Okay guys chapter three is up! woohoo! However, i have revised chapters 1 and 2 because i re-read the end of the Singing and decided that i should line up the Fanfiction with the end of the novel a little better. Chapter 1 happens before the reach Innail and chapter 2 starts about a week after they reach Innail. You will recognize most of the events that occur in the first to chapters I just had to re-arrange them so that they made more sense with the book. :) Thanks for reading! Please Review! Also if I promised you a sneak peek of a chapter you should have recieved the first bit of chapter four in your private message inbox :)

Chapter 1

Maerad woke with a start. It was the middle of the night and she couldn't remember where she was. As she glanced around the room she was in, the past week's events came rushing back to her. The singing and restoration of the treesong, and traveling from the Hutmoors towards Innail, it was all a blur. Except for the moment when Cadvan had held her and showered her face with kisses and then she had kissed him back. She felt her heart flutter and she smiled. She loved him and hadn't realized it until that moment and now she knew he loved her. After the kiss he had whispered in her ear.

"I love you Maerad of Pellinor, and no one will make me believe otherwise." He had said.
"I love you too Cadvan." She had whispered back.
She looked at him asleep on the sofa next to the door. They were traveling as Husband and wife. Saliman and Hekibal were the same. Hem wasn't really undercover. They had told the innkeeper that he was her brother and so he had the room next door.
Hem wasn't happy with the sleeping arrangements. He wasn't happy with the fact that Cadvan had kissed her and that she was okay with it. He had been glaring daggers at Cadvan the whole time they traveled and it didn't get any better when they came up with their cover story. They had argued and she still regretted some of the things she said.
"No, I am not okay with this plan, Maerad how can you be okay with this plan?"
"Hem, I have traveled with Cadvan for longer than I have known you. How could you think that for one second I wouldn't be okay with this plan? It will disguise us for as long as we're in the town and as soon as we leave we will come up with another. It's temporary Hem. I know you are worried about me. Don't you think if anything were to happen between Cadvan and I it would've happened already?"
"Maerad…I'm sorry, I didn't mean too-"
"It's all right, let's hurry into town, we're all tired and there's a storm moving in.
They had remounted their horses and by the time they reached the inn the rain had soaked there clothing. They had hurried to their rooms to dry off and fall asleep. I must apologize to Hem in the morning, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
In the morning it was Cadvan who woke her.
"Maerad my dear, I'm sorry but you can't sleep in today. We must leave as soon as possible. Sharma may have been defeated but there are still those of the dark who may hunt us. Hurry and dress and come down for breakfast. I am going to go wake Hem and Saliman." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and left to do as he said.
She wanted to stay in the warm bed. She wanted to sleep. Instead she dragged herself out of bed and into her clothes. They were still slightly damp from the night before and she shivered when they touched her skin. It was going to be a long cold day. She made her way downstairs towards the dining room. Saliman and Cadvan were at a table speaking with each other while they ate. She quietly sat next to Cadvan and he placed an arm around her shoulders. The Innkeepers wife soon brought her a plate and as she ate she listened to Saliman and Cadvan make plans in hushed tones.
"I say we stick to the main roads."
"There is too much danger, Cadvan. Sharma is defeated but there are those who still work for the dark under Enkir."
"Saliman, you are not up to your full strength, Maerad is not up to her full strength and neither is Hem. We cannot travel through the wilderness and keep all of us alive and well. On the roads there are others to help us should we run into trouble."
"Do you really think that the people will help Bards in this time. Cadvan, everyone is too afraid."
"That is why we don't rely on regular people. We must rely on the bards that we know between her and Innail."
"Cadvan, there are at least three towns before either of us know a bard."
"Three towns are better than a wilderness with no help at all. Maerad what do you think?"
Maerad looked up from her food, slightly startled at the request for her opinion. She swallowed the bite of food in her mouth. And thought for a moment.
"I have to side with Cadvan on this one. I am weaker than ever as much as I don't care to admit it. Hem is tired after healing you Saliman and after the treesong. And Saliman you were healed of the white sickness but you weren't healed of the exhaustion from battling it. Whenever we've traveled through the wilderness we've started in good condition and been worn to over exhaustion. I can imagine that starting in the condition we are in could cost us one of our lives."
"Maerad you have made a good point. Ah here comes Hem. Discuss it with him. I am going to go check on Hekibel, it worries me that she isn't up yet."
Saliman made his way upstairs and greeted Hem as He passed him by.
"Good Morning Hem." Maerad and Cadvan said in unison.
Hem responded with a mumbled greeting as he plopped down opposite of them. They spoke of their plans for travel and reluctantly Hem also agreed with Maerad and Cadvan.
"Maerad why don't you go upstairs and see what is keeping Saliman and Hekibel and make sure everything is packed we must leave as soon as possible."
"Hem you can have the last of my potatoes." Hem smiled at the thought of more food, but then remembered his missing friend Irc and how he would've claimed most of the potatoes and the smile fell away. Maerad gave Cadvan a quick hug and made her way upstairs. Hem gave Cadvan a glare and then looked back to his food.
"Hem, I know you are not happy with your sister and I being together, but I want you to know that I will never hurt her. I will protect her with my life and won't let anyone else hurt her. I love her more than I have loved anyone else in my life."
Hem looked him in the eyes, the anger showing clearly in his own.
"And if you ever break that promise. Know that I will come after you. And you will wish that you had never fallen in love with her." He then abruptly stood and stormed up the stairs.

Cadvan sat there, startled at the blunt threat from Maerad's younger brother. but then remembered his younger siblings and how protective he had been of them. He finsihed his breakfast, and on his way upstairs he ran into Saliman.

"I found Hekibel up and moving, no reason to worry she was just tired. I'm going to bring breakfast up to her and we'll gather our things. The sooner we leave the better. Everyone gathered what little they had and gathered downstairs. They saddled their horses while Cadvan paid the innkeeper. And they were soon on there way.
Hem rode Keru behind Darsor who was carrying Cadvan and Maerad. Maerad had noticed that he had stooped glaring at Cadvan at every possible chance. She knew that it had something to do with the conversation they had earlier. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop but as she was leaving she had heard her name mentioned between the two.

She watched Saliman and Hekibel. They were riding in front of Cadvan and Maerad. they smiled and talked and ocaisionnaly exchanged a kiss. they looked so happy and Maerad wondered if that was what she and Cadvan looked like when they talked and laughed together.

Hem gave out a startled cry and she spun her head around, expecting an attack. Instead the scene she saw warmed her heart. Irc had landed on Hem's shoulder. They stopped riding for a moment so that hem could pull food out of his saddlebag for Irc who greedily took it. Hem spoke quietly to the bird as they continued riding.
What an amazing bird Maerad thought. She laid her head against Cadvan's back and wondered at how soon she and Cadvan had become so close. It wasn't much more than holding hands and stolen kisses. But she had wondered at it all the same. Before he had never done more than placed his hand on her shoulder and hugged her in hard times. This was different and it her amazed her. The ways of the heart were so foreign to her, yet it felt right. It felt safe, he felt like home.

As they approached Innail Maerad smiled at the thought of finally returning to Sylvia, Malgorn, Indik and the wonderful school they called home.
"Cadvan?"
"Yes Maerad?"
"Can we continue my studies now?"
"Ah such an eager student. I believe that you should rest a week or two and then we shall continue your studies, I can arrange classes for Hem as well. Would you be okay with that Hem?"
"I guess." Hem grunted. He had hardly spoken to Cadvan and Maerad as they traveled giving short answers and never initiating conversation.