As those dark thoughts swirled in Madha's mind, Gara slept soundly, as though his head were resting on the fluffiest pillow in the world.
Four hours passed in a blur.
They finally arrived at the village.
Unlike regular passenger carriages that usually stopped at the three-way road leading into the village, this one brought them straight to the bamboo house Gara and Wina shared, after dropping off Grandpa Jaya, whose home was closer to the main road.
The carriage, driven by the town guard and flanked by mounted guards in uniform, naturally attracted attention.
Several villagers returning from the herb fields gathered, curious about what was going on.
But before the carriage could even reach Gara's house, the guards quickly ordered everyone to return to their homes.
No one dared to defy a town guard. That alone was enough to save Gara and Wina from a barrage of nosey questions.
