"Have the men held you down?"

"Not yet."

Justin didn't want to hear what that meant, but he stayed where he was just the same.

Kevin knew exactly what it meant. He took a deep breath and let it out. No wonder she was terrified. He heard someone walk up behind him and turned to look. Holding Rachel in her arms, Athena didn't stop. Instead, she took the child to her mother, exchanged a few whispers with the women and came back.

Athena stood in front of Kevin with her arms folded and watched his eyes. "They want to leave. Let them go."

"How can I, she is my wife and it is not safe for them out there alone."

"Anna was brought here against her will and for days you have imprisoned her. Her mother has been locked away for two years. Do you really think you can keep them?"

"There must be a way to convince them we will not harm them."

"Kevin, I rode beside Catherin all the way back and told her everything I could think of about us."

"She did not believe you?"

"I doubt she even heard me. She is free, but she is not really free until she is allowed to make her own decisions."

"She can make her own decisions here."

Athena closed her eyes and slowly opened them again. "Kevin, what does a horse do when you first take off his bridle and set him free?"

"He runs," Justin answered.

"Aye, Catherin wants to run too. It is all she can think about. You can talk, but she does not hear your words."

"I cannot let Anna go, I love her."

"Then show her how much you love her by letting her go. They must know they are free to leave whenever they want."

"Athena is right, Kevin. It pains me to say it, but she is right. We have to let them go." Justin looked at Catherin one last time and then walked with Athena back across the bridge.

Anna and her mother stood up and watched Kevin for a moment, but when he didn't make a move, Anna snapped her fingers and the stallion walked to her. She swung up on his back, took Rachel and then gave her mother a hand up. For a long moment, Anna just sat there looking at him until finally, she mumbled something to the horse. Threcher turned, walked away from Kevin and disappeared into the forest.

*

Kevin stood there for another hour waiting, but Anna didn't come back and his heart was actually hurting. He'd never felt that kind of pain before and didn't think he would survive it. A thousand thoughts were going through his mind. The women hadn't taken a thing with them; they'd not even eaten their evening meal. Anna had no bow and arrows and no dagger. How would they live?




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