The rain had steadily increased and by now it was pouring down in torrents. The drops pattered hard on her clothes and whipped holes in the muddy ground. Violet had her thumb in her pocket and was drumming her fingers on her thigh. It wasn't out of nervousness. It was more of a pastime. Meanwhile, Yuri was still standing in the exact same posture she'd assumed minutes ago. She might as well be a mannequin. You wouldn't notice the difference.

The lights of the carriage gradually sank deeper and deeper into the darkness. The lanterns and their suspensions were actually designed for heavy storms. Nevertheless, they seemed to flicker. After a short time, Violet could only make out two points of light. If someone wanted to attack them, now would be the best time.

~I'll get the queen in an emergency. Yuri will probably be fine on her own. The rest...~

"Lyr's signal is coming soon. Prepare the horses, I'll let the passengers know."

"Um."

Yuri promptly made her way to the horses. Violet, on the other hand, went to the back of the covered wagon. She lifted the covering to the side with her forearm.

There were two benches in the wagon with suitcases stacked on them and chests decorated in gold in front of them. A small lantern stood on one of the chests in the middle of the carriage, burning dimly. On either side of the lantern, surrounded by the chests, sat a girl. Both were just under 20 years old. They were playing cards and were a little startled when they noticed someone peering into the carriage. When they realized who it was, they dropped their cards on the chest and straightened up. It was so important to them to adopt a sensible posture that they even dropped the cards face up. Even though one of them had a really golden hand.

The two girls were two of the queen's maids. Violet knew their names, of course. The brunette with the sparkling blue eyes was called Cora Urlund from the Urlund family and the other one with the sparkling green eyes was called ... Miss Mitwind? Violet knew the families too, of course. Both families were from the Sturmtahl prefecture in the west, where the Urlunds were also in charge of the administration. They were not unimportant. If you thought you were filthy rich, you should first see how much they earned from pharmaceuticals.

"Hey, you two, we're going a bit faster now. Don't get scared. Okay?"

"Yes, Mrs. Siobelga!" they both replied in sync, without even a second's delay.

"All right."

"You don't need to inform us about something like this, Mrs. Siobelga. But can you tell us when we will arrive? That would be really helpful."

Violet actually wanted to leave already, but she still had time for a favor.

"I'd really like to do it, but I've been forbidden by the king himself to share the time of arrival with anyone."

Violet made an effort to say it with contrition. The two of them seemed very disappointed, but kept up a cheerful front.

"You don't need to feel guilty. It was rude to ask in the first place."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"It's all right. Questions are fine. I'll get going then. If there are any problems, just shout: 'Yuri! She always hears her name. She's like a watchdog in that regard."

The line went down well with both of them. One giggled and the other smiled. At least these two had a sense of humor. Satisfied, Violet took a step away from the car. "This weather really is a nuisance. Luckily, I only have to put up with it today." she said to herself, then dropped the covering.

It remained quiet in the carriage for a moment, then one of them said something.

"Innes. We arrive tomorrow. That's what it means."

"Ahhh-I knew that too."

~Hmm, I guess that one's a bit of a dullard?~ Violet was tired of eavesdropping and went off. ~A crazy self-centered queen, a stiff shyster, a silent girl and two slugs. Maybe I should have asked for higher pay? Doesn't anyone normal actually ride here? Next time I'll send Yuri again.

When Vilolet arrived back at the front of the horses, Yuri stroked one of them on the head. Was that also part of the preparation? Violet seriously wondered.

"Everything ready?"

"Um."

Violet and Yuri waited a moment, then for a tiny moment a star-sized shimmer could be seen in the sky. It was bright enough for Violet to see it even through the rain, but she had expected it to be here at this time. Someone else certainly wouldn't have noticed it.

"Okay, let's go then."

Yuri gave one of the horses a little pat on the neck, both neighed once and the carriage quickly set off and drove onto the bridge. Violet and Yuri hurried along at a run. It was still pouring with rain and was getting worse. Visibility was only a few meters wide. All that could be heard was the sound of the stream and it felt as if the bridge was swaying slightly. Water was repeatedly lapping upwards from the storm. The wood was smooth. Yuri and Violet each walked on one side of the wagon, holding it to keep it on track. If anyone had fallen for the bet, now would be the best time to attack them. Violet looked behind her, trying to see if anyone was approaching them, but she couldn't see anyone. Nor had she received any signal that anyone was here or had attacked the carriage. Perhaps Violet had overestimated the danger? It was better to stay on guard. Even with the help, the carriage kept slipping away. The wheels ground tracks into the moss. The horses stumbled several times.

With normal horses, the bridge would have been impassable in this weather. But these were special. They were extremely intelligent and well trained. That's why they didn't need a coachman. Of course, it was conspicuous not to have one, but there were fewer confidants. Nevertheless, without a coachman, everyone could immediately recognize that this convoy was not just transporting simple goods. What merchant would have horses like these? Whenever it was or would be necessary, Violet and Yuri therefore took on this role. However, due to the weather and the fact that they were taking this route instead of the coastal trade route, almost no one had come to meet them so far.

All four horses obeyed Yuri exclusively. This was not because Yuri had trained the horses herself. As far as Violet knew, the trainer had simply orderd them to do it. Violet had also met the man before they had set off from Kiras. It was necessary for planning - at least that's what she had claimed. In any case, these horses weren't the most impressive thing he had. On the contrary, they were among the most inconspicuous he could offer her. The others were all from high breeding breeds and therefore or for other reasons not usable for the convoy. Anyone with any knowledge would surely recognize immediately who they belonged to. Unfortunately, the man wasn't selling anything. Violet could ride, but her own knowledge of horses was very limited. It would be a dream to have one that wasn't so stubborn and didn't over-interpret everything. For this reason, she had tried almost everything to convince the man. She had flattered and praised him with her whole body, but he hadn't given in to anything. He was generally very conservative and uncooperative. The whole time he had behaved as if he was fundamentally unhappy that a woman was in charge of the escort and that he had to talk to her. He was an old bone. It didn't really matter. The man surely had some trick to make the animals obedient. Violet would only have to find out the trick and copy it and she would have a horse of the same quality. Unfortunately, she hadn't figured it out yet, but just knowing about it was the first step to success.

.../ End Part