I knelt in the road and hauled the scout’s body onto my shoulders before cautiously approaching the horse once again. Once I had its reins in hand to ensure it wouldn’t bolt, I heaved the corpse up onto its back, then deftly hopped up into the saddle. The courser paced nervously, and I ran a calming hand along its neck. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Just a few quick stops, and then we’ll go find you some food.”
With a tug to the right I led the horse off of the main road towards a small thicket of bushes and trees a few hundred yards away. It was slow going over the uneven, snowy terrain, but we reached the thicket without incident. I gave the corpse an unceremonious shove into the bush cover, nodded at my work, then directed the horse back to the road. Pointing us in the direction of the remaining bodies, I urged the courser on into the snowy night.
The midnight ride filled me with a strong sense of nostalgia. I hadn’t ridden a horse since my time in the Alderean military, and it reminded me of the countless road conversations I had shared with Jarut and Kel on our long marches back and forth from the capital. The memories kept me company on the ride, and I arrived at my destination much sooner than I had anticipated. In a similar fashion to the first, I heaved the remaining corpses out of the snow and over my horse’s back, then trotted off the road in search of ground cover. Although I knew their disappearance would be cause enough to pursue us, it still felt right to remove as much evidence as possible.
My ride back to camp was peaceful, and the sky behind me had begun to brighten by the time I arrived. Marten, Hana and Marin were all awake and preparing for the day around the fire, eating a warm breakfast. At the sight of an unknown hooded rider approaching, Marten sprang to his feet and pulled a dagger from his belt, stepping out in front of Hana and Marin protectively. “Oh, sorry!” I called out, throwing back my hood. “It’s just me.”
Relief washed over his face as he sheathed his blade. “Damnit Lux, you scared me!” He looked back to Hana and Marin with a smile, but his head snapped back around a moment later. “Where in the world did you get a horse?!”
I laughed, taking a moment to consider how to approach the subject. “The man who owned it didn’t need it anymore, so I thought I’d take care of it for a while.” I rode into camp and slid to the ground, tying the reins to a post on the back of the wagon. “There were riders in the night. Scouts, I think. I took care of them.” With a sigh, I drew the scrolls from my belt. “Unfortunately, that’s not the only news I have.” I handed him the scrolls and waited for him to read them before continuing.
He glanced at each one briefly, scowling at the illustrations, then turned and handed them to Marin. “What do they say?” he asked quietly. My face reddened as I remembered too late that he had never fully learned to read.
“They’re wanted posters,” she said with a gasp. Her eyes scanned over the words, growing wider by the word. “They’re offering a thousand Imperials each to anybody who kills them. Primes, that’s a fortune!”
“I’m half tempted to kill you myself,” Marten chuckled, looking at me with a faint air of apprehension.
“I don’t think that would go so well for you…” Marin trailed off. “There’s a bounty for you as well. And for Hana. One hundred Imperials for your capture...or execution.”
The camp fell silent as the severity of the situation set in. Hana stepped forward and read the scrolls in Marin’s hands, then placed a hand on Marten’s shoulder. “I think Marin should drive the wagon from now on. You’re too well known around these parts, dear.”
Marten screwed up his face as he stared at the ground. “I hate to think that an old business acquaintance would turn us in, but...I can’t say I’d blame them. That amount of money would be life-changing for almost anybody.” He looked at Marin apologetically. “I hate to ask it of you after what happened, but—”
“You don’t have to ask!” Marin cut him off. “Of course I’ll do it. I owe you all at least that much. Besides, I’ll be driving all the time once we’re business partners, right? I might as well get a headstart.” Her beaming grin cut away the tension that had grown around us, and Marten laughed.
“I suppose that’s true,” he answered, “but I’m not sure where you got business partners from. You’ll be working for me, sure, but partners might be a bit—”
He was interrupted once again by a loud squeal from behind us. I turned to find Lia diving from the back of the wagon; she landed lithely on her feet before springing forward to hug my newly acquired horse around the neck. “Oh, you’re such a handsome guy, aren’t you?” she asked in a drawn-out, high-pitched voice. “Yes, you are!” She continued to scratch his neck excitedly as she turned to me. “Is he ours? Where did he come from?”
I smiled irresistibly, infected by her enthusiasm. “Come with me; I’ll explain,” I said, walking past her to the entrance of the wagon. She followed me back inside and helped me rearrange the crates to create a small, secluded
