All credits for characters and some dialect go to the lovely Kristin Cashore.

First story... any advice is helpful

I update a lot so check it out :)

Thank you for reading... enjoy...

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Po's POV

Exhausted, I had barely noticed Kasta jump out of bed and go to the door. Half asleep, I heard her talking to someone, but everything sounded like I was underwater. I could only feel my bruised face, aching with pain.

"Oh, hello," Kasta said, clearly recognizing the person at the door, opening it a little wider, "What happened? Are you alright?"

"I need Po," Said a voice. Bitterblue's. I tried to sit up, but felt myself drifting, " Is he awake."

I heard the door swing open a little wider, and Kasta speaking to bitterblue, but the words drifted out of my sleeping mind. Something like,Attacked.

Suddenly, I heard a voice pierce my mind. PO. Po wake up we need you.

I sat up in bed swiftly, and looked into Katsa's eyes, the green and gold blazing with confusion, anger, and concern.

"What is it? I said, lazily, sleep echoing in it, "Wildcat. is it morning?"

"It's the middle of the night, and Bitterblue's been attacked." Kasta said, concern ripping through her voice like thunder.

"Sea's," I said, launching myself out of bed, dragging my sheet with me, notting it around my waist. I started pacing and trying to keep a poker face.

"Who? Where? Which street? Did they speak with an accent? Are you alright? You seem alright. Which way did they go?" I said, blubbering on, Bitterblue looking at me and Kasta like a tennis match.

"I don't even know if the attack was meant for me or the spy I was pretending to be," Bitterblue said, "Nor do I know who it was no one it reconized and he didn't speak. But I believe there was a graceling there, Po. Holt's niece, with the grace of disguise. I believe she may have come to my aid."

"Ah," I said, then pausing as I heard a voice in my head, and put my hands on my hips, and heard her.

The attackers dead, Po. Have whispered in my head. How is she? She took a nice blow to that pretty little head of hers.

I was still taking her words in when I heard Kasta.

"Po," She said, her voice rich with confusion, "Why are you standing there trying to look innocent. What's going on with Hava?"

I looked into her eyes, "I am innocent. A week or so I met her, is all."

"Ah," Bitterblue said, sarcasm echoing in her vice,"Your friends with my ."

"She was in the castle sneaking around," I said, waving my arm, "trying to visit Holt. I sensed her pretending to be a sculpture in one of the hallways and apprehended her. We had a little chat. I trust her. She was very out of the loop that day with Danzhol, Bitterblue. She didn't realize, until it all happened, that he'd been intending to go so far as to kidnap you. She feels awful about , she agreed to spend some time in the wee hours of the morning keeping an eye out for your safety. I worry that she hasn't contacted me," I added, rubbing my bruised face with both palms, "because I asked her to get in touch if anything ever happened. How far from the castle did the attack take place, Bitterblue? I can't find her anywhere outside."

"Get in touch," Kasta said, clearly not paying much attention to the conversation. She passed a cloth to Bitterblue, looking the table.

"It was near to the east wall ," Bitterblue said, "not in view of it, but one street beyond. What exactly are you doing, asking her to keep an eye out for me, Po? She's a wanted fugitive! And does this mean you've told her I go out nights?"

"How was she supposed to get in touch with you?" Katsa asked, looking up.

"I told you," I said to Bitterblue, "I trust her."

"Then trust her with your secrets, not mine!" Bitterblue said, clearly angry with me," Po! Tell me she does not know."

"Po," Katsa said, in such a strange voice that both Bitterblue and I stopped, turning to look at her. She had backed away nearly to the door and wrapped her bare arms around her sheet dress, as if she were cold.

"Po," she said again, looking into my eyes, "How was Hava to get in touch with you? Was she to come knocking on our doors?"

"What do you mean?" I asked; then swallowed; then rubbed the back of my neck, trying to look natural.

"How," Katsa said, "did you explain to her that you knew she was a person, not a sculpture?"

"You're jumping to conclusions," I said, trying to deflect the attention elsewhere.

Katsa stared at me with an expression on her face I didn't often see. The look of a person who's been punched in the gut.

"Po," Katsa whispered. "She's a total stranger. We don't know the first thing about her."

I put my hands on my hips, hung my head down, blew a breath of air at the floor. "I don't need your permission," I said, trying to sound strong, but hearing my voice come out as a helpless purr.

"But you're being reckless, Po. And devious!" Kasta said, raising her voice." You made a promise that you would tell me whenever you decided to tell someone new. Don't you remember?"

Of course I do, I thought helplessly.

"Telling you would have meant fighting a war with you about it, Katsa," I yelled, my frustration coming through in every word," I should be able to decide about my own secrets without having to go into battle with you every single time!"

"But if you've changed your mind about a promise," Katsa said desperately, "you must tell me. Otherwise, you're breaking the promise, and I'm left feeling that you've lied.

How is it that I should need to explain this to you? This is the sort of thing you Usually have to explain to me!"

"You know what?" I said suddenly, my anger taking form into words, "I can't do this with you around. I can't work through this thing when I know every moment how much it frightens you!"

Kasta looked like I had slapped her,"If you imagine that I'm going to leave you while you're in this mind-set—"

"You have to leave. It's been agreed," I said." You go north to look for the tunnel to Estil."

"I won't go," Kasta yelled," None of us will ! If you're determined to ruin your own life, at least your friends will be here for you when it happens!"

I wasn't expecting that. I really wasn't.

We where both yelling know, and Bitterblue had made herself small in her chair, flinching at the terrible noise, clutching the damp cloth to her chest with both hands.

"Ruin my life?" I cried. "Perhaps I'm trying to save my life!"

"Save your life? You—"

"Remember the deal, Katsa. If you won't leave, then I will , and you'll let me go!" I yelled, exasperated.

Katsa was holding the door handle, her fingers so tight around the handle.

Po, She said into my mind, I never want to see your lying face again. I may have loved you once, but I sure as heck don't love you know.

I felt the words I said come back to me. I took a step forward.

"You were leaving anyway," I said quietly, taking, reaching out a hand. "Love. You were leaving, and then you were going to come back. That's all I need right now. I need time."

"Don't come any closer," Katsa said. "No. Don't say any more," Kasta said as I opened my mouth again to speak. A tear slid down Katsa's face.

"I understand you," she said, "completely." And she pulled on the door, slipped through the crack, and was gone.

"Where is she going?" Bitterblue asked, startled. "She's not dressed."

I sank onto the bed. Dropping my head into his hands, I said, "She's going north to search for the tunnel to Estil ."

"Now? But she has no supplies! She's wearing a sheet!"

I couldn't bear to say anymore, so instead I said,"I've located Hava,She's hiding in the art gallery. She has blood on her hands and she's telling me that your attacker is dead. I'll get dressed and go up to her to see what she knows."

"Po! will you let Katsa go like this?" Bitterblue said, looking like she'd just seen a bomb go of.

I made no response. What could I say? She understood, from the tears I was trying to hide from her, that I had no wish to discuss it.

Bitterblue watched me for a moment. Then, going to him, she touched his hair. "I love you, Po," she said. "Whatever you do."

Then she left. And I cried.

Kasta left me. She said she never wanted to see my lying face again. I thought about going to get her, knowing she was in Raffin's room, bawling, asking for clothes.

You'll let her go, I thought, If you love her, let her go.

And I did love her, and I decided it was best she go