Well, I have been writing like crazy. This is the most I've written in a long time. Not much happens in this chapter, but it's pretty necessary. Bonding and such. Kinda funny...well, I thought it was. No one else has read it yet, so I can just hope.

So, once again, I don't own Tortall. I own all the characters I mentioned before, except I forgot about the Shang Wolf. However slight that character is, I still own him...or her. Something like that.

Anastasia sat under the tree...that tree. Waiting. It was almost noon. Her palms had began to sweat, and she was getting some butterflies in her stomach. 'What if they've changed?' she asked herself silently. 'Maybe they won't like me...maybe I won't like them...' Hazel snorted from her position not far away, where she was grazing on some lush grass that was still very green for so late in the year. Glaring at her friend, the girl leaned back against the tree, and let the noises of the woods surround her...she started to breath slower and deeper. Then she began to hear the voices of the People. They were all talking...birds were gabbing to each other, squirrels fighting over nuts, trying to get fatter for the winter. She let the sounds of nature fill her head, and she began to relax. She was ready for this day...

Alana rode into the clearing. It was beautiful, and still like she remembered it. 'Except smaller,' she thought wryly. Slipping off of Leo, she let the horse go graze. He walked over to a patch of lush grass, near another horse...her mind caught up with her eyes. Another horse? And it was saddled and everything, and bore the insignia of the Queen's Ladies on it, a brown bow in front of a golden crown, with a tan backgroud, and the whole thing was surrounded by a ring made of green-coloured chains (A/N: Has Tammy mentioned a insignia for the Queen's Ladies? If so, lemme know...'cuz I just made this one up now). Something wasn't right here, but something assured her that nothing was out of the ordinary. Walking over to the tree, she sat underneath its wide branches, slightly aware of the presence to her right. She closed her eyes, and began to clear her thoughts. Sitting comfortably, she slipped into a meditation, preparing herself for the upcoming event...

Kathleen went into that same clearing a few minutes later. She dismounted gracefully, and led Dusty over to a patch of grass, that was being clipped down by two horses at the moment. Frowning at them, the brown Appaloosa with plain gear, and the tan mare outfitted in the colours of the Queen's Ladies, she dismissed the thought that something was amiss. Everything was alright. Glancing around the clearing, she noticed that there was a stream running about ten feet away from the tree that hadn't been there ten years ago. Walking over to it, she scooped up some water from it, and splashed it on her face. She gasping slightly at the icy touch of the water (It was September after all, she reminder herself idly), but welcomed the refreshing coolness. She suddenly felt very alive, and well rested. Sitting on the grass, with the tree in front of her, she realized that she had the feeling that there was someone here...almost as if they were sitting to her right and straight ahead of her. Sighing, she leaned back on the soft grass, and closed her eyes. As she drifted into a nap, she smiled. The day had come, and she was prepared...

Galloping into the clearing, Katherine half fell off of her horse. She wobbled slightly as she stood up, but was steady in a second. King trotted over to join three other horses who were already grazing. They were beautiful horses too; an Appaloosa, a tan mare, who's saddle had the symbol for the Queen's Ladies on it, and a grey horse, which seemed to belong to one of the Queen's Riders. The Rider insignia, a red horse rearing on a bronze field, circled by a crimson ring in this case, was on the saddle and bridle. Nervously running her hands through her hair, she dismissed the presence of the horses, and was draw towards a spot near the tree. Sitting down, she felt someone on her left, her right, and in front of her. Starting to whistle a light tune, she leaned back on her hands, and got comfortable. She was ready for noon...

A bell tolled three times. It was noon. All four girls sat up, and became very wide awake.

Anastasia looked around suddenly. There were three people there! She should have been very startled...but she had this deep conviction that they had been there for a long time. She saw the same expression on the other girls' faces. Then one of them spoke; the one who was seated across from her.

"We must finish the rite." The girl to Anastasia's right nodded (A/N: Why do they have to finish the rite? I don't know...I don't do much blood magic.). She held out her left forearm, and rolled up her sleeve, to reveal a long, silver scar. The other two girls did the same, revealing similar scars. Anastasia followed suit. Then they pressed them tightly together. Purple fire streamed out of one girl's fingers, and they all began to recite words that came into their head at that moment...

"By the Great Mother Goddess, we have returned. It is the determined time. It is the determined place. We have fulfilled the bond. So mote it be!" Their arms flew apart once again, just like they had ten years ago, and the fire disappeared. Anastasia smiled at her friends. They were all back together.

Anyone who walked in on the clearing now would see four girls sitting in a circle underneath a tree, all holding hands. They didn't seem to need to use words, after ten years of being apart.

The girl who sat closest to the tree, close enough to lean back on it, was called Anastasia of King's Court, but more often Asha or Ana. She was an average height, with a very muscular build. Her hair was long and dark brown, her skin tanned, with eyes that were currently grey, but could change to anything from green to brown. Her hair was braided at the back of her neck, with two curly locks left out to frame her face. She wore a cream shirt with loose, elbow-length sleeves, and a large collar. Over top of it, she wore a knee-length, soft blue tunic. She had leather wrist guards on, that stopped just below her fingers, not covering them. She had a belt across her shoulder, to which was attached her bow and quiver, and one at her waist, which supported a dagger, short sword, and a slim purse. She wore cream hose to match her shirt, and brown boots which reached to her mid-calf. On the right side of the tunic was a silver crown with a brown bow overtop of it on a tan background, all surrounded by a green circle of linked chains; the symbol of one of the Queen's Ladies. What wasn't visible was her Wild Magic, which allowed her to converse with all mortal animals.

To her left sat a short, slim girl with hazel eyes and long, straight, blonde hair. Her name was Alana of Gillham, also known as the Shang Ermine. Her hair reached to just below her shoulders, and she wore it down. She was dressed in a sleeveless, brown tunic, made of leather, than fitted her perfectly, and was done up as the front with a two leather thongs that ran the length of the garment. It reached just below her belt, and revealed muscular arms. On her belt she wore a purse and two long, slim dirks. She wore bracers on either wrist, to which were attached a scabbard and small throwing dagger; one on each bracer. She wore tight, leather breeches, the same colour as her top, which flared out at her knee, and ended a couple of inches after that. Black boots reached to her knee, and a dagger in a scabbard was fixed to either side of the boot. Two daggers were also strapped to her thighs, on black leather ties. There were also many other daggers hidden about her person, all of which were razor sharp and deadly. Although the Shangs were traditionally trained in hand-to-hand combat, she liked to have daggers 'just in case'. Around her neck was a necklace, with a silver charm hanging on it shaped like an ermine, with red ruby eyes. She had no magic, but she looked and meant business.

Kathleen of Jirescliff sat across from the tree. She wore her dirty blonde hair in a high horsetail, with two strands of hair at her forehead tucked behind either ear. Her face was sprinkled with freckles, and her eyes were a pure azure blue. She wore a greeny-brown tunic, which reached to just above her knees. Her shirt was white, and the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Her collar was high, and casually open. On her belt around her waist rested her long sword Opal, along with a dagger and wallet. She had a similar belt around her shoulder, with a short bow and quiver on it. She wore dark brown riding gloves, which doubled as tough leather gauntlets. The Rider insignia on the left side of her tunic was of a crimson horse rearing on a bronze field, surrounded by a crimson ring. This marked her as a Group Leader. She was very tall, with an average but muscular build. She had a smile on her face, and looked like she could handle anything.

The last of the group was Katherine of South Mount, who was more often called Katie, or occasionally Kate. Her hair was also dirty blonde, with light streaks from the sun, and her eyes also blue. But they were a darker blue, with a hint of grey. Her skin was dotted with freckles, especially on her face. Her hair was cut to below her chin, but above her shoulders, and it curled away from her face, then curled back, and again under her chin. This was caused by her habit of running her hands through her hair, and pushing it back from her face, while it dried. She wore a white shirt, that reached to her elbows, but with much smaller sleeves than the ones worn by Asha. Her tunic was green, and reached to mid-thigh, with a short tie at the neck. At her waist was a slim belt, from which hung a dagger and wallet. On a belt across her shoulder rested not a box or quiver, but a huge, two-handed sword, about four feet long, and four inches wide. She occasionally used a long sword and shield, but she preferred to use her two-handed sword, and to keep her shield on her back. She was also tall, but not quite as tall as Kathleen, and slim. She was the third Lady Knight of the realm, after Alanna of Olau and Pirate's Swoop and Keladry of Mindelan.

Kathleen was the first to speak, breaking the ten minute silence. "We should go get lunch-I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving!" Alana chuckled, seeing that Kathleen was still very open and expressive of her thoughts.

"Where are we gonna go to eat?" Katie asked. "We all have different positions, so...yeah," she finished lamely.

"I don't really care, but I am hungry, now that Kathleen mentioned it..." Alana remarked.

"How about the page's mess hall?" suggested Asha. "It's casual and pretty close."

"Whatever, let's just go!" Kathleen exclaimed, jumping to her feet, and getting her horse. The other three followed suit, and they were soon headed off down the dirt path back to the palace. Katie and Kathleen rode at the front, closely followed by Alana and Asha. They walked, as they wanted more time to catch up with each other.

"So what have you been doing all these years?" Kathleen asked the tall girl riding next to her. "And why are you riding bareback? And did you know that you have a very large sword on your back?"

"I do?" Katie asked in mock surprise, twisting around too look at the sword. "You know what, I think you're right! I don't know why I never noticed that before...thanks for the update, Lady Obvious." (A/N: I found out that it really pisses my friend off when I call him Captain Obvious. So I adapted it for Tortallan purposes.)

"That's Commander Obvious to you," Kathleen growled, seeing that her friend's sarcasm still hadn't gone away in ten years.

"Yeah, you're a commander in the Riders now, aren't you..." The slim girl remarked, looking at the crest on her friend's tunic.

"Yeah, commander of the Ninth Group, Brokefang's Pack."

"Pretty important job, if you ask me...I'm guessing you're the commander type then, aren't you?"

"Well, that's what people tell me. I do try my best. What about you?"

"I take pride in being the third lady knight in Tortall."

"So I guess that makes you pretty important, eh?"

"Well, I do try my best..."

"You have a very bad habit of being annoying, did you know?"

"Ahh, Commander Obvious returns to tell us all what's right in front of us!"

"Don't make me hurt you."

"Threats now, eh?"

"Yes. So why are you riding bareback?"

"Eh..." Katie's face went slightly red. "Well, I slept in...and I didn't want to be late or anything, and...yeah."

"Seriously?" Katie nodded, which made Kathleen burst out into gales of laughter. "You...slept...in!" She doubled over in her saddle, laughing so hard she started to cry. "I see you haven't changed much," she remarked when she had calmed down. Then she took a look at her friend's angry face, and burst out laughing again. At curious looks from Asha and Alana, Katie simply scowled.

"Just don't ask," she told them.

"Anyway," Asha continued, returning to her conversation with Alana, "it almost killed me, having to wait until I was fifteen to join the Queen's Ladies. I had been training by myself until then, but it's just not the same..."

"I see what you mean, though I never had to wait to start my training," Alana said.

"Oh, yeah, that's right! What was the Shang training like, anyway?" the brunette asked curiously. The Shangs tended to lead a somewhat secretive life, and Asha was eager to hear about how they trained.

"Hard...and very damn long. I was up at dawn each morning, and went to bed whenever it was too dark to see."

"Wouldn't it be easier in the winter then? Because there's less daylight?" At this comment Alana laughed long and hard. She finally stopped when Asha glared at her.

"No! You must be kidding me! Might I remind you that we live in tents all year round? They were always coming up with new ways to make us train in the snow."

"Ahh...I see."

"How was your training?"

"Very...diverse. We got schooled in weapons and etiquette. A lot. Mind you, I now know how to address pretty much everyone at court."

"Really? How would you address a Shang?"

"Carefully. And I'd make sure I wouldn't piss them off." Alana grinned at this comment. "So what Shang are you?"

"The Shang Ermine."

"Really? Wow...does your hair turn white in the wintertime?"

"Ha, ha, ha," Alana remarked sarcastically. "I was given my name because of my grace, speed, and slightly...deceptive nature, when it comes to telling the truth, that it..."

"Maybe the Shang Weasel would have suited you better..."

"Hey! You're not addressing me right. Don't forget that I could take you on, and win, any day."

"Alright, alright. Testy!" Asha drew out the last word for a long time. Alana then punched her in the arm. "Ow!"

"That's what I thought."

"Well, I guess that an ermine is slightly more respectable than a weasel..."

"And more elegant, refined, pretty, intelligent, speedy, agile, and all around better."

"Are you discriminating against weasels?"

"What?!" Alana looked like she was going to say more, but they had left the Royal Forest, and they were heading towards the stables. "Where should I put my horse?" She asked, changing the subject quickly.

"You can just use the palace ones," Katie called back. That's where King here stays." She patted her horse's neck, and he whinnied happily.

"Me too," Asha added, steering her horse towards the specified building. Alana nodded, and followed them. She had only been to the Palace a few times, and that was a long time ago.

"Kathleen, why don't you just stable your horse here? It would save you the trouble of going all the way over the the Rider Barracks," Katie suggested, looking at the girl.

"Fine with me," the tall girl replied. They entered the stables, and almost all of the horses went to the front of their stalls, ears perked forward, to greet Asha. Smiling, she nodded at them all as she went by, but didn't go up to greet any.

"That's right...you have Wild Magic, eh?" Alana remarked looking a little warily at all the horses. Asha grinned and nodded,.

"They all see to like me so much...I feel so special," the girl replied.

"Well, lucky for you, I'm at pretty much the very end, so you can say hi to all of your little friends along the way," Katie commented dryly. Hazel fixed her with one large, brown eyes, and snorted. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean any offense..." she muttered, frowning at the mare. "Oh, here's King's stall." They stopped at a stall near the end of the building, and at the end of all the horses. "You guys can take an empty one somewhere down there; it doesn't matter where." She pointed at some empty stall near hers. The four girls all hung up their gear, with the exception of Katie, and gave their horses a good rub-down. Katie apologized to King for riding him bareback, and promised him she'd try not to make a habit of it. With their horses taken care of, the four girls made their way to the page's mess hall to eat.

So what did you think? Should I continue? Damn right. You don't have a say in that. I seriously need some synonyms for 'stable', as in stabling a horse. Feel free to offer any. And I just realized that it's not the Palace Forest, it's the Royal Forest...whoops. So it's not gonna be correct for the first chapter, but from now on, it will be.

Some replies to the three reviews I have gotten in the space of about...I dunno, whenever I uploaded the first chapter. I've got the memory of a goldfish.

blackflyer: Wow, what a long review...thank's for the input about the Shangs and I realize the Ordeal thing. If Katie had her Ordeal at midwinter, she would have to wait until the upcoming one, and I wanted it to be out of the way when I started writing...so she had it in June. Kapish everybody?

Camilla2: Really? When they're four? Huh...well, Alana started when she was eight...umm, yeah, lol...

Tpfan333: Well, then Alana started late. Whatever, she's a Shang now, lol. And Onua has Wild Magic, but I'm pretty sure she can't shapeshift.

So what are you waiting for? REVIEW!