Riya stormed out of the inn, her amber eyes flaring in golden fury as she strode toward the Aldorn estates. These pathetic humans dared to hold one of the Lords of Earth and Sky? It was unthinkable! Truly, something catastrophic must have happened to her people to have allowed such a travesty.

The lower races had always coveted the oath pact between House Loshere and the Horse Lords, even stooping so low as to try and kidnap the Gen’Sheld as if they were some common nag to be bartered for! Or worse, use them as breeding stock!

Riya spat out the bile that rose in the back of her throat at the mere thought of such a barbarous act. If they had forced that poor, innocent soul to mount a lesser beast, the Adjudicator’s themselves wouldn’t be able to stop her from exacting justice upon them!

“Riya, stop!” Glade called. She could already hear the stomping of several boots against the cobbled street as he, Kedryn, and others rushed to catch up to her.

Ignoring the command, Riya continued to march toward her goal, taking in the estate that lay just outside of town with a critical eye. The sprawling homestead was ostentatiously laid out for everyone to see on a wide hill overlooking the port, easily identified in the dying light of the sun. The three story white building could be seen for leagues around, its boundaries marked by what was clearly an imbecilic attempt at growing a man made forest. The fools had planted River Elms of all things. River Elms! On a hill!

They likely did it because the trees grew quickly, but what should have been towering sentinels of nature were stunted things that more resembled hedges than the majestic elms found along the River Basin.

“River elms need perpetual access to water to grow, idiots,” Riya growled under her breath. She was no Arborist, and may not be able to walk beneath the elm’s boughs, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t taken the time to learn about them.

Fortunately, she could use the trees as cover thanks to her ring of planar shadow armor. It was likely the best path to take anyway seeing as the stables were closer to the western edge of the property.

Glade finally caught up, interposing himself between her and her goal with upraised arms.

“Riya, stop!” he panted in Elvish. “Explain to me why you are storming up the street like a mad woman with a vendetta?”

“I will not be dissuaded,” she growled back in her native tongue, moving to step past him. Glade moved with her, a complicated expression on his face. At first glance it looked as if he was angry, which caused her own rage to react in kind. But the more she took in his gaze, the more she realized that Glade was genuinely asking what was going on. There was a pleading in his eyes, just below the surface.

“They have a Gen’Sheld!” she spat, as if that was explanation enough. And for her, it was. Everyone knew how important, how sacred, one of the Horse Lords was. She would sooner give up her final rebirth than see her people’s bonded allies imprisoned like some common beast of burden!

Glade opened his mouth to respond when Crixus caught up to them.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“You need to control the elf,” he said quickly in Free Script, his voice low as he looked around at the surrounding crowds. “We’re drawing a scene, and not the good kind.”

Riya reached for her hidden dagger, her eyes glaring death at the human captain. Before she could draw the blade, Glade clamped his hand around her arm in a vice like grip.

“Not helping, Crixus,” Glade growled in Free Script before reverting back to Elvish. “Riya, I understand you’re upset, but I don’t understand why.”

“We should really take this off of the street,” Kedryn said with just a hint of concern. Riya didn’t respond. Instead, she reoriented her rage on the royal elf, who took two involuntary steps back. He of all people should be the one leading this charge! Then again, how would he know what a royal’s roles were? No, this was up to her, and it didn’t matter who got in her way. She would remove them like any other obstacle and free the Horse Lord…

“Riya,” Glade said, his eyes bearing down on her like a physical weight, dragging her gaze away from Kedryn and into her protector’s eyes, their grey depths every bit as powerful as the vortex of a cyclone.

“Riya,” he said again, his voice reverberating in her mind. “You will listen to me. You can either walk back to the inn under your own power where you can explain things, or…”

Glade paused, searching her face intently. She was lost in those eyes, unable to keep herself from asking the obvious question.

“Or what?” She dragged out, her voice a mere whisper.

“Or I will carry you,” Glade said matter of factly. There was no other option. It was either walk back or be carried.

“But… the Gen’Sheld…” she said, struggling to tear her gaze away from his. Why was this so hard? She had been so determined just moments before. Adamant really. But now, all she could do was nod…

Riya turned away from the Aldorn estate, looking down the cobbled path toward the harbor where the golden hues of sunset reflected off the gentle waves.

As she took a single step back toward the inn, a stray thought entered her mind. What if… what if the Horse Lord in those pens was Bryst? She knew it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. She would have felt him if he were the one imprisoned there. Wouldn’t she? Then again, she had literally been torn from him and cast into another world. Who knew if their bond could survive such an act?

But that nagging feeling wouldn’t go away. What if?

“No!” She growled, her momentary lapse of resolve vanishing like a leaf in the wind, her anger returning full force as she rounded on Glade.

“I…” she jabbed a finger in his chest. “Am…” another finger hammered home. “Going…” Riya stepped past Glade, her resolve greater than ever.

“Carrying you it is,” Glade growled, snatching her up in one fluid motion and throwing her over his shoulder.

“Put me down, you… you…Vlakas!” she squawked in Elvish, pounding her fists against his back. Why did his back have to be so broad and hard!?

“Not until you can explain to us what this is all about,” Glade said, shrugging of her strikes as be strode back toward the inn.

Bragden chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Kedryn asked, his eyes wide as he caught up to them.

“I find Riya’’s description of our Glade to be rather accurate, don’t you?” he laughed.

“Vlakas? I don’t know what that means…”

“Not the time,” Glade growled, repositioning Riya so he could better control her kicking legs.

“Put! Me! Down!” Riya snarled again, emphasizing each word like the threat they were. See if she ever healed him again!

As they approached the inn, a distant bell began ringing urgently from the same direction as the Aldorn estate. The crowd, who had been following and murmuring behind them stopped at the sound. Most gasped aloud. Others began cursing. Most began running.

“The Patriarch is under attack!” someone cried.

“All guards and able bodied men to me!” a man who was clearly guard cried out.

Riya looked up. The estate was less than half a league away, but she could make out at least one small fire and several torches converging on…

“No…” she whispered, her anger burning hotter than she had ever felt it before. Her vision turned red. “No!” she cried, thrashing even more wildly. In moments, She was free of Glade’s grip.

“NO!” She screamed, sprinting away. Whoever was attacking the estate was after the Horse Lord. They were after Bryst!