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That was more than the old man wanted to know. He waved him in, hurried and careless, like he wasn't paying any attention. "This is place of blacksmithin', so don't get yourself scorched," was his only answer. "Rooms is back there. I'll get some water for your boy."

And with that, he disappeared into a room opposite the hallway that he had pointed out to Arril.

The so-called room that Arril dozed in had no door, so when Cheryl came to wake him, she found no physical barrier to her forthright entrance. She held herself upright, stretching her diminutive stature into something imposing. The biggest flaw in her commanding front, however, was that she did not conduct herself as a military person would, for she kept her arms crossed instead of ready at her sides. She had not come planning to use force.

"Your companion is dead," she said as she came to an abrupt halt a few feet back from the entrance. Her strong, purposeful gate may have been sufficient to wake the serving boys that Arril had seen earlier. If so, they were smart enough to stay put. In fact, the old man had also made himself scarce. "If you wish to avoid the same fate, you will come with me."

It was not meant so much as a threat, but as an offer. Despite the snake familiar, the woman still assumed that this boy knew something of the situation that he had gotten into. In her estimation, there was no telling what members of the underground could hide in the crevices of society, and that was more real to her than any thing outside of Feretris.

"Laying out the facts for you is not the same as threatening you. Your companion was wanted, and those who seek after him would just as likely slit your throat as enslave you to a harsh mistress." Cheryl pushed her hair back behind her shoulder as she delivered her small speech with chin up, in clipped, brazen tones. If the snake upset her in the least, it only made her raise her chin higher. "I have another use for you, and it does not involve you being dead, nor being here. What will you do?"

"Then you won't last here without me. Get up," she commanded simply, staying where she was.

Cheryl scoffed. "You've aided a criminal! You're lucky I'm not kill-happy like the others currently on your buddy's tail. It won't matter to them that you didn't know who he was, or that you are a wild man from the plains. They will probably imprison you, where you will be tortured. I, on the other hand, am not taking you to prison. I am offering to guide you, on the simple condition that you do what I say. There won't always be time to explain, and we have wasted enough time already. I am only a day ahead of the ones who are after you. Make your decision; get your a** in gear. I'll not wait any longer."

With that, Cheryl pivoted on her heel and stalked down the hall, her boots making a clunking sound as the hardened bottoms hit against the hard-packed dirt floor. She was determined, not stealthy. Stealth could not enter into it until she knew what Arril would decide. Next she might be trying to disguise their path away from this hut, or possibly selling information on his disappearance to the trackers, or perhaps stalking him for more mysterious purposes. Either way, she was not going to get caught hanging around here trying to argue with an impetuous young man.

Luckily for him, Cheryl had trouble taking any man seriously. A scoff interrupted her sneer as she involuntarily glanced over her shoulder at him. She regained her composure quickly, pleased that the male had decided to come with her after all. She could profit from this.

"Come, then, and be silent," she commanded, which happened to be sound advice at the moment. For now, Arril's needs matched with hers. She hoped that there would not be more of a conflict once they were away from this place, where normally their paths might diverge. She hoped she could convince him to stick with her just long enough.

As they passed through the house, they passed closed doors and an empty main room. Cheryl's mere presence had effected this change in the atmosphere while Arril was fairly isolated in his little corner. Although she had not surprised him when she came to wake him, he had to wonder now if any thing important had happened in his absence. He heard breathing as they passed the closed doors, so someone was still alive here. It was unfortunate that they were leaving behind people who may have known more about Cheryl's intentions than Arril currently did.

Their trek away from the little shack was conducted reasonably enough for two people hiding from society. They were still on the outskirts of the compound, and remained so even though they headed north and west. Cheryl certainly seemed to know her way around, for it seemed that in every other direction lay more densely inhabited areas. Yet eventually they would have to flirt with civilization. As day rolled over Feretris, a used road became apparent ahead in the distance. To their left, southwest, a flock of sheep ambled by out of earshot. To their right, the north east, small horse-drawn carriages approached the road by way of a smaller path, but as yet out of ear shot.

Cheryl had not spoken to him once during the night, except to give him concise directions about where they were going. When she spoke now, it was not much different; purely practical information. "Do not ******** this up. If I give you a command in front of these people, you must follow it thoroughly and without hesitation. Do not cause them to be curious."

Cheryl silently handed him a few things to carry, but asked nothing more of him for now. They could see the carriages long before the horses began to surpass them on the road; until then, Cheryl was tense and scowling at the inconvenience. Once the carriage was beside her, she was all prim smiles.

"Ho!" a woman called out cheerily from the carriage, leaning out just enough for the side curtain to fall behind her shoulder. "What distance are you traveling on foot?"

"We are traveling to the market of Gerl Estates," Cheryl answered stiffly.

In contrast, the reply was persistently melodic. "Hop aboard, then, unless you love sore feet," the woman in the carriage chuckled.

Cheryl looked sidelong at Arril, hesitating, but when she returned her gaze to the carriage, she bent her head submissively. "As you wish," she relented. Something about the woman indicated to Cheryl a higher status, and one she best obey.