They ride for half a day in silence, without stopping, Madge's bladder is going to explode. When they reach a tree line then extends as far as the eye can see, to the east and the west, Madge swallows dryly. The never ending forest is known to all in the land and of course there are rumours that the Seamakari live in it or beyond it but she never believed that. She never believed the horror stories of the never ending woods but she knew they had to be dangerous. Nevertheless, when the three Seamakari carry on in to the very heart of the trees, she has no choice but to follow.

The change is noticeable immediately, they relax once among the trees, she thinks she actually sees one smile. Madge however, startles whenever a twig snaps. After an hour or so they come to a lake, a lake so big Madge almost confuses it with the ocean and the three riders dismount. As they unstrap bundles and blankets from their horses Madge practically jumps off her horse and makes for some rocks surrounding the lake. Behind her she hears Galon say something in his native tongue and then the rider shouts after her

"Stop!" Madge turns around and fidgets, she really is going to pee herself "where are you going?"

"I- uh, need a minute" she answers bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet

"You cannot leave"

"But I need … I'm not asking permission to bathe and such. I'll be back soon" she snaps in frustration and strides off in her original direction.

When her bladder isn't causing intense pain she realises how hungry she is but still wants to wash first so the slips off her boots, her dress and the chemise underneath and drapes them over a rock. The first step in to the water is much cooler than she expected and she pulls her foot back, the second attempt isn't much better but eventually she's submerged in water up to her hips. It's then that she realises she has nothing, not a single belonging, or possession to her name, not even a measly bar of soap.

"Magdalena" Madge very nearly jumps out of her skin at the sound and spins to face the intruder with wide eyes. Sat on the rock beside her clothes is Galon

"Could I have some privacy?" she asks quickly covering her breasts, he frowns "Could you at least turn around?" when he continues to stare with a blank expression, Madge makes a gesture for him to turn around with her finger and he glowers at her, shaking his head. When it's clear he's not going to leave, Madge strides out of the water, covering as much of herself as she can and snatches her clothes and boots from where she'd left them.

When she gets back to the horses, there are three large tents making up a small camp and she has to admit she's impressed by what they have accomplished in such a short time. Her hair and clothes are soaking and she's uncomfortably cold so she sets about starting a fire. As long as she's in sight the three men pay no attention to her, so they don't notice the growing pile of kindling or the stone fire pit she's dug until the first flame appears. They look at her in confusion when she sits beside it and warms her hands, when she notices, the smile slips from her face

"What?" the one who speaks her tongue looks to his leader for an answer

"Fire is not job for woman" he tells her

"Why?"

"It is something man does for woman"

"Oh. I can .. put it out?" the rider conveys her message back to Galon and then turns to her

"Semse wishes to build the fire you will eat from" reluctantly Madge uses her water skin to douse the flames and sits on the ground in her wet clothes while her betrothed builds a fire three times the size of hers.

They eat some unknown meat that was skewered and cooked above the fire, it's tasty but Madge doesn't see how the men could know that from the way they swallow without chewing. When the sky is dark she stifles a yawn and asks which tent she should go to

"That one is Semse's tent" the rider tells her and she panics

"I'm sharing the Semse's tent" the rider nods and looks at her in confusion, like she'd asked a question with an obvious answer "I thought you and your fellow rider might share one" she says gesturing to the third man. She is met with laughter

"Two men do not share a tent" he continues to laugh. It is cut off when Galon seems to growl at him, Madge guesses he's frustrated at not being able to understand. Madge watches the rider explain, gesturing to her once or twice, making Galon glare at her. After a minute she gives up and walks over to his tent. Although it's still wet she keeps her chemise on and lays under the furs already laid out. She listens to them talk and eat for a while and starts to relax until she hears them walking to their tents. She closes her eyes when the tent flap made of yet more horse hide opens and Galon lays down beside her. She thinks she's safe until he rolls towards her and a hand slides over her ribs, to her stomach, then up towards her breast

"No" she tells him forcefully, pushing away his hand. When he reaches for her again she repeats herself a little louder "No!" he glares at her once again then huffs and leaves the tent.

The next morning Madge wakes to the sounds of horses and darts upright only to find herself alone in the tent. When she pulls back the leathery material and looks out in to the camp she nearly trips over her betrothed. He sleeps deeply on the bare ground with no blankets or furs and his arms folded across his chest. If his features weren't so peaceful she'd think he fell asleep scowling in a tantrum but now he looks younger, maybe even a similar age to her.

She startles when his eyes snap open and blushes when she notices how close her face is to his

"Good morning" she smiles awkwardly, he frowns at her "I hope you slept well" she adds without thinking "you didn't have to sleep out here you know" when he doesn't respond, she points at him then puts her hands to the side of her head to sign sleep then points at the tent. He huffs and climbs to his feet. As he walks away she notices that under the dirt from sleeping on the ground, his back is covered in a patchwork of scars. It takes her breath away to know someone felt that much pain.