The three women had been running for sometime and Arin was thinking it was about time for a break.
 "Guys, are we there yet?" she asked. "Where are we going again?" Then to herself Arin muttered, "Why oh why did I say I'd come along? They might just turn me in!" Despite her doubts, she kept running with the others.


Karen caught up to Eleni, doing a slow jog to keep up. As they passed the curve of the road, the soft clip-clop of hooves could be heard in the distance.


"I believe we need to find a place to hide, that might be your father looking for you Karen." Eleni whispered. Looking around, she spotted a grove of trees, and ushered both Karen and Arin over to them.


"Finaly, a break!" Arin whispered. From their hiding place in the trees, she noticed that a wagon was passing by. It was plain except for a design of a black money symbol on the side. Reconizing the symbol, she smiled.


"Guys, it's the Hidden Travelling merchants. You can buy anything or sell anything to them. They will make a deal with anyone or anything without ever turning them in to the authorities. I'm always selling my stolen goods to them. Maybe we should get some supplies?"


"Are you sure we can trust them?" Eleni asked. "I've dealt with many people who claim many things, sometimes not meaning what they say. Arin, you may go if you need supplies, but Karen might be recognized, I must stay."


Karen settled on her haunches as Arin went over to the merchants.
"Are we sure we should her go alone? She might say something, and it will get back to Father what we're doing." She picked up a pinecone and started shredding it absentmindedly.


"I'll go with her, try to stay out of veiw." Eleni walked up to Arin with the merchants.


"Long time no see..." Arin struggled to remember their names and then gave up. "Do you guys have anything good today?" Then Arin spotted some food packs. "How much are those?"


The merchant leaned over the edge of the wagon. "You aren't getting anything until you've paid back what you owe."


Eleni looked over at Arin. "What you owe?" she asked.


"I have no clue what he's talking about! I already paid you back...right? Uh...I can't remember! Stop taking advantage of an innocent girls bad memory! I'm sure I paid you back!" Arin went over to a rock and sat down on it to think for a while. After a short period of time she came back over to the merchants. "I'm sure I don't owe you anything." She glared at him in her frustration.


"You owe me precisely 4 gold, 9 silver, and two copper coins, the value of which you stole from me last time we met, in the form of three bags of travel rations and one pewter plate, which I am willing to bet you thought was silver." The merchant smiled. "Of course, if you don't have the money..." He cocked a finger at the caravan guards, and two of them came over. "Any trouble, sir?"


Arin glared at the merchant and gave him his 4 gold, 9 silver, and 2 copper coins. "You're worse than a theif. You're trying to make me broke." She glared again. "I won't be having any more dealings with you." Arin calmy walked away from the merchants to her two companions. She then whispered to them, "Once they start yelling-run."


Eleni looked suspiciously at Arin. "What do you mean when they-"Sure enough, the merchants started yelling.


The original merchant seemed to be shouting something, even as he kept yelling like the others. "Did you think we forgot what happened last time?!" A large group of gaurds that had been hiding out of Arin's side swarmed around from behind the wagons. "I'll catch you yet, you little trickster!"


Arin winced at the comment. "RUN!" She yelled. "Let's just say that they didn't find my coupon for 3 free food packs valid..." She say to her companions. "So like I said, RUN!" Arin broke away from everyone at top spead.


Eleni followed at a quick pace, checking every now and then to see how Karen was holding up. Catching up to Arin, she said," You know, you're gonna get us all killed..." Eleni smiled at her.


The guards were close behind, only about ten feet behind Karen.


Eleni slowed her pace, so she was in step with Karen. "We might want to hurry, close by is a hide out I found a few years back." She hurried so she was in step with Arin again, saying, "Around this bend is a thicket of trees and a worn trail, wait for Karen on it. When she comes by, tell her to follow you, I'll keep the guards busy." Eleni turned and waited, getting a glance from Karen, but continued to stay put until the guards were right up to her.


The guards moved to part around her like a stream around a rock...After all, they weren't after her, they were after Arin.


Eleni took her now wounded pride and chased after the guards. Luckily, the two girls were already running the path and the guards couldn't find them in the woods. Eleni caught up with the guard who was farthest behind and knocked him off his feet. She finally caught up with the rest, knocking them down to gain time. Eleni finally found Arin and Karen, and dragged them to the hideout.


"That was fun!" Arin grinned excitedly. "Let's do that again!" She looked at Eleni and Karen, then changed her opinion. "Just kidding of course..."


"Is that really your idea of fun? They're going to remember who we are, at least what we look like! And now they know the general direction we're headed! I really hope they're not going to my village!" Karen paced along the hideout.


Meanwhile, the leader of the guards got up from where he had lain, pretending to be unconscious, as he watched the girls enter the hideout. He was a large, burly man - and a hint of a point in his ears indicated the elven blood in his veins that his father had given him. He was fast and agile for his size, making him a very good fighter. He snuck over to listen by the entrance to the hideout, hidden behind a bush.


Karen stopped pacing and threw her hands in the air. "Oh well. The deed is done. I'm going to see if I can find some berries or something. I saw some bushes in front. I'll only go that far." She rolled her head a bit to the left and stretched out a couple kinks. "I'll be right back."


Upon hearing this, the guard slipped back quickly, just managing to get behind a large tree by the time Karen came out.


Eleni walked towards the entrance of the hideout, aware that any of the guards could still be close. But she was afraid to leave Arin alone. Then again, Karen needed to be watched as well. Eleni sighed to herself. Too bad there weren't two of her. Then she could make sure both stayed out of trouble.


The guard shifted quietly so that he could watch the girl who left the hideout. He cursed silently as a twig snapped beneath his foot - it had to be the first time in months, if not years - and held his breath, hoping the girl hadn't heard.


Inside the hideout, Arin was looking around the place. It was a small building hidden in a thicket of trees. Within the building was a bed, shelves- both empty or occupying books and supplies, and a closet. Arin realized that Eleni was worried about Karen. She was constantly looking towards the entrance.


"Eleni, why don't you go after Karen?" Arin had a serious expression; it was very rare for her to not have a grin on her face. "I'm not going to blow the place up. I'll sit here on the bed and read this book like a good little girl." She grinned a little bit while displaying the book she found on one of the shelves.


"Alright, I will, but be careful with some of this stuff. After the stunt you pulled, I have reason to worry about you..." Eleni grinned slightly and left to go to Karen.


Karens' mind registered the small sound of a twig snapping, so she stood up straighter from the berry bush. Looking around worriedly, she gathered her handful of berries and looked around quickly.


Eleni was walking to Karen when she heard a twig snap. Her instincts getting to her, she realized it was no animal, but a man. A big man by the sound. Karen was gathering the berries fast and was looking around. Eleni quickly stepped out of sight, trying to find where the sound had come from. She found the twig, some footprints, but nothing else. Quickly, she went into the hideout.
"I think we've been found..."
"What? We've been found?" Arin asked. She then thought for a moment. "I know what we can do!" Without giving Eleni a chance to stop her, Arin rushed out of the hideout and yelled out,"I KNOW YOU'RE THERE! SO COME OUT OF HIDING AND BE A MAN!" She paused to think over what she said. "IF YOU ARE A MAN!"


"Arin, be realistic. If they are hiding, what makes you believe they'd simply walk out and say 'I'm here!'? I don't think anyone is that stupid..." Eleni noticed the bushes wiggle, and she ran up to them, jumped and landed on a very large, burly man.
"Who are you? How did you find us?"


"I told you he'd come out!" Arin said grinning. Her grin disapeared and she suddenly appeared next to the man holding a knife to his throught. "I suggest you answer her questions- quickly." It was amazing that Arin could jump from being a fool to a serious person.


Karen marveled at Arin's quick change. (In other words; 0.o) Dropping her berries into her pocket, she picked up a stick, feeling a little foolish. "Why were you spying on me?"


The man had been glancing from one of their faces to another. Now he focused on Eleni. "My name I can give freely. I am Diego Tharinfalt. I did not particularly plan to spy on you - " At this he glanced at Karen. "I was merely fulfilling my sworn duty. If the girl holding the knife to my throat would kindly pay back the merchants who hired me, we could end all this unpleasantness." With his last words, fifteen men stepped out of the forest, surrounding the three girls. About half of them were the ones who had been knocked out earlier. Diego smiled faintly. "My men. This time they are on guard; the elf will not defeat them so easily. In fact, some of them even have elven blood."