Rapunzel and Gothel climbed higher into the mountains, the leafy forests turned into windswept hills framed by snow capped mountains and still they trudged on. The wind that blustered over the bare hills was icy having come straight of the snowy mountains in the distance and it cut through Rapunzel's light summer dress like razors, her feet were going numb which was probably a good thing as it stopped the cut on her foot from hurting quite so much. They had been walking all day and it was beginning to get dark, Rapunzel had been leaving her scraps of fabric behind her all day, praying that Eugene would find her. But so far there had been no sign of him. In the distance she could see the slight glow of a village as the light faded.
"I'll stop in that village for the night." Gothel said, sounding almost as tired as Rapunzel.
"And where will I stay? Outside again?" Rapunzel questioned her fatigue reducing her patience.
"No, there is a barn up ahead; I'll leave you there to sleep with the animals." Gothel answered.
"Fine." Rapunzel sighed, anywhere that was out of the wind where she could rest sounded good.
They entered the barn as the last of the sun dipped behind the mountains, it was small and old but it kept most of the wind out and there were bales of hay piled around that would serve as a bed for the night. There were a few sheep in a stable with their lambs, a considerate farmer must have rounded them up and put them into the barn to protect them from the chilling temperatures of the night. Rapunzel followed Gothel to a corner of the barn and stood quietly while she shackled her to a wooden beam.
"Here's what's left of the food and the last of the water." Gothel tossed her satchel at Rapunzel's feet. "Try and get some sleep, we carry on into the mountains in the morning." Even Gothel's usual sneer and harsh remarks had vanished after the long day. Rapunzel lowered her head submissively, not having the energy to fight or even respond. Gothel left the barn without another word and Rapunzel stood alone in the dim, creaking barn with the wind howling at its doors.
Eugene and Max were circling, they had made great progress tracking Rapunzel all day but now they were stumped. They had lost her scent a few miles back and couldn't seem to pick it up again or find any more scraps of fabric to help them on their way. They were on the edge of the forest and were faced with several different paths, some going up into the mountains others following the curve of the valley down and out towards the sea. They doubled back again to where they last had her scent and took the next path that they hadn't tried yet.
"Maybe this is the one Max." Eugene tried to keep their spirits up but as daylight faded and his stomach growled fiercely at him he began to lose hope. "We'll try this path and if we have no luck, we'll head to that inn a few miles back, get some rest and start out at first light." He conceded. Max whinnied in agreement. The path took them down a steep hill and followed a trickling creek towards the valley, Eugene hoped this wasn't the way Rapunzel had been taken, it meant they might be going towards the sea, and if they got on a boat, he'd never find them.
A few miles later Max lifted his nose from the ground and paused. He hadn't picked up even a hint of her scent, he eyed Eugene who shook his head, they had chosen the wrong path again. Admitting defeat, they turned and headed back the way they had came, the weariness from the day and the fact that they were losing ground on Rapunzel and Gothel weighed heavily on their shoulders. The sun had been gone for some time and the stars were twinkling in the crisp night sky, it was getting colder and colder they further they went. Eugene worried for Rapunzel, he hated the thought of her being out in the cold, he hoped she had found warmth and shelter for the night, he wished he could be there to comfort her and keep her safe and warm. Maybe tomorrow he would be able to hold her, maybe tomorrow he would find her and take her away from Gothel and protect her from all the cruelness in the world. That thought would keep him going, keep him from giving up.
They hurried back to the inn, and after Eugene secured a warm stable and a generous portion of feed for Max he stumbled into the inn, quickly devoured a bowl of stew, fell into a small bed and instantly fell into a deep slumber.
Rapunzel pulled out an apple, a small piece of cheese and the last of a stale loaf of bread. She was feeling dizzy and her stomach was so hungry that she was feeling unwell so she slowly nibbled the food allowing her body time process it. She looked at her foot in the dark and it was hard to tell how bad her wound was but the searing pain she felt when she examined it with her fingers was not a good sign. Her whole foot was hot and she feared it was getting worse, she tore at her petit coat again and used the last of the water to clean her foot, it was throbbing afterwards and she lay down on the hay to rest it. Pascal watched on with concern, he scurried about the barn looking for something to help Rapunzel but it was quiet bare, he did however find a rag that could be used to wrap around Rapunzel's foot and he stubbornly dragged it across the barn to her. She tore the last of her petit coat and folded it over the wound before she wrapped the rag around her foot tying it firmly in place at least that would help to keep her foot protected as she traipsed across the countryside tomorrow she thought. She buried into the hay, laying it over her body and listened to the wind clawing at the old wooden slats of the barn, Pascal snuggled in close to her and started snoring. Rapunzel was exhausted but couldn't sleep, her heart was too heavy with sadness, she had hoped Eugene would have found her by now, she knew that the further away she got the harder it would be for him to find her. She let a few quiet tears fall in the darkness, perhaps she was just tired and tomorrow she would feel better, stronger and her hope renewed but for now she let herself cry, she gave in to the fear, the loneliness and like a little girl she wept.