“Ssst!”

The Tervola had said he was well. What did that mean? Nothing, really. They were notorious liars.

“Ssst!”

She tried to recall details of the Tervola’s mask. Each mask was unique, they said. The time might come when she would want to identify this one.

“Ssst!”

This time the sound registered. It came from the window. The window? It was eighty feet above nothing. She rose and approached fearfully.

There was a man out there, peering in at her. And he looked familiar. “What? Who are you? I… I know you.”

“From Vorgreberg. My name is Michael Trebilcock. My friend and I followed you here.”

She was astonished. Followed her here? All the way from Kavelin? “Why?”

“To find out what you were up to. Those men were the same sort who killed the Marshall’s wife. And your brother.”

My god, she thought. What was the matter with me? He was right. Exactly right. Scar fit the description perfectly. How could she have been so blind? She became extremely angry with herself. All her life she had had this knack for fooling herself.

The man who called himself Michael had a hard time calming her down. Finally, he said, “You’re in no real danger while they think they can use you to blackmail the wizard and your husband.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I thought about bringing you out the window. But they’ve got your son. You probably wouldn’t go…”

“You’re right.” The gods themselves wouldn’t pry her out of this place while Ethrian was being held here.

“There’s nothing I can do for you, then. I can only go home and explain what happened. Maybe the Marshall can do something.”

Not likely, she thought. Bragi might try, for friendship’s sake, but Kavelin had very little diplomatic clout east of the Mountains of M’Hand. And even less with Shinsan. If he was smart he’d forget her and get on with Kavelin’s business.

She leaned out the window. “The rain’s stopped. It’s getting light.”

Trebilcock groaned. “We’ll have to spend the day on the ledge out here.”

They spoke again before he left. He promised to ride straight through. She gave Michael and his friend a kiss apiece. Poor sad fools. What chance had they? “Good luck.”

“We’ll be back. That’s a promise.” There was a playful gleam in Trebilcock’s eye.

She couldn’t stifle a smile. “You’re bold. Remember, I’m a married lady.”

Though in her heart she knew nothing would come of it, she could not kill her hope. For months there was a defiant bounce to her step which puzzled and even worried her captors.

She had given up on Michael Trebilcock. Surely he and his friend had fallen trying to get back to Kavelin. It was a miracle they had made it here. And if they did get home, what could be done? Not a damned thing.

Her nights were long and often sleepless. Insomnia had plagued her most of her life. It was worse now, aggravated by her concern for her son. They let her see him so seldom… He was always healthy when she did see him, if a little frightened and confused by their situation.