Su Wan's tracker found the trail an hour later, and Wei Liang was moving before she finished her sentence.
"Hoofprints, heading east," the tracker said, pointing. "Fast group, maybe eight riders."
"That matches who took her," Garrow said, already checking his blade.
Xu's voice came sharp inside Wei Liang's head. "East leads toward the border hills. Bad ground for us. Good ground for them if they want to disappear."
"Then we don't let them get there," Wei Liang said.
They rode hard, following the trail through thinning forest and rocky slopes, the group pushing horses close to their limit. Feng Yao rode close beside Wei Liang, face tight with worry.
"If they hurt her before we catch up," Feng Yao said, "we lose whatever she was about to tell you."
"I know," Wei Liang said grimly.
Th
