“We’ll go easy,” Rhess promised, before helping Kiva mount the gray mare who was charmingly named Bluebell.
Purposefully ignoring how far away the ground was, Kiva waited until Rhess was mounted on the chestnut before she casually asked, “Any chance we can avoid taking the River Road out of the city?”
A beat of silence passed before the healer observed, “It sounds suspiciously like you want to sneak out.”
Thinking of the added guards monitoring the main thoroughfare, Kiva admitted, “I haven’t told anyone where we’re going, and I’d prefer to keep it that way. At least until — until —” She didn’t have a way to finish her sentence, but Rhess’s features softened.
“Hey, we all have our secrets,” she said with understanding. “As long as they don’t put either of us in danger, I don’t mind keeping yours. I meant it when I said that yesterday — you can trust me.”
Kiva blew out a breath. “Thanks.”
Rhessinda considered for a moment before saying, “I know the backstreets pretty well. We can use them to get to the South Watch, but we’ll have to jump back on the main road after we’re through the city walls.”
“That’s fine,” Kiva said. They were probably safe to take the River Road the entire way, since Naari had mentioned how the busy traffic meant the guards could miss things — and they wouldn’t be expecting Kiva to be on horseback. But the backstreets would limit the risk significantly.
With the new route set, Rhess gave Kiva a brief reminder of the riding basics, and then they set off together from the academy.
Oakhollow was a half-hour ride from Vallenia, but that wasn’t counting how long it took them to reach the edge of the city, their pace slower than it would have been had they taken the direct route along the river. Still, they eventually reached the South Watch and rode straight toward the wide open gates, passing travelers coming to and from the capital, many driving carts loaded with wares to trade, others wearing sigils marking them as messengers, and some just common city folk going about their days.
Kiva kept the hood up on her cloak and avoided eye contact with any of the watch guards, but she and Rhessinda encountered no problems, and were soon through the fortified city walls and riding swiftly along a well-worn dirt road. At first the crowds remained thick, but as they continued on, passing farms on either side until they turned off onto the coastal track, they eventually had the road to themselves.
“How’s your confidence?” Rhess asked, gesturing toward Bluebell. “Ready to pick up the pace?”
“If I fall off and break my everything, you’ll put me back together, right?” Kiva asked, only half joking.
The healer grinned and nudged her horse forward, prompting Kiva to do the same with Bluebell, the mare’s long legs eating up the ground as they followed the track up a smooth rise and then along the cliffside path hugging the coastline. The sea breeze was crisp, but with the wind having pushed back her hood and her hair flying out behind her as they cantered high above the cerulean ocean, Kiva felt more invigorated than she had in a long time. She wanted to whoop and shout and laugh at the feeling, longing for it to last forever. But all too soon they had to leave the seaside and slow down, passing through numerous crossroads and into a heavily wooded forest.
“We’re nearly there,” Rhess said, tossing a water flask to Kiva. She indicated the trees surrounding them and continued, “This is the Emelda Forest. Oakhollow sits close to the edge, but the woods continue all the way down to Avila. It’s easy to get lost in here, so make sure you don’t wander too far from town today. You wouldn’t be the first person to never come out again.”
Kiva shuddered, the shadowy woodland seeming more sinister than before. But then the trees began to thin as the path opened up, a small, picturesque village quickly coming into view.
“If I leave you at the tavern, are you good to make your way to your family on your own?” Rhess asked as they rode out from the forest and into the bright sunshine.
Kiva nodded, even if she had no idea yet where in the village her family was. But the tavern would be the best place to ask after them.
Together Kiva and Rhess ventured deeper into the village, passing little wooden cottages with flowerpots in their windows, before finding a blacksmith, a small apothecary, a tailor’s workshop, a bake house, and an outdoor market. In the center of it all was a larger establishment with a painted sign hanging over the door, curved script reading The Tippled Boar resting above a picture of a dancing pig that somehow managed to look highly inebriated.