"I...she was going to tie your hands and probably drag you into the bushes. It wasn't enough that she had knocked you out."

Wulfsen touched his head, it was still sore. "She's a rough one."

"She was a member of the street gang that I spent time with when I was growing up. While I had dreams of wanting to be more and having a family, Questa never had that and she never got off the streets," Sileas explained quietly. "It's all she knows and I fear it's all that she wants to know. She doesn't...no...she refuses to understand why I wanted a family and insists on saying that Mama and Papa aren't my parents." She glanced toward Questa. "I think she's made it her personal goal to drag me back in to that life instead of seeing there is something more out there."

"You're too much of a lady to go back on the streets." Wulfsen said. "Too smart too."

Sileas blushed. "I like your description of me better. Questa says I have gone soft. The last time I tried picking a pocket I got caught. It just made it clear to me that it's not the life for me." She stared ahead for a few moments. "My dreams haven't changed. They feel unattainable right now and they may change in the future, but for now, they're the same."

"Your dreams are still possible." Wulfsen realized he had taken Sileas's hand. He blushed too and let it go.

"I would like to cling to the hope that they are, but I at some point will have to be realistic," Sileas replied. After all that had happened during the attack, Sileas desired contact and found she was disappointed when Wulfsen pulled his hand away. He was a good friend after all and she needed comfort. But she said nothing about the loss of his touch. "So many things have happened over the past two years."

"I know." Wulfsen said, awkwardly fidgeting with his sword. "If there's ever anything I can do to help, just ask."

Yehudit burst into tears and started sobbing into the horse's mane.

In reply to Wulfsen Thornblade (msg # 94):

"Just being here, being a friend..." Sileas said softly. She wasn't certain exactly how he knew all that had happened. Sileas doubted her father would have revealed more than the kidnapping. Still, the King and Wulfsen were not so blind that they didn't know what usually happened to women who had been kidnapped. But she didn't get the chance to ask because Yehudit burst into tears. "Yehudit? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Yehudit sniffled and got control of herself. She was still crying and sobbing softly.

Sileas scowled. "Don't tell me nothing. I know better. You don't cry that easily," Sileas pointed out. "Talk to us."

"Just you've been through so much and, and-" Yehudit wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "It's not fair."

Sileas took the reins into her other hand and gently hugged her. "No one ever promised life would be fair. If I get all the bad out of the way now, perhaps I'll be...content...in my future."

Yehudit tried to turn to hug Sileas back. Instead she hit Sileas with her walking stick, lost her balance and grabbed at her cousin to keep from falling.

Sileas had suffered through far worse over her life than being hit with a walking stick. She tightened her hold on Yehudit to keep her astride the horse. "Calm down and don't flail."

"I'm going to break my neck!" Yehudit wailed. "Mama's gonna kill me!"

Wulfsen reached up to steady the two girls.

"You will be fine," Sileas said. "Just pretend you are riding Lightning and stay calm. Remember no sudden movements."

"Lightning?" Being reminded of Sileas's horse made Yehudit begin crying anew. She got herself sorted out so she was no longer falling off the horse, but she was grieving all over again.

Sileas hoped fervently she might find her horse during their trek to the village but she wasn't holding out much hope. "Yehudit, they probably claimed him, I doubt they harmed Lightning. He is much too good of a horse."

"Those momzers don't deserve Lightning!" Yehudit swore.

"No, they don't. But we are outnumbered and cannot hunt the down to take him back."

Yehudit sniffled. She was overtired and very upset.

"Just relax. Maybe you should have stayed at the keep," Sileas offered, knowing her cousin was overly tired.