"Winchester!" Edward shouted. "Come down and fight me yourself, you villain!"

The man laughed. "Oh, West. What, shall I nearly kill you and when you finally manage to disarm me you'll let me go because you're too much of a coward to kill me?"

"No," Edward replied. "Not too much of a coward. Too much of a man."

Winchester scoffed and began to descend towards them. "I'd like very much to kill you myself, but," He gestured to the gallows. "Procedure first." With fire in his eyes, Edward stared the man down as he mounted the platform. As the rough hand grasped the back of his head to shove it through the rope, he felt strange inside, and jerked away suddenly. Just as the water had sprung up and consumed the fire, now a streak of fire bounded into the sky, consumed Winchester, and was gone, leaving merely a small pile of ashes on the black scarred planks.

"Let them go!" Shouted the king from his perch. "Remove them from this place, before they kill us all!"

Guards approached them, and one threw Edward out the gate closest to him. Elizabeth began to panic as she and Elsie were led to another gate. They were thrown onto the hard, cold ground; snowflakes fluttering to the ground like bits of ash. Elizabeth stood wearily and looked around. Elsie lay on her back a few feet away, her forehead drawn together in pain, her chest heaving as she drew deep breaths and let them out slowly.

"Elsie?" Elizabeth leaned over the girl. "Are you alright?"

Elsie nodded and took the hand that Elizabeth held out to her. "Where's Mr West?" She asked breathlessly. Elizabeth turned her head, searching for the man. "I suppose we'd better just follow the wall around for a bit," she suggested, and began trudging along with Elsie behind her. Before long they came around to the other side, and there was Edward, heading towards them. Elizabeth ran to him and he caught her in a warm embrace. "Are you alright?" He asked concernedly. Elizabeth nodded. "Tired, and hungry, and sick, but not hurt, not terribly at least."

Edward kissed her forehead and turned to Elsie. "And you, what's your name?"

"Elsie."

"Elsie, eh?" He smiled. "You were incredible, Elsie. How old are you?"

"Ten," Elsie replied quietly. Edward raised his eyebrows in surprise. "And your family..." he eyed Elizabeth, who bit her lip. Elsie sighed. "They killed them. Mother and Father." She drew a shaky breath. "I thought maybe I would finally be able to see them..."

Edward furrowed his brow sympathetically and then smiled. "Well, that's something we've all got in common. Sounds like the beginning of a book, 'three orphans with no relation stood together in the falling snow just outside a village.'"

Elizabeth smiled at him and he set his shoulders. "Well, we're each other's family now. Here Elsie, you're tired, I'll carry you for a bit." He lifted the girl onto his shoulder and held out his other hand to Elizabeth. "The sooner we start the sooner we'll get home, eh?"

Elsie lifted her head, her arms timidly wrapped around Edward's neck. "I haven't got a home," she mumbled sleepily. Edward directed his smile towards her. "Sure you have. If we've got a home, so have you. Even if it only is a hole in a mountain, it's home enough for us."

Elsie yawned and muttered, "That's very kind of you, Mr West..."

Edward smiled as she nodded off to sleep. Elizabeth looked up at him, brow furrowed, and inquired, "Do you know the way back to the cave?"

Edward turned around, squinting in every direction, and then paused, thinking. "I can find the way back," he said, and smiled down at Elizabeth. "C'mon, this way. We'll go around the city." He led her along for a while, skirting the city, until they reached rougher ground. Edward shifted Elsie on his shoulder and bit his lip, looking about. "There's our mountain," he said finally, pointing into the distance. "But I think we'd better head into the woods and find your path so we don't have to climb up the side of it."

Elizabeth nodded wearily and they started into the woods. Elsie shifted in her sleep and Edward paused to smile at her, then glanced up at Elizabeth. She laid her head on Edward's shoulder, smiling into Elsie's sleeping face. "I wish I had her faith," she whispered, and Edward stroked the dirtied blonde hair, replying, "Such is the kingdom of heaven..."

Elizabeth furrowed her brow. "She has the wisdom of the oldest of souls, and yet she's still such a child..."

About an hour later, as the sun was beginning to go down, they found the path that would lead to the mountain, or back to the Petersons' house, if they went the other way. Edward noticed that Elizabeth had slowed considerably and was about to collapse. "You need a break?" He asked. Elizabeth sighed and nodded.

"It's alright," Edward replied, setting Elsie down on a boulder. The girl shifted and woke. "Are we there?" She asked groggily. Edward smiled down at her and nodded to Elizabeth. "Sit down, Liz."

Elizabeth sank onto the rock and Elsie hopped up. "Here, you rest a bit too, Mr West. I know I'm not very heavy, but you must be incredibly weary."

Edward smiled and sat beside Elizabeth. "Thank you, Elsie. And you needn't call me Mr West. Edward is perfectly fine."

Elsie watched as Elizabeth leaned against Edward, her breath evening out as she slowly fell asleep. The girl whispered, "Is she alright, Mr West?"

Edward sighed, brushing snowflakes out of Elizabeth's dark hair. "I hope so, Elsie. She's brave and stubborn when she needs to be, but she's not as strong as you and I." He gazed down at Elizabeth's sleeping face and went on, "I think I'm going to have to carry her if we want to get back before we freeze to death in the cold of the night."

Elsie nodded vigorously. "Oh, that's quite alright." She swung her arms cheerily. "I can walk a good ways now." Edward smiled at her enthusiasm and gathered Elizabeth up in his arms.

It was nearly dark when they reached the mountain, and the temperature had dropped drastically. Elsie would insist she was used to the cold whenever Edward asked if she was alright, and he held Elizabeth tightly to keep her warm. They trudged up the mountain for a while longer, and when they finally reached the cave, Edward sent Elsie in first. He followed, shifting Elizabeth so she would fit through with him. Once inside, he hastily laid by the slowly dissipating fire in the centre of the room and brought firewood from the corner. "Elsie," He said as he did so, "Would you be a dear and go into that room on the left and fetch my aunt. She sleeps closest to the entrance on the right."

Mrs Rowe was surprised to be woken in the middle of the night by a young girl she had never seen before. 

"I'm sorry to wake you, ma'am, but are you Mr West's aunt? He asked me to fetch you."

Mrs Rowe started. "Mr West? Edward?"

The girl nodded and Mrs Rowe stared at her. "Edward's come back?" She asked in a whisper. "He's alive?" 

The girl nodded again and Mrs Rowe stood, smiling, and followed her out into the main room. 

Somewhere in the Left Wing, Ariana lifted her head and whispered, "Ed?"