John Spicer consoled his horse Bobbers, who stood a head shorter than Sandstorm. Both horses seemed eager to start their journey onward.

"They'll be here any moment," John consoled them. "Then we can get you two out of this crowded old city."

When he noticed Benj and Lucia carrying large leather bags and a cloth-wrapped package, he asked, "What took you so long?" and added, "We should have left hours ago."

"Sorry, Father," Lucia said, holding up the package in her hands. "We made a stop and got you something for the trip."

John took the package and unwrapped it revealing a quiver of metal bolts and large crossbow. "This is magnificent! Thank you!"

"We made a stop to pick up something for me," Benj patted the bow strung across his shoulders. "We both figured you could use some extra protection for the trip. If there's another Gallows Reese out there, we'll be ready for him."

"That's very considerate of you," John said, smiling over the massive crossbow. "You'll have to show me how to use this thing on the road. Is everyone ready?"

Lucia tossed her bag in the back of the carriage and climbed in after it. "I'm ready."

Benj opened up the saddle bag on his horse and pulled out the rune book labeled Poetry of the Trembling Heart and handed it to Lucia. "You accidently left this in your room. Lucky for you, I double-checked everything after you left."

Lucia hadn't accidentally forgotten anything; she intentionally left the mislabeled book behind. Inside was an exhaustive description of runes with details, drawings, and diagrams. She had been bored enough to browse the book on several occasions but found the only thing useful about it was its power to put her to sleep. The fact that the book was found in a hidden room with a misleading book cover was the only reason why she had been interested in reading it in the first place. The curiosity that drew her to the book had dwindled out months ago.

"Thanks," she said, glancing down at the tome of tedium. "This is really going to make the trip so much better. I just know it."

Benj smiled and mounted Sandstorm. "I'm ready if you are."

The group set out to leave the city. Benj rode beside the spice cart and took in the bustling city one last time before passing through the east gate that led across the bridge and into farmlands.

"Lucia, is that you?" Benj heard a voice somewhere behind him. He turned around and saw a guard walking towards the spice cart. He wasn't sure what was going on, so he turned his horse around and trotted towards the back of the spice cart. John had also halted the cart at the mention of his daughter's name.

"Lucia, I wondered when I would see you again." The guard said smiling. "The winter's chill was nothing compared to the uncertainty of ever seeing you again. You do remember me, don't you?"

Lucia looked at him and slowly shook her head.

"You're the maid who reads the poetry." The guard was now standing at the back of the cart. "It's me, Alrick." He pointed to the book she was holding. "That's the book you were reading. I've looked for it everywhere. Your words still linger in the air like orange and red from a slumbering autumn oak."

Recognition came over Lucia's face. "I remember now, you were standing outside Tannus Reginald's house. How have you been?"

"A lot better now that I've seen you again." Alrick beamed. "But it appears you're leaving. Are you coming back?"

"I might be; why do you ask?"

Benj couldn't see the look on Lucia's face, but he hoped she was as mortified as he was.

"Just say the word, and I will wait for you," Alrick said, determined. "When you return, I'll read you poetry by candlelight as we lay under the stars."

"She's taken." Benj finally said. He didn't want this poor guard wasting his time on someone he had no chance of impressing.

"Am I now?" Lucia asked from inside the wagon. "Because last time I checked the person I was supposedly taken with only likes me as a friend." She addressed Alrick, "I don't know if or when I'll be back, so I can't make any promises."

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"When you come back then, my lady." Alrick bowed.

Benj pursed his lips and guided his horse away from the city again. The carriage followed, putting valuable space between them and Royal City.

The sounds of clomping horses and wheels crushing soil and gravel lulled Lucia into a bumpy sleep in the back of the spice cart. Benj rode up front next to John. The two talked about everything from baking, farming, and sailing. John told stories of visiting various seafaring towns, and Benj spoke of teaching Samir how to properly bake a loaf of bread. Stories would start slowly, ramping up to an excited speed before simmering down to a comfortable silence. They talked until the sun casted long shadows before them, then they would find an off road clearing and set up camp. They let the horses graze in long grass as they pitched their tents or set up a bed in the cart. They would rise at dawn, eat breakfast, and set out again.

Sometimes Lucia would drive the cart and her and Benj would talk about anything or nothing. When she wasn't driving, she would sit in the back and try to find something to occupy her time. On several occasions, she grew desperate enough to continue her useless research of runes.

"Hey, Benj!" She called out from the back of the cart. "Can I see your relic-canceling ring?" Lucia sat cross-legged with the book in the middle of her lap. "I'm wondering if the runes in the book are the same as the runes in relics."

Benj slid off his white ring and tossed it into the carriage. "Have at it. Let me know what you find."

Lucia picked up the ring and inspected it. The markings were hard to read while bouncing around in the cart. The inscriptions were small, but Lucia had nothing but time to look over them. She found a rune in a long string of others that she thought she recognized. She flipped backward and forward through the pages until she found the one she was looking for. The rune from the book and the rune from the ring were similar but not exact. Lucia went to hand it to Benj, but he had already left to ride up front. She slipped the ring on her finger and continued reading.

On the fifth day, everyone had fallen into a pattern. Lucia drove for the first half of the day, and then she and her father would switch places.

Benj rode beside them on his horse. He was talking to Lucia when John shouted, "Someone's coming!"

Benj rode up to the front to get a better look. A cloud of dust floated in the distance above the road, and a small black dot traveled in the middle of it.

John reached under his seat and pulled out the massive crossbow. With a crank of the lever, the string was pulled back and locked in place. He gently set one of the bolts in the center groove.

Benj slid the bow over his shoulder and held it at the ready with an arrow nocked in place. He instinctively felt the hilt of his sword. He had gotten the sword the last time he was on this road when someone tried to rob him. Each time someone shared the road and drew close, his heart would start thumping in his chest.

"Nice and easy," John said to nobody in particular. "More than likely, it's just some fellow travelers."

Three riders came into view at a full gallop. John pulled the spice cart partially off the road, causing tall grass to brush the side. The riders didn't seem to have any interest in slowing down as they came within ten paces and then passed the cart without breaking their stride.

Benj pulled his horse to a stop. "Not so much as a 'good day'."

"Some people have no courtesy at all," John removed the bolt from his crossbow and unlatched the string. "You would think they're running from a…" John stopped and looked ahead. A wall of rain rushed towards them from where the riders had come from.

"You might want to ride inside the cart," John said, reaching through a flap and pulling out a thick leather cloak. "It looks like whatever those riders were running from is about to catch us."

Benj didn't have time to consider another solution before the rain became threateningly loud and then lashed out over him. It was all he could do to lead the horse to the back of the spice cart and jump in before he was completely soaked by the thunderous patter of oversized droplets. He apologized to Sandstorm as he tied her lead to the back of the cart.

The cart took off without John's prodding, and they made their way into the storm.

"I was wondering when you were going to join me," Lucia pulled out a dry cloth and handed it to Benj. "It's been awfully lonely in here by myself."

Benj wiped the water off his face and began drying his hair off. "I would have come earlier, but you never invited me. I assumed you were writing poetry for your new boyfriend, Alrick."

Lucia smiled. "If it makes you feel better, we can talk about your girlfriend instead. What was her name? The girl you left town for because she married your best friend?"

"Brahm could very well be the opposite of my best friend," Benj said seriously. "And her name is Mel. It's short for Melisandra."

Lucia leveled her eyes at him. "That's a very pretty name. Are you worried that you'll still be in love with her when you get back?"

"I don't think I was ever in love with her." Benj corrected himself, "I might have thought that I was once, but I don't even know what love is. Okay, I was in love, but I'm over it now."

"If you want, I can pretend to be in love with you," Lucia touched his arm. "That way, if you see her, you don't have to look farther than me when you explain why you left town instead of going to her wedding. We got really good at pretending we like each other once."

"I don't think she was pretending," John said from outside the carriage. "I'm not intruding, am I? I feel like because I can hear everything you two are saying, I'm also a part of the conversation. Also, I want to hear about Melisandra. A nice love story is just the thing I need to warm me up."

"I'll tell you the story, but I don't think it will warm you up at all." Benj said and then told them about the day he invented sausage bread and every day that followed.

The rain lightened up as he explained how she pushed him into the river, and it got heavier as Brahm ordered the wedding cake. He tried to describe Brahm but couldn't capture his malicious nature or arrogant demeanor in words. Like the person, the story would never do Brahm justice, so Benj told the story the best he could and settled on, "He's just not very nice."