After a few unsuccessful tries to climb on, Eleanor was able to ride bareback on Spitfire as they followed the signposts away from Neiromeh. They reached a signpost with three different paths: Nottingham, Warshingtire, and Sherwood Forest.

"Ah, wonderful, we'll get there in no time," Eleanor said quietly to herself as she went down the path to Sherwood. Riding on through the passage, she grew a little nervous. "This is strange, isn't it? This path seems to go on forever."

Spitfire nickered in reply as they kept going, eventually stopping under an old oak tree. "It's getting darker. We had better stop here for the night," Eleanor said as she carefully dismounted from Spitfire. The mare made herself comfortable as Eleanor sat cross-legged and laid her head on Spitfire's back.

"It's been a while since we've left Neiromeh. How far does this path go, anyway? It didn't seem so far on this map," Eleanor sighed as she looked at the map with the fading light that was left. "What do you think?"

Spitfire had laid her head down and was breathing quietly.

"You're right; we'll figure it out in the morning." Using her cloak as a blanket, Eleanor turned and sighed, falling asleep slowly.

They slept peacefully through the night, awakening when the light rays of sunshine touched Eleanor's face. Yawning and stretching, Eleanor got up and dusted the dirt from her clothes.

"Alright, time to get moving, or we won't find Rob O'."

Turning, Eleanor found Spitfire still asleep.

"Come on, girl. Time to get up," she teased, giving her a gentle bat on the nose. Still asleep, Spitfire didn't move. Grunting, Eleanor gave Spitfire a slightly hard kick in the side, and the mare eventually woke up, huffing in disapproval.

"Sorry, but I had to do something to wake you up," Eleanor smirked. "Time to get back on the right trail."

Struggling less this time, Eleanor mounted Spitfire again, continuing their way. Soon enough, they had ventured into the deepest, darkest section of the forest. "I'm not afraid, are you girl?" Eleanor asked, her voice shaking a little. Spitfire neighed and tossed her mane. "I suppose not. Are we still going the right direction?"

Lifting her map, Eleanor tried to read it in the light breaking through the canopy, but a sudden gust of wind tore it from her grip and tossed it into the air. Trying to retrieve it, the map caught on a tree branch that was too high for her to reach, then eventually caught on another branch and ripped in pieces, falling into a nearby river.

"Just our luck. Now we'll never know which direction we're going. At least we can still see the light."

Taking her bow, Eleanor kept it close to her as Spitfire treaded carefully. She wanted to make sure there weren't any bandits or thieves nearby, as in this part of the woods, anything was possible. As the travelers turned onto a side path, Eleanor's thoughts turned to those of home. She thought about the orphanage and the girls that had helped her escape; of Margaret and Beatrice and their kindness; the people of Neiromeh and their celebration. Eleanor sighed and rested her free hand on Spitfire's neck.

"I never realized this before, but I think I'm homesick," she softly murmured. "I miss everything. All the shops in town with their cakes and meats and toys, the paper birch trees, the orphanage with JoAnne, and Purdy, and Clarabelle… and Mindy." Sniffling, Eleanor held back tears.

The lullaby she had sang to Mindy came up in her mind again:

"Close your eyes, my darling, darling

Hold me tight, my darling, darling

Say goodnight, my darling, darling

Sweet dreams tonight for you

Hold me close, my darling, darling

Till morning's light, my darling, darling

And you shall have, my darling, darling

Sweet dreams tonight for you."

The magic she had shared with Mindy seemed to work on Eleanor herself, as she soon felt a little better. "We should stop here for some lunch. I've been neglecting my stomach – and yours too."

Spitfire nickered and slowed as Eleanor dismounted and rummaged through her provisions, splitting an apple and some bread. Laying her head on Spitfire's back once again, Eleanor began to eat. Eventually, Eleanor leapt from her position, realizing that she had fallen asleep again. By this time, it had become late afternoon, and the chirping of the birds had almost completely ceased.

"I've rested too long; the light's almost gone!"

Spitfire stood nearby, as if she already knew what had happened, and allowed Eleanor to lead her with her rope. Sadly, the path they had been traveling along ended in front of a large pine tree, withered and sunken into the ground.

"Oh, this is perfect," Eleanor snapped, her voice dripping in sarcasm. "We've come all this way for nothing. I hope she takes no offense to this, but that elderly woman certainly had no idea what she was talking about."

Spitfire huffed in agreement and annoyance.

"We can't go any farther than this, and even if we could, there wouldn't be a point without my map," she continued, gently turning Spitfire the other direction.

"There, now perhaps we can follow our footsteps –"

"You there! Halt!"

Perking her ears up at the sound, a group of men had gathered before her, though she hadn't noticed them.

"I said halt!" the ox captain repeated, dismounting, walking closer to them.

"Forgive me, captain, but is there a problem?" Eleanor asked before holding tighter to Spitfire's lead.

"I should say there is, young lady. You are hereby trespassing upon his royal majesty's hunting grounds. Leave now, or there will be consequences for noncompliance."

Bristling, Eleanor frowned, trying not to show her annoyance. "Alas, captain, I was unaware of this information."

"Might I ask who exactly you think you are?" the ox asked, crossing his arms.

She stood taller, trying not to look as scared as she felt. "Eleanor of Eagle's Landing, sir. I was simply passing through and became lost. If you permit me, I will leave this place now and no longer be your concern."

The captain nodded and allowed Eleanor to pass through his men, albeit not without a warning. "If your face is seen again in these parts, you will have to answer to me, young lady."

Eleanor simply smiled politely, shrugged, and proceeded on her way. She was pleasantly surprised that the captain hadn't given her more trouble and overjoyed to be free of him. Unfortunately, her and Spitfire had also become more confused.

"Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but those soldiers took up enough of our time and the daylight. Now we're even more lost," Eleanor sighed with disappointment. "I don't want to meet them again, even for directions."

Walking further along and trying to retrace her steps, Eleanor eventually took a nap in a patch of soft grass, providing dinner for Spitfire. She was awoken by a frightened whinny and loud voices, along with a terrible body odor and rough hands. These weren't part of the king's regiment, obviously, and Eleanor fought back as much as she could.

"Let go of me!"

She tried to reach for her bow, but one of the men had her arm and wrist in a tight grip so she couldn't reach for it. Eventually, the group picked her up from the ground and began walking away with her, Eleanor punching and kicking them as hard as she was able.

A short distance away, a young man heard the commotion and decided to investigate. The brutes had tussled with the young man before, and he easily disposed of them, rescuing Eleanor in the process. Dazed, Eleanor leaned against a tree, trying to catch her breath.

"Thank… thank you…"

Slumping, Eleanor fell backwards as the young man caught her. She had fainted from the stress. He lifted her up with gentle hands and began walking with her. The last thing she noticed before slipping back into unconsciousness was the flash of a striped tail.