Alia and Lin Chen entered the secret passage one after the other.
The passage was so narrow that only one person could squeeze through sideways. Water beaded on the walls, and the air smelled of damp earth.
Alia walked ahead at a brisk pace. Following behind, Lin Chen could hear her ragged breathing.
They felt their way through the dark for well over fifteen minutes before a glimmer of light appeared ahead.
The exit lay in a wild grove west of the city, hidden behind several crooked locust trees.
Two fine horses were tied to the trunks, grazing with their heads down. Alia had quietly arranged for them over the past two days as an escape route for herself and her son.
Alia untied the reins, tossed the bundle onto one horse's back, and swung herself onto the other.
"Get on. We need to leave, quickly," she said.
Lin Chen mounted, pressed his legs against his horse's flanks, and galloped after Alia toward White Stone City.
Their hooves pounded the dirt road, kicking up dust all the way.
Dusk had fallen. Trees whipped past on either side, and Lin Chen glanced back toward Graystone City.
The torches on the city walls looked like a row of flickering dots in the night, growing smaller and smaller.
"Mother, where are we going?" Lin Chen called. Wind rushed into his mouth, blurring his words.
"To White Stone City." Alia did not look back. The wind snatched at her voice. "We're going to find your father."
"He went to buy a potion to help you advance. He's been gone for days, and he should be on his way back by now. We might even meet him on the road."
Before she could say more, she cracked her whip, urging her horse to run faster.