章 50: Chapter 50: Loss, Part 2

"Who?" Rath asked. Friar? No, this wasn't Friar's—

The tournament. This had to do with the fucking tournament, of course it did. He was stupid. They'd warned him he'd be sorry if he didn't lose. He'd taken it to mean they'd kill him.

Oh, Fates. His mother.

Rath pushed to his feet, shoving people roughly out of the way as he took off running.

"Rath, stop! Damn it!"

Ignoring the cries, Rath kept going.

He heard the pounding of hooves on cobblestones, but didn't slow, driven by the fear that he'd find his mother dead, too. Everything else in his head was an irritating buzz to be ignored until he knew she was safe.

The noise moved past him, and Rath barely stopped in time to avoid slamming into Fynn's horse. "Get out of my way!"

Fynn dismounted, grabbed Rath by the front of his shirt, and gave him a shake. "Rath! Calm down! You'll get to your mother faster if you get back on your damned horse."