The Lonely Road

To Astra's relief, she met nobody on the road. Robbers were a concern, but she was most worried about the sound of horses from her rear. This would confirm that her escape had been found out and that Gilder's agents were looking for her. If she could just stay ahead of them, she might appear to be just another traveller.

The horse did not disappoint her. Her progress was steady, and the speed of Folly was as fast as she could safely go, although she would not be able to outrun a post horse. Behind her, a light purple patch could be seen on the horizon, although the stars were still out. It would be daylight in an hour or so.

Astra's main fear was that she would be stopped. Being a woman in a guardsman's uniform would be impossible to explain. In order to keep her balance, she was crouching low on Folly, and those she passed on the road would have trouble getting a good look at her.

Even with these worries, she was enjoying her freedom.

As the sun rose in the east, Astra noticed that the road was now bearing toward the north, and that she could now see a little white stone with a number was on the side of the road. She could not read that number that was on it, however. She was groggy, and her uniform was sticking uncomfortably on her skin, as the morning dew in the warm, humid air started to form droplets on the grass and leaves. Her mind was drifting, as her body tried to get her to sleep. She slapped her arm gently to stay awake. She needed to put as much distance between her and the Palace as possible to have any chance of escape.

Time passed, and she now passed the next marker - number "14". Off the road, there was a small cottage with a window, and a couple of barrels in front of it. She could not see anybody, though. This cottage was perhaps a stable for the post horses. This road appeared to cut through farmland - a lucky break for Astra. Folly had chosen a path away from any large towns.

More time passed. There appeared to be a little village near marker "15".* There were some people here, but most were engaged in their own business. She remembered a child waving from the roadside, and she waved back. Nobody else seemed to take note of her, however. After passing the marker, she had noticed a few dirt trails that wound through fields of grass, but she had not seen any intersection with another major road. The day promised to be clear, windless, and hot. All of Astra's thoughts were focussed on one object - just stay awake, and go as far as the horse will go. Falling asleep on Folly would end her journey and probably her life.

More time passed. How long was it? She thought that she had seen marker 16, but she could not be sure. She could see her shadow on the road, in front of her. The road must have turned west again, somewhere. To her horror, Astra knew that she had been staring at the road for some time, but had no idea of where she was, or who, if anyone, had seen her. She had nearly fallen asleep. She had still not met with any traffic coming from behind, thank goodness. Nor did she remember meeting any traffic going into the city, although it was possible that she simply had not noticed it. She now looked up, and thought she saw a man on a team of horses in a distant field of corn, but he was too far away to get a good look at her. She whispered into the horse's ear, softly, "Folly, I don't think that I can hold out much longer. I need some rest." And I will need some water after a short time. She tugged on the reins gently.

* The markers are one Hespan league (3 mi or 5 km) apart.

1. The horse slowed its pace, and drifted off the main road.
2. The horse kept on going, not breaking pace.

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