Once among the trees I reined in my horse, walking us in until I could barely hear the fighting behind me. Neither man was in sight. The sound of a horse off to my right moving away from me sounded like Ravencrom's, which meant the horse behind me to my left was probably Thom's. I whistled in the direction of each man and heard their horses stop only to then continue going in the wrong directions. With a quiet snort at the deafness of humans I urged my horse towards Ravencrom, my mare moving like smoke through the thick undergrowth.

I found Ravencrom before he saw me. He had stopped his horse on a rock outcropping, his helm resting on the saddle horn as he turned his head this way and that as he searched the woods around him. In the dim light his reddish-gold hair gleamed above the shoulders of his dark armor. His horse nickered at mine and he twisted in his saddle towards us as if startled.

"Didn't you hear my whistle?" I said softly as I urged my mare towards him. "I called twice and you kept going the wrong way."

"I thought I was hearing a real bird," he said with a lopsided grin as he put his helm back on. "Let's go find Stelward. I bet he's twice as lost."

I shook my head. "No, actually he's not that far from us. Follow me."

I made to turn my horse around but stopped when I heard distant voices. "Wait. There are two people arguing – in that direction," I said pointing northward. "Human male and female."

"Stelward first," Ravencrom said. "Besides, I don't think it's wise for us to be nosy."

I nodded in agreement and then led the way back to where I had last heard Thom's horse.

"Where are we in relation to Westfall Brigade, private?" Ravencrom said once we were all together.

"Not far – maybe a day's ride," Thom said. "These hills might slow us down some though and there are trappers and bears all through here. The Horde have an encampment to the southeast so they probably have units patrolling these woods too."

"I'm not hearing anything good, private. Are there no friendlies nearby?" Ravencrom said, frowning.

"There's a girl I used to know at the White Pine Trading Post, to the north. It does sit on a trail that will take us to the Brigade."

"That's the direction I heard voices," I said.

"Used to know," Ravencrom repeated. "Did you part as friends or will she shoot you on sight?"

Thom chuckled. "We're friends."

The lieutenant nodded. "Then proceed with caution, folks," he said and motioned to me to take the lead.

I pulled up in the last of the trees' shadows and peered ahead into the sunlit clearing of a small trappers' post. A man with grey streaks in his black hair and a younger brown haired woman were seated across from each other at a large rough table. The woman looked to be about Thom's age. I looked back over my shoulder to him and he nodded, at which Ravencrom gave the go ahead.

We had no sooner cleared the trees than the young woman jumped up and stooping to the ground, picked up a rock and threw it at the man across from her, hitting him hard enough to knock him to the ground. She then ran to the building behind her and returning with a rifle, pointed it at the prone man.

"Sasha!" Thom yelled. "What are you doing?"

"Grab him, Thom!" the girl said. The weapon in her hands did not waver. "He killed my father!"

The man sat up and put his hand to his head, cursing when he looked at his palm and saw the blood on it. "She lies. I did no such thing."

Thom jumped down from his horse and pulled the man to his feet. "I would trust her word over yours, Anatoly." He snorted in distaste. "Gah, you stink of stale beer."

The gun went off and Anatoly spun out of Thom's grasp to fall again to the ground. Ravencrom's horse reared and bucked, nearly throwing him out of the saddle. While startled as first, Misty stood firm and I got down and ran to the girl. I struggled to take the gun from her but only succeeded in keeping the weapon pointed at the ground.

Finally getting his mount under control, Ravencrom dismounted and quickly tied the reins to a pole. The animal stood with head down, its whole body shaking and legs splayed. He stalked towards me and the girl like an earth bound thunderstorm.

"My sister," Sasha whispered as Ravencrom jerked the weapon out of her hands. "They took my little sister. And that – monster – won't tell me where she is."

"You're accusing a drunkard of murder and kidnapping?" Ravencrom said. "You shot an unarmed man!" He turned to Thom. "Just how well do you know this woman?"

Before he could answer, I summoned a small healing spell and cast it on the man at Thom's feet. His reaction startled us all as he screamed and clawed at the wound in his shoulder.

"I tried to heal him and he acts like the Light burned him," I said, fear rising within me. "He's not what you think he is."