Will woke from his dream sweating and horrified at what he had seen. He, like Rachel, was incredibly puzzled as to how he had witnessed it, when Ewan Andric had wiped his memories of the event. Someone was toying with Will, and he didn't like it one bit.

He opened his eyes and found himself staring down the length of a sword. He looked up and met the dark eyes of a burly looking man. "Get up, boy!" the man snapped, emphasizing his statement by spitting in Will's face. Will stood up, carefully wiping the spittle from his cheek and trying not to shudder.

They hauled Rapunzel to her feet, the girl looking puzzled and sleepy. Her hair was still wrapped around the three thieves they had captured before. "Who are you two?" the spitting man demanded, slapping Rapunzel's face.

Rapunzel frowned, blinking. "We're...travelers," she managed, rubbing her eyes. "My name is Rapunzel; he's Will Scarlet."

"They helped the prisoner escape!" one of Rapunzel's captives blurted out. "They attacked us here and tied us up with the girl's hair!"

The man—obviously the leader—shoved his sword under Rapunzel's chin, just enough to draw blood. "Is this true? Did you rescue that arrogant idiot?" he snarled.

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't," Rapunzel admitted, shrugging. They both knew there was no point in lying when the man had already guessed the truth. Will was amazed at her cool-head in the face of the sword pressed against her neck. "But he double-crossed us and left us here."

"What a pity," the man sneered. He turned to his three trapped men. "Cut them loose!"

The men's swords came close to Rapunzel's hair. Quickly, she freed them and dropped them to the ground, her hair retreating to curl around her protectively. "Don't touch that," she said angrily.

The sword was pushed even further against her throat. Will was surprised it didn't cut through it with the force the man was applying to it. "Magic hair?" he exclaimed. Swiftly he changed his target from Rapunzel to Will. Will took a step back as the sword's tip pressed uncomfortably close to his throat. "The woman might have some use after all."

"Whoa," Will said, trying to move as little as possible. "Look, we didn't know what we were getting into. Honestly! We're sorry we freed your prisoner; we'll, umm, pay you back? Maybe?"

"Oh, you'll pay me back," the man agreed in a tone that said Will wouldn't like the way they would pay him back. He drew back a tiny bit more, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "Get the girl. And girl—if you move at all, the boy gets a hole in his throat. Got it?"

Rapunzel reluctantly submitted to being bound and gagged by the men. Will was vigorously searched and dragged to the camels, the sword still held at his throat. Will balked at the huge humped animals, but they weren't giving him any choice. He was hauled onto the camel and they set off into the desert.

It was still hot. Will's shirt stuck to his back, and he could feel his hair clinging to his forehead from the sweat. He longed to move his hand and brush his hair back, but the sword pressed warningly against the back of his neck dissuaded him.

He simply sat there on the uncomfortable camel, wincing when it looked back and spat at him for no particular reason. Apparently that was why Will was in front of the man.

By himself, in Sherwood Forest, Will was confident he could have easily left the men—presumably the "Forty Thieves" Rapunzel had been talking about earlier—far behind him. But in the unfamiliar desert, with Rapunzel still a prisoner, there was simply nothing he could do. Another opportunity was bound to present itself at some point. He would simply bide his time until it did.

They rode for quite some time through the desert. As the sun finally started to set, they reached a rock formation. The Forty Thieves went to the cave, one of them holding Rapunzel, another gripping Will's arm and pointing the sword at his throat. The leader went up to the rock formation and said something. Will was astonished to see a door slide open. The thieves marched inside, one of them tying Will to two of the camels in the process, his arms extended between them before heading inside.

This can't get any worse, Will moaned to himself. Then one of the camels turned and spat at him. The other, seeing that good idea, did the same.

Will bowed his head. Never mind. Maybe it can.