Chapter seven. Woohoo. I had to make so many changes to this story. Really, ya'll have no idea how much of a nuisance this chapter way. And I really had to stop writing this for awhile cause it was driving me crazy. Rawr. Anyways...read ahead...

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"Dom." Neal leaned over his cousin while Kel got Dom's horse, Lark, under control. "Dom. Wake up." He knelt and proceded to slap his cousin in the face multiple times. "What the hell did you do to him?" Was the first thing out of Neal's mouth when Oliver approached him. They had been travelling for about a week and Dom had become fast friends with Oliver. When they had gone riding that morning, Dom fell off his horse and passed out. Just like that.

"Nothing." Oliver replied with a shrug of his shoulder, kneeling on Dom's other side. "We was just riding and he slipped off his horse." Neal nodded and went about slapping Dom in the face, trying to get him to wake up. For all they knew, there could be something seriously wrong with Dom. Mikol, Rebekah, and Kel crowded around them.

"Neal, maybe you should just let him rest." Kel suggested, putting a light hand on her fiance's shoulder. "You know as well as I that he has not gotten much sleep since Brea. Mayhap when he wakes up, he won't be so damn cranky and easier to deal with. Plus, we have covered alot of distance in the past few days. Rest will do us all some good." They had only been travelling that day for a few hours.

"Doubtful, but you do have a point." Neal said and stood up. "Oliver, help me move him closer to camp." The two men each grabbed an arm and dragged the unconcious Dom closer to where they had set up camp and then collapsed on the ground.

Since Bekah couldn't do much, she sat with her back to a tree, watching Dom sleep, looking for signs of him waking up. For the most part, that is all he did, was sleep. He looked at peace with the world, and his eyes twitched every now and then. There were brief instances when he would sleeptalk. It was mostly incoherent, but she could make out a few words like: 'Brea' and 'Sorry.' Though, he continued to sleep. And sleep. And sleep. Well through midday and supper.

"Will he be awake by tomorrow morning?" Oliver asked Neal as they sat by the fire that evening.

"Hopefully." Neal replied, covering a yawn. "I don't think he has gotten more than two hours of sleep at a time in over a month."

"Gods, that can't be good. Why do you suppose that is?"

"Well, I know that he has dreams about Brea. So I'm guessing that has something to do with it. He felt horrible after the whole ordeal at the fort. Probably feels responsible for it. Somehow."

"He had nothing to do with it though. That Julianna woman did."

"You have to understand the wa-" Neal paused and shook his head, looking at Oliver. "What did you say? About Julianna?"

"Two days ago he told me that, before all of you started out on this expedition, she came to see him and confessed to allowing Brea to be injured. She told him that Brea fell through a hole in a catwalk, then she dragged the poor girls body out to the woods. Thats why he wanted to find her so bad." Oliver explained, staring at Neal. "You didn't know?"

"No. Dom never told me about that." He murmured and shook his head. "Julianna has done some pretty low things, but this is lowest of them all. Do you know if Dom turned her in?"

"He just threatened her. Said she had best pray to the Gods that you all find Brea or he was going to the king when he returned."

"That sounds just like Dom. I will talk to him when he finally wakes." Neal rose and started to make his way to where the other bedrolls were set up. "Are you sure you don't want me to take the first watch?"

"I'm positive. G'night, sir knight." Oliver called out to Neal.

"Good night." Neal called back, getting into his bedroll.

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The next morning, Dom was the first person to wake. He sat up and instantly regretted it. His head was pounding and his entire body was sore. What in the name of the Gods had he done the day before? Struggling to his feet, he stumbled over to a creek in the distance and splashed his face with water. The very last thing he remembered...was riding with Oliver. After that. Nothing.

"Dom!" He could hear Kel shouting from their camp, her voice frantic; he had been sitting at the creek for a good forty-five minutes.

"Over here!" Dom shouted back and the woman stumbled over to the creek, hugging him, then proceded to punch him in the arm. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You scared the daylights out of us! Disappearing like that!" She growled, punching him again.

"Would you please stop yelling? It hurts my head." He muttered, which earned him another punch in the arm. "Ow!"

"Well, you're lucky I don't make your head hurt even more." She threatened and stood up, helping Dom to his feet as well. They walked back to camp together, to see everyone else already awake as well.

"Neal, make her stop abusing me." Dom begged, sitting down beside the fire.

"Kel, stop hurting Dom." Neal muttered and passed his cousin a cup of tea. "For your head."

"Thanks." He said and drank half the tea in one gulp; it almost ended up all over Bekah. "Is anyone going to tell me what happened yesterday?"

"That's an easy question. You fell off your horse and passed out." Oliver replied, rolling up his bedroll an stowing it on his horse.

"Oh. That explains why my head hurts so bad." Dom murmured and finished off his tea.

"We should get moving again." Neal murmured and stood up, stretching. "After all, we didn't get very far yesterday." The assembled group of people stood as well and began packing up camp. In ten minutes, they were ready to go. Neal and Dom rode side-by-side, Kel, Mikol, and Bekah falling in place behind him. Oliver was riding in front of everyone else, leading the group.

"When I was talking to Oliver last night, he told me something rather interesting." Neal started, glancing at his cousin. "About Julianna."

"What about her?" Dom demanded, looking back at Neal.

"That she is the reason Brea is missing. Something about dragging her out to the woods after she fell through a hole in the catwalk." Neal replied and kept his eyes on the path before them. "Why didn't you tell me? She deserves to be imprisoned for that."

"And you think that would've made things better? You should've seen the look on her face, Neal. I'm not as cold-hearted as you think. If we find Brea and take her back to Corus, Julianna can live out her life knowing the Gods favor her in some way. If we don't, then she can live with that guilt for the rest of her life. She can suffer as I have. And when her time comes to go to the Peaceful Realms, the Black God can deal with her." Dom replied, once more looking ahead as well.

"I will never understand the way your mind works, Domitan." Neal muttered, shaking his head. "I say we turn her in to the king regardless of us finding Brea or not."

"How about, and I'm merely throwing this idea out there, we let Brea decided what to do." Dom suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

"Sounds good." Was Neal's diplomatic response and they rode in silence. That was, until Oliver waved for silence. "What is it?"

"A procession. Headed this way." Oliver replied, listening intently.

"Do you think we could just stay on this road? I mean...to them, we probably only look like riders." Dom suggested, glancing at Oliver, who looked on edge.

"Um...yeah...sounds good." He mumbled and continued to fidget; Dom was sure he was the only person to notice this.

"Something bothering you?" Dom asked, keeping his voice low.

"You don't understand. I can't let these people see me." Oliver whispered back, his hands tightened around the reins.

"Why? And don't lie to me."

"I'm not exactly who I say I am. You see...I'm Alexander's eldest son. There were a few things I did that my father didn't agree with so I left. They think I am dead now." Oliver murmured and ran a hand through his head. "If they see me...I will have to go back to the citadel. You don't understand my father, Dom. He can be kind, but he is also a tyrant. Wanting to control every single thing of my life."

"Why couldn't you tell us this earlier?" Dom demanded, glancing at the rest of the group.

"Just never seemed to be the right time. I guess." Was the awkward response. "Just...send me away or something. Please Dom. I'm begging you." There was a brief silence, until Dom finally broke it.

"Okay, but you owe me more to this story." Dom muttered, before glancing back at the rest of the group. "Oliver left something back at camp. He's going to run back and get it. We'll wait here. Is that alright with everyone?" There was a general agreement as Oliver dismounted from his horse. Nodding once to Dom, he started to run back in the direction of where they had set up camp. Right as he ran out of eyesight, the procession came into sight.

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Okay, I really wanted to continue on with this chapter. It will continue in the next one. Please leave me some comments and the next one will come up soon!!! Promise!!!