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and her thumping heart began to pound madly in her chest. Soon, very soon she would be with Cree again and this time he would leave with her. Footfalls suddenly approached and she braced herself against the dank wall, letting the darkest shadow she could find consume her.
    The footfalls grew louder and in a few seconds a guard walked past her, so close that she feared he would be able to smell her, but then the already foul odor in the air no doubt helped to disguise her own unpleasant scent.
    Once he passed by her, his footfalls no longer heard, she hurried to the lone cell and gently shoved the key in the lock, opened the door, and slipped in, closing the door behind her.
    An arm snagged her around the waist and yanked her back against his hard chest while a harsh whisper sounded in her ear, “You disobey me yet again.”
    Dawn pressed a finger to his lips and with quick gestures let him know he was to follow her lead.
    He was about to say something when footfalls sounded again, no doubt the guard returning this way. In one swift motion, Cree drew them both into a corner of the cell and there they remained wrapped around each other as the guard approached. As soon as the guard made his way passed the door, they slipped out, locked it, and Dawn lead him up the two flights of stairs to freedom.
    Cree was not surprised to see Old Mary when they came upon the woman.
    “No time to explain,” Old Mary said. “You must go with Dawn and stay hidden where she puts you until it is safe to come out. Now hurry.”
    Again Cree did not argue, though it was difficult to hold his tongue. He followed Dawn out and saw Old Mary gesture to her and his wife shake her head. Old Mary’s head kept nodding as she swung the door shut behind them and the key clicked in the metal lock.
    Cree looked at his wife. She shook her head, hoping he understood that he was not to worry that it was part of the plan and he did not protest. He continued hurrying along with her, yanking her deeper into the shadows when he caught sight of a sentry along the walk wall.
    They waited there, wrapped in the shadow’s protective embrace, the sentry not moving. Dawn rested her cheek on her husband’s naked chest. It was something she had done often, especially when she nestled beside him at night in bed. But now, this moment, she enjoyed more than ever before since she had thought she might never get the chance to do it again.
    Tears stung her eyes when he eased his hand between them and she felt him press his hand to his chest, then to hers and held it there, letting her know how much he loved her. She pressed a gentle kiss to his chest and she felt him shuddered.
    When they heard the sentry walk off, she reluctantly extracted herself from his arms and hurriedly led the way, eager to have this done and have her husband free of this horrible place and home where he belonged.
    The rain had turned to a drizzle and Dawn feared that some of the travelers would return to camp fearful of what little they possessed being stolen. She stopped just before reaching the camp and looked around, nothing appeared to stir. She hurried Cree to the cart and worried he would protest when she shoved at him to climb into it. He hesitated only a moment before doing as she directed, though she could tell by how his dark eyes narrowed that he was not pleased with the situation.
    He was too tall for the cart, so he had to curl his legs up near to his chin, not a comfortable positon but a necessary one. She spread the rags over him, arranging them so that they looked no different from before and thinking that no one would suspect the mighty Cree to be cramped tight in a cart, hiding under a pile of foul smelling rags.
    She was feeling more hopeful that all would go well with Cree freed from the dungeon, and her heart swelled with joy. Fear, however, continued to linger, for they would not be entirely free until they were beyond the village walls.
    Dawn leaned against the side of the cart when