Aune leapt up, Zahra right behind her.

"I'm going to run." Aune said, her voice strained.

"Don't tell anyone your plans, just GO!" Zahra whispered back. Aune took off, weaving in and out of annoyed tavern-goers.

"Is there a back door?" Aune called back to Zahra.

"You're heading towards it."

Aune caught a glimpse of Plato rushing towards her. She grabbed the doorknob and wrenched it open. It opened into a dark alley, which both Zahra and Aune flung themselves into. Zahra took the lead now, sprinting off into the night, with Aune hot on her heels.

"We're going back to the inn!" Zahra shouted. "Hopefully he'll be too drunk to notice and think it was a bad dream!" She seemed to be able to run all day, judging by her breathing. Aune panted and did her best to keep up. It was hard going for a girl who had never run like this in her life.

Suddenly something slammed into her head. She cried out and sank to the cobbled ground, clutching it.

Zahra was there in an instant. "Are you alright? What happened?" Aune was no fool. She knew instantly that Plato had gotten into a fight in order to hurt her. Again an invisible force slammed into her gut and she groaned. "He's using our connection..." Aune broke off again as her shoulder was wrenched ferociously backwards. She felt it crack and shrieked.

Zahra stood up, flames dancing in her eyes. "Follow me as best you can. I'm going to go stop him." In an instant, Zahra had disappeared. Aune stood up slowly and tottered after her, shoulder flaming with pain. Her knee was knocked out from under her with what could only have been a kick. Aune fell, hitting her bad shoulder. She screamed. She wouldn't make it back like this. Zahra! Hurry! Aune didn't move any more. She was in too much pain. Blows kept landing on her face and torso. Her nose cracked. Her head was punched again. Buffet after buffet. Then, suddenly, they stopped. Aune took a deep, painful breath. Her head swam, then suddenly there was nothing.

Aune opened her eyes in a brightly lit room on a soft bed. Someone was standing not too far away, but Aune couldn't see who it was. It hurt her head to think. Then the room swam into focus, painfully sharp, and Aune groaned. The figure turned around. It was a nurse, and she smiled when she saw Aune.

"Master Plato's been wondering when you'd wake up. He says he wants to get a move on. But you won't be traveling for a few days yet." Aune sighed in relief. The last thing she wanted to do was to ride a horse for a full day. Suddenly the nurse lurched forward and grabbed Aune's hands.

"It's me, Zahra. I know I don't look like how you know me. You need to watch your back. Tell Plato I forced you to come along with me." She shoved a small black pouch into her hand. "Don't let Plato see this. Look at it when it's the right time. You'll know when it is. Good luck." She stood up and walked out, leaving Aune flabbergasted and struggling to tuck the bag into her shirt. It made her head spin.

The door slammed open, and Plato stalked inside. "You filthy little wretch. As soon as you've recovered, you'll get a beating from me. You've caused me to lose my best client."

Aune simply stared at him. He glared at her. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Aune winced. "Please, sir, don't blame me. I refused to move, but the lady threatened me. She said she wouldn't hurt either of us if I followed her. I didn't want you to get hurt, sir." Mentally, Aune kicked herself. What had she been thinking? Of course he couldn't get hurt!

"You slow-witted little... I couldn't get hurt in the first place! Do you have any brains?"

Aune bent her head as if ashamed. It wasn't hard. She felt that way anyway. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm still not used to it. It's all new, you know."

He remained unmoved, hatred flowing from his eyes. "I don't know what you told her, and I don't want to know." With that, he strode out, slamming the door behind him.

A few days went past, with Plato getting more and more anxious by the minute. Aune even heard him mumbling, once "Don't like sticking around, too easy to be seen, I've got to move." Finally, on the third day, Plato burst into the sick room and announced "We're going. Get up and ready to go. Hurry." Aune hurried. She had felt enough of Plato's wrath, and she had a suspicion that he was being very lenient toward her.

It took her but a moment to dress and slip the knives into her boots. Hesitating, looking at the mirror, she could not help but notice the bruises that had swollen up around her eyes especially. Still, three or four days later, Aune was sore, and dreading another long day in the saddle. Sighing, she swiftly braided her hair in one long braid and set out to find Plato.

He was not hard to find, spotting her instantly and shouting at the top of his lungs. "Get on the damn horse! Do you think I have all day?" Aune bit her lip and mounted the horse. Her legs groaned with the effort, but she found it almost easier to do than the last time she had.

. . .

Aune was exhausted and wayworn by the time Plato announced that they would be sleeping outside tonight. A groan escaped her lips before she could think better. It took Plato less than a moment to pounce. He rammed her with his shoulder, knocking her off the horse and onto the ground below. The large bay horse reared at this sudden jolt and Aune screamed and scrambled out from under the hooves. Plato knocked her across the face with the flat of his sword.

"You ungrateful little witch. Not everything is going to go your way. Get used to it. It's not all silk and satin." Aune stood up, tasting blood in her mouth. She turned and spat out bloody spittle. Plato watched her coldly. "There's nowhere to run to, so don't even think of trying it."

Aune grit her teeth.

. . .

Almost two weeks had passed since Aune had left the castle. The long riding trips and outdoor sleeping had almost become manageable. They had passed through two very small towns since then. Aune still could not believe the number of taverns and bars, but began to realize that it was a source of information and entertainment. Once, a young man had even remarked calmly to them that the Blackwolf was particularly active in the area. Plato had wasted no time in leaving and riding well into the following night.

Aune woke to rain. She coughed and brushed away strands of hair from her face. It wasn't only raining, but pouring. The trees under which they were camped offered very little shelter. Glancing around, she noted that Plato was still asleep. Something rustled in the trees. Aune sat bolt upright, her heart pounding. Something else moved behind her and a stick cracked to her left. All around her.

"Don't move!" a gruff male voice echoed. Aune screamed, but before it had fully left her mouth, a figure leaped out of the trees and landed in front of her. A flash of light bounced off a metal blade in the figure's hand. Aune froze. She could see Plato rising to his feet under the pine trees. He glanced around, moving very little, then sidled off into the darkness.

Despite the blade held to her neck, Aune was infuriated. The person who held her hostage also saw Plato, and did not move, but instead called out "Ready in the woods!"

Only seconds later, Aune heard shouts in the darkness. Plato's voice was clearly audible in the fray. "Let me go! You've got the wrong man!" But despite his pleas and insistent shouts, he was dragged into the clearing by four riders on horseback.

"Is it him?" Aune's captor called. Now it was clear that he was Lead. He released the pressure on Aune's neck slightly. "Pass me the rope." A coil of thickly braided fibre sailed through the air and landed at his feet. A second person dismounted and joined him in lifting Aune to her feet. The sky was lighter now, and day would be there soon.

Plato was dragged to the middle of the clearing next to Aune. His face was covered in black blood. Aune, now bound tightly, glanced at him. His brown locks were a wig, leaving him with long black hair braided tightly back along his scalp. His skin seemed to glow pale white, lighter than she had ever noticed. But the biggest difference in his appearance was his eyes. They glowed black with some unseen light. Aune shivered inwardly.

"Who's the girl?"

The voice that had spoken was a slight pitch higher than the others. Craning her neck, Aune peered behind her. There sat a horse and rider, silhouetted on the pale sky. The figure was a woman, with long blonde hair shining. She was Silver. Her features were sharp and her eyes glittered, as if hinting at an inside triumph. Indeed, these thoughts were confirmed as she locked eyes with Aune. Aune felt the rushing sense of exaltation as it affected all the other riders nearby.

"It's Andras!" The woman smiled. "Who's the girl?" Silence. "Who are you?" Aune, catching Plato's glare, still feared him enough to stay silent.

Kaye dismounted swiftly, kneeling next to her. "Listen, my name is Kaye. I've been trying to find Andras for years. And I've finally got him. I'm not sure who you are, but I know he's evil and we're not willing to let any of his companions go easily." She spoke with a quiet and cruel determination, as if she would stop at anything to com

"Kaye." Aune's captor spoke. "She was the one who alerted me that Andras was making his move." Kaye cocked her head. Aware that next to her Andras was moving, Aune wriggled further away from him.

"For crying out loud, Nor, move Andras away from her. He looks like he's about to kill her, and she could be useful."

"I don't trust her. Why should I? When you've been a bounty hunter long enough, you learn not to trust anyone." But despite this proclamation, he reached over and dragged him a few feet further away.

The world lightened just a little. "Jus' shut up. It's almost day. We've got to move!" Another horseman shouted at them. "Stop your bickering!" Nor snatched Aune up by the rope that bound her and heaved her onto the back of a horse. Still, grumbling, Kaye did the same with Andras. In just a few seconds, everyone had mounted and spurred their horses onward.

Within a minute of galloping, Aune was sore from the position she was in. She was soaked and exhausted. Worry and fear washed over her, as well as something else... guilt? Why would she feel guilty? Her head swimming, she fell into a fitful doze.

The rhythm of the horse changed, and Aune was jolted awake. She turned her head uncomfortably and glanced at the people she was surrounded by. In the daylight, they seemed more menacing and tough than they were in the dawn.

She could pick out Kaye, and a man who she thought was Nor, as well as a few others. All but Kaye were male.

They seemed to be riding through a town. No, it had to be a city, judging by the number of people she saw out already. She groaned, a headache coming on.

"The girl's awake." One rider called out from behind her.

"Gag her. We don't need attention yet." Was the response from another up ahead. Aune guessed it was the one who had shouted at Kaye and Nor.

The rider who had called out originally pulled up alongside Aune and tied a handkerchief around her mouth. She tried to bite him through the cloth. She knew they were taking her somewhere because she had been with Andras. Andras. He was a wanted man. It all fit into place. These were the Blackwolf. They had Andras. And they would try to kill him, but it would kill her instead. She had to get free.