Rynere hardly said anything the rest of the day, trying to figure out what Tace meant. There was a stony silence between Danid and Kyndran, and Tace simply watched them, seeming to grow more and more serious as the day wore on.
“You two,” he said at the fire that evening, “don't seem to be doing too well together.”
“What do you expect?” Kyndran said flatly.
“Well, if you'd be less obvious about your intent to kill each other I know I'd appreciate it, and Miss Rynere would probably appreciate it as well.”
“It's not your business,” said Danid.
“On the contrary, it's completely my business. Without Karoy and Tass, I'm in charge of all of you. And killing each other could make things ...rather complicated.”
“Tace,” Rynere said quietly, “what would Tass do if he were here?”
He turned, giving her a long, contemplative look.
“He'd let the prince rescue the princess.”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“You'll know. In a few days, you'll know.”

Rynere woke in the middle of the night. A gag was being tied around her mouth. Her hands were already bound together, and she was being pulled to her feet. Through the light of a small lantern her captor was holding, she could see Tace lying on the ground, blood trickling down from a cut in his head. But the lamplight didn't reach to where Kyndran and Danid had been sleeping.
Rynere was shoved forward, lifted, and she landed on a horse. There was someone behind her, and the horse started to move.
Her captor knew some secret about the forest. There was no longer light, but the horse never stumbled, guided carefully around every obstacle.
After the initial shock disappeared, Rynere began to get scared. There two people, at least, taking her away from Tace, Kyndran -safety! Where was she going? Who was taking her there?
It was hours from dawn when she had been taken, but the first rays of sun eventually broke over the horizon. Rynere tried to look back, but the hand of her captor shoved her face forward again. She tried again, with the same result.
She was getting less frightened and more angry.
Rynere shoved her elbow back into the stomach of the man behind her. He gave a groan, and with the distraction Rynere turned to look at him.
If she wasn't gagged, she would have screamed.