Okay, I really wanted a fic like this to read, so when I didn't find one, I decided to write on for myself. And though my personal acquaintances might commit murder, I write this to satisfy my own rampant curiosity. ~melonkitty

ONE

The Apprentice

Kel paced. It was most certainly not her way to do so often but still, she paced. The animals on her bed watched her with uncertain eyes. Jump looked at the human girl with an odd understanding and unhappiness as she flopped on her bed.

Kel was twenty-five, she'd been a knight for years, but still she had not seen it all, and thought she never would.

* * * * *

While out in the practice yards she had been tilting, an activity she often did as a way to calm her nerves, she had seen a small girl, probably twelve or thirteen.

Behaving friendly enough Kel had finished and walked over to talk to her, but when she saw the girls face she had paused. The girl had two different colored eyes, one a bright silver, the other a startling gold, but a thick ropy scar ran down the right side of her face from her temple to her chin. She wore breeches and tunic in a light tan, with the large pockets on her tunic having many feather in it.

"It is nothing that can be undone Lady Knight." The girl said with a look of indifference.

Kel was startled by the girls voice it was accented, she came from a different land, but not only that, it was cold, slightly harsh and distant, a voice you would normally hear from someone who had nothing to live for.

"Forgive me, but may I ask your name?" Kel had nearly stammered.

"Sam."The girl said. "Sort for Samsheo, Lady Keladry." The girl said without changing her expression. The girl reached out her hands, taking Peachblossum's nose in her hands.

Then she smiled slightly, letting go. Then she addressed Kel with her blank expression. "You should give him a wash, M'Lady, there are some rather nasty fleas behind his ears." She said.

Kel moved towards the girl, but she flinched away. Samsheo looked scared for a moment, then walked up the hill at more of a restrained run.

"Wonder who she is…" Kel said more to herself than her horse.

* * *

Kel was eating dinner in the company of her friends as she saw the girl again.

The girl came in the doors slowly, casting her gaze around, until she happened upon Numair.

"Hey, Neal. That girl over there, Samsheo, do you know who she is?" Kel asked as she watched Samsheo lead the mage from the room.

"Supposedly she's Daines apprentice." He told her.

Kel grunted. "Daine, an apprentice? How long were we away?" She asked surprised.

"A little over two and a half years, Keladry." Cam a familiar voice behind them.

Turning, Kel beamed at the knight before her, her copper hair and purple eyes gave her away. "Lioness."

Alanna smiled. "Good to see you away from the front and in greater spirits." She said sitting next to the other Lady Knight.

"So, Daine has an apprentice?" Neal asked his former knight master.

"Yes." Alanna nodded. "She was in pretty poor shape when she first arrived. It was about a year back, she was dressed strangely, almost in a daze, saying that she sought the Wildmage." She told them.

"Her voice is strange, where does she come from?" Kel asked remembering the girls speech and how it chilled her.

"She come from a land she calls Dellio. No one but Daine can get her to utter more than a few words to a decent person." Alanna shook her head. "That child is scarred in more places than on her body, whatever happened, I want to kill the man that has caused her to fear everyone that approaches her."

"As would I." Came Daine as she stood behind them. "Excuse me for startling you."

They all looked at the Wildmage with understanding eyes.

"Sam…she's a handful, she is, if I can get her to tell me anything at all." She said surprising them with a look of utter concern.

"Daine, do you need me to come by tonight?" Alanna asked.

Daine nodded. Then she turned to Kel. "My shy apprentice has admired you from afar for a while, Kel, I would like you to come as well. Perhaps she will open up to some women who have been through hell."

Kel nodded. "I met her earlier when she was watching me tilt." Her Yamani face went up. "What happened to her Daine?"

Daine shrugged. "I don't know, unfortunately. All she ever tells me is how she escaped with her life. Where she comes from, all she can tell me is that she would have died. From what she says, Dellio is unforgiving towards those with the Gift. And from what I can tell, her Gift may be stronger thanany I have seen." Dain said as she walked away.

"That's saying something." Alanna commented.

"Indeed." Neal agreed.

* * *

"Daine?" Alanna asked as she knocked on the door quietly.

Kel stood at the door with her as Daine opened the door to her and Numair's rooms with a finger to her lips to silence them.

"Sam's in the middle of something, you can come in but be very quiet." She cautioned them.

The two women entered and were met with Sam floating two feet off the ground with her eyes closed, sitting cross legged with her eyes shut. A platinum haze surrounded her.

Numair glanced at the women who entered without a word as he watched the girl.

"Alright, Samsheo, give it a try now." He told her.

With that Sam's eyes opened and stared at the floor in front of her, watching as the haze around her flowed to the spot to materialize as a strange looking cat with gold eyes.

Numair watched without a word and when Sam slowly drifted to the ground he handed her a glass of water.

The cat walked over to Samsheo and sat in her lap. The girl was covered in a light sweat and accepted the water with a small thank you.

"That was rather impressive there, young Samsheo." Alanna commented.

Samsheo looked up, obviously startled and the cat in her lap stood up to look at Alanna closely. The girls eyes were distant. "I am pleased that you think so." She said quietly.

Alanna leaned down to hold out her hand to her. "If I may."

Sam stiffened, but held out her hand nonetheless.

As soon as the two brushed fingers, Alanna quickly withdrew her hand, as though she had touched a fire.

Numair chuckled. "I would advise not touching her right now. It would be like touching a bolt of lightning."

Daine smiled slightly at Numair, obviously sharing some silent joke.

Kel looked at the cat, as he sat in the lap of the powerful young mage. "What is hi name?" She asked as she looked into the girl's eyes as they seemed to return to the here and now.

"His name is Kishar." She answered, her accent making the A silent.

"You did well, Sam, I suggest you reel it in and let Alanna have a look at you." Numair told her as he went into another room.

Sam took a deep breath, closing her strange eyes for a moment and sighing.

"I know how much you like to have that freedom, little one, but it causes me grief each time you do that." The cat told her.

Everyone but Daine froze. Daine and Sam laughed. "Alright, alright, enough of that Kishar, would you leave your young mistress to the attention of the healer?"

The cat swung his tail in indignation and followed Numair's path.

"What manner of animal is that?" Kel asked in awe.

Sam looked up at her. "Kishar is an old friend of mine, I created him as a child in…" Sam looked out the window and let the thought drift without continuing.

"Samsheo." Alanna called placing her hand on the young girl.

A purple glow flowed into the girl slowly and Sam's eyes drooped slightly after a moment.

After a moment more her eyes opened wider. "I recommend you do not probe further." Sam said coldly as she stood and stepped away from the older woman's touch. "Doing so would only burden you."

"Sam." Daine called.

She snapped her head towards her mistress. "Why? You wish to know who I am and where I come from, when I have told you it would only hurt you. Must you push me so hard? You do not need to know." Sam nearly begged, tears forming in her eyes.

Kel stepped forward, splaying her hands towards the girl, who flinched away slightly.

"No one here wants to force you into something you don't want, that would be unfair." Kel said lightly placing her hand on her shoulder. "We get to where we are going by making choices that we want, then and only then do our lives mean something to ourselves."

Sam sighed. The women noticed that she held back the tears. "If you want to know, you need only search your heart for the worst that can happen to an innocent girl." She said quietly.

"Sam-" Daine began, as all three gasped.

"No, you want the story, and I can tell it, but I want you to tell no one of this. You truly mustn't, for then my life would be forfeit by the laws under which I was born." Sam said cutting her off.

"Alright." Daine said as they sat on the floor. "I won't tell anyone."

"You have my word as the King's Champion." Alanna said.

"I shall only swear if it doesn't prove harmful." Kel said after a moment.

Sam smiled slightly at her. "Then that's all I hoped I could get out of you, Lady Knight." She took a deep breath. " I come from a land called Dellio, far, far, to the north east. Nearly two years journey from here…"