Arimari Tiarasan and Reina slip beyond the western gate into a narrow service path, where wet weeds brush their hems and old cedar roots knot the ground. The estate falls behind them, muffled by rain-damp timber and a closing door.
Moonlight filters weakly through the canopy. Ahead, the track bends toward a lower fishpond basin, and the fading thunder of hoofbeats marks the rider's flight toward Cedar Pass.
Reina
That rider is carrying the message. If he reaches the pass first, the strike will land with our eyes shut.
Arimari Tiarasan
The horseman is already gaining ground.
Reina angles toward the darker fork, ears pricked toward the road, while Arimari Tiarasan reads the path's slick ruts and broken reeds. The runner's trail is fresh, but the estate gate is still within reach behind them.
Reina
Choose quickly. Chase him into the trees, or turn back and warn Lord Matsudaira before the hidden order is carried out.
“I chase the rider toward Cedar Pass”
SUCCESS (Great Agility, rolled +0)