The last stretch of the journey led Jane and Gunther on a winding road through large rolling hills littered with many jagged rocks. The bright green grass of the towering hills contrasted with the gray, overcast sky looming over them. Hopefully before twilight they would emerge from the craggy, coastal hills and reach Nedershire and the south port that lay just beyond.

Although the landscape before them appeared beautiful and impressive, Jane and Gunther knew it meant the perfect place for an ambush planned by ne'er-do-wells. Hills and mountains were a common hiding place for thieves and thugs to hide until unsuspecting travelers passed by. They became even more wary as they rode, each bend in the road a chance of danger.

Neither wished to speak, preferring to keep all senses focused on the environment around them. When they did speak, it was in reluctant, hushed tones. They did not even stop for the midday meal. Instead, they devoured their rations with haste while they rode. The stiff, smoky salted meat Jane chewed on reminded her of Pepper.

"It's not as difficult as you may think to make, Petal."

"Be that as it may, I am forever amazed at your ability to preserve our trail rations in such an edible fashion. I've had the awful stuff they call 'food' in the market being sold to adventurers and travelers. Yours, without a doubt, puts them to shame."

"Evening ladies," Gunther interrupted, swaggering into the kitchen. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword as he leaned forward across the table from them.

"Oh, what do you want, Gunther?" Jane questioned.

"Tsk tsk, such a tempestuous disposition. You really ought to learn to control that, Jane. It does not reflect well on a would-be knight."

Jane clenched her fist from under the table.

"What Jane means to say, Gunther, is that we are very busy in the kitchen so if you have a purpose for your presence here, please be quick about it or be on your way." Pepper smiled, softening the force of her words. Pepper could not stand to be cross with anyone, even Gunther, if she could help it. Her sweet nature was an ever-humbling trait Jane admired in her friend.

"Well ladies, I happened to miss the midday meal this afternoon. I was in the woods assisting Sir Ivon and only just returned. I hoped there would be some leftovers for me or some other food around the kitchen."

"Yes, yes of course! Wait here." Pepper ran across the room to the pantry. She returned with a baguette and wooden bowl and spoon. She dropped them on the table between Jane and Gunther, only to grab the bowl again and hurry over to the main fireplace. A large, black cauldron hung over the dwindling embers. Pepper retrieved the ladle hanging from the fireplace mantle and scooped up the mixture. She had to scrape from the bottom, her arm up to the elbow disappearing into the large pot.

Returning with the steaming bowl, she placed it on the table next to the bread and spoon. "Here you go. I always keep all leftovers until after supper just in case. You're lucky there was some stew leftover today. Usually everyone gets seconds, or thirds, and it's all gone."

"Thank you, Pepper."

"What, you've learned to use manners in the last six hours since I saw you?" Jane taunted.

"I've always had them, Jane. Perhaps you never cared to notice. Or," he snuck a glance to Pepper, "maybe it's just you that I have trouble exchanging pleasantries with."

"Of course, it's always my fault for your lack of human decency."

"Can you fault me for that?! Your annoyingly self-righteous and stubborn attitude could drive a saint to madness! You are a pesky fly that has outstayed its welcome and won't leave me alone!"

"Ha! I knew it! I knew you blamed me for all your problems. Well Gunther, maybe it's time you learn to be accountable for your own actions. You wonder why nobody wants to be around you? Because you're an unpleasant, ungrateful, arrogant bog weevil!"

"Jane!" Pepper admonished. She turned to Gunther, also sending him a silent chide. "You both are behaving like children, and I will not tolerate it in my kitchen. Either make up or leave."

"No need, Pepper," Gunther spit out. "I'll take my leave." He gathered up his food and stomped to the door leading to the garden but did not exit immediately. After a moment, he turned back towards Jane, his gaze still not quite reaching her.

"Just wait, Jane. I'll be knighted next week and out of your frizzy hair. Then you won't have to worry about me being around, making everybody uncomfortable with my 'unpleasant' presence." With that, he stormed out.

He was scarcely out the door before Pepper turned on Jane. Hands on her hips, stern frown on her face.

"I'm sorry, Pepper. I didn't mean to make you upset. It's just, you know how much that little weasel gets under my skin…"

"Yes, yes I do." Her voice trailed off in thought. Suddenly the corner of her mouth turned up, in a subtle smirk. "And it seems you do the same to him."

"Yes, it is why we have been such bitter rivals all our lives. That is not a new revelation."

"No, but men have other reasons as to why a woman might 'get under their skin', as you put it." Again, that ghost of a smile appeared.

"Explain yourself, Pepper. What are you going on about?"

"Nothing, Petal." She shook herself. "Nothing, save for my own personal instincts…and hope." A mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes.

Jane still did not understand what Pepper meant by that but thought it best not to push the matter. Gunther had a point; he was leaving soon. Once he was gone, they would likely have few interactions for the foreseeable future.

Jane thought it odd how memories crept up on oneself. A scent, a taste, a word, could make her reminisce of moments long since passed. It was strange that she did not give Pepper's words much thought at the time. Remembering now, Jane could not help but dwell on her words and whatever implications she was making.

"Jane?"

Startled out of her revery, Jane mentally scolded herself for not being more alert.

"Yes?"

"It looks like it might rain. I'm not sure if we'll make it to Nedershire before it hits."

"Well, then we will have to ride through it," determination seeping into her voice. She was no more thrilled at the prospect of riding in the rain than Gunther, but it was absolutely necessary that they arrive in Nedershire tonight for their own safety and the kingdom's.

With the dark clouds blotting out the sun above them, it was difficult to say what time it was precisely. However, by Jane's estimate, she believed it to be late afternoon. If the rain could hold off for just a few more hours, then they could relax in the safety that a populated town promised.

Her ears pricked at a faint sound. Jane searched the hills for the source and found it. A rock tumbled down from the top of the hill on their left, just behind them. It hit several other rocks and boulders as it rolled down, making satisfying cracking noises as it went. The dull echo of its journey down the hill was the only sound to be heard.

Rockslides were common in this terrain, yet neither knight were willing to let their guard down for the sake of coincidence. They paused in the road, their eyes swiveling from hill to hill for a trace of movement.

"I don't like this," Gunther muttered under his breath.

Jane agreed but said nothing. They had no choice. If they were about to be ambushed, turning back would do no good. They were several hours in either direction from the nearest town. Their only option was to press on and hope they were simply being paranoid.

Reluctantly, they continued riding. Never one to take chances, Jane pulled out her sword and rested it in her lap for easy access. Gunther followed suit, unable to have his bow at the ready while maintaining their current speed.

The familiar whistle of an arrow shot past Gunther's shoulder, narrowly missing his ear.

"Gunther! Are you alright?"

He nodded.

"The arrow came from the direction of the tumbling rocks. Our best chance is to outrun them. If we're lucky, they will be on foot."

They spurred their horses on at breakneck speed. Another arrow flew at Jane this time, clinking off the shield at her back. Thank you, Dragon, Jane thought.

There was a curve coming up, which could offer them cover from any more enemy fire. As soon as they rounded the bend, the sight before them made Jane's heart drop to her stomach.

There was a long stretch of straight road, and about forty yards ahead stood a group of men on horseback. One of the men took aim at them and before she could register what had happened, suddenly there was a sharp pain in Jane's shoulder.

Confused, Jane looked down to see an arrow protruding out of her left shoulder, where her armor was vulnerable near the collar opening.

"JANE!" She heard Gunther roar.

Jane tried to think. They had been herded to this open area, and there were still more behind them. They were trapped.

"Gunther, there's too many of them to fight."

Another arrow shot and Gunther ducked, just barely escaping fatality.

"Jane, I'm going to get you out of here," he promised.

In a flash he was on her horse behind her. He slapped his horse's rear, and it went running towards the group of men. Gunther took control of her reins and rode into the hills, hoping for some sort of cover.

They could hear the pounding of hooves behind them, keeping pace with their horse. Gunther wove through boulders, hills, and even trees to try and lose them. Jane did not know how long they rode, but to her it felt like eternity with her blood running freely down her body. She just tried to continue sitting up straight; she did not want to show any sign of weakness in front of Gunther. However, the blood loss and pain got the best of her. Exhausted, Jane let her head fall back, slumping into Gunther's chest. Jane saw Gunther urge Chauncy, her horse, through a narrow opening between two closely set hills and dismounted, leading them around to the other side. The sound of hooves grew fainter. He pressed his finger to his lips to remind her to be silent and helped her down. She bit back the groan as her feet hit the ground, and the impact jostled her shoulder. She dropped her sword, unable to continue grasping it and instead cradled her shoulder with her right hand. Gunther knelt and picked up her sword, sheathing it at her belt before beckoning Jane to follow him up the hill. He still held her horse's reins as they practically climbed up the face of the steep hill. After stumbling a few times, Gunther realized it was too difficult for her to continue. She thought he would turn back and find somewhere else for them to hide out.

She did not expect for him to walk over and pick her up in his arms. He was careful not to squeeze or touch her shoulder. Gingerly, he carried her the rest of the way up the hill. Jane was in too much pain and too weak to protest.

Near the top of the hill, Jane spotted a boulder. Gunther rounded it, anxious to be hidden from open view and stopped in surprise. A cave entrance greeted them. He hurried inside, making sure the horse fit as well.

It was a small cave, the walls slim and the ceiling only extending another two feet or so above the horse. He didn't like the enclosed space, but Gunther gave him no choice. They continued deeper in the cave where the walls and ceiling began to open up, making the horse less anxious. They pushed deeper, following the cave's pathway through several twists and turns. With each step, the warm glow of daylight grew fainter and fainter until it became a memory in the blackness.

"We should be deep enough inside now. No one should hear us from outside," Gunther's voice filled the darkness.

With the utmost gentleness, Gunther set Jane down on her feet.

"I'll be right back."

Jane felt around until her fingers collided with cold, hard stone. She used the cave wall to guide her down to the floor where she sat with her back resting against it. Gunther was gone approximately fifteen minutes but returned with what sounded like a bundle in his arms.

"Sorry for leaving, but I needed wood to light a fire before I see to your wound."

He made quick work of starting a small fire and retrieving Jane's bag from her saddle. Jane instructed him where to find the medicine kit. Then, together, they began taking off her armor. Gunther also removed all the armor above his waist to move freely.

With both their armor off, Gunther reached for the arrow and paused. "Uh, Jane," he coughed with obvious discomfort, "I need to cut your tunic to pull the arrow out."

"Oh. Alright then."

Gunther pulled a dagger from somewhere behind him and leaned toward her with the intention of cutting off as little of the garment as possible. The sound of ripping fabric echoed off the cave's walls. Jane quickly looked away, unable to watch him remove her clothing. Her eyes fixed on the ceiling, refusing to look at Gunther as he performed this task. It seemed all too intimate for them, especially for them.

After a moment, Gunther had her entire sleeve removed from the rest of her tunic, leaving her left arm and shoulder exposed. Thankfully, her binding vest remained unscarred by the arrow.

Now, it was time for the part she dreaded.

"Alright Jane," he warned, "this is going to hurt."

Jane gritted her teeth, prepared for what was to come. With his left arm he held her body down and with his right he pulled out the arrow, blood immediately beginning to pool out of the open wound. A small whimper escaped Jane's lips. She clenched her teeth to keep any further sound bottled inside. She would remain strong in front of Gunther.

He took her water skin and one of Jane's clean tunics to mop up the blood and began cleaning the wound. Tears pricked her eyes, lips pursed into a fierce, flat line. As he probed deeper into her flesh to make sure the wound was free of dirt or debris, Jane almost passed out from sheer agony. A sheen of sweat covered her face in her effort to endure it and remain silent.

"Jane." That voice – his voice – helped her refocus. She opened her eyes; she did not realize she had closed them.

"Yes?" Her voice barely a whisper.

"Which of these will be best?" He held up several vials from her medicine bag.

"The clear bottle will help finish cleaning it. And then just before you dress it, put the green one on." Her voice sounded raspy and small.

Gunther followed her instructions with the clear liquid and then took out the needle and thread. Jane had only experienced stitching one other time when she was a little girl. She snuck a knife out of the kitchen to play pretend. She imagined herself a mighty warrior in the heat of battle, but she was not careful and cut herself on the palm. Her mother cleaned and stitched it up, all the while railing at her for her recklessness. Jane hoped Gunther was as delicate with stitching as her mother was.

He made quick work of it, although he was a little clumsy. His large hands and long fingers seemed to be more of a hinderance than helpful.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I've only done this once, and the man was unconscious the entire time."

After finishing stitching up the wound, Gunther added the green substance and then packed it with a clean cloth from her medicine kit. Last, he tore off another section of the tunic he used to clean the wound. He wrapped it around her shoulder and under her armpit twice before tying it tightly, careful not to jostle her injury.

"Thank you, Gunther."

His eyes, dark and somber the entire time he aided her, lightened. The harsh steel melted into liquid silver.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, thanks to you."

"You would do the same," he insisted. "And I promise you we'll reach Nedershire tomorrow."

"How?"

"We will rest here for a few hours, and then leave before the witching hour. I know your shoulder will still be tender, and ideally, we shouldn't aggravate it too much, but I fear if we stay too long, they'll sniff us out…"

"Gunther."

"…leaving under cover of darkness is our best chance. They won't expect us to leave…"

"Gunther."

"…they'll try and wait us out until morning and do a thorough search of the hills. We just have to slip pass them during the night while- "

"Gunther." That time she managed her voice above a rasp.

Jane never heard Gunther ramble so much in her life. When they were younger, he took advantage of times when he could boast his own achievements, or throw rude remarks her way, but that was the extent of it. He didn't divulge much. The inner workings of his mind were a mystery to Jane. Looking at him, mouth open and eyes wide, it dawned on him too.

"Apologies," he muttered. "I did not mean to overwhelm you." He turned away, chewing the inside of his cheek.

"We'll get through this." Reaching out, she placed her hand on his, which rested on his knee.

Gunther stared down at the small, pale hand clasping his own, now coated with her blood. Suddenly feeling awkward, Jane let go and pulled her hand back.

Gunther cleared his throat. "We should eat before we try and catch a few hours of sleep."

Jane frowned. "My stomach feels odd. I don't think I could eat anything."

"Try," Gunther pushed. He handed her the waterskin and some of the rations from her pack. They no longer had his; it was on his horse, Flint, when he let him go. They would have to be careful with their supplies. Thankfully, Jane was the one who held on to the king's scroll. Even if recent events caused the treaty to fall through, they would still have the scroll written in his hand and sealed with his mark to attest their king's good intentions.

Jane propped herself on her good elbow and strained to take a swig of water. Gunther, seeing her struggle, immediately rushed over to aid her. He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her up to a sitting position, leaning her against the cave wall. He took the waterskin from her and held it up for her to drink.

He tried the same with the rations, bringing a piece of dried meat to Jane's lips.

"I am not completely helpless. I can feed myself." The old Jane would have snapped this remark at Gunther. But having spent considerable time in his company of late, Jane did not. Instead, it came out as a lighthearted jab.

And the old Gunther would have retorted with some biting insult. However, he simply let out a soft laugh and shrugged, leaving the rations next to her to eat.

Maybe they simply grew up and were finally acting like mature adults towards one another. Or maybe this journey forced them to see each other in a new light, with renewed respect and trust. Or maybe it was something else…something Jane dared not even put into coherent thoughts.

Whatever it was, Jane was grateful for it. It put her at ease to know that Gunther was with her and had her back. They needed to trust each other if they were going to make it out of this in one piece.