320 The Border

The group broke camp shortly after Arran had rescued the farmer's son. Although the boy's disappearance and retrieval had caused some consternation, there was no time to discuss the matter at length — not with the border of the Imperium fast approaching.

As the captain had made clear, the guards would accompany them for another day before turning back. And only after that would the group's members discover whether their decision to leave the borderlands had been the right one.

While nobody said it outright, Arran could tell that there had been a subtle change in his fellow travelers' mood. They weren't quite as eager to continue as they had been before, as if the boy's brief misadventure was suddenly causing them second thoughts.