I'm really too excited to write out a little note here at the beginning without spoiling the entire chapter, so I'll let you read.

Peri had never been so painfully aware of her own heartbeat, of the sound her boots made as they slid across the floor, of the faint whisper of air that accompanied her breath on its way out of her mouth. The sound of her blood in her ears seemed to echo off the ceiling, and it was racing faster than it had been when she'd been running. Her muscles were nearly limp with nerves and exhaustion, and she felt like each mistep would bring them the unwanted attention that would spell out their deaths. Shit, she couldn't do this. She was about the say so, when suddenly Datia appeared in her mind, quietly letting the last of her strength pour across their bond and into Peri's limbs. Not only that, but a heady dose of confidence came with it, enough to keep her sane and somewhat in control. She sent a wordless expression of thanks in her bondmate's direction, but she needed all her focus to be on the small patrol that had appeared just ahead. It really wasn't that many, all of them surrounding a small iron box with no gaps in its sides. The faint clop of a single horse's hooves informed her of what was pulling the wheeled box along, and she winced. It was likely the horse would spook once the attack started, so they would have to move fast. She set about counting up their enemies, wondering how long it would take to drop them all.

Seven, Esteba informed them, just as Peri had reached number two, and she allowed herself a small amount of hope. They could take seven. She'd fought seven herself before, although that had been an ambush, an attempt to rob them, and the poor fellows hadn't even seen her coming. But this too was a sort ambush, only she wasn't after money this time. She was after a life, and that would make her fight that much harder. There were a few extra swords on her side this time around as well. She tried not to consider the fact that she also wasn't robbing petty nobles, because there was no point in going into this already defeated. She had to believe she could win. We, she corrected herself, suddenly choking on gratitude and the realization that she wasn't alone. Gods, you're turning into a romance story, she chided herself, pulling the coldness close to her skin. Focus. Slowly they slipped closer, weapons out and ready to bite into flesh. It took all of Peri's logic and some of Datia's to keep herself from charging down the tunnel screaming, and each second that passed caused her resolve to crumble a little more. If Hadin didn't give the word soon…

Esteba, take the three on the left. Peri nearly sobbed with relief to hear Hadin's voice in her head. But she kept quiet, kept going, and waited for her instructions. She was just the extra knives at this point, waiting for Hadin to point her at someone. They'd agreed as such once he'd started talking to her again. I'll take the two on the right. Peri, you take the last three. And if either of you finish your three off, lend a hand somewhere else. Oh, let's try not to kill anyone. Last thing we need is a dragon mad with grief crawling up our asses. Wait for my signal.

Peri's mind fell silent again, too silent, until Datia started humming just to keep her from going insane. They crept closer and Hadin's foot brushed against a pebble. Peri cringed internally and tensed, waiting for someone to whip around and sound the alarm, but no one did. Perhaps she was just overly sensitive from her line of work. That fact had saved her life once, although she'd gotten blood all over her cloak and it just wouldn't come out-

Now.

Peri stopped thinking and moved, sprinting silently across the ground towards the backs of the Riders up ahead. She knew how to run silently, quickly, and she knew just where she would strike her first target to drop them immediately. She also knew that Hadin and Esteba, while being trained, hadn't been in her line of work for years. They weren't overly sensitive to the slightest noises and details the way a thief, an assassin, or a smuggler might be. So she knew she only had maybe two seconds before Hadin or Esteba gave her away, and she was planning on milking those two seconds for all they were worth. Flipping her knife around in her hand, she raised it high and brought it down heavily on the first Rider's skull. A sharp crack resounded throughout the tunnel, echoing off the stone walls, and the man dropped like a bag of flour. Peri had already moved on to her next target, ramming her knife between the Rider's armor and watching her sway as the sleeping draught entered her system.

"Per!"

Esteba's shout was the only warning she had before a massive sword came swinging at her face, but it was enough. She dropped- nevermind ducking- completely to the floor and rolled into someone's legs, sending the poisoned Rider crumpling down beside her, sound asleep. She was back on her feet in an instant, surveying the situation with practiced care. The horse pulling the crate had, miraculously, come to a stop the moment the small patrol had. It must be a normal horse, not the intelligent kind she'd heard lived in Du Weldenvarden, or else that beast would be long gone, her friend with it. Still, she wanted closure, and she couldn't get that with this idiot in her way, waving his sword all over hell. Narrowing her eyes, she waited for half a second, then ducked inside his guard. Instead of going for his throat with her knife like she usually would, she caught hold of one of his arms and ducked aside, trying to leap at him from behind and strangle him. A moment's distraction told her that Esteba was working on her third and Hadin was almost finished with his second, but the remaining three guards were beginning to organize. That was just what they needed to avoid. Unfortunately, the man Peri was attempted to strangle backhanded her and sent her crashing into the side of the crate.

Instinct alone kept her alive as she rolled to the side, but it was a stroke of pure genius- or insanity- that sent her scrambling on her elbows under the crate. She was sure the horse was going to bolt now, and crush her beneath the cart, but the stupid animal didn't move. Still, she wanted to get out from under it as fast as she could. Ahead of her she could see the ankles of one of the guards, and without pausing to think she reached out and slit the tendon running up the back of his leg. There was no time to watch the consequences, because a hand had just closed around her own ankle and was yanking her harshly out from under the cart. Her guard had to be certain he had her now. Well, he'd be wrong. Peri was ready. A merciless kick to the groin brought the man to his knees, and then it was incredibly easy to leap onto his back and yank her arm tight around his throat. The man struggled, attempting to stand and shake her off, but he'd underestimated just how tenacious she could be. He put up a good fight, but he was still reeling from the kick and he was out of breath. Within seconds he was out cold behind the wheels of the cart. Peri whirled around to find her next foe, but there was none. Hadin was just straightening from the prone body of his opponent, the one who's tendon she'd slit, and Esteba looked like she'd finished hours ago. For a moment she just stood there stunned, staring back and forth between human and elf, and then she barked out a breathless laugh.

"Well that was fun," Esteba breathed, wiping a bloody sword on her pants. Peri nodded dazedly and turned to the crate that just had to hold her best friend. If it didn't…

"I can't open it," she whispered, sheathing her knives without taking her eyes off the heavy black thing. If she were made of anything less than steel tempered in fire, she might have been shaking, but she still had a few shreds of dignity left. Still, she could not bring herself to open that box, in case it turned out the worst had happened. She refused to be the one to find an supply of food, or worse, a dead body. She would not do that to herself. "Please, you do it," she continued, gesturing for one of her companions to do the honors.

"You sure?" Hadin asked carefully, like she was on the brink of losing her mind. She gave him a hard look that told him she was dead serious, and he nodded. Stepping forward, he quickly found the latch on the side of the box and paused with his fingers resting on it. Peri shuffled closer, probably too close, and could just barely hear him murmuring words under his breath in the Ancient Language. Of course, there would be a lock. Still, she could barely stand to wait while Hadin carefully worked his magic, worried that at any moment Dareth would come charging around the corner, palms blazing.

Steady, iet ilian, steady.

If Datia had been there in person, Peri would have slumped against her bondmate and screamed, simply because of the stress she'd been carrying for the past few weeks and the adrenaline high she was coming down from. Could Nick hear them outside? She wanted to run up to the cart and shout through the walls that it was going to be alright, she was here, she would never leave him in the clutches of Dareth's type, but her legs probably wouldn't last the journey. All she could do was stand uselessly while Hadin worked, occasionally glancing over at Esteba, who had gone to stand with the horse. Instead of slowing now that the fighting was over, her breath came faster and faster with each passing second, until Hadin finally gave her an exasperated look and she backed away. Minutes passed at the pace of a snail, and despite her nerves some semblance of calm was returning to her body. The waiting was almost… soothing, if it hadn't been so agonizing. It gave her time to ground herself and prepare for the arduous task of getting Nick back out of the tunnels. They'd briefly considered taking the cart Nick was being moved in, but dismissed the idea quickly after Esteba reminded them of the incident with Peri's sheath. It would be too easy for someone to track them using the cart, and they just couldn't take that chance. So it seemed like they would have to support him, assuming he was even in walking condition. None of them knew what went on inside Hljödhr Andlát, so they couldn't predict what kind of shape Nick would be in at this point. It made Peri sick and furious to think that her oldest friend had been tortured. It made her want to hunt down every living creature inside Hljödhr Andlát and skin it alive, whether it was a prisoner or not. If she ever saw Dareth again she was shoving her knife down his throat, that she was sure of. She didn't care if she got killed in the process, as long as that bastard suffered as well-

"Got it." Peri immediately lost all the progress she'd made in calming her frantic heartbeat, but she did manage not to punch a wall and cheer. Instead she shifted closer to the cart and waited breathlessly as Hadin pried open the side of the cart.

"Is he there?" she demanded before the door had opened three inches, trying to peer over Hadin's shoulder into the pitch black space beyond.

"Hang on, let me get a light," he responded, not sounding the least bit irritated. Raising one hand, he muttered 'Istalri' and a small ball of flame leaped awake in his hand. He held it out in front of him and squinted at the sudden light, when suddenly a dark shape erupted from the cart with a hideous screech and slammed into the boy's chest, sending him stumbling backwards into the side of the tunnel. Peri jumped maybe six feet into the air and almost threw her knife at the thing, but she couldn't for fear of hitting Hadin. Instead she dove after the pair, her heart sinking all the while. So Nick wasn't here after all. She reached her friend and grabbed hold of the creature, surprised when her hands met the coarse cloth of a shirt. Peri didn't pause to question it though; this man was attacking her friend. He had to be dealt with. She heaved backwards on the man's shirt and at the same time Hadin kicked out with his legs, and together they propelled the man into the air. He slammed against the side of the cart with a muffled noise halfway between a cry of pain and a furious snarl, then crumpled to the ground. Esteba darted in and with little effort slammed the man up against the tunnel wall, drawing her swords with one hand while the man writhed madly, almost like an animal. Almost like-

"Wait!" She'd been directing her words at Esteba, but the entire tunnel froze instead: Hadin slumped back against the wall, Esteba turned her head questioningly and stared, and the man pinned to the wall suddenly fell limp, despite the fact that Esteba's hand was still around his throat and probably throttling the life out of him. Peri, breathing hard, walked closer, trying to get a look at the man's face. He had black, greasy hair, like it hadn't been washed in a while, and his skin had a sickly pallor to it, the look of someone who'd been in the darkness for a long time. She saw a glint of madness in his eyes, barely visible through the tangled locks of hair, and the way he'd fought wasn't the wild attack of an animal. It was the trained precision of a killer. And yet, she saw countless cuts on his hands and face. There were places on his clothes where the stains there were simply too dark to be dirt. Some killer this man was, if he couldn't even defend himself. She came closer still, until she could reach out and touch him, and with one finger she lifted the bottom of his shirt only a few inches. The scars she revealed weren't recent; they were years old, maybe even decades, and they were arranged in long, neat rows, the kinds of marks you saw on children with abusive parents. The kind of marks you got from years and years of beatings. And there were so many of them.

"Nick?"

"Gods help me," the man rasped, struggling to choke the words out past Esteba's iron grip on his throat. "You're alive."

"Let him go!" But Esteba had already done so, stepping back so quickly that Peri had to catch Nick or else he would fall over onto his face. His dead weight dropped onto her shoulders and she herself nearly went down, but somehow she braced against him and lowered him as gently as she could onto the ground. Any rules she had against crying immediately went out the window as her eyes welled up and she frantically raked the man's hair back from his face. She only stopped when she realized she was opening up recent cuts, but she'd already seen what she needed to see. Nick's warm brown eyes stared up at her like they were looking upon some impossible miracle, but they were the only thing she could recognize at a glance. The rest of him…

He looked horrible. Starved, haunted, and cut up in a thousand different places, and still he'd had the gall to try and fight his way past a patrol of Riders. If Peri hadn't already been crying, she definitely would have started then.

"You stupid bastard," she whispered, diving forward to wrap her arms around her friends neck. She could hardly believe this was real, any of this.

"Peri," Nick coughed painfully, and immediately she bolted backwards. Of course, he had to be hurting. Sheepishly she scrubbed at the tears on her cheeks, trying to figure out what to do with her emotions. Should she laugh, because her friend was alive? Or should she cry, because his face was gaunt, sunken in, and bruised? Perhaps she should scream, but she also felt like thanking the gods above for leaving Nick alive. In the end she only started crying again, and pretty soon she gave up trying to wipe her tears away. Instead she just sat there on her heels, grinning madly while her eyes produced enough tears to fill a lake. Nick gazed back at her from his slumped position against the wall, neither smiling nor frowning. For this, Peri was glad. He might look too much like a skeleton if he bared his teeth.

"Dust is crazy in here, isn't it?" he said at last, his voice hoarse. Whether that was from Esteba's attempt to strangle him or from something else, she wasn't sure. She huffed out a teary laugh and nodded, wiping at her eyes again. This time she managed to hold back the waterworks. She wanted to hug him again, hold him tight and never let him go, but that would undoubtedly hurt him. Instead she settled for moving a lank piece of hair away from his face, grimacing as she revealed only more bruises.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. And that was all the time they had. "We have to get you out of here. Can you walk?"

Nick looked frankly quite terrified by the prospect, but he nodded anyway and attempted to stand. Peri slipped her arm under his and wrapped it behind his shoulders, trying to ignore the boney feel of them that hadn't been there a month ago. Had they even been feeding him? She helped him carefully to his feet, cringing every time his breath hissed past his teeth in pain. At first she was gentle, cautious, but soon she realized there was just no way they were going to get him out of here without hurting him. Once she'd come to that conclusion, the going was a lot faster, if more heartwrenching. Eventually they were both standing, his arm slung over her shoulders, most of his weight dragging down on her right side. With this much contact she could feel the faint trembling in his muscles, but she chose to ignore it. She also tried not to pay too much attention to the fact that Nick couldn't even put his right foot on the ground, because if she did the shame and guilt might kill her. A flicker of movement made her heart stop, but it was only Esteba, stepping forward to offer her help. She nodded gratefully and the elf moved into place on Nick's other side. If Nick was the least bit curious about this new friend of hers, he didn't voice his curiosity. Hadin, who had gotten up from his position against the wall, walked over to the horse while the three of them were getting settled. The cart was now behind her, so Peri couldn't see what he was doing, but moment later the sound of hoofbeats started up and gradually faded down the tunnel behind them. Hadin slipped past them in a flicker of white and took a few steps ahead of them, turning back to watch them finish preparations.

"Ready?" Hadin asked, looking a little worse for wear after his brief tussle. There was a large smear of dirt running down his pants and when he turned to face back the way they'd come she saw a similar stain on the back of his shirt. Peri turned to Nick, waiting for his response, but she got none. His head hung forward as if he were too weary to support it. Rather than answer, he took a hop forward and the two women were forced to start walking if they intended to support him. Each hop elicited a faint grunt of discomfort from her friend, and knowing him that meant he was in a great deal of pain. Which, of course, was all her fault. She swallowed the urge to apologize again and raised her eyes to fix them on Hadin's back as he led the way. It was going to be a long walk.

(…)

When at last they reached their starting point, Nick was riding on Esteba's back and Peri was trying to work a cramp out of her back, left over from her previous turn carrying the malnourished body of her friend. It had been hours since the rescue, but each time she looked to him she received a violent shock at his state. She just couldn't get used to the sight of her friend like this, weak and barely able to stand up straight. Currently his head was slumped against Esteba's shoulder, eyes half closed, but she always expected to see him looking back at her with a smug look on his face, perhaps informing her of all the things he would have done differently during the rescue to make it run smoother. This broken shell disturbed her, but she could hardly blame him.

Up ahead, Hadin slowed, peering carefully at the wall, then stopped completely and turned back to face them. As they came closer Peri could see the small gap in the dirt that would eventually lead up to the surface. How they were going to get Nick, in his injured state, up the steep, narrow steps was something Peri couldn't figure out. He could probably ride on Esteba's back for most of the way, but at one point they'd been forced to crawl and wiggle their way past the massive roots of a tree. Peri was dreading that part of the day. She could see that dread in Hadin's eyes too, but neither of them seemed willing to broach the subject. There was only one option anyway. Without a word they filed into the cleft and began making their way towards the surface. It was a good thing none of them were claustrophobic, or else this would be a lot more difficult. There was never a point where Peri could fit herself comfortably facing forward, and at some points she had to angle herself sideways in order to keep moving forward. Because she couldn't turn around, she had no idea how Esteba managed it, but the elf was never far behind. Slowly they climbed higher, until the ceiling began to descend towards them and roots began to protrude from the wall. Her throat was dry when she finally spoke out loud.

"Nick…"

"I can handle it."

There was some of the Nick she knew. But that didn't make her feel much better, as her friend was about to drag himself along by his hands and feet despite the fact that none of his appendages worked. She was helpless, and she hated it. A few feet in front of her Hadin dropped onto his hands and knees, then disappeared around the corner. That was going to be
Nick. She knew he could handle it, but that didn't mean he had to.

I can take away some of his pain. Datia sounded sympathetic and just about as helpless as she felt.

Please, do anything. Then, with this small promise from her bondmate bolstering her spirits, she dropped to the ground and followed Hadin. This was the shortest section of the walk, only twenty feet in length, but it was impossibly tight, and there were roots to crawl over and under. It took her fifteen minutes to work her way past them one inch at a time. She nearly exploded with relief as she burst free of the earth and emerged in the clearing where they'd encountered the two Riders, then instantly felt guilty for feeling so happy when her friend was still in pain. That guilt didn't stop her from running flat out to her bondmate's side and throwing her arms around Datia's neck, nearly breaking down and crying into her dragon's scales. Gods, she was tired. It was a feeling woven into her joints and pooling behind her eyes, the kind that came from too much work and too little sleep. She was starving and thirsty and practically choking on her own remorse. For the next three days she wanted to do nothing but sleep, eat, and try to forget her entire life. Somehow she didn't think that was going to be possible. Rather than worry herself sick over Nick, she forced herself to sit down with some food and water, catch up with Datia, and continuously remind herself that something good had come out of today. They had succeeded. Nick was safe, or as safe as he could be at the moment, and they were all alive. They hadn't killed anyone's bondmate, so there wouldn't be any vengeful dragons pursuing them wherever they went, and for now no one knew where they were. Peri focused on these thoughts and leaned against Datia's shoulder, relishing the warmth radiating from the dragon's core. Datia hummed an odd, lilting tune in their heads and Peri felt oddly at peace. This part of Rider life, she could handle.

Nearly half an hour later, there was a small clatter of dirt from the entrance to the tunnels, and in a heartbeat Peri had sprinted across the clearing to investigate. When she saw Nick's dark hair she didn't hesitate to reach down and, as gently as she could, pull him up out of the earth. If anything he was even paler from the strain of crawling through the tunnel, sharpening the contrast between his skin and his hair. That didn't stop complete awe from taking over his face when, propped up by Hadin on one side and by Peri on the other, he caught a glimpse of Datia's slim body wound between the trees. For a moment he was speechless, and Datia seemed quite pleased by the amazed expression that seemed fixed on his face.

"Damn," he said at last, coughing a little. "She's beautiful."

I like him.

"She likes you," Peri informed Nick with a certain degree of resignation. "Let's set you down so you can rest."

He can sit with me.

"You mind sitting near Datia?" Peri asked, shooting her bondmate a glare. Those midnight blue eyes blinked back innocently as Nick shook his head and they began maneuvering him across the clearing, until they finally settled him against a tree near Datia's head. He grimaced a little as his back settled against the rough bark, but not once did he take his eyes from the dragon curled in a C shape around him.

"We can't stay long," Hadin said regretfully as he straightened up again. Peri fought her instinct to sit by Nick's side and tend to his every need, but she was afraid he might punch her if she did. It wasn't the hit she was afraid of, but the risk that Nick would injure himself further. They still didn't know how broken up he was inside, and she knew better than any of them that he wasn't about to list off his wounds. A quiet yelp announced the arrival of Esteba as she was plucked from the entrance to the tunnels by a massive red claw. She vanished beneath Vagero's wing in a heartbeat and could be heard protesting loudly from within. None of her threats seemed to sway her bondmate. Peri glanced affectionately in her own bondmate's direction, grateful that at least Datia hadn't taken her hostage upon her return.

"Peri?" Upon hearing her name she turned to Hadin with a questioning look. "Feel like taking a look around with me?" he continued, gesturing to where Raj crouched a short distance off into the trees.

"Anything to get away from those damned tunnels," she agreed, brushing dirt off the front of her shirt. It was really no use; only a vigorous wash would get the thing clean again. "Just let me grab something warmer," she added, jogging over to where her pack was hidden beneath a log. Pulling out a plain cotton shirt, she slipped it over her head as she walked back to where Hadin waited, and on instinct she reached back to pull her braid free. Only there was no braid. Just air and a few longer wisps she hadn't cut at the same length as the others. She let her hand drop back to her side and smiled sheepishly to herself.

"Nick, Esteba, we're going for a short flight, make sure everything's clear," she called over her shoulder as she followed Hadin into the trees. Nick blinked and looked up from Datia's head and gave a small nod. Peri turned away before he could see the guilt she felt about leaving him yet again.

I'll watch him like an eagle watches a fish, Datia spoke up, which gave Peri a little relief.

I don't know how to treat him, you know? He's been through hell, but if I treat him like a victim he'll kill be as soon as he's able.

Just treat him like your friend.

Gods, you and your dragon logic. Peri stopped while Hadin climbed up into Raj's saddle, then followed behind him with practiced ease.

No, that's just my natural wisdom and grace, Datia responded as the two Riders set about securing themselves to Hadin's saddle. Peri was pleased to find that she could almost keep up with Hadin when it came to strapping in.

"Ready," she said aloud, while in her head she wished Datia well.

I am officially giving you permission to kill something if it comes anywhere near Nick.

Datia seemed far too pleased with this development, but Peri would rather keep her friend safe than worry about morals. It wasn't like she hadn't done that sort of thing before, but if they accidentally killed a Rider it would make their escape that much more difficult. She slid her arms around Hadin's waist in preparation for the massive surge it would take to get them both above the trees. Months after her first flight she still couldn't quite stop her head from snapping backwards, but she figured that was something she wouldn't master for a long while yet. The process of taking off had become very familiar and a lot more comfortable, as she was ready for the abrupt shifts in weight that used to catch her off guard. Raj easily propelled them up above the trees and continued to skim low across the vast green sea, careful not to fly too high. They didn't want to attract any undue attention from either friends or enemies, but they also needed to know if there were any armed elves waited for them to make their move. Peri kept her eyes trained to the right and slowly reached over into the store of magic in her mind. Immediately little pinpricks of light leaped up everywhere, each one representing life, from the slightest insect to the massive oaks and redwoods they passed on their route. She grimaced at her mistake and let the flow of magic taper off, until only the brightest lights, the large animals- like humans- were visible. Then she carefully kept tabs on the amount of energy she was expending and scanned the forest again. She was getting better at this.

It wasn't immediately obvious that their path through the sky wasn't straight, but Peri could feel the slightest shift in weight as they traced a wide circle around Esteba, Nick, Datia, and Vagero. She saw countless deer, as well as one or two predators on the outskirts of the forest, but no Riders and no dragons. On the inner arc of their circle she could just barely see a group of elves amongst the trees, but they were far away and without mounts. Still, she reported them to Hadin and he twisted around to see.

They should be far enough away, as long as we leave within half an hour, he decided.

Can we leave that early? Nick needs to rest.

If we don't move, we're all going to see the inside of a cell. Hadin's response was flat, brutally honest.

Yeah, alright. I get it.

They continued along their route, carefully examining anything bright enough to be a small child, but found very little. The longer they stayed aloft, the more Peri's anxiety grew, but she told herself she was just being paranoid. If something had happened back at the clearing, she would have felt something. Datia would have alerted her, or they would have heard Vagero's fury even from miles away. When at last Raj banked to their left, heading for the others, she breathed a small sigh of relief. Within minutes they dropped through the trees and Peri braced herself for the impact of hitting the earth. Regardless of her efforts she was still thrown against Hadin's back, but she didn't mind much. With record speed she unstrapped herself from the saddle and hurried back towards the clearing, not slowing until she saw Datia stretched across the ground on her side. Nick was curled up sleeping in the curve of her belly, looking surprisingly healthier than when they'd left. Why, it seemed that some of his cuts had disappeared entirely.

He's still got a few cracked ribs and a broken ankle, not to mention the flesh wounds, but I took away enough pain for him to sleep. Datia gave a self-satisfied hum as Peri approached, although she had a slightly pained look in her eyes. It seemed the pain she took didn't just fade away. Peri sat down by her head and began methodically stroking the scales above her left eye, watching Nick while she did so. He did seem a little more comfortable, but he still looked like a dragon had chewed him up and spit him into a hole. Hadin appeared between two saplings, wearing expression that meant business, but when he saw Nick asleep he seemed to reconsider.

"Ten minutes," he warned quietly, and Peri nodded reluctantly. They didn't have the luxury of time on their side. It was only a matter of time before something went wrong: the guards in the tunnel woke up and alerted someone, or someone simply happened upon them by accident. It didn't matter, either would be most unfortunate. So she left Datia to rest and went to gather her things. The first thing she did was yank her boots off her feet, wiggling her cramped, sore toes in the air. One of her daggers slipped from its sheath inside her boot and thunked down onto the earth, but she didn't move to pick it up until she'd shaken the other one loose, and then she stowed both of them back in her pack. She didn't need to be armed for an ambush anymore. Using water from her waterskin, she washed the poison and sedatives from the ones that had been laced and stored those as well. She didn't allow herself to run around completely helpless though. Two daggers went up her sleeves and her pearl-handled dagger went at her waist, as always. Rather than force her poor feet back into her boots, she traded those out for her moccasins and gave a quiet sigh of bliss. The rest of the ten minutes was spent eating, with occasional breaks a sip or two of water. Their time ran out far too fast, as she was still starving when Hadin returned from wherever he'd been and gave her a meaningful look. Groaning, she forced her sore body to her feet and stretched, not looking forward to the long ride ahead of her.

"Wake your friend up, we need to talk," Hadin said as she passed him. "I'll get Esteba."

"Coming," the elf called from beneath Vagero's wing, and a moment later the massive red dragon raised his wing, a disgruntled look on his face.

Peri turned to her sleeping friend and, feeling like she was about to go kick a baby, went to gently shake him awake. She was unprepared for the way he bolted upright, arms up to fend off some unseen attack. The sudden movement sent her skittering backwards, sure she'd hurt him somehow. For a moment he stared at her with no human in his eyes, but that vanished fast enough that she doubted what she'd seen. He let his arms drop and dropped his eyes to his lap, the silence almost palpable. After a moment Hadin cleared his throat and they all flinched, dragons excluded.

"We need to figure out where we're going," he said after a pause, and Peri was glad to have someone to look at who wasn't the person she'd sentenced to life imprisonment.

"Well, I- wait we?" Peri whipped fully around to face Esteba and Hadin, who, to their credit, didn't flinch under her glare. They looked like this was something they'd already discussed, actually. "I'm not dragging you two down to hell with me, thank you very much!"

"That's not really something you can control," Esteba returned levelly, Hadin nodding alongside her.

"We're pretty much screwed already," Hadin added, spreading his hands in a what-can-you-do sort of gesture. "Dareth and his superiors, well, they're not idiots. They can draw a line between two dots."

"Yeah, well-"

"Peri, I told you I wanted out, right?" Esteba waited until Peri remembered their conversation at the spring, just before she'd left them to draw the Riders away, then continued. "This is my way out. I wouldn't have gone along with this if I'd wanted to sit on my ass around a campfire for the rest of my life, fighting over something as stupid as who's special enough to be a Rider."

"I'm with you, Peri," Hadin said, picking up the conversation almost as soon as Esteba had stopped speaking. "I want to get away from the Riders as badly as both of you."

"Why?" Peri challenged him, narrowing her eyes. "What's so horrible about your life that you'd rather spend the rest of your life hunted- not banished, but hunted down like deer? They're not just going to sit back and let us go, you know. Why do you want out?"

Hadin looked distinctly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going, which, of course, only made Peri that much more curious. Esteba turned to regard Hadin with a sort of disconnected interest, like the plot in a story had made an unexpected turn and she was suddenly interested in its ending. When Hadin glanced to her for help, all he got was a prompting stare. He gave an exasperated toss of his head and shrugged.

"Does it matter?" he asked miserably. Peri could tell he already knew the answer he was getting.

"I want to know just why you'd like to throw your life away, so yes, it does matter."

"You really don't want to know," the blonde boy protested hopelessly, scuffing the ground with his foot. There was a soft 'heh' from behind them and Peri glanced back to see Nick with a small smirk on his face.

"Now she does," he rasped, holding one arm to his ribs like they pained him. Peri remembered Datia's mention of cracked ribs and winced internally. "You're fucked, man."

Hadin grimaced and the realization that Nick was right crossed his face. He sighed and raised his eyes to the sky, as if he were praying to some god to come pluck him off the earth. Of course, no such thing happened and without looking at anyone he spoke.

"It may or may not have something to do with my, er, father."

"That's not good enough-"

"Whether you think it's good enough or not, that's all you're getting." Blistering anger suddenly leaped onto Hadin's face, causing Peri to flinch backwards a step in surprise. She realized after a moment that the rage wasn't directed at her in particular, but that didn't make her any more comfortable. This new type of hot anger was new to her when it came to the even-tempered Rider, and it suddenly struck her that she'd underestimated him. She'd seen him unhappy, listless, and she'd been the direct cause of an anger so frigid that it made her shiver, but none of those situations had evoked any sort of passion from him. This fury was the kind that started wars. She wasn't ready to acknowledge that part of Hadin yet, no matter how prominent it was at the moment, and if she couldn't relate to parental issues then those years in the orphanage had been for nothing. Swallowing, she nodded slowly, ignoring the indignation in Esteba's gaze. Hadin, on the other hand, relaxed and changed expressions so quickly it made Peri dizzy.

"Okay," he sighed, his calm demeanor falling back into place. But Peri had seen beneath it for a moment and she knew what that mildness hid. "Where are we going to go?"

"Well," Peri began, still trying to get her metaphorical feet back under her. "North is out, and so's west. We could fly south, but that's straight across the Hadarac and Hljödhr Andlát is in that direction."

She was glad she was facing Hadin and Esteba when she mentioned the prison, because then she didn't have to see the look on Nick's face when he heard it. She felt him shiver through Datia, but he didn't make a sound.

"You sound like you've thought this through already," Esteba pointed out, and Peri ducked her head a little.

"I have," she admitted, omitting the parts that involved Hadin and Esteba hiding while she let the Riders chase her across Alagaesia.

"Well?"

Peri hid a small smile and met Esteba and Hadin's eyes, respectively. They were going to see an old friend.

"We go east."