Author's Note: Sorry it been forever since I updated, I've been busy and working on other things. Speacial thanks to Mikoda of Pirate's Swoop and all the reviewers.

Aso, check out 'Replacing the Rogue' a collaboration between Sweet Sassy Sarah, and myself.

I am not Tamora Pierce

Time went by easily for Alan. His classes were difficult but they were not the worst things he has ever done. he had managed to get through his classes, except history which upset his grandfather, without much help. He still had to get help from Teldon with history, and math was a pain that he turned to Bryce for, but he was succeeding in his training.

One of the larger problems he found though was that every once in a while he would find his sponsor with a black eye after Lachran had been by himself in a hall. Lachran refused to explain anything other than 'he didn't even realize it' or 'must of hit it while he was sleeping'.

When the pages began tilting Alan found that he was almost at a second year level with it. He expected that he wouldn't do well with his short stature but surprisingly, he did well.

Once Alan had thought that things had began to settle down he realized he was more like his father than he thought when he caught himself slipping out of a room when Lachran left the library their group was studying in to go and get a book he had left in his own room. Alan made a quick excuse of being tired since most of his work was complete and followed several paces behind Lachran, quietly and ignored.

Then he saw them. Will, the second year page, two others that were older than him, and a tall squire as well were in the hall, had stopped Lachran. Alan ducked into a side corridor and listened carefully.

"You would think that this whelp would learn a lesson." Will's voice was full of arrogance.

"So this is the boy you were telling me about, Will," this was deeper voice, the voice of the squire. "This is that chit's nephew?"

"Yeah, Mikal, this is him." Another boy answered.

Alan peered around the edge and saw the blond squire with piercing brown eyes take a step towards Lachran. Then the sound of flesh hitting flesh cracked in the air. Alan stayed hidden for only a moment longer and that was because he heard Sam coming out of his room, "What in the name of Mithros?!" was all he got out before he joined the skirmish.

Alan rushed out to lend a hand in the fight. Sam and Lachran were good fighters but two to one odds wouldn't be the best. So Alan lent his own fists in the fight. The other boys didn't even realize a third page had joined in when they threw punches his way. Alan dodged and blocked but several blows landed in his ribs and an elbow connected with his chin. He heard bone crack as he punched the squire's nose and then the blond squire -Mikal- realized he was there before a knee collided with Alan's mid-section and he fell to his knees as he was shoved away.

"Hey! Knock it off ye lads! Ye're all goin' to the trainin' master!" Cried a male servant.

Alan heard them and was thankful that when he had fallen he was half hidden in the side corridor he had hid in earlier. Ducking into the hall completely, he rushed until he could hide in a corner and listen for more sounds.

Feet retreating echoed through the halls before Alan came back out. He saw that the servants had hauled the pages away, so the hall was clear for him to rush back to his room, unnoticed. He never thought that being overlooked would actually help him someday too bad he also heard that it was useful being able to tell a good story. The squire that was in skirmish had gotten out of punishment work by constructing a story about passing by and hearing the fight before stepping in and trying to stop it. Sam and Lachran didn't get off as easily. Sam was sent to the armory on Sunday for a bell's worth of time while Lachran was in the stable lofts.

"How did you get out of there? I could swear to Mithros you had our backs," Sam had asked.

Alan just grinned, "If I tell you, it's nice not being recognized at first sight."

This left Teldon and Alan to their own devices under the care of Bryce and his page, Tybalt. The four made and interesting set. Teldon and Tybalt were still lanky and had yet to hit a growth spurt. Bryce was broad and burly and a head taller than Alan despite their close ages. Alan was taller than the other first years, but his strawberry blond hair put him between Teldon's orange locks and Tybalt's almost white strands.

The four made their way through the palace yards and were on their way to the city. Corus had a lot to offer four young boys who would find pleasure in just having an afternoon away from the palace.

The boys walked through the city of Corus, with only Tybalt becoming awestruck at all the people.

"The poor country lad has never seen more people than goats in his life!" Bryce guffawed at his page's expense.

Tybalt shoved the youth, but it did little good because of the size difference. Alan grinned and Bryce and the older boys each hooked one of their arms under Tybalt's and scooped the boy up off the ground.

"Let me go!" Tybalt demanded when he saw that they were heading towards a fountain.

"Or what?" Bryce asked with a loud laugh. "Going to squeal?"

"Mithros' sword, I'll make you both pay!" Tybalt kicked at his sponsor while Alan grabbed one of his ankles. "No, please don't," he begged.

"Or what?" Bryce asked again while grabbing the other ankle."On three?"

"One," the older boys chorused.

"Please no," Tybalt pleaded

"Two."

"No, please!" the young boy was trying to fight back."

"Argh!" Bryce yelped as two hands hit him and he tumbled into the water.

Tybalt hit the ground with as Alan began to protest after seeing Teldon's rarely wicked grin. "You little," Alan went to chase the other boy but Tybalt tripped the thirteen year old to fall onto the cursing page in the fountain.

"That's it." Alan pulled himself out of the water, dripping wet. "You two are going to pay."

"With your hides," Bryce all but snarled as he took a steep in Tybalt's direction.

Tybalt grinned at his accomplice. "Who would have thought you had it in you, now we better run though."

The two went to dash away as the other boys tried to grab at them but three figures stopped them in their tracks. "Are we havin' a problem 'ere lads?" The man had a shaved head and a nose that had been broken before. He had an agile looking redheaded woman on his arm and a muscular Carthaki man standing just behind his left side.

"No, sir." Bryce said right away. "We were just enjoying our moment of free time, sir."

"Palace," the woman murmured into the man's ear.

He nodded and looked the boys up and down. "Watch ye're steps 'round t' city." He shook his head at the water logged youths and sauntered off.

"The Rogue," Bryce told them all. "He's a mean one to cross. He likes the slave markets a bit much for most people though, but he is sitting pretty firmly in his throne." His mouth tightened. "He keeps the city fed and clothed and pretty clean, but a lot of folks will say that it's because he ships the trash out, beggars, and street urchins go into the Carthak slave market. It makes money for him and the city."

Alan glared at the man who had seemed so intimidating; slavers were not his favorite people. "So people will turn a blind eye to his work so long as no one that matters to anyone is taken."

Tybalt and Teldon both looked astonished at this new outcome of this.

The boys made the rest of their day worthwhile by visiting Raven Armory to look at swords and such before they decided to end their trip into the city by visiting an inn. Alan led them all to The Dancing Dove claiming he went there quite a bit with his father.

The four drank their lemonades and the boys started to leave. Alan said that he needed to say good bye to his father's friend and that he would be along in a moment.

The 'friend of his father's ' was just the barkeeper. "Take care Marv," Alan told the lanky man behind the bar. "And would you keep an eye on any of those lads if they come back in here?"

"Of course Al," Marv told him with a smile missing a tooth. "A friend of ye is always looked after or I'd be missin' an ear as well."

"Thanks, Marv." Alan shook his head at the old knife-fighter before starting to leave the bar.

A girl that was maybe a year younger than him ran into him. Her dark black hair concealed her face as she tried slipping by but he caught the slightest tug on his belt. Alan knew this trick, he wasn't raised by the old Rogue for nothing. He caught her wrist before she could get his belt purse off completely and pulled her close so that he could whisper in her ear, "Don't try that on me, I know what ye're up t'. I be George's boy." The girl looked up at him with piercing green eyes and scowled but let go of his money. "And signal your back up to fall back before mine comes to look for me." He glanced over at another girl with dark skin and hair who looked like a fighter and was slowly making her way towards Alan and the girl.

The girl glared and tucked her hair behind an ear. The other girl looked slightly shocked but fell back into the crowd. Alan smirked and she stepped down on his foot making him grunt in pain and she vanished into the crowd. Before he could look for her he saw a back door open and close. Grumbling, Alan left and he and his friends finished walking their way to the palace. Laughing and joking the whole way but Alan had the feeling of being watched the whole time. he kept looking over his shoulder but never saw anyone.

When they all retreated to their room Alan began to remove his belt when he found his belt purse was much lighter than before. His jaw dropped when he inspected the latch on it still clasped but the movement caused several more coins to fall from the bottom of the leather pouch. When he looked on the bottom, a fine gash was made -most likely by a dagger- to let the coins fall out as he walked. "Why that snake in the grass," he mumbled to himself in astonishment.

A/N: For those of you who read The Abyss, does our little thief sound familiar at all? hmmm? remeber to review, good, bad, concrit or flame, I'll take it all :D