Karigan loved horses from an early age. The stable master often let her help with basic tasks, such as giving the horses food and water, and she eagerly accomplished them. Her father encouraged the love, buying her a horse when she was just five years old. He tasked the stablemaster with teaching her to ride when she was home (lessons supplemented by Selium's teachers), for he felt it was a worthy pursuit for a future merchant. Both stablemaster and child took to the lessons, and most mornings during her school breaks, Karigan would be out at the stables soon after breakfast.

Given her love of riding, it should have been no surprise that she received her first major injury from a horse as well. She was seven when it happened. Selium had just received a number of retired horses from the cavalry, horses too old to go to war but young enough that they could still work. The instructors thought the horses would be ideal for teaching the younger students. After all, they were well-trained and old enough that they were generally calm. However, it quickly became clear that at least one of the horses had been retired for reasons other than age.

When the lesson started, a large black mare immediately drew Karigan's attention. She walked over, fascinated with the horse. He seemed interested in her as well, bending down so he could nuzzle her shoulder. His warm breath tickled her neck, and Karigan laughed at the feeling. "Looks like you made a friend," one of the instructors remarked, walking over to join the two. He placed a hand against the horse's neck, and the horse huffed, eliciting another round of giggles from Karigan. "Come on, I will help you into the saddle." The man lifted Karigan up, seating her carefully on the saddle. She gripped the reins as she had been taught, determined to show the instructors that she was perfectly capable of riding on her own. The instructor moved on to the next student as Karigan turned her attention back to where the head instructor stood, explaining the day's lesson.

They started off at an easy walk, a task Karigan could practically complete in her sleep. However, she kept herself and her horse under control, remembering the lessons of the stablemaster at home. The man had often warned her that no matter how eager she was, she needed to follow instructions of those with more experience, for riding could be dangerous. Though Karigan failed to see how the gentle beasts she rode could possibly be dangerous, she trusted the stablemaster. It seemed, however, that not everyone in her class had the same instructions. Another boy a few feet ahead of her was boasting of his riding ability, claiming that he could easily move faster than the plodding pace the instructor set. Karigan frowned, glancing around for the instructors. Unfortunately, they were off helping other students, so none of them heard the boy's boasting. In fact, they did not notice him until he had squeezed the horse into a quick walk and, after a few seconds, a canter.

The boy had not lied—he was a decent rider. He easily stayed seated on his horse as he rode quickly around the paddock, the instructors calling for him to slow. Karigan felt the muscles of her own horse tensing below her, and she quickly leaned over to lay a hand against his neck. "It's okay, Horse," she remarked. "They'll stop him." The horse snorted as if in disbelief, tossing his head back. Karigan barely had time to grab onto his mane before he sprinted off, his legs fairly flying over the short-cropped grass of the field. The initial walk quickly turned into a gallop, and Karigan regretted her earlier desire to allow the horse to gain speed. She was going much too fast, barely keeping hold of the mane. As if reading her thoughts, the horse surged forward, and she tipped sideways. Her mouth opened in a scream as she lost her hold, scrambling for another to no avail. The ground rushed at her much too fast, and everything suddenly went black.

Pain. That was the first thing Karigan was aware of when she finally regained consciousness. She was in great pain, much more than she had ever felt before. She tried to open her mouth to scream again, but the only sound that emerged was a low groan. It was enough, however, to attract attention. A figure moved toward her, but Karigan could only make out a hazy outline. Her mind was still clouded from the pain. She just wanted to rest, to leave the pain behind her. She heard indistinct words, something about a concussion and her back. She tried to tell them that she was fine, but nothing came out. Instead, the blackness enveloped her again.

The second time Karigan awoke, the spots had started to clear from her vision. She blinked, realizing she was in Selium's mending wing. She lay in bed for a moment, mentally cataloguing her injuries. Her head still felt as if it were about to split open, and her left side felt like it was one giant bruise, but she was alive. She opened her mouth, and though the words were hoarse, they were distinguishable. "Water," she croaked. Immediately, a woman stepped up beside her bed. Squinting a bit, Karigan recognized one of the menders, a matronly woman named Sybil.

"Here you are, Dear. Let me help you sit up." Sybil helped her into a half-seated position and pressed a glass to Karigan's lips. Karigan drank gratefully before letting herself slide back down into the bed. The mender set the glass aside.

"Wha' happened?"

"You took a nasty fall off a horse. You bruised up your side quite a bit and got a bad concussion, but both will heal. You got lucky. Many times, falls such as yours would cripple a rider forever."

"Too fast."

"Yes, the horse was going much too fast. I've already had a talk with the instructors about what is appropriate to let children your age do. I cannot believe they let you ride such a wild horse."

"Not his fault."

"You rest, Dear. You need your rest." The woman smoothed Karigan's hair back from her head as Karigan let her eyes slide shut. Maybe sleep would take away the pain.

Karigan's eyes flew open as she came into consciousness, and she suddenly became aware of a searing pain much worse than when her horse threw her so many years before. Her entire body hurt. She definitely had a concussion, and she felt numerous lacerations on her arms and stomach. In addition, it felt as if her entire body was one big bruise. "Thank the gods you're awake," a familiar voice remarked. Karigan slowly turned her head to the side to see the king's worried face come into view. "You had me worried for awhile there. My skills as a mender are decidedly subpar."

"What happened?" she questioned.

He frowned. "I'm not quite sure. I remember climbing up onto the wall after you. You were sleep walking. And then something grabbed my ankle and pulled me down, and I woke up here."

"Not sleep-walking. There was. . . a spirit of some sort. It led the way." Karigan's head pounded as she tried to remember. There was something important the spirit was trying to tell her.

"Well, wherever it was going, we ended up in a cave of some sort. I'm guessing we're in Blackveil, but it's hard to tell from in here."

"You haven't been outside?"

Concern creased his face. "I was also unconscious when I was brought here. And when I woke up again, I was too worried to leave you. I didn't know. . ." His words trailed off, but Karigan heard the ending to his sentence. If you would make it. She took a closer look at him and realized that she was not the only one who was injured. A bruise on his cheek had turned a sickly yellow color, and he had a couple bruises on his chest as well that looked like they might conceal a broken rib or two. Of course, the fact that Karigan could see the bruises at all was telling, as it meant he was not wearing a shirt. She spent a moment admiring the play of muscles now in full view, but she quickly averted her eyes before she could consider the topic for long. They were likely in grave danger, and she was still angry with him for what she had learned at the Golden Rudder. She should not be admiring his physique.

"You're hurt, too."

"Not as bad as you." She glanced pointedly at his chest, and he colored slightly. "I didn't have bandages, but I needed something to stop the bleeding. A couple of the lacerations on your body were quite deep—it seems whatever brought us here did not take much care to keep you away from sharp rocks. I cleaned the wounds as best as I could given our limited supplies and used strips from my shirt to cover them."

"Oh." Karigan fell silent, digesting his words. "But you were okay?" she finally asked.

"Just a minor abrasion on my shoulder, but it was not deep. The bleeding had actually stopped before I even woke up."

"But your ribs-"

"Will heal in a couple days. There's not much you can do about bruised ribs."

Karigan started to sit up, but her vision swam. The king pressed gently on her shoulder to stop her from rising fully. "Easy, Karigan, you lost quite a bit of blood. Give yourself some time to rest."

"Water?" she asked, noting her cracked lips. He leaned over, cupping his hands and reaching into a depression in the rock. When he brought them back up, water glistened in his palms.

"I'm not sure whether or not to trust that it's not tainted, but I did drink some earlier and have not yet felt ill effects. I do warn you that it is not particularly tasty."

"I would rather die of poison than of thirst," Karigan remarked. He acknowledged the statement with a slight incline of his head, holding his hands to her lips. She hesitated, unsure of what to do next. He seemed to sense her concerns, and he smiled gently.

"I would transfer it to you, but I am afraid we would lose too much in the transfer. I have only found two such pools in this cave, so I do not want to waste it." Karigan nodded. Slowly, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his hands to drink and trying to ignore the intimate nature of her actions. He tilted his hands slightly but otherwise kept himself perfectly still as she drank.

"You should rest now. I don't know when whatever brought us here will be back, but I would like to be out of this cave before it comes," he said when she finished.

"Go," Karigan said. She wanted to say more, but sleep was already tugging at her senses.

"I'm not leaving you." His voice was firm, and he reached down, clasping her hand in his own. The warmth of it was surprisingly comforting. "Sleep now. I will keep watch."

"You. . . already. . ." Karigan slipped into unconsciousness.

When she next awoke, Karigan felt considerably less dizzy though pain still lanced through her body with every movement. However, she also had an urgent need to relieve herself, so she forced herself into a seated position, ignoring the pain in her side that particular action caused. "Karigan!" The king was almost immediately at her side, his arm around her shoulders. Though part of her wanted to object to the gesture, it did stop her from toppling over, so she said nothing. "How are you feeling?"

"Dizzy," she said. "But not as bad as expected. I just need to. . ." She trailed off, glancing down at herself and then at him beseechingly. A puzzled frown crossed his face.

"Need to what?"

"You know." She gestured vaguely.

"Know. . . oh. There's a small nook near the back that I've been. . . using. Do you think you can make it there?" Karigan nodded, regretting the action almost immediately when it sent tendrils of pain shooting down from her head. The king obviously noticed her distress, for he kept his arm around her shoulders, helping her to her feet. She needed to lean on him much more than she wanted as they made their way slowly to the nook in question. Once there, he turned his back to allow her some modicum of privacy. Nevertheless, it was all too intimate, and only the urgency of Karigan's need allowed her to relieve herself. When she had finished, he turned back around, helping her back to the spot where she had been lying. She sat down, leaning her head against the wall gratefully. It took a few minutes for the world to stop spinning; when it finally did, she opened her eyes to see him watching her warily.

"I'm fine," she told him.

"You're not fine," he insisted.

"Well, then, I will be fine. Just as soon as we get out of here."

"I don't think you're quite ready to move yet."

"I'm going to have to be," Karigan said. "You're right; we do not want to be here when whatever lives her comes back."

"One more night," he bargained.

"How do you know it's night?"

"Fine. One more period of rest. The next time you wake up, we will leave."

Rest did sound good. Karigan was still very tired. "I have your word?" she questioned.

"You do," he promised. His hands reached out, helping her to lay back. She was not sure, but she thought she felt the fleeting touch of his lips to her temple. Just as soon as she felt it, however, it was gone. "Sleep," he murmured. It did not take long after that for her to do as he said.

The next time Karigan awoke, she did indeed feel better. The dizziness was almost gone, and her aches had dulled to painful but bearable. She managed to sit up without any help, and her eyes did a quick survey of the cave. She panicked briefly when she did not immediately see the king, but before she could do anything, he suddenly appeared at one of the side entrances to the cavern where she lay. His eyes sought hers immediately, and he pressed a finger to his lips, approaching. "There's something out that way," he whispered. "It's blocking the entrance to the cave."

"Is it what brought us here?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "But I doubt it's friendly." He glanced at her worriedly. "I want you to stay here," he told her. "I will go to take care of it."

"No, I'll go!"

"Karigan, you're still recovering from some very severe wounds. Besides, I am the only one who is currently armed." Karigan glanced down, noting that he held a sword. His grip on the blade was sure and practiced, and she thought back to the battle with the dead, remembering the skill he had displayed there. She had seen the callouses on his hands before, and she had found them slightly odd given his position. Now that she thought about it more, however, it made a certain amount of sense. Many sword masters had such callouses. She was not sure if he had reached the level of master yet, but she did not doubt his ability to protect them both. However, he was not fighting another sword master now. Karigan had seen the effects of the creatures of Kanmorhen Vane firsthand, and she was loath to allow him to fight one.

"I can take the sword, Sire. I've killed a creature of Kanmorhen Vane before."

"I do not doubt your ability, Karigan, but I won't let you risk it. You will stay here until I-" His words cut off suddenly, and Karigan glanced over his shoulder to see what he was staring at. Her own eyes widened in horror when she saw the thick, black object creeping into the cave. It looked almost like a snake, but it was thicker than any serpent Karigan had ever seen. Zachary turned, stepping in front of her to shield her. He raised his blade in front of him, watching the invading black serpentine object carefully. Surprisingly, Karigan noted no fear in his eyes.

As the black object swept the cavern, Karigan glanced back, appalled to note that there appeared to be no end to it. It seemed that it was not a snake at all despite its movement. In fact, it seemed to be part of something larger. As a second object slid into the room, Karigan realized with startling clarity exactly what it was. "Tentacles," she breathed. She saw Zachary grimace in front of her.

"That is what they appear to be." The first one moved closer to them, and he stepped back unconsciously, forcing Karigan to back up as well. Her back hit the wall, and she realized that she had no further to go. In front of her, Zachary muttered something—whether it was a prayer or something else, she could not tell. The tentacle reached even closer, and Zachary sprang forward suddenly, displaying more power than Karigan would have guessed he possessed given his bruised ribs. His sword slashed forward, cleanly slicing through the nearest tentacle. The end of it snapped back from the blade, oozing a dark liquid, and Karigan suddenly remembered her previous encounter with such creatures.

"The blood is poisonous!" she told him. "Try to keep it off your skin!" She was not sure if he heard her, for he was already moving to slice through the next tentacle, his blade nearly humming with the speed that it swung through the air. Karigan watched, half fascinated, half horrified. If he was not a swordmaster already, he certainly deserved to be. He continued to fight, undaunted by the new tentacles that coiled around him, attempting to grab parts of his body. It seemed that cutting them off did not stop them entirely; it merely shortened their reach, but the stubs left still tried valiantly to wrap around him. However, he was too quick for them to do so; he spun, his feet moving almost as if dancing. When he had finally sliced through all of the tentacles, he paused, chest heaving with exertion. His eyes remained on the entrance through which they came, and Karigan swiveled her gaze there as well. The tentacles seemed to be lengthening again, but after a moment, she realized that it was not them lengthening at all—rather, it was the body of the creature moving closer to the entrance. Zachary seemed to realize this as well, and he wet his lips before raising his sword again, preparing to fight.

Time seemed to slow as the creature finally emerged into the cavern. Though the entrance it used was large enough for at least three men to walk abreast, it was a tight squeeze for the creature. Zachary took an involuntary step back when he saw the creature's bulk. Tentacle stubs still waved beneath its massive body, seeking him out. He cut through a couple of them, but they were not his main focus anymore. It seemed tentacles were not the only defense the creature had—a large mouth opened at the front of its body on a blob Karigan could only assume served as its head. Rows upon rows of pointed teeth gleamed inside the mouth. Zachary cast a quick glance toward Karigan before seeming to steel himself, straightening his back as he faced off against the monstrous creature descending on them.

With a roar of rage, he surged forward, plunging his sword deep into the creature's flesh right below the blob of its head. The creature yowled in pain, but it was not the only one. Zachary jumped away, screaming with his own pain as the blood from the creature dripped onto his bare arms. Karigan moved forward to help him, but he was already moving back toward the creature, his eyes a bit wild now. He struck again, striking another blow deep into the creature's flesh. This time, he did not flinch from the sting of the blood; instead, he continued to strike, each blow causing another howl of pain from the creature until it finally stilled. Panting, Zachary backed away from the creature.

Karigan rushed to his side, heedless of her own injuries. The creature's black blood still covered his arms, and she tore a strip from the bottom of her nightgown to wipe it off before reaching for the small pool of water. Zachary watched her, his eyes glassy with pain, as she dipped her hands into the precious water and poured it over his wrists to wash off the rest of the blood. He hissed when it hit his wrists but did not cry out. She tore more strips from her nightgown to make a loose bandage over his wrists. He swallowed hard but still remained stoic. She could tell he was fighting unconsciousness, and she gently pressed a hand to his forehead. "Sleep," she told him, repeating his instructions from earlier. "I'll keep watch." He muttered something indistinguishable before doing just that.