Dru almost ran smack into Marna’s kidnappers.
She was leading Rupe, who had thrown a shoe somehow and was limping. Dru herself could barely pick her feet up and was shuffling through the melting snow. Her head was down, her eyes half closed. The only reason she hadn’t lost the trail of the armed band was simply that it was easier to follow their tracks than break her own trail through fresh snow. She had looked up once and seen a cluster of trees ahead, noticed that dusk was falling, and thought that it would probably be a good idea to find some shelter. She came to the rim of a little dell, looked down, and realized with a start that the kidnappers had already camped there.
Dru gasped and dropped to a crouch, eyes wide and heart pounding. Quam, she breathed, keep Rupe from snorting. Tha
