Only a few days after Jade I and her body guards had left the marshes for the second time, the Empress got a fever. Traveling through the open plains she had trouble staying awake on her horse.
When a pause was held she fell immediately asleep and it was hard to get her awake.
Because of the illness of the Empress the group had decided to travel at night. The sooner they arrived in Opal the better. But Jade fell asleep on her horse, her horse stumbled and the Empress fell to the ground.
A few body guards build an improvised stretcher and carried her through the night until they reached a poor man's cabin.
The body guards carried the Empress inside and fed her some broth. In the mean time they informed with the owner of the cabin if he had a cart. Which he did. And he agreed to lend it to the Empress. He would be well rewarded.
Early morning, when the night was still dark the guards moved the Empress to the cart. Only one man would go with her, for the sake of speed.