Once Xiana had Ryden change his clothes, they rushed down and out of the inn to the stables, where they stole two of the soldier's horses. The trotted out of the stables and Xiana pulled to a stop where she stashed the food. Once she had quickly retrieved them they left the town quickly.

"Was it a good idea to leave the bodies out in the open like that?" Ryden asked as they canter towards the forest outside of the small town.

"Yes, it sends a message," Xiana said riding just in front of him.

"What message?" Ryden asked curiously.

"That I will do anything to protect Zion and this kingdom," Xiana told him and they continued on in silence. The dark trees stood tall, covering all light from the moon and stars above them. The sound of the window brushing leaves against each other was the only sound heard apart from the thudding beat of the horse's hooves. 

"Where exactly are we heading?" Ryden asked as they were now an hour into riding.

"There is a loch just ahead, we are meeting Drago and Zion there." She explained to him, Ryden began to grow nervous at the thought of meeting the Prince his ex-comrade just tried to kill.

"Do you think they will accept me? I mean I was part of the army that overthrew the kingdom!" Ryden asked her fidgeting in his saddle.

"They do not have a choice in the matter, Ryden," Xiana told him looking back at him with a soft smile. "I told you, you are under my protection. No harm will come to you, even from the un-crowned king himself." 

"Thank you." Ryden smiled back at her. Not two minutes late they cleared the forest and there in front of them, stood the Loch of  Cailean. Named after the first Queen of Mora. She was a wise woman of beauty never before seen. Not too far away from them, on the shoreline of the lake was a small fire burning away, keeping two bodies warm. 

"Come on," Xiana told Ryden as she pushed her horse forward, "Stay behind me." Zion and Drago looked up when they heard the hoof falls of two horses draw closer. 

"Xiana!" Zion called as he threw himself up from sitting on the pebbled ground and rushed towards Xiana smiling happily. But slowed when he saw Ryden riding behind her.

"Who is he?" Drago asked, beating Zion to the punch. Xiana looked back to give a reassuring glance to Ryden before looking at her two comrades.

"This is Ryden. The newest member of our group." She told them.

"Where did you find him?" Drago asked with a smirk.

"Actually, let's get going and I will explain on the way. We still have a lot of ground to cover before we can rest again." She said as the men quickly put out the fire and covered any trace of them being there. Once they were in their saddles the four began their long journey.

"When you all left, I went back to the inn. I had to make sure to leave behind a message." Xiana smirked as she rode in front of Zion and Drago but next to Ryden.

"What, pray tell, was the message?" Zion asked as Xiana chuckled deeply.

"That Xiana is not to be crossed." Drago chuckled, he had seen this side of her before. The side that even he would quake next too. 

"They are dead?" Zion asked and Xiana shrugged her shoulder.

"Only some." She muttered as if it was nothing. Zion had never seen her act so coldly and calmly to the fact that she had just killed men with her own hands no less than a few hours earlier. But he has never been outside of the castle in this kind of situation before.

"I picked this one up there."

" Wait? He's one of them?" Drago asked becoming serious as his hand covered the hilt of his sword.

"He was and he is now under my protection," Xiana told Drago who calmed down slightly. Zion, on the other hand, was furious.

"His kind just invaded my kingdom and for all I know slaughtered my father! And you want me to allow him to accompany us on this!" Zion raged as he galloped his horse up front before dismounting.

" Zion, get back on your horse. We do not have time for this." Xiana glared at Zion who stormed forward towards Ryden who stayed very still. 

"You should have killed him along with the rest of them!" Zion said as he pulled Ryden down from his horse and threw him to the ground.

"Zion!" Xiana yelled at him as she jumped from her horse and rushed over to them. Zion lifted his sword into the air and prepared to strick the killing blow to Ryden. Who lay defenceless on the ground. Xiana grabbed him arm tightly stopping his swing. 

"Ryden is under my protection." Xiana hissed right into his face with glaring red eyes.

"Like hell!" Zion yelled and tried to kill him again. Xiana had had enough, she twisted Zion's arm causing him to drop the sword to the ground. She then flicked her leg to swipe his from underneath him. She pushed him to the ground and pinned him down tightly.

"For heaven's sake! Zion listen to me!" She yelled to Zion who continued to struggle against her. "I am not asking you to trust him, but trust me!" She told him and he stopped struggling.

"I always trust you." He whispered to her, his eyes softening down as he continued to look into hers. She always had that effect on his, no matter how worked up he was. Xiana moved her hand to caress his cheek gently. 

" I have looked into his eyes and I see no fault. His intentions are pure and innocent." Xiana told him as she then released him from her grasp. She first helped Ryden up from the ground before helping Zion up as well. 

" Now, like I said. He's going to help us. It turns out that, the man that invaded Mora was King Zorander." Xiana said as they all once again mounted their horses.

"My father?" Zion asked with a pleading look in his eyes. Ryden sighed and looked directly at him.

"I am sorry, but the position I held did not give me access that information," Ryden said as she fixed his blond hair that had fallen over his dirty face. His brown eyes held only truth to Zion as he explained.

" We must keep moving," Xiana said trying to quickly change the subject before looking to Drago. "Once we reach Irhalin, we will call for Yara and Edward." With a quick nod of understanding the four were now off once again. Hoping to make the next town called Irhalin, which was a two-day ride as short and quick as possible.