Three years ago...

Alex did not realize that she had been rendered immobile and that she was staring wide-eyed at Ralph Everard himself.

They were quite alone in the corner of the ballroom. The dance was still happening and so were the chatters around them. But all seemed to have been subdued as Alex got lost in the emerald depths of this particular Everard.

She was not quite certain how her brain managed to decipher his question for she was sure she did not hear a word when he asked, "Hello, may I have the next dance?" But her brain did hear the words, her eyes read them as they escaped his lips.

Did Ralph Everard just ask her for a dance?

Alex blinked, stunned.

He was still there. She was not dreaming.

He was certainly standing before her and he was asking her for a dance!

*****

Ralph tried his best not to panic or burst into flames with the fury building inside him as Alex's cousins wrapped a rope around him. By now, he learned that they were called Ned and Barto, but he was still uncertain as to his fate despite Alex's reassurance that he shall be free once they reached Meriwether.

"The other's been through this as well, guv, don't ye fret."

But Ralph could hardly believe it. Who would tie their guests!

Ned and Barto were utterly angry, their anger mostly directed at their cousin.

"Ye ken how worried we were?" Ned cried out as he pushed Ralph down the dark path, past numerous tree rocks. "Yer 'Pa will kill ye this time, cousin, I tell ye! Ye said te be gone fer a while! A while!"

Ralph looked up and caught a glimpse of faint light coming from the top of some of the tree rocks. He gulped, quite certain that there were men up there watching them, guarding the entrance into Meriwether.

The rumors were starting to turn out right, he thought. Meriwether was proving to be precisely impenetrable.

"And ye brought this man 'ir!" the shorter of the two men, the one called Barto, said. "He's a bleedin' Gu—"

"Shh!" Alex hissed at her cousins. "He's not 'ir te harm us, see? He's 'ir 'coz I got me self in trouble."

Ralph skidded to a stop when Ned deliberately pulled at the end of the rope tied around him. Like a horse, he waited in spot while Ned whirled on his heels to glare at Alex. "I told ye that woman's trouble, cousin!"

"She was in trouble," Alex corrected, her voice slightly shaking.

"And ye got yerself in trouble in return te helpin' a dead woman!" Barto added.

"Ack!" Alex exclaimed, pushing Barto away and walking over to Ned. She snatched the end of the rope from Ned and Ralph almost sighed in relief, thinking she would free him.

But she did not. Instead she continued to walk, pulling him behind her.

"Ye dinna have te know, cousins and 'tis better that way," she addressed the two furious men striding along with them. "I'll kill ye if ye tell 'Pa 'bout this Everard's profession, ye hear me? Ye keep yer bleedin' mouths shut and lemme get this over with on me own."

"Nae, ye have gone too far—"

Alex stopped and Ralph collided against her back. She turned to Ned, her eyes narrowed. "I'll tell Marla 'bout Shirley."

Ned's eyes widened in horror. "Ye would dare not!"

"Aye, I will if ye tell me 'Pa 'bout him," she said, motioning her head at Ralph. She then turned to Barto. "And I'll tell yer 'Ma 'bout where ye truly went when ye came home smellin' filthy two months 'go."

It was Barto's turn to gape. "Ye traitor!"

Alex gave her cousins a smug look. "I won't be if ye keep yer mouth tight, eh?"

Ralph watched as the two men gritted their teeth and stormed ahead. He heard Alex chuckle as she pulled at the rope. "Keep walkin', guv. And keep yer mouth tight."

*****

All of Ralph's suffering through the rock forest, the clearing and the journey through the narrow pathway was momentarily forgotten when he finally saw the true Meriwether.

Perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps no Town Guard would dare see this place to its ruin.

It was perfect.

He looked up and saw the giant hole above, moonlight streaming down to provide him a magical picture of the place where Alex probably spent her entire life growing up.

If he was a lone traveler and he had stumbled upon this place, he would never have thought that it was built by bandits, of men and women who robbed rich gentries in the middle of the road. For this very place was treasure itself.

"Ye wait right 'ir, guv," Alex said beside him.

Ralph was snapped back to the present, reminded that he was, in fact, standing at the entrance of a secret bandit village every Guard in the Town dreamed of infiltrating. And he was still bound.

"The rope, bandit," he muttered under his breath.

Alex stared him up and down, looking at his entire form as she considered his words. Her two cousins were standing behind her, looking as though they were mentally debating whether or not to risk their secrets. But by the reaction they allowed earlier, Ralph was certain that his identity as a Town Guard would remain a secret.

"Yer fine with the rope fer a while, guv," Alex said with a wink before she whirled around to walk away to the direction of a large stone house.

When she disappeared from inside, Ned and Barto walked near Ralph, eyeing him with utter distrust. He felt a sudden urge to call out for Alex not to leave him alone with these two.

"We've always liked yer siblin's, guv, but never ye," Ned said, circling Ralph.

"Aye. We liked Levi and Max," said Barto.

Ralph would have loved to ask the two men about how his other two brothers became associated with them, but he was currently trying to preserve his life. No one was certain what these two young men could do. They may claim to be friends with his siblings, or most of the Everards, but Ralph was a Town Guard. He and his comrades had captured a ton of bandits to gain the fury of the rest of them.

"And Ysa and Emma, don't ye forget, Barto," Ned was adding, now facing Ralph again.

"Truly, gentlemen, I come here not to cause havoc. I came here in peace and to solve a case entirely not related to bandits," he said but the two men continued to scowl.

Barto crossed his arms over his chest. "What are ye plannin' with Alex, guv?"

"Dinna deny ye spent time with her at Ysa's weddin', guv. The both of ye disappeared fer quite some time that night."

Ralph gulped. "Well, that is something I cannot possibly share. The fact that you are asking me means that Alex did not share anything and I would rather suffer whatever punishment you want to give me than suffer it in her hands."

Ned and Barto scoffed at the same time. "Ye believe we believe somethin' happened?" The two men laughed and Ralph frowned.

"Ye must be insane if ye think we'd believe Alex would allow anythin', guv," Barto guffawed.

Ralph started to scowl as he realized that the two men did not have that much confidence in certain abilities associated to men.

Whatever he had to say was left unspoken as Alex returned with a giant man behind her.

"Yer alive," said Ned, mocking a surprised look on his face.

"'Cors, I am, cousin," Alex smugly retorted. "Me 'Pa's understandin' enough."

"Don't patronize me, lass," boomed the man behind her.

Ralph stilled as he watched the giant man with the same bushy dark hair as his daughter walk toward them, eyes now focused on him. "And which brother is this?" he asked Alex.

"The one before Ysa and Emma," said Alex, going behind Ralph to untie him.

"Ye tied 'im up?" the man asked, glowering at his daughter.

"They did," Alex said, motioning her head at her cousins.

The two men quickly turned around and ran off somewhere before Alex's father could turn to demand their explanation.

"'Tis me father, guv," said Alex as she finally dropped the loosened rope on the ground. "Gustav."

Gustav walked over and held out his hand to Ralph. "Ralph Everard," was all he could muster to say.

The man nearly dislocated his arm when he shook it. "Ah, ye dinna fight me nephews the way yer brother-in-law did." He laughed loudly. "D'ye remember, lass?" he asked Alex.

Alex was already chuckling. "Aye. Ysa's husband bit one of 'em."

Ralph's eyes widened. "He did?"

Gustav laughed louder and wrapped an arm around Ralph's shoulders. "Aye, young man. Now, come and tell me 'bout yer trouble. Did I thank ye fer savin' me daughter's life?"

Ralph frowned, turning his head to look at Alex. He shrugged and gave him a look that said, "It was to lie or to die."

"There is no need, Gustav," Ralph said through gritted teeth. "But it would be of great help should you be able to provide me help with a small problem."

"'Cors, lad, 'cors!" Gustav said, pushing him to the direction of the stone cottage.

*****

The look on Gustav's face was not good, most particularly when Ralph told him of his intent to go to the Dark Forest. They were sitting in the middle of the quaint stone cottage where he lived with his only daughter. In the short time they spent as introduction earlier, Ralph learned that his wife had died while Alex was very young.

Ralph had by then told him very little of the purpose as to why he needed to go to the Dark Forest and the man seemed to respect it, not pushing for more.

"The Dark Forest is not fer ye," he said, shaking his head. "Ye would'na survive it. Yer a gentry."

"I was thinkin' the caveman could help," Alex spoke from one corner where she was finishing an entire roasted chicken.

"The caveman?" asked Ralph.

"Me friend, lad," said Gustav, his frown deepening. "Jeremy Briars."

Ralph straightened in his seat, now fully interested. "Where can I find him?"

Gustav shook his head. "Nae. He's not been in contact with us since he left this life."

"What d'ye mean?" Alex asked, frowning.

"He left the bandits, said he wanted a new life, see?"

Alex jumped to her feet, plate in hand, obviously surprised. "He did?"

"Aye, lass."

"Ye dinna tell me!"

"Oi, he dinna want ye te know."

"But he was—"

Gustav waved his hand to brush off whatever Alex had to say. "Ye'll have to find 'im first, lad," he said to Ralph. "He's the only man I can trust te guide ye into the Dark Forest. He's not the caveman fer nothin'. He'd lived there all his life 'til he met his wife." He gave Ralph a leveled look. "Trust me, lad, ye would'na want te enter the Dark Forest alone. The men livin' there are nae bandits. They're madmen. We abhor their ways, see? They kill, guv. That, they do."

Ralph considered Gustav's words. "Where do you reckon this Jeremy Briars is now?"

Gustav shrugged. "I dinna know, guv. Sorry, I truly dinna know. If I do, I'd tell ye."

The hope he was starting to feel earlier started to waver as he realized he would have to make a decision soon. He could either walk into the Dark Forest alone and risk his safety by getting lost or be a victim by one of the men who lurked in the darkness, or he could waste a lot of time looking for Jeremy Briars.

"But if ye have friends with one of 'em Guards, ye might find me friend," said Gustav, making both Alex and Ralph snap their head, fully alert once more.

"Why?" they asked in unison.

Alex's father scratched his head. "He was captured once or twice before, see? A robbery gone wrong."

Ralph nodded, suddenly elated. "He will have records."

Gustav nodded. "Aye. And 'em Guards keep good records of bandits they captured."

"True," Alex said from her corner, her eyes glimmering with amusement as she added, "Ain't that true, guv?"

Ralph ignored her as he turned to Gustav. "Thank you. I shall find this friend of yours then."

"Ye tell 'em Gustav Griggs sent ye and he'll help," Gustav said, nodding. "Now, are ye ready for some drinkin', guv?"

Ralph blinked. "I was hoping to find my way back on the road to go find—"

"Nae," Gustav boomed, jumping to his feet and towering over Ralph. "Yer drinkin' with us like yer brothers, sisters and in-laws did, lad."

Ralph kept his surprise. His siblings drank with bandits?

Gulping, he sent Alex a frantic look. Alex ignored him, her attention back on her plate. "I'll join ye after me meal, 'Pa," she addressed her father. "Ye take care of me friend here, will ye?"

"'Cors, lass, 'cors!"

*****

Not long enough, Ralph was forced to join a small gathering outside where the village center was. He found himself in the midst a small festivity around a large bonfire, blue rays of light from the moon aboveground streaming down on them.

Some foxed bandits danced around the fire while others sang along with a song Ralph had never heard before, but one that spoke of years or merriment and adventures.

As he drank his first ale, he thought he truly must go and find Jeremy Briars. He must go to the Dark Forest the soonest possible he could and find out as much as he could from the place. If there was any sign that Osegod's illegal activities were held there, he would find it and he would find Sophia and Aurora's child before it was too late.

But by the time he was done with the third serving of ale, he was laughing along with Ned and Barto as the two men, in their drunken state, narrated tales of their misadventures with Alex who was by then talking with other young women at the opposite side of the fire. One particular story he liked was how the three tried to rob a rich lord who was traveling with his domineering wife in which the man had secretly insisted that he would pay the three bandits an additional sum should they also rob his wife away from him.

Another fascinating tale was how the three young cousins, during their childhood and training days, had witnessed two other grown bandits be put to sleep by a young couple they stopped along the road. The young woman appeared out of nowhere with a rock as weapon, rescuing her husband.

Ned and Barto also shared tidbits of their time with the other Everards. He learned how the twins befriended Alex in Blucksley and how Levi and Tori came to rescue them in Meriwether merely to realize that they have been invited into a festivity like the one they were having now. They also gave Ralph a glimpse of the other visits his other siblings gave Meriwether and their encounters with some of them on the road.

"Alex would'na allow us te rob any Everards, guv," Barto kept on complaining.

"We could've robbed the entire weddin' if we wanna that night," Ned had added.

As the night wore on, Ralph started to feel the spirit overcoming him and he then refused another serving of ale. Alex approached and sat beside him while Ned and Barto went away to dance gaily with the other bandits.

Other women had already went to their respective homes to put their young ones to sleep while some of the men stayed behind, talking business with Gustav.

"Ye alright, guv?" Alex asked beside him. "Yer not thinkin' of goin' out of Meriwether now, are ye?"

"I was," he admitted, stretching his right leg.

Alex rested her chin in her hands as she stared at the fire. "We gave her a burnin' ritual here," she said.

Ralph stiffened. "Forest Lady?"

"Aye, Forest Lady."

He stayed silent for a while, not quite certain how he could ever tell anyone about Aurora Randolph. He hoped he would never have to tell Alex. He hoped he would never have to tell a soul.

"So you were raised here," he said, changing the subject.

"Aye, guv."

Silence passed between them again. Ralph felt his leg start to bother him once more and he massaged the muscle to ease the pain.

Alex noticed the act. "Yer leg always bothers ye?"

"How do you know?"

She shrugged. "Ye keep massagin' it like it's hurtin' ye."

He studied the crop plantation ahead, away from the festivity. When it seemed that Alex was not going to let go of the question, he answered. "I have acquired an injury not long ago."

"Ye did? How?"

"An ambush," he simply said. "One orchestrated by Osegod himself." If Alex was surprised, she did not show it. "The wound had healed but it did leave the pain behind," he explained. "Not always, but it does come back whenever I am feeling quite tired or stressed."

When Alex opened her mouth to speak, Ralph placed the empty mug of ale beside him and shot to his feet. "Why don't ye tour me 'round, bandit?" he asked, looking down at her surprised beautiful face. Bloody hell, she was even more beautiful under the moonlight.

"Why? So ye can find a hole te enter and attack us in the future?" she said in jest. Her eyes twinkled, the reflection of the fire dancing in her eyes.

"Aye," he retorted in equal fashion, grinning down at her.

She shook her head. "'Tis dark, guv," she said.

"Not dark enough," he urged.

After a moment of deliberation, Alex slowly came to her feet and took his hand. Ralph let her guide him away from the fire and down the path that led to the crop plantation. Gustav did not seem to notice as he was surrounded by men who were almost as big as him.

When they were out of earshot and almost at the end of the last cottage, she said, "We grow our own food, see," she said, pointing at the vast plantation ahead. "And we have ourselves our own forest, see?"

Ralph nodded, craning his head to see the trees beyond the plantation.

The fire was far behind them now and he doubted if anyone could see them as they finally arrived at the edge of the plantation. The quiet of the night and the faint sound from the fire behind them reigned between as they continued their journey.

"Do you ever fear it?"

"Fear what?" she asked.

"That someday intruders could come."

She gave a short shake of her head. "Nae. If we do, we'd be livin' in fear all our lives. We're protected here. We're surrounded by walls of rocks and we have watchers watchin' the entrances. And they know how te attack, guv, I tell ye that."

He nodded. A silence grew between them again, but this time Ralph had noticed that their hands were still clasped together. And he knew the moment she also realized the same thing. The silence was one that was not comfortable yet not alarming either. It was one that made them aware of something they were not quite certain they ought to entertain.

Just like that night three years ago, Ralph thought.

"We'll have to escape tonight," Alex said, surprising him.

"Escape?"

"Aye. Me 'Pa will not allow me te go with ye, see?"

"A wise decision."

Alex found it the perfect opportunity to let go of his hand and Ralph almost regretted it, wanting to snatch it back in his, but he stopped himself.

"But we might've been seen when we entered Blucksley, guv. Now, don't think I fear intruders comin' inside Meriwether, but they might be waitin' for anyone outside. If they're after me, then they'll have te catch me somewhere and not anywhere near Blucksley."

Ralph could see her point. As he had long suspected, Alex was no dimwit.

"Your father will hang me should he find out you went with me to the Dark Forest."

She smacked his back with a strong force that he almost fell over. "Don't ye fret, guv. I'll save ye."

Ralph let out a scoff. He walked off a few more steps and she followed him.

"Corn," he noticed as he got a good look of the plant before him.

"Aye."

Ralph went deeper until he was walking along walls of corns. Alex was following behind him.

"I have been wondering about something," he quietly said as he walked on, very much aware of the absence of her warm hold in his hand. He clasped it closed, wondering if it was possible to absently take her hand in his again but this bandit would definitely find it odd.

"What 'bout, guv?"

"About what your cousins insinuated earlier."

"Insinuated?"

"Implied."

"What ye talkin' 'bout?"

Ralph stopped and slowly turned around to face her. She had not realized he had stopped walking and came to a stop very close to his chest. Surprised, she looked up at him, her eyes boldly expressing her curiosity. "What ye talkin' 'bout?" she repeated.

"How you will react," he replied under his breath, beginning to realize that the ale had done him good and that he was drowning in the depths of her eyes.

"Te what?"

Ralph's gaze wavered for a moment as he shrugged, but he forced himself to look into her eyes which were almost black under the moonlight. "To being kissed."

He saw the initial reaction in her eyes. He did not care that it was followed by disbelief and fury for he merely cared about that first one, the unstoppable one—desire.

Bloody hell, she desired him and he was certain of that.

As her mouth opened to speak more about the disbelief and the fury, Ralph bent his head and captured her lips in his, giving them both the one thing they had deprived themselves of three years ago.