Dame Sara Illou, Knight of the Land, led her mare along the main road northwards. It was fairly busy, although she had seen it busier. The trading season was coming to a close as it would soon grow too cold in the northern reaches where Eriport lay for much travel.
Towns and villages passed her by as she travelled. She knew that Snowglide could make the journey in two days, especially as she had left early in the morning, but she still had no time to lose. The woman she was looking for might be in serious trouble and she could not afford to be slow.
As the day stretched into afternoon the air grew cooler and soon she had come across a crossroads. A major road running from east to west met the northwards road here and a large town had sprung up at the junction. That wasn't unusual - many towns grew from trade routes just such as this one.
It was then that Sara spotted the carriage turning onto the road she was travelling on up ahead. It had come from the east but was now heading in the same direction as her, and it was not travelling slowly. One figure on horseback seemed to accompany it.
Slowly, Snowglide caught up with the carriage until she was no more than a hundred feet behind. It was then that the rider spotted her and motioned to the driver of the carriage. It slowed down and Sara quickly caught up.
"Lo there," said the rider, and Sara couldn't resist but look him up and down.
He was a very attractive man, and her loins instantly throbbed at the sight of him. It had been hours since Luke had stuffed her full of his cock and she already ached for release again.
The rider was muscular and well-set, and she could tell from the way he was sitting that he possessed a strong and toned body. His brown eyes and brown hair both complemented his strikingly attractive face and even on horseback she could tell he was tall, probably about 6'4" by her reckoning. He appeared to be in his late-twenties.
She shook her head then to clear the lustful fog that had descended, and responded. "Good afternoon, sir. I am Dara Sara Illou, Knight of the Land. I am travelling northwards."
"Greetings, Dame Sara Illou. I am honoured to meet a knight on these roads. I am Dayron, and I am the escort for Mr and Mrs Hatthe, traders of exotic goods," the rider responded, gesturing to two figures who smiled at Sara from the carriage.
Dayron guided his horse out of the way so that Sara could approach the carriage. She bowed and they bowed back.
"Dame Knight," the man said when the formalities were out of the way. "We are heading northwards to Eriport. Does your destination lie on that path?"
Sara nodded. "It does indeed, good sir. I am also heading to Eriport. Perhaps we can accompany one another on the journey? It is always better to travel in numbers."
They heartily agreed and soon they were underway once more. Mr and Mrs Hatthe kept to themselves mostly, Sara realised, although they did not do so in an unpleasant way. Sara did not mind - the noise of the carriage was difficult to talk over anyway.
As it was, she was not unhappy at proceedings. Herself and Dayron rode together slightly apart from the carriage. They were close enough to intercede if anything untoward happened but far enough away that they could hear one another talk.
Dayron seemed fascinated by her status as a knight and she proudly explained how she had attained the rank when he asked. His eyes widened when she showed him the Axe of the Mists at her waist.
At last she had finished her tale and she smiled at him. "But tell me, Dayron, what brings you here? I have talked only of myself."
"That is because your story is far more interesting than mine, Sara," the mercenary laughed back. "I am just a simple caravan guard. In my youth I realised that I possessed a talent for the martial arts, and I resolved to hone that talent in the protection of people. Yet I also wanted to travel, to see the world, so I combined the two and took it upon myself to become a caravan guard. That is the role you see me in now, although not for much longer. I long to return to the city of my youth."
"And where was your youth spent?" Sara asked.
Dayron laughed. "In Eriport, actually. This shall be my last journey as a caravan guard. I intend to apply for the city watch. I still wish to earn a living by protecting people, but I no longer have the itch to travel. A decade on the roads is enough for me." Sara was pleased to note that her guess that Dayron was in his late-twenties was accurate.
