AN Hey everybody

AN Hey everybody! It's Word Nazi (duh!)! Dude, writing this chapter was SO tear jerking. I couldn't help but feel bad for Farid! I kinda made Dustfinger seem like a jerk, but, just a forewarning, he's just stressed, he's upset, too. You know, because he did love Resa and all and now she's gone... so yeah. Oh, and, also, before I get any questions on the time thing in this, Meggie and the prisoners (that'd be a cool band name. xD) are about four weeks ahead, this chapter happens before the first chapter. This happens the day they were all supposed to be released... so yeah... (Wow, talk about a run on...) Alright, read on... AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!! .

Farid sat perched atop a tree that had the perfect view of the path leading down from the Adder's castle. "Come on..." He whispered. The sun was nearly at its highest point in the day already, and he'd seen not one prisoner leave that awful prison. 'Where's Meggie?' That question and several others raced through his mind. "What if he doesn't let them go?" The realization for Farid was awful, but so was the Adder--from what he'd heard and witnessed with Meggie being taken away.

Farid had been on guard for nearly two hours now and he was losing his hope. He couldn't let Meggie be tortured in that wretched place any longer... he decided then that if Meggie and the other prisoners weren't released by dusk, he, Farid, would release them himself.

"Farid!" A voice called up the tree, making Farid lose his balance on his branch and nearly fall off. He looked down to see who it was. Dustfinger. Was he coming to replace Farid on guard? If he was, Farid would refuse to leave his post, he wouldn't leave until he saw Meggie walk down that path. He couldn't leave Meggie. He wouldn't leave Meggie.

"What?" He called back in a whisper, still being cautious in case the Adder had extra guards out in the forest.

"We've come across... a discovery." Dustfinger paused for a moment--he hesitated. The hairs on the back of Farid's neck stood on end, why was Dustfinger nervous? "About the prisoners. About Silvertongue and Meggie." Farid's eyes opened wide. 'What's happened to Meggie?!' He wanted to ask. 'They didn't hurt them, did they?' He nearly screamed. But he kept his voice low and asked the more rational question.

"What discovery?" And, again in answer, Dustfinger hesitated.

"Come down here, then we'll talk about it." He bargained.

"I can't. I have to stay on watch, I have to watch for Meggie. What if they leave while—"

"Farid, get. Down. Here." Farid shook his head.

"Not until I see Meggie."

"Farid! Get your bloody ass down here! And THEN we'll talk about it!" Again, Farid shook his head.

"I have to stay here. I have to stay o-on watch." He repeated. "Just tell me what the discovery is." Farid had to hold tight to the branch, he had nearly lost his balance while talking. Something wasn't right. Usually Dustfinger was blunt when it came to information. He would check to make sure no one was around first, were they surrounded? That would answer for Dustfinger being so nervous, but why wasn't he warning him? Why didn't he give him a signal? What could possibly be going--

"Damn it, Farid! You want to know what's happened?!" Dustfinger yelled out in agitation. "The Adder tricked us! The bastard tricked us!" Farid cringed, he had never heard Dustfinger curse like this before, not so profusely. Again, Farid nearly fell off his branch. "He sent them out at midnight! He knew we were out here! They're gone, boy! They're long gone. They're probably already on slave ships to another land--there's nothing we can do about that now, boy! Meggie is GONE! You will never see her again!"

A tear rolled down Farid's cheek. He had let Meggie slip right through his fingers. "Can't we go after--"

"Damn it! No Farid! We can't! If you haven't realized this already, I DON'T have a ship of my own! Not even a sail boat! They're gone and there's nothing we can do about that now. We're going to leave by dusk. We're going back to (WHAT IS THE PLACE WHERE ROXANNE LIVES?). Be ready to leave by dusk." With that, Dustfinger walked off and left Farid to be miserable on his own.

"Why?" He choked out between sobs. "I'll never see her again!" He hit the tree with a full fist, causing a cut to form on his hand. He took his face in his hands and sobbed. Meggie was gone. There was no way to rescue her now, either. Farid had let the bad guys take her away. It was his fault. He shouldn't have trusted that the Adder would let them free at dawn. He never should have trusted him. He was just as bad as the men he grew up knowing. This world was no better than his old one. Farid didn't belong here. Meggie didn't belong here.

"I have to find her!" He whispered urgently through his sobs. "I have to find her." He repeated desperately. "I... have... to find her." But how? How could he find her? He didn't know these lands. He didn't know anything about them. He didn't know anything about boats either. If the boats here were like the boats in Meggie's world, he wouldn't have a shot at catching them. Farid had never seen a boat in his world, but he didn't consider that terrible desert his home any more, it was only a terrible nightmare that he remembered.

"I have to save her." Farid whispered.

AN Dun dun dunnnn!! Kk, I was kind of a mean little author… hahaha, impatient, I am. I got excited so I didn't wait for my beta to reply. xP SORRY! Much love to Alexa Daley!! You should check out her stories, too! They're AMAZING! ;) Sorry sorry, Alexa! I just couldn't wait any longer! You know how it is with new chapters… new reviews… IT'S LIKE SUMMER!

OMIGAWD SUMMER! FIVE WEEKS YOU GUYS! FIVE WEEKS AND… (Cue music…) SCHOOLLLL'SS OUT FOR SUMMAH!