[Child of the 7th Age]

All the while the group was trudging forward, Hilde fidgeted with her wrists and fingers, desperately trying to loosen the cords. Her efforts were unsuccessful. Nor could she gain the sympathy of the Lossoth guards who surrounded her despite repeated efforts to speak with them and point out the injustice of dragging an old woman off to prison.

By now, the snow was falling in thick sheets: it was difficult to see clearly to the side or to glimpse anything more than a few feet ahead on the trail. Hilde's lone remaining hope was that Marreth would keep his promise and send a band of partisans to rescue her.

For some time, the escort of Elves and Lossoth plodded onward, although their progress was slowed by a mounting accumulation of snow. In spots, the path had become quite slick. Suddenly, a large field loomed directly ahead, a wide expanse of mown grass that normally served as the market for the town, but which was now empty and blanketed with several inches of snow. Despite the swirling flakes, Hilde could make out the outline of a sturdy wooden structure on the far side of the plaza where the jail and the Hall of the Elders sat. It was the only permanent building in the settlement and one which was well fortified. Once inside, Hilde thought it unlikely that she could break loose, even with the help of the Corsairs. While there were no onlookers or traders out in the middle of a storm, a few canopies and tables still lay haphazardly scattered about the square, seemingly deserted and stripped of their wares.

Hilde peered towards the largest of these vacated trading stations, narrowing her eyes and straining to see if anyone was there. Although she could glimpse little in the darkness of the storm, she was relieved to hear a familiar signal coming from the booth on the far end of the plaza: the hoot of a snowy owl sounded once, then two more times in quick succession. She smiled slightly, then dug the heel of her left boot deep into the snow, and purposely wrenched her leg sideways as she went sprawling down on the slippery path. Her guards bent over to help her up....