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Chapter 7 Sarah Midnight Meetings

I was sitting on my bed when Tiger came strutting in wearing a look all too well. It was her 'I won and I know it' look. "Who'd you curse out this time?" I asked.

"You know who." She said, "And it's not Voldemort." I chuckled and guessed, "Aarron?" she nodded, "It's curfew in a few. The caretaker brought us a package of clothes." We got into some more comfortable clothing before getting into bed. It was a rough night. I tossed and turned for hours before finally giving up. Glancing at my watch, I saw that it was midnight in modern day. I glanced over at Tiger, who was a motionless lump.

Ever so carefully, so as not to make the floor squeak, I crept across the room to the open window. Thank goodness we're only on the third floor. I slowly found a foothold and began my descent. I stiffened as I saw movement below me, only moving on when it had passed. When I reached the third floor, I jumped and landed in a crouch. The moon and stars shone brightly and I was thankful that there didn't seem to be any guards out. I spied a good tree at the edge of the forest and, keeping to the shadows, I made my way over to it. I hauled myself up and climbed until I reached a fork near the top.

I had been sitting a while when I heard...something. I can't describe the sound, but I knew it wasn't right. I eventually dismissed it as wind. "What have you gotten yourself into?", I asked myself, "I'll never make it. I don't...I don't belong here." I nearly jumped off the tree when a hand cupped over my mouth, preventing me from screaming. I would've fallen to my death if not for the arm around my waist. "Of course you don't belong here, sweetheart." At that moment, I wished that I had become a black belt like Tiger. "Now do you promise not to scream?" I nodded and he released me. I immediatly scooted away, preparing to run and scream, not exactly in that order.

"Oh, for the love of Gorlog's beard! It's me!" He pulled off his cowl and I relaxed, "Gilan?"

"Of course it's Gilan. Who'd you expect? Old Graybeard himself?" I shrugged, smirking a bit at Halt's nickname, "Why are you out here?" he asked, "You're supposed to be in bed." I shrugged again and he looked at me sternly, "Verbal answer, please."

"I was just...thinking." He raised an eyebrow in a Halt-like way.

"More like beating yourself up." He stated.

"I'm just...uneasy about this whole situation. This isn't home and I don't know how to get home, so I'm stuck here."

"I know you don't want to tell me, but it would help if you told me where you are from."

I grimaced before saying, "Gilan, I can't. Maybe, someday, but not now." Or ever.

"Alright, but listen. You do belong here. Well, not here, here, but you know what I mean!" I cracked a small smile, but it quickly disappeared.

"You don't even know me."I murmured, "Why do you say that I belong here." He got a mischievous look and I knew what he was going to say before he did.

"Us ranger's just know things." He chuckled at my look of 'really', "You're right, I don't kn ow you, but everyone deserves a chance." We sat in companionable silence before Gilan finally said, "Come on, you little squirrel, it's late and you should be asleep." I gave him a weird look.

"Little squirrel?" I asked.

He nodded, "I saw you climbing. You were like a squirrel the way you went up the tree so fast." He began climbing down and, with one final glance at the moon, I followed.

Tiger's POV

I watched Sarah climb into the window not thinking I was awake. It was at least 4 hours until we had to get up, which was at 7.

"What the fish were you thinking?" I whisper-yelled at her.

"Fish? Really Tiger, come up with something better." she said, rolling her eyes and walking over to her bed.

I just glared.

"And you're saying you won't sneak out?" she asked,"Because I know you will and we both know that I am better at unseen movement than you. Plus," I cut her off with a movement of my hand and motioned her to look out the window. There was a figure coming into the castle wall through the servant's gate.

Sarah gasped. It was Aarron! He had heard her and I ducked under the window ledge, pulling Sarah with me.

"What was that for?" she demanded while glaring at me.

"He almost saw us," I stated, "and I don't want him to have anything more against us. He already hates me enough as it is. I want you to watch and follow him tomorrow to see what he's up to."

"Why me? Why not you? Who gave you the right to order me around?" she asked.

"I am not trying to order you around. I just know that it is wrong for us to be out after curfew, which is exactly what Aarron is doing. I want to know why. Plus, as you so blatantly pointed out earlier, you truly are better at unseen movement than I am, and the person would need to tail him." I replied, knowing that I had her. She would go and she knew it, "Plus I want to go and 'liberate' pants and a black cloak for each of us since I have a feeling that this will not be the last time either of us sneak out. Also, I want to find a clearing or something and shoot a bow. You know how much of a stress reliever it is for me." She knew it was true. While she ran for stress relief, I took a dangerous weapon and shot things.

"Ok, sounds like we have a long day ahead of us, so we both should turn in and get some sleep." Always the voice of reason, that Sarah is.

"Ok night."

"Night Tiger."