Ladybird and Wysteria packed up quickly in the morning. The sun was bright but not strong enough to melt the frosted ground. Wysteria had readied her horse and started with Ladybird's while she folded the tent and buried the cold fire pit with dirt, covering it also with grass.

"Have you seen Sacha?" Wysteria asked as she came to her sister's side. "He ran off after something last night."

Ladybird turned in the opposite direction to see if she could see the wolf and froze. Two riders were coming their way at a trot. Their thin horses tossed their long necks and pulled at the reins as the white cloaks of the men fluttered behind them. "No."

"What do we do?" Wysteria asked.

"Get to your horse," Ladybird had just enough time to whisper before the men got within hearing range.

One horse bayed loudly as they stepped into the folded camp. "Well what is this here?" one of them men asked grinning.

The other man laughed. "We've been looking all over for you, little miss," he said. "What are you trying to do, get lost out here?"

"You can have whatever you want but leave me and my sister alone," Ladybird said.

The first man glanced over at Wysteria. "I don't think I can do that." he said. Swinging his leg over his horse he dismounted. "I have orders to take you in." A smile spread across his face and Ladybird stepped back.

The other man dismounted. Keeping his hand on his gun he searched through the bags.

Ladybird waited. She had seen Sacha hunt and knew that his victories came from patience.

The first man grabbed her upper arm as he watched his partner shift through the bags.

Ladybird looked up at Wysteria holding the reins of her horse.

The man suddenly looked up at her. "What are you looking at?" he said sharply.

Wysteria shook her head and grabbed the mare's bridle.

"Do I have something on my face?" The mad stood, sending the bag rolling away from him.

Wysteria curled up against the mare trembling. "Leave me alone."

"I'm not so funny looking anymore, am I?" He started towards her.

"No!" Ladybird shouted, surprised at the power of her own voice. "Let her be, please, she's been through enough."

The man holding her laughed. "Why should we care?"

"Please," Ladybird said. "Rip me apart but do not hurt my sister...she's all I have." She broke free of the man holding her and ran to the second. Grabbing his arm to spun him away from Wysteria.

Turning back to Wysteria he nodded his head. "Get out of here."

Wysteria looked at Ladybird with wide eyes. "Ladybird..."

"Go!" Ladybird shouted at her. "Go, now, Wysteria. Go or I'll shoot you myself!"

Wysteria climbed into the saddle trembling. She could barely keep her hands on the reins. She pushed the mare into a strong gallop tearing up the land beneath her hooves. They flew over the dead meadow and into a thin strip of trees. Faster and faster she urged the horse to go. Faster and faster still.

They broke free of the trees covered in thistles and started up a rock slope. The mare's hooves struck like flints on the stones as she bounded upwards her silver mane flying. Suddenly her forelegs lost their grip and she reared backwards.

Unable to hang on, Wysteria fell from the saddle and rolled down the slope until she caught herself. Looking up she saw the horse falling toward her pawing at the air. She would be crushed, she would die here crushed and there was nothing she could do to save either of her sisters.

The mare's rear hooves suddenly slipped pitching her forward and back on all fours. Wysteria stared at the horse looking down at her in confusion. She ached all over and the agony of her heart would not allow her to rise. She found herself wishing that the mare had crushed her. "How could you leave her?" she scolded herself. "How could you just leave her there?"

A shot echoed through the trees from the valley below followed by another then all fell silent again. Wysteria staggered to her feet and climbed the short distance to the mare. The horse sniffed at her, nearly knocking her down with its strong head. She tried climbing back into the saddle but found she no longer had the will.

"Oh God, please, just let me perish." She bowed her head and buried her face in her palms. "Just let me perish."

/

Wysteria opened her eyes. What had happened? Where was she? She found herself looking up into an open sky. By the looks of it the sun was on the down. The weather was turning quickly colder. She felt constricted and realized that she was moving yet she wasn't on a horse. She turned her head and found herself looking at red fabric held together at one point with a brass colored button. It took her another moment to realize that the fabric was breathing.

She looked up and her eyes met a face. Screaming she struggled to get away but she was being held fast. "No, let me go!" she shouted and thrashed. "Let me...go." It took only seconds for her little energy to fade but her hearing was strong and she next heard laughter.

"Lazarus, you really need a lesson in transporting frightened people. Especially women."

"The horse wouldn't let me get close enough," Lazarus said. He laid Wysteria down on a blanket then tied Mist to a tree.

Wysteria sat up. She could still feel the sore places on her back that had struck the rocks. "You."

"I warned you two to be careful," Napoleon said. He passed her a canteen.

Taking it, Wysteria realized it was her own. She took a sip of the ice cold water and felt it pass through her body. She felt something hit her back suddenly then lick her face. "Sacha! Oh Sacha." She wrapped her arms around the wolf, burying her face in his wild smelling fur.

"Wysteria?"

Wysteria froze at the sound of her name. Looking over her shoulder she burst into tears. "Ladybird!" She raced to her sister and threw her arms around her. "Don't ever make me leave you again."

"I'm sorry," Ladybird said hugging her tightly. "And I didn't mean it when I said I would shoot you. I just didn't want to see you hurt."

"Are you hurt bad?"

"Just a bruise on my wrist," Ladybird said. "Mr. Napoleon and Mr. Lazarus came just in time."

Wysteria looked back at the two men. They had gone from thieves to heroes in less than forty-eight hours. "Thank you."

"It was the wolf," Napoleon said. "We saw him wondering early in the morning and he put us on the Windstalkers' trail. He led us straight into the fight. We stopped them before they hurt your sister."

"Will they come back?" Wysteria asked.

Napoleon was about to answer when Ladybird cut in. "They've gone far away," she said.

Wysteria nodded. She felt ashamed that she couldn't take care of herself. All she had done was sat and cry pitifully.

"Well you two will need your rest if you plan to climb that mountain tomorrow," Napoleon said. "You had best eat now and get to bed early. If you desire you can wash up in the pond over there."

After everyone, including the animals had been fed Wysteria stood in the open staring up at the mountain. She positioned her hands as if she was holding her violin and let the melody take shape in her head as she worked her imaginary bow and her fingers. Skye Boat Song

One foot moved ahead of the other and then the second over the other until she was dancing. She was on the ball of her foot and moved backwards, stopping abruptly to move forward again. She looked up as she turned in a circle watching the stars and purple clouds turn.

Ladybird stepped out slowly from the trees with Napoleon and Lazarus watching. She hurried and joined her sister. They moved together, matching each other's steps perfectly.

Napoleon looked at Lazarus next to him who seemed to be in a daze. He nudged him back to reality playfully.

/

The silent tune carried over the trees and up the rocks through the snow and into mountain.

"Speed bonnie boat like a bird on wing, onward the sailors cry. Carry the lad that's born to be king, over the sea to Skye."

Tennessee looked back at Beatrice as she twirled in the flurries that stood out strong against the black night. "Will you stop playing?"

"Look at this night," Beatrice said. "It's too beautiful to rush through." She scooped up some snow and tossed it into the air. "Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar thunderclouds rend the air. Baffled our foes stand by the shore, follow they will not dare..." she laughed and joined Tennessee looking down the mountain. "Did we really climb all of that?"

Tennessee nodded. "And there is still a ways to the top. I hope you have your skates ready. There's supposed to a frozen lake at the center." When he looked at Beatrice she had her head coked like a dog. "Are you listening?"

"Do you hear that?" Beatrice asked. "I hear something, like a voice, a moan. It's coming down the mountain."

Tennessee thought it was silly but he listened anyways. "I don't hear anything," he said wiping snowflakes from his lashes. "Look, we need to find a place to sleep for the night."

"But you have to hear it," Beatrice said. "It hasn't been this calm and I was singing earlier. I think it's been there all along."

"I don't hear anything!" Tennessee insisted. He rolled his eyes and pressed on a few steps then paused. "What was that?"

"I told you," Beatrice said. "It's someone singing. No, humming. The mountain is singing." She suddenly had a thought. "You don't think people live up here, do you?"

Tennessee shrugged. "I doubt it but that doesn't make it impossible," he said. "People lived this way long before settlers came with their houses. The End After Knights sometimes have to rest wherever night finds them." He listened to the hum. "No," he said. "I don't think that's a person. It sounds more like the wind blowing through threes."

Beatrice listened. She swore she could almost hear a tune but decided to let it be.

/

"I am happy to learn of your engagement Silas," Mr. Smart said. "We've always liked you as our children's' tutor."

"You're not upset that I won't be going?" Silas asked as they walked the halls of the Smart's home.

"I'm disappointed," Mr. Smart said. "But every man deserves to live his life." They stopped at a set of French doors and looked out into the garden. "I think it misses Miss Winters too." He turned back to Silas. "As you know the staff is coming with us." He continued "and well the wife and I just don't want to leave our home to anyone so..." He took a deep breath. "What do you say, Silas. Will you take her on?"

"Take who on, Mr. Smart."

Mr. Smart laughed. "My house!" he said. "She's in awful want of love and I know you and Miss Hurston don't want to live with her parents or your brother for the rest of your lives."

"Mr. Smart I couldn't—"

Mr. Smart held up his hand. "I'm doing this as a friend not your employer he said. Someone has to keep the blood running through this old girl." He looked around. "I downright hate to part with it. Never mind, I'd rather it be folks I can trust." He held out his hand. "What do you say? Gentleman to gentleman?"

Silas had no other words of objection to use. The house was mighty grand. "Mr. Smart, might I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What advice would you give a man ready to go against Mrs. Elizabeth Winters?"

Mr. Smart's brows went high. "As a lawyer I would say don't do it. She may be a woman and she may be colored but she is very powerful."

"What if it was for a friend?"

Mr. Smart bit his bottom lip. "Well that does change things a little," he said. "What are you trying to do?"

"She tried to kill my fiancée," Silas said with conviction. "Her granddaughters may be next. I want her exposed for the monster she really is."

Mr. Smart nodded slowly. "Find someone who can find out more about her. Someone who can stop her in her tracks. There's always a bigger monster out there."

Silas' brain began to work. He had a future to plan for and friends to protect. None of that would be possible if that tyrant woman remained on her throne. "End After Knights."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing!" Silas said. "Um, shall we continue looking at the house? I want to know what I'm getting into."

Mr. Smart nodded and led him onward.