Shadows of Iraedes | NanoWrimo 2021

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE CHASE

Outside he could see across the way was the entrance to what looked like the town's market area. He crossed the street, having only to weave around a handful of people and then entered the long isle created for the main center of the market.

He listened to the conversations as he stopped at stalls and wandered into homemade shops, but nothing stuck out to him that made mention of Aurora or Gharet. There was already a bubble spreading about him entering town and there were already rumors popping up of what his intentions were with the town; if he was changing anything, or if he was moving to the town and how that would affect the people.

"The William's family, their eldest daughter was finally married off..." one pair was talking about.

"Oh, my, it must have been a swamp hare," another said.

"Last week I almost tripped over..." a third said.

He shook his head with disappointment as nothing but local gossip seemed to really be the talk of the day. Though he did see some rather interesting things in the market, it seemed to have been a flop. He didn't hear or see any sign of Aurora or Gharet being in the town's area.

Two days went by with the same lack of results, but then on the third day he'd spent in town something did happen.

He walked slowly, this time he was just making another circle around the town. The day before he had seen a group of people dressed in normal, everyday clothing, but mixed in the group were a few of the holy sankts. They were easy to identify with their white robes. He wasn't sure if it meant something had happened, or if he was even in the right place. He couldn't be too sure they even knew if Aurora and Gharet were in the area after having been there a couple days with nothing being heard or seen of them.

He patted Lady's neck. He'd chosen to take her out, let her stretch her legs and from his higher position on her back he could see a little more than when he was only walking on his own feet.

Evander stopped. He could feel himself hunching over from the disappointment he might have lost Aurora when he saw movement that struck him as odd.

Someone darted between two buildings, but it was the way they were running that made it stick out.

He nudged Lady forward and she slipped into an easy canter, bringing him around the corner quickly and he was happy he had moved when he did. Down the new street he spotted a familiar figure. A stocky, shorter man with short dark hair and when he turned Evander saw the same light brown eyes and tired face of Gharet.

But Gharet had also spotted Evander locking eyes with him, and for a second nothing stirred but a quick wind.

Then Gharet bolted. He turned and squeezed into a narrow space between two houses. Evander snapped the reins and Lady threw herself into the charge. She sprinted down the street and easily maneuvered into the narrow space. She wasn't a war horse and could easily fit in areas where humans walked.

Her hooves pounded the ground throwing up dirt and rocks. They turned down another alley and it opened into another street. For a moment a strike of fear passed through him that he had lost Gharet but he caught sight of him just in time as he was crossing the street passing a group. It was his shove to one of the people in the huddle that had caught Evander's attention and he drove Lady across the street and they whipped past the group of three townspeople.

He hurried after Gharet not wanting to lose sight of him. Lady wasn't even breathing hard, so he pushed her a bit faster. She complied with immediate reaction. They followed Gharet through a winding set of streets when he came to a corner and slowed Lady. He wanted Gharet to believe he'd lost Evander, that way he'd lead him right to Aurora.