Philemon gave Ladybird's arm a hard yank when she moved too slowly. Even if she twisted free, there was no place to run. She had a mountain on one side and a cliff on the other and if she tried to run back down the path he could easily shoot her.

"Please, Philemon, don't let them hurt my sisters."

"Your sisters are the start of all of this," Philemon said. "They are one more thing to distract you. One more thing to keep you from me!" His eyes suddenly shifted past her and darkened. "Speaking of which..."

Ladybird turned and looked down the path to see Wysteria running their way, her coat flying in the icy wind and the blade of the sword she bore glimmering in the sun. "Ladybird!"

"Wysteria, no!" Ladybird screamed as Philemon aimed his gun.

Wysteria turned her body when she saw the weapon aimed at her and the bullet struck the blade of the sword with a loud ting.

Philemon took aim at her again as she retreated for the safety of the rocks.

Ladybird felt her heart race in her chest like chariot of war horses. This wasn't happening; it couldn't be happening. "Never let any man make you less than what you are. You are a lady".

She suddenly felt like she was outside her body watching herself and trying to contradict the action she was about to take. She felt as though her body was moving in slow motion or against a furious wind.

"No!" she screamed as she grabbed his arm and forced it upwards. She heard the crack of the gun just above her head as he turned to combat her. The pounding of her heart stopped all other sound to her ears as she felt herself maneuvered around. Her right foot came down on rock but her left went into the air.

Her eyes widened as ground vanished from beneath her leaving her staring down the hungry throat of death.

She saw herself blowing a dandelion, watching her father's foot prints form in the snow as he pulled her on a sled. Her mother was calling her to come in for supper. She was skipping rope with Wysteria, pretending to be a horse as she carried Beatrice, delivering her blanket to the man at the hospital, dancing ballet, getting engaged, and trekking across the wilderness.

Her breath came in a gasp when she collided with a pine limb. The thistles passed her from branch to branch and from tree to tree as she crashed downwards. Before she could get a scream out she was having the wind knocked out of her by a branch or her face slapped. Crashing through one last branch she gasped before her world turned white.

/

Tennessee stormed up the mountain toward Wysteria who was huddled against a rock shivering. He knelt down in front of her and shook her gently. "Are you all right?"

Wysteria nodded. "I'm fine," she said with a shiver.

"I heard the shots," Tennessee said looking around. "Where's your sister?"

Wysteria pointed up the path. "Yewtree fired at me and she tried to stop him. They went over the edge."

Tennessee jumped up and ran up the path. He could see in the snow that there had been a great struggle. Looking of the ledge her peered into the pines. The evergreen foliage was thick but his eyes were skilled enough to see where someone had gone through. Tangled in the branches of a tree a red scarf waved, snagged tightly in place.

Wysteria jumped when he returned to her and put her hand on her heart when she saw it was him. "Did you see, Ladybird?"

"She must have gone all the way over," Tennessee said picking up his sword and returning it to its place.

"And Yewtree?"

Tennessee reached out his hand to help her up. "...I didn't see him either," he said and was relieved this satisfied her for now. "We'll get Beatrice and start a hunt for your sister in the woods.

As they started back up the narrow path Tennessee stopped her with his arm and held a finger to his lips. Silently he passed her his makeshift spear. "We're not alone."

Wysteria searched the walls of the rocky passageway, her blood already running cold. She whipped her head around when she heard a noise and barely stopped herself from screaming when a man in a red cloak stepped into the passageway.

"Napoleon," Tennessee sighed in relief. "I thought you might be—"

"Weeping Eyed Jack?" Napoleon said. "Close. He and his band were aiming straight towards this place. My team is down several feet trying to hold them back. I sent Lazarus ahead to get you and the sisters out of the way and came up myself when he didn't return."

"Wysteria!"

All heads turned at the sound of Beatrice's voice as she came running up the passage towards them. Behind her came Lazarus carrying a bundled up Sacha.

"I was wondering what became of you," Napoleon said.

"We couldn't leave this little fellow behind," Lazarus said receiving a lick from Sacha.

"Well we can't waste any time," Napoleon said. "We can't hold off the Windstalkers forever and they want what's in that mountain." He nodded his head and they all moved quickly down the passage.

"But we've been into the cave," Beatrice said as they ran. "There is no gold. Just some statues our father left for us."

"It's a giant music box," Wysteria explained.

"Then January will be disappointed," Napoleon said. Shots echoed across the mountain and he made all of them stop.

"It sounds bad," Tennessee said. "All of this for treasure that doesn't exist."

"It's about more than some treasure," Napoleon said. "My fight with the Windstalkers is personal. They killed Andre and they killed China Doll."

"This might work to our advantage," Lazarus said. "We can fall back and trap the Windstalkers in the cave and then ambush them."

Napoleon agreed to the idea. "Deliver that to Red Herrings. I'll get them out of the way. Give me the wolf."

"But won't that ruin the music box?" Beatrice asked but Tennessee put his hand on her shoulder. Beatrice looked into his eyes and knew it was something she wouldn't be able to understand.

Once Napoleon had Sacha he continued to lead them down the mountain out of harm's way. The fighting sounded close but as they made the decent it began to lessen.

When the mountain became less of a slope Napoleon stopped and looked back. Now the fighting was above their heads where they were more even with the threes.

"We need to stop and look for their older sister," Tennessee said. "She fell through the pines."

Napoleon looked up the cliff face. "That's a long drop," he said.

"She'll be all right!" Beatrice said. "She has to be all right."

"Tennessee!" The call came up the mountain mixed with a sudden pounding of hooves as three riders in black appeared.

Napoleon took a few quick steps back as the End After Knights reined their horses.

"You're alive."

"You should have never doubted me," Tennessee said to the one who had spoken.

"I reckon you think Aster owes you that promotion now," another said and the three laughed.

"I'm in the middle of a very important mission," Tennessee said.

"We were told to come look for you," the first Knight said. "And we are less surprised to see you here as well, Napoleon."

"Julian," Napoleon said nodding to the rider on an anxious side stepping horse.

The man pulled back his hood with a grin. "You made me!"

"Tennessee needs to complete his mission," Napoleon said. "These young ladies are going into the forest to search for their sister."

Julian gave Beatrice and Wysteria a quick look over. "What are ladies like yourselves doing way out here?" he said with a wink at them.

"These are Amos Winter's daughters," Tennessee said. As if his words were magic, Julian's whole approach changed.

"I 'am very honored to meet you," he said, bowing on his mount.

Napoleon looked up the mountain. "I have to get back to my band," he said. "I trust you four can get these young women safely off this mountain."

Julian nodded. "Sure!" he said. "Are those your horses a little ways back?" he asked and they nodded. "Well let's rescue your sister and get you and them fed."

One of the other men climbed down and picked up Sacha placing him on his horse in front of him.

Julian reached down his hand and helped Wysteria into the saddle behind him while the last man did the same with Beatrice. He then whistled at Napoleon who had started away. "Hey, taking on the Windstalkers alone is not my idea of a good time."

Napoleon stopped and turned around, standing out bright red against the white snow. "Anyone would do the same in my position."

"Maybe," Julian said. "Or maybe you should wait until you have more friends. Aster wants little more than to see Weeping Eyed Jack behind bars."

"Well I'd rather see him dead," Napoleon said. "That's why we could never be friends."

"We can help you, Napoleon," Julian said. "Just don't go getting yourself killed before the cavalry comes in." He nudged his horse forward and they parted.

Tennessee looked over his shoulder at Napoleon standing solemn against the snow. Reaching into his coat he squeezed the melted heart. He knew loss, he knew anger and suffering. Stopping suddenly in his tracks he looked up at Beatrice in the back of the saddle.

"I know I joked many times about abandoning you out here," he began then quickly took her hand. "And you'll have to forgive me for finally acting on those threats."

"Tennessee wha—"

"My, lady," he bowed and kissed her hand. "Take good care of her!" he shouted as he took up his sword and spear and ran in the opposite direction.

"Tennessee, no!" Beatrice screamed.

"Blast it, Tenn., get back here!" Julian shouted.

Tennessee paid no attention to their cries and ran up the mountain side with Napoleon.

"Come on!" Julian said spinning his horse around. "We have to find Mr. Winters' other daughter. Come on!"

The other two men stared up the mountain at the vanishing forms. "We should be helping them."

"I realize that," Julian said his green eyes serious. "But Mr. Winters was one of us and we have a sworn duty to protect his daughters. That man saved my life and I owe him all I have, rest his soul. Now, we're going down this mountain and we are going to find Marigold."

"Marigold!" Beatrice gasped. "No one calls my sister that."

He turned from Beatrice to Wysteria. "The day your father died was the day I nearly met my own end." He nudged his horse and they all moved on. "My purpose in the EAK is to disguise our trails, but one clan in particular acquired a new member they called the Sphinx. He was sent to kill me but I got away wounded. Your father was the closest person I could trust so I went to him. He and your mother stitched me up."

"Julian, they don't need to hear this," one of the other men said.

"It took me a while to convince myself that my presence had nothing to do with what transpired a few days later. The night before he made me promise to look after you all if anything should happen to him. Marigold was supposed to be sleeping; I'll never forget the sorrow in her eyes at the sight of me. The next day everything went wrong."

"I remember," Wysteria said. "It was you, wasn't it? You put me in the well."

Julian nodded. "I was no match for them and they thought they killed me before riding off, Wendigo and his lot." Julian said as they stepped into the trees. "I went for help but passed out on the road and was taken to a hospital. I had lost the use of my voice and it took a long time before I could talk again. My superiors thought you were living in a safe place and asked me not to contact you and your mother and then you moved into Windstalker territory." He shook his head.

"You know what that means?" Beatrice said. "You saved Wysteria's life, you're a hero!"

"We just call it duty and honor," one of the other men said. "I think we're below the ledge now. She should be somewhere around here."

Beatrice climbed down from the saddle. "Ladybird?" she called into the open space. "Ladybird!"

Wysteria joined her on the ground. "Ladybird." She looked up through the trees and shielded her eyes. "It's starting to snow."