"Carla," I whispered her name with a gasp, disbelief still engulfing me as I squeezed her shoulders.
I rubbed a strand of her hair between my fingers as if touching it was the only way to ensure myself that it was real. The woman laughed at my confusion.
“How did you get back here?” I asked, still holding her tight, afraid she might fly away.
"Some very nice carriage drivers, a ton of walking, and a hell of a lot of luck,” she added the last part with a wink.
I laughed at her response and held her hands in mine. Tears welled in my eyes, “We thought,” I paused, “we thought you were dead, that the King had taken you.”
Carla waved a hand as if to dismiss my ridiculous question, "They let me go, Janice,” she frowned, “after Beth died. It was just up to me to get back to town alive. I bet
