The companions left Frenor the next day, taking with them basic travelling supplies on one of Timothy's brahmirds. The thief decided to leave the wagon behind, fearing if they should come across orcs or even troglodytes, his assortment of wealth could be stolen from such bands of raiders. However, choosing which of the two stupid beasts of burden was not an easy decision; one was always sleeping, the other somewhat skittish. Would they want to take the sleepy one, wasting valuable time keeping it moving, or was the better alternative taking the restless one, running the risk of it suddenly taking off with their supplies should something as insignificant as a snapping branch startle it. In the end, Brey settled the mild debate with a flip of a gold coin. The nervous brahmird was chosen.

Timothy was also able to get new equipment for the party. Although Alena and Brey politely refused the chain mail the thief brought them, citing the armour was either too heavy or too uncomfortable, Cristo accepted Timothy's gifts of a new copper sword and a small, leather shield.

Alena could not help but smirk as she watched her bodyguard fumble with the shield as he strapped it to his arm. After all, it was a piece of equipment that he never really used before, perhaps only a few times during his training. Such an action belied his strange, stoic behaviour, and made Alena wonder whether his true character was buried underneath whatever strange force was making him behave this way, or if he was merely acting. However, the princess did not think much else of it, realizing she would probably get no answers with his attitude.

Back on the road, the four travellers looked much more like warriors than what their backgrounds would tell others. With Alena and Timothy at the front, Brey lagging a bit behind, and Cristo assigned to "brahmird duty", the group made good distance within the first day. According to the map given to them, they were to follow the Old Merchant Road south for some distance until they came across a mountainous ridge. While the road would take the shortest route over the ridge, the map pointed out a landmark where they would have to turn to the west. No apparent road was said to be there but the map gave a somewhat vague path with various other small landmarks as the only reassurance you were not lost. Eventually, you would leave the hills and enter a forest where the cave was located in. Unfortunately, there were no landmarks within the forest. Your only way of finding the cave was with a little knowledge of the surrounding area, and a lot of luck.

The travellers made good time in getting out of the bowl Frenor was nestled in and back onto the Old Merchant Road. By midday, the forest surrounding the aged road began to fade, giving way to a broad, open valley. In the distance, the ridge of low hills could be seen, thick clouds clinging to its edges. By Brey's estimate, they could make it to the ridge by the next day. Alena felt determined to make it there earlier, though, and ordered everyone to quicken their pace, much to her companions' displeasure.

Their attitudes did not impede her demeanour, though. Likewise, the open valley seemed to exhilarate her spirit. Given the fact most of her road travel had been under relatively impeding conditions, it was a new and welcome sensation creeping through the princess' body. The mountain road had been far too rigorous and the forest road felt cramped with the encroaching trees surrounding them. Cool valley winds caressing her face as a warm sun shone down on her was the sort of sensation Alena always dreamed about, had always felt when she would daydream back home. Despite all she had gone through on this journey, she felt it was worth it to have had the chance to experience this at least once.

The princess unconsciously glanced at Timothy who was walking beside her. Here was a man who was living the life she dreamed of, yet he wished to live the life she so desperately escaped. Why would he want to do that? Sure, a life of luxury would appeal to anyone without any social standing but, in Alena's opinion, such an existence was merely self-delusional. If anything, people such as the thief had much more freedom than she could ever hope for. For that reason, Alena not only had grown to admire Timothy's lifestyle but had also grown to admire the thief as well.

Perhaps he merely had different intentions other than to increase his social standing. He was, after all, a thief, and therefore could often have less than noble plans about his future. So far, he had not displayed any other motives but Alena had to be certain, or else her admiration of Timothy would be improper.

"Tim," she started, turning in his direction, "can I ask you something?"

The thief looked at Alena, a tiny smile creeping on his face. "You can," he replied, a soft chuckle following his words.

The princess blinked, not quite understanding what was funny. After a moment of confusion, she said, "Why are you so determined to be with the Princess?" There, not too blatant so he would be insulted, yet not too subtle so he could understand what she was trying to get at.

Unfortunately, Timothy seemed to miss the point when he replied, "It would be wrong for us not to do anything we can to save her, wouldn't it?"

Alena sighed, shaking her head. "That's not what I meant," she said. "You seem very determined to…uh, win her affection. Why is that?"

The thief looked at her for a moment, as if she had not been paying attention to a thing he had said when he first met her. "I thought I told you," he said, an eyebrow raising with confusion. "I hope that she will take me back with her so that I may be able to improve my standing, even, um, well…" He slightly flushed, rubbing the back of his neck out of embarrassment.

"I remember that part," Alena smiled, a light giggle escaping as she recalled the thief's pitiful display when they had found out the reasons for his journey to Frenor. "What I don't understand, though, is why you want to become like that."

Again, Timothy looked at her, confusion crossing his face. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked sincerely. When Alena shook her head, the thief said, "Everyone wants to improve their social status. Who wants to be a lowly peasant in the farthest reaches of a country when the opportunity to become a monarch is staring right in their faces?"

"But being a monarch isn't such a great thing," Alena argued. "You'd have to contend with the gripes of every single person within your kingdom, all the while constrained within your own castle because your subjects fear too much about your safety when you can easily take care of yourself!"

Alena stopped, suddenly realizing she was dumping her problems of being the Princess of Santeem right on this unsuspecting man. Had she already said too much? Or perhaps it was not enough? Perhaps it was about time to reveal to her companion the truth of her identity.

No, she thought, slightly turning away from the man. That wouldn't be a good idea. He probably won't even believe me. My impostor has done an excellent job in fooling everyone, including him.

"What I'm trying to say, Tim," she said at length, "is I'm curious as to why you want to leave such a free life in favour of one filled with such constraint."

The thief smiled. "I guess I can see where you are coming from," he said.

Alena looked up at him, a nervous feeling coming about her as she wondered if he had guessed her background just from her little temperament.

"You have a life filled with unknowns, Alena," he continued. "A travelling warrior with no one to take orders from but herself. Indeed, who would want to be constrained behind castle walls when such a way of life is much more appealing to one who is as free spirited as yourself?"

"Indeed," Alena muttered, the irony of his words hitting the princess like the face of a club.

"I'm different, though," Timothy went on. "All my life, I've lived in dismal dwellings and with poverty as a constant companion. Even all the wealth I have in my wagon is practically useless as I could only reach a certain level of the social elite this far from civilization. I want more than that. For most of my life I've had to fend for myself. Just once I'd like to have someone else look after me, a good servant to take care of my needs. By the Master, I think I deserve a break."

Alena remained silent, not knowing how to respond to such a claim. Timothy did have some strong points but she did not wish to see him make a grave error, especially since his plan would be all for naught in the end. The princess decided she would somehow make the thief see it, even if revealing her own identity was what it would have to take.

* * *

"Do you have to still bother me about that?" Timothy whined, his face contorted in embarrassment. "It happened a day ago, so I think the humour should have worn off by now."

"S…sorry," Alena giggled, some cooked meat dribbling out of her mouth. She tried to wipe herself clean but Brey's mention of Timothy's display of "heroism" the previous day of their now four day long journey spurred the amusing memory forth, causing the princess to burst forth in horrendous laughter.

"It's just…seeing you…rush…" Alena managed to say between fits of giggles.

The thief turned his attention to the source of his distress. "Why did you have to bring that up, old man?" he asked. "It could have been easily forgotten by now."

"The camp was getting too quiet," Brey simply stated. "I thought we could use a bit of entertainment, and since the source of our usual jokes seems to be occupied…" He cast a glance at Cristo, so engrossed in his Texts he was practically unaware of what was going on around him.

"What possessed you attack that rock, anyway?" Alena finally was able to ask, wiping a few tears from her eyes.

Timothy sighed sullenly. "We went over that already, Alena," he muttered, poking at the campfire with a stick. "We don't need to hear it again."

The princess feigned a serious look, although it turned into more of a pout. "I demand that you tell it again," she ordered, an involuntary giggle escaping after.

The thief sighed again, then mechanically replied, "I thought it was a monster of some sort. The sun was casting a shadow on those rocks so I couldn't really tell. That's why I rushed forward when I did."

"You have to admit, Tim," Brey said, "the look on your face after you hit those rocks was priceless." The old tutor could not help but laugh as well, betraying the otherwise grumpy attitude he had retained during their three days on the road.

"Look," Timothy shot at his companions, "if I hadn't, we'd still be wondering aimlessly in those mountains."

"It's more of a coincidence than actual skill on your part," Brey pointed out. He paused, then added, "Besides, if it hadn't been you, Cristo here probably would have tripped over the landmark anyway." The old tutor looked at the bodyguard, hoping for a rise out of their quiet companion. However, he remained placid as ever. Brey shrugged, expecting no less from him.

"Fine," the thief said sarcastically. "We'll forever remember this journey as ‘The Daring Adventure Where Tim, The Whimsical And Handsome Thief, Protected The Spirited Young Alena From A Pile Of Rocks'."

Laughter erupted around the campfire. Cristo even cracked a smile briefly.

Later, Alena helped Timothy clean his cooking utensils and feed his brahmird. She was not used to laborious work such as this but, like any new experience, the princess welcomed the opportunity to try it out, even if she did not overly enjoy them.

Still, it gave her a good opportunity to chat with her companion and their conversation took a few surprising twists and turns in topics as they shared a few laughs and playful punches. Unfortunately, the topic Alena truly wanted to discuss with the thief was more or less unspoken.

For some reason, she felt uncomfortable asking him to remain in their party after this adventure was over. Although her mind argued he would be annoyed or even offended by her constant prying into his future plans, something else inside Alena seemed to urge her to bring the feelings out in the open for him to know of. Surely if he knew how much happier he would be travelling with them rather than pursuing unattainable dreams, Timothy would remain as a part of their group. The problem was getting those right words out without annoying the thief about the subject.

Hoping Brey might be able to help her out, Alena approached her old tutor, who was quietly reading his spell book by the campfire. "Brey," she said. "Could I talk with you for a moment?"

He looked up at her, a little stunned. "Me?" he said, raising a bushy eyebrow. "You seemed to be doing fine with Tim a moment ago."

Alena involuntarily blushed. "It's about him that I wanted to talk to you about," she said at length.

Sighing, the old tutor put down his book and picked up his walking staff. "Let's walk and talk, then, away from his ears." Alena nodded and the two of them left the campsite.

Still being in the hills, the night's misty air was chilly. Fortunately, unlike the Mid-Range and its unforgiving weather, the mist was not as wet and the campfire was not missed on their walk. There was no clear path to make their way on, most of the forests in the area consisting of small pine trees spread out in thin patches across the landscape. While it would be difficult to get lost from a camp in the maze-like forest during the day, the night was a different story. The trees stood like giant shadows, blotting out whatever stars the clouds happened to miss. With no visible landmarks to guide them back to the camp, Alena and Brey ended far enough so the campfire's smoke could still be seen just over a low hill.

Brey sat down on a dry rock, placing his staff across his lap. He took in a deep breath of the night's chilly air, relishing it as though he had not breathed in such air for years. He then turned to Alena, whom had taken up a position against a thick pine trunk. "So," he said at length, "what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

The princess was quiet for a moment, trying to decide exactly how to phrase her words. She did not know whether Brey was the right person to be talking to about such a matter, as Brey had clearly displayed signs of despising the thief at times. However, if she could get him to see her side of things, then surely the shrewd tutor could somehow convince Timothy to stay with the group. Besides, he really was the only one she could talk to with Cristo acting like such a snob lately.

"Tell me, Brey," she said at last, "what do you think of Tim, as a companion?"

"He's useful," he replied automatically. "He's a better cook than any of us, more knowledgeable of this region than any of us, and, despite his methods, has been resourceful so far." He cackled lightly before adding, "And he's provided more amusement than Cristo these past few days on the road."

Alena weakly smiled. It had not been the response she had hoped for but at least it was positive. "Then you wouldn't have any objections if he joined our party," she stated.

A stunned silence hung over the air. "What makes you think he would?" Brey eventually asked.

"That's where you come in," the princess replied, pointing at her tutor.

His eyes widened out of confusion. "Me?" he repeated.

"Yes, I'm sure you can convince him to…"

"Princess," Brey interrupted, "I seriously doubt he would want to join us after this is over."

Alena frowned, irritated at her tutor's negative thoughts. "Why?" she asked.

"He thinks he's saving a Princess, who he believes he can woo into taking him back to the castle," the old tutor explained. "With such a tempting fate ahead, why would he want to remain with us?"

At that, Alena's face started to form into a pout. "Well, maybe it's time we reveal who we are to him," she suggested.

Brey shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

The old tutor sighed, a frown forming on his face. "I didn't want you to know of this," he said, "but we're being followed."

Alena's eyes widened in shock. "By who?"

"Do you remember the mercenary Flail?"

"Vaguely," she slowly replied. The last time she had even seen the man was back in Weser, under a fit of uncontrollable rage.

Brey nodded at her recognition. "Well, Cristo bumped into him when we were in Surene," the old tutor continued. "He knew we were there and probably would have found us in no time had we not left that same night. That's why we ran in such a hurry."

Alena blinked for a moment, a stunned expression pointed at her tutor. She could not believe her companions had been able to keep this from her for so long. If anything, they should have let her know right away. Bearing this in mind, the princess wondered what else they could be hiding from her.

"How can you be sure he followed us through the mountains?" she asked. Perhaps her tutor was being paranoid for nothing.

"Trust me," Brey replied grimly, "he has. That is why it is more important than ever that our identities remain hidden."

Alena was quiet for a moment. The implications of her tutor's words were indeed grim, especially if they remained in one spot for too long. She did not know much of the reputed mercenary but, judging from Brey's accounts alone, he was not one to deal with lightly.

However, she found they had strayed off topic. Perhaps it was about time to find out Brey's true feelings about the subject of Timothy remaining with their party. "Brey," she asked, "would you mind if Tim stayed with us?"

The old tutor was silent for several moments. "No," he replied at length. "As I've said before, he is useful to have around."

Alena's smile broadened. "Then how do we go about getting him to stay?"

Brey rubbed his white whiskers for a moment. "He would have to want to stay," he concluded. "Some reason that outweighs his desire to be with a princess. Therefore, I doubt he could be tricked into staying."

"And revealing our identities isn't an option, I take it," Alena said.

"Right," Brey nodded. "Even if he believes us, it's still not a certainty he'll stay. If he doesn't, and Flail gets his hands on him, we'd all be in big trouble. I doubt you want that sort of guilt on your consciousness." The princess nodded, the reality of his words disturbingly true.

However, a thought entered her mind. "But we could still tell him if he joins, right?" she asked, somewhat hopefully.

Brey looked at the princess for a moment, a little stunned by her words. "If he joins willingly," he replied, "then there wouldn't be any harm, no."

A flashing sense of hope seemed to enter the princess' mind. "How do we do that, then?" she eagerly asked.

The old tutor sighed and stood up, leaning on his walking staff. "That's something you're going to have to do," he replied. "I don't want any part of it."

A full pout formed on Alena's face. "Why not?" she demanded.

"This is your obsession, not mine," he replied sternly. He started to walk back to the camp but stopped, turning to face the princess. "Come to think of it," he added, a bushy eyebrow raised curiously, "why are you so obsessed with Tim joining us?"

"What?" Alena exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock from Brey's accusation. "I'm not…"

However, her tutor, who had an equally shocked expression on his face, promptly interrupted her. "Don't tell me you're falling in love with him!" he alleged, now pointing at the princess.

Alena's eyes widened further, if such a thing could be possible. "No, I'm not!" she quickly responded, no sound argument coming to mind.

However, Brey intently studied her mannerisms now that they had brought up the subject. "Yes, I think you are," he said. "The way you're always flirting with him, I'm surprised I didn't see it before."

"That's nonsense!"

The old tutor was unconvinced with her defence. "Alena," he said, "if this is why you want him to join us, stop now. Nothing good can come of this. You're only going to end up hurting yourself."

Rage began to build inside the princess, her fists tightly clenching and unclenching. How could he be making such accusations? And why were they affecting her so much? Could what he was saying be true? Could she really…?

"What would you know of it?" she demanded, her eyes narrow.

Brey frowned. "Enough to know that this could be the biggest mistake of your life!" he shot back, hoping the remark would deliver the final blow to end her silly obsession.

At that, so much anger and frustration formed inside the princess that she could have lashed out at her tutor, perhaps even unintentionally killing him on the spot. However, different emotions welled up inside of her, pushing back even her rage. She could not believe even if she were falling in love with Tim, her tutor, one of her closest friends, would not help her in seeing it come true.

Was she really so alone with her hopes and desires in this world?

Without thinking, she darted into the surrounding forest, tears uncontrollably spilling from her eyes, her sobs quietly echoing in the still night.

"Alena!" Brey cried, reaching out a hand in a futile attempt to stop her. The old tutor silently cursed himself. Had he gone too far? Had he accidentally pushed her into another state of insanity? If so, she could easily get lost in these mountains. The guilt he would have if such a thing happened would be too much to estimate. Grimly, he set out into the forest to find her.

He did not have to search far, however, when he heard a screech of terror. "Damn," he muttered into his whiskers. What sort of creature had she bumped into in these Master-forsaken hills? Judging the area where he heard the scream, Brey quickened his pace.

Soon, he passed a pine tree with a large dent in its trunk, the sort of thing someone with a lot of strength could make if they punched into it. Or anger, the old tutor thought wryly. However, maybe it was a good sign, as the Princess had merely screeched in pain upon discovering that pine tree trunks were not quite the same as castle stone walls.

He found Alena nearby standing with her back to him in a small clearing. "Princess," he quickly said upon seeing her, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

His voice trailed off, noticing she was looking at something at the edge of the clearing. "What is that?" she asked, her voice showing no sign of rage or confusion.

Silently thanking the Master she was all right, Brey hobbled forward to get a better look at what had captured the Princess' attention. He sucked in his breath as he did so.

The creature was quite dead, as only its head remained. Dark blood was splattered across its face, almost matching its dark-pink skin and crimson, matted hair. Large, pointed ears were on each side, rodent skulls hanging off them like earrings. Its eyes had been ripped out from their sockets and its tongue hung loosely from its mouth, open in a silent scream of death. On top of its head, a single, bony spike jutted from its skull. In behind the spike was another, this one made of wood as the head was impaled on a large stake.

Brey had never seen the creature in the wild before, merely in books. However he had studied enough on them to recognize an orc if he saw one. Therefore, he also recognized the warning such a display exhibited; this was the border of orc territory.