***
As night fell along the Eastern Shore, Hannah pushed her horse as hard as she could as she raced the path back to the Caves of the Veneficas - although she wasn't entirely sure of what she was going to do when she finally got there. The truth was, she didn't know much of anything anymore as the further she rode, the more her conscience began to bother her.
The Legate had done awful things to innocent people, she assured herself. He deserved whatever fate lay ahead for him but then she remembered the vision she had seen in her dreams of the Legate lying on a battlefield and her heart began to pound. Hannah slowed her horse down and gave out a cry of frustration as she looked over her shoulder and back down the road that she had just come from, "Damn you!"
Hannah gripped the horse's mane tighter as a surge of anger swelled within her. Timonus was supposed to be a monster, just like the Emperor was - but he had said such nice things to her and he hadn't even dared try to hurt her when they were alone.
She thought of Julian, who had always taken care of her - ever since that day he'd found her cowering from the lashes of a whip that the cereal seller had given her after she was caught robbing his stall. She was only about eight or so at the time and she was alone, her mother having just died the week before but Julian, older by four years, took her under his care. Even as they grew older and they were forced to work the streets of Ala, he made sure she was protected.
She brought the horse to a complete stop and cast another look backwards, towards the Lupa Faction's camp. I should go back, she thought, I should go back and tell him I was wrong... and tell him who I really am. She was about to do just that when, from out of nowhere, a large, smelly hand clamped onto her mouth from behind.
She attempted to scream as the giant hands dragged her from the horse but it was no use. Even if she had managed to scream, there was no one nearby to hear it.
A Sword Of Wrath, Book I: Blood And Dust Page 19