Allison stared through the stone hole of their cell with a surprising amount of ground to cover as she replayed her twelve years of life. Professor Ruggs assured her they would be safe. Even if he was right, it was time to accept she’d never go home again. Not only would she never see her parents again, Kellen was gone, too. All she had left was a burning desire to make Ubira suffer someday for what he’d done.

Until then, she hoped she didn’t die of boredom. As powerful a motivator as revenge was, it lost its edge after a few days in captivity. Allison much more preferred the constant running day in and day out to sitting in a cell feeling forgotten and discarded.

Aside from guards who brought food twice a day and emptied their waste bucket — Allison threatened to knock out every tooth in Kattoh’s mouth if he turned around while she was going — they were left alone. The food was bland, some mash of old potatoes and squash with no seasoning. Allison wouldn’t have been surprised if some cafeteria lady in her school had a similar recipe called mashed surprise or another equally awful name for an awful food. It almost made Allison wish for a swig of the nasty running potion the slavers forced them to drink, if only to have a taste of something with a little flavor.

Ubira had said nothing as they were ushered into the prison cells and locked in behind heavy stone doors. Somehow, they glided across the ground just fine until you tried to open them. Allison pushed and pushed until forced to admit the doors were jammed or locked somehow on the outside. After that, Kattoh, Myri, and the professor sat and waited. And waited and sat.

Allison worried about Myri. After the first meal in the cell, the little girl had stopped eating and drinking. She spent most of her time curled in a ball and only whimpered when Allison tried to talk with her or run her fingers through the Storm Horse girl’s hair. The rest of the time, she slept.

The professor looked like a skeleton of the man she’d met on the plains, and he’d been no picture of health even then. His eyes were sunken, his hair and beard growing out in all directions. He reminded Allison of a tired old lion with a tattered mane. Throughout the day, he told them stories of the Incas, a group of people from ancient South America that Professor Ruggs insisted were distant relations to some of the Earth Badger tribes. The stories about mighty empires built high in the mountains helped to pass the time, but provided little hope or distraction from the thought of escape.

It seemed they’d had their one chance at freedom thwarted by the leader of the cultists. When one day turned into two and then three, Allison wondered if they would even see Ubira again. She didn’t give him very good odds to fight off all the cultists, even with Shakraa’s help. It would be just like the cultists to steal her chance at killing Ubira like they’d stolen their opportunity to escape.

“What do you think is going to happen to us?” she asked the professor one night when Kattoh and Myri were asleep. “And don’t lie to me. I’m not some kid.”

For whatever reason, Professor Ruggs gave a sort of sad smile at that. “I do not know. It surprised me to find an entire village of people in these ruins. ”

Allison usually liked how the professor asked questions, but now she only felt annoyed. She didn’t have the energy to play the guessing game. “What do you think they want with slaves? And why would Ubira bring us here? It doesn’t seem like the cultists think he’s a big deal. They definitely aren’t best friends, that’s for sure.”

“Good questions,” the professor said. “We may still make a scholar out of you, if your impatience doesn’t get the better of you. Unfortunately, your guess is as good as mine. For now, it is time to get some rest.”

Allison protested until the professor raised a hand. “Ah, ah. Sleep. We will need all the energy and strength we can save when our next opportunity to escape arises.”

Cuddling up to Myri, Allison yawned. For doing nothing all day, she sure wore herself out. “Professor?” she asked.

“Yes?”

“Do you think we’ll ever see Earth again?”

Allison wasn’t sure if he didn’t answer or if she fell asleep before she heard what he said.

When she opened her eyes again, she in her favorite spot on the farm: on the big haystack in the milk cow barn. Right after all the hay was baled, the stack rose so high she could almost climb up through the split in the roof that ran down the length of the barn to let sun in and the moisture of cow muck out. The air smelled sweet from the fresh cut alfalfa.

Her vantage made Allison feel like she lived among the birds as she watched the barn swallows flit through the rafters just above her head. Once, she’d climbed into the rafters in search of nests, only for Kellen to catch her. He hadn’t told her parents, but she’d never seen him so mad before. He made her swear never to do it again. If it had been her mom or dad asking, her promise wouldn’t have held against the temptation of the adventure. Since it was Kellen, she’d never thought about climbing into the rafters again.

“It is a nice view from up here.”

Allison jumped at the strange woman’s voice. She turned to her left and saw the weirdest looking person she’d ever seen. The woman had pointed gray-brown ears poking out of her orange-gray hair. Her feet hung off the end of the bale and when she looked over and smiled, Allison saw a mouthful of sharp teeth. Her long pointed nose might have been considered unattractive on someone else, but on this woman, it gave her a dignified look.

“Who the hell are you?” Allison asked. She had a rule about swearing only once a month. Even considering everything she’d been through, this was still the most deserving situation.

The woman laughed, surprising Allison with how playful and mischievous it sounded.

“I am Coyote Lady. I’m here to help you find a way home.”

Allison’s eyes widened, and she felt her heart thumping inside her chest. “Really? How?” Somehow she knew she was dreaming yet had no doubt this weird animal person was telling the truth.

“I need you to do something for me when they take you out tomorrow,” Coyote Lady said.

She’d started to ask why when Allison’s excitement faded. What about Ubira? Was she just going to let him get away with killing her brother? “Except… I can’t go yet.”

Coyote Lady nodded as if she understood everything entirely. “What if I told you your brother is alive and he’s coming to rescue you right now?”

Allison gasped and covered her hands. Part of her knew she was acting like a baby, but the news had been so sudden and unexpected. A dozen questions poured from her, all about Kellen. The Coyote Lady held up a hand, tipped with pointed fingernails like claws.

“While I would love to tell you about the adventures your brother has had, my power is not strong in this place and wanes with every passing moment,” Coyote Lady looked around, almost like she expected to be overheard or seen by someone, though they were still in Allison’s milk barn dream. “That is why I need your help. Can you do exactly what I tell you? Kellen is depending on you as much as me, even if he doesn’t know it.”

Allison didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Anything.”