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Page 148
listened intently but could make little of what she heard because the cloth over her head muffled the sounds around her. One thing became relatively sure, however. She had been taken by only one person. At this moment, Rhiannon was convulsed by a combination of rage and embarrassment. She, to be taken in so obvious a snare. No, Mallt and her partner would make no profit. Rhiannon resolved she would escape if it was the last thing she did.
When Madog tumbled Rhiannon into the hollow under the log, she was briefly frightened until she realized it was not deep enough to be a grave. She managed to roll onto her stomach with her face inward, and it was soon clear that her abductor was taking great care not to pack dirt over her face. Striving for patience, in case the man was waiting to see whether she would try to escape, Rhiannon counted to one thousand slowly. Then she could wait no longer. She had to rid herself of the discomfort of the gag.
Rhiannon dropped her chin as far as she could and pushed with her tongue. At last she slid the thong over her lower lip. Setting her teeth so that it could not slip back into her mouth, she began to rub her cheek against the ground to push the thong over her chin. As she worked, Rhiannon began to feel cool, damp earth on the back of her neck. That meant that she had managed to lift the cloth as well as push down the thong that tied it around her head. With renewed vigor she began to scrape the cloth downward and forward. Finally, when she lifted her head, the cloth fell away completely.
Although Rhiannon's neck and back ached from the peculiar, confined movements, she was so thrilled by her success that she did not pause a moment before turning as much as she could to her side, bending her knees, and feeling with her feet for a solid surface. This was not far to seek, for the trunk of the tree curved into the ground immediately adjacent to the hollow in

 
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