“We're heading to Teu. It's a small trading town a day's ride from here. Get out of my way,” Ren said, trying to nudge his horse forward. Anik didn't budge.

“They'll chase us down.”

“I know.”

“Do you even have a plan?” Anik pushed.

“We don't have time to argue,” Ren said, leaning forward to snatch the reins of Anik's horse, but Anik swiftly moved the mare sideways and out of Ren's range. Anik's grip was loose on his reins, but the horse seemed attentive to his every command. So he could ride a horse and juggle knives. Ren still wasn't impressed.

“Excuse me if I don't want to die,” Anik persisted.

Ren sighed, struggling to push down the frustration rising inside him. Lowlanders really made terrible slaves. When he spoke, his voice was hard. “I don't care what you want and don't want. You're my slave and you have to do what I say.”

Anik's expression hardened. His entire body stiffened. He looked like he was seconds from punching Ren in the face and Ren instinctively tensed.

“Move,” Ren said again.

Anik's jaw worked, but he turned his horse back alongside Ren's.

“Because you saved my life, I'll follow you to Teu and no further, skahli,” Anik said, and nudged his horse into a trot without waiting for Ren.

“That's ‘Prince Ren' to you,” Ren shouted, hurrying after him.

* * *

A slow-moving river wound its way through the small country town of Teu, with snow-capped mountains as a backdrop against the blue sky. It was a wealthy little town, benefiting from being so close to Frayne's capital city of Aleria, with countless large houses and several fields full of fat cows and fluffy sheep.

A herd of goats crossed their path as Ren and Anik rode into the town. Ren pulled up the hood of his jacket. This close to Aleria, the danger of getting recognized was high, even if no one here yet knew what had transpired in the capital and people weren't on the lookout for a runaway bastard prince. It was better to be safe than sorry. The people they passed barely spared them a glance. Travellers came through here often, going to and from the capital.

The sun touched down on the peak of a far mountain as they tied their horses in front of the inn and went inside. None of the patrons took any note of them as they stepped up to the counter, but Ren still ordered dinner up to their room as he paid for their beds for the night.

Anik hadn't spoken a single word to him since their confrontation on the road. When the innkeeper passed Ren the key, Anik pointed to the map that hung on the wall next to the window. “How much for that?”