The forest swallowed them whole.
Ennu's arms burned as she gripped the reins tighter, the horse beneath her straining with the added weight. Gabriel's body was slumped against her back, held in place by Adan riding behind them, one arm locked around the former Paladin's chest to keep him from sliding off.
Blood soaked through her cloak.
She could feel it, warm and wet, seeping into the fabric as Gabriel's head lolled against her shoulder. His breathing came in shallow, broken gasps that she could barely hear over the pounding of hooves.
"Keep moving!" Tess shouted from ahead, her horse crashing through the undergrowth as branches whipped past.
The treeline they'd escaped through was gone.
