***
The forest was alive with the sound of a thousand creatures shifting in the darkness of the night. As Adaria walked through the woods with her cloak drawn about her, the fear sinking into her heart was almost crippling. But she kept walking anyway, the only thought in her mind about Nero’s safety.
Twice, her dress caught in some branches or twigs, and she panicked, thinking that someone had grabbed at her. But it always turned out to be nothing, and she pushed forward solemnly.
She could have sworn she saw someone moving between the trees about six different times. It seemed like a shadow of some sort, and whenever she tried to focus on it, the figure disappeared. She wished she was carrying a light, but she’d opted against it since the guards would be able to spot her easily if s
