The forest surrounding the Keep.

Difyr walked into the trees. She remembered going into the forest with the healer Ertzel as a girl to gather wild roots and herbs. Difyr fought back tears and blinked to clear her vision.

Sileas ventured into the woods. She stood quietly for a moment, barely breathing, to listen if anyone had followed her or not. Hearing nothing, she continued deeper into the trees. She wondered how long it would take her to get back home. She needed to give her family a proper burial. She closed her eyes against the threatening tears. And then she could keep right on going, wherever her feet would take her, searching for a new life. A new home. But she would never, ever, open her heart to anyone again. It hurt too much when she inevitably lost them. That was the only reason she wasn't going to Haroth and Samantha. Oh they would welcome her with open arms, but she would only bring a disaster down upon them.

Disappointed barely began to describe how Tabor was feeling. He was supposed to be on the way to the nearest beach with his wife. He could not believe that his plan had failed. The Aislyn he knew all those years ago would have thrown herself into his arms for comfort after seeing who she called her husband with another woman. Had Mazi messed up somehow? It sounded like Mazi had been captured so he must have messed up at some point. Tabor hoped he had enough potion to maintain his disguise until he could free him.

Tabor needed to make another plan.

Then Tabor realized that someone else was in the woods with him, a girl. Tabor grabbed her arms from behind her back. He saw red hair and thought Liadan Wynn and what he wanted to do to her, but realized she was young enough to be Liadan Wynn's daughter.

"Which one are you?" Tabor demanded, pulling her red hair.

Sileas screamed, taken by surprise. She had a sudden flashback to Andy and all he had done to her. "Ouch!" she yelled. "Who the hell are you?" Sileas demanded. "Let go of my hair!" She twisted in his grip, already feeling bruising on the fair skin of her upper arms. Panic began to well up but she figured it was pointless to scream for Questa, she was pretty certain she was out of hearing distance. Was this one of the men who had attacked the village? Had they followed the refugees, intending to finish them off?

"Be a proper woman, only speak to answer what I'm asking you." Tabor shoved her against a tree. "You can't be one of Liadan Wynn's daughters because her two oldest have dark hair, same for Nelek's whelp. Who are you?"

Her air left her in whoosh when her back hit the tree. "The hell with speaking only to answer your questions," Sileas hissed. "I speak my find, I am my own woman." Her eyes blazed with an angry green. "Sileas, Sileas Spenser. Now you tell me who you are? Besides one giant arsehole."

The name barely rang a bell. Tabor had heard it but he could not remember who she was. Tabor slapped her, ignoring her question. The women had become more disrespectful since he left land. "Are you kin to the Buckleys?"

Sileas frowned. If she was in a better position, she would have kneed him. "No, I am kin to no one. I was a street kid. You still haven't told me who you are!"

Liadan Wynn had been a street kid too, no wonder this girl was so loudmouthed and rude. Tabor was proud that his people had no street kids because there were no streets under the ocean.

"You are useless to me, unless you will bear sons for my people." Tabor had drawn an iron knife.

"Oh, well if that's what you're after, you are really after the wrong person. I can't have children." Sileas eyed the knife. "There's no reason to kill me though."

"Eh up, Sileas, where 'ave yer gone muckin' off ter wivout yor mate?" Questa's voice drifted through the trees.

"There are too many mouthy women already." Tabor made as if to use the knife, then heard the voice. "Who the hell is that?"

"I'll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine, buster," Sileas said. Then she heard Questa's voice. "Questa! For for help! Get Wulfsen's men!" she shouted out. "Questa's my best friend," she said, not wanting to reveal any connection to the family.

Questa of course did no such thing. She followed the sound of Sileas's voice.

Tabor swore, then punched Sileas in the stomach. "I should cut out your tongue."

Sileas doubled over in pain with a cry. When the pain subsided, since she was still bent over, she rammed her head into his stomach to drive him back.