Several hours later, sunset approached as Qwarten's party crossed the border between Rebten and its northwestern neighbor, Ogawa. They enjoyed a cool evening breeze as they travelled alongside a little stream that led all the way to the Great Ogawan River. 

Qwarten pointed to a grassy knoll on the edge of a grove of trees. "Let's stop there for tonight." 

Jeng nodded. Then he smirked as his gaze landed on a flock of jungle fowl racing into a cluster of bushes. "Major, how 'bout you set up camp while I go hunt some dinner?" 

Qwarten furrowed his brow. "By yourself?" 

"Well, anyone willin' to come with?" 

Kahiri smirked. "I suspect it'll be easier to catch them with arrows than that axe you've got there." 

Jeng grinned. "True. So, Major, Kahiri and I'll go hunt jungle fowl while you and Meg set up camp." 

Qwarten and Meg exchanged a glance. Then Qwarten nodded to Jeng. "Alright, sounds like a plan." 

With that, Jeng and Kahiri galloped into the grove of trees while Qwarten and Meg trudged up to their campsite. 

******************** 

Half an hour later, Jeng strolled into the camp with a grin planted on his face and two jungle fowl slung over his shoulders. Kahiri followed behind as she led their horses with her. 

The corners of Qwarten's mouth slipped up slightly as his eye landed on the plump birds. "I already got the fire going. How long will it take you to pluck them?" 

Jeng placed the fowl on a flat boulder. "Ten minutes." 

Qwarten's eyes widened. "You must be pretty fast." 

Jeng smirked as he plucked a handful of feathers from the first bird. "Guess I learned from the best." 

Qwarten nodded. Then he spun on his heel and began feeding the horses. 

******************** 

About an hour later, the campfire cast an orange, flickering glow on Kahiri and Jeng's faces as they devoured the tender, juicy meat. 

Kahiri wiped her lips with a handkerchief and grinned at Jeng. "Who taught you to cook like that?" 

"Grandfather." Jeng gazed into the distance with dreamy eyes. "He was a real good man." 

Kahiri scooted closer. "What was his name?" 

"Bernard." 

Kahiri slowly nodded. "We had a Bernard in our group. He was a great man, too. You always knew you could trust him, and he always had an encouraging word or two to say." 

Jeng finally locked eyes with Kahiri. "Sounds like Grandfather. Greatest lesson he taught me was his favorite sayin'. 'Before light, darkness vanishes'. He always told me the difference between light and dark boils down to the fact that darkness is merely an absence of light. Once ya throw a flame into the mix, shadows can't exist no more." 

Kahiri's eyes widened. "The Bernard I knew said the same thing! He told me that the only way to keep goodness alive in this world is to keep that flame burning strong."

 "Sounds like ya knew Grandfather." 

"Probably so. I'm sorry about your loss." 

Jeng nodded. "My heart'll mend itself soon enough." 

Kahiri placed her hand on Jeng's shoulder. "I sure hope so." 

******************** 

A few hours later, Kahiri sat atop a large boulder and watched over the camp. She glanced at the hourglass beside her and sighed with contentment. In just about a half hour, her watch would be done and she could get some well-deserved rest. 

She furrowed her brow a second later as the sound of distant voices hit her ears. She glanced over the sleeping figures of her comrades and raised an eyebrow. None of them were speaking. 

Kahiri slowly rose to her feet and peered into the darkness. After seeing nothing, she clambered down from her boulder and crept a few yards closer to the voices. She froze all her movements and listened again. Her ears picked up the sound no better than before, so she crept a little closer. 

Before long, Kahiri found herself crouched behind a row of bushes. At this distance, she could identify the voices as male, even though she still couldn't make out their individual words. She took one last glance at her sleeping companions several yards back before she crawled forward again. 

Kahiri frowned as a twig snapped nearby. Then her eyes widened as a pair of brawny arms encircled hers. She opened her mouth to scream, but a masked man leapt into her field of vision and shoved a rag into her mouth. The young archer kicked her leg up at the man's groin, but he side-stepped and snatched her ankle. He flung his arm upward and sent Kahiri tumbling to the ground. 

Kahiri's head bounced on the hard ground on impact. She inaudibly groaned and feebly struggled to rise to her feet again. Instead, two more masked men lunged in from either side and grabbed her wrists. They dragged their new captive to a dark cave half a mile away. 

******************** 

An hour later, Qwarten turned over on his bedroll and opened his eyes. He swept his gaze up to a tall boulder and furrowed his brow. He sat up swiftly and snatched up the hourglass atop the rock. He squinted with confusion as he noticed that all the sand had run to the bottom and Kahiri was nowhere in sight. 

Qwarten hurried frantically around the boulder with worried eyes. He called Kahiri's name over and over. His panic deepened as he received no response. 

After a minute of searching for the missing archer, Qwarten gave up. He knelt beside Meg's sleeping form, grabbed her shoulder, and shook her vigorously. 

Meg's eyes fluttered open and landed on Qwarten's worried, moonlit face. "What ... what is it?" she muttered. 

"Meg, you've gotta get up. I can't find Kahiri." 

"You can't what?" Meg exclaimed as she rushed to a sitting position. 

"Kahiri's missing!" 

Jeng rolled over and groaned. "What're you talkin' 'bout?" 

Qwarten huffed. "Something's happened to Kahiri. She's nowhere nearby." 

Meg stretched her back. "Well, let's start looking." 

With that, Qwarten and Meg hurried off to search the perimeter of their camp while Jeng stayed behind to guard their belongings. 

******************** 

The next morning, Kahiri's eyelids snapped open. She cast her sore eyes about the tiny room and squinted into the dim lighting. She found herself in an empty, stone-walled chamber with no other inhabitants in view. Her bow and quiver of arrows leaned against a wall beside the locked metal door. 

Kahiri sighed and glanced down at her wrists. She grimaced as she noticed the rough hemp ropes fastening them to the bumpy stone wall behind her. The archer took a deep breath and tugged vigorously in an attempt to free herself. Instead, the bonds tightened and pressed her tenderized back even harder against the unforgiving wall. 

When Kahiri groaned again, she realized how dry her throat had become. She fell into a fit of coughing a moment later, which only aggravated her condition. Kahiri moaned as her muscles tightened up from the intense hacking, adding yet another layer of suffering to her dreadful captivity. 

Finally, Kahiri turned her head at the sound of footsteps around the corner. A masked man cautiously approached her with a glass of water in his hands. He stepped forward and slowly lifted the cup to her lips. Kahiri gratefully gulped the refreshing liquid down her burning throat until the vessel was empty. 

Kahiri offered the mysterious man the slightest hint of a grin after she finished drinking. He merely nodded before he spun on his heel and set the glass down on a table nearby. With his back turned to her, he yanked the mask off of his face and tossed it aside. Then he grabbed a book from the table and thumbed through the pages. 

Kahiri squinted at the back of the man's head as she struggled to recognize him. His unique haircut and slim build reminded her of one person, but she couldn't quite place who it was. Finally, she cleared her throat and spoke. "Who are you? And where am I?" 

The man took a deep breath and set the book down on the table. He turned to face the archer and took a step closer. "You ask for my name, dear? I'm Govlo, son of Epollo the Great. What might your name be?" 

Kahiri sucked in a deep breath. "Kahiri, sir." 

"Kahiri..." Govlo enunciated. "Quite a beautiful name. It rolls off the tongue like water." 

"Speaking of water, I'd really appreciate another glass. And while you grab that, answer my second question." 

Govlo raised an eyebrow. "What was your second?" 

"Where in the world am I?" 

"Why, you're not even a mile from where your companions slept last night. My master wishes to speak with you, and until he arrives this afternoon, you'll remain just where you are." 

"What'd you do with my companions?" 

"Absolutely nothing, dear. We merely took you from their party." 

"Believe me, Govlo, they're gonna find me soon enough. And when they do, you're gonna be sorry you ever laid a hand on me." 

"Oh my, what a threat." Govlo taunted. "Unfortunately for you, it's an empty one. Now, I'll be back to check on you in an hour or two." 

With that, Govlo strolled out of the room and left Kahiri to mull over her current situation. 

******************** 

A few hours later, Erok, Chris, and Dr. Swedo trudged through the thick mud of a Deflorian swamp. A dense grove of trees shielded their heads from the beaming rays of the sun as they travelled. 

Chris frowned down on his filthy boots. "How long are we gonna have to walk through this stuff, Sir Fyervor?" 

Erok peered into the distance with squinty eyes. "Not much longer. The palace is just beyond the edge of this grove." 

"Are we gonna be able to clean ourselves up before we see the queen?" 

Erok nodded vigorously. "Of course we will! Do you really think she'd want her carpets to be dirtied by our muddy shoes?" 

"I suppose not." 

Dr. Swedo tapped Erok's shoulder. "Can you please slow the pace, Sir Fyervor? I find myself quite fatigued." 

Erok smirked. "I suppose I can. You're really that out of shape, Doctor?" 

"We have travelled an awfully long way with our horses following behind us." 

Chris turned to the doctor with his eyes widened in passion. "I already told you why we're doing this! We'll tire the horses out real quick if we make them trudge through the mud while bearing their own weight and ours!" 

Swedo sighed. "I suppose you have a point there, but my legs definitely tire of the tedium." 

"Of course they do." Chris retorted, "Mine do too. But my concern for our horses' welfare is just as great as your concern for our welfare. And we all know how hard it is to match that." 

"Well..." Swedo stuttered, "I'm flattered to hear—" 

"Why should you be flattered?" Chris interrupted with laughter in his voice. "I was being sarcastic!" 

Swedo growled. "Why, you little—" 

Erok held up his hand. "Enough, guys. We're supposed to be professionals, right? We're literally about to meet the Queen of Defloria herself, and yet we're standing here and arguing about flattery and sarcasm? C'mon, guys!" 

"The master has spoken." Chris muttered. 

Erok glared. "I heard that, you know!" 

"Oh, you did? That was supposed to be inaudible. Dang." 

With that, the three travelers continued on their way for several minutes before they finally approached the broad entryway to the Deflorian palace. The massive doors lay wide open before them, with their intricate ornamentation gleaming in the sunlight. Four guards stood on either side of the opening and eyed the newcomers curiously. 

Erok approached the guards with a pleasant grin on his face. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am Sir Erok Fyervor, and—" 

The first guard held up his hand. "We know who you are, sir. And your companions must be worthy men to accompany you." 

A few expressions flashed across Erok's face before he smiled again. "Yes, they are." 

Chris and Swedo eyed each other with amused smirks. 

"At any rate," the guard began, "if you'll follow me, I'll lead you to the washing room. You men appear to have travelled far." 

"Yep," Swedo interjected, "we've been travelling on foot all day." 

"Ah," the guard spoke as he led the men inside, "the mud has been very thick this year. We've had plentiful rain, but not enough to liquefy it." 

Erok nodded. "Interesting. Are the wildlife suffering from this change?" 

"No, not really. Fluctuation like this happens all the time. Anyhow, here's the washing room. I'll have men stationed outside to guide you to your rooms. You'll wait there to obtain an audience with the queen." 

Erok bowed slightly. "Thank you, sir. You've been most helpful." 

"No, Sir Fyervor, I thank you. It is an honor to serve you." 

After the guard bowed to Erok and hustled off, Chris smirked. "I think he's going a bit overboard with the honor thing, don't you?" 

Swedo nodded. "I must agree with you, Chris." 

Erok's eyes shifted between the two men for a few seconds before he sighed and walked toward the water. 

******************** 

A/N: So, who's freaking out? We already established last chapter that our heroes were split into two groups, but now Kahiri's been separated from hers, and she's in the Yugdabs' clutches, no less! What's going on here?!?

*breathes into a paper bag for a few moments*

Anyway, if you did enjoy this chapter, please vote and leave me some comments. Maybe that will ease the pain it caused me to write about all those bad things happening to Kahiri.

So, any theories on what Hadigama wants out of our beloved archer?

And who honestly found themselves laughing at the stupidity of Erok, Chris, and Swedo?

Finally, sort of an odd question, but let's just run with it: Which one of these characters is the most similar to you, and how?

To be honest, it's hard for me to answer myself. I get Chris' struggles, since he and I are about the same age, but I lack his confidence. I guess I share some of Erok's traits too, but I think overall, I'd be most like Kahiri. I tend to be pretty respectful and nice in general, but can definitely throw in the sarcasm and jabs if need be. XD

So anyway, have a great day! I hope to see you in the comments and next week's update. :D