Chapter 12

"Where are we?" Sideburns asked, looking around the forest. He tried to move his arms but found that he was tied to a tree.

"I don't know, but something tells me where no longer at the inn," Eye Patch answered, sitting next to him. He was tied to the same tree.

Sideburns just stared at him, sighed and shook his head. "Really and I thought you were making it all up,"

Eye Patch just smiled back. There wasn't much else he could do at this point.

Sideburns looked around and frowned. "I don't see our new partner in crime anywhere." He was out of his bonds already and turned to help his brother.

"Maybe he just left us here," Eye Patch answered, shaking off the ropes before the two of them stood up.

"No chance," a voice called out from inside the woods. Sideburns looked into the distance and narrowed his eyes. He saw a shadowy figure emerge from the woods. It looked as if their new companion had been awake for some time now. Not only that, but he had managed to free himself.

Well, it hadn't been all that hard, Sideburns thought, as he turned back to the tree where the ropes still were attached. They hadn't been tightly bound after all, had they?

"What do mean 'no chance'?" Sideburns asked as the figure closed in and stopped across from the twins. "What about our horses?"

"Good question," Bastian answered, as he gestured around the forest. "Do you see them anywhere?"

Sideburns opened his eyes wide. "You don't mean we're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, do you?"

Bastian nodded. "And that's not all, you two. Our provisions are gone with them and that's not all that's disappeared."

Eye Patch narrowed his eyes and stared at his brother. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"That means, gentlemen that our little package has gone with them. We're on our own out here and without a map…"

Sideburns looked angrily at Bastian. "What the heck are you talking about? What happened to Mr. Bloodhound? What about the guy who assured us that we would never get lost? What about all those promises you…. "

"Alright,' Bastian shot back. He narrowed his eyes a bit. "I already have an idea of where we are, my friends. I've been up most of the afternoon now, studying how the heck to get out here. I mean, give me some credit boys, will you?"

Sideburns turned to his brother, then back to Bastian, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"You know where we are?"

Bastian shook his head. "I didn't say that, did I? I said, I think I have an idea of where we are." He opened up his hand to reveal a small compass.

"Say hello to our little friend, boys," Bastian looked at them smiling. "We'll have to spend one more night in these woods; there really shouldn't be a problem. I've already chopped some firewood and I've located a rabbit hole. There are squirrels all over these woods and some edible plants. If you guys want to follow me, we can make it back to the inn in two days time if we head that way." He pointed in a southerly direction.

Eye Patch stared at Sideburns. "He's quick, isn't he?"

Sideburns ignored him. "We need more than that package, Mr. Know It All, we need the girl."

"And Flynn Rider," Eye Patch added, "We can't forget about him, now can we? He's gotten us into more trouble than we deserve."

Bastian looked at the two them and shook his head. "The Guards will take care of the girl and Rider at the same time. They're still out there as far as I know." He stared at the twins. "The main thing is to find that package before the Guards do, is that clear?"

"What about Rider and the girl?" Sideburns said, "My brother is right. They're still more valuable to us than…"

Bastian frowned. "Do you guys ever listen? I just said that the guards are all over the place. The roads between Corona and the village of Perth are swarming with them. They'll be discovered and brought to us in due time. Wherever they've disappeared to, they can't get far and I'll see that the double crosser gets everything he…."

Bastian trailed off. He looked at the twins and sighed. He almost gave away the entire thing, didn't he?

And maybe there was a good reason his old friend and cohort Eugene FItzherbert, did what he did. No one knew their real identities, not yet anyway.

And that also included the twins, who would have to be told sooner or later, hopefully later, much later.

But right now, Bastian had to concentrate on getting them out of these woods. He'd deal with Rider and the girl later.

XXXXXXX

Eugene smiled as he heard Rapunzel's voice. He rested the rake on some bales of hay and waited for her. She was a lovely bright light that had somehow broken through his darkness. She made him forget everything, which was both good and bad, especially where Bastian was concerned, but they were gone now, weren't they?

"Vlad just handed me this," Rapunzel said, as she entered the barn and joined him by his side.

She handed him the package and Eugene stared at it, almost afraid to unwrap it.

He looked up at her, a bit concerned and a little bit confused at the same time.

"He gave you this? Where was it?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "Don't know, Eugene. Vlad said the tall one with sandy blond hair was carrying it. What was his name again?"

"Bastian," Eugene said, absentmindedly, trying to remember if they'd mention their names or not now. He looked at Rapunzel who didn't seem to hear him. "You know what's in here?"

Rapunzel nodded. "Some bottles with some gold liquid inside and a flower, that's all I know." She was lying, but she was sure there was something going on. Why would anyone in the world want her stepmother's perfume unless….

Eugene unfolded the package carefully, making sure that no damage was done. He stared at it for a long time before he picked one up and examined it. He held it up to the light turning his gaze to Rapunzel. "You know what these are, don't you?"

Rapunzel nodded. "They belong to my stepmother. I've seen them before, several times. I used to sneak in and watched her boil that flower to make the liquid. She caught me once and told me that it was perfume."

Eugene let out a laugh and tried to stifle it with his hand.

"What's going on, Eugene?" Rapunzel frowned. Her gaze moved from the bottles to his face. "Tell me the truth."

Eugene stared at her. The three were gone, stuck in the woods somewhere. That's where the thugs were supposed to drop them off where the Guards would find them in no time. They'd be caught with the package on them and would be brought to justice for theft. It wasn't the deal, but it would give him and Rapunzel the time to get away; to be alone. They would find an island away from all this and live there for the rest of their lives…

"Eugene?" Rapunzel said, "There's someone coming."

Eugene looked up. Sure enough, he heard hoof beats in the distance.

"The Guards," he said, grabbing Rapunzel's hand. "We've got to hide this stuff and ourselves as well."

And he pulled Rapunzel deeper inside the barn. They'd wait until it was all over and then he'd explain everything.