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already begun.
    Finn rolled his bed out next to the far wall.  He blocked it from prying eyes by placing a bench between him and the rest of the room, then draped it with his wet clothes.  The care he was taking gave Aein pause.  She realized he was worried about someone seeing him change into a werewolf when the sun rose.  Aein walked over and placed her bed beside his and climbed inside the blankets.  He raised an eyebrow.
    "Just keeping the charade going," she whispered with a wink.
    A slow smile crept across Finn's weathered face as he realized she was setting up a secondary line of defense, ready to shield him if necessary.  He tucked his feet inside his blankets and pulled the scratchy wool up to his chin.
    Aein rested her head in the crook of her arm.  "Do you think he caught them?" she asked.
    "I cannot imagine him not," said Finn softly.
    "I hope he is safe."
    The flickering firelight played across the shape of Finn's lips.  She thought back to that night so many months ago when they had shared a moment alone, when things had been soft and tender between them.  They had not had a moment together like that since, duty always coming between them, any moment interrupted by some task.
    "I am glad you're here," whispered Aein.
    "Me, too," he replied.  His eyes became distant.  "You two would have probably been fine on your own, but I had to make sure Queen Gisla..."
    His voice trailed off and he did not complete the sentence.  Aein tried not to sigh.  He would always place the queen first.  Though the queen would have to marry for political reasons and there was no hope for any sort of future, especially with one being a wolf at night and one at day, Finn cared deeply for her. 
    Still, Aein could not help but think back to that one night and wish she could close the distance between them.
    Interrupting her own thoughts, Aein focused on the duty before them to distract herself. "What do you think Lord Arnkell has been doing all this time?"
    "Raising followers?" Finn gave a small, powerless shrug.  "Preparing to finish the war he started?  This will not end until one of them is dead."
    Aein knew as long as there was breath in his body, Lord Arnkell would fight.  She thought back to all the carnage in the stronghold the night he poisoned his people, the way he was willing to slaughter everyone in order to bring down Queen Gisla.  Aein's thoughts flickered to finding Cook Bolstad dying in his kitchen, the injuries he had sustained, the way this man she had sworn to protect had forced the only father she could remember to pick between her life and the life of the castle.  And Cook Bolstad had chosen that he would rather an entire stronghold die than sacrifice Aein.
    "Let's make sure it is him," said Aein.

Chapter Four
    A ein awoke to awareness that Finn was shifting.  Her eyes were open in a flash and fixed upon him, ready to hear any last minute instructions before he changed.  But it was too late.  He opened his mouth to speak just as his mouth became a muzzle.  Aein sighed and reached out, stroking his fur gently.  He gave her cheek a friendly lick.  The morning always came too soon.
    She sat up and pushed back her bedding.  Every muscle in her body ached from riding.  The other people in the room were still fast asleep.  She instinctually felt like it was important no one noticed that Finn was missing.  Two bedrolls, one of them occupied by a wolf, would seem suspicious.  She rolled up the sheets and blankets and tied them together.  She checked on her garments.  They were dry.  She packed their belongings and opened the door, hoping to find Lars waiting outside.
    Water dripped from the leaves and the ground was still muddy, but the rain had stopped.  At least their misery would be manageable as they traveled.  But a kernel of anxiety took root in her gut.  There was no sign of Lars.  She told herself he was probably waiting for them up the road and not to panic yet.
    "Stay!" said the