When Ildri and Ty arrived back at the main road Farrel joined them. He sauntered alongside Dark Demon with a contemptuous look back at Ildri.

Ildri rolled her eyes. What did she care if the wolf disliked her? He was only Ty's familiar.

But what if familiars reflected the feelings of their masters? Did Ty resent that she had come? Maybe she was just a burden to him. Maybe he felt guilty even though he had made no sign of apologetic overtures.

Ildri could not hold it in. She forced Sarabella to move farther ahead. Ty looked at her questioningly. "Did you not want me to come?" she asked directly.

Ty looked confused for a second. "Why? Do you want to go back?"

"Not really."

"It is likely going to be dangerous. There's a high likelihood that we could meet up with the soldiers who are looking for us," he warned.

Ildri shook her head. "I know that."

"Then you want to go back?"

"That's not what I said!" Ildri said, feeling a bit frustrated.

"Then what is the problem?" Ty asked cautiously.

Ildri scowled. "I think that you don't want me here!"

"I didn't say that."

"Then what did you say?"

"I don't think that I said anything," Ty responded, looking at her face very closely. Ildri could feel her cheeks heating up although she did not know why. She wondered if he could see the redness through the ugly disguise she wore.

"Never mind," Ildri said and she let Sarabella fall back.

Ty turned around to look at her. "I'm not sure why you're upset. But I don't mind that you're coming along." Ildri felt her irritation melt away a bit at his words.

He continued, "It is always better to have more eyes when giving an account of any situation. Even if you don't think that you saw anything important, perhaps the king's advisors will find something you did not in your recollections." He turned to watch where they were going again.

Ildri's pique rose to a new level. So he did not mind her being along because she was another witness, did he? She refused to feel disappointed by his practical reasoning.

Well, if all he thought that she was another pair of eyes, then he would not care if she did not speak to him for the rest of the day. She had nothing to say to the stupid man riding in front of her anyway.

* * * * *

Ildri pouted for well over a half of an hour before her irritation finally began to wear off. As the hours wore on, boredom started to take its place and with the boredom came an overwhelming desire to talk to relieve the monotony.

Yet, Ty was supposed to be suffering from her silence and he did not even seem to be noticing it at all. Ildri felt annoyed all over again and she cast surly looks towards his back for a time. But even that wore off and finally she gave up.

"How much longer do you think?" she asked.

Ty turned and glanced at her. "We can take a break in a few minutes. I have a few preparations I'd like to make before we get closer to the city."

"How close is the city?"

"Only another two or three hours," he told her.

She could not believe that they were already so close to the end of their travels. She felt nervous tension uncoiling inside the pit of her stomach. What had she been thinking? She should have stayed back at Maxine's where it was safe.

But no. Ildri felt that she had come so far in the last few days. She did not want to go back to barricading herself in fear again. If she went on, she might be able to add something of value to Ty's account. It was something that she could do to help. She was sure that her parents and the old Lord Wildwood would have wanted her to do something of value at least once in her life.

"We'll stop here," Ty said. Ildri climbed off of Sarabella's back.

Ty gave the horses water and allowed them to graze by the side of the road. Farrel watched Ty quietly for a while and then turned to look at Ildri.

She watched motionlessly as Farrel sauntered up to her. He sniffed her for a long moment and then cast her a most reproachful look before turning away.

Ty was watching. Ildri sent Ty a look of her own. "See what I mean?"

"He smells the rabbits on you," Ty explained casually.

"He didn't glare at you that way."

"He's used to me. Here." Ty handed Ildri a piece of bread.

Ildri took a bite while she walked around avoiding where the horses were grazing and where the wolf was loafing. Instead she wandered along and looked at the trees. They looked exactly the same to Ildri as all the other trees she had been looking at during her journey. She was excited to see something different, something like people and buildings.

"Don't go far," Ty cautioned.

Ildri nodded. She had no intentions on it. She knew that there was danger ahead and she was definitely safer with Ty.

* * * * *

After a few more minutes they set off again. Ildri allowed Sarabella to trail behind Dark Demon where she was more comfortable. Farrel was ignoring Ildri again which was fine. Ildri preferred it when he was not scowling and growling at her. Truly it barely bothered her. She was quite certain that Farrel had no actual intention to harm her.

A low growl issued from Farrel's jaws and Ildri wondered what she had done this time. She glanced down at the wolf in front of her and saw that he was facing ahead.

Ty had pulled something she could not see from his pocket and was examining it. "How did they—?"

Ty whirled around to face Ildri. His expression was urgent and severe and she felt an answering anxiety deep inside her even though she did not know what had caused him alarm.

"What is it?" she asked.

"The soldiers know where we are," he said briefly. "I don't know how. They probably have a wizard. Bloody hell. I should have..." He let his words trail off as he whirled Dark Demon around and brought him alongside Sarabella. Ty reached into one of the bags and quickly removed a vial filled with a pale flowing liquid.

"What will we do?" Ildri asked, feeling completely helpless.

Ty met her eyes. "You are going to run."

"What?"

"You have a few minutes. I want you to cut through the woods and circle around them. Head for the capital. Once you are there, you will be safe."

"But what about you?" she asked, nervously.

Ty's expression looked determined. "Farrel and I will head them off."

"But—"

"We'll catch up with you."

Ildri did not want to leave him. Ty whispered something in Sarabella's ear and the horse shivered and nickered lightly. He caught Ildri's eye again. "Go. Don't waste time. Maxine was right; I should have left you there where it was safe."

"But, Ty, why don't you come with me?" she pleaded.

"I'm not saying this to be cruel, Ildri, but you will only slow me down. Our best chance is to split up. And it's in your best interest not to argue with me now, Ildri. Just for once, please be silent."

Ildri nodded. Sarabella wheeled to the right towards the forest. Ildri was not even sure if she was the one who had directed the horse to do so. They crashed through the trees and into the forest and Ildri clung desperately to the back of the horse while she tried not to let her anxiety overwhelm her.

She let Sarabella have her head for a while Ildri just tried not to let stray branches slap her in the face. Then she started worrying about getting lost. She had not been paying close attention during their flight and Sarabella seemed to be beginning to get tired.

Ildri let Sarabella walk for a while and they pressed on. She had a vague idea of where the road should be so she led the horse along parallel to it and hoped that she was going the right way.

If she had known that she and Ty would be split up on the road she probably would not have come. But she could not go back. If the soldiers were following her she could not lead them to Maxine's cottage, if she could even find it again. Her only choice was to continue going forward.

And the capital had to be getting closer. There could only be a few hours of travel left at most. It probably would have been faster if they had stayed on the road, but if she kept going surely she could make it before the soldiers. She just had to get by them and then she would be safe, Ty said.

She hoped that Ty would catch up with her soon. She was worried about him. She did not know what he had planned. He could take care of himself, but what if something happened that he could not overcome. How many soldiers had been coming for them?

Ildri felt like crying but she knew that it was very much the wrong time for that. She had to stay focused on getting to the capital. She had to remember that the capital meant safety and the capital meant other people. She would not be alone once she got there. The king would handle the threats to the kingdom and she would not have anything to worry about.

Except Ty, but surely he could handle himself.

Sarabella continued to pick her way along and Ildri tried not to think. It was the worst part of being by herself. The thoughts poured into her head and she could not keep them out.

"I'm not going to get upset," she muttered. She felt braver just by hearing her own voice, so she kept talking quietly. She had not entirely forgotten that there might be enemies in the forest.

"I am going to make it to the capital, and everything will be all right. I'm not really alone. Ty will catch up with me and everything will be fine. Perfectly fine."

Ildri continued speaking for a while and then she started humming the tune to any song that she had ever heard. Sarabella flicked her ears as she walked.

Ildri ran out of songs, and she travelled for a while in silence. She could hear birds singing in far off trees and the occasional sound of a chattering chipmunk, but for that and the sound of Sarabella's hooves hitting the soft ground she could have been the only living creature in the world.

Ildri shivered. She swallowed hard against the fear that kept rising inside of her.

"I'm not going to panic, I'm not going to panic," she repeated over and over.

There was a faint crunch of fallen leaves somewhere behind her.

Ildri let out a half shriek and clamped her hands over her mouth. Sarabella gave a little start and then nickered quietly.

Farrel let out a bitter growl.

He was alone.