After stabling the customer's mare, Callan finished mucking out the rest of the stalls. He rapped on the door frame of Mr. Fabian's back office, poking his curly head in. "I'm finished with today's work."

Mr. Fabian pushed his glasses up his nose, looking up from the paper he was reading. "Huh? Oh, right. You can go home now."

Callan nodded with a smile. "Thank you."

***

Twenty minutes later, after a long walk from the livery to his house, Callan's boots pounded against the wooden steps of his porch as he barged into the house.

"Father?" He called. "I'm home!"

Stendar just stood, slightly perplexed, but more concerned than anything. It appeared that something had gone quite wrong. Liam's expression of total rejection was clear. He sighed, audibly, and tossed the few sticks he carried back into the brush.

His young friend was in love...and on top of that now upset. Grace, by the looks of it, had shunned him for whatever reason. Stendar was not unaccustomed to the ways of a woman's heart, but that didn't mean he liked them. It was possible for lovers to destroy themselves. And if he didn't do some sort of prodding, he wasn't sure where this would end. They could stay like this all day! And I won't hear of that

"Now boy." Stendar said quietly, moving forward and putting a firm hand on Liam's shoulder. "Love is a very interesting thing..." When Liam didn't even move he sighed. "Sulking will do you no good, you know this. Now, we must move on." he glanced around the clearing. "Staying here any longer will not do any of us any good. The guards are surely searching, and we aren't far enough away from the castle. Plus, if you don't move now you'll be sitting there all day!"

Liam's blue eyes shifted to look at his mentor. There was a spark of disgust in them, but more of a look of mutual consent. Stendar surely knew best. He clenched his jaw and stood, holding a breath for a moment. His hair fell into his vision and he tossed it aside. He wanted to slap himself. He had done everything wrong in this situation....and now what was he doing? Sitting around and feeling sorry for himself. It was Grace he need to feel bad for. He had hurt her. He felt Stendar's gaze upon him. He sighed.

He couldn't stay like this...not even for a short while longer. Pitying himself would get him no where. Right now, his best bet was to listen to Stendar, and respect Grace. Keep his distance, don't intrude upon her or press her, and keep her out of danger. Her life mattered now more than his, whether he was the prince or not. He loved her, and though he felt like he had been back-handed, he wasn't going to fore-sake those feelings. He finally met Stendar's look, and he attempted a small upturn of his lips. "Yeah...we should move out."

"Now that's more like it." The older man glanced at Grace's back. He hushed his voice, "You realize she'll have to ride with one of us."

Liam winced. He had known. But only now was he realizing how much of a problem it was going to be, "Yes....I know." he swallowed. "She won't want to ride with me Stendar, and I do not want to upset her more by forcing her to do so." he chanced a look at her, and stared, for almost too long at her golden hair. "I can take the supplies on my horse, and then she can ride with you."

"Alright. I think that should work. But we might need to alternate."

"We'll see about that." Liam mumbled, moving aside, bending down and rolling up his little-used bed roll. If only she had seen him; sitting up almost all night, worried sick over her. Those thoughts will do me no good now. What's done is done. I have to take what's left of us and try to not let that shatter. I'm going to protect her. She's not more important then I. I'm going to have to prove to her she can trust me...oh, by Telran, how I'm I gonna do that!? I'm an out-law...

He grabbed up the blanket and went to his horse tying it on. Meanwhile, Stendar approached Grace. "Miss Grace, I'm sorry, but we have to break up camp and move. We are much too close to Dravon, still, and if the king has men out looking we might be spotted. We'll try to get your - er - injuries healed in the next village. And, I'm afraid you'll have to ride with one of us."

*****

The forge was right off of Callan's house. The sound of clanking could be heard, as his blacksmith Father was working. Farlan heard the door slam though, and set down his tongs with a weary sigh, flipping back a curtain that was from the back of the forge into the front room of his home. "Hello Callan." he pulled off some leather gloves. "How were the horses, today?" he asked, eyes looking at his son almost sternly, a little contempt in his voice.

The sun was shining and in a few hours, it would reach its highest peak. Isla turned to look at Falcon and noticed he was falling behind a little. She was walking too fast and it was obvious Falcon didn't want to leave his home.

"Falcon, my friend," Isla said, backtracking. "If you don't want to leave, I can continue by myself. I can get a horse from the livery and double my traveling speed."

Falcon shook his head. "I'm worried about you, Isla. You're a stubborn woman and you act without thinking. I'm afraid you'll get into more trouble than all this is worth."

Isla frowned. "I need to know the answers and this journey will supply them." She motioned to the way they had come. "Please, allow me to go with your blessing and you may remain home, where you belong."

Falcon took a few moments of thought, but he finally nodded. "You have my blessing. Find your answers, but know that you are always welcome home again."

Isla smiled and threw her arms around him, careful not to harm him in any way. "Thank you, Falcon. I will return one day when I am done searching."

Falcon chuckled. "You have been searching for years. I hope you find what you're looking for soon."

Isla nodded and Falcon walked her to the livery, where they parted ways and Isla chose a dark brown stallion.

Dust flew from the pounding hooves of the stallion as she rode out of town.

"The horses were fine." Callan frowned at the edge in his father's voice, then managed to duplicate that same contempt in his response. "How was the forgery? I trust you had a productive and mostly safe day?" His tone was slightly sarcastic.

He threw his coat onto a chair and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. This was not shaping up to be a pleasant homecoming. One of these days, maybe he and his father could get through a day without arguing, but Callan's defenses were up already and it wasn't going to be easy for him to just walk away. Not today.

Grace barely heard Stendar speak to her. With her mind in a hurt and angry swirl, it was difficult to concentrate on any one thing. If Stendar had dared to ask what was on her mind, it is unlikely she could have told him in any clear terms. She vaguely heard him say something about breaking camp and King's men. However, she most distinctly heard him mention riding with one of them. Her tumultuous mind managed to grasp that concept and she finally looked at Stendar, distractedly.

"I should prefer to ride with you," she whispered and rose from her seat, holding the blanket around herself still. Her head drooped and she felt oddly tired, the clumps of hair that fell about her face barely shifted when her shallow breath touched them. Without Stendar's prompting, she wandered slowly back towards the fire, gazing at the ground, trying to straighten out her thoughts. One thought in particular reoccurred to her again and again and again.
What am I going to do now?

-----------------------

Previously...

Micah gave her a steady glance, disliking her laughing tease but not apologetic. "I think you can handle it yourself, Telwyn," he answered evenly, and gave a gesturing nod towards the wood. "Just don't get yourself lost."

Telwyn's eyes sparkled merrily and she gave him her humored half-bow. "Indeed, sir. I believe I might be able to find my way back here. If I am absent for a length of time exceeding an hour, you may send out the cavalry for me." She straightened with a flashing grin and looked at Susanne for a moment before turning around and sauntering into the dark trees. They swallowed her up as though she were a part of them.

Stendar nodded his consent, seeing now that Liam was quite right. She had no wish to ride with him. The older man didn't have any problems with bearing her along on his own mount. He wandered over to wear the young prince was strapping on the bedrolls and extra packs to his horse. He checked out the other gear while Liam, tightened the girth on his saddle.

"I'm all right here, Stendar. You best get Grace on your horse, and settled." Liam said this from the other side of his animal where he was examining buckled leather straps. Before he let his mentor leave, he took him aside and whispered. "She should ride behind you, at least until we get to a doctor. You'll only 'cause her pain by riding the other way."

Stendar nodded. "I know, boy. I taught you everything you know, so don't be thinking you might teach me how to ride with ladies and other such precious packages."

Liam sighed, and nodded to him. "Of course, I'm sorry."

Stendar chuckled and patted his shoulder. He then went to his horse, did a once over of it's bridle and saddle, and led it over to the fire, which was slowly burning out. "Miss Grace." he said, gesturing for her to come over.

*

"Safe enough, and much more productive then cleaning out stalls!" Farlan sighed, almost heatedly, locking his son with an disappointed gaze. He didn't know how many times he had told him how he disapproved of the job he had chosen. And it wasn't that he couldn't find something better. They weren't desperate, or poor. He seemed to enjoy doing it which made it worse.

He and his son bickered often; usually once every day. If they managed to not it was because they avoided contact. Which wasn't good for improving their relationship, but they never seemed to be able to stoke a conversation without insulting the others station of work.

*

Vincent patted the muscled neck of the horse he had rented. The animal snorted, turning it's big black head to stare at him with blue eyes. He smiled, crookedly, hands planted firmly on hips. He leaned back and observed. "He's fine." the pirate said from under the hat with the plume on his head. He reached into his pocket and brought out several gold coins, which he dropped into t he groping hands of the livery owner.

"I'll return him safe and sound." Vincent assured, heaving his packs from the ground, and working to secure them on his new mounts back. It had been quite sometime since he had ridden a horse. He carefully slid the map he had borrowed from captain William into the hooks normally meant for a bed roll. He had no plans of sleeping outside, since taverns would be a frequent stop in his search for Isla. Mounting the horse smoothly, he tossed his head into the wind, taking a gulp of sea breeze. Like any sailor he loved it...but he loved the woman he sought after more. With a sharp kick, the horses' hooves pounded across the dirt and cobbles, and onto the weary rode inland.

Brendlyn looked up from the ground, the moonlight illuminating her solemn, suspicious face. Alone in her corner of the world, she appeared more as a shadow hiding among the campfire's flickering flames than a companion to the others.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Telwyn disappear among the trees. Her eyebrow raised suspiciously. "I wonder where she's going," Brendlyn thought. She looked at the others, who seemed to notice her leaving, but thought nothing of it. "She must have some excuse, but whether a true one or not is another matter." Brendlyn could not shake the feeling that Telwyn knew, and did, more than the others suspected. Who knows where she was going off to, or why?

"I'll come back," Brendlyn announced quietly to the others, standing up from the grassy patch where she'd been resting. She rubbed her legs to get the blood going again. "I... thought I heard something... I'm going to go check it out."

Brendlyn hurried into the woods. Although the moonlight streamed down in bright beams, the dense growth overhead made everything appear dark and eerie. As she ran, passing trees and shadows of trees, it was often difficult to tell what was real and what was shadow.

There was no sign of Telwyn anywhere. Brendlyn stopped for a moment to catch her breath, and rested up against a tree trunk. Her heart was racing, and sweat poured off her neck; but the cold breeze that blew within the swaying trees cooled her quickly. It was time to start searching once more.

As soon as she stepped away from the tree trunk, she heard an odd whoosh and a thump. In the tree trunk, right where she had been standing a second ago, stuck a menacing arrow, still quivering. Turning quickly, Brendlyn peered into the shadow from whence the arrow came. From there, a young woman stepped into her view.

It was Telwyn.

~Riella

Callan sighed. Here we go again. "Cleaning stalls is productive, Father, and you know it." He ran a hand through his tangled curly blonde hair and resisted the urge to slam something. "You may not appreciate my line of work, but just think about where the world would be if we didn't clean out the horses' stalls." A bitter taste filled his mouth. "I would think that you, of all people, as a blacksmith would appreciate the work I do at the livery, but I guess I was wrong. It's obvious your opinion is never going to change." He shrugged, trying to feign indifference. "And you know what? I don't even care anymore."

He stalked into the small kitchen in their house and rummaged around for something to eat, finally finding an apple. He rubbed on his sleeve and took a bite. His tone still held an edge of anger, even after he changed the subject. "What's for dinner?"

Grace turned from the fire when Stendar called her name. She gazed at him for a moment, then slowly came towards him, dropping her eyes to the ground. Her little feet stopped moving when she stood a few feet in front of him, her face still downturned.

-------------------------

Telwyn's bright eyes widened for a moment and she nearly dropped the bow she clutched in her hand. "You!" she exclaimed, "I thought you were-!" Suddenly she began to laugh, doubling over and clutching her stomach, faint sounds of mirth drifting from her lips. "I'm- sorry!" she gasped between laughs, "Lucky you moved just then! I do not usually miss." She leaned against a tree to hold herself upright as she held her sides and guffawed in an unusually almost silent way.

"How can I appreciate my son wallowing in the dirt and refuse of horses when I raised him for a higher position!" Farlan called vehemently as his son stalked off into the kitchen.

In answer to Callan's question he sighed, and tossed his hands into the hair, walking toward the direction of his forge. "Nothing! At least until I'm done with my full day of, productive and honorable, work." with that he flipped back the curtain, and marched back to finish up.

****

Stendar reached out his hand, and assisted Grace in mounting the horse. Once she was seated in the saddle, he said. "I'll be getting on in front of you, Ma'am, so please stay to the back." after taking the reigns over the head of his animal, and hooking them over the horn of the saddle, he looked to Liam.

Liam had fitted all of supplies on his mount. He nodded to Stendar, and jogged over to the smoldering fire, kicking it out, smothering it with dirt. He then carefully picked up the charred logs, broke them, and tossed their carcasses into the bushes and trees. He knew that the horse's hooves would leave plenty of evidence they were here, but it didn't hurt trying to cover most of their trail.

"Good job. Now let's move out before it gets any later."

Liam returned to his horse, and mounted suit as Stendar did. With that they gave their steads a kick, and headed off into the forest, on route to a nameless place.

Brendlyn's eyebrow raised suspiciously. As Telwyn laughed in front of her, Brendlyn only grew more solemn, and stood up straighter.

"Why do you pretend in front of me? The others are not here. Do you take me for a fool?"

~Riella

Telwyn paused and her eyes widened again in that same gesture of surprise. There was an oddly child-like guilelessness to the expression.

"Pretend? Pretend what? I am well aware that we are alone here and I do not take people for other than what they are." She was fighting back more laughter, but this time her luminous eyes did not waver from Brendlyn's face.

"I assure you that I am no fool, if that's what you are insinuating," Brendlyn told her. "What exactly is your game? The others may have been willing to follow you... I don't know why... Perhaps, out of some unfulfilled desire to finally find a human being in which they can place their trust. but I have no such need to blind me. I grew up in the wild. I recognize the look of a hunter: the gleaming eyes of a wild beast who lurks in the shadows, waiting to spring on its prey. What do you want from them? Why do you take them in? Whatever you want, I will give to you. But let these good people be. They have been through enough, and I will no longer allow anyone to harm them."

~Riella

For a moment, all sounds of mirth dropped away from Telwyn. She stared at Brendlyn with complete bemusement and just blinked for a minute. Her lips were curved upwards, but her mouth was slightly open in an expression of amused astonishment.

"Wh-..." she began, "What?! What game? I take it you do not trust me, but what I have done to earn this mistrust I am completely unaware of. I want nothing from anyone except the Hunters. They and I have a score to settle." A deadly gleam lit her eyes for a moment, but it faded as she continued, "By helping these people I am foiling the Hunter's plans, so it would seem. And that is all that really matters.
"My apologies for almost killing you: It was, I assure you, a complete accident. You have the body language of a hunter yourself. I thought you were one."

Her lips in a tight smile, eyes unreadable, Telwyn made as though to go around Brendlyn and head back towards camp.

Brendlyn watched darkly as Telwyn passed her. She called out, "Keep playing then. It is your choice. Though why you should choose this, when you know I realize the truth, is beyond me. Choose well, huntress...or whatever you may be. I don't know what sinister aim lurks in the corners of your mind, but rest assured you will receive much more than it, even if all your plans succeed; and even if it be not from my own hand. Ill deeds receive ill gain, and in measure accordance to the act committed. But --" here her expression softened a bit "-- even the most horrendous treacheries can be forgiven. Punishment can be turned away if the offender had some purpose, some excuse, for their offense. Only madmen harm others for no purpose. All others have an aim."

She walked closer to Telwyn. "If you plan on harming my friends, or betraying them... Why? What is it that drives you? Please, tell me. I will not hold it against you, nor will I tell the others. We are safe in secrecy here. I will listen to you, and do all I can to give you what you seek, that you may spare the others. Why should you reject me? Why choose the path of pain, when all you want might be gained freely? I have given you that choice. If you reject it, the retribution for your sins may not be so merciful."

~Riella