Richard, Legend, and the little girl went into the forest directly outside the northern gate of Miyagi. The forest was filled with very tall and sturdy trees. There was no room for horses to be ridden there due to the proximity of each tree to each other, plus the terrain was also discouraging. If anyone attempted to follow them, they'd have to do it on foot. That was an incredible advantage since they had gotten quite a head start.
Richard tried asking the girl for some basic information, but for whatever reason, she just wasn't talking. She didn't look scared at all… just like a little girl yanked out of bed in the middle of the night. And it was still the middle of the night. There were several hours left until first light. Nonetheless, Richard and Legend didn't want to risk having another group of soldiers hot on their trail, so they kept moving forward.
