Still, they pressed on, hoping to elude the rider. Why the Empress would only send one after them was beyond him, but --
"Jules!"
JULES!
He heard the cry on the air and in his head simultaneously. Without checking behind him he pulled on the reins hard. Suki came to a sharp stop from her gallop and reared back on her hind legs, landing hard. He pulled again and she turned slowly, but refused to go any further when she stood sideways on the road, a wall of horseflesh preventing passage. "Suki!" he scolded, wanting to ride to meet the woman he could see clearly now, a petite figure with red hair bouncing as she galloped up on her dark brown mare. Suki regarded him out of one eye, glaring, snorted, and looked away.
It wasn't necessary to meet Ghia halfway in another second. She rode up ne
