Thank you all for reviewing! Eight reviews in less than three days! I'm very excited and appreciative. This chapter I am not going to set a limit. I will post the next chapter soon, but not based on reviews. This chapter I just want you to review if you feel that the story is worth it. So I'm not going to beg, but I will know your opinions by the amount of reviews. Anyways, thank you all again for faithfully reading, and I hope that you enjoy this next chapter!

It wasn't an hour later that Tony re-entered the room, a chain in his hands. Attached along the length of the chain were six sets of handcuffs, about two and a half feet apart. The other women seemed to shrink backwards, away from the chain. It took me a minute to realize that he planned on taking all of us out this time. He approached Ginny first, and grabbed one of her wrists, forcing it into the iron shackle. Once he was sure she was secure, he continued to attach each of us to the chain by one wrist. Anna, followed by Tina (who tried to spit in Troy's face, and was rewarded with a stinging slap to her face), Tracy, me, then Meg. I looked over at Tracy, inquiring with my eyes. But all she did was shake her head sadly, and look pointedly away.

We were led out of the building and into the waiting cart. Tony drove us to a town like the one that Tristen and I had ridden through, only smaller. Everyone was silent the entire way, the only noise was the clanking of the chain that linked us together.

Tony drove the cart through the city gates and parked it next to a stable, handing the horse over to a stable hand. He yanked the end of the chain closest to Ginny and we all rushed, half falling, half climbing, out of the flat bed. We were led a little ways down the noisy, dusty street to a small white cloth tent. We were shoved through the front, and into the stifling warmth of the enclosure. Standing, looking at us all sitting in a row, connected by the hideous chain, Tony seemed to smirk a little. His eyes flickered to me, and his smile seemed to widen a little, but then he turned away and walked out of the tent.

Through the gap in the cloth I could see him set himself up in a chair just outside the tent. The sounds of the hustle and bustle outside clouded out the conversations that he was having with passerby's. When I was sure he wasn't paying any attention to us inside the tent, I tried to talk to the others to calm my nerves. I knew where we were, and what could happen to us within the next couple of hours. But the more time I spent thinking about it, the more I thought I was going to hyperventilate.

'How long is he going to make us stay here?' I asked tentatively. The others looked nervously at me, then at the door, as though they were afraid to talk.

Ginny was the one who finally answered me. Her voice seemed tiny as she whispered back, 'Usually we stay until around sundown, but it depends on if anyone…' she stopped, looking quickly at her mother, who gave her a reassuring smile. But before any of us could say anything else, Tony got up from his seat, and opened the flap of the tent, showing another man in. This man was absolutely gorgeous. I had never seen another man with his beauty. I sat in awe, captivated by his steel gray eyes. He seemed to be increadably rich, dressed in a silk shirt and riding boots that came up to his knees.

He looked down the row of us girls, evaluating each of us with his eyes, and looking at Ginny and Tracy's hands. When he got down to me, however he paused. His eyes met mine, but I couldn't look into them for more than a minute before I looked away. I could visibly feel his breathing grow heavier, and after a moment, he stood up to face Tony. He nodded, shooting me one last glance before he left the tent with Tony.

Through the gap in the cloth I could see the two of them arguing out front, the man becoming increasingly aggravated. Finally he walked off, but not without glancing back through the door at us. I let out an audible sigh of relief, but Tina whispered to me,

'Don't get your hopes up. He seemed to take to you, and when those kind see something they want, they always get it. Tony's probably just asking an insane price, but he'll be back.' Anger and bitterness seeped through her words, and she looked scornfully through the tent's opening.

We sat in silence for a while; I was just starting to drift off, when my eyes caught movement outside. Tony was talking to a man who was gesturing towards the tent. I could see the man's black hair sticking haphazardly out of the cap he was wearing, and his clothes were shabby, as though he had been traveling for a long time. I breathed deeply trying to calm my nerves, but I was still shaking when Tony and the man walked into the tent.

The breath was knocked out of my lungs, and I felt as though I was going to scream with joy. It was Tristen! But before I had the chance to do anything but take a deep breath to say something, I was silenced by a sharp look from him, and it took me a minute to realize what was happening. Tony didn't know that we knew each other; and judging by Tristen's look, he wasn't supposed to. So instead of jumping up and throwing my arms around him I stayed where I was and kept my eyes downcast, trying to look timid, and defeated like the others.

'So, these are the girls. That one,' he pointed to Tina, 'Is a little she-devil, so be careful. And that one,' he pointed to me, 'is strictly off limits.'

They stood appraising us for another couple of minutes and it was all I could do to keep my emotions off my face. Finally, the turned to climb out of the tent, but Tristen turned and caught my eyes for a split second, as though to reassure me that everything was going to work out.

…

The day passed rather quickly, my mind wondering and thinking about Tristen. A couple of other people came in to look at us, but at the end of the day, when the sun went down, we were all bundled roughly back into the wagon. I was surprised and confused when Tristen rode up beside the wagon on his horse, and continued with us the entire way to Tony's abode.

When we got to the house, Tony instructed Tristen to grab us and follow him into the house. Tristen climbed up into the back, and I'm sure he brushed my hair on his way by. We were pulled (although not roughly) into the house and back into the dirt-floored room. Tony gave Tristen the key and stood at the door while he unlocked our shackles. My breath caught when he grabbed my hand in his. His fingers quickly and inconspicuously caressed the bruises on my wrists, their chilliness soothing the bruises. All too soon he had unlocked the cuff and moved on to Meg. But he had left something in my hand. It was small; a piece of paper folded many times so it could be hidden easily. On the pretense of itching my arm, I pushed it up my sleeve to read later.

…

I waited until everyone had fallen asleep, and by the slim beam of moonlight coming through the window, I pulled out the paper, and opened it, smoothing it carefully across my leg.

'I have been hired to act as an apprentice. Do not fear, I will find us a way out. Act your part, and give nothing away.'

It was short and to the point. But he didn't have any time or space to write much did he? Why was it I was disappointed? It's not like there was anything else for him to say, right?

I took the paper and folded it carefully into a small package again, and caressing it in my hand, I went to the wall. Using my fingers I dug a small hole in the dirt, about six inches deep, and stuck the note inside it. Covering it back up, I pressed the dirt tightly back over the hole, making it seem as though nothing had happened. But I knew differently. Inside that hidden space was hope. A hope for freedom.