As always, I'd like to thank everyone who has given this story a chance. Thanks especially to those who have reviewed. I really appreciate the advice and suggestions! Believe me, each one was given serious consideration in editing this and future chapters.

I don't own Pretty Little Liars or any of the characters represented in this work.


Chapter Three
[A Dance, A Shadow]

By the time Emily woke, Paige had already cleared most of the camp. The evidence of their stay had been covered up, at least as far as Emily was concerned. Paige stood in the center of the campsite, hands on her hips, muttering that it would just have to do. As Emily stirred, she turned to greet her.

"Morning." She crossed to where Emily sat and began taking down the shelter. Emily rubbed her eyes and blinked in the gray light. Her neck and back ached from sleeping on the hard ground. She stood, wincing as her joints cracked. Paige grimaced in sympathy. "You'll get used to it," she said, folding up Emily's blanket. Emily bent down to help her, winding up the rope that Paige had used to support the lean-to.

Before long, they had gathered everything together. As Paige tied down Pru's saddlebags, she flashed Emily a crooked grin. "Thanks for the help, Fields. I don't suppose that makes us even?"

A smile spread across Emily's face. "Not yet. I'll let you know when we're even." They both laughed, and Paige heaved a mental sigh of relief at the return of Emily's more good-natured self.

After feeding Pru and giving the site one last once-over, they headed out again. In the daylight, the way was clear, so their progress was quick. Emily took advantage of the increased visibility to look about. To her delight, they seemed to be surrounded by flowering shrubs; wild roses bloomed in every color as far as the eye could see. She knelt to pluck one, fingers ready to snap its stem, but Paige stepped in. She carefully examined the bush and, selecting a blossom, reached down into the bush as far as she could and snipped off the stem with her dagger.

"Leave no trace," she said as she handed the flower to Emily, a smile playing on her lips. Their fingers brushed as Emily accepted the gift, careful to avoid pricking her skin on the rose's thorns. "Or as little trace as possible." She began to sheathe her dagger but stopped, looked at it, and took the whole scabbard off of her belt and passed the weapon on to her companion. Emily hesitated before reaching out to take it. She drew the short blade, regarding its fine edge and dull polish. When she looked back up to Paige, the other smiled. "When we camp I'll teach you how to use it."

Emily put the dagger back in its sheath and hung it from her belt. "Thanks." Her voice was small. Paige had already begun walking away. Emily called out. "Paige?"

Paige turned around, raising her eyebrows. "Yeah?"

"You know it's not your fault, right?" She frowned as the life drained from Paige's face. "I got angry last night. I lost everything. It hurt. It still hurts." She sniffed, feeling the water beginning to well up in her eyes. She fought it down. "But everything that happened, that was because of 'A', not you. So you don't have to... to try so hard to make me feel better. To make yourself feel better. Not that I mind." She raised up the rose as evidence and offered a faint smile. "But you shouldn't beat yourself up over this, really."

"That's not... I'm not..." As her every attempt to speak ended with a stammer, Paige shook her head and let out an exaggerated breath. "Yeah. Yeah, okay." She returned Emily's smile. Realizing that she had held the other girl's gaze longer than intended, she cleared her throat. "Anyway, we should get moving."

Their day was uneventful; at times they walked on in pleasant silence, their ears filled with birdsong and the whisper of the wind through the Wood. At times they chattered, talking about the beauty of the Wood, the joys in their lives. For Emily, it was her days in the sun, hours spent lying in the grass as she had been the day it all went wrong. For Paige, it was the thrill of discovery, in finding a new part of the Wood or a new creature.

When they camped that night, the mood was far lighter than it had been the day before. Emily helped with the preparation, and after they'd gotten settled, they sat by the campfire. Paige regaled Emily with tales of her exploits, glancing at the other girl's face often to judge her reaction, beaming every time Emily laughed or smiled or said she wished she could have seen it.

Emily volunteered to take a shift on watch that night and after some arguing Paige obliged, though she took first shift and stayed up longer than their agreed-upon time. When she finally curled up under the lean-to, Emily sat beside her, dagger drawn and held at the ready. Paige had told her earlier to stand up and walk around on occasion, to listen to different parts of the Wood. Despite her companion's instructions, though, Emily remained by Paige's side. Her eyes traced the vague outlines of the trees around them and occasionally found their way to Paige McCullers' sleeping form, following the gentle ups and downs of her ribs as she slumbered.

The next day was much the same, though the land had begun to slope upwards and the going became rougher. When the land was flat, they would talk, but as the grade increased and their lungs and legs burned, they fell silent, focusing only on the next step. When they finally made camp, they both collapsed by the fire.

Emily pulled off her shoes, massaging her aching feet. She winced at the sight of the blisters on her heels. "How much farther, again?"

Paige was lying on the ground, propped up on her elbows. She'd kicked off her boots as well, and had thrown her leather armor in a pile on the ground. "We'll probably get there tomorrow." She took a gulp from her canteen, then passed it to Emily.

Emily took it and sipped from it. "And where exactly are we going again?" She corked the canteen, lying it on the ground between them. She pulled out her dagger, watching the reflection of fiery tongues dance across its surface.

"A ranger encampment. The nearest one." Paige pulled herself into a sitting position, then up onto her feet. She walked over to Emily and held out her hand. "Want to learn how to use that?"

Sheathing the dagger, Emily reached up and took Paige's hand in her own, letting herself be pulled to her feet. She swayed a bit at the top of her rise and Paige reached out to steady her. Their eyes locked; a smile appeared in the corners of Emily's mouth as Paige ducked her head to break the contact, a flush rising on her cheeks. She took a step back, clearing her throat.

Emily drew her dagger once more and Paige fell into the role of instructor. She led Emily through basic techniques, modeling various thrusts or bits of footwork. Emily studied her, watching her flow through the motions; without her thick armor, her slender frame practically danced across the earth, each movement lithe and precise. Her tunic hung loose about her body, flowing behind her as she swiveled and leapt about.

As Paige demonstrated, Emily tried to mimic her; she was not unsuccessful, but her movements were slow and clumsy. Still, Paige took Emily's attempts in stride. She was quick to correct and supply advice. Though she was not as artful as Paige, Emily learned quickly.

Though her face was lined with concentration, Paige's eyes glittered as her student passed each little test. She did not smile, but her energetic commands and rising voice bespoke her excitement. "Here," she said, as Emily practiced a particular stance. She moved in close, adjusting Emily's pose with her hands. Her back was to the fire and through the illuminated fabric of her shirt, Emily could see the shadowy outlines of her body beneath the drapes of cloth. As her stomach fluttered, Emily took a step back, feigning a wide yawn. Paige stepped back too, her beetled brows melting into a smile. She looked up at the leafy bower above their heads. "Yeah, I guess it's about that time." She crossed to her pile of clothing, pulling on her armor and boots once more. "I'll take first watch."

Emily smiled. "Thanks. And thanks for the lesson! I think I'm really starting to-"

Her hands shot to her skull as her knees buckled beneath her. She fell, first to her knees and then forward, landing face-first in the earth. The soft thump of her body meeting the ground alerted Paige, who whirled around, her armor only half-buckled.

"Shit!" She darted to the lean-to, seizing the blanket that lay there. Kneeling by Emily's head, she rolled the girl onto her back then draped the blanket over her, covering her eyes and face. She seized the canteen next and poured its contents over the smoldering embers of their fire, stomping out any light that remained with the bottom of her boot. Task complete, she knelt beside her prone friend. She took Emily's hand in her own and waited for the ordeal to begin.

Surrounded by darkness again, Emily regained her composure as soon as the splitting whine receded. She waited, her eyes fixed ahead of her, and soon enough she saw the growing point of light that signaled the appearance of 'A'. As 'A' drew closer, she took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and set her face into a firm frown.

"It's awfully rude to decline my invitation like that, you know." The black specter's veil swished as she crossed her arms.

Emily refused to answer. 'A' clucked her tongue.

"I would have thought your parents would raise you better than that."

Her parents. Emily flinched, collecting herself immediately after, but 'A' had already seen it.

"Oh, wondering what happened to Mommy and Daddy, are you?" She hummed. "Why don't you tell me where you are, and I'll let you in on the secret."

Emily snorted. "Can't you figure that out by yourself?"

Leaving one arm still crossed, 'A' raised the other and laid one finger against her temple. "I'm afraid your ranger friend has seen to that." She moved the hand away from her head and held it in front of her, inspecting it. "She has quite the grip. I don't suppose you'd tell me her name?"

No response. 'A' sighed. "I asked for that, I suppose. Passivity won't work with you, will it?" She crossed her arms again. "Fine. Let's go back to your parents then, shall we?" She walked around Emily to stand behind her. Emily turned, keeping her eyes focused on her enemy. "Would you like to see them again?" 'A' laughed. "Of course you would. I'm going to be generous, here. I'm going to forget your earlier slight and extend you another invitation. We'll have a little get-together: you, your parents, and me. Your parents are already at my place; they're just dying of impatience waiting for you, so you'd best hurry along."

"You have them?" Emily's strong façade crumbled. Worry lines creased her face. "Show me!"

'A' shook her head. "I don't think you understand. It doesn't work that way." She faced Emily head-on. Her voice dropped in pitch. "I set the rules. I pull your strings, not the other way around. You don't get to make demands." She let out a huff and straightened herself, smoothing out her black skirt. "Think about it, Emily." Her voice had resumed its cloying charm.

She turned and stalked away and the darkness began to lift. Emily had her hands on her temples as soon as 'A' turned her back. The bright light began to wash over her, burning away her tormentor's presence. Once again, through the blinding brilliance, she could just make out the stone room. The faint outline of the figure was there again; a girl? The girl's mouth moved as if to speak but the shrieking in Emily's head drowned it out and soon the glare scorched away all trace of the scene. And then, without fanfare, it all crept away.

Emily stirred; her body felt heavy. She raised an arm and felt something above her head. As she sat up, it fell away and she realized it was just the blanket. She looked around and found Paige kneeling beside her, little more than a dark shadow with the light from the fire extinguished. She took a deep breath of the crisp forest air.

"Well?" Paige rolled back off of her knees into a sitting position, crossing her legs in front of her.

Emily closed her eyes, letting her breaths fall into a slow rhythm. "She has my parents."

Paige sighed. "I thought as much."

"You knew?"

"I suspected." Paige looked away. "She won't let you be free. If her soldiers can't get you, then she'll take your parents. They're bait."

"Well, obviously." Emily bit her lip. "What am I going to do?" She covered her trembling lips with her hand as tears pooled in her eyes. The tears began to slide down her cheeks. Her body was wracked with great truncated gasps that hid a feral wail in the wasted breath they left behind.

Paige listened on as Emily's sobs began to grow, her face pained and her chest aching in sympathy, though she resisted reaching out. When Emily could hold back no longer, neither could Paige, and her arms wound their way about the other girl. She pulled Emily's head down, pressing her against her shoulder. "It's okay," she said, her words tickling Emily's ear as she spoke.

Emily buried her face in Paige's leather-clad shoulder, wrapping her arms around Paige. She found the unbuckled seams in the other girl's armor and slid her hands through them, knotting her fists in the tunic that hung against Paige's back. She tugged and squeezed as her howls fell muffled against Paige's stalwart shoulder.

They stayed that way until Emily's cries simmered down into small whimpers. Even when her heaving chest had slowed its pace and she could breathe without the tiny cracking hiccups that threatened to send her spiraling into despair again, Emily clung to Paige. Paige held her; only when Emily stirred did she unclasp her. Emily raised a hand to her eyes, wiping away the tear-salt and sweat-salt that clung to her cheeks. Her eyes and Paige's met, and Emily gave Paige a smile, though it had to work hard to break through the trembling, shaking pain that twinged in every muscle.

"Thanks," she whispered. Paige nodded her head, unable to move her lips and respond. Emily let out an impatient huff. "Look at me. I don't get it. I didn't cry when I thought they were dead but I'm crying now? What's wrong with me?"

"You can't control these things," said Paige. "You didn't know they were dead before. They could have gotten away and you wouldn't have known. But it's real now. You know 'A' has them."

Emily sighed. "Yeah. You're probably right. Thanks," she said again, reaching out to take Paige's hand. She gave it a quick squeeze and gave Paige a wan smile. "Well, I'm going to get some sleep. Night, Paige." She began to draw her hand away. Paige loosened her grip, but only just; Emily slipped her fingers from Paige's grasp, letting them trail against the other girl's palm until they were free and her hand dropped to her side.

Paige spoke as their connection broke. "Night, Fields." She turned her back as Emily crossed to the shelter, laid down and stared out at the sky. After she finished buckling her armor, she set to work rebuilding the fire, for she had suddenly begun to shiver.

She stayed up a little while longer, but eventually she doused the fire and crept over to the shelter. With a few days' journey behind them, and no sign of 'A' or her men, she decided they didn't need a watch that night. She laid down beside Emily, careful to leave a gap between their bodies. She listened to the soft whisper of the other girl's breath beside her and let it carry her off to sleep.

In the morning, Emily's melancholy had diminished, though it hung about in the shadows in her face and behind her eyes, lurking just beneath the surface of a casual glance.

"We'll find the encampment today?" she asked as she and Paige busied themselves clearing their camp.

Paige nodded. "We should. The Steward doesn't like to stay in one place for very long, but unless something's spooked them, I think we'll find them right where I left them."

"Who's this Steward? Will he be able to help me?"

Paige looked up from her crouch over the fire pit as she tried to disguise its existence as best as possible. "She. The Steward is a woman. And she's the leader of the rangers. She's supposed to be the high protector of the Rosewood, but the job's a lot less glorious since 'A' moved in." She shook her head. "And honestly, I don't know. I don't mean to be harsh, but 'A' isn't someone you take lightly. She's dangerous and vigilant around the clock." She rose to her feet. "But if anyone can help you, the Steward can. Ready to go?" She crossed over to Pru and stood beside the horse, her body turned towards Emily, a small smile on her face.

Emily returned the smile. "I'm all set." They began their walk. "Well, I suppose just asking her can't hurt. I have to try, for my parents' sake."

Paige, walking ahead, nodded. "They're your parents, after all."

The walk was even harder going than it had been the day before, and slower too. Pru had trouble tackling the steeper inclines head-on, so they were forced to wind their way up the side of the hill, zig-zagging back and forth as they inched closer to the top. To their relief, the top continued level for some distance, though it grew quite rocky and they progressed slowly, choosing their footing with care, for neither of them wanted to turn an ankle or see Pru do the same.

Further walking revealed that the land began to slope downward at a gentle pace, and the way became easy once again. "We're getting close," Paige said through labored breaths. "They should be just at the bottom."

They weren't just at the bottom.

They found themselves in a wide ravine that stretched on for some ways to either side, hills sloping up ahead and behind. A laughing brook snaked across the wide, flat bottom of the ravine, splitting it in two. Paige planted her fists on her hips as she scanned the scene. Her mouth was drawn into a line and her brows were creased, but the look in her eye was not one of frustration; it more closely mirrored the look she had worn when teaching Emily how to use the dagger. Emily was beginning to recognize the look as one of restrained excitement and piqued interest.

Emily stood beside Pru, stroking the tall animal as she watched Paige flit about the scene. "It doesn't look like anyone was ever here."

Paige laughed. "Oh, they were here all right. They left hints, though. They didn't flee in fear, just restlessness. They want to be found by the right person." She was coy on the nature of the hints, and Emily didn't ask. She waited, eyes taking in the whole picture. She wondered, as she traced the gauzy shapes of the leaves above her head, how she had ever been so terrified of the Wood. Her eyes fell on Paige, and she doubted that she would ever have thought of asking herself that question without the other girl's help. It was possible, she realized, that without Paige she would be in the clutches of 'A' by now.

By then, Paige had stood up, brushing dirt from her gloves and knees. "I think I know where they've gone, but there's always the chance that it'll be a bit of a wild goose chase." She hopped across the brook and returned to Emily's side. "I'm going to follow their trail, but I'd like you to stay here."

"Why do I have to stay?" asked Emily. Her tone was curious rather than indignant.

"The trail is really subtle. The more people that go, the more likely we are to disturb something and lose them completely. Anyway, I won't go far so you should be all right. I'll be within shouting distance. But if something does go wrong… well, Pru will be with you, so don't think twice about getting as far away as you can." She gave Emily a quick smile before turning away and scurrying up the other side of the ravine.

Emily watched her disappear over the top, then crossed to a large, flat rock by the stream and sat down. She pulled off her shoes and dangled her feet in the clear water, sighing as she broke the surface with her toes. She laid back on the rock, staring up above her; the sky flashed a brilliant blue in the tiny chinks between the woven boughs above her head. Beside her, Pru walked over to the dream and lowering her head to drink. Emily's ears were filled with the sounds of Pru's snuffling, the flick of her tail, the chatter of birds. The ceiling swayed in the breeze above her. Nature existed as a humming, quivering presence all around her.

Until she noticed the strain in the quiver; the sounds and sights had lost their loose abandon and seemed instead like a string pulled too taut. Without knowing why, she felt as though a finger hovered over the fiber and the slightest touch would set it to shaking.

She rose to her feet and reached a hand up to her hair. The snap of a twig sounded in the distance. The finger lashed out and gave the cord a violent pluck.

Her eyes sought the sound of the snap and found a figure stepping out from the trees, a bow held ready. Motion caught her eye and she saw another figure, and another. She didn't wait for them to approach but seized Pru's saddle and swung herself up onto the horse's back.

"Paige!" she screamed, the name tearing out of her throat. She spurred Pru on, leaning forward and wrapping her hands in the horse's mane. Pru broke into a run, speeding off down the center of the ravine. Above her, on the side of the gully where Paige had disappeared, Emily could see another rider atop a black horse, matching pace with Pru. "Come on, Pru," she said. She had no reins and could only rely on the horse to carry her from danger.

Tree trunks whipped past her as they powered on, Pru's hooves thundering against the earth beneath them. Still the other rider followed them. Soon, the sides of the gulch began to dip as the rise of the land flattened out. The other rider rode downhill now, their path angling straight toward Pru and Emily. As they drew together, the other horse leapt across the brook, cutting off the way; Pru reared up and Emily flailed, falling onto her back.

She squeezed her eyes closed, willing the pain in her spine and chest to go away. She coughed, choking on the air her lungs were struggling to capture. When she rolled onto her hands and knees she opened her eyes and saw the boots of the other rider in front of her. Digging her fingers into the leaves and mud, she raised her gaze to her aggressor, a wave of black hair falling across her face.

Their eyes met; Emily stared into the sharp, hawkish face.

"Who are you?" she asked between ragged gasps. The woman crossed her arms.

"I'm Spencer Hastings," she said, "and you're in my Wood."


And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed it. I have to say, I think this is my favorite chapter so far. The fact that I'm so proud of it means I must have made a million errors of judgment in writing it, so I invite any constructive criticism you can offer. My writing always needs improvement and any advice that can help me polish it even further is much appreciated.

Chapter Four will be up next week!