Ethan sits inside his home, thinking. He can't just hide from the hunter for the rest of time, they will catch him eventually. So he needs to do something…. Something to help the people of the Reubaltach. But it wasn't safe to meet up, and he didn't even know who was or wasn't caught yet. He didn't know if those being captured were in prison, executed, or anything. All he knew, was that somehow the information got leaked, and someone was hunting them. He needed to do something, he couldn't just stay here hiding like this afraid of being captured….. Ethan took a deep breath, and took out his journal. And he wrote. Sometimes it was easier to think clearly when he got all of his thoughts out on the page. When he was done, he knew what he needed to do. He needed to find whoever leaked the information. They must have been someone in the Reubaltach, but he wasn't sure who, or why. But it was a start. If he could figure out who that was, then he could figure out what the Royals were planning, and what they were doing to the captured. Then, he could figure out the next step. That would have to wait for tomorrow though. He checked the exits of his home one last time, and went to sleep.
After about 20 minutes of talking to the bartender — who gave her absolutely no information — Anne left the tavern. As she was walking out the door, someone slipped a small folded piece of paper into her hand. Anne looked behind her shoulder, but saw no one. Hmmm. She left the center of the city and walked to the outskirts, where she had found a small ravine which would be perfect to camp in. Anne glanced at the sun. It was barely peaking over the top of the mountains that surrounded Riversville. Probably another hour of daylight, Anne guessed. Anne looked around to make sure no one was there and ducked under a tree, whose leaves sheltered her from sight from any onlookers above. Anne slid off her hood and pulled out the piece of paper. It was wrinkled, but didn't look old. The paper looked like it was from another bigger piece of paper. There was a corner, but then it was ripped, cutting off a few of the words. What the paper read, or of what Anne could figure out what it said was,
"…han is… Reubaltach….hidi(ing?)…member leaked… meet…..moonlight…"
Anne growled in frustration. This was no use to her. She stuffed the paper in her pocket, sighing. She leaned her head against the trunk of the tree and threw her cloak over her, giving her warmth. The girl sighed and closed her eyes, letting sleep come over her.
Ethan sleeps. As he sleeps, he dreams. It has been the same dream for quite a while, the same moment, the same regrets. It was the day they had found out that the group had been leaked, and that they were in danger. Ethan had decided that they should run, to hide from those hunting them. There was no way to fight them, as they had the superior numbers. So they all split up. But Ethan thinks back, and regrets it. Surely there was some way he could have done something instead of just running away. He was scared then, there were no back up plans made, no contingencies, they all simply left alone. Perhaps if he and Daren had gone together, then at least they could be sure the other was still alive.
Ethan dreams of that night, and sees his own reckless fear drive him to hide. And it takes a turn to a nightmare. He sees Daren die. He sees him killed because they ran. If Ethan had just tried to find a better way to do this, instead of just running in the face of danger… maybe they could be sure everyone was alive. Maybe they could've found a way to fight even. But Ethan ran in fear, and perhaps caused everyone's capture or even death. He doesn't know, he doesn't know who leaked the information, who is dead, or who is hunting them. He can only dream of what could go wrong, and wish he had done something that could have been a better decision.
Ethan dreams of this. He has been for weeks now. Just nightmares of the possibilities. Of what could be, of the worst case scenario.
