Song: https://youtu.be/PhBRcX0HsKA

When I reached Barrett's room, it was still dark. I was out of breath from the run, leaning on the door frame to catch my breath. How would I tell him? There wasn't time to beat around the bush, I just needed to blurt it out.

Knocking softly, I hesitated before going inside. Normally I'd wait for him to at least give me permission, but I wasn't sure how much time he had. He could have until morning, he could have only a handful of minutes. I didn't want to risk the wait.

"Mon..ica?" He asked, sounding sleepy as I walked over to his bed.

"I..you were right. I shouldn't have trusted Elwen. He was talking to Dominic." Barrett threw off his blanket, getting off the bed to grab his things. " I mean, I don't know if he's telling the marquis anything of importance, it could be nothing, I didn't even tell Elwen your name. But if that man is as good of a hunter as you said he is, I just thought he might figure it out anyways." I rambled as he grabbed his bag when Barrett grabbed my arms, making me stop with a look into his eyes.

"It doesn't matter. Lord Dominic being here is too close for my liking anyway. Go grab your things." He told me, making me blink, startled.

"You..still want me to come?" I asked, watching as his ruby eyes flickered to the side.

"I can't walk too well by myself yet. Unless you want to stay here. Dominic might recognize you from the inn. He'll be wondering how you got out." I tensed at his words. I hadn't even thought about that. Would he recognize me if he saw me?

Stumbling out of Barrett's arms, I turned and quickly ran to my room to stuff my old clothes into a bag Edna had lent me. If I'd had the money pouch, I'd have left her some coins for it. But alas, Barrett had it, not me. Yanking on my pants under my skirt, I then met with Barrett next to the stairs, which he was already heading down.

"Best to not leave any good bye letters. They could be used to track us later." He said as I helped him down the stairs. We slipped out through the back door, and Barrett headed for the trees. I gulped before grabbing his arm a bit tighter.

"What's the plan?" I asked, trying not to assume that he meant to go in there again.

"Skirt the edge of the trees. If we're spotted, we'll have to make a run for it. But if not, we should make it to the road before dawn, then we'll be on our way." He told me and I nodded.

Staying as quiet as I could, I helped Barrett walk along the trees. His arm around my shoulders made his limp much less noticeable and I was quite thankful. If he was heavier, our pace would be a lot slower.

It was almost a pleasant walk, if it weren't for the pounding of my heart, wanting to leap to my throat at the smallest of noises. I kept a keen eye on the village houses, when I spotted the back of the tavern. There was Lord Dominic's carriage. I recognized it from the last time it had passed me. At present, it wasn't moving, but that didn't stop the fear that swept through me.

Suddenly the back door swung open, and I tackled Barrett into the underbrush between two trees. We landed roughly in the grass, and when I looked up at Barrett's face, I could tell he was holding in a pained noise as he slowly curled his injured leg up towards his body.

"Sorry." I whispered before looking back towards the public house. There was a man stumbling outside. It didn't look like Lord Dominic, but it probably wasn't a good idea to let him see us leaving. He stumbled about a bit more before falling over. But he didn't get up again.

"He fell over." I murmured to the thief under me, but Barrett frowned.

"Who?"

"Dunno, some drunkard." I told him before ducking a little further down. Someone else was leaving through the back.

"Who's Dunno?" Barrett asked, but I covered his mouth. Trying to hear what the men were saying. Unfortunately, they were too far for me to hear. I was really starting to get tired of not hearing what people said to each other and crawled off Barrett to get closer. "What are you doing?!" He hissed to me, but I rolled away from him, hiding myself from the men's view using the carriage.

I rolled to my stomach, using my arms to drag myself a bit closer to the stilled vehicle. The horses wore blinders, meaning I wouldn't have to worry about them noticing me. Finally, I was close enough to hear what the men were saying.

"I hear you're expecting a visit from the prince, My Lord. Do you think you can offer a suitable bribe for him to not tell King Dardis of your.. Ventures?" The voice that spoke wasn't Elwen's, but it also wasn't Lord Dominic's, the Marquis's voice followed after in reply.

"Please, Silas is no threat to me." He said casually before I heard the shifting of steps. Laying as flat as I could, I stared under the carriage at the pair of boots on the other side. They were turned in the direction of the front of the carriage.

"Should I move Mr. Frank?" The mystery man asked as I began to crawl backwards into the taller grass.

"No.." Lord Dominic's voice was too quiet to hear as I got further away. But I watched as the carriage door opened on the other side. Immediately, I stopped moving. He might notice my dress amongst the grass, but movement would certainly catch his eye.

I could see him through the window, His golden hair looking almost brown in the dark. He turned in my direction, making my heart start to throb painfully. Did he see me? He moved closer to the other side of the carriage, and pulled his curtains closed. I let out a breath of relief.

That relief was short-lived however as the mystery man got up at the top of the carriage to start the horses. I didn't move an inch as he started the horses and I watched in horror as he rode over the drunkard who'd passed out in the dirt. One might believe he had missed, but unfortunately, I was close enough to hear the crunch of something like bone, and my stomach swirled with a sickening feeling.

The carriage rode off, as if it had simply bumped over a stone. But I was frozen, my eyes on the lump of man on the road. I couldn't see him very clearly, but I was very sure he wouldn't ever move again.

"Monica!"

I jumped, looking over my shoulder at Barrett, who was standing now. I swallowed, pushing myself up, and he helped me to my feet. He then looked over in the direction I assumed the carriage had gone. I hadn't been paying enough attention to it after it left.

"We've got to go." He murmured, gently pushing me in the opposite direction.

"He's expecting the prince soon. Do you think that was the man in my dream?" I asked, somewhat dazed as he continued directing me to the other side of the village.

"It's possible. What's not possible is us helping the poor fool." He told me, taking my hand to pull me along a bit faster. I stared behind us at the village as we left it behind. Edna, and the farmer. I hadn't gotten to say goodbye, and that poor man had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But Lord Dominic didn't care. Not even enough to move him, or go around the man. What was wrong with him?

"But in my dream, I was right there. Every time I've had that sort of situation, it always plays out like in my dream. Unless I change something specific." I said absentmindedly my thoughts still swirling around the buildings we left behind.

"Well then, here's your specific change. We'll just head in the opposite direction Lord Dominic goes each time." He told me as I turned to frown at him.

"We're talking about the prince, Barrett. Don't you care at all?" I asked, squeezing his hand as he pulled me along.

"No, I don't care. Caring tends to get people killed, Monica. Trust me on that." He told me as I stared at the back of his head. Always looking forward, never even glancing back. The scene felt almost like another dream I'd had with him. Running through the forest, hand in hand. But it wasn't romantic. Not at all.

Had everything in my dreams secretly been a twisted reality? Disguising itself as something nice? No. There was still good in this world. I knew it. Barrett was good, so was Edna. It was proof. Even if Barrett didn't want to admit it. But how would I convince him to help me save the prince?

We stopped after the village disappeared from sight, and Barrett had to lean on me for a bit as his leg grew all the more pained. But he could still walk, that was good. It meant his leg had healed a good amount. I just hoped he wouldn't overdo it. Neither of us needed him getting hurt by working too hard.

So I let him lean on me until we found a large tree to stop and rest at. I helped him sit down before sitting next to him and leaning against the bark with a sigh. The sun was up now, but I was so tired from waking up too early, I just wanted to go back to sleep.

Humming gently, I let my eyes drift closed. The only melody on my mind at that moment was the one Barrett sang once and a while. So I tried to sing the song myself. I didn't know all of the words, but the melody was easy enough to replicate.

Barrett didn't say anything as I sang quietly. Swaying softly to the melody. But eventually I felt myself dozing off, and didn't have a single dream as a result. Did sleeping near Barrett disrupt my powers? It was a ridiculous notion, but I wasn't really thinking too well anymore.

When I awoke again, my head was leaned on his shoulder, and as I looked up, I saw that he was still asleep. He looked so peaceful, it seemed like a crime to wake him, so I didn't. Simply sitting up a little and looking around us at the forest.

It was quiet, but bright. The sun was high in the sky. It was lunch time, and I hadn't even eaten breakfast, neither of us had. But we couldn't exactly go back to town, could we?

"Oh. You woke up." Barrett said sleepily, rubbing his face before stretching.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." I mumbled with a shake of my head, trying to shake off the last of the sleepiness I felt.

"Don't worry about it. Let's just get moving." He told me before standing to walk. I joined him and let him lean on me as we headed further down the trail. But even as we did, I found myself glancing behind us once again.

Man. I liked this chapter. But what did you guys think? Was it good? Was it terrible? Is Dominic terrible?

HA! Yeah he is.

Let me know how you're enjoying the story so far. I'm glad you're reading this story.

Have a fun Evening,
G'Night Stars!