quickly now on the last mile.
Clearly visible ahead was the border checkpoint to Katolis - and the joint crossing that flew all five of the Pentarchy's banners.
The guards there bristled, closing a gate that could not be vaulted by their horses. Unless they could convince the soldiers otherwise, this is where their travels would end.
Throwing dust every which way, the mage and her brother came to a halt in front of the guards who had their lances extended their way.
They dismounted, holding their hands up in a gesture of surrender.
Behind them, the Duranian guards arrived with triumphal hollers. The Captain was already shouting the accusation of them illegally crossing Duren's border at whoever was in charge at the crossing.
"What's going on here?!", came a feminine voice from behind the wall of lances. A woman in Eveneran mage's garb stepped through the lines, "You can't run a border checkpoint so recklessly! Are you suicidal?!"
"We need to speak to Ezran, King of Katolis.", Claudia said.
"Oh! Well, if you would like an audience with anyone here, I will gladly submit them your message. Its bound to be very important, no?", sarcasm made the words sound like the insult they were.
"Look!", Claudia tore open her bag and withdrew Callum's letter, "I have a letter from Prince Callum, wondering what's going on! We're personal friends of the royal family of Katolis!"
The mage commander stepped through the ranks, cautiously, and snatched the letter from her hands. Reading it, she nodded slightly.
"Hm. You will wait here.", she said, finally, "In a cell. If it turns out that this is genuine, you have my apologies, but I cannot take any chances."