All but my wife leave the cave. I go off at a trot, with no thoughts in my head but of Winter Mist and why I must leave her. It feels good to stretch my legs and run. My pounding feet remind me of the sound of her heartbeat. The rhythm asks what if, what if, what if? What if she meets with some danger or misfortune along the way? What if the shadow riders take her? What if - what if I never see her again?

It turns me around. I back-track straight to the cave.

"This must be the ranger's cave!" A shout tears through the quiet woods. "Trackers, look closely, the ground is soft here!"

Without a rustle, I hoist myself into the branches of the nearest tree. The luck is with me! This ancient oak has sturdy branches, fine for climbing. From a safe height, I look down on a band of Niafer warriors swarming around the mouth of the cave. Two wolfhounds search the grass. I slip the old bow from my shoulder and reach for an arrow when seven of them go into the cave. Two are left to stand guard by the door. I am ready to strike if they bring my bride out with them.

"Do you think she's still alive?" I hear one of the guards say to the other.

"Her father says she lives. The old sage has the Sight, he would surely know. I wonder, though, who would take the Rian Flidais?"

I let go of the breath I was holding. They are not looking for us! So the Rian of Niafer has been taken?

A white-bearded man staggers out of the cave, sneezing furiously. "There's been sidhe in there, and very lately!" he wheezes. The others come out behind him and the searching party moves off towards the river.

The sun warms me in my oaken roost. I tuck the arrow away, hook my legs over the next near branch, and think of what to do next. Is Winter Mist still in the cave? Or did she leave after I ran off? The old man knew she'd been there by his sneezing. Maybe they didn't even search all the way back because they thought it was a sidhe-cave. She must still be inside. I'll wait and watch awhile.

I dream of Winter Mist and me at home in Magh Croimor. She brings me a gift that she's stolen from somewhere, a silver torc with running wolves. She's very proud of herself but how could she know that I've hated wolves ever since the monster-wolf killed my little brother. I try to smile but I can't, and so I just tell her to keep it for herself. She lets it drop between us and twines her fingers in the drawstrings of my breeks. I lean in to kiss her ear tips and she giggles...

That giggle startles me awake. I forget where I am and almost fal out of the tree. I hear that giggle again. She's here!

A short distance from the cavemouth, I spy her standing by a twisted tree. And she's not alone. There is Keu with her, and he's half naked.

I drop down and hit the ground running. Everything goes red, as if the forest has suddenly caught fire. A horrible screech bursts out of me. "Bloody murder for you, thief!"