The Runaway King

Jaron steals Mystic, a fast, loyal horse from Farthenwood’s stables, and rides towards Avenia. After a few hours, Jaron stumbles onto a group of pirates attacking a woman and her young daughter. He successfully fights them off, but the woman is mortally wounded. She tells him that such raids have been happening near the Avenian border for months. Jaron is angry to learn that his father, King Eckbert, knew about them but did nothing because he wanted to preserve the peace with Avenia. Before she dies, the woman asks Jaron to take her daughter Nila to her grandfather, a man named Rulon Harlowe, who lives in the nearby town of Libeth. Although the young girl does not know the way there, Jaron eventually finds a woman in Libeth who recognizes Nila and leads them to Harlowe’s house. The woman also mentions that Harlowe tried to speak to the former king to ask for help against the raids but was denied an audience by one of the regents.

Jaron and Nila are greeted warmly by Harlowe, who offers food and shelter to the young man. Jaron reluctantly accepts, although he is thrown off by Harlowe’s generosity and keen to get back on the road as soon as possible.