As it turned out, there were no other causes for concern by the time Roen, Niassa, and the garrison knights returned. But the news that they had lost the prince’s murderers was not well received.
Without the information they’d hoped to gain, the Duke of Mairn and the Duke of Alraa continued their series of hushed conversations with the Lord of Orett about what they should do next. Sometimes they included Niassa and Roen or various other knights. Other times, they insisted on meeting alone for hours at a time.
It was some days later during one of these secret meetings that the nameless captain of Mairn told Roen it was time for his instruction. Roen started the riding lesson eager to learn from the skilled Kaythen, but it did not progress smoothly.
“No, you must trust your steed. You onl
