"You alright?" Henry's voice cut through his spiraling thoughts.
Alaric forced his expression neutral. "Yeah. Just... trying to remember."
He was lying, of course.
Because explaining "I was unconscious in a demon's cathedral and she threw me into a dungeon that apparently teleported me across kingdom borders" wasn't going to help.
"Don't worry," Vanessia said gently. "Memories come back with time. And Ashfeld is a good place. You can rest there and recover properly."
Alaric nodded. Said nothing.
Just guided his horse forward and tried to process this new complication.
The road stretched ahead.
Eventually, the forest began to thin.
Trees became sparser. The road widened and improved, packed earth giving way to actual cobblestone in sections.
Then settlement came into view.
Proper walls, maybe twenty feet high, constructed from grey stone that suggested age and permanence. Guard towers at regular intervals. Gates reinforced with iron.
Ashfeld.
