The last thing Surya saw as he drove his horse away from the scene was Vidyut tending to the wounded woman. The pain and kindness in Vidyut's face was enough to tell Surya that the woman would not survive. He filled with despair and guilt as he recalled disregarding the high minister's warning about riding openly through the streets. If Drishti were not a prince, he would have had him thrown into a dungeon. Royal customs decreed that Surya behave courteously to the northern prince; so, he swallowed his anger and, instead, rode the rest of the way in silence.
The crowd had thinned by the time the convoy reached the guild. The rumor of bloodshed in the streets engulfed the town quickly. The townsfolk, cheering and waving earlier, scampered back to their shacks, yet peering at the procession through the windows when it passed by.
