A/N: Well everyone, my pets and job are driving me insane. I think it's time to start planning a holiday.

TheRanger'sDaughter: Let me know if it's good. I'm still recovering from disappointment in the Royal Ranger and haven't dragged out the faith to buy his new book yet.

Aubrey: Lots and lots of twists and turns. This round I've been combining chapters for longer updates (a perk of having the entire story already written), so they are coming faster.

Disclaimer: I'm not John Flanagan.

Caitlyn dismounted and looked through the supplies in the emergency pack Kane grabbed when he was saddling the horses. A bedroll, two canteens of water, the most basic medical kit she'd ever seen...even the kits she and her sister had taken when doing day-long errands in the woods for their parents had more…some dried meat along with pickles, carrots, and oats. All were things that would be kept on hand in a stable. Caitlyn took a handful of the oats even though she was sure they'd been meant for human consumption and offered them to her horse. Such an animal deserved a treat after such fine work.

She poked through the pack some more and found a large hunting knife, some twine string, and a few arrow heads. Caitlyn put the knife in her belt and, after securing the pack again, rode on for another hour before her stomach told her it was time to eat. Caitlyn stopped by a secluded stream that was too inviting to pass up. Caitlyn let her horse drink from it and, after moving upstream several feet, drank herself. The cool water was much better than the lukewarm stuff in her canteens.

Caitlyn sighed and looked around. What next? She thought about all the dinner conversations with her parents and sister and cousins…family in general. They'd all been in these situations before. Caitlyn hadn't. She looked to the horse. "You know what to do?"

The horse snorted.

"Of course not," Caitlyn sighed. She looked around. She picked at the dried meat. "A day," she said aloud. "One day and we try to figure out how to get back to the castle."

Caitlyn patted the horse's neck. "Sound like a plan to you?"

The horse threw his head. Caitlyn giggled.

"One day…no obligations…" she wandered aloud. "What do you think we should do?"

Caitlyn mounted up again and heeled the horse back to high speed.

Scout woke up to Elizabet sobbing. She stroked the girl's soft curls gently and blinked herself awake. "I want Daddy and Mama," Elizabet whispered.

"Me too," Scout admitted. She continued stroking until Elizabet stopped crying. She looked up to find Warden staring at them. "You sleep at all?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm surprised you did."

Scout arched her back to stretch. "I guess I was tired."

Warden stood up and went over to the low fire. He stooped over a large pot and ladled what looked like soup into a bowl. He put two spoons in it and put it in Scout's hand. "Hope you two don't mind sharing. We're a little short on clean dishes and can't go fetch water safely."

Scout handed Elizabet one of the spoons. "Eat, Elizabet."

Elizabet scrunched up tightly. "I want Daddy!"

Scout had no idea how to handle this. She was a middle cousin, not the oldest. This was a job for one of the others…or Gabby. Gabby would be best. Warden knelt down and touched her cheek. "Well you look like a little caterpillar inched up like that," he teased. Scout raised an eyebrow at her guard. He put his hands beneath Elizabet's arms and set her upright. "Come on, Caterpillar. Eat up."

Elizabet just stared at him. He picked up the spoon and fed her a few bites as though she were a baby. "I want Daddy," she whispered.

"I know," Warden told her. "But I'm a royal guard. I'm here to protect you and your cousin. Now, what do I tell your daddy when he asks me what happened to his daughter? Oh, I'm sorry King Sean, your dear Elizabet turned into a caterpillar because she wouldn't eat any of the soup we tried to give her."

Scout couldn't help grinning as a smile broke on Elizabet's face. Warden put the spoon back in Elizabet's hand.

"Will you eat now, little Caterpillar?"

Scout smiled widely as Elizabet began wolfing down her portion. "How'd you do that?" she asked Warden. He shrugged.

"I don't know, but you better get some before she finishes it."

Scout spooned some of the soup into her mouth. Elizabet giggled and blocked Scout's spoon from the bowl. "Elizabet!" Scout laughed.

"Caterpillar," she insisted.

"You see what you started?" Scout said playfully. Warden shrugged.

The woman whose reinforced shack they'd overtaken came in with a bucket of water. Unceremoniously, without warning, she dumped it onto Scout and Elizabet.

Scout's jaw dropped and she raised up her hands, as though keeping the dripping away from her body would somehow keep her from getting wetter than she already was. Elizabet whimpered as though she may cry.

"What was that for?" Scout demanded.

"The guards thought we wouldn't be able to safely get water."

Scout, her mouth still gaping, turned to Warden. He just snatched up Elizabet. "Caterpillar's all wet. Have to get her dried off."

Scout turned to the other guard. "Seriously?" she asked.

"You and Princess Elizabet are to stay inside. If Palma wants water, she can get it. She may be retired but she's a highly trained escapist and disguise artist."

Scout retrieved a towel and patted off her skin. "Palma, would you mind getting some more water for washing?"

"So demanding. Just like your father. You make a good princess," Palma told her as she left the shack again.

Gabby sat with her back straight and kept her fingertips resting on the bench. Kane had been taken away when they arrived at…wherever it was they were, and she'd been taken to a small room. She hadn't heard the door lock but heavy footsteps outside told her the place was well guarded. Besides, she didn't know where to go or what to do if she got out anyway.

They'd removed the gag as soon as she sat on the bench. She'd sat still while they waved their hands in front of her face several times, confirming her blindness. They searched her for weapons and then released her hands before leaving. None of them said a word to her. She was sure she'd cry if she tried to speak to them so she'd kept her mouth firmly shut as well.

The door swung open on its well-oiled hinges. Gabby sucked in a sharp breath as she listened to the footsteps of the newcomer walk to the middle of the room. "What's your name?" a male voice demanded.

"Gabby," she answered. The concept of lying had entered her mind but she decided it'd be best to be mostly honest. Besides, Gabby was a common enough name…and she wasn't famous or important enough to be held hostage.

"Your friend claims you are a healer who should be released. Is that true?"

Gabby swallowed hard. "Please don't hurt him."

"Lovers…" the man's voice trailed off. She could feel his breath on her face as he leaned closer. "You're either blind or a damn good actress."

Gabby clenched and unclenched her hands as horrible memory came into her mind's eye. She pushed it aside and maintained focus. "Where am I?'

She flinched as his hand patted hers. "Safe. Don't worry. We don't torture blind healers. Are you really a healer?"

Gabby felt her heart race faster. "I…I'm trained to be a physician's assistant."

"Trained to be…are you or are you not?"

"I…"

"Who was your last patient? Give me a name immediately or I'll give orders for your boyfriend to be beaten."

"Queen Kineta O'Carrick of Hibernia," Gabby answered quickly. She knew Kane would be angry if she gave away valuable information but at the possibility of his being beaten…she couldn't bare tending him as an intensive patient again.

The man leaned away from her. "Queen Kineta?"

Gabby nodded and realized that if the name was gone she might as well give away everything. "I…acted as a midwife."

"Kineta doesn't have a child. She can't carry one to term."

The man didn't use Kineta's title. That fact didn't go unnoticed and set Gabby's nerves into overload. "Who are you?" she asked unsteadily. "Please…let us go…"

"I'm Jeddrick. You're a friend of Kineta's?"

Gabby nodded. "In a way…I assisted her through a difficult time. And she does have a child…"

"Elizabet, the mute girl they adopted."

Gabby decided to play off that. "I know Elizabet as well. She likes Flynn Masque stories…she's got curly hair…she told me it's blonde…she attaches herself to people she trusts."

The man…Jeddrick…paused for several moments. "Prove to me you're a friend of the royal family."

"I…I don't know how…"

"Who are you? How are you linked to them? You seem too young to be a midwife attending the queen…how did you swing that? Are you a spy of some kind?"

"No!" Gabby insisted. "No…I'm from Araluen. I know the royal family there…Prince Ace, he trains under the head healer who I also trained under…we're friends…I…Princess Scout arranged for me and the man I was with to come here. She's a friend as well…"

"Why did she arrange that?"

Gabby swallowed hard. "So we could get married without disapproval."

"Are you married?"

"No…please, we mean no harm…"

She was crying now. She heard Jeddrick's heavy steps pace the room. "Roscrea was attacked. How do you know I'm not the one who attacked it?"

Gabby took a deep breath. "Why would attackers pursue two horses bearing people who are not royal? You can't ransom us. Nobody would pay."

"So I am to believe a blind Araluen healer knows the royal family of Hibernia…you say you're a friend to Princess Scout?"

Gabby nodded. "Yes."

"What are her parents' names?"

"Ranger Liam and Lady Lina," Gabby answered. Common knowledge…no harm there, she assumed.

"And where can I find Ranger Liam and Lady Lina?"

Now Gabby's mind raced for something besides the truth. She knew well the lives of Liam and Lina. She couldn't betray their home. It could endanger too many people. "Araluen," she answered…vague enough.

Jeddrick gave a long pause. "I know Liam and Lina by two different names."

Gabby bit her tongue.

"They were of the Sunrise Warrior Academy…Gabby, you seem like a smart girl. If you prove to me they trust you then I will trust you."

Gabby realized she'd clenched her fists again. She relaxed her hands and sorted her thoughts. The familiar feeling of calm replaced her panic. "Lady Lina's got a twisted foot from being buried by rubble. She uses crutches to get around."

There was a long pause. "A very select group of people know that, but the information comes easily for the right price. Do better."

Gabby thought harder, trying to find something only those who knew Lina's old life would know. It was difficult, as Gabby hadn't met the woman until all that was well behind her. The memory of treating Lina for a nonexistent injury came into her head, when she'd simply wanted to talk to Lina about marriage. Lina had treated herself while Gabby talked…because she was a field medic among other things. Gabby remembered all the patients that came through their medical wing that had been first treated by Lina in the field, how impressive her work was even though it didn't even qualify her to be a nurse in the medical wing. She was a remarkable field medic but terrible healer…mostly because her technique was repetitive. In the field, basic consistent technique saved lives. In the medical wing, basic consistent technique often did more harm than good. A true healer needed to be able to examine for the smallest of injuries whereas a field medic simply treated the obvious and went onto the next task.

"When she sews stitches she doesn't go down far enough…she sews right to left starting down but only goes far enough to close the wound. She leaves the real healing to healers."

Gabby thought about all of the stitches she'd removed that Lina had put in place. She knew Lina made the mistake on purpose. Lina was always nervous about causing more damage than already done so only went far enough rather than as far as truly needed. Sometimes…most times…it was a good thing. Unnecessary scarring could be prevented and while unsecure stitches didn't provide optimal healing, they prevented healers from having to cut the skin back open to flush out the wound.

"Only a healer would know that…and only someone who knows Nerilina would be able to give that sort of information…wait here, Gabby. I'm going to bring the young man we found to you. Someone will bring you both some food and clean clothes. I'll come back in a few hours to ask more questions. I'm sorry for what grief we've caused but…can't be too careful. By the way, who was the second rider with you two?"

Gabby held her tongue. The sudden shift worried her.

"Alright, don't tell me. Maybe later…but know that Roscrea was under attack and we assumed you were in the group of attackers. My people are the best. They will find her and will try to get information out of her. If she's stubborn and refuses...well, my people are the best."

Gabby frowned but didn't reveal Caitlyn to him. "How long will it take Kane to get here?"

"Not long at all," Jeddrick promised.