Protector: Book 1 *NEW DRAFT*

Chapter 8

Jade paid the ferryman. She was sad give up the gold, but it had been her only option of escape. She rode hard, fear bit at her heels, driving her away. If Lewis crossed and followed after her she would need as much of a head start as possible. She wasn't sure if he would actually come after her or not, but she wouldn't stop to find out.

A few hours into the night Jade stopped to rest and let Chance have a drink of water. Jade was on the wrong side of the river now when she needed to be heading west. Seeing Lewis and his Guardian had sent a child down her spine and unhinged her nerves. Gregor had been right, things were different. If Lewis had come so far to find her, then there could be others after her as well.

Everything Jade thought she knew was wrong. As soon as Chance had enough water in her stomach Jade mounted and took off again. Jade kept a fast but maintainable pace. She knew it would be pointless to run Chance into the ground, she needed to be steady and smart.

Every few minutes Jade glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see Dust or Lewis rounding a bend behind her. Fear kept her going until sunrise the next morning. When the light pierced the sky and lightened her surroundings her fear slowly dissipated with the night, along with her energy.

"I don't know about you," she said to Chance. "But I'm exhausted."

She stopped to examine her surroundings. They were well into the Caxil province now. The mountains were visible again in the east. If Jade could reach them within a half day of riding. Jade decided to dismount and walk for a time, it would help wake her mind and give Chance a small break.

The mare nudged Jade's shoulders gently when she stepped in front to lead the way. "I'm not sure where to go," Jade admitted to the mare. "If Lewis is out there then I have to assume there will be others. If I head west I don't doubt that they will be watching the main roads. If I head east we will be back at Felkor where I started. If I go south it will take months to get to the Capital and by then I'd be out of money or luck. I could turn around and try to backtrack to the river, but if Lewis is behind us then Dust will surely pick up our scent and we would travel much slower off the road. Or Lewis might assume I'd try that and still be waiting for me on the other side of the river."

Jade knew that Chance would have no opinions. But, it helped Jade to voice her trouble and thoughts out loud. Chance was a good listener and talking helped keep Jade awake. "Eventually we'll need to rest," she added. "We both can't last at this pace and we need to have our wits about us if we come across any more Protectors."

Going over her options, Jade realized she didn't have many. She could start a fire and use the cooled ash and charcoal to conceal the mare's coat temporarily but that would only help if she wasn't stopped. Anyone traveling alone would be carefully watched by any Protector, even if Jade wore her cloak and concealed her face. She knew her best option would be to find traveling companions or a caravan to join, but who could she trust? Jade knew that answer immediately; no one. She could just as easily be traveling with murderers and thieves than honest men and women.

She had no allies in this world and no friends. "We need to rest first," she decided. "I'll think better with a few hours of sleep." Jade hadn't expected life on the road to be so tiring and stressful, but after fleeing Felkor and being in the saddle for days she was noticing the wear on her body. Both mentally and physically, each day was a new challenge, and each just as exhausting.

I was trained for this. She reminded herself. This is what I was prepared for.

They walked for another hour until Jade found a spot off the road to sleep. Surrounded by trees and far enough off the road to not be visible Jade finally took a breath. She took off Chances saddle and bridle so the mare could graze. She wouldn't go far since she was trained to remain close. Jade leaned against the saddle, using it as a makeshift pillow and then closed her eyes. She planned on sleeping for only a couple of hours, just enough to reset her mind and feel slightly refreshed.