Breaking twigs and scratching her legs with branches, she kept on  mumbling things under her breath. It was densely dark that she was  barely able to see a couple of feet ahead of herself. The sky lacked the  moon for the night and only the stars could light as best they could.

      "I saw no need in disposing of the horse." She hissed.

      Her  feet ached and she was sure she would soon get blisters if they did not  stop for even a short while. Her heart was beating crazily between her  rib cage and she was panting loudly. "Diarmuid," she called as she was  following him through the thick forest. "Why did we get rid of the  horse." It was more of a statement and not a question.

      "We needed  to let Aoife go. She has given us more time to escape. Come on darling,  you must surely understand," Diarmuid replied as he continued to run  past the many trees.

      Gráinne grunted and continued to follow him,  it was tiring and she was not as swift on her feet as he was. "This is  ridiculous, what kind of princess runs in the shadows like this?" The  mumble was low so he could not hear her. "I cannot go any further," she  explained and she stopped next to a tree to rest. She leaned on it,  catching her breath and clutching her side.

      Diarmuid stopped in  his tracks as he turned to her and let out a soft sigh. "If you love me  so, we must keep running. Fionn will be able to find us if we do not  hurry."

      "Yes, but they have horses and we do not—because someone let our horse run away!" She grunted.

      "Darling,"  his tone demonstrated understanding and compassion, "I know that you  are exhausted but we must keep moving," he mumbled and took her small  delicate hand in his own. "Let us keep moving."

      "But I cannot take another step," she whined. "My feet."

      Diarmuid  bit his bottom lip and wiped the sweat from his brow. He stood still  for a moment and then turned his back to her. "Get on," he insisted. She  obeyed and hoisted her up onto his back. He loved her—or so he thought—and he did not want to let her go.

      The  peculiar thought was that they had only met that afternoon, but with  the second sentence she spoke, his heart has swelled in his chest and he  nearly burst with love for her. How cruel was their fate that she was  to wed Fionn; his liege and uncle. Now, Fionn was in pursuit of them,  ready to take their lives at any second for their misconduct and  betrayal.

      How had he even come to the decision of running away  with her? That he surely did not know. There must have been a demon  inside of him to coerce him to make that decision. He would never betray  his master, not even for something so trivial as love, so how was it  that this was any exception? That she was any exception?

      Upon  finding an abandoned coyote's den; he hurried into it and ushered her  inside. "It is safe here," he mumbled as he turned to her and cupped her  face.

      She frowned.

      "We will begin to move again in the morrow," he hushed, caressing her cheek lovingly.

      "I haven't the slightest idea of why I have arrived here," she grumbled. "My dress is torn and my life has fallen into chaos. What am I to do?"

      "Darling;"  he spoke, "I promise you, I will make your life better than it was  before, but only for today we must sleep here." Diarmuid kissed her  forehead.

      The night was freezing cold, sending stings to her  cheeks and fingers as the tears in her dress allowed the nipping breeze  to knaw at her delicate skin. She could feel the winter coming much  closer to them faster than Fionn.

      "I know, I am simply distressed,  forgive me," she smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. The den  was stuffy and they only had little space to move about inside, but she  felt comfortable in his arms and she was able to fall asleep.

You shall not sleep or stay in the same place twice for I will hunt you down until your heads are detached from your bodies.

      Her  scream echoed in the den and possibly throughout the forest as well.  She quickly brought her knees up to her chest and hugged herself. The  stern face of the man flickered in her mind every time she closed her  eyes. Rapidly, she turned her head towards the right, checking if she  had awoken Diarmuid, but much to her surprise; he did not sleep next to  her. Immediately, a wave of panic washed over her; had her géis failed  her? Had he left her for dead to return to Fionn and sell her out?

      Twigs  cracked and leaves crinkled under someone's feet as they approached the  den hurriedly. The man with the beauty mark rushed in. "My love, what  is worrying you?" He hushed, hoping she would relax upon seeing him. "I  feared that Fionn had found you." His strong arms wrapped around her and  she returned the gesture. "What is it that has made you awaken?"

      "A nightmare, Diarmuid, a simple nightmare. I think we should keep moving," she mumbled into his chest.

      "I have prepared breakfast, and then we can leave the den."

      "Yes...  That would be preferred." Her brown hair fell upon her face as she  nodded. "What will we be eating?" She asked as he led her out of the  den.

      "Quill. I was able to catch it early in the morning."  Diarmuid helped her up to her feet properly and gave her the food he had  managed to make.

      Gráinne sat by the fire and closed her eyes as she took the quill in her hands. "Thank you."

      "You're  welcome, my love." He smiled lightly and took her hand in his. "I..."  he began, "I am afraid as well, but we can only overcome this together. I  was thinking to see my father and he could aid us. We must travel to  the Bóinne."

      "To the Bóinne? But darling, that is too far away to reach on foot."

      Diarmuid  laughed lightly and she gave him a mild glare, how could he be laughing  in a situation like this one? "No; we will stop at a nearby village and  get a horse, then we will go to the Bóinne."

      Gráinne had barely  touched the Quill until it was time for them to leave the den; she left  the Quill on the floor and began to follow him past the trees once more.  They had probably been running for three hours and only rested for six,  as a princess she had never had such a night and she never wanted to  have one like that again. Yet by what was going on, she felt that it was  what was going to end up happening more than thrice.

      As they ran  through the forest once more, Gráinne took yet another break, one that  Diarmuid had gone unknown of. He continued past the tall thick trees  chopping branches down with his lances so that it would clear a path for  his lover.

      That was until...he ran straight into Oisín. He was  quick to back away slowly seeing that Oisín was not alone and was  accompanied by Lughaid. This is it, he thought to himself, Fionn has captured Gráinne and I. It had not even been a day. Not a single day and he was already cornered.

      "Gráinne,  run." He turned around only to see that she was not there. His heart  began to beat insanely fast and he shook slightly. "What have you done to her?" He turned to Oisín.

      "You  have been all alone since I found you. I have not touched her the  slightest bit." Oisín explained as he drew his sword. "You can be  pardoned," He started, "Fionn has promised to pardon you if you return  now. He knows you would not betray the Fianna without reason."

      "Where is Gráinne?" Diarmuid persisted.

      "I have said that I have not laid a single hand upon her."

      "Maybe not you but one of the Fianna have taken her from me."

      "Why have you betrayed us?" It was Lughaid who spoke this time around. "The Fianna want  to trust you, Diarmuid. We are practically brothers. Think of the many  battles we fought side by side, or the countless days we spent in a  Tavern or training area? All I want is to aid you, but you must trust us as well."

      "How  can I trust the people that are hunting me as if I am some sort of  hare? Are you not betraying your uncle, Lughaid and you, your father,  Oisín." Diarmuid stood prepared to fight people he used to call his  friends, but deep within his heart; he pained.

      "Fionn has promised—"

      "I cannot return!" Melancholy laced his every word. "If Gráinne and I cannot be accepted together than I cannot—will not go back." He interrupted Oisín's loud voice.

      "Then run!  Run because there is so much we can do to help you! Run, and never  again even think about returning." Oisín spoke hurriedly and in a  worried tone. "Although I too have lost my lovers to you, I know  this is not how you really are. There must be something that she is  doing to you. So save yourself and make it so that when we so find you  once more, it will only be Gráinne that we meet."

      Diarmuid frowned  but his friend's words filled him with happiness and even calmness. "My  sincere thanks, Oisín, and to you as well, Lughaid." Diarmuid smiled  softly. "I owe my life to you both and I will never forget that."

      "Your lady has returned." Oisín spoke and looked past the male.

      "Oisín,  Lughaid; stay away." Gráinne stated and stuck her hand out towards the  two knights, "Do not so much as take a step closer."

      "You are not the only to posses magic, Gráinne,"  he spat her name like venom, "so do not dare to make a move on us. We  are only trying to help you." Lughaid glared at the female. "Do as Oisín  has said and leave to wherever you deem safe. But as a warning, leave  through the North because it is the only place that the Fianna has yet  to surround."

      Gráinne slowly lowered her hand and looked at Diarmuid who approached her. "Can we really trust Fionn's eldest son and nephew?"

      "They  are my loyal friends and I trust them, so I feel it is necessary for  you to do the same." Diarmuid smiled down at her, his eyes hinting his  pain. "Now, we should do as they say and run away."

      "But I do not trust them; they could kill us at any second." She grumbled.

      Oisín barked at her. "Maybe you, but never Diarmuid."

      Gráinne  gave a warning look to the males before Diarmuid's grip was strong on  her hand to urge her towards their escape. "I only hope that they are  not deceiving us, or I promise to have them beheaded."

      "Are we too  not to be beheaded, my dear? They do this to help me, so please  understand." Diarmuid held her hand tightly and they began to run once  more.

      She was truly tired of all the running and he was mostly  dragging her through the grass and between the tall trees, her dress was  torn and muddied so she was obviously upset, but she was trying her  best to keep up with the male. "We must cut the dress," he spoke as he  stopped her.

      "What?" Her brows furrowed and she looked at him with disbelief.

      "It  is obviously slowing you down, we must make it so that you are able to  move. Cutting it to the knee keeps you proper and makes you much more  flexible, darling. So, stand still and let my lances help you out." He  offered and she shook her head.

      "No! I cannot ruin this dress; it comes from Rome, what kind of girl allows for her dress to be cut so...so brutally?" Gráinne stopped him from cutting the dress.

      "I  highly doubt that a dress imported from Rome can save your life, my  love," he never intended the comment to be sassy but she took it that  way, "we must cut it if you want more dresses from Rome." Diarmuid shook  his head and sighed, taking her hand from his lance and preparing to  cut through the dress with ease. After all, it was only fabric and not  flesh. She squeaked as he made the lance cut through the satin and she  really wanted to stop him but there was nothing she could do now. "Let's  keep moving."

      As Lughaid had promised, there were no Knights of  the Fianna by the North exit of the woods and they were met by a small  village where they were able to obtain a horse with a simple, empty  promise of gold coins.