In the End

Chapter 3: An Important Question

"Run!" We both shouted. 

Weylin immediately turned his horse around and gave me back my reins. He also slid the ring box back into his pocket, the ring yet unseen by me.

We kicked out horses into full on sprints as the sound of several horses bared down on us and more arrows whizzed by. Weylin risked a look back and then shouted, "Hurry!"

It didn't take long for us to be out of the forest and on the open road which didn't actually make me feel better. Now we were easy targets with nowhere to hide. But Weylin must have felt the same for he grabbed my reins and steered us both around to the side, back toward the forest, but not on the path. As the other horses came to the edge of the forest, we dove into the thickness of the trees. If those riders weren't after us, they wouldn't follow.

But they did.

Why did I think I could return to the mainland without those men coming after me. Who did I think I was?

Hard and fast we rode our horses, neither of us daring to speak as we maneuvered through the trees. Oddly enough, it seemed like Weylin was leading us someplace he'd been before. Finally, we broke back onto the path. Weylin shouted something that I didn't understand as he led me swiftly down the path in the direction the riders had come from. I was confused but too scared to question him.

Finally, we slowed down, though the hooves were still hot on out trail. "What are you doing?" I nearly hissed with panic.

A moment later I heard the zing of arrows and the solid thud as they hit their marks followed by another, heavier thud like a body hitting the ground.

"We are safe now. Or safer," Weylin said. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He turned to me. "Shall we?"

I merely nodded. He held Flynn's reins and we cantered down the path. As we round a small bend,I saw them. Ten horses, ten riders, one man with a quiver of arrows and a bow standing at attention.

"Report," Weylin commanded as we approached.

"Five riders, no identification or papers, Your Highness. All dead."

Your Highness?

"How on earth did this happen? How could they have gotten passed you?" His raised his voice and I noted a hint of pink coloring his cheeks. I had never heard him raise his voice and it was terrifying.

"They weren't on our radar, Your Highness. They appeared as traveling merchants. We didn't suspect anything until they took off at a great speed and pulled out their weapons and it seemed to coincide with when they spotted the two of you. We recognized one of them as having come to town a few times under the guise of a trader. Seems he was a different sort." 

"I want a written report. Find out who these men are. Clear them from the road. Bury them where no one will find them. Keep the horses. Sell them. I don't care. Just make it all disappear."

"Yes, Your Highness." The man bowed and he and his crew disappeared into the trees.

"We need to get home quickly."

"Who are you?" I asked quietly.

"I'd like to know the same of you," he said.