I know it's been forever since I've updated this and I am so so sorry.

Two reviews this time: captive1princess and Lady Maeror.

Oh, and for the rest of this story, I'll be switching to first person POV via Celestine, although other characters may get their moment in the metaphorical spotlight.

Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable characters, places, or situations. All others belong to me.

Chapter Four

Skewered Fish

Celestine's POV

"So this man we're meeting is your boss?"

I nodded. "Corps Commandant actually."

Normally anyone would've taken the hint and left me alone to my own thoughts, but Catalina MacNeil was not one of those people.

"So, I was wondering. How do you Rangers always react so quickly to everything when you're so far away from one another. Wouldn't it take forever to send news to other fiefs?"

I looked at my best friend. I'd known Catalina, or Lina as she preferred to be called, since we were kids. It'd been completely bewildering to everyone when we struck up our friendship. In truth, we had very little in common. While I was reserved, preferring to watch other people rather than be the middle of attention. I also had the tendency to be calm, quiet, and slightly grim at times.

Lina, on the other hand, was loud, boisterous, and friendly. She was tall and broad shouldered, while I was on the short side.

In fact, the only real thing we had in common at all was that both were the first women in our respective fields, Lina as a knight, and myself a Ranger.

Either way, we'd become great friends, who were now sitting in the corner of an inn's taproom, waiting for Crowley to appear.

The messages he'd sent us had been vague to say the least. All it had said was that Crowley needed the us for a mission.

"Have you two ordered dinner yet?"

I'm pretty sure I jumped out of my skin. Unfortunately, I've never taken well to being taken by surprise, ironic no?

It also didn't help that I was on edge. And, after you take all those into account, the fact that my saxe knife was out of the scabbard and in a defensive position against Crowley and Gilan.

"Oh, hullo, um... we thought we'd -"

"Gilan! For the love of all that is good, DO NOT sneak up on my like that! I was getting ready to skewer you!"

Lina took a minute to realize that she'd yelled and that every other eye in the taproom was now focused on us. Of course, it was only then that she noticed Crowley was standing beside Gilan, desperately attempting not to let any laughs escape.

Sadly, I was never that good at hiding laughter, and had so far managed to keep any giggles from escaping until I looked at Gilan.

It's hard to explain the look on Gilan's face at that exact moment. It seemed to be an odd combination of confusion and mortification.

Either way, Lina was still attempting to talk off her embarrassment at her own outburst.

"Oh, hi! You must be Crowley. Name's Lina!"

She stuck her hand out for a handshake, which Crowley tentatively took.

Well, it took a while for everyone else to get back to their own business, so we could get down to ours.

So, with plates of salmon and hog mugs of the steaming-deliciousness that is coffee in front of us, we did just that.

Of course, I got a little bit of an idea about the purpose for this particular meeting when Crowley turned to me and asked, "How much do you know about the Outsiders?"

Wow, that was short. I guess it was kind of an introduction of Lina, who happens to be MacNeil's daughter, which is how Lina knows Gilan.

Anyway, sorry about the long update time, more to come soon. I promise.