Once I was certain the men were gone, I ventured out to get Lessie more food to prepare her for the long flight. Unwilling to go too far, I stuck to the edges of the woods, and eventually came back with three rabbits and two large red-and-blue feathered birds.

I thought Lessie would complain about the meager fare, but she ate it without complaint, then immediately settled down to snuggle with me. We sat there in the hall, enjoying the companionable silence, keeping our ears and minds alert as we waited for the sun to set.

Neither of us wanted to admit it, but we knew this could very well end up being the last time we ever saw each other.

When the last of the sun’s rays finally disappeared from the sky, I led Lessie out. Her wings were still dragging a bit, but they looked much better than they had yesterday. I hoped the splints would help the wings bear her weight.

“We don’t have to do this,” Lessie said for the umpteenth time, even as she flexed her wings. “We can try to stick this out together.”

“No,” I said gently. “We can’t.”

Lessie gave her wings a few experimental flaps, then leaped into the air. Relief mingled with sadness as I watched her do a few laps around the castle. A bit shaky, but far smoother than I expected.

She landed in front of me, and I put on a brave smile for her. “You’re good to go.”

Lessie curled her neck around me, and we hugged one last time. “Be careful, Zara,” she said. “I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to you.”

“I will,” I promised. After all, anything that happened to me, also happened to her. And I refused to let Lessie suffer for any reason.

As Lessie took off into the night, I briefly wished I had Tavarian’s magic so I could cloak her the way he did with Muza. But Lessie had plenty of experience with stealth flying, and so long as her wings held her up, she would be able to stay hidden in the sky.

I just hoped she had enough strength in her to make it across the channel.

Wiping away tears, I headed back inside for a few hours of sleep. But knowing those men were out there prevented me from being able to truly relax, and instead I ended up prepping for the trip. I stripped off my telltale riding leathers and hid both them and the crossbow in an old, musty crate I found in a storage chamber. Both items would give me away immediately, as well as my uniform tunic, but the shirt I wore beneath, combined with the pants, was fairly inconspicuous. Rummaging through my pack, I removed anything else that might identify me as an Elantian, including the coins in my money pouch. It was a shame to have to leave them behind, but they were stamped with the Elantian crest, so I couldn’t be caught carrying them. Luckily, I had three silvers that were worn out, and I did tuck those into one of my pockets. Hopefully, I’d be able to get a few warm meals out of them.

I repacked my bag, making sure my goggles and lock pick were tucked away safely. My knives were tucked into my boots and belt, and I strapped the dragon blade to my belt as well, shortening it so much that it looked more like a double-bladed knife than anything else.

And then I sat, and waited.

When the sun finally peeked her head over the horizon, I stood, more than ready to get on with the journey. Squaring my shoulders, I headed out, down the hill and through a winding path in the forest. My military-issue compass proved handy in telling me which way to go, and I quietly hummed a tune under my breath to try to keep my spirits up.

The forest seemed to go on forever—I knew from the brief scouting I’d done from one of the castle towers that the trees spread out for miles, almost as far as the eye could see. I didn’t think I would run across any troops, but just in case, I kept my senses open, including my treasure sense.

I managed eight miles before I had to stop and rest, my legs burning from the exertion. Resting underneath a large tree, I pulled out the remnants of the roasted rabbit from last night and ate, wishing that the hard ground beneath me was a soft bed I could lay my head on.

You’re getting soft, I scolded myself. Before coming to the dragon rider academy, I’d been well used to sleeping on the ground with only my bedroll to soften the dirt beneath me. While I did carry small, lightweight tents on my expeditions, I didn’t bring mattresses or pads since they were just unnecessary weight.

Now, though, I wasn’t looking forward to sleeping on the cold, hard ground. I missed my bed. I missed my dragon. Hell, I even missed Jallis, despite my anger at the way he’d treated me.

It could be way worse, I told myself. Lessie and I could have been killed by lightning. I could have fallen and suffered amnesia. Some soldiers could come upon me and string me up as a spy.

I winced at that last one, which was still likely to happen. I needed to get myself some less conspicuous clothing, something that would make me blend in with the natives. I was pretty sure Traggaran women didn’t wear trousers.

I allowed myself thirty minutes’ rest before pushing on. My treasure sense picked up items here and there, but aside from a small cache of coins I found buried beneath a tree root, most of the items were too large for me to carry.

The sun was high in the sky when I finally made it out of the woods, and I drew in a deep breath of fresh, clean air as I stepped into a meadow. Feeling far more optimistic about my chances of finding an inn for the night, I quickened my pace, ignoring the blisters forming on my heels.

It only took two more hours of walking before I spotted my first sign of civilization—an isolated farm. The sound of cows mooing and chickens clucking lifted my spirits. When I saw a blonde woman wearing a brown dress and white apron walking toward the house, carrying what looked like a pail of milk, it took everything I had not to run right up to her.

Instead, I approached at a casual pace, giving her a friendly smile. “Hello,” I said in Traggaran when the woman saw me, her eyes flying wide. “Can I trouble you for some help?”

The woman glanced around, seeming nervous, but I did my best to sound as non-threatening as possible as I conversed with her in broken Traggaran, hoping she wouldn’t pick up that I was Elantian. Eventually, we managed to come to an understanding, and she invited me into the house—in exchange for two of my silvers, she would sell me one of her dresses, and throw in a meal for free.

Grateful, I sat down at her table and scarfed down a meal of cheese, bread, and eggs while she fetched the dress. She came back down with a dark green outfit that, while a little baggy in the chest and hips, fit well enough. She offered me shoes, too, but I declined—my boots would be easier to conceal my knives in. For a third silver, she allowed me to sleep in the barn loft, and though I missed Lessie terribly, I eventually managed to drift off to the gentle sound of mooing cows below.

The next morning, I continued my journey, my spirits somewhat improved by the food and rest. Halfway through the day, I made it to the main road to the capital, wider and more worn than the road I’d previously traveled on. I had a lot more company, and I decided the extended dragon blade would draw too much attention.

Spying an oxcart loaded up with bales of hay, I ran up alongside it and held up a coin. The driver’s eyes glittered with suspicion, but using hand signals to communicate, I managed to convince him I was deaf and dumb and no threat to him. After a minute, he took the coin and allowed me to climb up into the cart and settle in amongst the hay.

Finally, I thought, stretching out my weary legs. I leaned my head back against one of the hay bales, ignoring the bits of dried grass poking into my neck as I tried to get some sleep. Reaching through the bond, I reassured myself that Lessie was still okay. I sensed that she’d made it back across the channel, though she was too far away to talk to. I missed her fiercely and sincerely hoped I’d find Tavarian so I could get back to her soon.

Why did Carvis have to be so stupid? I grumbled. If he hadn’t stubbornly insisted on flying into that storm, Lessie and I would be back at the camp. As far as I was concerned, military discipline was more of a hindrance than a help. Maybe it worked just fine for green recruits, but I was an experienced treasure hunter and I knew how to scout and canvas from my old thieving days. If I ever made it back to Elantia, I resolved never again to blindly follow orders, no matter who they came from. I refused to risk Lessie’s life again on the say-so of another dragon rider, even if he was higher ranked.

Eventually, I fell asleep, but it felt like only seconds before I was rudely awakened again by the sensation of someone’s fingers digging into my bicep. Opening my eyes, I expected to see the driver, but my mouth dropped open at the sight of a city guard, his eyes glittering with malice.

“Let me go!” I shrieked, kicking him in the stomach.

He stumbled back with a shout, and the carter, who was standing nearby, smirked. “See! I told you she was lying! She’s no mute. She’s an Elantian spy!”

“Shit!” I must have shouted in my native tongue when the guard grabbed me. Springing to my feet, I raced in the opposite direction, jumping on the backs of the oxen. They mooed loudly as I spring-boarded off their heads, grabbed the edge of an awning, and pulled myself up onto a thatched roof.

“After her!” someone shrieked, and I put on a burst of speed. My footsteps made no sound as I raced across the rooftops—if anyone was inside these buildings, they’d never know I was running above their heads. Unfortunately, it was still daylight, making me far too visible to those on the streets. All it would take was someone with good aim…

An arrow whizzed by my head, as if on cue, and I hissed as it cut my cheek. Swearing, I swung down from the roof, dropped into the street, and dashed into an alley. My breath sawed in my lungs as I zigged and zagged through the warren of streets, glancing over my shoulder constantly to see if I was still being followed. Eventually, I managed to lose the guards, but as a precaution I climbed another building and jimmied open the window so I could hide in the attic.

That was way too close.

Shaking my head, I leaned against one of the dusty boxes and cocked my ear, listening to the commotion outside. After that debacle, there was no way I was going to let my guard down enough to fall asleep. What had I been thinking? That asshole driver must have pegged me as a foreigner and turned me in. I had no idea which town I was in, but I hadn’t been traveling long enough to have reached the capital. I needed to get out of here and keep moving.

Rummaging through the attic boxes, I found an old, off-white cloth and wrapped it around my head, tucking my red curls under it to hide them. I had a feeling my hair had tipped off the carter—it wasn’t a common color. Once I was sure that my hair was properly covered, I waited until the hubbub outside died down, then quietly slipped out of the city and into the nearby fields.

I wonder if this was a giant mistake, I thought glumly as I trudged through the tall grass. My broken Traggaran and lack of knowledge were both giant handicaps in a place like this—it was going to be very hard to blend in, and even harder to find Tavarian in the capital once I was there without drawing attention to my foreignness. Perhaps it would have been safer to stay with Lessie until her wings were healed, then fly back across the channel together at the first opportunity.

But in my heart, I knew that wasn’t true. Those men would have returned with reinforcements, and Lessie and I would have been captured. It was far safer to send her back on her own. Besides, I couldn’t help but feel that returning to camp was a bad idea. What if my superior officer sent Lessie and me on another foolhardy mission, one that actually did get us killed? Surely if I could find Tavarian and explain what happened, he’d figure out a way to get us out of this situation so we could get back to tracking down the other pieces of the dragon god’s heart. Lessie and I didn’t belong in the military. We belonged with Tavarian.

The moment I thought the words, a sense of rightness clicked into place. I didn’t know how exactly, or why, but my gut told me that Lessie and I would do the most good at Tavarian’s side. Everything good that had happened in our lives was because of him.

I crested a hill, my mood lifting as I saw a small town up ahead. Glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, I dug the silver coins I’d found in the woods out of my pack and counted. I had enough here to feed myself for a couple of weeks, plus buy a better outfit. This peasant garb wasn’t going to cut it—peasants and farmers would be expected to know the local language, and I didn’t.

Heading into town, I stopped at a dressmaker and bought myself one of the pre-made dresses they had displayed in the shop. The clerk was a bit suspicious of me when I entered, but the moment I flashed my coin, he dropped his objections and was more than happy to serve me. I spoke to him in Zallabarian, and while his own grasp of the language wasn’t very good, we understood enough to make a transaction.

It took a while to find what I was looking for, but eventually I walked out in a smart-looking dark grey outfit that went well with my boots and made me look more like a businesswoman.

My next stop was the stagecoach office located in the center of town. “Excuse me,” I said in Zallabarian to the man standing outside a faded red coach. “I’d like to book passage to the capital.”

The man narrowed his eyes at me, and I got the distinct sensation that he didn’t like Zallabarians. Would I ever win? For a heart-stopping moment, I wondered if he wasn’t going to accept my money.

“Very well,” he finally said in Zallabarian, though he had a heavy Traggaran accent. He took my money, gave me a ticket, and stepped aside to allow me into the coach. The space was cramped, with at least ten people jammed inside, but I wasn’t about to complain. It was still better than busting my feet.

The heat from all the bodies in the coach made it difficult to stay awake, but I managed to keep my eyes open the entire nine-hour drive. By the time we arrived at the capital, my lower back was cramping, and my eyes felt heavy, like they were weighed down by anvils. But one whiff of the rank air forced me wide awake again.

"Lovely," I muttered under my breath as I looked around the cobblestone streets. The smell of horse manure mixed with human urine was extremely unappealing, and the drab buildings certainly didn't make a good impression either. Hopefully this stagecoach stop was in an impoverished part of the city.

“Hey, young lady!” a male voice called. “I think you lost something!”

I turned toward the voice, and two hands clamped around my upper arms. “Hey!” I cried as I struggled against the hold of two city guards, still speaking Zallabarian. These guards were much bigger and stronger than the ones I’d evaded earlier, and the glint in their eyes was downright mean. “Unhand me at once!”

The one on my left laughed, his lip curling back into a sneer. “It’s too late,” he said in Elantian, and my mouth dropped open in horror as I realized my mistake—he’d called out to me in my native language, and I’d responded. “Drop the act, missy—we know you’re a spy!”

“Stop! This is a mistake!” I shrieked as they dragged me to a prison wagon waiting nearby. I kicked and struggled, but I was no match for these men, and my weapons were too far away for me to reach. Stopping by the wagon, one of them wrenched my hands behind my back, and the other one patted me down, removing my weapons and gear.

“Pig,” I hissed as he squeezed my ass.

He slapped my face so hard, my lower lip split open. “Shut up, whore,” he spat as blood gushed down my chin. “You have no rights here.” The second guard ripped my pack from my back, then tied my hands and threw me in the back of the wagon. “Enjoy the ride,” he called in a mocking voice.

The wagon had no seats in the back, and smelled strongly of piss and shit. Eyes watering from the smell, I struggled to get myself upright, but the wagon lurched forward, slamming my head into the wall.

“Shit,” I swore as stars swam before my eyes. I tried to get a hold of myself, but my head was spinning, my skull throbbing. Instinctively, I shut my eyes against the pain, and was immediately dragged down into unconsciousness, away from reality.

I just hoped that when I woke up, I wouldn’t find a noose wrapped around my neck.