Chapter 409: Through The Woods
Having made the mistake of letting her guard down, Kordia spread out a thin layer of her own mana as the three of them traveled the main road toward Mora Lake, riding a trio of snowshoe grandhares she requisitioned from the border guards. The moment she felt Fruhe disappear from her senses, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Gods, your mother is terrifying," Lapins said to Sin.
"I thought she was going to disown me... but I guess I’m just exiled now," she replied with a shudder. "I’ve never seen her look at me like that."
"Whatever happens, I’m here for you," Kordia said. "We’re family now." She squeezed her hand.
With Queen Fruhe behind them, the three took a less hurried pace in order to relax. Tomorrow, they would try for sprints, but for now, they let the sounds of the wind and forest, birdsong, and the calls of animals, wash over them.
Riding grandhares allowed them to make excellent time, and to Kordia’s mind came with the added benefit of ensuring news of her return home would not reach Mora Lake until after they were well into the woods.
The sight of mighty evergreens and distant redwoods filled Kordia with nostalgia, as did the scent of the evening mist when, at last, they stopped in the shadow of a fallen tree to rest.
As she looked around, Kordia noticed the grip of a Heavenswar sky had also made itself known in the half-wilting trees that had bloomed too early, only to be frozen and thawed and frozen again by the unnatural season. Thanks to Kordia’s knowledge of how to dry and prepare firewood with magic, they were able to gather enough wood for a small fire. Yet still they cuddled together for warmth, Lapins and Sin wrapped around Kordia as she lay awake, contemplating every pulse of pain that came to her along her bond with Silver.
The first sign of trouble made itself clear when they passed through the first village on their route.
A sign declared the place to be Badgerton Grove, but there wasn’t a citizen or animal in sight as the three of them rode in. The houses, mostly made of druid-grown vines and moss over stone, were all abandoned. The village’s great hall looked as though some beast had torn it apart, along with the village square and what had likely been its only inn.