‘So might the delay,’ was the reply.
‘I can’t risk it,’ Ryllans said. ‘We’ll have to travel slowly. But if we can’t get to the city quickly, we’ll have to bring the city to us.’ Without further delay he selected three men to travel to Serenstad as fast as possible, with instructions to return with the Duke’s physician, Drayner, and a suitable vehicle for transporting Arwain.
As the men galloped into the distance, Arwain was carefully lifted back into the saddle and the platoon moved off again, leaving a further three men to act as rearguard in the event of pursuit from Whendrak.
Ryllans grimaced as he mounted up behind Arwain to give him as much support as possible. Nothing he had done could have avoided the injury, but...
He let the self-reproach go, it served no useful purpose. Never
