Winter and Nathaniel

Chapter 13. The Tunnel, and Plans

Winter and Nathaniel had woken up, and now had been walking for hours.

"How much longer? My feet are killing me." Whined Winter.

"Only another, five days? More or less."

"What! This is not possible! What gave you the idea that it was?"

"Because I've done it before." Nathaniel said calmly.

"When?"
She was starting to get a little mad that she really didn't know anything about Nathaniel. Yet she had come to Dirland risking capture, just to rescue him.
And he didn't really need any rescuing! Seeing as he was the prince, and the one leading this escape!

So why did she even bother? He obviously could take care of himself, even if he was foolish enough to get captured.

She decided she wasn't going to walk any furthur, unless Nathaniel actually told her about himself.

So she sat down in the middle of the tunnel, and ignored Nathaniel.

Nathaniel didn't notice Winter's absence behind him, and continued walking for another ten minutes before he realized no one was following him.

Now where'd Winter go? Is it this hard to keep track of a girl?

He thought back to all the times Winter had disappeared from camp. Yep, it seemed Winter was the hardest person to keep track of he had ever met.

Well I'm not going to find her by standing here all day.

So he turned around, and headed back through the tunnel.

The last time he'd been in here, he had deliberated every day whether he would keep going. With no food left, and barley any water, his hope seemed grim.

But with Winter with him, it gave him purpose and determination to keep going.

When he came to where Winter was, all curled up and her arms folded in a stubborn way. "Now what is it?" he asked.

"I want answers."

Why of all times does she decide to do this now? Thought Nathaniel.

"Answers for what?"

"Why are you on such bad terms with your father? Why have you taken this tunnel before? Why don't you want to be a prince? You've told me before, but it was a very vague answer. And why haven't you told me your life story, I've at least told you some of mine. Oh, and why in the world did you hold me captive against my will?

And why are you staring at me with an amused expression on your face?" she said all this, not giving a chance until now for Nathaniel to answer.

"Which question would you like me to answer first, my lady?" dispite Winter's anger at him, Nathaniel found her outburst nothing short of hilarious.

Oh now he was being a perfect gentleman, was he? Thought Winter.

"Why did you keep me captive?" she named one thing on the long list of what Nathaniel had done wrong.

"You'll have to be more specific." said Nathaniel, knowing perfectly well what she meant, but needing more time to answer.

"I am going to be as spesific as is possible. You captured the Dirish in your prison pit contraption. Actually no. Earlier that day, I was playing a harmless prank. And you, mister over-reacter. Were very unkind, and ungentlemanly rough dragging me back to camp. Why?"

During Winter's detailed narration, Nathaniel had decided it would be best to tell her the truth.

"I'm not sure." He replied, and he wasn't.