Nimue did as the older man asked. She was concerned with his leg and the possible damage he had done, jumping from the horse the way he did. Maric had not even tried to teach her to be stealthy but Nimue was small she was not easy to detect from a distance. Keeping low to the ground, Nimue kept her sword sheathed to better traverse the terrain. The rocky ground caused her to stumble twice and turn her ankle one. She bit back a cry.\<br/><br/>The hair on the back of her neck was tickling her. Her skin was crawling by the time she reached the top. All that was apparent was a stack of newly made arrows and footprints. Puzzled, she looked around but saw nothing. She glanced to the edge of the clearing to be met with open air. No one could have stepped out into thin air.<br/><br/>Biting her lips, she wished for Layla because together they could scour the country side. Turning at the sound of a boot against stone, she saw Rolph with an arrow nocked. The arrow tip was lined up on her heart. She ran toward him, screaming like a Viking berserker. She brandished her sword.  Nimue saw a shadow rise over the hill.<br/>Layla soared into view with a fiery roar in her mouth.<br/><br/><div><hr style="height:2px; width:100%; border:0; color: white;background:white;"/></div><br/>Rolph stood up, arrow nocked in his bow.<br/><br/>“Well if it isn’t the pagan spitfire.” He said with an ingratiating smile. “I believe I will take you along, too. Where is the little girl?”<br/><br/>Nimue frowned and turned her head, as if listening for someone approaching from behind her.<br/><br/>“What are you talking about?”<br/><br/>“The girl, dimwit. She and the uppity bitch aren’t at your place. I turned it upside down and there was no place to hide. I found some bits of silver and gold, thank you very much, but not the girl. She will bring a pretty penny in Bridigton. There is a madam who pays dearly for virgins and young girls. You, the uppity bitch and the lassie will make me a rich man. Now where are they?”<br/><br/>Layla roared spewed fire but didn’t come too close for fear of burning Nimue. She turned sideways to make herself a smaller target for the arrows<br/>.<br/>“Tell that abomination to stay back for I will kill you and then I will take her head with me to the priests. They will also pay me handsomely for such a trophy. They are none too fond of you, I understand.”<br/><br/>Nimue whistled to Layla but it was her, Go Home whistle. The dragon screamed but wheeled away.<br/><br/>“Maric will hunt you down and you will die a horrible death. Leave now and no one will pursue you. You killed Reigna but we don’t care. Just go.”<br/><br/>His bow faltered,<br/><br/>“I killed her?” he asked, a small expression of sadness on his face. “ I was fond of the old girl. She was so evil, so refreshing in these days and times.” Then the bow came back up and his expression hardened. “Put down that sword and come with me. I don’t mind making you a pin cushion.”<br/><br/>"You need to step back from that edge," Nimue said, conversationally. " the bank is soft and the stones are not set well. You could fall."<br/><br/>He sneered, "Well ain't that a comfort that you would care."<br/><br/>Layla circled around, coming in fast and hard. Before Rolph could loose his arrow, she landed with a thud. The earth reverberated under his feet and the stones rolled down the mountain side. Rolph went with them.