Gregory would have done well to listen to his soldiers. While he deliberated over maps, Ren and Kathryn did indeed stop to rest. Kathryn's plan depended on allowing the horses to recover. 

Both Ren and Kathryn's horses were bred for a perfect balance of speed and stamina. By contrast, Navinorian mounts were famously bred almost exclusively for stamina and bearing loads. So Kathryn decided to use this to her advantage. "We'll allow the horses to graze and completely recover," she told Ren.

Her words came rapidly as she described her plan. "We'll also try to get the swelling down in your shoulder. Then in a few hours, we'll make directly for the border. We will probably hit one of their patrols. You'll fight them and take two of their horses so we can alternate and save ours as much as possible. And as they try to converge, we'll outpace them. If they do catch up, we'll simply rely on our faster mounts to escape; we must not stop to fight under any circumstances. Once we reach the border, we'll head directly to Trista's castle." Trista was a good and loyal friend who would gladly provide them with fresh mounts. "Then we'll go straight home without resting. It will be hard, but we'll manage it." 

"Sounds good to me," Ren said cheerfully. He was pretty happy now that they had a plan. And it involved at least one fight, which made him even happier. Not to mention he shouldn't have to face off with General Xian. 

Kathryn tapped his shoulder. "One more thing," she said quietly. "Things often go wrong in plans like this."

"Which you know from your vast battlefield experience?" He teased her. 

"I'm being serious, Ren. If somehow we run into Xian, don't fight him. Run away." 

Ren bristled. "I can beat him," he protested, though the words sounded hollow even to him. 

"Our goal is not to worsen the situation, remember? So you'd have to fight him while trying not to kill him. And you and I both know you don't have that luxury with him," Kathryn said quietly. 

Ren considered that. "I suppose it might be hard if I'm trying to play nice. Fine, then. I won't fight him."

He glanced down and suddenly noticed Kathryn was still wearing her wedding ring. That put a new thought in his head. He asked, "How exactly did Lorrin die?"

She flinched and turned ashen as she remembered the trauma of that awful night, but she spoke calmly. "I think he drank some wine that was waiting for him in the room. I didn't see because some maids were helping me change. But when I came back, he seemed a little different…maybe drunk. And then all of a sudden he collapsed." 

Ren was relieved that the account seemed to hold no room for what he had feared most, but he tried very hard not to show it. "I see. Well, it makes sense. I guess Gregory left the wine there. The only thing that's odd to me is he was risking you drinking it…unless he knew you can't drink wine." 

Kathryn frowned. "That didn't occur to me," she admitted, a little ashamed of the fact. 

"No reason it should've," Ren said hastily. "Everything was pretty hectic." He was burning to ask a particular question, but he held himself back. 

"So he probably had a spy even in Iridalys nobility," Kathryn reflected.

Ren couldn't stand it any longer. He tried to keep his voice casual as he said, "Yeah. So…what was it like, with Lorrin I mean? Or should I not ask?" 

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "You've been wanting to so badly, I guess there's no point in trying to avoid it. He was a cad in every sense of the word. Disrespectful and obnoxious, and I'm only glad I never had to get into bed with him. Is that enough?" 

Her cheeks were quite pink, and Ren felt bad for upsetting her. "Sorry. Shouldn't have asked," he mumbled. 

Kathryn didn't contradict him. The silence between them became awkward. Then Ren said, "There's one thing I've been wondering. Why isn't Illian doing anything to help?" 

"Because he doesn't care," Kathryn said briefly. 

"He must care a little bit. Even just for old times sake," Ren argued. 

Kathryn shrugged. "Have it your way then. He cares and just can't help us because it might start a war." 

Ren didn't like her tone, but he also didn't know quite how to retort. So instead he said, "The only problem with all this is there's too little action just hanging around and waiting." 

"We need the rest," Kathryn reminded him. "Especially you." She'd noticed he was looking a little more flushed than usual and was perspiring. 

She reached out her hand to check his temperature and he caught it. "Nothing to worry about, Kat," he said cheerfully. 

"Your arm is bothering you. You've been favoring it, and you have a fever." 

"It's all right. I'll be perfectly fine once we're home and I can get some proper rest." He squeezed her hand gently. "We'll make it out all right, Kat. I promise." 

Kathryn looked up at him and smiled for the first time. "Of course we will." 

Four hours later, Gregory was getting impatient. There was still no word of the princess and her bodyguard. They seemed to have disappeared. He wondered if they might have made their way past the Protectors somehow. And then, at long last, one of the Protectors came into the tent and said, “Your highness, we found them near Derano Ridge.” 

“Perfect,” Gregory said coldly. “Send our fastest messengers to all the Protectors in the area. Xian, mount up.” 

The Protector said, “Um, sir, the thing is… we weren’t able to delay them.” 

Gregory’s eyes burned. “What do you mean?”

“Well…they just wanted the horses, it seemed like. The bodyguard just knocked a couple of us off our horses, grabbed the reins, and then they went on. They didn’t even stop.” 

Gregory slammed his fist down on the small table in front of him. Xian cocked his head, considering this strange news. “He’s running away?” he mumbled to himself. 

Gregory snapped, “Of course he is. Their plan is to break through directly. There’s not a moment to lose; we have to intercept them!” 

Xian stood up, clumped over to the map, and tapped a spot on it. “We’re at an angle,” he said briefly. 

Gregory glared at him. “Your point?” 

“We won’t reach them.” He traced their line to where Derano Ridge stood. Then he traced the line from the ridge to the border. “If they go straight, they get there first.” 

“Then we’ll capture them in Iridalys.” Gregory stood up. “They’ll be exhausted by then, and they’ll have to slow down. Let’s get moving! Now!”

Kathryn was worried about Ren. He had dispatched the Vipers without any real difficulty, and he seemed to be doing all right except that his face was still hot and flushed. And as he rode, he was constantly shifting, trying to ease the discomfort in his shoulder. But they were making excellent time as they switched between horses. 

They ran across another group of five Protectors. As Kathryn had expected, one of them broke off from the group while the other four galloped towards Ren and Kathryn. 

The two of them urged their horses on faster. They were excellent riders, and they quickly started to leave their pursuers behind. 

One of the Vipers flung a dagger at Ren. Kathryn saw his hand move and cried, “Ren, look out!” 

He bent low over his horse’s neck to avoid the weapon. “Cowards!” he yelled back over his shoulder. He pulled his horse behind Kathryn’s so there was no risk of her getting hit by the daggers, but they were already out of range. “It’s working!” Ren called to her. 

Kathryn was a bit superstitious and didn’t feel he should have said that. After all, Xian might appear at any time. But to her surprise, they crossed the border an hour later without ever running into Xian. 

They slowed the horses down, and Ren remarked, “That went strangely well. To your friend’s place next, right?” 

“Yes. Hopefully, she’ll be willing to take us in.”

They were greeted outside by her petite, sparrow-like friend, a young lady of just 16 named Trista, who threw ceremony to the wind and ran to throw her arms around the princess. “Kathryn!” she exclaimed. “What’s happened to you? What are you wearing? Why is General Ren injured? What-”

Kathryn held up her hand to stop the flow of words. “We’ll talk later,” she said. “Right now, we need fresh horses, food, and water.” 

“Of course! Come along; my people will take care of your mounts.