Disclaimer: All characters, the world, etc. are borrowed from the Protector of the Small series written by the talented Tamora Pierce. I claim ownership of nothing but an avid imagination.

Author's Note from Erkith: Not sure where this story fits on my priorities, but it seemed fun, so I decided to post it anyway.

Posted two new fics – three now – within the last month or so and updated a couple. Hopefully I'll get a few more out before I return to exam week and the end of semester crunch.

As always, enjoy! And please review!

Erkith

My Eyes, My Ears

Chapter One: Puppy Face

The door shut in my face.

"Daine," I whined, "why am I back here?"

"She brought you back."

Well, yes. I knew that – kind of obvious.

"Why doesn't she want me?" I asked. I couldn't figure it out. Keladry of Mindelan was the nicest of humans, why wouldn't she like someone like me? I'm friendly, not to mention extremely useful.

"Maybe she doesn't have time for you… she is a hard-working page, you know."

I snorted. Of course I knew! I didn't become a spy by ignoring the obvious! "Then she needs me more…"

Daine raised a brow at my grumbles. "How so?"

"She needs friends – companionship."

The Wild Mage gave me an odd look, as if I'd just used a word I didn't know the meaning of or used a strange concept. "Do you really want to be with her that bad?"

I nodded. The Lady needed looking after.

Daine sighed. "Well the only thing I can think of is to keep trying. Sneak into her classes. Get her attention somehow. Let her know you're not going to go away easily."

"I'm not going away at all!" I protested.

"Oh dear Mithros help me! He's as stubborn as she is." Daine muttered to herself. She looked at me sharply. "You can't just follow her around forever. You nearly got caught yesterday."

I tilted my head and blinked at her. So? It's not like I couldn't have gotten away. The whole point was to have her save me. It was part of my plans. Which – I have to say – worked perfectly. Or at least until she dumped me here.

"Numair wasn't happy to hear about it. Wanted to have you retrained… How did you get into that mess anyway? "

How do you think, Daine?

Daine watched my unconcerned, almost disdainful face. I yawned. She stood abruptly and stared. "You didn't! No way you took that big a risk just to have her save you!"

I shrugged – stretched out my limbs. It hadn't been that bad. The worst I would have gotten was a beating. Besides, Kel would never have allowed it in her presence. The only element of risk had been timing.

Daine groaned.

"What now?" I asked sleepily. She was always lecturing me on something. One can only hope that she'll be quick and I can steal some sleep before I go out Keladry hunting again.

"When will you ever learn to be careful?"

Ohhhh, this argument. This question was a regular. So was my response.

"Probably never," I replied, grinning wickedly.

Her blue eyes rolled skyward. "Of all of Myles' spies, I worry about you the most." She was telling the truth. She probably would.

"What am I, stupid?"

"No," Daine answered, "reckless."

True enough. True enough. I like to think of it as just an instinctive sense of duty, but Daine – quite hypocritically, I might add, as my sources say she's taken on immortal, emperor and gods alike – is convinced that I take unnecessary chances.

I let out a long-suffering sigh. "Can I sleep now?"

She growled at me in frustration. "Maybe Kel can knock some sense into you."

Did that mean she was going to help me? I sat up, immediately more interested. I could use Daine's help. It would make things so much simpler…

I assumed my best puppy face. The one I use to beg for my friends' food. The key is to be just a bit subtle about it. You need to appear melancholy, slightly put out.

AN: Please review! Even if it's just to request a pairing or an update for a story… they all make me smile! And I'll do my best to get back to you!