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Very early the next morning, as soon as they had breakfasted, Sheldrake, mounted on Maud, left in company with their family’s coach containing Jon, Sasha, and Jayhan.
An hour and a half later the Vine family coach, with Marjorie at the reins and Stefan by her side, trundled to a stop five hundred yards to the west of the Vine Inn. Stefan surveyed the road carefully in both directions before sending a mindmessage through to the woodfolk that the coast was clear for them to come out onto the road and board the coach. Jackson dismounted from Bosco and tied him to the rear of the coach with the other three horses, before opening the nearside door in preparation.
Rainstorm was the first to break cover, but even he looked a little strained. His head appeared between two sheafs of long gras
