The Mountain King walked a step ahead of Ida. They needed horses. The breeze coming in from the sea chased some of the humidity from the day. King Hermon wasn’t used to it. While winters in the Rames could be brutal, leaving roads impassable, fall was more mild and refreshing. He could handle the walk, but not the unseasonable heat.
They were forced to bring the Voyagers with them. With most of his men from The Shadow either dead, mortally wounded, or severely injured, he was left with little choice. They left Mercer, the Voyager carpenter, with the ship. He had been commanded through sorcery to protect the boat with his life.
The ShadowIda maintained her control over the Voyagers who followed behind them. They’d been instructed to protect the king with their lives. Hermon saw in their f
