The convoy, a modest formation consisting of two heavy oak-paneled carriages and a dozen armored outriders, ground its way westward. Fine, yellowish dust coated the horses' flanks and plumed into the dry air, settling over the varnished wood of the carriage doors. Four hours had dragged by since they crossed the stone-marked border of Rubenhart County, leaving the safety of their home territory. Their destination lay at the very center of the kingdom: the royal capital.
Inside the lead carriage, the atmosphere grew stifling. The cabin was built for luxury, boasting wide benches padded with thick goose down and upholstered in dark crimson fabric. Under normal circumstances, it provided a lot of comfort. Today, it functioned as a swaying, lurching wooden trap. The iron-banded wheels slammed into deep ruts baked hard by the summer sun, sending shudders up through the floorboards and rattling the glass in the window frames.
