They were following a narrow road, and on either side of them was a dense forest. It was the middle of the night and there were no houses, no one around that she could call to for help.
Did Valten know Ruexner had taken her? Was it reasonable to hope he would come? But she couldn’t imagine he wouldn’t try to save her, if he knew she was in danger.
He was a knight. Even if he didn’t care as much for her as she did for him, she was sure he would still come. Valten was too honorable to let a young maiden be taken from his own castle and not go to rescue her. And he was sure to notice she was missing. She only hoped he didn’t think she had left of her own accord. But he had told his sister, Margaretha, “Gisela wants to dance,” so he knew she wanted to be with him. Surely it was obvious. He will come for me. But his hand was broken. He wasn’t supposed to be riding. Perhaps he would send his men after her, but her heart sank at the thought. Even a dozen soldiers couldn’t make her feel as safe as Valten could.
Since there was no escaping Ruexner’s iron grip around her stomach and his uncomfortably hard chest behind her, and since she’d probably be killed if she flung herself to the ground, she tried to relax and rest without falling asleep. She wanted to be ready if some opportunity to escape presented itself.
More time passed. The men around her kept looking to Ruexner, but he didn’t say anything. The horses slowed but still kept up a fairly brisk pace. Gisela couldn’t help worrying that the poor animals would collapse in exhaustion.
Eventually, Gisela closed her eyes, lulled by the rhythm of the horse’s pounding legs, and the night became an even more torturous experience. She was exhausted, but afraid to fall asleep. And when her head began to drift to one side or the other, or to tilt forward, she would jerk herself awake. Still, they rode on, the horse’s hooves pounding into the ground. Poor horse. He must rest soon or he would die.
The sky began to lighten and turn gray. Dawn was breaking, although it was still quite dark. When the sun started sending pink tendrils over the sky, her captor motioned with his hand and they turned their horses off the road, descending through a shallow ditch into a dense, wooded area. The horses were made to trot through the underbrush and trees. They moved rather noisily as the tree branches swept over them, and as they passed through the undergrowth, twigs, and leaves.
“Are we going to make camp?” one of the men asked.
Ruexner motioned for him to stay quiet as the sound of horses’ hooves came from behind them, from the road they had just left.
Valten! He, or his guards, were following them, she was sure of it. Would they pass by without noticing that Ruexner had left the road?
The horses on the road stopped. Then came the muted sound of their hooves on the thick ground covering of leaves, and the slap of the branches from behind them. She could barely keep from crying out in joy and relief.
Ruexner kicked his horse into a run, dodging tree limbs and forcing the horse to jump over bushes. Gisela ducked her head as a branch slapped her. She wanted to scream out to Valten’s men, but that would probably only enrage Ruexner. They knew she was there and screaming would serve no purpose, at least for now.
Valten spied Ruexner and his men a hundred feet ahead. He pushed Sieger to go as fast as he dared. He ignored the sting of the tree limbs slapping his face and tearing at his arms, and Sieger nimbly jumped the larger bushes as they got closer and closer to Ruexner.
He had not been able to sneak up on Ruexner, but Ruexner had not stopped to make camp, riding all night instead, as if he already knew Valten was following him. They would have to run Ruexner down and hope he surrendered, although he knew that was unlikely.
The dense foliage continued to punish them. Valten lost them from sight, but then they came back into view. The trees seemed to be getting thinner. The gray light of dawn showed through the leaves ahead, and then Ruexner and his men broke out of the trees and into a clearing.
When Valten and his men emerged from the woods, Ruexner and his men were dashing across a great meadow, scattering a flock of sheep. Valten raced after them. Ruexner topped a small hill, and a bit of silvery-blue fabric could be seen on either side of his body. Then he and Gisela vanished over the crest of the hill.
Ruexner had seen them, which ruined Valten’s plans. Since Ruexner had Gisela, all he had to do was threaten to kill her and he would have Valten completely in his power. Still, Valten couldn’t just let him get away. His instincts screamed at him to follow.
Valten pushed Sieger to go faster. The destrier’s hooves pounded the ground until he topped the knoll. Ruexner stood facing Valten from another hill just opposite them, with a little valley in between. Ruexner’s arm was around Gisela’s neck, and he was holding her head against his shoulder, a dagger to her chin.
“Halt!” Ruexner called. “Or I’ll kill her!”