Shyanne tried not to think about the incident between Susanne and Micah. It only worsened her mood. She was tired, cold and miserable. For a moment, she even wished she was at home sleeping in her warm, safe bed.

Suddenly, though, a thought occurred to her: I wonder if Susanne did it on purpose... It was a logical thought for Shyanne. She had done it many times to gain the attention of some gentleman or another. Every single time it had worked; why would Micah be any different from them?

Her thoughts came to a halt as they approached the river. It was calm at this spot, but there was no telling how deep or rough it would get.

~~~

Evewen looked up as the others emerged from the forest. She pushed off the boulder, grabbed the reins of her horse and walked toward them. "I believe you have something that belongs to me now, Micah." She said, unstrapping the bundle of belongings from the side of her horse.

Telwyn had spun around at the sound of Susanne's fall, but grinned at Micah for catching her. "Like I said," she commented with a playful chuckle, "be careful of tree roots."

Her trained ears had heard the sound of running water long before anyone seemed to notice it and Susanne's question came as the river was just coming into view. Telwyn answered, "Yes, yes it is. Bright and shiny, harsh and freezing. The river." Whether this was meant as a joke or not was impossible to tell.

When she stepped into the faint moonlight, Evewen approached them, completely ignoring Telwyn and going for Micah with quick precision. This made Telwyn laugh to herself and she quietly moved aside to let him handle the thief. While Micah and Evewen talked, she examined the bedraggled group as they wearily limped out onto the stony beach. If anyone had been watching her, they might have seen the smile on her lips change qualities: From playful to analytical. It was as though she were sizing them up. Hand to hip, she looked from them, to the river, to the trees and back again. Then she quickly sat down in a cross legged position a little ways from the exhausted group and for the first time that night acknowledged the cold by wrapping her cloak around herself.

Micah was relieved as the dense forest opened up slightly at the banks of the rushing river. It seemed to him that they were quite a bit further downstream from the part of the river they were at the night before; much farther from town now. The river was narrower here, causing the current to pick up speed as it carved its way deeper the woods.

Evewen was already there, waiting with her horse by a boulder. She approached him quickly in a very business-like manner, and requested the ring. Micah fingered it in his pocket and brought it out, observing it for a moment in the moonlight before handing it over. “I must say, I’ve become very curious about this little thing. Why is it so important to you?” He had no intention of going back on his word, of course, and to display this he held the ring out in his open palm for her to take.

Evewen dropped their things at Micah's feet with a metallic clang. However, she hesitated before she took the ring, even though it was offered to her. Maybe he's supposed to have the ring. Isla did give it to him...

~~~

Shyanne watched as silence reigned. She was still a little confuse about the events of the night. How had Micah convinced the bandit to help them? What was the ring for? How did Micah meet the woman?

Falcon nodded his head, "Indeed, if that is where you think this mystery leads us." Falcon laid his head down on his pillow and awaited Isla's reply. He also began to think of the best way to reach the sea from where they were.

Jarien and Adi stepped into the clearing, and waited for them all to arrive, then watched as the lady thief stepped to Micah and requested a ring.

A puzzled expression crossed his face as he thought about that. He hadn't known that Micah had any items of value, besides maybe his sword and a little gold. Adi followed as he stepped toward the unofficial leader of their group and watched as he brought a shining ring from his pocket, presenting it on his hand.

Adi gasped and Jarien stepped forward quickly, snatching the ring from his hand before the thief could take it. He stepped back from them, and looked at it closely, "Where did you get my father's ring!?" he demanded.

Evewen's eyes darkened when the other man took the ring. She mentally kicked herself for not taking it right away.

She flipped her dark hair and looked at him. "That ring belonged to my father. You must be mistaken."

"Your Father? I think not! My father wore this ring every day of his life, as long as I can remember! He said it would be mine some day when he died..." Jarien backed away from them, "What did you do to him!?"

His eyes flashed to Evewen, then Micah, and back to the thief. He didn't suspect Micah of doing anything, but this woman was a bandit... it's possible they had done something to his father.

The startling suddenness of Jarien's actions left Micah speechless. He watched the dialogue between Evewen and Jarien in complete surprise. Was it true? Did the ring really belong to Jarien's father? He hand't known Jarien long, but he didn't seem to be a liar. What would such an outrageous lie gain him, anyway? Micah searched Jarien's eyes; the man's passions looked genuine and real.

"I know nothing of the ring's origins..." Micah finally stammered, unsure of what was going on. He looked to Evewen. "Where did your sister get it from?"

Evewen stared at Jarien. Slowly, she pulled the leather cord, which held the other ring, into view. She held it tightly, just in case he made a move to take that one, too. "My parents had a matching pair, sir. The ring couldn't possibly be your father's."

Her gaze turned to Micah and she said, "They were a gift to my parents. I don't know where they came from before that. Isla stole it from my father a few years ago. Now, I have done all that you asked and I am not leaving without my payment." She held her hand out, her eyes back on Jarien. "Give me the ring." Her voice was demanding and firm.

Jarien listened to her, glanced between the pair of rings, and opened his mouth as if to say something, then stopped. He looked over at Adi, who's hand was on the hilt of her knife, and then leaned over to whisper in her ear.

They conversed for a moment, then Jarien stood straight, and when he spoke, a strange tone presented itself, one of command, laced with confidence, almost the sound of a commander giving orders to his troops,

"Alright... i'll give you the ring. But when I reach my father, if I find him in any less than good health, and there is any reason to suspect you... I
will hunt you down, and I will you..." he held out the ring to her and waited for her to take it.

He was rather confused... a pair of rings? Rings identical to his father's pair? How could it be so unless there was some connection between his father and Evewen's?

Evewen exhaled silently, relieved. She took the ring from Jarien without a word and placed it with the other one. Once it was well hidden, she looked at Jarien. "I hope you find your father well, then."

She looked at each of them in turn. Her eyes lingered on Susanne for a second more and she glanced at her horse. The blanket was still there; she had never taken it.

Turning, she walked to her horse and removed the blanket. She handed it to Micah and she quietly said, "Keep the girl warm. Having her fall ill while you're trying to run will not be a good thing."

She wasn't sure why she was being friendly to them. The ring was hers; she didn't have to stay with them anymore.

Evewen bowed her head to them and turned toward her horse. She put her foot in the stirrup and settled into the leather saddle. "There are a few of my clan-members who get up very early to hunt. I suggest you take your leave."

Micah still wasn't sure of the meaning of what had just transpired - why would Evewen's parents have rings identical to Jarien's father's ring? There was some mystery tied up in those rings, to be sure.

Micah took the blanket gratefully. "Thank you, Evewen." He also retrieved the bundle of weapons from where Evewen had dropped them, and unraveled it, moving about through the group so everyone had a chance to take back the things the bandit's took from them. He went first to Susanne, however, and gave her the warm blanket. "There you go," he said, draping it about her shoulders, glad that the harsh cold would no longer torture her. She still hadn't recovered fully from the ill condition that the Hunters had left her in, after all, and things probably would not get any easier any time soon.

Micah noted Evewen's parting warning, and nodded. "Alright. Thank you for your help."

Edmund was suprised one of the bandits actually helped him. He made sur eto get moving as quietly as possible. However, he had to ask, "Where did you get that blanket?"

Susanne had kept completely quiet through the exchange between Jarien, Evewen, and Micah. She too was puzzled, about the ring, but it wasn't in her foremost thoughts. Their current predicament, and the biting cold were bothering her more than anything else. The Lady Bandit then turned to leave, but not before handing Micah a wool blanket, and saying a few parting words. She then rode away, into the darkness on her horse.

Susanne turned, as Micah slipped the thick blanket over her shoulders. She gave him a weak smile, and pulled it closer to herself, fighting back shivers.