1- Caught

The remote village of bordshire resided on the border of a large kingdom. Its population of farmers rarely left it, the closest town being over fifty miles away, on a bad road, through abandoned forestlands. The one grand thing in the village was the lord’s mansion. No one in the village knew why, how, or when the huge mansion was built; as far as anyone knew, it was always there. It stood out against the small wooden houses of the village, easily as big as the rest of the village’s houses put together. Just as the hated lord began to address the crowed, the entire population of bordshire was making its way into the entrance hall of the mansion, which normally housed only five- the lord, his wife, daughter, and two adopted sons.

At both wings of the grand hall, over fifty feet apart stood empty fireplaces. Between them four gray pillars rose from the cold floor to support the ceiling. Leading up from the hall, into the interior of the house, were half a dozen wide, curved, marble steps. A dozen more led down through the arched entrance.

As the crowd of farmers gathered for the village council, Rand became more and more nauseous. The heat of many bodies, and the cheerful attitude of the farmers contrast the bone deep chill of the hall. The strong mix of odors stirred in his nose, and the echoing chatter seemed to hang in the air, thudding into Rand’s head whenever the press of rough bodies relented.

“I knew we shouldn’t have been here.” Rand mumbled, trying to focus on Robyn’s cool delicate touch in his hand. “Come, I’ve got better plans than feeling sick while listening to the problems of our deer lord.” And he and Robyn left the mansion, never being separated from one another. As usual.

/-

Until The age of seven, Rand lived with his father and brother in the forest. They kept in hiding, never coming in contact with other humans. One day, their father simply disappeared while hunting. Despite growing up in the forest, Rand and his twin brother Mathew probably would not have survived, had they not have come across the village of Bordshire while looking for their father.

When the village first came into Rand’s view he believed he had found a magical place in the forest. Having grown up alone in the forest, Rand knew nothing but trees and animals. To him the wooden houses were funny new trees, with a weird shaped trunk, and no leaves but a yellow canopy; the walls were magically shaped rocks; and the playing children were cubs of a wonderful new animal, playing on the forest floor.

Leaving a terrified, lost, crying Mathew behind, Rand quickly began to explore the new type of forest. Every step he took offered him new wonders. The stones underfoot felt oddly smooth, like a huge pebble taken out of the water; the houses, which he believed were trees, played tricks on his eyes, which couldn’t perceive straight angles and equal distances; and the vast array of new smells seemed to dance all around him, changing too swiftly for his sensitive nose.

Yet the greatest wonder of them all was the animals; they seemed so similar to him, and yet so different. Perhaps they were the people his father talked about!  One girl, slightly smaller than him intrigued him most. He slowly approached her. She didn’t show any sign of fear, unlike any other animal he had seen before. She had a slight build, and curious eyes, as deep and dark as the night. She didn’t draw back also when he gently patted her, from the long jet-black hair down to the waist. Like everything in this strange new forest, she felt smoother than any other animal he had ever seen.

“I’m Robyn. Who are you?” she said in the sweet female voice Rand had never heard before.

 Rand, first surprised, then delighted, that she could talk slowly answered, “Rand. Forest magic? You…people?”  He possessed a clear voice, despite his fumbled, barely used, speech.

 She giggled for a moment before answering, “I’m a girl. We’re kids, not people! People sounds old! And”, she added, “don’t be silly, it’s just our village, not a forest, not magic.”

 “Kids…no people?” he wondered, then, he added, pointing at the houses, “funny trees, funny animals-kids…village?”

 Laughing deeply by now she retorted, “houses, not trees! You’re so silly!”

But her eyes would not agree with her voice; her eyes stated that he entranced her, that he was special and smart and strong, that he was nothing like anyone else in the village. Her eyes said she knew that within a few days he would be leading the children’s games, yet where she could, she would help him; what he would ask, she would answer; and where he would go, she would follow.

It happened to be that Rand’s greatest discoveries of the day were the magical properties of the ball, and the wonderful taste of bread. Well, those and the love of his life.   

-\

Now, as they finally made it out of the crowded hall and under the clear spring sky, a fresh breeze sent wave after wave of relief rippling through Rand’s body. Within moments Rand was once again making for the low wooden houses of bordshire, leaving the incredibly out-of-place lords mansion behind.

From just behind him Robyn taunted him- “how much can you hate that place? You live there!”

 Rand, rather bored with the subject answered none the less- “try sleeping with a feeling you’ll be sold if enough copper is involved…”

Robyn imitated Mathew’s weak squeaky voice, “That’s ridiculous, the lord is very nice to us, who wouldn’t swap with you?”

\

Back when Rand and Mathew first appeared, the notoriously heartless Lord took the whole village by surprise, when he took the twins into his house. Mathew gladly accepted the easy life the lord’s household offered. He learnt to love and admire the lord, his family, and his lifestyle. He spent much of his day indoors, learning how to read the few books that made their way to Bordshire. By the age of 17, Mathew had acquired such a pale, pampered, librarian’s look, that any trace of his childhood in the forest was imperceptible.

Rand on the other hand never took to the lord. Within minutes of breathing the village’s air he was playing as one of the local children; by the time the lord’s wife picked him up that first evening he shared most of hatred the kids had for the lord. Ten years in the lord’s house only deepened Rand’s loathing to the place and the person. Everything about the place felt bad to Rand, every meal in the house sent a creepy slimy feeling into his stomach, every breath of the air felt dank and rotten, and every word of the lord’s sounded like a spiteful curse to him.

Over the years Rand spent less and less time around the lord. Within weeks he became a key figure in the local gang of kids, and rarely showed his face at home during daytime. By the age of 12 he spent more nights at friend’s houses or in the forest than at home. He barely remembered the last time he slept in his cushy bed.

\

Over the years, a suspicion developed in Rand’s hart that the lord knew who his father was, and, why and how, he had disappeared. Many cold nights under the lord’s window taught him that the lord did in fact have a letter regarding Rand’s father. Yet Rand never got a chance to get to it, he never as much as entered the lord’s room. 

Blood thudding in his veins, Rand began executing the plans that matured in his head ever since he discovered the lord had documentation about his father. He was fairly sure that the letter lay in the lord’s room. Now, with everyone distracted by the village council he could get it. He led Robyn through the forest. They reached the back of the mansion undetected, and approached the window of the lord’s room. 

Rand helped Robin up into the arched window overhead before climbing up, and scrambling through the narrow window himself. Haphazardly tumbling off the windowsill, he landed half on a giggling Robin, and half on the carpeted floor. Rand’s hatred for the house, an inexplicable loathing running deep in his blood, aroused once again as he saw the unnecessary opulence of the lord’s room. Around a vast four-poster bed a gold embroidered silk veil danced lightly in the slight breeze. The late afternoon sunrays seemed to linger in the window, giving the room a misty picturesque quality.

Rand was still taking in the out-of-bounds lord’s room as, sobered by apprehension, he set off to look for anything mentioning his father. He rummaged through the room, paying no heed to the value of what he wrecked. Finally he came across a weathered letter, with a broken golden seal. This is what he was looking for. Somehow he just knew it.

 “Satisfied?” A bored looking Robin asked once it was clear he was transfixed with the sealed parchment. He slowly nodded. “Good. Now…” she added, shoving him onto the bed with a roguish smile ”lets have some fun”.

“But we can’t” Rand complained “ not now.” It’s dangerous! We need to get out of here, fast! But as Robin insisted his resistance weakened.  We really did do more dangerous things; he really wasn’t being any fun; and the bed did seem terribly comfy… Drunk with success he slowly caught up with his lover’s enthusiasm, casting caution to the winds.

Abruptly Rand froze. As heavy footsteps sounded in the corridor, even the air in the room seemed to catch its breath. After the last “clonk” sounded in the corridor, the door slowly began to creak open, sending a teasing screech into the air. The shrill sound tore at Rand’s ears, and gnashed at his hart, as he realized the finality of being caught.

 In the doorway stood the lord, his face a mask of ice. His look stated plainly that he would kill Rand; it lacked even the most basic degree of human emotions needed to express anger or hatred.

For the first time in Ten years, Rand experienced true fear; a red-hot sizzle jerked through his body, carrying with it a metallic taste that seemed to diminish his very being. Acting purely by instinct he lunged through the window, barely noticing he sprained his ankle landing.

Robyn, slightly less panicked, gave the lord her most spiteful look, before she took one of the blankets to cushion her fall, jumped after Rand, and they both ran naked into the forest as fast as they could. 

2-Alone at night

For what seemed far too long, and yet not long enough, Rand ran as fast as he could. Led by fear, his body disregarded the pain in his foot, allowing him to set a grueling pace. 

Robyn seemed to follow easily. Rand wished he could share her effortless step, or the excitement her face showed. She, he realized, was having the time of her life. Braking into the lord’s room! Running off on an adventure with her sweetheart! She was enjoying every moment. 

For him this was a nightmare. His rasping lungs refused to supply oxygen to his aching muscles. His hurt foot sent waves of pain thudding through him every time it slapped the uneven forest bed. But the pain ran far deeper…

Rand would probably never go back to the village. He just gave up almost everything he loved. He just left the only place he ever called home. Once again, he would be detached from human beings, wandering in the forest, hiding by day and feeding by night.

 His sight blurred; he desperately tried to bring up the courage to carry on. His pace slowed. No, I must run! That is how you survived in the wild- you always carry on, you never ask questions. Robyn relies on me, Like Mathew did.

 Nightmarish images from his childhood flashed through his head, laying in pitch dark caves, trying to calm Mathew during long winter nights; wolves tearing the cold night with their howls, running dread into his heart; never crying, not knowing how to cry, not knowing how to be happy. Realizing father disappeared, pulling Mathew along despite his despair, and hoping beyond hope to find father. Father…the letter… father.

Robyn will rely on me as I relied on father, Rand angrily realized. Robyn always loved my ability to live in the forest, but she never knew how hard and lonely life in the wild is. She could never conceive how it felt to know that if you died no one would know of it. She never knew how it felt to starve, or how it felt to be helpless and alone. What will happen to her if I die like father? Would she still keep her smile? Would that too be an adventure? Would she come across a village, or just slowly fade away until she collapsed for lack of sustenance?

 Rand tried to focus on the here-and-now, tried to focus on the pain in his foot, the pain in his muscles, anything but the thoughts that were flooding his mind. He tried to stop his sight blurring, tried to tell himself to just put one foot in front of the other, to get away from the imminent danger. However, as the sun inched its way from the crown of the sky downwards, he slacked and slowed to a trot, then a limp. It is not like when I was a child. He desperately tried to tell himself. Robyn is with me, I’m older, stronger, no one will leave me. He tried not to think of the past, not to think of father, not to think about the letter burning in his hand.

Rand tried to think of Robyn, tried to assure himself. This time everything would be all right. He had spent hundreds of nights in the forest. He knew and loved the forest. He knew exactly how every branch would snap, where every path would lead, how the sun would sap in through the leaves of every tree. But his mind wouldn’t buy it. The forest did not seem safe; it was no longer a sanctuary to run to, it was a prison to run from.

Rand missed the village. Missed home. Missed having a home. He would never go back to the village again; somehow, he knew- Bordshire was lost to him forever. Never again would he fool around with Robyn’s brothers by a warm fireplace; never again will he spend warm summer nights in the grove in the center of the village; never again will he be able to rest, to set his head against a soft cushion for a few moments. Wherever life led him, he no longer truly controlled it. He was in the forest again. Longing for father, again. Searching for something he knew not the nature of. Again. 

When Robyn’s voice sounded in his head, full of anxiety for him but without even a trace of physical stress, Rand barely recognized it. Her faint voice blurred in his fuzzy mind, but he managed to make out the basic message- they needed to stop for the night. He gradually made his way out of his mind and into his surroundings. He recognized the place! But they were only 4 miles from the village. How could it possibly be? He was walking forever. They could not be this close to the village.

 “There is a place…good…nearby” Rand painfully exerted, and set every ounce of determination he had into putting leg ahead of leg once more. Six minutes, and one hundred fifty eight painstaking steps later, they finally came to a clearing Rand often used as a hideout.

Standing alone in the center of the clearing was a vast ancient oak. Towering into the sky, it stood as a sentinel over the surrounding forest. A deep sense of serenity surrounded the tree, as its leaves bristled in the late afternoon wind and sapped in the warm spring sun.

Robyn had been there more than once, but she did not recognize the place until she saw the tree. She practically carried Rand under the tree, and covered him with blanket she still carried. She knew that once he sat down he would probably not be able to get up again in days, perhaps weeks.

Robyn had seen many sprained ankles; they were the most painful type of injury, far worse than brakes. She knew that the pain only hit after some time; most people could limp back home, before the pain became too excruciating. But Rand Walked for hours. Rand ran! No one ran on a sprained ankle, No one stood on a sprained ankle for that long!

 He was so brave! No one could possibly endure the pain he suffered. Robyn thought proudly. His stoic face showed such determination, such bravery! And he still managed to recognize their location. Anyone else would faint hours ago.

Robyn made a comfortable bed for him in the hollow of the tree, and placed him there, fussing over his inflated purple leg. Exhausted, he fell asleep immediately. Even he cannot cheat his body for so long. She realized as she caressed him to sleep.

With the night, came a slight breeze. Everything felt so beautiful, under the starry sky, so perfect, as if the forest tried to put on its best behavior for Rand.

This was it, she knew. Ever since she met Rand, she knew he was special. Rand’s scope was way beyond the village. Generations of farmers could come and go, and no one out of Bordshire would care. But not Rand; it was like he lived on a higher plain of existence.

Now they were going to brake into the big world. They were no longer going to be bound to Bordshire. Rand would take her to grand cities! He would be great! And she would be part of it; her fate intertwined with his. She too was part of the big world, part of this amazing adventure.

Yes, she will have the grand adventure she always dreamed of. However, first they had to survive. She realized their situation was bad. Her beloved Rand was hurt; he could not get food for them, or protect her. After such a strain as today, it would be a miracle if he could stand up in a week’s time. In the meanwhile, they had no food, or clothes, and the lord was at their heels.

Well, she thought, it is unlikely the lord will find us. It’s not terribly likely he’ll even chase us. No one knows the forest as well as Rand; as far as the lords concerned, we can be anywhere.

But we need food, and I can’t get food for two in the forest. She realized that they had not planned well at all. We should have known we would be fleeing. We should have had packs, filled with food, cloves, and maybe even money. We should be on horseback; we should be armed.

As the hours of the night slowly crept by, remaining in one place became harder and harder for Robyn. She could run to the village, Bring food, clothes, whatever they need. Maybe she could even steal a horse from the lord. But how could she leave Rand? He’s helpless, and he’s asleep. I cannot just leave him.

Robyn restlessly paced back and forth. They would starve if she did nothing. Starving will not help Rand. She could be back before the morning. Rand would be fine. Even the wolves were scared of him, or maybe they didn’t want to harm him at all. Yes, Rand would be fine, and she would be a hero, brave. Brave like Rand.

Robyn started towards the village. As she rushed through the forest, doubts began to fill her mind. How would she find her way back? Could she do it without Rand? Yes, she assured herself, of course she could. But how would she get what she needs? From who?

The forest started to turn eerie. The stars no longer shone, and the trees creped in the shadows as she rushed passed them. Stray cries of wild animals cut through the night more and more often, giving Robyn a feeling they were hunting her, gradually surrounding her, stalking, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

Robyn did not dare to stop. The cold wind pounded on her naked body, as the trees flashed by. The chill of the night tore at her skin, while the dread of the forest froze her heart. Never in her life did she feel so alone, so cold, exposed, and naked. She needed human beings around her. She needed houses to hide in, enemies to hate, and friends to love. She needed Rand. She could not fight nature alone.

Until that night, Robyn never realized how precious Bordshire was to her. She never fully appreciated how dearly she loved the small clear stream that ran between the homely wooden huts. How she enjoyed dancing on the grass in the center of the village. How much peace and love the place offered her.

Robyn reached the village, out of the forest, no wolves. Just as the relief of getting out of the forest flooded through her exhausted body, the loss of her beautiful home suddenly struck Robyn bluntly on the head. She could not live here anymore. Her future lay with Rand, away from Bordshire.

3-Escape. again.

Robyn stopped to catch her breath only once she could see the lord’s mansion. Leaning against a tree, she realized she had no cloves. In the forest, being naked seemed natural, even nice, fun; the cloves were a barrier between her and the trees and animals, without them she felt less alien. Now, in the village, her exposed body felt odd.

On the one hand, Robyn felt free. Ever since her childhood, Robyn hated cloves. She could never bother with dressing up like other girls; she never liked cloves. Now, naked, she felt like she won a long battle. She felt confident in a way she only felt together with Rand. She was hiding nothing. She felt closer to the world, closer to herself. Yet, on the other hand, she felt awkward, weird, apprehensive, what if other people see her? What if her father sees her?

Robyn wondered whether the lord had posted guards in case she returned. Well, she giggled, if there are guards, I can walk right under their noses, they’ll be sleepy, and with me naked and beautiful they’ll be sure their still dreaming. She almost wanted to be caught, to see the reaction of people, to see her reaction

 Despite the dangers involved, Robyn had resolved to steal only from the lord. The poor peasants had enough troubles without her.

Robyn felt an itch to move, to quickly finish and get back to Rand. While catching her breath, Taping with on the boulder she sat on, a plan formed in Robyn’s mind.   

First she shall go to the stables. She will saddle and ready the lord’s best horse. Good luck if you’re caught. Then she will take the rest of the saddles, and hide them deep under a haystack so she can’t be followed immediately. Perhaps even set all the horses loose… Once Robyn had finished with her escape route she will carry on into the house, down into the kitchens. She would take everything that would keep. Thinking of food, her mouth watered, it felt like forever since she ate. Next she would creep into the lord’s room, and take his sword and money. Maybe she could even kill the pig in his sleep. No, of course she wouldn’t; Robyn couldn’t kill anyone, she just didn’t’ have it in her. Finally she would go to Rand’s room, take a pack, another blanket, a bow, a dagger, and a few sets of cloves and leave. She would like girls’ cloves for herself, but it felt wrong to take from the lord’s daughter; Rand’s could do, better than being naked…or was it?

Robyn’s breath was still violently out of control when she could no longer stay still, and started to make for the stables. She saw, out of the corner of her eye, a guard sleeping in the main entrance. Yes, he’d think he’s still sleeping if I woke him up…

She stealthily walked, staying in shadows despite her own assurance.

When she finally entered the stable, Robyn received the freight of her life. It took her a few seconds to render what she saw. Mathew, fully awake and dressed, sat humming on a haystack. His sickly pale face had an expression that said ‘I win, you loose’ all over it even before he saw her.

“What do you want?” Robyn half-hissed half cried in an undertone, once she realized Mathew caught her, and that it was her he intended to catch.

“Fir…First that you get… dressed” he mumbled awkwardly, tossing her the first piece of cloth he could find in a pack he had beside him.

His body managed to show both endless desire and extreme distaste at the same time. Robyn found it funny. He probably never saw the like of it before. Its like he wants to hold me more than anything else, but he won’t admit to himself he even considered it, he won’t admit to himself he even saw me. Yes, clearly he was looking away all the time…

“After you’re finished with that, I want to know why you did it.” He carried on, in a tone that sounded as though he was telling a five year old off, as if he hadn’t lost his composure just a moment ago, as if he hadn’t acted terribly stupid. He took the posture of someone waiting to hear a confession.

She answered plainly with a tinge of annoyance in her voice: “Did what? Come here naked? I didn’t have any cloves with me. You see...”

“No, You stupid Shepard’s daughter.” Mathew cut her off, “I’d hardly expect more from you. What I want to know is why you broke into the lord’s room? What was so important to you that you risked your skin?” Standing up, as if preparing for a battle, he shouted in a whisper “You know that the lord sent messengers to get the army to chase you? The army!”

She tried to remember exactly why they ‘did it’. “Hmm…well, for starts we wanted to do it for a long time, it sounded awfully fun. You know, it was just about the only place in the village me and Rand didn’t make out… And anyway Rand felt really bad in the crowded hall…”

His deep blue eyes bulged out of their place, as he interrupted her in a harsh voice. “Don’t smooth me out, why?”

“I told you” She insisted, her innocent roguish smile never leaving her face. “It was great fun. Braking in, Rand picked me up…” She allowed herself to fall backwards into a stack of hay, her hands flying up, reliving the experience  “and the bed was so comfortable! Ow, I forgot to tell you, we used the lord’s bed…wherever do you get such a…”

“You risked your life, for fun?” he asked sardonically, his eyes showing sarcasm, disbelief. “The lord called in the army because you played in his room?” He flailed with his hands, as if ratifying his argument with blows to the air

“Well, you need to understand, it is quite a lot of fun.” Robyn’s face took an almost affectionate expression as she tried to calm him, “You know, that naked game you’re so shy about…lovers, all that stuff… Ow!” she suddenly remembered, “there was another reason, Rand wanted some old letter, I think it was quiet important. Actually I think that’s why he did it.” She continued in a ‘beats me’ voice.

“But,” Mathew asked, disbelief still showing on his sickly pale features, as he sat down again, “you did it just for fun? The letter wasn’t important to you?”

“Of course I did it for fun, what else do you think I did it for?” she retorted. “Actually, I guess I would have done it also if it wouldn’t have been fun, for Rand.”

“You would risk your life, for something you didn’t care about?”

“Why yes. Well no” Robyn tried to explain, “I do care. Of course I’d risk my life for Rand, I love him, I trust him, why wouldn’t I? I don’t care about the letter, but I care about nothing more than Rand.”

“Well, do you happen to know what’s written in the letter?” He asked, with the sourness of someone who attempts to catch victory one last time, before it slips completely between his fingers. 

“No” she stated plainly, innocently.

“After all the trouble, you didn’t even care to look?” he wondered.

“Well, I never really cared, and Rand himself didn’t talk about it. Actually I don’t think he even checked himself…”

“But you said it was important! It’s important for me too…” He answered, aggressive, and yet almost pleading.

“Rand was exhausted by the time we stopped.” She felt proud for concealing his injury. “He isn’t such a great runner, you know… and I was busy coming back for food...and anyway, I hardly could have guessed it would be important to you.”

“You really don’t know what is in it?” he sourly responded. “What will I do with you now?”

“Huh?” Robyn took her turn at being perplexed “I was sure you’re calling the lord, sending me to the big city, getting me a trial with a predetermined verdict, and having me hanged in front of the public. I guess you could say it’s for walking around naked as well as stealing from the lord…sounds bad, you know” just before you kill me, she thought, Rand comes and heroically saves me at the last moment! Like in the stories.

“No no no, I can’t do that.” He was ignoring her, walking back and forth, considering his options.

“But…” Robyn wondered, relieved, “why not? You and your precious lord, don’t you hate Rand and me? You could get rid of me. It would almost be legitimate... Maybe you could even catch Rand when he tries to save me. Though I doubt you’ll manage, he’s so brave!”

“Shut up, you stupid girl,” Mathew took a long minute to breath in before continuing, “Don’t you see I’m clearly NOT with the lord on this one. Rand took that letter for a reason, it applies to me to, and it is important. Not fun, important.”

“I guess I’ll have to come with you and see what the letter is about” Mathew finally stated.

“No! You can’t!” Robyn almost cried out. No no no, there was no way she would take him to Rand, he’d know where Rand is, and that Rand’s hurt. And anyway she was on her adventure with Rand, not with Rand’s weasel of a brother. She wanted Rand to herself. No, there was no way he would come.  

Hissing a chuckle, Mathew teased her, ”It’s me or the lord, and the city, and the gallows… and…there isn’t much time, dawn isn’t terribly far away…terribly early the stable boys have to wake up…”

Robyn acknowledged she had to take him. She gave him her most spiteful, bile look, her hands finding her hips, forming the picture of a snake sizing up his opponent. Her body stated clearly ‘ok Mr. Know-all you deal with the situation.’

In answer, Mathew turned his back to her, and pulled two packs out of a haystack. Almost apologetically he said, “I was expecting this, kind of…food for a week or so, blankets, cloves, a few weapons, and money. Would that help?”

“Food?” Robyn leaned forwards, loosing a bit of her self-control. Still resenting him for ruining her adventure with Rand, she wordlessly ate an apple from the pack, and went on to saddle the best horse. Mathew tried to work on another horse, without making much progress.

Only one horse was ready when, a few minutes later, the first sunrays shone through the window. “We’ve got no time, let’s just go!” Robyn stated, before she hid all the other saddles, so they couldn’t be followed on horseback, put the packs on their horse, and began to lead it out.

“Wait!” Mathew cried. “If we take two more horses, and let them out in the forest, they will be sure we’re further away, on horses”

“Much good that will do us,” Robyn shouted, barely turning her head around.

“But it’s important, it will make the difference between them chasing us and not chasing us” He insisted.

“They’ll chase us anyway, we’ll run anyway. Just get on with it” Robyn said, in a voice that carried so much irritation her horse almost bolted. Can’t he see I’m upset? Keep your smart ideas for later, now just let me get back to Rand!

“Don’t you see? They might not chase us if they think we’re on horses. They might even chase the wrong horses! It will…” Mathew’s voice trailed.

“Fine, do what you like!” Robyn yelled at him and wondered off.

Mathew did, in fact, take two more horses out to the outskirts of the village and send them off into the forest, before chasing after Robyn.

Two minutes later, Mathew had almost caught up with Robyn, who was walking at a stupidly slow pace. She’s waiting for me, but she won’t allow herself to stop for me. Stubborn, he thought. Well, I guess that’s an improvement. 

Robyn finally stopped, as Mathew clearly could not move any longer. He bent forward to his knees, sweat running down his chin, and desperately tried to catch his breath.

“You’d better get on the horse. It’s not like you’re much use on foot” Robyn coldly said.

“Ok,” Mathew agreed, and jumped on.

Hot anger gradually evolved in Robyn as they went on. Mathew was so impossible. He went on the horse all the time. She was making the journey for the third time, deprived of food, frightened, up all night, but no, he needed the horse. Fine, I run better, but at least argue! Offer! Make yourself look like a gentleman even if you’re an ass. Rand would never agree to be on the horse at all, let alone all the time. I’m a better runner than Rand too! Why is Mathew such an ass?

After half an hour Mathew complained about the saddle. “You ass” Robyn shouted, and stormed off.

Mathew kept his distance for some time, following her far behind. What did she have against him? Why did everyone hate him? Was it only because he was smart? Because he could see reality as it was and say what the best course of action was, even if they didn’t like it? Or was it the way he looked? What had he done wrong now? What did she hate so much about him.

He was still brooding, when he finally came to the clearing where Rand lay against the tree, still sleeping in the early morning sun. Robyn was already all over Rand, so Mathew set to ‘parking’ his horse, and unloading the gear he had. Carefully selecting the food that would last least to bring to the starving Robyn and Rand.