16
Two days later, Tarkyn, Jackson, Stefan and Sheldrake rode out early from Batian House towards the Great Forest. Maud had insisted they wait long enough to ensure that no panic-stricken messages were being sent home from the palace.
Jackson rode a strong but well-mannered chestnut gelding who had been named Bosco for reasons no one could remember. Stefan was riding Slinky, a tall, narrow-backed mare whose ebony coat gleamed in the sunlight, while Tarkyn had been mounted on the frisky young Clydesdale, Flurry. Even though her main work would be as a plough horse, Beth thought Flurry was best suited to Tarkyn’s weight and wanted her to get used to being ridden. She had been training her as a saddle horse around the farm, with Jon in mind as her rider, but this was Flurry’s first foray f
