Miinhart Forest, Desmond, 10416 P.C.

That night was the longest night of Todd's life to date, full of chills and the occasional soldier wandering over to check on them. Todd must have slept for some of it at least because eventually light was chasing the shadows away and the camp of soldiers was stirring. He stayed still, shivering in his light sweater as he watched the soldiers begin to pack up their supplies. A weary, apathetic feeling had come over him. He didn't know what they were going to do or how they were going to get out of this situation. All he knew was that he wanted to be anywhere but where he currently was.

Annabella elbowed him, and he blinked several times as he turned his head to look at her. In the morning light, she looked quite ragged. Her hair was falling out of the braid it had been in, and it looked as though she had gotten even less sleep than he had. She was incredibly pale despite her sun-kissed skin, her hazel eyes standing out starkly against her blanched face. For the first time, he noticed the scar along her left cheek, and in the back of his mind, he wondered how that had happened. The little girl, Bethany, was on her lap, looking no less the worse for wear.

"Be ready," Annabella whispered to him. "We have company."

He blinked hard and rubbed his eyes. "Huh?"

Annabella was staring off into the trees. Although she was clearly exhausted, she was focused. "On my signal, use this hairpin to unlock your chains, then take Bethany and run for the horses over there and go, understand?"

Todd accepted the hairpin she was slipping into his hands, incredibly confused. "I don't—"

Feet away, the soldier who had been dousing the fire jerked and stumbled to the side before collapsing on the ground. Todd couldn't see what happened until one of the others ran to the fallen soldier and got struck by an arrow. He too collapsed. By then, the other soldiers were alert, shouting and drawing their swords as arrows began flying out of the trees.

"Now, Todd," Annabella hissed. He glanced over at her, seeing that her cuffs were already off and she was getting to her feet. Slowly. Bethany was sitting on the ground, lost in a daze between waking and sleeping, wrapped in her cloak. Yells and screams echoing in his ears, Todd looked at the hairpin helplessly before jamming it into the keyhole. How was he supposed to pick the lock with this? He didn't know how to pick a lock in the first place!

Annabella had just gotten to her feet when she was tackled from behind. Todd started, expecting a soldier but instead finding someone in plain, dark clothes on top of Annabella, trying to wrestle her down. Although she was in pain, she was holding her own fairly well. "Go, Todd!" she yelled.

He fumbled with the hairpin in a panic. "I can't—"

"Oh, give it!" Stephanie snatched the hairpin from his fingers and stuck it in the keyhole. Within seconds, his cuffs popped off. He had no time to realize it before she had unlocked her own cuffs from her wrists and the chain around the tree. With seemingly careless aim, she flung them hard at the two wrestling on the ground. The metal collided with the stranger's head, knocking them out and off of Annabella.

Todd stared, his mouth open. "Perfect shot!"

"I don't miss," Stephanie stated before springing to her feet and jumping over Todd. She scooped Bethany into her arms.

Annabella was struggling to get to her feet. "Todd! The horses!" she yelled raggedly.

Todd obeyed, scrambling to his feet and nearly falling again when Stephanie thrust Bethany into his arms. Before he could say a word, she was gone, darting right into the fray. Todd took one second to gather his bearings.

The soldiers were distracted by a group of attackers dressed in common clothes and masks and wielding weapons ruthlessly. Todd stayed still long enough to see one of the masked attackers smash his sword right through the chest of one of the young soldiers who hadn't been given the time to put his armour on. Then Todd was running, jostling Bethany in his arms and trying to shield her from the bloodfest as he tripped over roots and undergrowth. His chest heaved and his head swam. It felt like a dream — a nightmare. He nearly missed the masked man leaping out of the bushes in front of them, a sword the size of Bethany herself in his hand. Todd seized, jerking back. Bethany gave a scream that entered his head like a dagger through his ears. The man with the sword had no time to raise it, for the next moment he was stumbling back, an arrow protruding from his chest. Todd's head jerked around on instinct, trying to find the shooter. It was impossible to tell who it might have been through the battle that raged just yards away.

Having lost sight of both Annabella and Stephanie, Todd did all he knew to do: he ran for the horses. They were tethered to tree branches, stomping nervously. Todd avoided their flanks, not wanting to be kicked — he had experienced that before from a testy mare on Michael's uncle's farm. Trembling from head to toe, he moved out of sight of the battle, set Bethany on the ground, and fought to untie the reins of the speckled white and brown horse standing furthest away from it all. It was a huge horse, bigger than he had ever seen, and she was getting riled up already, frightened by the yells and screams beyond. Todd would have thought a warhorse would have been calmer, but who was he to judge? His fingers were shaking so hard, he couldn't even get a simple knot undone!

"Come on!" Finally, the knots came loose. As if sensing she was free, the horse stepped back, shuffling her hooves nervously. Wrapping the reigns around his hand, Todd looked at Bethany, who was clinging to his leg, hiding her face. Wordlessly, he scooped her up. She was just a slip of a thing, and hoisting her onto the horse's saddle wasn't hard at all. She clung to the saddle's horn as Todd found the stirrup and mounted the saddle behind her. Oh, he was glad Michael's uncle had taught them how to ride. He nudged the horse's sides with his heels and she lurched forward as if launched from a spring, nearly throwing Todd and Bethany off. He managed to stay on, gathering the reigns firmly and directing her to the side.

The next moment felt like slow motion. The horse stepped forward. Todd turned his head. An arrow, so close he felt its whisper of death in his hair, flew past his ear. He let out a yell, kicking his ride and causing her to rear. Bethany screamed as she nearly slipped out of the saddle, but Todd caught her, his breathing trembling and heart stuttering as he fought to gain control of the spooked horse beneath him.

'Speak its name.'

It was a voice, like a thought out of nowhere. He didn't have time to understand. The next words slipped from his mouth like second nature, although he had no idea where they had come from: "Whoa, Harley!"

To his shock, the horse heeded him, calming down and standing still. She still shuddered. Todd shook also. Turning to the fight, he saw Annabella. She was fighting off two masked attackers, but she was staggering, her strength clearly wasted. Any second she would collapse.

There was no time to think. As if one in mind with Todd, Harley the horse turned toward the battle, charging the two masked attackers. Todd yelled Annabella's name. She saw him, her eyes widening. Her two attackers saw them too and scattered, desperate to get away from Harley's thundering hooves. Todd pulled the horse to a stop beside Annabella, who was giving him a distracted look as if she were in a totally different plane of existence than the rest of them.

"Get up here!" he yelled, reaching down to grab her arm. She accepted his hand, but her grip was weak and uncommitted. He tried to pull her up.

Stephanie's yell was frightening, as was how she appeared, leaping right over Annabella's head and using a metal shield to deflect the arrow that should have found Todd in the chest. Todd nearly fell off the horse in surprise. He barely managed to follow her movements as she flew through the air. Her shield was flung at a rushing soldier, knocking him back. Landing in a tumble roll, she drew a bow from practically out of nowhere it seemed and loaded it, picking off one of the masked attackers Annabella had been fighting off. She shot off three arrows — each one finding a target — before she spun around to them. Todd was just coming back to his senses.

"What are you doing?" Stephanie yelled at Annabella, who was leaning against Harley, shaking. "Get on the horse!" Without waiting to see if Annabella obeyed her, she loaded another arrow, picking off another rushing opponent. Soldier or masked stranger, she didn't seem to differentiate. Todd knew then and there that Stephanie had to come with them.

Kicking his foot out of the stirrup for Annabella to use, Todd helped her get on the horse behind him. Harley shifted beneath the added weight. Annabella sagged against him, her breathing jerky and uneven. Todd twisted around to Stephanie, about to yell at her, when he saw the archer hidden in the bushes. He saw them for only a second. The arrow narrowly missed his head yet again, just inches from the tip of his nose, and he jolted as Harley reared. She hit the ground running, jostling her riders; Todd felt Annabella's arms tighten around his waist.

"Stephanie!" He turned, trying to find her, to reach out to her. She was running, bow in hand, shooting anyone she encountered. At his yell, she veered toward them, running faster than Todd thought her short legs capable. She was incredible. Harley was making for the trees like a bandit, hooves pounding the earth and anyone who got in her way. Todd fully expected an arrow to take the beautiful giant down, but none managed the shot. Stephanie was quick, lithe, leaping through the air and grabbing Todd's outstretched hand. Using the momentum, she swung up onto Harley's flank; if Annabella hadn't been holding so tight to Todd, he might have been yanked right off the horse. He gripped the reins in both hands, letting Harley crash into the thick of the forest, holding his breath as they left the chaos of the battle behind. How the horse remained so spry with four passengers, Todd couldn't understand — he was just glad he had picked her.

"Get down!" Stephanie yelled, and Todd looked back as an arrow flew over Stephanie, past Annabella, and sliced his cheek as it whizzed past. He nearly fell. Behind them, another horse and rider were taking up the chase. Through the foliage they were flying past, Todd barely made out the male Sergeant behind them, holding a bow and taking aim. Harley, acutely aware of the danger, swerved through the trees, panting. Todd felt blood sliding like tears down his cheek. The stinging pain was like a fiery blade.

Stephanie was returning fire, twisting around to get a shot at their pursuer. Her first attempt went awry, flicking into the bushes as Harley leapt over a fallen log. Todd didn't see her second attempt but assumed it also failed because another arrow flew by them. Her next shot proved effective. The horse went down, flinging its rider into a tree. Harley and her passengers pounded on.

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How long they galloped through the forest, Todd didn't know. It was a blur of motion and jolting movement. Suddenly, his feet were on the ground, the reigns wound tightly in his hands and his breath heavy in his lungs. They were beside a pool of water, one which Harley thirstily stuck her nose in. Todd, dazed, rubbed her neck, wishing for water himself but not trusting the water at his feet. He listened for the sounds of battle, but all was silent.

Stephanie hit the ground hard as she dropped from Harley's flank. She was also breathing heavily, her hand over her shoulder, fingers counting the remaining arrows in her quiver as she approached the water's edge. Annabella, too, got down off of Harley. She immediately sank to the ground, letting out a groan of pain between clenched teeth. Todd turned to her, swallowing hard.

Stephanie turned around also, her hand firmly on her bow. "Bandits," she said, watching Annabella with a gaze Todd couldn't read. "Those people who attacked. They were after you."

Annabella raised an eyebrow, eyeing Stephanie warily. "Nothing new. Convenient that time."

"You were captured by my unit. If those bandits had succeeded and tried bringing you to Motch, he'd kill them for having attacked his soldiers."

"He would kill them regardless. They're bandits. They have buyers on the inside. They'd never have to see Motch at all to get what they want."

Stephanie folded her arms, looking Annabella up and down. "And you've avoided capture all these years."

Annabella shrugged one shoulder. "Avoided it, escaped it, dealt with it. Your point?"

Todd watched the interaction with confusion. "Wait, hold on. Do you two know each other?"

Annabella tilted her head at Stephanie. "Nope. Never seen her before in my life."

Stephanie looked at Todd, her chin lifted a little. "Everyone knows who she is. Annabella LaKline, Princess of the South. One of the most dangerous criminals in all of Desmond."

"Oh, is that what they call me?" Annabella grimaced as she shifted on the ground. "I'm flattered."

Todd's mind was stuttering. "Wait, you're a Princess?"

"Okay, but who are you, and how do you not know that?" Stephanie asked, gesturing to Todd.

"How did I not know that?" Todd echoed, looking down at Annabella.

She was avoiding his gaze, her face twisted in pain as she struggled to her feet. "I didn't think it was a necessary part of the story."

His mind was going a hundred miles a minute. "Are you the Princess?"

"Not the one you're thinking of, no." She seemed unsteady on her feet, clearly favouring her one leg. "I don't know why they still call me that. I'm not a Princess. The kingdom of the South fell long ago."

There was a lot more to the story that she wasn't telling, pieces to this puzzle she didn't seem willing to hand him. The unease twisted his chest. She had told him not to trust her. He didn't know who to trust anymore.

Turning to Stephanie, he paused. The mark on her cheek, it curled up around her left eye, and in the light, he finally realized what it was: a dragon. It looked demonic, sending shivers down his spine. Struggling to look past it and remember how she had saved his life, he stuck out his hand. "Let's do this properly. I'm Todd Vinson, and I don't know what I'm doing in your world."

She narrowed her eyes at his words, her lips pulling down in a frown as she slowly accepted his hand. "Stephanie. Just Stephanie. And I... don't know what you're doing in my world either?" She looked him up and down, and then her eyes widened a bit. "Wait, you're serious." She looked past him at Annabella. "He's not from Desmond?"

Annabella pursed her lips as if that had been a secret she hadn't wanted Stephanie to know. "He's Amissian."

Stephanie looked back at Todd. "That explains a lot, actually. I think I should thank you for helping me escape back there."

Todd shivered. "You were incredible. You should come with us."

Annabella coughed, drawing his attention. "Hold up there, Smartie," she said, leaning heavily on Harley. "You can't just—"

"I can and I did." The bold words were out of his mouth before he had time to overthink them. "Face the facts, Annabella. You're hurt."

"I'm fine."

"You're hurt. Stephanie could help us."

"She's a soldier, Todd."

Stephanie spoke up. "If I'm not mistaken, so were you."

Annabella stared at Stephanie as if offended that the girl had opened her mouth. "This is a matter of trust."

"I trust her," Todd said.

Annabella waved her hand at him. "No, Todd, shut up, you know nothing about survival in this world. You can't trust anyone."

Todd worked his jaw, clamping his teeth down on his bottom lip. Part of him wanted to retreat, to avoid this conflict at all costs. It seemed deadlier than the battle they had just escaped. But he knew that if he backed down now, he'd never be able to stand up to this girl.

"You know what? No. You shut up, Annabella. Shut up and listen for once. I'm not an idiot, okay? I get that your world is incredibly dangerous and all, but I have eyes and a brain and I can see. Stephanie saved our lives, and I trust her. She could have left but she stayed back and helped us. I trust her."

"Trust is earned."

"And she's earned mine."

Annabella stared at him, a dark storm gathering in her eyes. She didn't like him arguing with her. Well, he didn't like her ruling over him. She was right — she wasn't royalty. She was a fugitive, and she was hurt, and he had no idea what to do. They needed Stephanie. He had been brought to this world for a reason, and something inside of him told him that Stephanie played an important role in it all. It was as if their lives had been designed to be intertwined. He couldn't explain it. He just knew.

He turned to Stephanie. "Will you join us?"

She stared up at him, a frown creasing her features. Her hair was a mess, cut choppily and scattered in her eyes. Those eyes studied him carefully, calculating. "What would I be joining?"

He licked his lips, knowing Annabella would probably kill him for revealing their mission. He did it anyway. "We're looking for the Immortal One's son."

Annabella glared daggers at him, but Stephanie's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh? Wait, really?" She looked at Annabella. "You know where he is?"

"No." Annabella's voice was pinched, short. Todd could feel the heat of her anger.

"There's a prophecy about this," Stephanie said. "They taught us that there would be a great enemy that would rise up to find the Immortal One's son to overthrow Motch. A lot of people tried being that great enemy. Like your brother," she added, looking at Annabella.

And there was another story she hadn't told him...

Annabella glared at Stephanie. "Alexander was never the Deliverer."

"That was made very obvious."

Todd lifted his hands. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about anymore."

"Let me get this straight," Stephanie said, her eyes drifting back and forth between Todd and Annabella. "You're telling me... you think Todd is this prophesied Deliverer. Am I correct?"

Annabella didn't respond. Todd skipped a beat before answering the question himself. "Apparently?"

Stephanie looked at him for a long moment, and then said, "I've seen worse odds, I guess." She looked at Annabella. "Where are we going?"

Annabella glanced up at Bethany, who was still perched on the horse's back, watching them all with an exhausted, distant expression. Todd was almost worried the child would tumble right over. Annabella herself was looking a bit grey; she was favouring her leg, and although Todd couldn't see any sign of an injury through her pants, he knew something was horribly wrong. She was looking a bit sickly. She couldn't argue with them anymore, and that almost relieved him.

"Asural," Annabella said finally, not looking at either of them. "I have accomplices there who can help us. If we could just find and follow the road... stay out of sight..."

Stephanie straightened her shoulders. "Asural's a full day's journey away, at least."

"Then we had better get going," Annabella muttered, reaching up to pull herself onto Harley's back.

Todd realized that his hands were still gripping the reigns. He didn't let go, the sudden thought that Annabella might take the horse and desert him crossing his mind. He couldn't see her doing it... but then again, she just might.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked, eyeing her leg.

"Leave it, Todd," she ordered. He noted the flash of pain that crossed her face when Harley took a step away from the water — she couldn't hide it from them now. She was injured.

Stephanie stepped up beside him, holding her bow in her hands. "The road shouldn't be very far away," she said, taking up the lead with a determined step.

Tucking his concern and fear away the best he could, Todd fell into step beside her, tugging on Harley's reigns as they started off. The truth of his situation created butterflies in his chest. He was lost in a world he had never known existed, travelling with two girls with possibly deadly secrets, and the place they were going was a full day's journey away. Even more walking? If he hadn't just witnessed their crazy escape, he might have called the trek impossible for him to complete. But then, very recently, he was surprising himself.

He might have worried about the mess he had left behind in his world if he wasn't so tangled up in a much deadlier game now.