**OLD DRAFT**Sworn: Book 2 of Protectors**OLD DRAFT**

Chapter 15

In the morning a small group accompanied Reiner to the Felkorian border. Thatcher sat on his horse in the front and Charles and Reiner rode side by side behind with Hamlin behind them, four guards brought up the flank. Four Protectors and one elder crossed over the bridge to greet them.

The elder was Nemroy and Jade, who was watching from the cover of the bordering trees, took a sharp breath. She had not seen her uncle since the day he had slapped her in the courtyard after her confrontation with Hevic. Her heart twisted at the sight of him. He had grown out his beard and his hair was longer than she remembered. His eyes scanned the woods as if looking for Jade and then locked on Thatcher at the front.

Jade couldn't hear what was spoken but after a few words Reiner moved up and spoke with Nemroy. Hamlin was then motioned forward and more words were exchanged. Jade could tell that Nemroy wasn't happy about Hamlin being admitted but eventually Thatcher must have convinced him because Reiner gave orders for the others to remain behind. Jade watched the four Protectors move behind Reiner and Hamlin and escort them over the bridge and across the border.

Jade stood in the cover of the woods until she lost sight of them and then backtracked to where she left Chance. "Everything all right?" Merek asked when Jade arrived. He was sitting on his horse and Jade pulled herself up into the saddle.

"Thatcher pulled through on his end. Hamlin is across with Reiner," she nodded and gathered the reins in her hands.

"So onto the next part of the plan?" Merek asked.

"Yes," Jade nodded. "Are you ready to ride?" she asked.

He smiled at Jade. "Always," he nodded.

"Good," Jade smiled back and she squeezed her knees against Chances side.

They rode hard through the day, stopping only to allow the horses to drink. Jade didn't see much of Phantom, he ran ahead of them and kept his nose to the earth for any signs of trouble. They rode east and followed the river until they reached the border of Striash where the next river crossing was. Merek showed the papers to the bridge man and they let them cross without paying the fine.

Once over the river they turned north and tracked along the base of the Felkorian border, the mountains rose sharply to their right as they rode. Finally, late in the night when the horses were spent and their riders were tired they stopped and made camp. Merek tended to the horses and Jade started a small fire. Already she could feel the cool breeze that drifted from the north, the smell and feeling was familiar.

"So the Felkorian forest is just over these mountains?" Merek asked when he finished with the horses.

Jade nodded and looked over her shoulder through the trees. The mountains were steep and tall, as though a giant and placed his hand in the earth below and pushed the ground toward the sky. It was a treacherous journey for any outsiders who were bold enough to try to cross into Felkor. Very few had ever successfully made the journey, and of those who did the rangers let the wolves take care of them.

However, Jade was not an outsider, she was a Felkorian. She knew the safest way in and out of the mountains. It was guarded by rangers but with Phantoms help she knew she had a chance to make it across undetected. The pass would be too dangerous for Chance, so Merek would take her back to camp.

If Jade was successful, Hamlin would meet her at her families old estate in two days and he would send word back to Merek to pick Jade up at the mountain pass. If she wasn't, well it wouldn't matter. Jade would either be dead or captured and she wouldn't need Chance either way.