“Which is keeping us safe.”
“Exactly. In any case, if we press on and do not stop, I think we can make it there by nightfall.”
“What kind of retreat are we talking here?”
“It’s small. Not a proper city or even a town by any stretch, but rather a rather cozy place that people travel to enjoy a bit of respite from the hustle and bustle of their daily lives, at least for a short while.”
“Hang on. Are you saying we’re going to a spa?” she asked, perking up notably.
“Yes, but do not get too excited. We aren’t going there to use it.”
“Then why go?”
“Because we’re going there to secure a ride.”
“A ride? To where, exactly? And didn’t you say they would be monitoring travel?”
“Travel originating from the city at the time of your escape. Not from distant locations such as this. And as for where we are going, I am taking you to my home.”
“But isn’t that risky? I wouldn’t want to bring danger to your village.”
Considerate and brave. You’re quite a woman, Maria of Earth, he mused, appreciating her even more.
“Danger is always out there. To avoid risks for fear of whatmightoccur is not a life worth living. And besides, no one knowswhorescued you from your cell. So long as they are out on their wild Orakis chase, we will be safe.”
“Wild Orakis?”
“It is an expression on my world. To pursue a wild Orakis is a fool’s errand as they are near impossible to catch. And if you domanage it, they are quite ornery and will quickly make you regret your decision.”
Maria nodded. “Yup, just like back home. Wild goose chase.”
“Goose?”
“Yeah. Same concept. And they can be real assholes.”
“Just like an Orakis.”
“So it seems. But still, why take the risk? I don’t want to cause any problems.”
“You are not a problem, Maria. Anything but. And it is in my village that I can safely acquire something for you. Something you very much need.”
“Something Ineed? What might that be?” she asked, incredulously.
“Your runes.”
“But I have them already.”
“You do. But there’s an issue, and a rather pressing one. I didn’t wish to alarm you earlier, but your runes are incomplete.”
“They are?”
“Yes. Almost impossible to detect, but I saw clear as day. Your runes are lacking, and that is a violation of Dotharian law. Believe me, capture by the chancellor’s goons would be bad, but to be caught by Dotharians without completed runes? It would make the chancellor’s indenture seem like a vacation.”
And that’s not mentioning that they’d probably just execute her outright, he thought, wisely keeping that tidbit to himself.
Maria nodded then rolled her neck and shoulders like a prize fighter readying for an epic bout. “Well then, I guess we should get moving.”
“You are ready?”
