Tennessee sat up in the early morning light. He realized very quickly that the train had come to a stop. Glancing over at Beatrice he saw she was still sleeping. He paused to listen to the voices coming from outside the train.

He couldn't hear the familiar sound of the station and figured they must be somewhere down the line.

"Hurry, we haven't checked this one," a voice said from the outside.

"It smells like horses."

Tennessee quickly moved over and shook Beatrice. When she raised her arm in a stretch his yanked. Looking down at his wrist he noticed the chain. "What have you done, what is this?" he demanded.

Beatrice looked down at her wrist. "I wanted to make sure you didn't leave me in the night," She yawned. "Don't worry I have the key."

There was suddenly a loud thud as the lock on the door was broken. Tennessee grabbed his bag and tossed Beatrice hers.

"What's happening?" Beatrice asked and he covered her mouth.

Slowly the door slid open and Tennessee put his hand on his blade. Alone he wasn't sure he could take more than one Windstalker. "Stay behind me."

The door slid open and two men clad in solid white climbed into the car. "Well if it isn't little Tennessee," the taller of the two said. "Where you heading?"

"That information is classified, Alfred," Tennessee said.

Willard looked pass him at Beatrice hiding. "Who's the girl?"

"Don't you two have more important things to do?" Tennessee asked. "You know I don't have anything valuable. I'm just a messenger boy."

"We'll be the judge of that," Alfred said. "Search him, and I'll search the girl."

Beatrice hugged her bag closer to her as the they approached. The train suddenly gave a loud whistle and lurched forward, giving them all a light toss.

Alfred drew his pistol and aimed it at Tennessee. "Pass the girl over!" he demanded.

Tennessee knew what fate awaited them and even if they complied they would not be getting off this train alive. "Do what I say," he whispered to Beatrice. He could at least save her. He grabbed her by the arm and walked her toward the two men.

Alfred grabbed a hold of her and laughed. "Well," he said playing with her hair. "We won't be needing this." With a swing of his arm he pitched Beatrice from the train.

Tennessee tried to grab hold of something but his arm was snatched back and he was yanked into the air.

"What the—" was the last thing he heard from Willard as he was snatched from the train behind Beatrice. They screamed as they plummeted to the earth landing in sand.

Beatrice got to her feet quickly and staggered out of the sand pile spitting it from her mouth. When she felt a pull on her arm she stopped and looked back down at Tennessee who was laying face up splayed.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm dead," Tennessee said.

"You're not dead," Beatrice scoffed. "At least not yet." She turned and looked around the open arid land.

Tennessee sat up shaking sand from his hair, narrowing his eyes at the rising sun. When he raised his arm he remembered the chain. "Hurry up and unchain me," he ordered her.

"You could ask nicely," Beatrice said.

"Why should I?" Tennessee demanded. "I didn't ask to be chained to you in the first place."

Beatrice rolled her eyes and reached into her coat pocket for the key. When she didn't find it she reached into the other. "It's here somewhere." Giving up on her pocket she shifted around in the sand.

"This can't be happening," Tennessee groaned.

"Just break the chain!" Beatrice said.

"With what?"

"I don't know, use your sword!"

"And ruin the blade!"

The two went back and forth.

"I can't believe you just gave me to those men!" Beatrice shouted.

"And I can't believe you lost that key!" Tennessee shot back. "This is your fault. You've been trouble from the start and I've had enough of you." He turned to walk away but was yanked to a halt.

Beatrice waved her chained arm at him.

"Then I'll just have to drag you," He yanked hard pulling her across the sand despite her resistance.

"Stop it. Let go of me!" Beatrice shouted.

Tennessee stopped and whirled around in her face. "Thanks to you, I can't let you go," he said waving their chained arms around. "So unless you want me to cut off your little hand I advise you comply and do as I say like you promised."

Beatrice slumped her shoulders and followed him. For a while she watched the back of his head in silence as the sun climbed and they were forced out of their coats. "At least we still have the map."

"Don't talk you'll only make it hotter," Tennessee said. "Now, if we follow the tracks they should eventually lead us to a town."

"And to the men who tried to kill us," Beatrice reminded him.

"Oh they probably think we are dead," Tennessee said. "And we will be eventually if we don't get shelter from the elements."

"You know, I think you could have fought those men," Beatrice said, taking up an imaginary sword and slashing the air.

"It was part of my plan," Tennessee said. "Once Alfred had you I was going to surprise him. Only I didn't count on him throwing you from the train."

"I'm sure I was more surprised than you were," Beatrice said. She quickened her pace so she could walk beside him. "See any hands raised in praise yet?"

"Not yet," Tennessee said as the desert stretched out before them.

/

Wysteria and Ladybird dismounted their horses as they came to an inn. A woman sat out front with a pipe and she stood to great them. "You ladies looking for a place to stay?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ladybird said.

"You can call me Trish," the woman said shaking their hands. "You can bed your horses down there in the barn yonder," she said. "Supper should be ready by the time you are done."

Ladybird thanked her. "Excuse me...Trish. But have any other odd travelers been through here. A girl perhaps?"

Trish pursed her lips and shook her head.

"You see, we're trying to find our sister Beatrice," Ladybird said.

Trish shook her head again. "You two are the only women been through here all day."

"I see," Ladybird said. "Thank you."

In the barn they found three other horses already bedded down. They chose stalls for the mares and stripped them down and brushed them.

"Beatrice hasn't been here, Ladybird," Wysteria said. "Maybe we've come too far. Maybe she never left Louisiana after all. She could be trying to contact us."

"I've thought of that," Ladybird said as she brushed the mare. "We just have to go on a prayer. For all we know she could be back home already wondering where we are." She patted the mare and closed the stall. She looked at Wysteria, dust covered and worried. "We'll find her," she said then hugged her sister.

The barn door opened and two men stepped through. A chill went up Ladybird's spine and she pulled Wysteria into the sorrel mare's stall and crouched down.

"How are we going to return to Frost empty handed again?" one of the men asked the other. "You shouldn't have thrown the girl from the train."

"How was I to know he would go sailing after her?"

Wysteria looked at Ladybird as the men went from stall to stall. "This one is empty." They heard one of them say. Ladybird peeked over the stall and saw one of the men inside on the opposite side of the barn. The shorter one was messing with someone's horse.

"And I'm tired of sleeping in barns with horses," the shorter one said. "Frost needs to do something for himself for once."

"When pigs fly."

The shorter man found an empty stall and lied down. The men talked for a time then finally they went to sleep. Ladybird and Wysteria took the chance and left the barn as quickly as they could

/

The inn was not in the best condition but it would have to do. As the night animals began to prowl around outside the sisters tried to find sleep.

Wysteria watched Ladybird drift off then she felt herself following. She could no longer see the room but she stood in an old kitchen engulfed in the smell of garlic.

"I am glad you are helping your mother, Wysteria," her pa spoke. "She will appreciate it when she gets home." Horses stopping outside the house interrupt them and men come storming through the door. She tries to run but they grab her and her father. They hold her arms as they tie her father to a branch by his neck and put him on one of their horses.

"Everything will be all right, Wysteria," her pa's voice.

"This one I learned from a sphinx. Which weighs more, a pound of bricks or a pound of feathers?" The red haired man's voice comes in a pouring echo.

"I don't know."

"Answer or your father is going to die."

"Bricks," her small terrified voice.

"Wrong answer..." his arm waves and one of the men slap the horse.

"I love you all the same, Wysteria," her father's last words escape him. Then the sound of a girl screaming tears through her mind.

Wysteria leapt awake panting. She pulled the thin sheet up to her chest as she looked around the dark room. Ladybird was snoring next to her so she assumed that she hadn't really screamed. She moved close to her sister and wrapped her arms around her.

Ladybird stirred and her eyes opened slowly. "Are you all right?"

"I had the dream again," Wysteria said. "It felt so real this time. Why did I get the answer wrong?"

"Wysteria, you were afraid."

"But if I had answered right—"

"No," Ladybird said. "You saw how evil that man was. It wouldn't have made a difference."

"I should have run for help," Wysteria said. "But...I remember...Someone hid me in a well."

"Don't blame yourself," Ladybird said. "Pa wouldn't blame you and neither do I."

Wysteria hugged her sister tightly. "Ladybird, can I tell you something."

"Sure, go ahead."

"I'm glad you are not going to marry Yewtree. I never liked him."

Ladybird wrapped her arms around her sister and held her close. "I've got you," she whispered to her. "Everything is going to be all right. She looked toward the window at the outside as an owl hooted from atop the inn. "I'll find you, Beatrice."