They meet again

I rode with the Crown Prince since he was kind enough to offer—to which I gladly accepted, and there was no time for hesitations. Since leaving the forest, the four steeds were made to run as fast as they could go. Without stopping for rests and having only five-minute breaks to eat, we managed to reach the Eastern city precisely at the same time when the sun had sunk half of itself on the horizon. The duration of travel was much shorter than the first one.

The sound of hooves clanking on cobblestones told me that we've gone closer to the heart of the city. Lavi was supposed to meet us in a particular place there so he could teleport us to the palace. The moment he left that place within the Screaming Forest, he had no means of getting back ever again. It was a place given protection by the spirit guides, but no matter how hidden, the enemies still found out about it.