The four retired to Mallory's small lodgings. They dumped their packs and sat around the table trying to make sense of the day. As the sun set, each of the travelers took their turns alternately bathing, unpacking, and raiding the pantry. Annette returned from the small bedroom to find Curioso looking out the window in the direction of the palace.
"No sign yet, chere?"
"Nothing." he answered
"Are you going to sit her all night?" she asked
He broke his gaze to look down at her an smile, "Just a while longer. Go, get some sleep."
Annette looked longingly through the doorway at the large wooden bed with it's thick straw mattress. Bierce and Tirseng nodded concession. She left the men to their discussions in favor of civilized rest, and drifted off to sleep nestled among Mallory's heavy wool blankets.

She woke suddenly, to a hideous screeching noise that made her bolt upright in bed. The light was still on in the kitchen, so she went to inspect. She stopped cold in the doorway, however, for Dominic sat cross-legged on Mallory's table, somewhat playing a violin.
"YOU!" she hissed...."I should have known!" her eyes darted to the violin, to the golden initials P.V. on the clasps of the case, and the memory flooded back to her. The rocking of the train and the lanky man who sprinted from Villenueve's compartment...Dominic. "You son of a bitch!" she howled, running towards him at full speed, and was suddenly stopped short as the tip of his extended bow caught her in the throat.
"Hello, Cherry." smiled Dominic "It's been far too long..." he pushed just enough to make her rock back onto her heels
Annette stood, shaking in rage, with the tip of the bow pressed into her throat as she gasped, "Get out of here, or so help me I will scream and wake this entire village."
"It won't do you any good Cherry." he grinned, punctuating his words by rapping her smartly on the head with the bow tip, "Because, you...are...uh...sleep!"

She whirled and ran to the doorway, only to see herself curled on her side, sleeping with Curioso's arm draped over her. She cried out and grabbed the doorframe as her knees buckled under her. Behind her, Dominic kicked a chair out with his foot and sneered, "Now. Sit."
Annette grabbed the chair with quivering hands. Better at this point to sit down rather than to fall down. "You can't get away with this.." she whispered
"Oh, I can, Cherry, and I DO! You see, this way, I don't have to worry about little games of bravado. I can kill you just as easily in your sleep as I can alive. I see you shake in your little borrowed nightshirt. You can't hide that from me in your slumber. Mallory couldn't, why should you be able to? Now, I question, you answer."

"Now, what of this little peace offering? A royal bauble for my newly reborn beloved to play with, perhaps? You couldn't possibly think that I would let her go?"
"Non, but you could allow she and her people to live peacefully in the valley..." Annette whispered "You have that."
"Or, I could just kill them all now and save myself the trouble."
Annette's dream, wide-eyed and staring, pleaded with Dominic in an unspoken, 'Non."

"Have you ever killed anyone Cherry? Not with a gun, my dear, although that was a brilliant effort on your part. I rather liked that smug look on your face. No, woman, have you killed someone yourself. Stood on a woman's throat until the vessels burst in her eyes? Held a man's face under water until the final bubbles escaped him? Flung a man's body into eternal ice and snow? I have. I could show you now if you like..." he took a step towards the doorway, only stopping when Annette cried out.
"Non! Please..."
"Please?" he spun around "Please from the woman who spit in my face? The face of a prince? Well, Little Borther's harlot... Perhaps you would like to shoot me again, too? Where did we put that rifle, hmmm?" Dominic's voice sharpened in response to his fury as he stormed around the small room, only pausing as he cocked his head, listening to something far away. "We will continue this discussion, Cherry..." he said, bringing his face close to hers, before leaving the house in a swirl of black silk robes.

Annette woke. Her body convulsing in rage and fear, as she slid from under Curioso's arm and walked to the main room. Tirseng lay asleep, Bierce snored from his seat near the woodstove, and Paul's violin rested neatly on the table. She took it, and quietly slipping the bolt on the door, went outside. She went to the block, removed the small axe, and proceeded with tears streaming and ragged breath, to make a powder of the violin and case. She gathered the pieces, and one by one, threw them into the woodstove. Bierce watched her, one eye half-open, as she stoked the fire then sat at the table and buried her face in her arms. He cleared his throat, and gave her a questioning glance. She only looked up, muttered "...cauchemars, the bad dreams..." and returned her head to her arms.