A/N: Sorry for this short one but this past week has been hell for me. And that was my vacation (should have enjoyed myself but NO) :-P

Now that I'm back to my old routine, I can start churning them out better.

Again, I wanted this chapter to be longer but since I left at such a cliffhanger and I need to take a breath and outline some more, here it is:

Jadelyn shut her eyes when she felt herself begin to fall. She suddenly stopped but didn't feel her crude noose tighten. Opening her eyes, Jadelyn saw that she was being held by Lottie.

"The old woman was stronger than she looked," marveled Jadelyn. "How did she get here so fast?"

"What do you think you are doing?" Lottie demanded.

"So many people..." she choked. "How could I live when so many people..."

"Listen to me child," she interrupted. "Nothing will be gained from doing this. Instead, everything will be lost. I have foreseen it."

"Of course; otherwise there was no way she would have been able to reach me. I suppose her visions are genuine. I can see why Noxymis is keeping her alive."

Lottie lifted the chain from around Jadelyn's neck. The princess did not resist.

"You told me...about...everything being lost. What did you mean?"

"Are you willing to listen?"

"I have to know why you stopped me," Jadelyn pressed.

The old woman stood tall. Proud. "I stopped you because I could not allow it."

"Allow?"

"Things have been set in motion that cannot be reversed or rectified. Unfortunately, you have been thrusted into this conspiracy. And my son is one of many who lost their life for one madman's scramble for power. But there is hope and they are coming for your sake. Heaven forbid they risk themselves and find you not only dead but by your own hand."

Jadelyn felt terrible for being so careless and selfish. She was overcome by guilt but that is not a luxury she can afford right now. Much like the queen she was intended to become, she had to look at the larger picture and weigh in the needs of everyone else. If her father sent his men to save her, it was only fair for their sacrifice that she at least survive.

She nursed the bruising on her neck from the unforgiving chain. "Noxymis...spoke of overtaking my heart...but he could not."

Lottie pondered over that. "Now I understand why he chose to keep you alive. You must use that to your advantage. You may be safe in the company of friends but in a strange way, you are even safer in the grip of your enemy as long as he has a use for you."

Jadelyn nodded, "I see. Tell me; how do your visions work?"

"I have been able to see things before they happen for as long as I can remember. Only when I was older did I understand why some were...clearer...than others. The more hearts and minds involved, the cloudier my foresight. If, say one silly girl decided to do something insane, I could see it as crystal as a summer afternoon."

"What can you tell me about those coming to Rosym?"

The old woman closed her eyes and looked hard with all her ability.

"Their numbers are uncertain," Lottie replied. "All I know is that they are coming."

"Are you suggesting that you are coming with us?"

Victoria looked long and hard at the unusual redheaded girl she had met just the previous night. She had fallen asleep for a few hours and felt that there was much that took place behind her sleeping back. And she was expecting answers.

"I know what you face," Catherine said. She was a very warm and inviting soul but Victoria was genuinely shaken by how damn serious she was being right now. "Trina tells me that you have seen the sorcerer face to face."

"Yes," the olive skinned woman replied.

"Were you afraid?" Catherine asked.

"Yes," Victoria nodded.

"You should be. He knows no mercy."

Victoria's eyes narrowed, "What has he done to you?"

The redhead paced around the room, arms folded. She was breathing methodically, trying to keep her own anger in check. Catherine knew that she had to stay calm.

"He came through here about two fortnights ago," she finally said. "He was asking for horses and supplies. When asked for payment, he set the ranch ablaze with his dark magic. My father was one of the villagers that rushed to the ranch to help." Catherine sat down, looking away from the others. "There were no survivors."

Victoria looked at Trina and Sinjin. Apparently, the three of them had a long talk prior. She knelt down to Catherine's level.

"I am so sorry for what happened to your father," Victoria said earnestly. "He must have been brave to go out there into danger like that."

Catherine took her hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you."

"I appreciate your helping us. You are a very erudite person indeed," Victoria smiled. "But I cannot expect you to risk..."

"Your sister told me of your plan to sneak into Rosym," Catherine interrupted. "She told me that you were going to travel by sea. It is a wise move but unfortunately there are not any boats left. Everyone has left early this morning to fish or transport goods. They will not be back until tonight."

"Damn it," Victoria whispered. She turned to her older sister. "Now what do we do?"

"Catherine says that she knows the way to Rosym by way of the mountains," Trina replied. "They stretch across the narrows all the way to Rosym."

The redhead grabbed Victoria's head and forced her to look into her eyes.

"Believe me, Victoria" she said. "You do not want to get lost in those mountains. Dizzying heights and jagged rocks below are the least of your worries. There are beasts there that have never seen daylight. But they are out there," Catherine pointed to the general direction of the peaks. "The way sounds bounce off the mountainside, with the right kind of ears, you can hear their screeches and roars."

"Well that is good," Trina sighed. "For a moment I was afraid this was going to be simple."

"But you have traveled through them?" Victoria asked.

"Several times, actually" Catherine replied. "I do not fancy myself a cartographer but I can find my way."

"Then why in the world would you go through such peril?"

Catherine rolled her eyes, "Have you ever experienced the winters around here? They can be quite cruel. But one of the biggest problems is the ice. Rosym is much too far to journey by sled; no telling where the frozen water is not so thick. People have been lost over the years - foolish men - who try to make it across with a pack of dogs only to never return."

Sinjin nodded, "I think that whatever beasts are there must prefer the heat because those same caves are deathly silent come winter."

"But they will not be silent when we go past them, correct?" Trina asked.

"Afraid so," Sinjin confirmed.

Victoria smiled weakly, "I suppose we do not have much of a choice, do we?"

Trina shook her head, "Nope".

"Then it is settled," Catherine beamed.