Author's note:

I'm really new at writing so I encourage you to tell me if I suck! It might be a little confusing at first since you are the first people besides me to have EVER seen this. That means I NEED reviews!!! Tell me what needs to be fixed! I'm also looking for a beta if anyone's interested.

K. About the actual story. Like I said, it might seem confusing at first but I'll try to explain in later chapters… And the fun dark stuff will be coming up- you'll just have to have patience.

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU

MATTHEW

Matthew stretched out on his pallet, staring at the ceiling. He was exhausted but couldn't manage sleep. The forest was freezing compared to Shanthavan even if it was late spring! Matt was convinced that he could see his breath in the early morning air. But the cold wasn't really what kept him awake- no matter how many times he tried to convince himself. Nina Mirwood, Thorn Avera, Anna Cooper, and Nadia- Nadine Namid bothered him. They were all were Migas. They were all intelligent. And they all meant trouble for him. He was their warder and at their mercy once they found out.

"Matthew," a small voice called from behind the door.

Speak of the devil. He rolled his eyes. That would be Nadia- Nadine. It had taken close enough to a miracle to get her to leave him alone once in a while after she had realized he really was her 'Little Arram'. It truly was remarkable how much she had changed… But she sounded… different than usual… frightened? No… never Nadia. Matthew opened the door slowly.

"What's going on Nadine?"

He looked closely at her, noting every detail about her. Her face was white and her inky black hair underscored the paleness so that she looked like a ghost. Her shoulders were slightly hunched as if she was trying to make herself smaller. Her breathing was irregular, and when she finally looked at Matthew, her slanted obsidian eyes were as wide as they could go.

"What's wrong? You look… upset." He had most assuredly become a master at understatement.

"Matt? Can I talk to you?"

"I can hardly stop you." He smiled as sweetly as he could and let her into his room.

His room was small, probably a servant's quarters before the house was abandoned. It was simply furnished, just a pallet on the floor, a desk and stool, and a few pegs on the wall meant for cloaks and hats. The simplicity suited him. It wasn't long ago that he would have thought he was rich if he had just owned a coat. Nadine sat down on the stool.

"Sit down Matt."

He scowled. Maybe he should consider getting a better room to remind her that he wasn't her slave anymore. But he couldn't do anything about it now so he let it lie and wiped the scowl of his face. He sat down gracefully on his pallet and leaned against the wall, waiting for her to speak.

"Arram." Nadine took a deep breath to calm herself and shook her head. "Matthew, I think someone's watching us. You know we have several enemies in Deashithain. I need to know who they are. Will you tell me what you know about them?"

Not, 'do you know something', but 'tell me what you know'. That was interesting. He wasn't sure if he should tell her or not. If he told her, the others would know all that she did within ten minutes and Anna was very likely going to make his life as miserable as possible. He didn't know what she had against him but just the sight of him made her eyes flash dangerously. Then again, keeping any secret, a secret around Anna was… difficult. Not to mention how angry Anna would be that he had managed to keep his secrets for so long. He thought it would be easier to just tell her and be done with it.

She was the most determined woman he'd ever met… Even more so than Genna perhaps. Anna had certainly kept him on his toes the last few days. Matt felt a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth. He had a fluttery feeling in his stomach, as if he were excited or nervous… He didn't know what it was… maybe he was getting sick like a human. But that wasn't what was important right now. He could be sick later.

"I know something about what you're feeling," he said casually. A frown creased her forehead. Maybe he had said it just a bit too casually?

After a small silence she said, "Tell me!"

Matthew closed his eyes and tried to think of the easiest way to tell her. He leaned against the wall and pulled his legs up so that he could rest his chin on his knees. Nadine, sensing something was going on inside Matthew's head, sat silent, though the heavy weight of expectancy radiating from her nearly crushed him. He sighed. If he didn't tell her what she wanted to know and quickly Matthew had a feeling that she would burst. Women had no patience when it came to gathering some odd bit of information. How to begin?

Without opening his eyes he asked, "You know the tales that all the old folk tell the children?"

Nadine nodded and then said yes after seeing his eyes still closed. Everyone knew the tales the old folk always nagged the younger generation with, though Nadi- Nadine had probably heard the stories in the city market instead of from her grandparents. Matthew opened his eyes just in time to see her roll her eyes.

"Not the little parables," he said.

"You mean the stories about trolls and giants and Warders and all that?"

This time the topic didn't seem to offend her. Matthew closed his eyes and nodded, a small smile started to creep onto his face again.

"You like those stories?"

"Of course, everyone does," Nadine said slowly.

"What about the stories with Warders, specifically?"

"They're my favorite, but where is this leading. Am I supposed to realize something soon? You're making me feel very stupid." Matthew laughed.

"What do you think is strange? Describe it to me."

"I can't describe it very well. It feels like there's something lurking around the corner and I expect to see them whenever I turn around... but their never there. You know how you can sense a person if they stand behind you? Well that's what it feels like."

Matthew nodded slowly to himself. Most likely the Warder's bond. The Thieves wouldn't have made her feel that claustrophobic. He closed his eyes again.

"Tell me, Nadine, how did the old folk describe a Warder's bond to you?"

"Well, they said that a Warder's bond enabled both the Shadobs and the Warder to know where each other were (or at least in which direction they were) and some bonds even allowed the Warders and Shadobs to know what each other were feeling, sometimes even thinking! But they-"

Nadine cut off abruptly. He opened his eyes and watched her carefully. Her eyes slowly widened, and her jaw dropped. Matthew's smile widened. He shut his eyes and folded his hands over his chest leaning against the wall.

"Amazing isn't it?"

"How long have you known?"

"A few months."

"Why didn't you tell us before!? You should have told us as soon as you found out!" Matthew opened his eyes, sat up straight and glared at her. His amused self-depreciating smile gone.

"Do you think I wanted to go back to bowing and scraping for idiots who thought that I was no better than a savage stupid animal? I wanted to be free, Nadia, and no matter what the old stories say, a Warder is nothing but a privileged slave!"

Tears leaked from the corners of Nadine's eyes. Matthew sagged. He felt tired and angry and… scared. He didn't know if telling her had been a good idea, now. He didn't even know if Anna wasn't just going to give him to the Leoparde and leave him to rot.

"Look, Prin- Nadine, I'm sorry. All right? I am. But I never- never wanted to be a slave again, even- especially for my friends." He hesitated, then asked slowly, "you understand… Don't you Mana?" Nadine looked down. After a few minutes she looked up again, staring Matt straight in the eye.

"I'm sorry, too. When I realized that you were finally free I was so happy for you even though I still believed in slavery. It was not my intention to throw you back into a cage. I am so sorry Arram. I'm so very sorry."

GENNA

"Genna!" Genna hurriedly opened her bedroom door.

"What's wrong Nadine," Genna asked worriedly. "Did Matthew hurt you?" Nadine had said that she wanted to talk to Matthew about something and Genna still wasn't sure if they should trust him just yet. He was always so secretive. The mysterious air around him drew the girls like moths to a flame. (It did the same to Genna come to that. She had to hide any attraction, though. Migas were supposed to be graceful and aloof. She wasn't sure if she was succeeding though.)

She was afraid that he would lure the girls away from their studies so soon after they had been granted permission to see the true world. Genna would not have her charges scattered! She had looked after them from the first time she saw them and she never gave up easily! No silly man was going to take her only family from her!

"No! Of course not! Matt would never hurt any of us!"

"What's wrong than Nadine? Lose a boyfriend," Thorn asked waspishly, closing her door behind her. Thorn had had a crush on Matt since she first laid eyes on him and didn't like it that Nadine monopolized so much of his attention.

"Leave her alone Thorn. You should know that Matt is too... wary to court someone that can twirl him around in the air with barely a thought," Nina said, glancing at Thorn sideways and smiled slightly.

"Remember, Matthew doesn't like magic. The only reason that he's here is because the Leoparde herself ordered us to bring a guard that could fight and he was the very best. He only tolerates us because of the money." Thorn blushed angrily.

"Come on. Let's go to my room," Genna said. Nadine was very pale and even trembled now and then. She needed quiet and it wouldn't be found in the hall.

Once the girls were all comfortable and Nadine had a hot mug of tea in her hands. Genna sat down.

"Nadine, why don't you tell us what all that fuss was about?" Nadine tugged on her ear the way she did when she was nervous.

"Umm. Have any of you felt strange lately?"

"An odd question, but now that you bring it up... I do feel a bit odd. It feels like someone's watching me." Genna raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I have… but I've never managed to put my finger on exactly what seemed out of place. What about you Nina?" Nina nodded, and frowned.

"Why do you ask Nadine," she inquired slowly. Something big was coming.

"Genna…"

"Yes?" Genna was practically beside her self with anticipation. It was almost impossible to maintain her composure. Nadine looked around at each of her friends. Her eyes finally rested on the door handle. After a long moment, she sighed.

"Matt's our warder."