I have done everything possible to make it look as there has been no one here. My horses are free to gaze as they will as I am confidant that they will come to my call and no other. I have long since cooled the hearth of its warmth, bits and pieces of the roasted hares are gone, tracks have been brushed away and even the horse droppings I have seen to. My packs are hidden up in a tree a ways to the forest. Trackers look to the ground and not the sky.

Searching of cave has yielded much. It reminds me much of my own home, but shoddily made. No escape route, little air ventilation and neither has a well been dug. I decide it was poor planning on those who dug this lair or they had no forethought to make it something more formidable were it shaped originally by Her hand.

The riders I saw never came or changed their course, which has given me hours to my thoughts. But I sense they will come for good or ill. Rare is it for me to be welcomed by sight and so I choose to hide rather than to be seen. I curse my odd colorings, were I golden. It would be a joyous time. But I, as always, am betokened to be on the side of evil or Death come to collect. That reminds me of Baine, a walking paradox, but in truth aren’t all healers? And her sword, something about a sword, but she carried none. I shake the thought away. I have to stay hidden and meet my husband later.

Exploring every break in the rock now I come across a little door. Odd…a cubby? Placing my hand on the old wood, it gives way. Water damage coupled with poor quality. Slowly and carefully I open it just enough to peer into the darkness. No immediate threats. I look back towards the entrance. The only light that creeps in is from the entrance, no torches to light the way no fire to invite. Satisfied with that darkness, I embrace the other pulling the door closed behind me.

I run my fingers over the sides with the low ceiling just over my head. I’m glad I do not have to lower my head incase a chase will ensue. The walls feel slick with moisture, but I hear no drippings of water nor do I splash into puddles. I avoid the spider webs. Let them see that no one has come this way. There is a scurry of the tunnel’s denizens as continue my walk. I venture down a few lengths more, the tunnel so far has a slight illusion to it, the curve is angled in such a way that one cannot see all the way they have traveled. That defense makes me wonder as I come to a fork. A maze as well? What do they hide? My hand goes to Toad as he has been awfully quiet. He squirms. He lives. Sean’s warning comes back to me like shout. Be careful, please, be careful…

Be careful, indeed… I test the air of the tunnels. The one is darker than the other and looks ominously darker. The other has a faint sweetness of fresh air. I meld into the darker one, becoming part of the shadowed rocks. There I come across a natural cleft in the stone. A perfect place to wrap myself in sorrow. Why didn’t I go with Sean? I climb into it loosely wrapping my cloak about me and settle myself down.

A few hours have passed I have nodded off and bits of dreams have haunted me, that I cannot remember upon being fully conscious. I hear something. I pull my hood back to concentrate on the sounds. Cave sounds are hard to distinguish unless they are own. They have come! But I hear only one set of feet and he’s cursing, probably caught up in the webs.

Closer ….and closer…and closer…I slow my breathing as both my boot daggers have found a deadly comfortable spot in my hands. A weak lighted torch flashes my way then the other, blinding my night vision. I can hear the intake of his breath and the torch swings back my back. Dropping from the cleft I am ready to spring to the throat. The torch is thrust at me again. I am not seen as a person it seems.

Holding the dagger just so I scratch his hand with the torch, he swings with his free arm as the torch is flung to the side. I am quicker. Only a wisp of smoke is seen by myself as the torch is extinguished by the cold ground. He comes at me blindly in the dark with a growl. On nimble feet he is easily evaded as I back step hoping no outcroppings will be the death of me. The seconds seem much longer as my eyes readjust. I know this man!

”Mór Lámh! It is I,” I hiss in the dark. “I meant you no harm! Cease!” There is a sudden stop as I repeat myself. “I meant you no harm! I was blinded by the torch!.” This however does not stop me from back peddling away from Keu. It makes me wonder why he came back, so I ask, “Why are you here?”…Even Toad finally says his piece, which only confirms who I am to Keu.