Dragging Ollie along with her, Ashlynn sprinted down the rocky hillside, grateful that the Lothians at least thought to keep a herd of goats on hand to keep the grass and underbrush in check around the villa.
As the pair sprinted for the forest at the base of the hill, sweat ran down Ashlynn's back while her ears strained to their limits for the sound of an arrow whistling through the air. Thane had made it clear to her that one of the two most dangerous things she would have to deal with if she had to escape was an archer who could strike at her without even running her down.
Thankfully, the men who normally manned the walls at this early hour of the day had abandoned their posts to fight the fire that rapidly consumed the stores in the kitchen. Thick black smoke rose like an inkstain on the early morning sky and even as they fled, she could smell the mixture of woodsmoke and burning kitchen oils that made the fire so dangerous to fight.
