As he sped down the road, Ralan again marveled at how smooth and well-maintained it was. It was paved in large flat stones and was wide enough for two wagons to pass each other without having to enter the dirt. He couldn’t imagine the labor it took to create it, as it extended from Ness presumably all the way to Gaotteland.
The plains went from scrubby grass to the greener grass that was typical near the river, and to his right and left Ralan could see small forests or copses of trees. Ralan continued to squint into the distance …show more content…
He pulled himself onto Ralan’s horse just as the guards realized what was happening. They rushed forward and barely missed getting ahold of Ralan as he spurred his horse back down the road.
Into Ralan’s ear, Karch said, his voice firm and seemingly unfazed from his brush with death. “I have no idea why you are here, Ralan, but I appreciate you sacrificing yourself so that I could get away.”
Before Ralan could act, Karch grabbed him by his cloak and yanked him to the left. Ralan reached for something to hold onto, but it was too late. He fell sideways off the galloping horse.
He landed hard on the stone road, with the rolling of his momentum slamming his head against the stone again and again. Ralan stopped rolling with his body facing away from the Outlander castle. In the distance, the blue cloak of Karch fluttered behind him as he galloped away to safety.
Rolling to his knees, Ralan felt a headache storming in while the rest of his body was ached. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to be badly injured. He looked back toward the castle to have his view blocked by two men. The men grabbed him and spun him