If Scyld won't try to get ransom, how about Sorn deciding to kill Linduial, Scyld getting wind of it, and Scyld sneaking off with Lin to save her from Sorn? Then you have your hiding part, and a new wrinkle in the entire story that could take --- whole days!!! --- to figure out, and then we can have all the fun of Sorn and the rescue party BOTH looking for the two runaways, and, and, and, well, it sounds fun to me!
