Tristan met Samuel in the stables. Samuel was already mounted on his horse, his back straight and eyes alert. Tristan walked over to Tocker and checked the saddlebags. Someone, probably a servant, had already packed supplies. Dried fruit, nuts, bread, and water were crammed safely into the bag. Samuel had a bow with him so they could hunt for meat when their supplies ran out. Hopefully, with any luck, Tristan would have Rose back with him within a day and there would be no need to spend time hunting. Eliad did not have a huge lead; if they pressed hard they could catch him quickly. Tristan mounted and settled into the saddle. He exchanged a nod with Samuel.
"Are you ready?" Tristan asked.
"Aye. Gadiel knows his instructions and I have all my equipment."
"Then let us go."
But go where? The woods were immense. How could they know where to enter the forest? Tristan forced himself to block out thoughts of Rose and think strategically.
Eliad would have been in a hurry to put distance between himself and the castle once he had Rose. He could not have travelled along a road with a kidnapped woman without being spotted and raising suspicion. The main paths had been busy all night with the Royal Ball celebrations occurring. He would have needed a quick and hidden exit... Tristan frowned. It seemed likeliest that Eliad would have entered the closest and nearest point of the forest, rather than taking the time to enter a specific area.
"We will go back to where Rose was taken and enter the nearest point of the woods from there," Tristan decided aloud. Samuel nodded and gestured for Tristan to lead. Tristan urged Tocker forward and sped around the castle walls until he reached the point where they had found Elijah. Tristan looked out to the west where the tips of the trees brushed the sky.
"There are no tracks," Samuel commented as he observed the ground.
"No. Eliad obviously wanted to mask any evidence of which direction they went," Tristan agreed, scowling. "We will enter there," he told Samuel, pointing to the forest.
"And then what?"
"Then we hope to God that we can find tracks or figure out which way they went."
They drove their horses into a gallop as they sped toward the border of the woods. The forest seemed to turn a deadly silence as they approached. They entered the woods at a slow pace, as the trees changed from sparsely spread out to densely packed together. Tristan subconsciously rested his hand on the hilt of his sword as he looked around warily.
The dangers of the forest were untamed and unchecked. Rose's wolf attack had been enough to prove that there were large predators that would hunt humans. Samuel had been right; it would not have been safe for him to enter the woods alone. They would need to take watches throughout the nights and be on their guard to ensure their safety.
They paused a few meters in from the forest. Tristan searched the ground desperately, but he was quickly disappointed. Eliad's tracks could not be found. How could they find Eliad? How did they even know if they had entered the right section of the forest? This is impossible, God! How am I meant to save Rose if I can never find her?
North.
Tristan blinked. Had that just been his own thoughts? The word had sounded clear and strong. Tristan pondered the direction. The forest was deepest in the northern direction. Too far west and they would reach the ocean. They could not be south, as that was where the castle was, and the forest stopped there. To the east the forest was thinned out by civilization – homes and farms. But to the north the forest was mostly uncharted. No one was completely sure just how far it spread as it was so huge. Their best option was to go north, possibly north-west, and hope that they found signs of Rose, Eliad, or of the rebel group.
Samuel was sitting quietly atop his horse, giving Tristan time to think. He raised an eyebrow quizzically when Tristan finally looked up.
"We will go north," Tristan decided.
"Are you sure, my lord?" Samuel asked calmly.
Tristan nodded. "It is our best chance of finding her."
"The furthest we have ever ventured into the forest was three days. How far are you willing to go before turning back?"
"As far as it takes. I will find Rose, and I will bring her home with me."
Samuel smiled and dug his heels into his horse's stomach. "Then north we go."
They travelled in a grim silence for about an hour. The uneven and slippery terrain made it difficult to keep up a fast pace, and hence they were forced to navigate through the trees at a slow walk. Tristan held back a groan. Every second Rose was being pulled further away from him. He refused to think of what would happen if he never found her, the pain was too great.
"Tristan, look," Samuel said suddenly. Tristan jumped and looked to where Samuel was pointing. On the ground, pressed clearly into the terrain, was the distinct markings of tracks. Tristan's heart jumped and he dropped down from his saddle to examine them. They were hoof markings. Tristan counted the different tracks.
"Three horses," he deduced.
"Do you think it is them?" Samuel asked from his saddle.
"It has to be," Tristan said as a grin slipped onto his face. They had obviously not bothered to continue hiding their tracks once they were far enough away from the castle. Eliad had probably thought that their tracks would not be found this deep into the forest. That, or he had been too preoccupied with speed to stop and hide their footsteps. Now he could find Rose. With an eager rush of energy, Tristan swung himself back onto the saddle and urged Tocker to go forward, as fast as he could manage.
They travelled for about another hour, following the tracks easily enough. Eventually the trees became so dense that the starlight was hidden from them. Tristan squinted in the darkness, trying to see the tracks. They continued, but the further they went the harder it was to see where the tracks led. Samuel finally called them to a stop.
"I hate to say it, but it will be easier to follow them during the daylight."
"No," Tristan snarled. "I cannot rest until I find her."
"Tristan, you need to sleep. You will be able to think better and see clearer. We can leave at dawn, but we will end up going in circles if we keep trying to follow them like this," Samuel scolded through the darkness. "We are getting nowhere, and you know it."
"You know what she means to me, Samuel. I could not sleep even if I tried," Tristan said, agony in his heart. Samuel stared at him seriously. Tristan stared back, refusing to yield. Samuel's stare turned into more of a glare. "Samuel, I can no-" Samuel's eyes narrowed even further. "Do not-" Samuel crossed his arms. "I will n-"
"Tristan," Samuel said toughly.
"Okay, fine," Tristan grumbled. He lowered himself off Tocker, muttering under his breath. Samuel dismounted from his horse with an amused expression. Tristan removed the saddle off Tocker's back and rested in gently next to a tree. They tethered the horses near a patch of grass and they immediately started grazing.
"I will take the first watch, you rest," Samuel stated. Tristan rolled his eyes but did what he said anyway.
When the first rays of dawn broke through the forest canopy, Tristan nudged Samuel awake. They were quick in eating some dried fruit and bread. They had the horses saddled and were ready to go within half an hour.
Tristan mounted and studied the ground grimly. The tracks were much clearer, but now Rose was a good few hours further away from him.
"Let's move, time is of the essence," Tristan said.
They rode as fast as they could along the terrain, but even then Tristan wished he could go faster. His thoughts rarely strayed from Rose, but when they did he thought of the anger of the King that he would no doubt have to face upon returning. He shivered at the thought of the impending argument. It was likely his father would probably send out a few of his knights in a couple of hours. At least then Tristan and Samuel would have some assistance, assuming the knights caught up to them.
Tristan and Samuel rode in silence for a few hours, following the deep tracks of the horses. They seemed to be heading in a north-west direction. Samuel cried out suddenly, breaking Tristan out of his thoughts.
"Look!"
Tristan looked to where his friend was pointing. There, tossed on the ground, was a single feminine leather shoe. Tristan gasped and hurled himself off his saddle. He ran to the shoe and picked it up.
"Do you think it belongs to Rose?" Samuel asked.
"It has to," Tristan breathed. "It has to be hers. Who else would be this far in the forest?"
"Where is the other one?" Samuel asked, speaking the obvious question. Tristan scanned the ground and shrugged.
"I do not know. Perhaps she lost this one on the journey."
"Or maybe she dropped it there for us. She had to know that we would be coming for her," Samuel suggested. Tristan smiled slightly. His brave, clever Rose.
"We are obviously on the right path. Let's keep moving," Tristan said. He opened a saddlebag and placed the shoe inside; he would return it to Rose once he was with her. He jumped back onto Tocker and they continued weaving through the trees.
It did not take long before Tristan found the other shoe resting on the ground. He picked it up eagerly and placed it with the other shoe. Surely they were closer to finding Rose now. His heart pounded in anticipation of having her safely back with him.
An hour later they stopped and observed the terrain curiously. It appeared the group had stopped to rest, as the ground was covered in footsteps and strange markings. Samuel left Tristan's side to examine the area. Tristan was no expert tracker, so he shrugged and assumed the footsteps would not reveal much about what had happened.
"Tristan, look here," Samuel said quietly from beside a tree. Tristan walked over and looked where Samuel was pointing. On the tree was a deep puncture that distinctly resembled the cut made of a knife or dagger. Tristan's blood went cold. Had they harmed Rose? He ran his finger over the cut in the tree.
Tristan took a deep breath to ease the fury building up in him. He turned from the tree and studied the ground. There was no sign of blood.
"We need to keep moving. The longer we tarry, the longer Rose suffers at the hands of those men," Tristan muttered.
Samuel and Tristan headed off quickly. As they were moving, Tristan noticed something different about the tracks. They paused and looked at the terrain. There were footsteps, only just visible in the tracks. Footsteps of those with bare feet.
They had to be Rose's, she was the one who had lost her shoes. Tristan walked further up the track and noticed a strand of blue cotton caught on a small shrub. He picked it up. Rose had been wearing blue at the ball. Her footsteps continued as far as he could see. Why was she walking? Tristan ignored the sick feeling in his stomach; he refused to think of the things she could be suffering. Rose needed him to be fast and smart, he could not spend his time worrying about her.
"Let's go," Tristan ordered. They set off once again, moving quickly.
~
"We will rest here," the leader declared loudly to the twins. They stopped their horses. Rose collapsed onto her knees, exhausted. Too weak to hold herself up, she fell onto her side.
Her whole body was shaking from exhaustion and trauma. She did not know how long she had been walking. It was dark when she had started, and now it was bright – probably mid-day. She gasped out her breaths as she rested on the rough terrain. She could not stop the shakes of her body. Her wrists felt chafed and numb from the rope being bound too tightly. Her feet felt raw. She had been stabbed countless times by thorns, rock, and twigs. The soles of her feet felt bloodied and swollen. Her dress was tattered and ripped from snagging on the protruding objects of the ground.
Her legs had been feeling wobbly and unsteady for at least an hour. At one point the men had increased their pace and she had been forced to run to keep up with the steps of the horses.
The men dismounted and paid no attention to Rose slumped on the ground. They moved around, unsaddling the horses and pausing to eat some nuts. They did not bother to share with Rose.
"Garrett, you take the first watch," the leader ordered. Garrett nodded, but he looked irritated. He wanted to sleep too, after all. The leader and the other twin settled onto the ground.
Though it was the middle of the day, they had been awake all night and were ready to rest. Rose figured they had ridden through the night to put as much distance between them and the castle as they could. Rose watched as Garrett leaned against a tree and crossed his arms. He stared at her unrelentingly. He looked wide awake, even though he had been awake all night.
Rose settled herself more comfortably on the ground. Her whole body ached and she just wanted to rest. It did not take long until the quiet snores of the two men sounded through the site. Rose soon fell asleep, but it was restless and uncomfortable.
At one point she woke up. Garrett was asleep against his tree. Rose's heart skipped a beat. She could slip away from the men. She tried to move, but her body protested in agony. Exhausted, she was too weak to stand. She could not have escaped no matter how hard she tried. Her heart pounded as she was covered in disappointment. She had to escape, and soon. She did not know what the men were planning, but she was afraid and desperate to run away. Tristan, where are you?
Resigned to her fate, she slipped back to an exhausted sleep.
Quiet voices woke her up later.
"You can have an hour, but then we move out again." Rose opened her eyes to see what was happening. It was the leader speaking to Garrett. Garrett agreed and got comfortable against his tree. He closed his eyes as sleep embraced him.
The leader took over the watch. Rose fell back to sleep within seconds.
"Get up, it's time to move."
The voice woke Rose up with a start. Time to move already? Rose squeezed her eyes shut in dread. She felt like she had barely rested. How could she possibly keep walking?
"I am starving," one man grumbled.
"We will have a proper meal tonight. We still have a few hours of daylight left, we should make as much progress as we can."
The sounds of footsteps echoed around her, but Rose was too tired to open her eyes. She could hear the noises of the horses being saddled.
"Get the girl," someone said, probably the leader. Rose wanted to scream, to cry out and beg that they would leave her alone. Her exhaustion rendered her silent.
A booted foot nudged her side. Rose opened her eyes blearily.
"Let's go," a gruff voice said to her. It was the twin, the one whose name she did not know. He pulled her up to her feet. Rose took a step and collapsed back to the ground. Her feet were so tortured they seemed to burn. Her legs shook just from standing up.
"Hurry up," the leader called from his saddle.
"She is too weak," the twin replied.
"Throw her over the saddle then, and let's move."
Rose was vaguely aware of being picked up. She was placed uncomfortably over the back of a horse, slung over the saddle. She did not bother to move.
Her head was pounding and unconsciousness was calling her.
"I am surprised," she heard through the fog of her mind. "I would have thought a beggar would be more used to walking."
Rose did not respond, and she did not hear any of the men reply. A lone thought echoed in her mind as she fell unconscious.
How did the man know she had been a beggar?
At night, the men stopped and made camp. Rose was removed from the saddle and placed on the ground. She was more alert now. Her exhaustion was not so strong, but her body was still sore. The men moved around quietly. Garrett created a small fire, providing a pleasant warmth to the cold air. The other twin disappeared. Rose did not think much of it, until he returned later with two rabbits he had poached. Rose turned her eyes away, unwilling to look at the ill-fated animals.
"They are all I could find," he said.
"They will do," the leader replied.
The men cooked the rabbits and talked quietly amongst themselves. Rose did not expect them to offer her food or drink. Her stomach clenched as she thought of not being able to eat. Surprisingly, the leader moved over to her and handed her a chunk of the rabbit meat and a leather flask filled with water. Rose took the items warily with her bound hands.
"Won't you tell me your name?" She asked quietly, timidly. The leader blinked. He did not answer for a moment, as if deciding whether or not she was worth answering.
"My name is Eliad," he answered. Eliad. The name did not mean anything to Rose. She stayed quiet for a minute until she spoke quietly.
"You must know my friend, Keira. It was you who approached her, was it not?"
Eliad blinked and a twinkle of dark amusement lit up in his eyes. "She was not supposed to tell anyone about me."
"You poisoned her father," Rose accused, ignoring his comment.
"Would I do such a thing?" He asked innocently. Rose stared at him with narrowed eyes.
"Why have you taken me?" Rose asked. Eliad did not answer, instead he began whittling away at a thick piece of wood. Rose ate her food glumly as Eliad began whistling.
"Keira nearly lost her father because of you," Rose finally said, glaring at Eliad. Eliad shrugged nonchalantly.
"She had it coming for her. I warned her that misfortune would come upon her if she did not join me."
"You are recruiting people... why?" Rose pressed.
"Enough questions," Eliad said firmly. His eyes seemed to darken as he stared at her. Rose flinched and looked away. She distracted herself by staring at the flames of the fire. She would have found the crackling of the fire peaceful if she was not so afraid. Peril seemed to face her from every direction, and she wondered how long she would be left to fight for her life.
For many hours, it seemed, Rose stared at the fire. Eventually the men went to sleep with the twin whose name she did not know taking the first watch. Even then, with the twin keeping an eye on her, she did not look away from the fire. She gazed at it endlessly, even when the stars appeared and the hours passed on.
For in the darkness, the light gave her hope.