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let the chart roll up again, and cut in.
    “We are tired and I have to draw our courses of action. You have a lot to explain , too. We will stop in three hours.”
    Sacha felt annoyance prickle the hair on the nap e of her neck. Of course , he assumed the lead was his. It did not matter to him that she had organize d their getaway by a safe road, nor did he prize her thinking about the food, the chart or the medicines. He simply implied she had stolen from his mother - borrowed with out permission , if you please - and considered that being the male , he was in charge.
    “Fine.”
    One word was all she could give him without shouting her frustration. She was not - that - tired. She had nothing to explain. They had to go to the Dark Woods and then… Of course , because he was talking about resting, she needed to yawn.
    Derek shot her a quick glance, maybe astonished by her docility then he climbed on his horse.
     
    oOo
     
    It took them nearly the rest of the afternoon to reach the small town, and another hour to find a farm that Derek deigned to consider.
    The first two were dismissed because of their proximity to the small city, while the third looked more like a ruin than a farm; “ T he perfect trap for unwise trave l lers , ” he declared, when they trotted away. The woman weeding the land near that one had a rooted smile that disclosed that more than half of her teeth were missing.
    The fourth building they saw more than half an hour later was small, but apparently in good shape. The farmer nodded briefly at them before resuming his work, and his sober attitude suited Derek , who finally stopped. A man more interesting in farming his lands than in travellers felt safe.
    After a short exchange, the man agreed to let them use the barn for the night. Sacha refused Derek’s help to unsaddle her horse and did her best not to grimace under the load. By the time they had tended to their horses she was yawning so hard she could not mask it. Derek announced he was going to speak with their host to get some fresh food, and Sacha vaguely nodded, already eyeing the hayloft. She nestled against a big ba i l of straw and sleep took her quickly after she arranged her cloak around her.
     
    oOo
     
    The light was dim around him, but he was getting use to the semi-darkness by now. It was not as if his cell offered the nicest view anyway.
    The headache was still there, pounding in his head and making it heavy. Elwyn fidgeted to activate blood circulation and the movement nearly sent him overboard. Only his instinctive grip on the frame saved him from falling. He was not chained anymore and the hard floor had transformed into a bed, as comfortable as his own. Maybe he was back in Haven . Or maybe he had developed a strong fever and he was still in his cell, and delirious.
    The vertigo from his sharp jolt dissipated and he risked opening one eye again. He was not in his personal chambers. But this didn’t look like the dungeon he had awakened in the last time. The room was small, yet agreeably furnished. In addition to the bed he was currently lying in, he spotted a chest and a large chair by a fireplace .
    Elwyn blinked. The chair was occupied by a young woman with straight blond hair, and she was looking at him with interest. When their eyes locked , she grinned happily . S he was pretty. He scolded. This had to be the fever. No one woke up with a cute girl as a nurse after being beaten up into a pulp then chained with rats; not even Derek . Well, maybe Derek …
    “You are awake! I am Fillin . How are you feeling?”
    She had a nice voice. If this was a hallucination, why not make the best of it?
    “I am not sure. Where am I?”
    His voice was coarse from being unused and he coughed. The blonde helped him with a drink, unfortunately not wine. For a dream, it needed improvement. The beverage was vaguely acid, and sweetened, like lemonade; refreshing. Maybe it was better than wine.
    “You are in Caer Lon of course.”
    Her small