Irenya felt her stomach lurch. ‘I thought so. Toward Ilketh?’
He shook his head. ‘They are retreating into Mardak, toward Kalis. This is unforeseen. I cannot imagine what it forecasts.’
Irenya pressed a hand over her chest to subdue her runaway heartbeat. ‘Well, that’s good news. There was so much activity I could make out little of the details, and certainly not one woman.’
‘I thought not,’ said Tysin. ‘There is no doubt of their direction; the line of people is moving to the north-east. As a hostage, Jilali would most likely be taken to Kalis. We dare not follow them. The best we can do is to bring these tidings to the archprince as quickly as we may.’
Before the sun rose to its zenith, Irenya and Tysin were beginning their fleetrun over the horse farms of Elphinvale, heading home to
