Normally, she wouldn't have bothered to go to this much trouble to help another. She didn't need to endanger herself just to spare another the trouble they faced. Everyone has trouble. Everyone should deal with it. But in this case, he was dealing with<span style="font-style: italic">her</span>trouble. He'd saved her from a great deal of trouble.<br/><br/>She was near the point of collapse. Her body was completely drained of every resource. Even as she sat at the head of the cart she kept catching herself nodding off. She had to reach her destination soon. Snapping the reins, she drove the horse into a trot. Ten minutes later, she arrived at a clearing in the woods a reasonable distance away from the city and off the path. She was half conscious and stumbling as she went. She moved about the small camp, digging around in bags, searching for various supplies she would need. She found she was having a more difficult time remembering where everything was than she should have been. Frustrated, she sat down on the chair she had set by the fire pit and leaned forward to brace her elbows on her knees. Lowering her face into her palm, she rubbed at her eyes.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Come on...</span>she thought to herself irritably,<span style="font-style: italic">Wake up. Who knows what--</span>her thoughts slowed for a moment and she lost track of them, then mentally shook herself and resumed her inner pep talk,<span style="font-style: italic">Who knows what their doing to him. He spared you an unbearable end twice, and yet.... yet... 's not...</span><br/><br/>Her thoughts drifted once more and she began breathing deeper, drifting into a fitful sleep where she sat. After a few moments, she snapped awake, sat upright in her chair, then promptly dozed off again. This continued until finally, she was sprawled limply in the chair, utterly unconscious.<br/><br/><br/>A few hours later, after some much needed sleep and a great deal of frantic preparations, she was as ready as she could be.  She left her cart where it was, well hidden and protected by wards, and began the hike back to the city on foot. When she reached it, the guards were stationed by the gate.<br/><br/>She wore a heavy, hooded cloak which concealed all of her features. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself, she leaned forward and hunched over. Her hand extended out a ways, bracing each step she took now with a knobbed and crooked walking stick. Her long slender fingers were contorted into the claws of an ancient old crone. Hobbling along on awkward feet, she shuffled toward the gate. The guards paid her little attention and she kept her head down, making her way slowly past them.<br/><br/>She kept up the ruse through the city streets, her impatience growing. The journey took forever. She knew the longer she took, the more misery the man would endure in her stead. Glancing up, she saw that finally she was before the large prison. she'd made it. Now for the hard part.