Caspian swore and called to a stable hand, “Bring my horse,” as he ran toward the house to get his coat and sword.
Kellan followed him into the courtyard as Caspian checked his horse’s saddle. “Where are you going?”
“Sophia never came home last night,” Caspian said shortly as he adjusted the girth. “I should have gone after her last night. I’m going to make sure she’s not in town, and then I’m going to look for her.”
“She probably just spent the night with a friend,” his brother began, but Caspian shook his head.
“She ran away from her old household because the lady was cruel and mistreated her. She knew there was a chance they would come after her. I’m willing to bet that she was taken, and I need to get her back. I should have followed her yesterday, and I didn’t, and that’s my fault.”
Kellan clapped his hand on Caspian’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault. Let me get some men together.”
Caspian shook his head. “I’m not waiting.”
Kellan frowned. “We’ll catch up.”
Caspian nodded. “Don’t take long.”
Before he could swing up on his horse, Cook hurried out of the kitchen with a bundle of food.
“Are you going after her?” she asked.
Caspian nodded.
“Take this,” Cook said. “We hope you find her.”
Caspian put the food in his saddlebags, mounted his horse, and rode hard to town.
He came to a stop outside of the café and looped the reins around a post before rushing inside.
Thea looked up at him, and her eyes widened when she saw his face. She shook her head. “She’s not here.” Fear tinged her voice. “And last night, I remembered that a week or so ago, there was a stranger in town, and she was in the café that day.”
Caspian cursed again. “I’m going after her,” he said. “If anyone wants to follow, they can. I’m assuming they’re taking her to Riyel.”
Thea didn’t ask questions, but she nodded.
He had to get to Sophia before they got her to the city.
Caspian ran back to his horse, and they flew past the edge of town, headed south. He’d only been riding for a couple of hours when he saw signs of a camp, including still warm embers.
It had to be them. The road to the Northlands wasn’t well traveled, and he hadn’t noticed any newcomers in town last night or passed anyone on his journey yet.
It was an odd place to stop, though. They’d be to the inn that marked the halfway point long before nightfall.
Unless they rode long past dusk, they’d have to stop another night and he would be able to catch up to them.
The tracks diverged off the main path after the camp and he followed them.
There was no way to know what he was riding toward, but the fire had been large, larger than one would expect for two men, and there were wheel tracks for more than one vehicle.
Had Lady Manning come herself to track down Sophia?
What would have caused Lady Manning to come to find Sophia herself?
There was no reason for a lady to leave her household to chase after a servant who had left. Servants left all the time for whatever reasons they had.
There had to be some deeper meaning for her mistreatment and pursuit of Sophia. But what was the reason? Why was she putting so much energy into one girl?
What did Sophia know that Lady Manning didn’t want anyone else to know?
