Disclaimer~ Any characters you recognize will belong to Tamora Pierce. Anything else is probably done by me, and this holds for the entire story.

p* * * * *

pBriani leaned into her lover's embrace and felt his warmth against her bare skin, cuddling closer to Jax and caressing him just an hour before Sarge would call the Riders out of their barracks. Briani, daughter of Veralidaine Sarrasri and Numair Salmálin, left a kiss on his cheek and jumped out of his bed.

pWhile on the floor wrapped only in a blanket, she hastened to the girl's barracks and hastily changed back into her tight-fitting Shang style of fighter clothing she preferred. After wrapping a hair tie around her black tangle, she marched soldier-style out to the Stables, hoping to catch an early glimpse of Iune and Hawk.

pIune, a patient sorrel mare as always, was anxious to rub against her, her abnormally short snout searching with an amusing urgency for food in any of Briani's non-existant pockets. "Slow down!" she cried, laughing and hefting the dagger out of its sheath and mock-pointing its tip at Iune. "Or I might just sell you to the man who makes dumplings down the road," she said, eyes dancing at the old family threat.

pIune calmed down after that and Briani leaned against her stall, sighing. "I had hoped Jax might be it, but it's pretty clear he isn't."

pThe mare snorted in agreement, as if she had known he wouldn't be, and that Briani was getting a bad reputation of "sleeping around" because of it.

p"I know, I know!" she cried angrily. II just can't help it,/I she told the mare privately, using her grasp of wild magic to communicate.

pIYou should have been able to. Just because you want what your parent's have doesn't mean you have to give yourself that kind of reputation in the process./I

p"Oh hush," she said crossly and stormed over angrily to Hawk's stall, comfortingly giving him an apple as Iune snorted indignantly. "You've had more mistresses than we know, right Hawk? I bet Iune was even one of them."

pII am a stallion. Stallions can maintain that reputation. After all, we're "just horses". But you are a human, and I have known it is not good for your kind./I

pBriani gave up in exasperation and finally slumped against her stall, waiting for the alarm call now, as Jax came out, an angry look on his face.

p"Well? What have you to say!?"

p"It was…fun, but you're not the one, Jax," she said desperately, grasping in vain for the words.

p"Oh? So this is how it's always going to be for you? I should remind you, I can very well do what I please with you!" he cried, walking angrily forward.

"Touch me and die," Briani whispered fiercely and Jax backed off, running off in a palpable fury as Briani turned to Sphinx, the tabby cat she had somehow "adopted" coming out from the shadows in the corner.

pIWhy do they all have to end this way?!

pYou set them up for it. Female cats are much smarter; we don't form alliances and let all the males have their turn./I

p"You might, but not all do," Briani sharply pointed out.

pAs the morning call came swiftly, Briani hefted up her brush for cleaning Iune and Hawk, knowing already that the rumors must have already spread with Jax angry and willing to tell them about her "behavior". Not like he hadn't done the same to Vora, who Briani had heard the tale from.

pAmber eyes peering out, she motioned for a sleepy-eyed Cabarey to come over to her. Briani had made friends with Cabarey when she had found out that their horses' stalls were right next to one another.

p"'Lo Ani. Got into trouble with another boy last night?" she asked, barely awake and brushing Sord, her bay gelding with uneven strokes as bleary eyes glanced up.

pBriani made a face and tossed her a hair tie which the girl gratefully accepted, her plain breeches showing that, even after as long as they'd been here, Cabarey still wasn't used to their back-breaking schedule.

p"Rumor has it that a new boy's come in. Gonna try your luck with him as well? Name's Xall. No one knows where he's from."

pHer pale face showing a spark of interest, Briani perked up then sighed. "I'm done with boys, Rey, at least for now. Sick of them and all the problems they cause."

pCabarey shrugged and continued over to her palomino stallion, Tebar, and gave him similar treatment.

p* * * * *

pXall looked across the ranks of riders restlessly, and leaned against the wall listening to the conversation with his Mage Sight, which also, as a fluke, it would seem, increased his hearing range quite a bit. While waiting for their meeting to finish and for them to instruct him, he was at loose ends.

1 p"I just don't get it. She's Daine's and Numair's child, why is she like this?"

p"I don't know. She took me into her confidence when she was angry, and told me she was looking for 'the one'. I think she wants the kind of forever relationship her parents have. However, she's one of our best riders, and I won't toss her out on that fact and the fact that she's Daine's child. I owe Daine a lot. We owe each other a lot, though Daine might not consider she gave me anything." This sounded like Onua's voice.

p"And Xall. Why does he want to keep his parentage a secret?"

p"That's his business. And he could be listening with that damned Mage Sight he inherited from his father."

pBlushing, Xall quickly closed the connection and decided it might be better to wait until the conversation was over, patiently.

p* * * * *

pMeanwhile, in Corus:

p"There's talk of a new Court of the Rogue forming."

p"Aye, mayhaps. If'n more is what be your interest, than a coin or two is what'll be needed," the drunkard replied.

pThe stranger gave him the coins and the man grinned. "Ask for Ghorom at the Dancing Dove. They'll know."

pThe figure cloaked in black nodded and ran the man through. Witnesses could not and would not be left.

pWhen the stranger walked into the Dancing Dove, the room went silent. No eyes focused on them, more they returned quickly to the cards and silent dancers in front of them. "I'm looking for the one they call Ghorom," it said quietly.

pA nervous barmaid stepped forward and led the figure in, to a man who sat, supping a bottle of brandy. The stranger took off –her- cloak and revealed herself. "Viannon of Tirragen, looking for information on the new Court forming. I was told you'd help."

pThe man looked up from his bottle, eyes red. "I might, at that. I want the name of your employer, if you're to have any information from me. And don't think about holding a knife to my throat. The Black God doesn't scare me anymore. And don't think you can get away with knifing me like you did the one who gave me my name when you're done with me."

pViannon stepped back, startled, but quickly regained her composure. "Very well. My employer was my husband, Alexander of Tirragen, and now I work in a partnership with Namander of Stone Mountain. We all have much to settle with Tortall."

The man nodded. "Said to be run by Werehn, at least that's what the fellow calls himself. Got himself a bit of a court already, rumor speaks. I ain't be knowing the location-"

pAt this point, Viannon yanked the bottle away and the old man stared vacantly. "Deadman's District. Third sewer tunnel. Up into the boarded old building at the corner."

pViannon threw the bottle at his head, satisfied he would not remember their conversation with a touch of her copper-brown Gift to help along the process. All was making itself known…

p* * * * *

pMy first fanfiction anywhere! Can you please read and review? I'd really appreciate it ^_^