Tyson knew there was no other way. They had to runaway if they wanted to ever make something of their lives. Sure, they were only twelve and thirteen, but it didn’t matter. He knew they could do it. Tyson and Josiah quietly slung their bags onto their backs and made their way to the barn to get the horses.

I will not be sent to an orphanage, Tyson thought angrily to himself. Then he and his brother galloped away into the dark woods.

Chapter 1 From the view of May

The sun rose up and shone on the newly fallen snow. May Parker awoke to the smell of newly made waffles, bacon, and the smell of the wood stove. She yawned and noticed how pretty the snow looked as it was sparkling in the sunrise. She looked out towards the far end of the forest and was surprised to see smoke arising from an area surrounded by trees. Puzzlement turned to worry as she thought of all the recent forest fires and hoped this wouldn’t be the same situation. May slipped on her clothes and slippers and flew out her bedroom door. She skipped a few stairs as she was going downstairs just to save more time.

As she was running to the bathroom she ran right into her mother and fell on the floor.

“Marissa Jane Parker what on earth is the hurry?” Mrs. Parker asked with both agitation and amusement.

“I’m off to Adeline’s house!” May explained quickly. She grabbed the brush and combed her blonde hair so fast that she missed a few knots and got the brush stuck.

“Nice hair style Marissa,” her mother teased. She grabbed the brush out of May’s hair and scolded her.

“Eat breakfast before you leave!”

“I’ll eat there, Mother!” May yelled back as she dashed out the door. She breathed in some air and looked towards the place she had seen from her window. Surprisingly the amount of smoke was still the same. Once again worry turned into curiosity. She ran up to Adeline’s house and knocked hard on the door. She just knew that Adeline would like to help her with this mystery. Adeline was attracted to adventure.

From the view of Josiah

Josiah shivered as he sat by the small campfire that he and his brother had made. They couldn’t risk building a bigger one because the police or the people from the orphanage would see the gathering smoke. Tyson was still feeding the horses and making sure that their blankets were fastened nice and tight as well as the saddles. Josiah wondered what it would be like if they had known their parents at all. Would they still be in this situation? The boys’ mother had died after pneumonia and then their father had died in a deep depression. Their neighbor, a sweet widow, had immediately taken the boys, since they had no other family. She had been nice to them and home schooled them all of their life. She taught them to hunt, to fish, and other important skills. She also taught them to be careful when it came to trusting people.

But as much as they wanted to believe it, the young widow just wasn’t their mother, aunt, sister, or anyone they were even frankly related to. So finally, the police came to the cottage and ordered that the boys be moved to an orphanage that provided schooling and meals. They explained that if she wanted to adopt Josiah and Tyson, she could, but it would cost money – and a lot of it. After the men had left she told the boys she didn’t have any money. She tried as long as she could to keep the boys but eventually the authority’s came and Mrs. Smith sent them to hide in the woods. The men arrested her while Tyson and his brother ran as far as they could.

The night after, Tyson told poor Josiah that they would have to runaway to somewhere like Massachusetts, or they’d get caught. So they snuck back to the house, got their belongings and their two horses and ran off.

Josiah turned around swiftly as his brother laid a hand on his shoulder. He couldn’t bare it. How could these people, these people he was supposed to trust taken away the only mother they had ever known? Juliana Smith was right, learn whom you can trust.

“Tyson? Do you have the picture of mother that Juliana gave to us?” Josiah asked.

“Well yeah, of course.” Tyson answered.

“Good,” Josiah whispered. “Tyson, what will we do once we get to Massachusetts? I mean, we’re not old enough to get jobs or anything like that.”

“Well, who says we aren’t? We can do anything we want! We have all of our money that we saved up, and that will last the trip, and maybe we can work a small job, anywhere would be nice. We’d save up our money and then we’d just get Juliana out of jail and there’d still be enough money for her to adopt us.” Tyson answered in one big breath.

Josiah highly doubted that Tyson’s plan would work at all. He believed that the only thing in store for them in Springfield would be another orphanage chasing them all around the town. He shook his head and laughed.

“What’s so funny to you?” Tyson asked angrily.

“It’s just that you always act as if everything will go the way you want it to. The world doesn’t belong to you and you know that.” He replied.

“Well, yes, but who are you to say that? You’re my younger brother!”

“By one year!” Josiah angrily replied.

“I’m going to bed. Make sure you bring the shotgun with you when you come into the tent.” With all done and said, Tyson stormed off.

Josiah rubbed his legs and thought of a warm bed with Mrs. Smith giving him heated rocks to put under the blankets. Oh how he hoped she was better off then he was right now. He longed for some since of belonging in this huge wide world but he just couldn’t track it down. No parents, no family, no home, no purpose. But he knew God could get them through it. He knew there was a bigger plan for them out there somewhere.

From the view of Adeline

Adeline stretched and slowly got off the rocker to answer the constant knocking on the door. She had been stitching a blanket for the new sibling that was due in a few months. As she opened the door she was surprised to see her friend Marissa (or, May, as she called her) in a dusty gown and cloak standing there in front of her.

“May Parker what have you done to your dress?” Adeline asked in shock.

May looked down at herself and shrugged. She was panting as she described what she had seen this morning.

“Well, will you come with me?” May asked with hope in her sparkling eyes. Adeline smiled and nodded. She ran to the parlor closet and grabbed her purple cloak.

“Mother! I’ll be gone for a while with May! I’ll be back before tea time!” she yelled up the stairs.

The girl’s ran out the door and up into the barn. They grabbed Adeline’s two horses, Star and Sapphire, and rode into the forest. As they got closer to the spot where they saw the smoke, Adeline suggested that they tie the horses there and walk on foot the rest of the way. May agreed and they both set off.

Adeline was admiring the sparkling snow and icy puddles when suddenly she tripped and fell. As she pulled herself up she looked around and realized that May was no longer with her. She called her name several times before she began to get worried. She ran helplessly through the woods crying her friend’s name until she grew exhausted and fell into a heap on the ground. She sobbed silently thinking that an animal had taken her older friend.

Suddenly she heard a twig snap behind her and felt joy spring inside of her. Her heart screamed the word’s Marissa, you’re alive! But as she began to stand up something shoved her down and a cold hand covered her mouth. She struggled hard to get free but she began to feel queasy and realized that the person’s other hand, or thumb, was pushing against her pressure point on her head and she fell unconscious to the ground.

Adeline groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Josiah noticed how pretty those eyes were. They were so light blue that they were actually violet. She got up but quickly lay down when she realized how much her head hurt. She slowly took in her surroundings with glazed over eyes. Then those same eyes widened as the night before came to her. She sat up carefully this time and stared at her kidnappers and found it as a shock to her as she realized that the kidnappers were really just her age.

“Please tell me why I’m here and why you behaved so cruelly last night,” she ordered with a voice that masked her fear.

“Well, you happen to be in our camp Miss and –“ the younger boy started, but he paused when he saw the glare that his brother was giving him.

“May I go home?” Adeline asked with a trembling voice. She was terrified that the answer would be no.

“I’m afraid we can’t let you. You see, no one can find out about where we are. Do you understand? We ran away and we don’t plan on going back until we can afford to get our innocent foster mother out of jail.” The older, sterner boy explained.

“But I wouldn’t tell a soul!” Adeline cried helplessly.

“I’m terribly sorry but your parents would want to know where you’ve been and we wouldn’t expect you to lie would we?” Tyson fibbed.

“Why would you even bother about it seeing as you are lying yourself?” Adeline retorted. Suddenly she remembered her friend.

“Where is May?” she asked as her eyes turned into flames of fury.

“Please calm down Miss. Your friend is perfectly all right and asleep in the tent. She kept us awake all night threatening to call the authorities. We reminded her that the closest phone is in town but that is thirty minutes away.” The older boy explained with amusement.

“May I at least know your names if I’m to stay here?” Adeline inquired.

“I’m Tyson and this is my younger brother, Josiah.” The older one introduced.

Josiah studied young Adeline carefully. He guessed she was about his age and a little shorter than he. She had reddish brown hair, rosy cheeks, and of course those violet eyes. How could anyone’s eyes explain all of their feelings at once? He guessed that she was just acting this confident but was really scared and heartbroken underneath it all. She wore a dark green gown with a violet winter cloak. He finally realized that she was shivering.

“Uh, Miss Adeline? Would you like a blanket?” he asked politely. Adeline was surprised at this question but nodded her head gratefully. She hadn’t really known how cold she was until now. She saw that even though the boy was not protesting against her capture, he was actually courteous and was only following his brother’s orders.

He was a handsome young man, not bad for someone that was part of a “kidnapping”. He had dark brown eyes and auburn hair and you could tell that he wasn’t always as serious as his brother was.

Adeline looked in his direction and their eyes met for a moment. When Josiah glanced down quickly, she couldn’t help but smile.

“What are you so happy about?” Tyson scolded. He looked at his brother but Josiah just shrugged but inside he knew why the girl had smiled.

The quietness settled in but was soon broken with the awakening of May. She tried to sneak out and ran off into the woods. Adeline marveled at her quickness and agility. Tyson got up and walked into the forest only to come back a few moments later with a soaked May in captivity.

“Apparently she thought she could swim and fell right through the ice.” He teased. Adeline couldn’t help but smile when she remembered that even though May was swift on legs, she wasn’t too swift in the head.

May sat down, grumbling the whole time. She tried to plan out her escape, but it wasn’t as easy as she thought it was. If these boys could track an animal, they could defiantly track her down.

“Well what do expect us to do this whole time that we have to spend with you? Where are you going and are we going to that place with you?” Adeline asked. There were too many questions not answered.

“I’ve been thinking, and since we’re going to Springfield, I figure, the longer you’re missing, the higher the price will be raised for your return. So, you’re coming with us to Springfield, and we’ll say that we found you wandering around at the outskirts of some random place, that you had hitched a ride on someone’s wagon, but that person had brought you somewhere else instead of bringing you home. I’m sure your parents would gladly pay us for our troubles of taking you with us. I mean if the story were true, we could have just left you shivering on the side of the road.” Tyson proudly explained his plan with happiness. Even May couldn’t fathom how their plan wouldn’t work except for if they ran away.

“So that’s your new plan is it?” Josiah asked angrily. ”Do you really think Juliana would want us to hold these girls hostage for ransom, just so that we could get her out of prison? It’s not right.” He glared at Tyson with anger painted on his face. He was not the sort that would go against the law just for money. But Tyson, he didn’t care. He was desperate for anything to avoid the authorities.

“Josiah, you know we have to do this. Once we get the money, Miss Smith will be out of prison, and she can officially adopt us. After that, the authorities will have no reason to chase us!” he pleaded to his brother. Josiah stared at him in disbelief. He couldn’t believe what Tyson was telling him.

“Escape the authorities? What happens if they found out we had captured these girls all along? What happens if in Springfield, someone recognizes us and the police take us away before we can even trade them in?”

Tyson paused and thought this over. He didn’t expect it to be easy but he had another plan in his mind.

“We’ll change our names and make sure that they can’t see our faces so easily. It’s not so strange to see someone with a scarf wrapped around his or her face in this cold weather. As for if they found out about the girls, I’m sure they won’t tell a soul, will they?” with that he stared at the two girls with a glare. Adeline thought for a moment then shook her head. After all, even though it wasn’t right, they were doing it for a good cause. She also wanted some adventure, some time away from her family and property. But May didn’t give up so easily.

“I will tell everyone the minute we get to Springfield that you two are horrible kidnappers and I hope you get arrested for it!” she exclaimed loudly. She breathed heavily and her eyes showed that she meant it.

“First off, we’re not horrible kidnappers,” Tyson mentioned. “Second, I’ll just tell the people there that you are sick and delusional from the cold. That condition has unfortunately been seen there many times before.” May looked heartbroken and confused.

“He’s right you know,” Adeline said quietly to her puzzled friend.

“What do you mean, ‘He’s right’?” May whispered.

“I’m afraid people have seen that condition many times before and the people that have that condition are sent somewhere away from other people until they get their right mind back,” Adeline explained. She didn’t really find this disappointing, she found it amusing. She turned to look at Josiah and found him holding in a laugh. He couldn’t help it. The look on May’s face was a sight to see.

“Miss May, you act as if we’re going to treat you as slaves. You’re going to be equally fed, you can even use some of the money we have. We don’t have much, only twenty dollars to last us the whole trip. But we’re willing to let you buy something with it if you cooperate. We’ll even buy you each a new winter cloak. Those cloaks won’t last you the whole trip,” Tyson bargained. May was speechless. She expected these boys to be heartless and cruel. The only thing she was able to squeak out was,

“That’s Miss Parker to you.”

Finally Josiah cracked up and let out a hearty laugh. He defiantly liked Adeline better. At least she had a sense of humor and adventure. Marissa liked to be proper and sensible. He looked up at his brother but was surprised to see that Tyson was looking in May’s direction with a smile. Josiah couldn’t believe it. Did Tyson just find her funny or attractive? He was revolted at the thought. Suddenly Tyson got up and went over to where the horses were grazing. He mounted one, and took the other’s reins in his hands.

“Alright, May, you’re with me; Adeline, you’re with Josiah!” he ordered. May glanced in Tyson’s direction in disgust.

“Why must we ride with you? Why can’t we ride on our own horses?” she retorted. Tyson rolled his eyes.

“You can’t ride your horses because we sent them free. So, you may either ride with us or we shall tie you to the horse and you can walk.” He threatened truthfully.

“I’d rather walk, thank- you!”

“Fine then,” he laughed. Adeline giggled while Tyson got off the horse, tied May’s hands together, and attached the other end of the rope to the horses bridle. Josiah helped Adeline onto the front of the horse while he got in back and took hold of the reins.

“Are the food and matches packed in your bag?” Tyson asked sternly. Josiah nodded and pointed to the bag on the side of the horse.

“Good,” Tyson commented. “The tent is in mine.”

With that they trotted away silently, away from the houses and territory that the girls had known their whole life. May was afraid that she would never see that land again. But Adeline trusted these boys. She believed that they would either find it in their hearts to let them go, or keep their word and trade them in in Massachusetts.

It was nighttime before they got to shelter. They found an abandoned, old cottage in the middle of nowhere. Adeline had already fallen asleep and was dreaming peacefully. May couldn’t blame her. After all, she had a tough day. Since May was thirteen and Adeline was twelve, May usually acted like she was Adeline’s second mother. She made sure that she didn’t get into trouble and made sure she was safe at all times. But now that they were both captured she didn’t know what to do. She had grown to trust these boys over the trip, especially Tyson. He had made her follow the horse the whole time until she was willing to ride on his horse. Eventually, they came to a river and as they went to cross, May sunk right under. The water was a little deeper than they thought it would be, and the current was much too fast. She bobbed up and down gasping for air but the water would just swallow her up again and darkness would swallow her. But Tyson wasn’t about to let her drown. He grabbed the rope and pulled with all his strength until she was within arm’s length, then he grabbed her and put her next to him onto the horse. The next thing she knew, they were on the other side of the river and she was panting heavily. Tyson gave her a horse blanket and some hot water to drink. She was shivering uncontrollably.

May remembered that she had refused to go on until she was warm again but she immediately changed her mind when Tyson reminded her of the mountain lions.

Now that they were at this cabin, May jumped off the horse and stretched her legs. Josiah got off his horse and woke Adeline to have her dismount as well. She was very confused for a moment but regained her memory soon after.

“Hey May?” Adeline ventured. May looked up, alarmed, thinking that something was wrong.

“You’ve ended your shivering spasm,” she remarked with a laugh. They all laughed but then Tyson’s expression changed. He ordered seriously,

“Everyone needs to get inside and get some rest. I went and inspected it and it looks like there are two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. Girl’s can be in one room, we’ll be in the other room.”

Adeline and May gladly walked inside and into their room for the night, but Josiah still stood where he was standing. He was staring at a spot just behind Tyson. Tyson slowly turned around and froze. Right at the edge of the trees was a huge wolf staring at the two of them.

“Josiah,” he whispered. “Get in the house and tell the girls to shut all the doors and windows.”

Josiah stayed put.

“Do it,” Tyson growled. This time Josiah reacted and slowly backed up but he didn’t head towards the house. He headed to Tyson’s horse and grabbed the shotgun. He got closer to his brother and the wolf, aimed, and fired. He missed and hit a tree, but it was enough to scare the wolf. It ran off whimpering. Josiah was very proud but got no encouragement from his brother.

“Next time, when I say to go into the cabin, you go into the cabin. Understand?” then he walked right by his dumbstruck younger brother and went inside. As Josiah went to follow, he heard a growl behind him.

Oh no! He thought. He faced his opponent and realized that this time it wasn’t just one wolf, but three.

Fear welled up inside him and he couldn’t help but think that he was going to die. He turned his gun upon them, aimed and… nothing. The gun was out of ammunition. Josiah prayed to God that these animals wouldn’t hurt him or the horses. The head wolf, the one he tried to shoot, walked slowly towards, and then past him. Josiah watched in amazement as the others did the same. He turned to see where they were going, and found them walking towards a big rock. There was a space under the rock where one could store things and the head wolf stuck her head under, only to come out with a yawning pup. Each wolf reached in until all the pups were out, then carried them back into the woods.

Josiah silently thanked God, and then put the horses into the old barn that rested next to the cabin. He put a latch on the door and joined his brother in the cabin.

“What took you so long?” Tyson scolded.

“The wolf, it came back, this time with two others. I was terrified, Tyson. I tried to shoot one, but the gun was out of ammo. I’m glad I couldn’t shoot them though, because they just walked right past me and under a big boulder. Don’t you see? There were pups involved. Three pups! They only attacked us because they thought we would hurt their pups. God protected both the pups and me. Tyson, are you listening?” but Tyson was fast asleep on the floor. Josiah smiled.

May awoke early the next morning just as she had for the last two years of her life. She liked to wake up just as all the birds were feeding on worms and singing their morning songs. Her stomach growled and she realized how hungry she was. She went off in search for some sort of food. They didn’t have much left in the bags that were tied to the horses. She climbed over some rocks and found, not food, but a hot spring. May washed her face and hands thoroughly and was satisfied. She found some berries and filled her pockets to the brim. She went to the horses and took a pan, matches, and some bread out of the bag. She went inside and started a fire in the fireplace. May squashed the berries as much as she could and put them in the pan that rested over the fire.

The perfect breakfast, she thought. When her homemade jam was heated she spread it onto the bread that she had found in the bag.

May happily bit into her scrumptious breakfast with satisfaction.

“Uh, that looks very good,”

May was startled by the voice and jumped backwards. Her hand hit the burning hot pan and she yelled in pain. Tyson stared in shock.

“ I didn’t mean – I mean – Let me help you with that,” he offered. He ripped the bottom of his shirt and dipped it in the water that was now cold. He took her hand and wrapped it in the soaking cloth.

“So why are you even up this early in the morning? I doubt it’s even 6:00,” Tyson asked.

“I like to get up early enough to hear the birds sing,” she said. Tyson raised an eyebrow.

“ Good grief, that wasn’t the only reason!” she exclaimed.

“Then what was the other reason?” he asked.

“I was hungry!” she lied softly. Tyson smiled knowingly.

“Do you want to go for a walk?” Tyson asked nervously.

“Uh, okay!” May exclaimed. She wanted to act like she didn’t mind if he took her on a walk or not but it just wasn’t working. They walked out the door and breathed in the fresh morning air. Tyson took her up a path into the snow-covered trees. They walked, talked, and walked some more. Tyson told May all about his parents and what had become of them and May talked all about her life as a merchant’s daughter. Finally they decided they should get back to Adeline and Josiah, who were probably a bit confused after the disappearance of their friends. When they reached the trees that came right before the cabin Tyson gasped and pulled May back into the shadows. He made a shushing motion and pointed to two unknown men walking over the threshold, guns in hand. May quickly thought of Josiah and Adeline’s safety.

“What should we do?” she whispered to Tyson.

“I don’t know,” he gravely replied. They peered over the edge of the tree that they had been hiding behind in order to see better.

“Let’s hope those to saw the men beforehand and had enough sense to escape!” Tyson growled. May’s eyes widened and she nudged him.

“I don’t think they escaped,” she said quietly.

“Why?” he asked worriedly.

“Because,” she replied. “They’re climbing out of the back window!” Tyson followed the direction of her eyes and looked in disbelief. There climbing out of the window, came first Adeline, then Josiah. Tyson couldn’t help but laugh at the stupidity of the sight. The pair ran up the path that led to where the horses were tied and rode up into the woods, looking for May and Tyson, unaware that they were following them.

Finally May came out of the shadows and said,

“How in the world did escape the view of those men?” Adeline spun around and laughed. She and Josiah took turns explaining how they had hidden in an empty closet until it was safe to gather their belongings and make their way towards the closest window. They managed to get almost all the food and hide all the evidence that someone had been there seconds before the men had arrived.

“We looked all over for you two!” Josiah scolded. “We thought for sure that you had gone back to the cabin and had gotten kidnapped or worse!” Tyson and May looked at each other.

“Um, we almost did!” May exclaimed. They stared in shock at her and Tyson.

“If you would’ve walked into the cabin you could’ve gotten killed, and they might’ve even realized that there were more of us too!” Josiah shuddered at the thought. Adeline switched over to the front of Josiah’s horse and Tyson and May mounted the other. Tyson’s mind was filled with strange thoughts and worries. Those men were bounty hunters; he just knew that they were. The way the men had searched the place, guns in hand, had definitely shaken Tyson. He thought he had heard one of the men yell that there was no one there. It could’ve been his imagination but then again it could’ve been real. They would just have to be more careful. He wasn’t worried about the girls running away, they had grown to trust the boys in those two days. Adaline broke into Tyson’s thoughts by yelling,

“Look! Our horses!” All of them stared in astonishment at the two stallions grazing at the little bit of grass that they could find. Adaline jumped off Josiah’s horse and ran towards her own. She pet it’s muzzle and patted it’s back. May got off Tyson’s horse and mounted her own.

“Come on, Adaline!” she scolded. “ We have to keep moving! The cabin isn’t too far away and those men are probably hungry. More than likely they’ll want to go hunting for food right around this area.” Tyson’s eyebrows raised in surprise. He didn’t know that May would be able to figure something like that. He knew it was true and nodded in agreement.

“We might also want to keep our voices down just in case they’re nearby. Lets get a move on it.”

The four moved on, each on their own horses now and Tyson noticed the disappointment painted on Josiah’s face. He smirked. When Josiah saw Tyson staring at him in amusement he quickly changed the expression on his face. He couldn’t let Tyson know that he was disappointed that Adaline was now on her own horse. He made a clicking noise and his horse moved to the front of the small posse, his cheeks burning in embarrassment.

They rode on until they reached a small stream. They dismounted and filled the only two canteens that they had brought along for the trip. May bent down to wash the dirt off from her hands and to sip some of the sweet cool water. Adaline saw how good the water appeared and bent down to drink some when something caught her eye. Something sparkled gold in the water. She put her hand in and pulled out two things. One was a beautiful ring with crimson painted into it, the other a plain gold locket. She tried to see if it would open but she failed. May finished up and went over to where Adaline was kneeling.

“Where did you get that?” she asked, hands on hips.

“Right here in the water,” she explained. May stared at the ring in awe. Adaline thought for a moment, then opened up May’s hand and placed the ring gently in it. May’s eyes widened in shock and excitement.

“No, Adaline, you didn’t have to give it to me. You found it, it should be yours.” She objected. Adaline could see that May really did want it so she said,

“May, you’re my friend. You can have the ring, I’ll keep the locket.” She smiled to show that she meant it and May went off, ring on her finger. Adaline noticed that when she passed Tyson she seemed to stick out her hand a little bit.

Later on that night they decided that they should make camp right near the stream and that they were far enough away from the cabin to start a fire to keep warm. When they were all sitting around the fire Adaline asked,

“Why isn’t the water in this stream frozen?”

“Well, if it’s moving it’s a little harder to freeze.” Josiah explained scientifically.

“Oh,” Adaline replied with a puzzled face. It was silent for a while until a big growl came from May’s stomach. She winced and said quietly,

“I guess I am a little hungry.” Tyson smiled and went over to the horse and the bags then brought out some of the jar of jam and biscuits he had saved. He also brought out the pan to heat them up in. Tyson sat down, placed them in the pan, and then put them over the fire to cook. After they were ready, Tyson served them each half a biscuit with jam. They all wolfed it down in a heartbeat. Tyson was fully satisfied and looked up to see if May approved but was stunned to see that she was playing with a ring on her finger.

“Where did you get that?” he demanded.

“Get what?” she asked as she stuffed her hand underneath her.

“The ring!” he shouted. She took her hand back out and looked at it.

“Adaline gave it to me!” she blamed. Tyson turned to look at Adaline.

“Where did you get it then?” he asked with clenched teeth.

“I found it in the water along with this locket!” she said as she held up the trinket. “Why are you so angry about it anyways?”

“No reason.” He said. The ring looked familiar, too familiar. He didn’t know where it was from or where he had seen it before but it was just familiar. He cleared his mind of the thought and asked if anyone wanted to turn in for the night.

“Yeah I’m bushed,” Josiah said with a yawn. He walked slowly towards the tent that they had set up and said “goodnight” to the girls. As Josiah opened the flap of the tent, he collapsed, asleep. The three laughed at the sight.

“We should turn in too,” May whispered. She headed towards the girls’ tent but turned back when she realized that Adaline was not with her. Adaline had taken the locket off from her neck and was trying to force it open. Failing, she threw the locket onto the ground. She crossed her arms and sighed, but after a few seconds, bent down and picked up the trinket. May came over and helped Adaline tie it around her neck.

“Come Adaline, we’ve got to get some sleep. You already have dark circles outlining your eyes.” May crooned. Adaline nodded her head in agreement and the two went off to bed, leaving Tyson lost in his thoughts. A few moments later he was awoken out of his thoughts by the sound of a twig snapping. He grabbed the musket and loaded it n seconds. He aimed towards the woods where he had heard the noise and ordered,

“Come on out, I have a gun!” A boy, about fifteen years old, stepped out of the shadows with his hands over his head.

“Calm down! You’re within friends. I’m not a danger to you at all. I’m just on my way home, I had gone on a trip.” He explained nervously. Tyson lowered the gun and motioned for the boy to sit. The boy quickly obeyed and sat on a nearby log.

“So, what would your name be?” Tyson inquired. The boy shifted his weight nervously and answered,

“The name’s Link, at least that’s what people call me. My father owns a ranch just 40 miles out of Springfield. If your looking for work, then we could use a farmhand or two.” He held out his hand and Tyson grudgingly shook it. He didn’t trust this young man. May came out of her tent but stopped in her tracks when she saw Link. She stared curiously at him for a moment but quickly regained her conscience and turned to Tyson for an explanation.

“May this is Link, he owns a ranch just out of Springfield.”

“Nice to meet you sir,” she said politely.

“Why so formal? You don’t have to talk like that around me,” Link joked. May laughed and didn’t hesitate to sit down next to their guest. Tyson’s temper was slowly rising but he asked as calmly as he could,

“Is Adaline asleep?” May nodded with a smile. Link raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Oh so there are more of you?” he asked.

“Yes, two more, both asleep. Adaline and Josiah, they’re the younger ones even though they don’t wish to believe it.” May answered.

“Are you all siblings?” Link asked. May started to answer but Tyson shook his head at her. She closed her mouth and curiosity lined her face.

“Actually yes, we are siblings. We’re heading to find jobs and Springfield and the girls are staying with our grandmother there. Our father sent us with some food, but not enough for the whole trip. He wanted to see if we would do well on our own.” Tyson lied. He looked over in Link’s direction and realized that Link actually believed him.

“Oh I see. Well, I was wondering if I might travel with you. When we get to my place, I’m sure my father could give you a place to stay for a few nights and then give you a ride to Springfield.” Link bargained helplessly. Tyson thought for a moment.

“Well,” he said. “The girls aren’t expected at Grandmother’s house for about two months. I guess it would be alright.” Link smiled and thanked him.

“I’ll sleep on the ground because it looks like there is barely enough room in that tent for you and the other boy!” he joked. May laughed and Tyson was jealous of the way she looked at Link. He blurted out the only excuse he had.

“May, you should really be going to bed now. We have to wake up at four o’clock tomorrow morning in order to get to Link’s house before his father starts to worry.” She reluctantly obeyed, knowing that something was bothering Tyson. As she climbed into bed and shut the flap to the doorway, she thought she heard the faint click of a gun being loaded as a wolf howled somewhere nearby.

The next morning, the first one to get up was Adaline, an unusual turn of events because it was usually Tyson and May that were the first to rise. Adaline yawned and slowly climbed out of their small shelter to get some fresh morning air. She gasped and fell backwards as she spotted a young mansitting down against a tree, reading a book. He saw that she was staring at him with a worried face and realized why she was puzzled.

“Don’t worry young Adaline, I was introduced to your brother and sister the night before. The name’s Link.” He reassured his words with a friendly smile.

“Brother and sister?” she asked. Then she thought a moment and quickly played along. “Oh, you mean Tyson and May!”

“Of course, whom else would I be talking about?” he asked inquisitively. She thought quickly and fibbed,

“I thought you meant Josiah, you see he fell asleep so naturally I thought you were lying because if you would have said it was him that you had talked to – well you get the point don’t you?” Link stared at her oddly but nodded his head in agreement.

“What are you reading?” Adaline asked, quickly changing the subject. He remembered the book he was holding and said,

“Just some old schoolwork. I’m home schooled because we live so far away from the school.” He answered.

“Oh,” Adaline responded. “I love to read but schoolwork is indeed boring.” Link laughed just as May walked out of the tent. She scowled, her heart filled with jealousy. She thought that Adaline was falling all over Link.

“Adaline!” May called. “Go find some more berries in the woods and I can make some more jam.” Adaline obeyed and set off in search of scrumptious berries.

“Good Morning, Miss May,” Link greeted her with a smile. Oh, that smile was just perfect; at least that was what May was thinking.

“Good Morning to you as well,” she hoped it didn’t sound as formal as last night. He laughed and she was able to shake away some of her nervousness.

“What are you reading?” she asked him curiously.

“Just some old fairytales,” he answered with an embarrassed grin on his face. May shrugged and commented,

“Hey, even I read fairytales once in a while.”

Link stared at her in shock but gradually realized that he had forgotten she was a bit younger than he.