Dart felt the wagon turn and then come to a halt. He strained to listen, but could only make out muffled voices. Then they fell silent, and all he could hear was his own breath rustling the pieces of hay just before his face. After several moments, Dart slowly began to move. Poking his head out of the hay pile and knocking hay out of his hair, he peered toward the back of the wagon. A black stone wall glinting with firelight met his gaze, and he paused to listen once again. As no noise greeted him, he slowly and silently removed himself from the hay and crept toward the back of the wagon. He looked around before jumping down, making a soft pat as he landed on the stone floor. The light from a nearby torch reflected dully off his worn armor.

He seemed to be in a storage room of some sort. Several crates like the ones inside the wagon scattered the floor haphazardly, some of them with the lids removed. To his immediate right, Dart could see a large doorway obviously made to accommodate large wagons like the one he rode in on. Strangely, this large doorway was draped with chains, perhaps to announce the arrival of goods whenever a wagon passed through them.

Dart carefully peered through the chains, straining to see what was on the other side. All he could see was a large central hallway, at least twenty feet tall, that stretched beyond his limited view.

The inside of the prison seemed to be made of the same dark stone as the outer wall, lending to the evil oppression Dart felt within this place. Turning to the right and looking around the wagon, Dart was startled as he found himself staring straight into the eyes of the merchant, who held a shipping manifest in his hand. The merchant's expression quickly changed from shock to terror, and dropping the manifest, he immediately turned toward a small doorway on the other side of the room and began screaming, "Guards! Guards! Intruder!"

The merchant ran toward the door as panic welled up inside Dart. He took two steps forward whispering, "No, no, no! Wait!" But it was to no avail. The alarm had already been sprung.

Two guards came rushing into the room from the corridor and stopped in surprise upon seeing Dart, as if they hadn't really believed the merchant's cries.

"That's him!" the merchant said, flustered. "He stowed away in my cart!"

As the guards rushed toward him, both brandishing spears on the way, Dart gave the merchant an exasperated look before quickly drawing his sword, dodging some sloppy attacks, and cutting down both guards in two neat swipes. He sheathed his sword and turned again to the merchant, whose face had gone white with fear.

Dart took a step toward him, jolting the merchant out of his daze. "No, wait!" the merchant cried. Then his voice dropped to a whisper. "I won't say anything else. I'll be quiet as a mouse. Just please don't kill me!" His eyes pleaded for mercy.

"I'm not going to kill you," Dart said quietly, holding his hands up as a sign of peace. "I don't really want to kill anyone, but when you don't give me a choice like that…!" He gestured to the two guards.

Falling to his knees, the merchant looked down and said feverishly, "You're right. I'm so sorry. I won't say anything else. Please, I'll give you whatever you need. I'll trade goods with you! Whatever you want!"

Suddenly Dart remembered why he was here. "Wait, you can help me!" he cried, before realizing he had been too loud. He dropped his voice and asked, "Do you know where they're keeping a girl named Shana? She was brought here within the last few days."

"I'm so very sorry, but I don't know anything about who they bring in." The merchant looked truly apologetic. "But, I know a little bit about the layout of the prison! The higher the level, the more important the prisoner is. I don't know how important this girl is to them, but that might help you figure out what level she's on."

Frustrated, Dart admitted to himself that he had no idea how important Shana was to them. On the one hand, they burned down an entire village just to get to her. But then, she was just a girl... right?

Quickly, Dart thanked the merchant, reassured him that he wasn't going to kill him, and traded him a few coins for some cured meat, having realized upon seeing it that he had not eaten in over a day and had almost no food in his pack waiting for him outside. Then he left through the small doorway and carefully tried to sneak through the prison.

This doorway let into a hallway about half the size of the other he had seen. Looking to the right and left, Dart surmised that this hallway ran across the diameter of the prison, about eighty feet in total. To his right, the outer wall was only about twenty feet away, and there was a small barred window set into the wall, through which he could see a dark night sky and stars just beginning to emerge. To his left, he could tell that there were several hallways branching off from each side of this one, but surprisingly no guards. Keeping to the wall on his left, Dart crept down the hallway.

The hallway was wide, enough for five men to walk shoulder-to-shoulder, and about fifteen feet tall. After a short time, he encountered a wide opening to his left: the main corridor through which the wagon had come. He cautiously peered around the corner and saw the main gate, about sixty feet from him. Four guards stood on the other side, diligently watching the road in the light of several torches. He thought he could even see the mechanism of the gate, and was surprised to notice that there was no real lock on it, but an easily managed latch. Perhaps they simply did not expect any intruders or escapees. Before the gate, the stone floor was worn, no longer shiny and polished, but gray, rough, and cracked. A large grate rested above a black void about a third of the way down the hall, no doubt for catching any rainwater that made it through the gate.

Quickly, Dart darted past the hallway and continued on. At the far end of the hallway, he saw another small window, at its base a small pile of hay. He thought back to the hay in the wagon and concluded that they must keep horses in here, explaining the extra wide hallway. But then he noticed a curious sight. Much closer to him, in what seemed to be the center of the tower, a loosely winded spiral staircase clung to a rounded wall, leading up to the next floor. Complementing this was a similar staircase leading down into the floor. Dart promptly ascended the stairs, being as quiet and cautious as possible, mildly disturbed at the lack of a railing.

As he ascended, the first thing Dart noticed was a horrid smell. It reminded him of horses' stalls that had been neglected too long, only much worse and much more pungent. He stepped onto the landing of the second floor, clinging to the wall next to him as he heard the jaunting of guards from somewhere; the noises echoed terribly.

The landing was a relatively small circular room with two doorways opposite each other. As he stood on the top step of the stairs, he realized that the stairs continued to spiral upwards, mirroring the ones he had just climbed. There was no railing on the right side, and it curved to the right, following the far round wall. Immediately to his left and on the opposite side of the room on the right were two empty doorways. Since he was so close to it, he couldn't see much past the left doorway; but through the right, he could see the outer wall of the prison with a small barred window above a sitting area with a table.

He carefully peered around the doorway to his left and saw a similar sight, except here was the source of all that noise. Three guards, clearly inebriated, sat at this table playing a boisterous game of cards. It confirmed his suspicion that the guards were not too worried about intruders.

Dart eased himself over to the other side of the room, carefully avoiding direct line of sight to the guards, drunken though they were. He stepped out of the doorway and found a round hallway bending back behind him. It appeared that this made a large circle. Turning to the left, he saw found that on either side of this hallway was a rounded line of cells, one line following the outer wall and one the inner wall.

Standing with cells on either side of him, he began moving forward, searching each cell for signs of Shana.

He was amazed at what he found. Only about a third of the cells were occupied, but each and every one of the prisoners was emaciated and sickly. It looked like they were being fed just enough to keep them alive. The horrid smell, he was disgusted to find, was because there was no designated place for any waste; it simply piled up on the floor. He decided that though these prisoners must have been here a long time, the amount of waste piled up suggested that the cells were cleaned out at least on occasion. But however often it was, it was not often enough.

None of the prisoners was even well enough to react to his presence, for which he was somewhat grateful. As he circled the outer walkway, he became increasingly more disheartened that Shana was being kept in such a place as this. His heart sank within him as he thought of the trauma she must be enduring. Carefully avoiding the guard's line of sight, he progressed to the next level of the tower.

He was horrified as a similar sight greeted him. More cells were full on the third floor, but the prisoners were no better off. As Dart approached the north side, the stench of human waste was mixed with the stench of rotting flesh, and he looked in one of the cells to find a young man's body, dead for several days, beginning to rot away. He turned and wretched on the stone floor just outside the cell. He felt weak, but quickly moved away and slowed his shallow breathing, hoping that the sounds had not alerted any guards. Either he hadn't been as loud as he supposed, or the guards were used to such sounds, because no guards came. Surprisingly, there seemed to be no guards on this level at all. It was as if they knew the prisoners had lost all hope of escape.

Moving through the fourth and fifth levels, Dart found much of the same, but still no sign of Shana. He began to be disheartened. He tried to remember how tall the tower was and surmised that he must be almost halfway up.

Just as he was about to move to the next level, he heard footsteps coming up from below. Panicked, he backed himself against an empty cell and tried to stay as silent as possible. Based on the sound, he guessed that there were two people.

"Move it!" a rough voice called. A thump, followed by a grunt and shuffle of noise, rang out from the stairwell. "I thought soldiers of Basil were supposed to be strong and fit. What an embarrassment you must be to your country, and your king!" The last word rang with sarcasm and disdain.

Dart heard the footsteps resume, and the pair reached the landing. He neared the corner and peered around, finding a gruff-looking guard following behind a young man, no more than a few years older than Dart and clearly a trained soldier, but whose spirit had been visibly broken. His head hung low, and Dart thought he saw wet streaks on his face. Instead of the normal blue armor of Basil, the soldier was dressed in a ragged tunic and trousers. The guard was using his spear to force him toward a cell. After the door was opened, the soldier was shoved inside with a spear, drawing a small amount of blood from his side. Slamming the door, the guard then fumbled in search of a key.

Just then Dart heard heavy footfalls descending the stairs from the floor above, and he instinctively pulled back to hide again. A deep, carrying voice shouted, "Hey!" at the guard, and a short flurry of metal on metal was followed by a thud. Dart chanced another peek again and saw a tall, blonde man with a strong presence wielding one of the guards' crude spears. He wasn't wearing armor like the guards, but seemed to be in the same tattered clothing as the soldier in the cell; he was a prisoner. Judging by his apparent health, he hadn't been here long. Blood adorned the tip of his spear, and on the ground was the guard, empty eyes staring at the ceiling.

"Sir Lavitz!" the soldier cried, pure joy and adoration radiating from his face as he grasped the bars of his cell door. "We thought you had died! They told us the entire first was wiped out!" As he spoke, the man named Lavitz opened the cell door.

"Not all of us." He placed a hand on the soldier's shoulder, seemingly in comfort, but Dart could not see his expression. "Listen, you need to get out of here. It's not safe. I'll get any others. Just go! Run!" The soldier nodded and ran toward the stairs as Lavitz bent down to retrieve a ring of keys from the dead guard. He was about to move when suddenly the entire prison seemed to erupt to life.

A scream came from the stairwell below, followed by heavy footsteps both above and below, all converging on this floor. Dart cursed under his breath, eyes darting around, looking for a place to hide. This man had compromised his entire mission. He heard Lavitz curse as well as at least three different guards arrived on this floor. Over the next few seconds, Dart went back and forth about whether he should step out and fight the guards with this new stranger, or whether he might be able to wait out the fight and continue to look for Shana. Then he made his decision.

Cursing himself and this man, Dart drew his sword and turned the corner. Three guards charged at Lavitz, who looked bewildered but determined. For a brief second, Lavitz noted Dart's presence with a surprised look, before turning back to the guard coming at him from the front.

Dart ran toward the guard nearest him and ran him through before slashing at the back of the second guard. His sword made contact, and soon both guards lay on the floor clutching their wounds, unable to move. Suddenly another guard descended the stairs in a panic. Highly conscious of the battle going on just to his left, Dart turned his attention to this newcomer. He knew he was at a disadvantage as the guard readied his spear, but Dart instantly formulated a plan.

Unwittingly, the guard charged at him. Dart stepped to the side, knocked the spear upwards, grabbed the long wooden shaft, held the spear aloft, and ran the guard through. He looked at Dart in utter shock before collapsing to the ground. Dart had hardly realized what happened when his own sword was knocked out of his hand and slid out of his reach. He felt the cold of a metal spearhead against his throat as the man named Lavitz pinned him against the wall.

"Who are you?" Lavitz said, surprisingly calm. He looked much more curious than angry or threatening.

Trying to catch his breath, Dart answered, "My name is Dart. I am not your enemy!" He pointed at the three guards he had killed.

To Dart's surprise, Lavitz said, "Fair enough," before removing the spear, retrieving Dart's sword, and handing it back to him hilt-first. "My name is Lavitz Slambert." He held his hand out, and Dart shook it slowly, bewildered. "I'm a knight in the service of King Albert, the head of the First Knighthood, and trying to escape from this hell of a prison. Why are you here? You're not a guard and you're clearly not a prisoner." At this he gestured to Dart's armor and sword.

"Wait, you trust me? Just like that?" Dart asked.

Lavitz flashed a set of white teeth and said, "Not just anyone comes to Hellena Prison voluntarily. You took care of the guards. You're alright." He clapped Dart on the shoulder. "So why did you come venturing in here? Are you a crazy daredevil or something?"

Dart shook his head to regain his composure before saying, "I'm here to rescue someone important to me." Realizing that Lavitz must have been here for at least a few days, he asked, "Do you know anything about her? Her name is Shana. A young girl, brought in sometime in the last few days." His face turned eager with anticipation.

"Well, Dart, you're in luck. I believe about yesterday morning I overheard the guards escorting a prisoner to the cell block above mine. It sounded like a girl, but I also didn't have enough of a vantage point to see for sure."

Dart's pulse quickened as his hope was rekindled. "Thank you so much!" He hit Lavitz's shoulder and pushed past him toward the stairs.

"Wait!" Lavitz called. Dart turned and looked at him inquisitively. "You can't just go traipsing through Hellena alone. Let me come with you." Dart began to protest, but Lavitz interrupted him. "Two have a better chance than one. Besides, don't you want these?" he added, holding up the ring of keys.

After chuckling softly, Dart said, "Alright… I guess that makes sense. Help me get Shana, and I'll help you get out of here."

"Deal," Lavitz said, smiling and holding out his hand. Dart shook it, and the two went off toward the stairs.

"You say she was above you?" Dart asked.

"Yeah, I think only one floor above," Lavitz said as they ran up the stairwell. "I was on the seventh floor, so she must be on the eighth." They arrived on the sixth floor, glanced around for guards, and kept moving up when they didn't see any, likely already killed in the earlier skirmish.

Approaching the seventh floor, Dart thought he heard noises; he instinctively held out his left arm to stop Lavitz and put his right index finger to his lips. They climbed the rest of the stairs cautiously, listening for any sign of movement. Arriving at the landing, Dart could hear the sound of drunken men trying to play a card game. Looking to his right after reaching the top of the stairs, Dart could see that his hypothesis was correct; three guards sat around a table in the alcove by the window, several empty bottles lying on the floor and three more half-empty ones on the table. A fourth guard could be heard pacing around the cells, no doubt doing the job the rest of them should have been. Dart thought he could hear quiet grumbling coming from this guard, but he could not see him. Signaling to Lavitz, he slowly and quietly moved past the open doorway to the next set of stairs, not releasing his breath until he and Lavitz both made it past.

As they neared the eighth floor, there was a distinct change in the air. The smell was not nearly as putrid, and the air felt fresher. He stopped and whispered to Lavitz, asking for an explanation in the climatic shift.

"The eighth floor and up are for high-priority prisoners, from what I could gather," Lavitz whispered back. "Unlike those below, we have chamber pots emptied every day, and a window in each cell along the outer wall. They don't want these prisoners dying outside of intentional execution."

Dart involuntarily let out a sigh of relief. Shana was at least in better conditions than those he had seen. An image resurfaced of the decaying corpse, but he quickly tried to fight it off, focusing on what was in front of him.

"She should be perfectly healthy," Lavitz said quietly, placing a comforting hand on Dart's shoulder. Dart nodded and continued to the eighth floor landing.

When Dart reached the top step, he glanced around quickly, trying to spot any guards. No guards were at either alcove, and he could hear no rustling of armor. Suddenly the thought of meeting Shana again for the first time in five years made his heart pound in his chest. Now, now, he reassured himself. I'm sure this is going to be just fine. Against his will, a flood of negative thoughts bombarded his mind. What if she didn't remember him? What if somehow this was a different Shana and he had come all this way for a stranger? The absurdity was apparent, but he could not fight off these thoughts.

A hand hitting his shoulder brought Dart back to the present. He started, looking over at Lavitz inquisitively. Lavitz motioned for him to go around the corner and see if there were any guards; he would do the same on the other side of the landing. Dart nodded and quietly moved to his right through the doorway. To the left, he saw nothing but empty cells. Turning to the right, he immediately jerked back as he saw the edge of a guard standing quietly in front of a cell along the outer wall. Dart spun around as Lavitz did the same. Catching his eye, Dart nodded. Lavitz followed suit, then held up his hand, counting up to three. Dart's hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword as Lavitz hit two.

As soon as the third finger went up, both men turned and ran around the cell block, attacking what turned out to be two guards from both sides. The guards jumped and yelled when they saw their attackers, and struggled to ready their weapons in time. The one on the left only barely managed to raise his spear in defense before Dart's sword connected with his skin. Bouncing off the spear, Dart's sword swung around the other way and cut into the guard, sending him to the ground. Lavitz was soon finished with the other.

"I love the element of surprise," said Dart with a satisfactory grin.

A gasp then came from the nearest cell. Dart turned and saw a young woman run up to the bars, mouth open wide. He felt his heart both stop and somehow beat faster when he saw her face.

"Dart!" she called, a huge smile breaking across her face. She had slender features, pale skin, but was uniquely beautiful. Her clothes were pale blue, dirty and tattered, but mostly undamaged. Dart recognized within her the face of the young girl he once knew five years ago, and so many memories came rushing back to him. He stepped forward, smiling and reaching out for her, just as Lavitz interrupted his thoughts.

"You guys can have about thirty seconds for a reunion," said Lavitz as he fumbled about trying to find the right key, "but I'm sure more guards are on their way after the ruckus we just made." At last he got the right key and opened the cell door as Shana stepped back from the bars. Dart ran in, stopping short a couple feet in front of Shana.

"Dart, it is you," she said quietly, smiling. "Let me see your face." He stepped forward and looked down at her.

"I haven't changed much," he said, drinking in the soft brown of her eyes.

She shook her head, smirking. "Yes, you have," she said. "You're much more than the Dart I knew, much stronger."

"So," Dart said, "you haven't forgotten me even after five years?"

Just as Shana was about to answer, Lavitz called into the cell, "Okay, great, but time is officially up. They sent up three, maybe four guards, to take care of us!"

Dart could now hear the footsteps running up the stairs and turned back to Shana, saying fervently, "We'll take care of the guards, but stay here! We'll protect you." She opened her mouth to say something, but Dart was already walking over to Lavitz, drawing his sword again.

Shana could not have put words to how she felt in that moment even if she had tried. She shrank to the back of her cell as sounds of battle filled the air, bringing back memories of just a few days prior, when she had been taken from her home. Closing her eyes, she tried to block out the memories. She wanted to be strong, and she wanted to fight, but somehow the shock of that day combined with the shock of seeing Dart again was too much in that moment. She felt like her heart was either about to break or burst with joy, and she could not tell which would come first.

And then the battle was over.

As silence fell, Dart came back into the cell, sword still drawn and bloodied. "Shana, come on, we have to go." He placed a hand on her shoulder, leading her out. As she made eye contact with Lavitz, she smiled weakly.

Lavitz returned the smile and said, "Hello, Shana. My name is Lavitz, and I'm helping Dart rescue you. We'll do proper introductions later." The three hurriedly stepped over the dead guards and set out down the stairs, as quietly as possible, constantly on the lookout and listening for guards. They passed the drunk guards on the seventh floor, who were now passed out in the chairs and on the floor, but the one who had been pacing seemed to have left, perhaps one of the ones sent up to take care of them. The three escapees managed to make it past and proceeded all the way to the fourth floor.

As they reached the landing, a look of grief crossed Lavitz's face. On the floor was the corpse of the soldier he had tried to save, a pool of blood surrounding him. Lavitz knelt down next to the soldier's body and bowed his head as a single tear escaped his eye.

Dart turned to Shana and whispered, "One of his. He tried to save him."

Shana's face turned sympathetic, and she bent over to comfort Lavitz. "I'm so sorry, Lavitz," she said. "This can't be easy."

Lavitz stood and looked at Shana with gratitude. "Thanks. He didn't deserve to die, but I'll be sure that he won't be forgotten."

"That's all great," Dart interjected, "but we really should be moving now."

"You're right, of course," Lavitz said. Then gesturing to the stairs, he added, "Lead the way, Dart."

They moved quietly to the third floor and on to the second, where the three rambunctious guards were still carrying on, somehow oblivious to the events going on around them. Carefully, the three crept past again and made it to the first floor. Awkwardly exposed, they hugged the thin wall next to the stairs.

Quietly, Lavitz tapped Dart on the shoulder before advising, "We can't just walk out of here. We need to get some horses or something." Dart nodded and closed his eyes, trying to remember.

"Wait, wait, wait," Dart said as his eyes flitted open again. "I think I remember seeing some hay on the far side of the tower. I bet the horses are near there." He pointed to the right.

"How are we supposed to get to them?" Shana asked worriedly.

Dart peered around the corner and down the hallway. He could see no guards immediately, but he knew there had to be some beyond his vision. "We're going to have to split up," he said.

"What?" Shana exclaimed, before clapping her hands over her mouth. Dropping her voice to a low whisper, she said, "Sorry, but you can't be serious! What if you get caught? You'll be alone! You'll get killed!"

"Shana's right," Lavitz interjected. "I'll go look for horses. These pathetic guards should still have my armor and lance somewhere down here. I need to get those anyway." He looked to Dart for approval of his plan.

Hesitantly, Dart replied, "Okay, Lavitz, but be careful. And hurry back."

Lavitz nodded and flashed a grin before stepping carefully into the hallway.

Looking after him, Shana shook her head and whispered, "This is a bad idea."

"You may be right, but I think it's our best option."

"Do you even really trust him? He could just be using you to get out. Maybe he's going to take off as soon as he finds a horse and leave us here." Shana's face was covered in worry and suspicion, no doubt fueled by the horrors of the past few days.

"I trust him," said Dart firmly. "He could've killed me many times by now, but he had my back. He's alright."

"I guess…" Shana began, "If you trust him, it's good enough for me." She forced a weak smile, which Dart returned.

Her gaze dropped, and for the first time she noticed the bandages on his arm and hand. Gasping, she said, "Dart, you're hurt!"

Shaking his head, Dart said, "It's nothing. I'll tell you about it later. When we get out of here, we can finally catch up." He smiled at her.

She smiled back. "Yes, we do."

Suddenly a cacophony of sound erupted from the hallway, drawing their attention. Several shouts, followed by the pounding of hooves on stone, rang out from a distance.

Then Lavitz's voice bellowed, "Guys! Get ready!"

Dart and Shana stepped out into the wide hallway to see two armored horses charging toward them, one of them carrying a warrior dressed in dark green armor. An ornate lance was strapped to his back, and the crude spear from before was held fast in his right hand. His left grasped the reins both horses. The flash of his yellow hair identified him as Lavitz, and Dart and Shana ran forward to meet him.

Guards began to pour into the hallway from both sides, rushing toward them. Dart frantically grabbed a hold of the nearest horse and lifted Shana into the saddle before pulling himself up behind her.

"Here!" Lavitz shouted, shoving a bow and quiver of arrows toward Shana. Confused, she took them, strapping the quiver around her as Dart took hold of the reins. "Come on!" Lavitz turned toward the exit and took off.

Dart and Shana followed as guards got closer. They turned right down the main hallway, and Dart thought he could see the merchant through the chained doorway on the left. He saluted as they went by, and suddenly they were at the main gate. The horses stopped short.

Several guards stood in a line at least ten feet before the gate; Dart believed they were the same guards as before, with a few extras. But in addition to this, there was another man, much larger than the others, at least a foot taller. He had the look of a brute and carried in his hand a club that would surely crush any of them in one swing. Curiously, this man also had great girth, as if his position were high enough to afford him a great deal of food, which he clearly did not share with the other more skinny guards. He wore no armor, but carried a great horned helmet on his head.

"Lavitz?" Dart turned to his right and voiced his alarm.

"Fruegel," said Lavitz breathlessly, his eyes filled with hatred as he looked at the man. "That man is evil. He's the head warden."

The brute's voice bellowed out strong and deep, echoing off the walls. "You have no hope of escape. This is the only way out!"

Dart glanced down and saw Shana's hand gripping her bow tightly. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Shoot him."

Face unchanging, Shana whispered back, "What?"

"Shoot him," repeated Dart. "We can break through if you distract him."

After a moment, Lavitz opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut short. In one swift motion, Shana reached back, drew an arrow, and shot it at Fruegel. He screamed as the arrow sank into his left shoulder, causing him to drop the massive club in surprise.

"Go!" Dart shouted, and he snapped the reins, propelling the horse forward. A second later, Lavitz and his horse followed. The two horses jumped over the guards, who were frantically trying to figure out what to do. Dart leapt off his horse, unlocked the gate, and pushed it open.

As he turned around to reach for the horse again, he was shocked to see Fruegel, walking toward him with the club in his right hand, the arrow still protruding from his left shoulder. Shana looked back, following Dart's line of vision, and gasped, scrambling for another arrow. But before she could draw one, Lavitz hurled the crude spear at Fruegel, landing it deep in his belly. Fruegel stumbled backward and fell down, screaming in pain. Dart hurriedly mounted the horse, sitting behind Shana once again, and urged the horse forward.

Rushing out of the gate, Dart turned back and saw Fruegel struggling to his feet once again, blood dripping out of his wound. He bellowed, "After them, you lazy dogs! Your lives depend on their capture!"

Dumbfounded at Fruegel's resilience, Dart turned around and focused on his path. He led his horse north, remembering his venture from several hours earlier. All three of them breathed in the fresh night air, relieved beyond belief to be out of the terrible prison.