26 days until Blackveil!
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"…Take care of him…"
Night Hawk's gait was like cream. Zachary marveled at his movements – he could hardly feel the stallion's hooves hitting the ground.
"You have a magnificent horse, Lord D'Yer…"
"Take care of him, Majesty…"
Yes, but who will take care of you, friend? Zachary closed his eyes. Ty and Alton were a single dot up ahead. A Light Horse patrol rode hard on their tail. Please live, the king begged silently, please, please live.
Karigan rode silently beside him. She hadn't spoken since saying farewell to the young Riders, preparing Night Hawk and Condor for their desperate flight with an inscrutable face. No, that wasn't right…. She hadn't spoken since saying farewell to young Alton.
Jealousy, Zachary? At a time like this? How juvenile. He shook his head fiercely and refocused his eyes on the road ahead. So quiet. The soldiers had terrified the citizens into their homes. Please live, he begged for them. Please be safe.
Karigan raised a hand and they reined their horses to a stop and waited. As they watched, a second patrol joined the chase.
He took a breath to speak, but Karigan interrupted. "There was no way I was going to let you stay," she told him. "They were as Connly said: mad. No one would have reasoned with you. No one would have listened to you."
He clamped his lips over his words. In his gut, he knew she was correct and he hated it. Despite it, he had never felt more of a coward until now.
Ty suddenly wheeled Crane into a side street. "This is it," Karigan whispered.
"Hey! You!"
"Gods," Karigan cursed. "Go!"
The pair charged forward, the pounding of hoofbeats behind them. He wondered what sort of weapons the Light Horse carried, and if any of them were ranged.
A few soldiers lingered at the half-closed gate, but their attention seemed to be on the uproar the Riders had caused. Please keep not noticing us.
"Fly…" He heard Karigan hiss at the wind. "Fly!"
He felt like he was flying. The gate rushed toward him at such a speed that he was surprised Night Hawk didn't crash to the ground. He glanced at Karigan, but she wasn't there. Invisible. Really. She didn't feel like cloaking him as well?
The remaining guards finally took notice of them – no, him. They couldn't see Karigan. They lowered their spears, their deadly points glaring at his heart. Swords were drawn behind him.
"The gate!" Zachary heard. "Back to the gate!"
Karigan chose that moment to reappear. The guards jumped, startled by her sudden manifestation. It was enough. The horses blew past; Zachary barely remembered to duck. A burning pain sliced down his scalp and back, but then they were out of the city and racing across dew strewn grass.
He exchanged an exultant look with Karigan. They'd made it. He almost laughed. They made it!
Silver flashed past his face. They were still being chased and knives were being thrown at them. That answered his earlier question.
Karigan spurred Condor harder and the foaming horse somehow found a burst of speed. Zachary could feel Night Hawk heaving beneath him and he again marveled at the creature. He was definitely not a normal horse.
The Kingway stretched out before them, wide, paved, and coverless. When things settled down, he decided, he would most certainly have some trees planted alongside it.
Another knife whizzed past. His former exultation began to diminish. No, they wouldn't make it. There was nowhere to hide, their horses were tiring, the soldiers were single-mindedly lethal.
"Fly!" Karigan suddenly screamed. "Help us!"
Who was she –
Whack. It felt like someone had lobbed a rock at his back. He flung forward on Night Hawk's neck and choked for the breath that was knocked out of him. He stared over his shoulder at the object protruding from his upper back. A knife?
Whack. His back arched. Down, near his spine. Pain. White lights flashed in his sight.
Somewhere, Karigan was screaming. Was he still on his horse? He hoped so. How embarrassing it would be to fall off now that they had gotten so far. How far were they, exactly?
He hunched in the saddle, noting with interest the darkness clouding his eyesight. This would most certainly void the marriage contract, he thought absently.
Beneath him, Night Hawk suddenly readied himself to jump. His powerful muscles corded up and his front hooves left the ground. Zachary raised his eyes. They were jumping into…whiteness? To his right, Karigan and Condor blurred into long streaks of green and brown. A throwing knife became a dash of silver before dissipating. Time slowed. Night Hawk jumped, and jumped, and jumped. Sounds dragged out into low, monotonous tones.
For an instant, his pain subsided. Then Night Hawk's front hooves landed in short, crunchy, white grass and the pain rushed back as quickly as time did. They continued to run, but no soldiers followed them.
"Where are we?" he gasped. Karigan reached for the reins dangling from his fingers
"Hold on," she whispered. "Just a little further."
They stampeded over a bridge.
"How do you know where you are going?" he asked. All he saw was white, save for the occasional black dot somewhere in the distance.
She didn't respond. He forced his drooping head up. A black figure raced ahead of them, great wings unfolded to the windless air. As if from a great distance, he heard a horse neigh. Then his head became too heavy and he slumped over Night Hawk's neck.