The bodyguard. That bodyguard. He was telling her to scream -he wasn't doing anything to guard her -

Rynere looked around, saw one of the cats crouching to leap, and screamed. The animal lunged at her.

She darted to the side, only attracting the attention of the other cats. The one who had attacked her had neatly dodged the tree and was coming at her again. None of them seemed to notice Tace, who was hanging upside-down from the branch and whistling some random tune.

"Help me!" she demanded as the cats started to circle her. "What are you doing?"

Tace smiled, folding his hands behind his head.

"Scream again."

"Is that it?"

Tass nodded, still smiling.

One of the cats growled. A scream involuntarily jumped from Rynere.

There was a crash in the nearby forest, a pause, and then an arrow shot from somewhere and lodged itself in the neck of one of the animals.

Several cats leaped after the sound. One remained to watch Rynere. She looked up at Tace. He was climbing further up the tree, without a second glance back.

"Come back!"

All that served to do was to irritate the cat left to guard her, and it advanced on her. She slowly backed away until she was against the tree. The animal was still coming towards her.

She screamed again.

The cat sprang.

It was knocked down in midair. A figure sprang into the clearing. Kyndran.

Rynere stared at him, still wide-eyed and not sure what was happening. Then she realized that she had been holding her breath. She inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself.

"How'd you get here? Where are the rest of them?"

"Tace said he'd deal with them. Are you alright?"

Rynere nodded.

"And Kace said you'd be alright," Kyndran muttered under his breath. "If I get my hands on him -"

"That's not what he said," Tace said from the opposite side of the clearing. Rynere started. He grinned. "He said she wouldn't be harmed. She wasn't."

"You weren't any help," Kyndran said sharply.

"I beg your pardon?" Tace said, feigning offense. "I told her to scream so you could locate her. I distracted the other cats while you made your daring rescue."

"You told her to scream and you didn't even try to get her away from the cats?" Kyndran demanded.

Tace grinned.

"Of course not. That was your job."

"Why is it my job? Why can't you take the opportunity to do it yourself?"

Tace grinned again.

"Oh, you'll see it all in the end."

"Is there a reason we can't know now?"

"Yes."

"What -"

"Could we get back to the house before the cats come back?" Rynere interrupted.

Tace turned to Kyndran and waved a hand towards Rynere.

"Come now sir, escort her back."

"What about you?" Kyndran said pointedly.

Tace half-smiled.

"Didn't Kace tell you? I'm not returning 'til Danid gets better."

"How will you know that?"

"I have my ways."

"Could we just leave before the cats get back?" Rynere cut in again.

"Th' house is straight through the trees that-a way," Tace nodded towards one of clearing's edges. After about a mile or so."

Rynere immediately followed his directions. Kyndran had to run to catch up with her.

"I still think this is some trap they're setting for you," he hissed once out of earshot of Tace.

"I just want to get back to the house."