Precisely twenty-four hours later, they still weren't back.
Rowan was pacing in circles around the small glade she called hers. "Where could they possibly be! They left a full day ago! I never should have let them go alone. I never should have let them go without even the option of capitulation! There's no telling what he might do to them to get back at me!"
Daniel paced at a short distance behind her, having given up on telling her to calm down. She had been like this for hours already, and nothing looked like it was going to change until a few minutes later when a white-fletched arrow much like the one that had brought news of Annie and Laria's misfortune thudded into the great tree around which Rowan was pacing.
She groaned and went to pull the arrow out of the tree. Upon reading the missive, she fainted dead away. Daniel was just close enough to catch her as she fell.
By the time she woke up a few minutes later, Daniel had read the not e and gathered what few travel supplies there were left.
"Wha - what happened? What's going on?" she asked groggily.
"We are going to find someone who can help us get better at fighting before this Robin comes after you," Daniel replied grimly, glancing at the note as he did.
Stephanie followed his gaze and grimaced as memory returned.
The note had stated in simple terms that the rest of Rowan's friends and hangers-on had been captured also, and were being held captive pending Rowan's consent to marry him. If she didn't tie up her deserted camp and show up at Greentree Palace within a month, Robin would come looking for her. Not to mention that one of her band would be executed for every day she was late.
"I know where we can go," Rowan stated, starting to get to her feet.
Daniel was at her side in an instant, steadying her.
She smiled at him gratefully. "It may take a few days to get there on foot, though."
Daniel snorted. "You're not getting anywhere fast on foot."
Rowan's eyes flashed. "Wanna bet?" she challenged. She darted over to the packs, picked one up and shouldered it, snatched up her staff and took off into the woods.
Daniel groaned. "Why does she have to prove everything?" he moaned to himself as he followed the path Rowan had set.
A few minutes later, the path ended. "Stephanie?" Daniel called to the wind. No answer. Visions of yet another capture danced through his head, until.
.she dropped out of a tree on top of him.
The pair collapsed into the loam, Stephanie in hysterical giggles. "Why is it that people never look up?" she shouted to the sky.
Daniel reached over and poked her repeatedly. "Because we only have to worry about you, and you set a panic into us that scares us out of all reason."
Stephanie sat up. "Do not."
"Do too."
"Do not."
"Do too." Daniel picked himself up, and they carried on the friendly and pointless banter as they trudged off in the direction Stephanie set.
At twilight, dark storm clouds rolled in.
"Shoot," muttered Stephanie, examining the sky. "I wanted to do some stargazing." Sighing, she directed her gaze back towards the Earth to look for a shelter.
Daniel, however, was the one who found the small cave just as a bolt of lightning shot across the sky and the sky seemed to split open. The rain came down in torrents as Stephanie dove blindly into the shelter headfirst.
She ducked and rolled, and landed against the back of the cave. "Oof. Bruises! Ow, ow, ow." She muttered, standing up and hitting her head on the low ceiling at the back of the cave. "Shoot!"
With one hand on her head and one hand on her back, Stephanie crawled the short distance to where Daniel sat with his back against the cave wall, looking out at the rain.
Stephanie gingerly sat down beside him, slowly stretching out her legs. "Ow," she said yet again in a small voice. After a few minutes, she began to shiver.
Daniel glanced at her, then wrapped his arms around her. "Better?" he asked quietly.
Stephanie nodded sleepily as she dozed off against his shoulder, a small, sleepy smile on her face.
Rowan was pacing in circles around the small glade she called hers. "Where could they possibly be! They left a full day ago! I never should have let them go alone. I never should have let them go without even the option of capitulation! There's no telling what he might do to them to get back at me!"
Daniel paced at a short distance behind her, having given up on telling her to calm down. She had been like this for hours already, and nothing looked like it was going to change until a few minutes later when a white-fletched arrow much like the one that had brought news of Annie and Laria's misfortune thudded into the great tree around which Rowan was pacing.
She groaned and went to pull the arrow out of the tree. Upon reading the missive, she fainted dead away. Daniel was just close enough to catch her as she fell.
By the time she woke up a few minutes later, Daniel had read the not e and gathered what few travel supplies there were left.
"Wha - what happened? What's going on?" she asked groggily.
"We are going to find someone who can help us get better at fighting before this Robin comes after you," Daniel replied grimly, glancing at the note as he did.
Stephanie followed his gaze and grimaced as memory returned.
The note had stated in simple terms that the rest of Rowan's friends and hangers-on had been captured also, and were being held captive pending Rowan's consent to marry him. If she didn't tie up her deserted camp and show up at Greentree Palace within a month, Robin would come looking for her. Not to mention that one of her band would be executed for every day she was late.
"I know where we can go," Rowan stated, starting to get to her feet.
Daniel was at her side in an instant, steadying her.
She smiled at him gratefully. "It may take a few days to get there on foot, though."
Daniel snorted. "You're not getting anywhere fast on foot."
Rowan's eyes flashed. "Wanna bet?" she challenged. She darted over to the packs, picked one up and shouldered it, snatched up her staff and took off into the woods.
Daniel groaned. "Why does she have to prove everything?" he moaned to himself as he followed the path Rowan had set.
A few minutes later, the path ended. "Stephanie?" Daniel called to the wind. No answer. Visions of yet another capture danced through his head, until.
.she dropped out of a tree on top of him.
The pair collapsed into the loam, Stephanie in hysterical giggles. "Why is it that people never look up?" she shouted to the sky.
Daniel reached over and poked her repeatedly. "Because we only have to worry about you, and you set a panic into us that scares us out of all reason."
Stephanie sat up. "Do not."
"Do too."
"Do not."
"Do too." Daniel picked himself up, and they carried on the friendly and pointless banter as they trudged off in the direction Stephanie set.
At twilight, dark storm clouds rolled in.
"Shoot," muttered Stephanie, examining the sky. "I wanted to do some stargazing." Sighing, she directed her gaze back towards the Earth to look for a shelter.
Daniel, however, was the one who found the small cave just as a bolt of lightning shot across the sky and the sky seemed to split open. The rain came down in torrents as Stephanie dove blindly into the shelter headfirst.
She ducked and rolled, and landed against the back of the cave. "Oof. Bruises! Ow, ow, ow." She muttered, standing up and hitting her head on the low ceiling at the back of the cave. "Shoot!"
With one hand on her head and one hand on her back, Stephanie crawled the short distance to where Daniel sat with his back against the cave wall, looking out at the rain.
Stephanie gingerly sat down beside him, slowly stretching out her legs. "Ow," she said yet again in a small voice. After a few minutes, she began to shiver.
Daniel glanced at her, then wrapped his arms around her. "Better?" he asked quietly.
Stephanie nodded sleepily as she dozed off against his shoulder, a small, sleepy smile on her face.