Tuon was awoken late in the night to the sound of quiet talking coming from a short distance. She had long ago trained her ears to pick up even the faintest of sounds. As she strained her ears the murmurs started to make sense, she recognized one voice to be Metwyn, the dark haired man that sometimes guarded her. " I told you I saw it myself, right where Lord Mat was found. The track just disappeared. I've never seen anything bloody like it." " Well what does that mean, is the search over" another voice said. " Are we going to give him up for dead" boomed another that Tuon recognized as the traitor Egeanin's so'jhin. "Calm down, Bayle. I've just come back from talking to Lord Mat" continued Metwyn in a brusque tone trying to control the conversation. " The Aes Sedai don't even know what happened to him, he lost consciousness for some reason, probablly out of grief. And here you are talking about trying to do more, as if the Lord Mat wouldn't have done everything possible. Thom meant more to him than he did to any of us. Its just out of our hands. Mighty odd I tell you, the Aes Sedai looked pretty spooked about something. They kept Lord Mat in there for a long stretch. Wouldn't even let us get a glimpse of him. They told us it might not be safe of all things. Asi if it were not safe for Lord Mat to see his own men. They did look serious though. This whole thing has got a funny feeling to it. I'm not saying I know what happened to Thom, but I am saying that whatever it is not even the Aes Sedai know what to do about it." Tuon thought she heard muffled cursing and then. " Well have you seen Egeanin, we were supposed to leave come morning, and if the search is truly pointless to pursue I'd rather be as far away from this place as possible. I know to much of what is going on already to claim to want to know a bit more." " Come with me, I think she is still with Lord Mat. I think he will want to talk with all of us before this night is through." And then the men's voices became to far away to hear. Tuon flopped back onto her back and under her covers. She sulked. It was quite hard to sleep comfortably when you were tied up. Over the weeks Tuon had worked on a position that allowed her to sleep so she at least wasn't sore and her wrists worn raw in the morning. But it was far from comfortable, she found herself waking up many times a night when her arms slipped and the bindings cut into her skin. Not that she would have got alot of sleep this night anyways. The camp had had the feel of restless anxiety ever since the search started at about midnight. Tuon had kept herself alert all night hopeing to come across news of what was happening. She had heard nothing of value until just then, and now she was quite satisfied. So Mat Cauthon had knocked himself unconscious, bet he tripped over a root and landed head first on a rock, ha!. Tuon had other things to think about though. The escaped damane were leaving today. Tuon had hoped that maybe Egeanin would force Mat to let her free. The woman cringed every time she caught a passing glimpse of her! And her guilt in this incident would have been proved without a doubt by now. If she helped Tuon escape she might only be beheaded but as it stood now she would spend the rest of her life regretting her decisions in the Tower of Ravens if she were ever caught. As for this man, Thom Merrilin, well where could the man have gone. Not that she regreted his departure, the more that left the party of her captors the better. Tuon was definitly sulking. But she hated that Mat Cauthon, he had given her a large bruise. The situation she was in still amazed her. If Tuon had even an ounce of luck backing her up, Mat Cauthon would be running to and fro on her every whim, or paying greatly for disobeying. If she ever got her chance to turn the tables on him, she would find out just what made him believe he had the right to claim ownership of any part of her! Tuon had built up a lot of resolve though, she made a conscious effort to quit her sulking now. If there was any moment when escape was possible, she would take it. Right then there was still a very peeved guard circling her wagon, probablly wanted to be out there searching for this Thom also. But then Tuon noticed like a whip crack bringing her to attention that the guards footsteps were no longer discernable in the night air. Just then she heard lighter footsteps stepping closer to her wagon. What if whatever had gotten to this Thom was after her. Tuon tensed all her muscles into a bundle and tried to form herself into the best defensive stance that she could. And in a split second all of Tuon's problems seemed to fade away, replaced by the present and the need to above all things hurry. For it was not an unknown assailant it was Selucia, beautiful Selucia holding what looked like a carving knife in one hand and wielding a horse-shoe in the other. "Oh Tuon, I've found you at last. I escaped about an hour ago. I've been looking for you ever since. I lured the guard away and knocked him over the head with this." Selucia brandished the horse-shoe. "And oh, what have they done to you" Selucia gasped as she rushed forward and embraced Tuon. " Come on foolish woman, I can't believe that we haven't been discovered yet. You must untie me quickly!" Selucia started to go at the bindings with the carving knife. "I stole it from the side of a cook-fire, I suspected that they might have you tied up. They did the same to me, but I can hardly believe they would treat you so". "Hush, Selucia we aren't out of here yet." Just then Selucia finished cutting the ropes. "We must hurry now, have you found horses to escape on." " Yes at the western most side of camp, where there is hardly anyone about." "Take us there." The two woman ran through the night, edging their way to the west side of camp while keeping their distance from the other wagons. Tuon's heart leapt when she saw the horse lines. Two horses had been set aside from the rest and had been minimally equiped. Tuon ran to the smaller of the two and rushed about finishing putting on the saddle and getting the horse ready for the long hard ride she had in mind. Selucia was working on the other and making good progress, when out of the dark Tuon heard a voice that very nearly caused her to go into apoplexy. " What do you think you are doing?" She swung her hand through the air and luckily she clutched a post, otherwise she certainly would have fallen. It took her a few moments, due to her panic, to realize that the owner of the voice was only a small boy. Selucia was all action. She had the horse-shoe poised to knock the boy sensless on the spot. But Tuon heard herself say "No!". This was the boy that Mat Cauthon was forever doting on. The short ugly boy that Tuon remembered seeing in the Tarasin Palace. "Selucia, ready another horse while I deal with this child". " Another horse my lady, you don't mean to take this child with us do you?" Just then the boy started to back away. " Just do it Selucia! This boy means much to those who have held us. His absence will cause them much pain". Selucia got the hint and ran off to find another suitable beast of burden. " And now my boy you are coming with us."