Moonlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting eerie shadows across the forest floor as nine riders picked their way carefully along the overgrown path. Six days of fruitless searching had worn their spirits thin, each village yielding nothing but blank stares and fearful whispers when they inquired about a young woman traveling alone.
Naia shifted uncomfortably in her saddle, the wooden frame digging into her thighs despite the padding of her commoner's disguise. The rough-spun clothes itched against her skin, so unlike the fine fabrics she'd worn her entire life within palace walls. She glanced at her sister, noting how even in peasant's garb, Lyra maintained her regal bearing.
"I think we need to take the next step," Naia finally said, breaking the heavy silence that had settled over the group. "We've searched every village within a three-day ride of the border."
