“Who goes there?” Anik called out. He held his sword casually at his side, slowly stepping towards the narrow trail. Ren heard a soft command from the wagon driver as he slowed the horses. Ren stayed where he was.

“This is a bad idea,” Niklas whispered. “We should have stayed hidden. He's trying to get us killed.”

Ren hushed him.

Stopping beside the wagon, Anik tilted his head back and spoke to the driver too quietly for Ren to hear. After a short exchange of words, Anik turned around and sheathed his sword.

“They're going our way. We can hitch a ride,” Anik said when he reached them.

“No way.” Niklas shook his head vehemently.

Anik raised an eyebrow and turned to Ren. “Do you want to walk for half a day through the woods in your condition?”

Ren hesitated. So far, Anik hadn't been wrong about anything.

“We don't know who they are. They could be murderers,” Niklas argued, voice tense.

“Right. Murderers travelling through the woods with a kid and four bags of grain,” Anik replied, rolling his eyes.

“Let's do it,” Ren decided. “Anik is right. Berin said Skarlan soldiers are riding for Stag's Run. We won't make it in time if we're on foot.”

Niklas opened his mouth to argue, but Ren was already grabbing their bags and passing one to Anik. Anik took the strap of the other bag as well and Ren let go without protest. His muscles felt like pudding.

However ominous a ride in a strange wagon in the middle of the night seemed, it was a risk they had to take. Nothing was more important than getting to Stag's Run. They had to help Lord Tyke reclaim the throne. They had to get Thais away from King Halvard.

The wagon driver nodded in greeting as they approached and Ren worried for a moment that he would ask for some kind of compensation they wouldn't be able to provide, but the man stayed silent. Anik hopped onto the wagon and reached down to help Ren up. Ren didn't miss the glare Niklas sent the Lowlander or the way he hurried to seat himself next to Anik on the bench so Ren had to take the end seat. Hopefully once they reached Stag's Run, Niklas and Anik could get out of each other's way.

On opposite sides of the wagon on the end closest to the driver sat two men. The one next to Anik was hidden from Ren's view, but the other was maybe thirty and had fiery ginger hair. In front of Ren sat a young women and a boy of maybe ten. Ren offered the woman a smile and gave the boy a wave. He waved back. Anik had been right; these people didn't look anything like murderers.