Her gaze held a world of unspoken longing, as if they had met once in a past life.
Along the edge of a grim, forbidding forest, a weed-choked dirt path stretched far into the distance. The sound of hooves thundered in the slant of the setting sun as a carriage approached at a gallop, its wooden wheels groaning in protest as they ground into the earth.
On the driver's box sat a man clad in black robes, his sleeves tightly bound at the wrists with bracers. A long whip hung at his waist, and his cropped hair gave him a sharp, resolute air. Pulling gently on the reins, he brought the carriage to a slow, steady halt. Several riders behind him reined in their horses as well.
Chapter 36