I quickly pivot and, from my position in the trees, release. The guard’s body stiffens, and his sword topples to the ground. As he falls backward, the arrow impales itself deeper into his neck and pierces the front of his throat. Lin half turns to see who almost claimed him and then sends a fast smile towards the trees.

Torrent is a madman, running and flourishing his sword with such a fervent desire to inflict damage that I can’t follow its motion. He drives his shoulders into the guards who dare stand in his way and knocks them to the ground one after the other.

One coward unties the horses and hoists himself atop one to flee. Before I can even pinch another arrow from my quiver, a hatchet spirals through the wind and catches the man just beneath his helmet. He slumps to the right, then slowly falls from the steed. As the animal runs away in fright, Lorna races onto the road, retrieves her weapon, and wipes its bloody blade against her trousers.

I quickly take out a few more scrambling buffoons, making sure not to take my eyes off the carriage for too long. I know she’s inside, terrified for her life, as she watches her protectors fall one by one.

Lorna continues to fling her hatchet with deadly precision at the men who dare approach her. Torrent’s face is splattered with crimson victory, and I see him work to release the remaining horse from its harness.

Typical. Torrent, the great hulk of rage and death, with the blood of his enemies dripping from his sword, freeing an animal caught in our mayhem. He always does this and, when questioned, only shrugs. “Why should they suffer for the sins of their riders?”

The fight continues until there are only dead guards piled on the road. No—one is wounded; he’s the only one left alive. Verdanian defenses are still good for nothing, I notice. He throws off his helmet and clings to the side of the carriage.

“Mercy! Please, have mercy on me! Take the girl! Take her!” he shouts.

I shake my head. Pathetic.

Lin approaches the miscreant with his bow strung and ready. The lone survivor trembles and falls to the ground. “I beg you. Let me live! Let me live!”

“Silence,” Lin commands. “It’s sad enough that you’re willing to betray your king and country by giving up your princess so easily, but to grovel for your life is an embarrassment too pitiable for even a thief to witness.”

The guard now sobs, his eyes squeeze shut. “I just want to live. Please… Please.”

Lin signals to Torrent, who grabs the man by the breastplate and hauls him to his feet.

“Consider this your lucky day, halfwit,” Torrent says. “We need a message returned to your king, and it just so happens that none of us are willing to travel to that rocky hells hole you call home to give it to him.”

“Yes, yes! I will deliver your message. Anything! Whatever you want!”