Chapter 3

It was hard to tell directions or time due to the low light. Hanson huffed out a disgusted breath. Still, he was not going to complain. This quest had been his idea after all, and maybe it beat remaining a pig farmer the rest of his days, however it ended.

Then something made him lift his gaze from the twisting muddy track they had been following. He could hardly believe his eyes—not far ahead, the trees definitely thinned, allowing more light to filter down between them. Then, only a bit farther, they came to the edge of the forest. Trees gave way to an expanse of grass, a vast plain that seemed to have no end.

Graber skidded to a halt, almost slamming into the already-stopped Hanson’s broad back. He stepped to one side only to gape in surprise. “Wha—Where—By all the gods, I never before saw so much grass, so much sky and such a great, empty, open space.”

“We’ve come through the woods,” Hanson said, stating the obvious. “Now how are we going to find that fruggin’ wizard?”