39
The morning was cool and sunny, a day to make the spirit soar. Leaves high in the eucalypts twinkled in the sunlight, the sky above them a strong blue.
Marjorie wheeled the carriage carefully so that jolting to the occupants was minimal, then set off eastward at a trot for the first leg. Half an hour later, Jackson alerted them to a horse and rider, approaching fast. Stefan sent a mindmessage for the woodfolk to draw the curtains. As he drew closer, Stefan and Marjorie recognized the rider as a messenger who stopped regularly at the Creeping Vine for ale, food, and a change of horses. Breathing a sigh of relief, they gave him a cheery wave as he passed and let the woodfolk know they could relax.
After another half hour, Marjorie slowed the horses to a walk for a mile or two, knowing
