Hey! woh i got soo many nice reviews... kisses to reviewers. so i'm going to jump straight in a minute, but first a short note...

1) To all who asked, yes, Raoul is most definetly in on the scoop, though he's not directly involved at the moment, everyone has their part to play.

2) And to the other question, yes, as you'll soon see the kiddies did NOT like Neals anti-conspiracy attitude, so they had fun with his scripting, word to the wise, do not mess with these kids. As everyone is soon to find out, they're good at being sneaky.

3) I agree that Kel would never let a broken hinge exist at New Hope, but in my mind the broken latrine is actually the bolt hole that Daine made Numair put in for the animals, but as the kids don't know about that (they have a seperate 'children only' bolt hole at HQ), they consider it broken, and no one goes in there because it's useless really... until now.

The New Hope Players
Chapter 4

December 1, New Hope

"Yuki!!" A frazzled looking Kel tore into the infirmary, "Are you trying to kill me?! What do you mean all of these people are coming for our Midwinter party? Where are we going to put them?" She wove a long list in Yuki's face.

Yuki sighed, "I told you, we have it controlled, some of the homeless children who live in headquarters have volunteered to room together and give up their rooms. I believe Loey, Irnai and Gydo are sharing Loey's room. Then Neal can house some of Dom's squad here in the infirmary. Some of the New Hope villagers are willing to lend a room in their houses. AND we have the guest house! So calm down! The children have it all organized Kel."

"Oh." Kel sighed deeply and flopped onto a Yamani cushion that sat around the low tea table. She smiled slightly when she saw Neal's regular Tortallan chair hidden in the corner, she remembered that argument quite clearly. "So," she said, "Aside from the performance, what else have our children planned?"

Yuki eyed Kel thoughtfully, "Well, It's all in the letter in your hand, but I suppose you stopped reading after spotting a certain--" she ducked as Kel threw a roll at her... it hit Neal, who was just walking into the room.

"Good Mithros! I can't even walk into my own room without getting hurt! Can I?! How unfair! Everyone hates Neal don't they? Just because I didn't want to help the ungrateful brats…" Neal turned on his heal and strode out, muttering all the way. Kel turned to Yuki in surprise, but Yuki just shook her head sorrowfully, "Poor man, he refused to help the young ones with their performance... now all of the children in the camp refuse to talk to him at all, they make their parents explain their pains and sicknesses"

Kel winced, poor Neal.

Kels Letter:

Guest List:

-Sir Raoul & Lady Buri

-Sir Dom & his squad

-Lord Wyldon & Squire Owen

-Master Numair & Wildmage Daine

-Lady Alanna

-aprox. 10 nameless others

Note 1: Kel, Wyldon and Owen are unable to attend; they must go to Corus for Owen's ordeal.

Note 2: Daine has whispered to our birds that she and Numair will want to announce their engagement at our festival. No words on how or when it happened, though she does beg us both not to breathe a word of it to anyone.

Activities:

December 20th:

All day: guests arrive, news exchange

Special arrival dinner (already cleared with the kitchen)

December 21st:

Morning: Ice Skating Party,

Afternoon: prepare for play, formal attire please

Night: A huge feast, followed by the performance

December 22:

Morning: Breakfast in rooms (brought by actors in costume of course)

Afternoon: Undecided

Night: Leaving Party!

-Yuki

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--December 5 New Hope--

"I said stop!" Loey cried, holding a script in one hand, swinging a fake glaive at Jasson (who was playing Blayce) with the other, "I said stop your murderous, idiot! You're sick and disgusting and I'm sick of you." She "stabbed" Jasson with the weapon.

"Ahhhh!" cried Jasson as he fell backwards, in his dramatic death scene. Yuki, who was watching the scene from a bench in the front row scribbled a note on her parchment, while onstage the "door" on the scene vanished in a puff of purple smoke (Lady Alanna, who had arrived that morning had agreed to help with the special affects), to be replaced by a warped glass window, which Catherine (who played the chamber) looked through, "You have done well Protector of the Small." Catherine said in an attempt at a monotone-emotionless voice

"Are we through yet? I've done what you told me I would; I killed the Nothing Man, and his dog. I think our deal is done. And for Mithros sakes could you stop with the "Protector of the small nonsense?" Loey said, pretending to wipe her glaive clean of "blood" with a handkerchief.

"Yes, yes, we are through. But there will be work for you soon enough my dear Protector." Catherine said mockingly, and with another puff of smoke vanished.

"Just what I need," Loey sighed dramatically, "Sarcastic chambers." with that she turned and marched off stage.

"Good!" Called Yuki, as all of the actors came out from behind the curtain to hear her remarks, "Yes, well done, isn't it nice to work with a real set, stage crew and effects for once?"

"Uh yeah! Most definitely!" Said Catherine, "I mean, miss, me' part is entirely effects run ain't it?"

"Yes I suppose it is," Yuki smiled and glanced at her board, "Right, now I need Loey, Cat, and Jasson to go get fitted again for your costumes, while I want you three," she pointed to Tobe, Kivik, and Marco (who was playing Gil), "On stage now, to run the next scene okay?"

"That's the one where I admit my feelings for the Lady Knight to Owen right?" Asked Tobe, "When I realize that she went to go fight Blayce on her own, and that she's not back, I mean. And then Neal comes yelling his head off that they found her passed out in the upper halls."

"Yes," Gydo, said, checking her script, "That's this scene; it's one that I really have no narrating lines in."

"Good then you can go get yourself fitted too! Now let us, begin!" Yuki waved the children onstage.

--December 11 Steadfast--

"Dom!" Raoul came jogging into the stables where Dom was grooming his horse, "Look sharp boy, the letters from New Hope came in last week, we just missed Kel and her reports, but she left us some things, for instance the agenda for the Midwinter Party at New Hope." He sighed as he handed Dom a piece of parchment.

"Oh!," Dom half-smiled, "We missed her did we? What a shame. But the agenda... just what I wanted." He grabbed it quickly from Raoul's hand, careful not to look crestfallen that it wasn't written in Kel's neat, efficient writing but rather and painted with all the flourishes of Neal's new bride. He half skimmed the paper while chastising himself mentally, for who was disappointed by writing of all things. His mind however halted it's scolding when something… interesting caught his eye from the page. His face flashed up to meet Raoul's half amused gaze as he read out, "A skating party?!?!" He blinked twice, processing all that this implied and then collapsed with laughter.

"Dom?!?" Raoul looked worried, after the fright with Alanna all those years prior, the older man could see nothing funny about skating.

"A skating... Neal... Oh my..." Dom snorted. Roaul stared at him for a minute, but then a slow smile crept across his face as Yuki's little post script at the end of her note suddenly made sense.

"Dom, Neal can't skate can he?"

"Neal Skate? As if!"