Rye gave his commanding whistle and they were off. Instead of the usual riding formation, Rye rode closely behind Anna and Ash. Anna gave a small sigh in annoyance and she turned around and glared at him. She thought he was too controlling and stifling.

"What is your horse's name?" Anna asked Ashuek. She was already feeling more at ease in his presence.

"Hmm. I suppose he doesn't have a name, but I do call him My Loyal Friend quite often."

"I like that."

The two rode in companionable silence and Anna allowed her power to soak in Ash's emotions and aura. He made her feel lighter.

"Anna? Why are you so angry with Rye?" Ash asked hesitantly.

"He told me he would kill anyone who sees my face, no matter if they are innocent or not. And he wants me to have his babies. Apparently my daughters will also be mages and my sons like him. He wants powerful children. He can eat rocks,"she told him huffily. Rehashing the argument made her angry all over again.

Ash seemed to digest the information she had given him and meditated on it. "You do not believe he is honorable?"

"No," Anna responded immediately. Ash felt a wave of defensiveness and then calm.

"Rye will not kill without a good reason. He is good and just among our people. He protects what he cares about to be sure. You are...you are worthy enough for him to do anything to protect."

"I'm a glorified broodmare," Anna corrected.

"Do you not want children?"

"I don't know. Yes? One day when I feel ready. I don't want his children and I certainly don't want to raise them in this place."

"Rye will be a good father and protector to his children. What are you so worried about?"

"Children are easy to manipulate and he will use them. This place also treats women like possessions. Where I'm from women have careers and choices just like men do."

"I am biased, I suppose. I believe in Rye as a ruler and as a man. He would use your abilities and his children's abilities if that is what he sees is best. If it is for the betterment of the Northlands he will do it. He would also do anything for the betterment of his family. Those two things do not have to be in combat, especially if you choose to be forthcoming and open." He paused for a moment, "Our women are treasured here. They are not mere possessions. You will see." He believed what he was saying, Anna could tell that much.

"Do you have a woman?"

He reached and showed her his chain. "No, I am not ready to claim one yet. I travel too much. One day soon, I think. Thad is joined and has three children. He also helped raise Rye. Kalo has claimed a woman but has not yet joined her. I believe he is waiting to join her on his return." Anna thought Ash probably had a lot of women vying for him. He was so good-looking and charming.

"How about I tell you some stories about Rye? Maybe I can get you to warm to him a bit?" Ash asked good humoredly.

"Fine. Tell me some good ones, but I know for a fact there are probably just as many ugly stories as good.'

"As we all have," Ash agreed. Ashuek began to tell her stories about how Rye creatively handled disagreements among tenants and landowners. He told her of how he protected villages from marauders and gave swift punishments that he himself always carried out. He had never been challenged over his position because there was no man who could beat him. He started up trade with two of the other realms, causing the Northlands to flourish. After a while Anna could admit she was a little impressed by Rye.

"So tell me a horrible story now," she pressed him. Ash smiled at her.

"Alright. As you probably already have seen Ryevin has a bit of a temper?"

"Does he?" She asked innocently.

"Oh, yes," Ash said without missing a beat. "This was about a decade ago, when Rye was training young men hoping to be warriors. There was this one boy who was a little too eager. He had been one of the best fighters in his village, but among Rye's trainees he was small. The lad was a little too blown in the feathers so he was destined to be beat down a bit.

"Rye had this endurance hike the trainees did each week, which they called the Trek of Torment. It was this steep rocky difficult trail that took about a half a day to complete. One of the others decided it would be fun to mess with the boy on the hike. As they did the trail the other boy slowly added stones to the lad's pack. Only a little at a time so he wouldn't notice the weight changing.

"Well, eventually the boy started to slow and fell behind. Rye noticed and went back to him. He grabbed his sack and realized right away that it was too heavy. He emptied the contents and all the stones came falling out and he lost it. He went on and on about loyalty and camaraderie and how trust was needed on the battlefield. He zeroed in on the other boy who was responsible for the prank and emptied his sack and filled it with twice as many stones as what was given and had him complete the Trek of Torment with the heavy sack not only for the rest of that day but over and over again for a week."

Anna turned toward Ash in fake outrage, "That wasn't a horrible story! You knew that would paint Rye in a positive light!"

"So says you! You have no idea how torturous of a week that was!"

"You were the one to put the stones in that poor boy's bag?" She asked in mocked horror. Ash nodded solemnly in confirmation and she couldn't help but laugh.

***Ryevin***

Rye was annoyed that Anna didn't want to ride with him. He couldn't really blame her though, he had used her heart against her. Of all his men, however,she had to choose Ash. Fun-natured and handsome he was every father's nightmare and every woman's desire. Rye shouldn't be surprised that Anna wasn't any different than all the other maidens.

Rye watched as Anna turned her head toward Ash. They had been talking comfortably for the while and she had never looked so at ease. Her hood had fallen giving him a full view of her. Her smile had completely transformed her face into the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her eyes lit with mirth. She was laughing and it wasn't with him she was giving that look to, it was with another man. Rye saw nothing but red.

***Anna***

Anna suddenly felt a sharp extreme pain to the side of her face and absolute shock as blackness started to cloud her eyes. She started to fall but she was grabbed by strong hands and was brought onto another horse. Her eyes were watering and she realized she still held onto her bruised cheek. It took a moment for her to register that it wasn't her pain that she was feeling but Ashuek's and she was now in Ryevin's hold. She was trembling like a leaf. Rye punched Ashuek in the face for no reason!

"What the hell is wrong with you!" She screamed at Rye. Ash was holding his face, still upright on his horse but saying nothing while looking at Rye with wide eyes. He was feeling shock, confusion, and a throbbing pain. Anna started to dig her nails into her skin. Her heart was pounding like a jackhammer in her chest. Rye wouldn't answer her but just held her tighter. She started to cry and Ryevin rode ahead putting distance between them and Ash.

Realization started to dawn on her. Rye was jealous! She stopped crying, but her body was still trembling this time with rage rather than fear.

"I can't believe Ash just spent all morning trying to get me to like you. He kept telling me all about how honorable and great you are only for you to punch him in the face!"

Rye took a breath and shifted uncomfortably. "You were smiling at him and laughing and I...I wasn't thinking. I should have controlled myself." Anna felt a little appeased by the admission of wrongdoing.

"Will you apologize?"

"Yes," he said, stricken.

"Make it a good one. No blaming the female for making you act crazy. Take full responsibility for your actions," she scolded.

"Alright. Would you like me to practice with you first?"

"Probably a good idea. You know there are four steps that I teach the kids I have worked with."

Rye lifted his eyes in curiosity."You worked with children?"

"Yeah. I worked an after school program and was going to college to be a teacher," she said with a bit of sadness.

"I'm not sure what an after school program is or a college," Rye pondered. Anna rolled her eyes.

"It doesn't matter. Step one: Say 'I am sorry." Step two: Acknowledge hurt feelings. Step three: Take full responsibility. Step 4: Offer a way to make it right." Anna knocked each point with her fingers.

"Hmm," he grunted. He tipped her face toward him. "Anna, I am very sorry. I caused you pain and hurt you inexcusably. I have many shortcomings and an explosive temper that I should have been able to control. I'll do better. Please forgive me." Anna felt a lump in her throat and her stupid heart started to flutter. She felt so much confusion. She liked it better when he acted cold and cruel.

"How was that?" He murmured.

"It was a good first try," she answered, awkwardly.

"This goes against the rules, but I need to add that you make me feel crazy."

Same, she thought to herself.

***Ryevin***

Rye felt worse than shit. He was everything she said he was: Cruel, soulless, a monster. Punching Ash gave him the final clue to Anna's power. His stomach dropped when he thought of how she held her face and cowared from him. She had felt the blow.

He thought back to the marauders' camp. How she fell to the ground and her shock when he had killed the slave. No wonder she kept getting sick whenever she thought of that day. He had believed her to be weak. He was a fool.

"I'll try not to hurt others in front of you again." Anna stiffened at his vow.

"Why?" She asked softly.

"Because you feel it," he answered matter of factly. Anna sat still for a long moment and exhaled a breath she had been holding.

"It was because I held my cheek, wasn't it? I'm normally better at concealing it, but you caught me off guard."

'Yes. You acted like it was you I hit. You felt Kalo's injury. You...the day I met you...that must have been..." Rye couldn't finish the thought. He couldn't imagine being in the middle of a bloodbath like that and feel every man's pain around him.

"It was the worst day of my life and my life hasn't been all rainbows." Rye flinched with guilt.

"Is it only their pain you feel?" Anna's eyes looked haunted and she turned from him. The silence was deafening. She must feel other emotions too then. She was an empath. He took it in with a deep breath. He had so many questions, but he bit them back.

Anna suddenly turned to him and asked, "Remember what you said to me on the cliff?"

"I remember. I should not have lost my temper with you." He was so harsh when he told her she would never return to her world again.

"So was it a legitimate possibility or an empty threat when you said you would tie me to your horse and run me ragged?" Rye's stomach dropped and a lump formed in his throat. Of course he didn't mean it.

"Anna, I would never hurt you," he declared firmly. Anna raised her eyes at him and gave him an exasperated smile.

"I really was hoping you meant it. I literally cannot be on a horse for another minute. My whole backside is killing me right now. I like to run, I think I can keep up if you let me. Please." Rye looked at her with surprise. That was the last thing he expected her to say.

"You want me to tie you to the horse and let you run?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Rye. Please, that sounds amazing."

"If you fall, the horse will drag you."

"I don't care. I'm desperate."

"You've barely been able to keep food down the last couple of days. You could blackout."

"I'll tell you if I feel like I might and then I'll get back on the horse," she reasoned. Her eyes pleaded with him.

"You are so strange. I'll run with you. I'm not tying you to the horse." Anna gave him a huge smile. His breath caught as it always did when she looked at him like that. He was falling deep. She didn't feel the same way for him, and she probably never could.