This was the first day that They were going into town. I was almost as excited as They were. They even paid me a compliment. For Them it was compliment anyway.

"Cinder! Slow down before I call in Bartholomew!" Brannon said loudly as I wrenched the ribbons tightly.

"At least she's moving quickly. Other times she barely moves at all!" Avoca laughed as I stitched a jewel on her dress so quickly I was done before I got on my knees.

"Oh bravo Ella!" Avoca squealed pushing me aside, "you finally did something right." Of course She stepped in at that time and found something horribly wrong with it all. They left quickly however and went to town.

As soon as I heard the carriage leave I jumped from the house and into the forest. I ran to town so fast nothing, not even Bartholomew, could catch me. I was free from Them and that awful prison of a house. The thought made me so happy that I thought I could fly through the woods.

Just as I was smiling though, from utter joy, I heard something behind me.

A crunch.

In the snow.

Not the solid thump of falling snow, but the stuttered step of a follower. I didn't stop, or slow down, but I did look behind me. There was nothing, and no one. Only the dark silhouettes of trees rushing by in the blinding white snow.

I heard something else. Bird called loudly. I didn't know what to make of it, so I just followed my instinct. I grabbed a branch from the ground and ran. Faster and faster, flying over the snow with reckless abandon.

Now that the people knew they were discovered they didn't even try to remain silent. They thundered and rumbled through the snow.

I ran as fast as I could, praying they wouldn't catch me. I was racing through the snow as fast as a doe.

My trackers ran as well, one faster than the others. I spun around and hit the closest one so hard it broke the tree branch. He fell to the ground, holding his arm. I picked up a second branch and took off again, flying into town. The trackers were right at my heels.

I ran down an alley way, checking behind me all the time. I heard the echo's, and the voices of the men. On the walls, the shadows of the men chasing me. I looked around corners before moving. They sounded as if they had surrounded me. Growing louder and louder. Coming closer and closer, circling me it seemed.

"Cinder," someone grabbed my shoulder. I gasped and swung the branch at him. He threw his arm up though, letting the branch crack on his forearm.

"Abe!" I gasped, "Have you been following me?"

"No, why? Is someone following you?" he asked looking behind us.

"I think so," I whispered, wondering why he didn't see or hear them.

"You think so?"

"I don't know why they were," I whispered, panicking. Anyone who tracked me was sent by Her. I'm with the woman and I'm still being tracked. Can I not get a break?

"What if they were just other hunters in the woods?"

"They weren't. Help me," I begged, hearing the footsteps from down the alley. We ran through the back ways of town, headed to Mr. Becker's store. I slipped in the store, terrified of being spotted on the street. I tugged my hood farther down on my face.

Abe came in behind me and walked up to Mr. Becker.

"Have there been anyone new that you've noticed?"

"Can't say, who you looking for?" Mr. Becker asked putting bread on the shelves. Abe asked me what they looked like.

I could not say. All I knew was they were unlike the ones my Aunt and Her would send after me. Her trackers would've shot me, these would not hurt me.

"Why wouldn't they hurt me?" I asked him

"I don't know," Abe said shaking his head, staring at the ground.

"What's this about trackers?" Mr. Becker said turning his full attention to us.

"There are people in the woods!" I gasped softly.

"Cinder," Mr. Becker said taking my hand reassuringly, "when was the last time you ate?"

"It's not a hallucination Mr. Becker!" I said taking my hand from his grasp, "There really are people chasing me." I was tired of people not believing me. There were people who chased me in those woods. Again! I will always be chased! There is no place for me, no home. I'll be chased out of it.

"I have to agree with her Mr. Becker, these do sound real. Do you know Cinder to make up a story like this?" Abe said stealing a glance out the window.

"No, I don't, but why would people be tracking her? She's at home, there's no reason to!"

"I don't have all the answers!" Abe declared getting frustrated, "I just know she's not making this up!"

"What do you mean?" I asked

"I—" Abe said looking at me.

"You don't know all the answers?" I asked, "You know something!"

"Cinder! I'm a Captain; it's my job to know things!"

"What do you know?"

"I know..." he sighed greatly rubbing his mouth as he studied me, "the Greeks have infiltrated the country. You may have been targeted because they saw you with the Prince."

"Why? I must have looked like a servant to them,"

"Not that last day, they may think the prince is in love with you,"

"Why would he be in love with me?" I asked confused.

"I don't know! Go ask him yourself," Abe said getting angry at me. That made me jump, and made me get angry with Abe.

"That's not even possible!"

"You're so negative!"

"Negative? At least I don't shrug off duties!" I said, raising my voice.

"Duties? I'm supposed to be here!"

"Why? What could you possibly be doing?!"

"You might want to lower your voice," Mr. Becker said, "Abe, you're yelling."

"So was Cinder!"

"According to Cinders standards, yes she was yelling,"

I smirked; I had gotten the upper hand in this fight.

Fight? I had fought with Abe? I felt bad about that.

"You haven't seen anyone new, specifically Greek?" Abe asked

"I haven't," he said frowning.

"Thank you Mr. Becker," I smiled at him before following Abe out the door. We walked into an alley. I felt bad for arguing with him, but I wish he told me. I thought I was going to die! Abe however simmered dangerously in his anger. I knew it was my fault; I should not have pushed him so.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to him, "I shouldn't have yelled at you. You were doing what was best." Abe sighed next to me, his anger diminishing.

"I should've told you. I knew they would come sometime."

"I'll just stay lower. You watch yourself though; you're close to the Prince."

"I do," Abe said as we walked from town into the forest, "I know how to watch myself, you don't—"

"I know how to hide; I've done it before,"

"I'm afraid that's how they find you. They know you hide, they'll be looking for people who hide."

"What do you mean?" I asked confused, looking up at him.

"They know your tricks,"

"No, how could they?" I gasped, "How long have you known?"

"Only a week," Abe said defensively. My mouth was open in shock. How would I stay in the woods if they would chase me? I wasn't safe in the woods now either? Would my life always be full of such disappointment? I have no place to go.

We came upon my tracks and theirs. My tracks were far apart, I almost did fly to town. Abe was looking at the other tracks, there were four sets. He crouched down next to the tracks.

"These were pretty tall men, they're faster than I am," Abe said

"Good thing I run fast," I said looking at the dark trees. Abe sat, studying the tracks

I heard something behind us, it sounded like snow crunching. The same crunch I heard the first time. I looked behind us, through the dark skeletal trees. I saw nothing, just like the first time.

I gasped a loud "run" before taking off. Abe looked up after me in confusion, but stood up anyway. I heard Abe start moving a second before the trackers broke their silence. Abe ran up next to me and we both ran from the trackers.

"Run," I said to Abe as he fell behind, "come on Abe!"

"I told you, they're faster than me. My only option is to fight!" Abe yelled up to me.

"They know your plan now!" I said back to him. Abe ran back to me and we flew through the snow. The people ran behind us. He and I jumped over a fallen log.

Only I was lighter and got better footing then Abe. Abe was fatigued and I was not I flew farther than he did. Behind the log there was only a meter of land left, after that was a cliff.

I screamed as I fell off that cliff.

"No!" Abe shouted, as did the trackers.

For the first time in my life I was glad for the snow. Closing my eyes I flipped and rolled down the side of the cliff face, snow softening each hit and landing, throwing white softness around me. By the time I rolled to the bottom of the cliff I was too numb to feel anything anyway. I kept my eyes closed and just laid in the snow, adoring in how good it felt to lay still. Maybe time should just stop here and let me have this break. I didn't feel anything, and I loved the feel of nothing. Only something ruined it.

"Cinder," Abe said as a wave of snow fell on top of me, "Cinder get up. They'll find a way down." I didn't want to, the snow felt too good to get up. I put my hands down and pushed up, disappointedly, but my leg wouldn't work. I gladly fell back into the snow.

"Come on, Cinder," Abe said picking me up from the lovely snow, "they're going to catch us." I bumped in his arms as he ran, too cold and too dizzy to protest. Time seemed to be frozen, I felt like I was dipping in and out of consciousness.

The sun was so bright; I couldn't see much more than white.

There was such ringing in my ears.

I could feel Abe's heart; it beat so slowly. I worried about that.

My head started to ache, like my brain was swelling.

I eventually heard men shouting.

Then, all at once, everything sped back up. My leg was on fire. People were on top of the cliff. Abe was breathing very hard. His heart was racing.

"Abe!" I moaned in pain my leg exploded in pain every time Abe took a step. I grabbed my leg, keeping my eyes closed. It was sticking in a strange angle.

"Abe!" I shrieked as he jumped onto the road. He couldn't even answer from lack of breath. I sat up quickly in his arms as he stumbled slightly, hearing the trackers jumping onto the road behind us.

"Abe," I said looking over his shoulder seeing the four dark haired men running a distance down the road. Abe was struggling to keep this break neck pace. I have no idea why he said he was slow. He was very fast and very strong.

Abe carried me up to the castle door and banged tremendously on it. I looked behind us, seeing the four men had vanished.

I looked up at him, feeling that my hood had shaken off. I yanked it back on and the door opened. Abe brought me inside, my leg exploding with each step.

"Get her to the physician," Abe said, breathing hard, "I need to speak with the commander and the King."

"Abe, don't leave me," I whispered barely, fighting to stay conscious. Abe looked quickly at me as if he didn't hear. I fell limp.

"Wait, keep her conscious, I've seen people die when they fall asleep with concussions," someone said.

"Cinder," Abe said shaking me back awake, "you need to stay awake."

"Please Abe," I said sleepily, "let me sleep."

"Get Brigham here, I need to speak to him," Abe said picking me back up and taking me somewhere. The horrid man who said not to let me sleep left. The fire remained though.

"How did you get down the cliff and the trackers didn't?"

"I went after you when you fell. I'm kind of surprised I'm not broken either."

"Help me," I said quietly, as the fire exploded for no reason, "where's Adam?"

"Why Adam?" he said kicking a door open.

"He knows how to set bones," I explained wincing awfully as he put me on the bed. He looked sadly down at me.

"I know how to,"

"I didn't know that," I whispered, "where did you learn to set bones?"

"War, you pick up a thing or two,"

"Can you set it then? Now?" I begged feeling the fire pulse through me. Abe looked at the door quickly, before at me.

"Cinder, I'm sorry," he began, getting on his knees. I pulled my cloak aside to reveal the broken leg. Abe slowly and gripped the two bones that should've been one. His hands were very firm.

"Ready?" he asked his green eyes wide. I nodded, bracing myself for the set. He breathed out slowly, and I closed my eyes.

Next came the sickening pop and fire rushing threw my veins with a horrible vengeance. I choked back a scream and stiffened every part of my body to try and ward off the fire. I stared up at the ceiling, trying in vain to hold back tears.

Abe rushed through splinting it. He made the splint very strong and very secure, it warded off the fire. He put his hand on the side of my face, murmuring kind things.

I breathed out, the air coming out in a rush from my tensed lungs. I looked at the ceiling, waiting for my eyes to dry. I attempted to fill my lungs but it took two tries to accomplish. I realized his hand was on my cheek.

I looked back down at Abe, who looked pitifully at me as I looked at him.

"Thanks," I said throwing the cloak back over my leg. Suddenly, within my soul, I felt the blossom of friendship that I had been trying so hard to stifle, bloom.

"The Prince," a man announced, opening the door to Brigham.

My eyes finally closed with two things: Abe kissing my forehead and the wonderful words "let her sleep." I can't really remember those clearly and they had faded from my memory before I awoke.

XXXXX

Abe was walking me home, with a sack over his shoulder, teaching me how to use the crutches. I think I was getting pretty good at it. My sleep that day was good for me, I felt much better. It was almost sunset, so I would try to get even more sleep. He and I walked all the way home with no one chasing us.

I had to climb up the wall to get into the house. By climb, I mean awkwardly hop on one leg while using my arms to do the actual climbing. When I got into the window Abe tossed my crutches up. He climbed up. I looked curiously at him.

I sat down on my blankets. He looked disgusted. I frowned sadly, looking at my knees. He shook his head and set the sack on the ground.

"Cinder," he said, "I've discussed this with the other commanders extensively. We know that the Greeks have infiltrated our country. What they did to you was just evidence of how far they've gotten in. This will drive us into action."

"So, you're leaving?"

"Yes, from now to the end of May. There's food in the sack"

"May? How, when?"

"In a small force, just to drive them into the surrounding countries. It'll be quick," Abe said quickly looking down at me. I waited until I had gotten my voice back. It took a sometime.

"That's good, you must protect the country," I said, my heart grinding slowly away. Just as soon as I let a friend into my heart he leaves.

"Yes, but..." the sentence dwindled off as he looked down at the ground. His hands clenched and flexed thoughtfully.

"Are you leaving tomorrow?" I asked

"Yes"

"Oh," I said softly looking down, "You must get your sleep then," I whispered, quietly looking up at him. He looked down at me, searching for something. He only nodded and climbed out the window.

I watched him go back into the woods, feeling tears.

It was strange, to have water running down your face. No matter what I did they still came, I had no control of the stream. Nor could I control my breathing. It was as if Abe leaving had taken every sense of basic self control I had. I hadn't cried so hard since Isabeau died.

I knew I should not have gotten attached. I wish I'd never met him. What if he were erased from my life? The thought caused more tears to come.