-1Thank you all for taking the time to read this. I have only wrote one fanfic before and haven't worked on it for a LONG time. But I'm a fan of the Tortall stories about different female characters in the rogue, so I'm writing one. If any of you have any good stories you think I would like please let me know.

Other than that, the only characters I own are the ones you don't recognize from the books. All others belong to the amazing Tamora Pierce.

Chapter One:

The wind rushed through the open door and down the dark corridor of the Parsawood castle, as a dark figure entered the royal blooded household. The wind abruptly stopped as the door closed and the castle was silent. The intruder held their breath for a minute that felt more like a life time, as everything in the castle seemed to be on hold. As it was night time everyone I the castle was supposed to be asleep, and luckily for the unexpected guest, they still were.

As the intruder silently padded through the stone building, glancing into one room after another, he finally found what he was looking for. He pushed open the last door at the end of the hall filled with sleeping quarters, and surveyed the room around him. The walls were made of the same white marble the rest of the castle was with a dresser and closet off to the side. There was a huge window that looked out across the lake and grounds of Parsawood with long light blue drapes keeping out the light. In the center of the room was a baby sized canopy bed with the same light blue hangings.

And in the bed, lay a young girl who couldn't be more than four years of age. This also happened to be the exact object which the midnight visitor was looking for. The girl had dark almost black hair that had slight waves in it and came to loose curls at the end. Though her eyes weren't open the intruder knew that her eyes were deep bluish color that shown in the sunlight.

Knowing that he didn't have much time left, the intruder used his magic so that her sleep wouldn't be disturbed by him. He carefully moved the child into his arms, managed to gather some of her clothes, and leave the Parsawood castle as quietly and unnoticeably as he had entered it. And together, he and the young child disappeared into the night.

Sometime later that night, a similar group of strangers slipped into the castle, there were four of five of them. But these intruders were different from the last simply by the looks they wore on their faces. While they all had looks of business, on this group you could also find traces of anger and hate.

As the intruders left the castle with looks of surprise and whispering furiously, the light was just coming over the mountains in the distances. But as the sun rises again, the royal blooded family of Parsawood never would. This family, who was closely related to the king, and this bloodline that gave them power, had been killed off all in one night.

--

The morning sunlight shown through a window into a bedroom; the light hit the face of a 15 year old Serena as she opened her deep blue eyes. She rolled out of bed, pulled on her clothes and walked into the main sitting area of the small cottage where she had spent her childhood. Her father was already up and sitting outside working on his weapons. Her dark hair fell to her mid-back and was blown slightly in the wind as she walked outside to join her only parent.

"Good morning," he said as she sat down.

"Yeah it is," she replied nodding her head after looking at the sky and safely judging it wasn't going to rain.

"Are you going into town today Serena?"

"Yeah, I was thinking I would. I haven't seen any of my friends in few days"

"Well, just be careful about who you hang out with and which purses you and your friends take. Not everyone is harmless and it can be dangerous."

"Don't worry so much I'm good, I'm the best there is here. Besides, you do it."

"Yes well, I grew up this way…"

"And so did I. I'll be fine, I was taught by the best." Serena flashed the kind of smile at her father that no parent can resist.

"Just don't be gone long Serena."

"Thanks, love you." She said as she gave her father a hug.

She turned towards the small village near by and started to run. A smile spread itself across her face and a tingling started in her fingers as she thought of the kind of money she could snatch today. The yearly carnival was the next day so all of the powerful nobles of the surrounding area were coming in today. She never did understand why her father was always so worried about her stealing, she never got caught.

She was getting close to town so she slowed to a walk as she found her friends waiting for her just out side the shops. They yelled greetings at her as she joined her group and they started down the street in a pack.

"Wow! Serena check that guy out." Serena's best friend Kayla said while staring at a wealthy looking noble who was riding by on his horse.

"Damn, I bet he's completely loaded," replied the 16 year old guy to Serena's left, Lorenzo, her closest guy friend.

"Yeah but it would be near impossible to steal his purse," Serena noticed glancing around at their surroundings for the first time. "Look at all the guards,"

"We need an easier target… oh Serena, how about that guy down there. He isn't too rich, but he looks like he has enough money that he could afford to share." Kayla said with a knowing smile creeping across her face and glancing at Serena.

A twin smile was making its way across Serena's face. She glanced at Lorenzo and disappeared into the crowd. Kayla laughed and grabbed Lorenzo's arm, "come on, lets get up on the roofs so we can watch this with the perfect view."

Serena appeared a few minutes later walking towards the man from the other side. The man was now standing in front of a fruit stand with many, many, apples. As Serena got closer she pushed the apples so they poured out into the street. She placed the perfect surprised look on her face as she pretended to slip. Just as she thought he would, the man bent down to help her up but as she was muttering "thank you sir," she carefully grabbed his purse and walked off into the crowd.

Before long, Serena joined her friends on the roof tops. But while from the ground Serena's plan had been pulled off with out one hitch, the view from the roof tops had been a bit different.

When she noticed her friends looking at her with worried expressions she remarked, "what's wrong with you guys? It worked perfectly! No one noticed."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Serena. Look down there." Kayla said nodding towards that corner where the scene had taken place. There was a man there, and he was staring directly at Serena.

"He noticed you when you first knocked the apples over," Lorenzo added.

Serena turned her blue eyes toward him and soon he disappeared into the shadows. "Well, he's gone now." Looking up at her friends who were still wearing worried looks, she added, "what?"

"Well, he didn't look like he was up to anything good. There were others with him earlier, you didn't see them," Lorenzo offered.

"Well I'm sure it's no big deal. Anyway, I'm going home so I will see you guys tomorrow, okay?" Serena said brushing it off.

"Yeah, we'll see you. Be careful." Kayla said.

"Yeah, whatever." Serena turned and walked down the roofs until she got to the end of town where she jumped off. As she started on her way home she wondered why everyone was always telling her to be careful, it wasn't like she ever got in big trouble.

--

That night hen Serena was laying in bed thinking, she heard a loud crash and then a thud come from the shed outside the house where they kept extra weapons. She sat up wide awake, yanking on her clothes and running towards her fathers room. She found her father halfway there on the way to her room wearing a scared expression.

"What's happening?" She whispered.

"I don't have time to explain, just grab your things and take this," he said with fear seeping into his voice and handing her a wooden box she had never seen before.

"Where are we going?" Said Serena as she ran to her room, now truly scared.

"We aren't going anywhere." She looked at him looking horrified, about to say something but he cut her off handing her a piece of paper. "We don't have time. Take the horse and follow those directions. Everything will be explained to you in good time. Hurry! Someone is coming." They ran to the back door where the horse was already waiting, and as a last gesture he gave her a letter. "Give this to the man in charge of where your going. I love you Serena."

And that was the last thing that Serena's father said as he crumpled in front of the man from the village. She screamed as she ran towards the horse with the man chasing her. She wasn't sure how she did it but she managed to jump on her horse without pausing and take off into the night in the same breath. And when she was far enough away, only then did she look at the destination her father chose for her. And as she stared at it she realized it could only lead to one place, Corus.

Okay, so tell me what you think.

Any suggestions? Questions?

Please let me know.