Neal rounded the corner and stopped abruptly as he looked at the Lioness's daughter, curled up in the corridor's windowsill reading a book that looked much too advanced for her. It had been a week since he had last seen her at dinner and she had avoided him studiously. Trying to look as if he had just happened on that particular corridor, Neal set aside his sheath and stretched his arms casually, until he noticed what the girl was reading.

"Is that Salmalin's book on realm borders?" he asked incredulously, recognizing title.

"Of course," the girl responded, flipping a page coolly.

"There is no way you can get through that," Neal said, leaning against the cool stone. He rubbed his sore shoulders as he thought back to his lessons with the brilliant mage. He didn't notice Aly's posture stiffen with indignation. "I could hardly get through it."

"I'm sure I'll manage," she responded coolly.

"Well, it's in my experience that you girls usually do," he said, rolling his shoulders as he thought back to his years as a squire and a page. "Kel always managed to pull off what the rest of us couldn't."

"Yes, Keladry of Mindalen is absolutely incredible," Aly said, her face seemingly innocent as she leaned over her book. Neal looked at her sharply.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked her.

"What do you mean?" she replied, one eyebrow raised at her page. "You don't think she's incredible?"

"Don't play innocent with me, Little Aly."

"I'm not little," Aly denied, pursing her lips up at the Squire. "I'm eleven."

"Of course you are. A child," he replied distractedly, not seeing her glare. "Regardless, I am the master of sarcasm and I know it when I hear it."

"Well, oh Master of Sarcasm," she drawled as she marked her page and jumped from the windowsill. "I'll be sure to remember that, next time I need your expertise. Don't expect me to come running if I need a healer or knight though!"

"Why do I have to meet the most annoying girls in Tortall?" Neal muttered to himself darkly as he watched her stomp away down the corridor. "Even Kel wasn't this annoying when she was eleven…" He smirked at that— he really must be missing her to tell himself such a lie.

Now, though, it was time for his little mission. Neal told himself he wasn't sneaking. Really. Alanna had told him he was a guest and, therefore, he should be able to walk through the manor on his own. And, anyway, hadn't Alanna given him the day off to do what he wanted? And what he wanted to do was explore Pirate's Swoop. No question, then. He wasn't sneaking.

Neal, laying flat along the window sill in an out of the way corner of the servant's quarters snorted to himself and fought a sneeze as he caught a lungful of dust. His curiosity had finally gotten the best of him. He had a good view of the yard, stables and— most importantly— the window of the office where the baron had been barricaded for two days.

But he wasn't sneaking.

Two hours later, Neal was on his back on the ledge, blowing at specks of dust that floated in the late morning light above his head. At first, he had watched the Baron's window closely, noting every movement and questioning every action he saw. However, his tired and sore body could only take so much of one position and once he allowed himself to get distracted he found he couldn't really get into the mystery of the baron's activities.

Plus, he admitted to himself. It's not like the husband of the Lioness herself is going to be doing something illegal in their home. It's not like the husband of the Lioness would do anything illegal at all, he corrected himself, but still... something wasn't right. He thought of the late-night arrivals, the Lioness's obvious anger, the messengers disguised as delivery folk he had happened to notice while in the stables, those odd strangers in the village... It had gotten him into trouble at the University, and ever more so under the Stump's watchful eye, but he Neal couldn't put aside a mystery once his attention had been drawn to it, no matter how much trouble he knew he'd get into for it later.

That he would get in trouble if the Lioness caught wind of what he was doing wasn't even a question.

She'll probably spar with me for real if she finds out I'm spying on her husband, Neal thought, yawning as he turned into a more comfortable position. Only after she forces me to heal every sniffle in the village and... and recite the 400 laws of the healers in...


There was the flutter of bats outside the window and Neal sat up, stifling a groan as stiff muscles complained about the uncomfortable position they had been forced into. Neal looked outside the window and cursed. The sun was already far below the walls that surrounded the Swoop and the sky was a dull red above the trees. He had fallen asleep before noon, but it was well into the evening now. An entire day wasted and Neal was all the more sore from his impromptu nap on the stone windowsill. Not to mention not being any closer to answering the mystery of the baron.

Bringing it to his mind, Neal turned to look across the courtyard and flattened himself out on the sill. The baron's office was lit from within from a candle on the desk and Neal watched as the baron turned away from the door. He shook his head as he spoke to someone who must have been standing on the other side of the desk. Aly backed into Neal's line of sight, her gaze fixed on whoever the baron was talking to as she got closer to the door. The door opened before she reached it and someone in a dark brown cloak slipped inside, closing the office door behind him. With his back to the door, the stranger took off his cloak's hood and smiled as he spoke to the baron, who had reached out and grabbed Aly by the arm.

Neal watched this all, curious but unconcerned. Who would the baron have in his office this late in the evening? Why did that man look familiar?

The man flicked his cloak back and Neal, suddenly, recognized him as one of the strange men he had seen who had seemed so out of place in the village. Then, the stranger had his sword out of its sheath and Neal gaped in shock as the stranger walked towards the baron and his daughter, blade in hand.