Montague La-Rose led the escape to the end of the tunnels. Since his childhood he followed the requests and orders of a man who had been exiled from the Kingdoms of Men. In many ways, he was a criminal. But now, everyone from that very kingdom was looking to Montague to lead them to safety. There was trust and dependency in their eyes, begging for salvation. For the first time in his life, Montague gave an order. Everyone was to wait at the arched doorway until the wind calmed so as not to send adrift their scent. “Mages can smell fear like dogs,” Montague explained. When the wind subsided Montague instructed the escape party to walk in single file toward the forest. He took the princess by the hand while Gretchen gripped his opposite
