Estora longed to break the silence, to make Karigan real—to make all this real, for this slow ride in the dark, with a phantom for a savior, made her feel as if she were caught in some unending dream.
Falan clambered out of the stream, up the bank, and deeper into the woods. Karigan reversed their direction of travel so many times, as if walking a labyrinth Estora could not see, that she became thoroughly disoriented. She guessed Karigan hoped it would likewise confuse anyone who came searching for them.
As time went on, the terrain became rocky, and boulders the size of small cottages lay about the woods. As they picked their way among them, dawn began to lighten the morning, and as it did so, Karigan the ghost was gradually revealed to her once again.
Karigan sighed and solidified, her flesh and clothing taking on color, though muted by the weak light.
“We’re no longer faded out,” Karigan said. She sounded weary, and rubbed her temple as if her head pained her. “Bear with me for a few moments more and remain silent.”
Estora nodded, though she was ready to abandon all restraint and leap off Falan’s back and hug Karigan. She was free!
They came to the bottom of a rockfall that must have been calamitous when it happened. The boulders were jumbled this way and that, creating a primeval, natural wall at the bottom of a cliff. The going became more difficult for Falan as she walked over the boulders, but then Karigan angled her approach toward the rockfall and an opening to a cavelike shelter appeared. If they had not approached it just so, one would never know it existed.
Inside, a shaft of brightening light fell through a gap near the back of the cave and she saw two horses there, one of which she recognized as Condor. He nickered quietly in greeting while the other horse seemed content to snooze.
Karigan led Falan right into the cave. The floor was gravelly. Silently Karigan helped Estora dismount, then drew her knife to cut her bonds. The tears finally came. Estora wiped her eyes, and then rubbed her wrists, raw from the cords.
“Are you…are you all right, my lady?” Karigan asked her.
“Am I all right?” Estora started laughing and crying at once, thoroughly discarding her usual aloof composure, and hugged Karigan who received her stiffly. “Oh thank you, thank you for taking me away from those awful men!” When she released Karigan, she saw the Rider’s eyes were wide.
“Uh, you’re welcome,” Karigan said. “Look, we need to talk, as I’m just as surprised to see you as you were to see me. I’d like to know what the five hells is going on.”
“You mean you didn’t know I was abducted?”
“No idea. I’ve been on the road.” Karigan winced, closed her eyes with a groan and rubbed her temple again.
“Karigan?”
“Headache. It’ll pass. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll take care of your horse.”
Estora did not know how she was supposed to make herself comfortable in this place, but she found a flat rock to sit on and continued to work on bringing life back to her wrists and hands.
Karigan, meanwhile, untacked Falan and rubbed her down, then took her to the back of the cave with the other horses where apparently there was a spring for them to drink from. As Karigan worked, she kept glancing toward the cave entrance as if she expected someone to appear there at any moment. When she finished with Falan, she strode to the entrance and peered out, hands on her hips, and muttering to herself about “that boy.”
When she returned, she asked, “Do you need food or water?”
Estora broke down again, and Karigan stood by looking helpless, which made Estora laugh through her tears, and only made Karigan look more perplexed.
“I’m just grateful,” Estora said, sniffing, “to be free.” She blotted her eyes with her sleeve. “It was awful.”
Karigan sank down on a nearby rock and asked in a low voice, “Did…did they harm you?”
“No, not really. I was just terribly frightened. I did not know their intent.”
Karigan nodded as though she understood, and Estora was certain she did. “Well, you’re free of them now, but I have to warn you we’re not out of danger. Given time and persistence on their part, they’ll most likely find this place.”
“What shall we do?” Estora asked.
Karigan flipped her braid over her shoulder and glanced at the cave entrance. “I’m not exactly sure. For now, we wait for Fergal to return, and while we do, I think you should tell me how you ended up in the clutches of those thugs, and then I’ll tell you how I came to be here myself.”
Estora obeyed, beginning—hesitantly so—with her desire to escape the castle. As she poured out her story, Karigan made a few short comments marking, without surprise, the presence of the Eletians outside Sacor City, musing that she did not recall meeting or hearing of a Lord Amberhill, and uttering surprise at the part taken by the Raven Mask in the abduction and of his subsequent demise. To the rest she listened quietly and raptly until the end, and remained silent for some moments after.
“So we don’t know their exact purpose in taking you,” Karigan said.
Estora shook her head. “They would tell me nothing. I can only expect they wished to obtain a large ransom for my release.”
“Perhaps.”
“But come, you were to tell me your part of the tale.”
“Yes, but it is not as long as yours,” Karigan said. “The short of it is that Fergal—he’s a new Rider—and I were in Mirwellton on king’s business to see the lord-governor, which we did yesterday. Later, as Fergal and I sat in the common room of our inn, Lord Mirwell’s steward—” and here Karigan’s face showed clear distaste “—smuggled to us a note from Lord Mirwell that we’d see something of interest at the Teligmar Crossroads at dawn. I must say, it was not you, my lady, I was expecting to see.”