Her head was throbbing with pain. She tried to open her eyes but they would not move. Dazed and confused, Evie could feel herself teetering close to unconsciousness again. Fragmented images of Jacob falling flashed across her mind. With a colossal effort she opened her eyelids. Her vision was hazy but her mind was regaining its sharpness. She was being dragged. She could distinctly feel the ice beneath her, cutting inside her very bones, sending chills across her body. Who was dragging her, she didn't know but she could see it was a female. The female was dragging her by her feet. Realizing that she couldn't fight back in her weakened state, Evie pretended to be unconscious. Slowly and steadily she felt some strength seep back into her body. Still feigning unconsciousness, she focused instead on what she could hear. It was several minutes before she heard anything interesting; horses. Subtly she guided her hands towards her hips and felt her weapons were missing. This seemed to be happening way more often that she would have liked.

Abruptly, the female dragging her stopped. A voice rang out, someone else was speaking.

"Is this the one?"

In front of her, Evie heard the female reply,

"One of them, I'm sure."

The newer presence replied.

"You better be sure about this. If they find out what you're doing, they'll kill us all."

The female who'd dragged her here didn't respond. Instead she asked the newcomer for help. Together they carried Evie and slung her across the back of a horse. Someone jumped onto the horse and gently guided the animal forwards. Behind her she could hear another horse. However, who was riding which horse, she had no clue.

It took all her willpower not to open her eyes or spring to action for the next hour or so. The riders were quiet throughout. She could hear birds chirping and the knew dawn was close. Her journey ended soon, signaled by the horses stopping. Once again the riders got off and carried her. They laid her down on a warm, furry floor. After some tinkering around, one of her captives sprinkled some cold water on her face. Evie had been waiting for this. With perfection, Evie pretended to regain consciousness. She groaned with pain and pulled an expression of shock on her face. She reached for her weapons, knowing full well they weren't there. Now she could see their faces. Two women. One old, one young. They had similar faces, most likely mother and daughter.

So far they had not indicated that they meant her harm. Their brief conversation before indicated the same. She simply stared at them. Her eyes wandered across the place she was in. It was a small cave, laid across the floor were several rugs and utensils.

"Where am I?" Evie asked, her voice calm, betraying no emotions.

"Nowhere. A small shelter my father found. We use it occasionally for respite. Cozy little cave this one, ideal for riding out the blizzards." It was the daughter who spoke.

"And who exactly is your father?" Evie asked sharply, knowing full well that their father would be involved in this somehow. Briefly she debated going for her weapons, left in a small makeshift bag near the entrance to the cave. She decided against it. These people were not threatening her and they looked quite harmless.

The two women exchanged glances. The older woman took charge this time.

"My husband is a hunter. He has been hunting across this region for almost three decades now."

"And?" Evie snapped at them. Her response had gotten them worried. She could see the daughter look at her mother hesitantly. The older woman continued.

"As I'm sure you know, an expedition team arrived here some time back. The men hired mercenaries to escort them to the mines higher in the mountains. They needed a guide, a local who knew the land well. So they hi-no, they forced my husband to join their expedition. This was almost two months ago. I haven't seen my husband since."

Evie had registered a small detail.

"Mines? Higher in the mountains?"

Her response was not what either of them had hoped for. A crestfallen look came across the daughter's face, no doubt the result of Evie's lack of interest in her father's situation. But they clearly had no other choice. The mother replied once again, patience was clearly a strong suit for her.

"Well, I don't know what else to call them. The place holds no valuables, but the expedition is intent on hiring miners. They've been forcing all men, young and old to join. All day they dig through the small caves. They've brought so many equipment. And the men return every few weeks, delirious and all confused, eyes completely wild, like an animal's."

Evie's head perked up intently. The mother's last comment had piqued her curiosity. The women did not miss this either. They had her attention now and they knew it.

"Eyes like an animal's. Can you describe what you mean?"

The daughter piped up.

"That's why we brought you here. The mercenaries have been looking for strangers. All night, their search parties have been looking for some people, most likely you. I thought we could help each other out. I heard some of the guardsman talking about an important prisoner and transporting him to the ruined tower besides which I found you. You were looking for the prisoner, weren't you?"

Evie had an excellent poker face but she decided against it. These women were desperate for help. She could not abandon them, her heart would not allow it.

"If you really want my help, I will need your help in return as well. My brother was with me near the ruined tower. He fell off the cliff, with the prisoner you heard those guardsmen speak of. Help me look for them. And I will help you in return."

They had no choice. Evie knew this. She felt like a monster, bargaining with two innocent people, desperate for help. Yet she knew this had to be done. She needed both Jacob and George to fight this battle.

Is this what Jacob had been doing all these years? Taking the hard decisions, sacrificing for the greater good?

Evie was slowly beginning to understand her brother and his roguish ways.

"Very well. But not right now. It's going to snow soon and you don't look very well. Rest now, mother will prepare a meal. With some sleep and a decent meal, you'll feel much better. Then we will set out."

Finding Jacob was urgent. But she knew she was in no shape to fight. She would need all her strength and wits about her if she was going to pull this off. She agreed and laid her head down to sleep. Despite the worries in her head, exhaustion overwhelmed her. With the daughter nursing her throbbing head, she began to feel much better. The mother prepared a delicious meal. A hot, nourishing rabbit stew and farm made bread made for a hearty meal. Intending to rest for a bit, Evie led her head down. Overwhelmed by exhaustion, she fell into a heavy slumber.


Hello everyone! I know, I know. It's been a verrrrryyyy long time. Out of nowhere I just had this urge to finish this story. Will be posting newer chapters in the coming days, hopefully another 5-6 long chapters. Stay tuned! Reviews would be nice!