They waited until darkness fell over them to depart, so none of the neighbors could see them leave. Sasha prayed her parents would not be back early, and that they would not realize she was gone until they were far enough away to be difficult to follow. 

There was every chance they'd send the dogs after her, or that they'd search for her themselves on horseback until the trail ran dry and the inn could not be left alone any longer. Her stomach twisted on itself as she hefted Driver's saddlebags onto his back while he danced around her like a leaf. She flicked his nose.

"Stop that."

He let out a snort and allowed her to tie the heavy packages to his simple leather saddle. She tied him to the post for a moment and wandered over to Rannok. His eyes were nearly as wide and white-rimmed as the horse he was eyeing.

"He's afraid of the horse," the crow said.

"He's old, he won't hurt you," she said. His hands were shaking so hard it was clear even in the dim moonlight. She grabbed onto the horse's reins, tossed them up over his neck, and shoved them into his hands.

"Put your foot in the stirrup and hoist yourself up. He probably won't move much."

She watched the adam's apple bob in his neck as he eyed the animal. Sasha stifled an irritated groan and grabbed it under the chin. The horse lifted its neck a little. Rannok's wings fluffed as he took a hurried step away.

"Do you need a leg up, too?"

"No," he grumbled, then grabbed onto both ends of the saddle, flapping his wings for balance a bit as he scrambled onto the animal's back. It let out a deep breath that echoed through its nostrils. Rannok gave a shout and curled his fingers tightly through its mane. 

Erean was already mounted and ready to go. He nodded at her, the whites of his eyes illuminated by the light outside the barn. She untied Driver, then snuffed it as she climbed on board. The world plunged into darkness. She gave her eyes a moment to adjust to the light while Driver pawed and danced atop the hard ground. She took a deep, easy breath to steady her heartbeat.

"Let's go," she said. She gave Driver a gentle squeeze. "Kick your horse to make it move, Rannok." She stepped out onto the trail and looked behind her. Rannok followed a few steps behind, the nervousness of his shadow clear even in the darkness. Behind them, she saw the faint outline of Erean, and the pack-pony tied to Patches' saddle behind that.

The trees quickly parted and gave way to a sea of grass that stretched just slightly below her eyes. He planted all four feet, took a quick step back, and she kicked him forward. He snorted and shook his head.

"It's just grass, there are no tigers," she breathed, though the beating of her heart didn't convince her. She was sure Driver could feel her nervous energy pulsating through her legs and down into the saddle. His sinew felt like powder-kegs beneath her, all nervous energy with no island of calm to save her, should he decide to run. She let a little loop of reins out, but he only raised his head higher.

She couldn't blame him. Not after what he'd been through. She shivered, then tried not to think of Damien. It had been three years now, since her brother died, and the first time since then she'd left home. She turned her head again. The grass enveloped them, disappearing them into a field of verdant green Sasha could just barely see over the top of.

She rustled in her pocket for a moment and pulled out the map. Something cold slid into her mind, and Sasha shook her head in an attempt to shake it off. A moment later, the crow landed quietly on her shoulder and chittered into her ear. A shiver ran down Sasha's spine.

"You are not leading us to the nesting grounds," it said.

"Not right away," Sasha replied. The air in her lungs got tight. She brushed her fingers over the smudged symbols, too tiny and faded for her to read in the low light. Sketched Vs stretched out in black ink toward the top of the map, marking a wide mountain range. Past it lay a circle with a picture of a crow. Sasha had never been past the first village on the map.

Before they reached the mountain, there would be at least a week of travel through the grass. If she was careful, and circled her tracks enough times, she could lose her scent in that of the animals and keep her parents from following before it gave way to a dense jungle. The thought made her breath catch in her throat.

"Perhaps you should not have lied," the crow said. Sasha tried to think of something else. To keep it from seeing what had happened, though somehow she knew it already knew. The crow hopped onto Driver's neck and pointed its undulating yellow eye at her.

"We do not have time to dawdle."

"I don't have time for my parents to follow us," she said, careful to keep her voice low so the party behind her would not hear. She spurred Driver into a trot. Rannok gave a shout from somewhere behind them. She winced, but kept going anyway. Driver made mincing steps, like that of a sewing needle, pounding his feet into the hard earth in a rhythm that made her worried he would run off with her.

"I will alert the others if you steer us wrong," it said, before it took off from her shoulder and flew off back to Rannok. Sasha's stomach gave another twist. She ignored it and drove the horse forward. Over the tops of the grass she could see nothing, but for their fronds waving in the night. The stars above her shone bright as beacons, the light from them nearly enough to read by.

"This way," she shouted, as she dragged her finger across the sky. East was not the direction of the mountains, but it was the direction of a wide, shallow river they could cross to help cover their scent. Driver gave another snort and surged forward. She held him back with one hand as she stuffed the map back into her pocket.

There would be a lot less worry, once they crossed. If she thought Driver would tolerate it, she'd lead him up the river a few miles until their scent faded into the wind and the dogs could not follow. But she knew Driver would not allow them to walk the river. She knew she'd have to fight with him to cross. That if she was not careful, they would not get across at all.

She shook her head to clear it and kept him moving forward. The more distance they could make before daybreak, the better. She would prove to her parents that she was smart and capable and not the barmaid they'd tried so hard to force her to be. She would prove she was not her brother.