CHAPTER12

 

Karina stiffened, glared at the triumphantly smirking vam- pire, and then turned her attention to the stable hand. “Yes,that’scorrect.HernameisHoneysuckle?”

Henodded. “Yes,ma’am. I’vetakenthelibertytoputfourdays’ worth of hayand oats in each of your horse’ssaddlebags.Hope that’s okay?”

“That’sgreat,”Couragesaid.“Thankyou.”“Yes, thank you.” Gwyn smiled.

“Thatwasconsiderate.TheLadyofHearthandFieldsmileson you for that.”

Hebeamed. “Well,letmeunlockthestalls,soyoucanget your horses. “

Thetriolefttheliveryandheadedsouththrough Schwarzfeld. Oncetheexitedthesoutherngate,theyturned northeastandfollowedtheedgeoftheZwarbielWoods. Redoak,ash,andfirtreesrosefromtherich,grassysoil to their right, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze, and the vibrant blue-green grass of the Waunach Plains rose to their left. Sparrows and larks sang their mating songs in the sun-warmedair.

“ShouldwenothavetraveledthroughtheforestinastraightlinetoKaltbrück,”Karinaasked.“Traversingtheforest’s boundaryseemslikeitwilltakeextratime.”

Gwyn rubbed her throbbing temples before adjusting hersunglasses.“Thedenseunderbrushwouldslowthehorsesdown. We’ll make better time this way. It’s also easier to seethreatsinopenterrain,orwithonlyonesidewhereseeing enemiesfromadistanceisaproblem.”

Karina nodded, her gaze turning to the forest.“Do you truly fear being attacked?”

“Assomeonewhosefamilywasassassinated,Ihaveto