A/N : Okay so, I'm horrible. This took me SO LONG to update. I apologize. You may yell... But I made it really long!! yay!

Unfortunately, it pains me to say that I still own nothing, but damn! Is it fun to pretend or what?! LOL.

enjoy!

I awoke with the Sun, stretching my arms as I spread my wings to the air. I looked back at the log that I had called a pillow. Ever since the argument with Saeten, I'd taken to sleeping in the forest that surrounded the Hall. It was difficult to be in a place of such dark power for all hours of the day, let alone the night!

I glanced up, loving the feeling of the Sun's rays, then shrugged lightly as I allowed the concealment spells to take over and hide my wings. Another change I had made, while I felt no shame in showing them, my pure-white wings tended to make people edgy.

I set a quick pace as I headed back to the Hall, running towards the field in front of it. Another change, I had begun to enjoy watching Lucivar and his training sessions, and today was the first day the women were expected to begin sparing. I wasn't going to miss this opportunity!

I slowed as the figures came into view, stopping just outside the ring that had become the sparing centre. The women were cowering on the right side of the field, while the men were on the left, scoffing and laughing with each other. I quietly slipped into the group on the right, keeping nearer to the middle of the field.

"Now," Luivar began to talk. "While you ladies may believe that you are weak and that you have no need to learn to use these techniques, consider where you come from. Your brothers, sisters, sons and daughters were tortured and beaten, that's why you fled to Kaeleer." I glanced around, all of these people were those that he had brought from the 'service fair'. No wonder the women look so skittish.

"But the fact of the matter is," Lucivar continued, swinging himself in a slow circle in the centre, facing both the men and the women in turn. "You are in Kaeleer and you are under my protection. Which means I damn well expect you to learn to defend yourselves."

"Bet I could teach these women a thing or two.." I turned my head to face an Eryien Sapphire-Jewelled Warlord. Bet I could teach him a thing or two...

"Now, to begin.." Lucivar turned, showing a few basic steps. "Now, you begin!" The women hesitated, turning in and whispering among themselves. Damn the Light! Why didn't they want to learn this?

I heard the Eryien Warlord snicker as he watched the women shuffle uncomfortably. Damn! No, no no. Lucivar can sort this out, I will have nothing to do..

"I'd like to spar." I heard coming from my mouth. Damn...

Lucivar turned to me, as did most of the men and women. I stepped apart from the group, into the centre of the ring.

"Ah, I'm not sure that's a good idea, lady.." Lucivar said.

I stepped up to him. "I want to spar. Against him." I point to the Sapphire Warlord. I heard many women draw breathe, and turned to face the Warlord. "But if he's too afraid, perhaps he could point out a suitable substitute." I was goading him, forcing his hand. He could turn me down, talk about not wanting to embarass a lady, but not when I requested a substitute from him directly.

He snarled slightly, "Don't think I'm going to go easy on you, girly."

I smiled back at him, "Don't think it'll matter, honey, but I'll try not to beat you too far into the ground." I was angry, after hearing him talk with the other males, I wanted blood.

He stepped into the circle. "Choose your weapon," he said, pointing to a pile.

"I insist, you choose." He picked up a basic wooden stick, six-foot long, and thick enough that my hands didn't fit completely around it. He grinned, and I heard his friends laugh as he made a gesture that would never be accepted in public.

I narrowed my eyes, and looked at the pole that he had rolled towards me. Pushing my toe under it, I kicked it up into the air, catching it with my right hand and turning it a few times. I looked at the Warlord's stunned face before grinning. "What's time in this place?" I asked Lucivar.

"T-Ten minutes?" It sounded more like a question, and I looked up to see his startled expression. Good, about time he learned something.

"Call it." I said, before leaning my body into my starting position. With my left foot forward, facing the enemy, I placed all my weight on my right foot, holding the pole behind and to my right.

"Start, Warlord." I commanded. He began to circle around, and I followed suit. His right foot moved to the right, my left moved to the right, and so we circled. Suddenly, I felt him tense, as he surged forward. I stepped to the left, bringing my pole across his back. He sprawled forward into the dirt, while I landed neatly, turning quickly to face him.

"You all think that because your women, you're weak," I announced, talking to the females, while never taking my eyes off of the male in front of me. "You're wrong. You are smaller," I felt the Warlord tense again, and ducked under him as he ran forward, banging my stick into his most sensitive spot. Cheap, but I was making a point. "That doesn't make you weak, it makes you faster. You may think you're weaker, and physically, your right. But that doesn't mean you are weak, it means your unpredictable." The Warlord came at me again, rage surging through him. I leaped over him nimbly, forcing my leg into his back, knocking the wind out of him and bringing him to the ground once more. I landed, and quickly angled myself back to face him. "You may think that this is a waste of your time, but if he were attacking your daughters, or your sons, do you really want to be unable to save them? You risked your lives to get to this place, don't give up so quickly." I allowed the Warlord to try to hit me with his stick, blocking him and kicking his legs out from under him. "You have already proven yo u are all strong, powerful witches. Don't let Terreille win, now that you've escaped them." I finished just as I heard Lucivar breathe out "Time!"

I turned back to the Warlord, my speech finished. "Good round," I said, offering him my hand. He knocked it away, dragging himself up off the ground. I looked at him and shrugged. Turning back to the women, I tried to look each one in the eye. "What you learn here is valuable, and you will want to learn all you can, if you want to survive."

I saw fear in their eyes, and felt power being summoned behind me. If that Warlord wanted to play... "Remember, it's not the depth of your jewels that matter," I turned myself around just as the Warlord let loose a fury of Sapphire energy. I brought my arms up in front of my, crossed in front of my face. "It's how you use the power you've been given." I flung my arms down and out, forcing the Sapphire energy back at the Warlord. I watched as he flew across the field, then walked calmly towards him as he tried to pick himself up.

I grabbed him by the throat, dragging him up into the air. "If you ever attack another soul while their backs are turned, so help me, I will gut you alive and feed you to the hell hounds!" I threw him across the field, back towards the group.

"Bitch!" The Warlord spit.

"You, Warlord, had best learn some manners." I looked for the velvet-coated darkness that had spoke those words. Damn..

"Daemon.."

"Lady," Daemon nodded lightly at me, as I struggled not to make eye contact. Damn...

Just as he was about to pick up the Warlord, Andulvar, Prothvar and Mephis (damn, again) appeared next to him. "Perhaps we need to have a word with this Warlord about Protocol." Andulvar spoke quietly, but I could see several men shiver.

He looked up at me, as Prothvar and Mephis grabbed an arm each, and hauled the Warlord towards the Hall.

I glared at Andulvar. "He attacked me, Andulvar. I wasn't about to let him try and kill me!"

"I know, Amara. Calm down! We need to go," he grabbed my arm, and began leading me to the Hall. I flinched away as we came too close to Daemon. I prayed he didn't notice..

The look in his eyes tells me he did... Damn the Light... I slide my gaze away, can't connect to him for too long... dangerous.

Suddenly, he's right next to me. I force myself away from him, barrelling into Andulvar which, is the equivalent of a pebble smacking into a mountain. I bounce off of him, straight into Daemon's arms.

"Oh Heaven.." I gasp, as I feel my vision begin to grow dark. "Let me go!" I scream, and I tear myself away from him. I grab my chest, and try to breathe.

"Amara? What is going on?"

I want to answer.. I try. But my tongue feels like sand and I can't make my voice work. I gasp for air, and shudder as the world come back into focus.

"Lady?" Daemon asks, as he touches my arm.

Then I see the Wraiths, and they slice my back from top to bottom.

As the world goes black, I can feel Andulvar grab me, and I see him pale as he sees the wounds on my back. I never wanted to hurt him.

Then I fall into silence and I feel nothing at all.

A/N: Okay, so I never particularly like it when authors beg for reviews, but I can see that a few people are reading this, and I would love some feedback, even if it's negative.

As always, thanks BasedOnAStoryline!! You're reviews are totally making me feel like maybe i'm not doing so horribly... lol.

I hope everyone enjoyed it, and I hope you have some questions about what's going on! Promise I'll explain. Maybe... lol.

Until next time!

Buh-bye :)