Chapter 51

Four hours passed slowly, and by now, a light drizzle was falling from the sky, painting the land in a cold, silvery mist. The forest around us was cloaked in muted greys and deep greens, the leaves swaying as water slid off their leaves.

Queen was still strong. Her hooves struck the wet earth firmly and steadily, her breath smooth despite the rough terrain — which was worse than I had initially thought.

One of the Gammas nearly got tossed off his horse due to it.

By now, the other horses were already panting and growing sluggish, noticeably falling behind that I almost couldn't sense them.

After thinking for a moment, I finally glanced at the men who were some distance away. “Let’s pause for an hour so the horses can catch up.”

They nodded, obliging, and we chose to rest beneath a large tree.

At that moment, a part of me couldn’t help but think – maybe I should explore alone. The others could catch up later.

And the more I thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

I glanced a