A/N: Thank you everyone for sticking with me! It's about to get pretty intense. Please continue to review, follow, and favorite! :)

Eugene took a deep breath. He knew what he had to do.

Counting down in his head, Eugene readied himself and then sprang around the tree to the other side, where he promptly knocked the two conspirators' heads together before they even saw him. Just as quickly he jumped back to the other side of the tree, hoping beyond hope that no one had noticed.

After a few moments of nothing happening, Eugene let his breathing slow as his mind went back to work. What to do now?

Good thing Prince Hans made the decision for him.

Suddenly Eugene was pinned to the tree by his neck, staring up into the freckled, sneering face of Hans. By the sound of the camp, it sounded as if the other men didn't realize that Hans had left.

"So, Rider, we meet again. Clever snowball trick back there. And escaping from jail, very good."

He didn't let himself be frightened by Hans. "Eugene."

Hans increased pressure on Eugene's throat, squeezing his windpipe shut. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear that," he mocked.

Eugene lifted his right arm and cracked the frying pan against Hans' ribs. The villain doubled over, holding onto the tree trunk for support. "My name is Eugene."

Holding his side, Hans glared daggers into Eugene, a tantalizing grin plastered onto his features. "You just made a big mistake, Rider. I was going to get rid of you quick and easy."

"You won't be getting rid of me, or anyone for that matter." Eugene swung the frying pan at his head, intending to knock him out, but Hans reacted quicker this time and grabbed his wrist, twisting his arm at a terrible angle.

"Drop it," Hans growled.

Eugene strained against his hold, but it was no use. Hans had always been the stronger one. The frying pan dropped to the ground, clanking against a tree trunk.

"You listen to me, Rider," he said in a quiet voice, pulling on Eugene's arm even more, "I was going to kill you right now without a fight, but now I want you to do exactly as I say: Run."

Eugene bit his lip to keep from crying out. His arm felt like it was going to snap at any minute. But he kept his gaze resolute, not even flinching under Hans' hard and menacing glare. He waited to hear what Hans had in mind.

"I want you to run like the coward you are so I can have the pleasure of chasing after you and killing you. Oh, and I want your little friend to watch too."

Eugene was careful not to let his expression alter.

Hans must have seen something change because his smile grew wider. "Oh, yes. I know about the ice miner's hut and where you've been hiding. Run there. Now. And if you don't, I'll kill you, your pretty friend, and the Queen all right now. Make your move."

The wind whistled loudly in the silence that followed. Pain shot up Eugene's arm until he could barely stand it. When he looked into Hans' gloating face, he knew he had no choice. He had the upper hand. It was over. He had failed everyone. As soon as Hans had him, he wouldn't hesitate to kill Rapunzel and Queen Elsa anyway.

"I'll go."

Hans freed him, kicking the frying pan way out of reach. Eugene massaged his arm for a moment before making a swift move to kick Hans' legs out from under him and then booking it. Only moments later he heard Hans calling in an enraged voice,

"There he goes! Shoot him! He was plotting to kill the Queen!"

A few rallying shouts echoed Hans' "Shoot him!" while a few others actually belted out complaints that the law of Arendelle required a trial.

Eugene focused his mind on other things then as an arrow whizzed by him and buried itself in the snowy hill. He could see the hut now. Rapunzel would be inside.

"Rapunzel!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Run!"

There was no sound of movement from the hut. In fact, there seemed to be no movement from behind him either. He turned to see no one pursuing him on this side of the hill. Peals of laughter sounded from the camp. A few seconds more, still nothing from the hut.

It didn't take much to put two and two together.

"Rapunzel!" he exclaimed as he took back off toward the camp.