Author's Note: May I say thank you to all my loyal readers starting off with all those that have this story on their alert list: skyflyte12, EllaAngel, Sea-Aggie, Crogi-girl (even though she doesn't reveiw :( ).

And a big thank you to Mrs. Dom Masbolle who has let me bounce all my ideas off her.

Thanks to all of you

Disclaimer: I am not Tomera peirce

Alan, still wearing his light clothes from this afternoon started making a small torch. It was it was starting to get dark and cold in the forest. His hands and cheeks were red from the brisk fall night. As he shivered he stood with his new light source, "T-Tory!" he called out still looking for her. "Tory it's Alan your annoying knight in summer clothes to come and save you!". He pushed through a clump of trees only to hear a something fly past his. Near him a glass hilt dagger stuck out of a tree trunk. He grabbed it and pulled finding that half of it was embedded into the trunk. "Tory where are you" he called out to her again but in a more concerned tone. "Go away or next time I'll aim" she yelled back at him. Alan looked for the sound finding it's source behind a tree huddled on the ground leaning against it. She was wrapped in her cloak with her broken ankle sticking out and a turquoise blanket covering it. "Tory" his voice was filled with concern as he sat down next to her.

"After my display today the lioness will want my head."

"Now Tory"

"No it's true in fact why don't you take it for her with that glass hilt but make sure it's in the abyssal manner." She tilted her head up exposing her neck.

"I'll do nothing of the sort, my ma wasn't angry she just forgets what it's like to be beat."

"Still I don't think I can face her just yet and don't try to tell me otherwise." She stated bluntly to Alan.

"That's fine you still need to see a healer it looks like to me that you've built up an immunity against your own gift my ma's did the same and I won't leave you out here by yourself it's freezing, I'm freezing." She looked at Alan and saw the sincerity and stubbornness all at once. So she unhooked her cloak and flipped it over the two of them, Alan leaned closer so the two could pull the cloak around them more. "Thank you but why can't you face her just yet?" She looked away trying to hide pain but Alan saw right through her, "Tory please tell me I can be trusted."

That word that awful word I was brought to trust NO one and he expects me to just trust him how can I --- she lost her train of thought after looking into those green hazel eyes. She couldn't stop herself after years of building up an emotional barrier, that only one other person got through, it just collapsed. She began to cry. She went to pull a handkerchief from her pocket but Alan beat her to it pulling his own own out to give to her. "Tory please" She took a deep breath as tears rolled down her cheeks, "I'm awful Alan my life was taken away now all I know is murder."

"that's not true"

"Yes it is Alan look at me. I've a half healed ankle and I can barely move my hand all because I lost my temper in a spar, Jason was always the one to shake me out of it…". Tory put her face in her hands, Alan moved closer and in a barely audible whisper "Tory"

"I'm a cold blooded killer. The last time I wanted to show mercy I lost the most important person in my life" She felt him stiffen but his eyes still held caring in them as his arm moved to hold her shoulders.

What else is bothering you, you're to logical a person to be so upset over something small so what is it Tory"

"My class it was awful they all lost their minds from this life the only thing that kept me together was Jason" she felt him tighten again as she wiped her eyes. "It was all my fault".

Alan pulled her close to him and she buried her face into his chest. "WE both thought that torture game was horrid, but Carson was a jerk,and wouldn't stop."she took a shallow breath between her words. Alan tried comforting her but he had no idea what was going on so all he could do was listen and hold her close to him. "he was just a little kid but he wouldn't make it quick, No he had to cut arteries and cause pain and fear and it took forever." She put her hand on his chest as she tried to muffle her crysin his shirt. "I went to stop him but Jason wouldn't let me" she grabbed his shirt in a clenched fist. "Those damned immobilizing spells of his, he used them on me twice!" Alan wrapped his strong arm around her "Tory- it'll be OK"

"No it won't I already lost him, Carson killed him" she smothered another round of cries into him.

"I'm sorry the last person I did this around was Jason." She was drying her eyes again trying to recollect herself.

"Don't be sorry. You have no reason to be."

"Thank you Alan"

"Not a problem, that's why a person should always have atleast one friend to trust, so you don't have to apologize for getting their shirt wet." That got a laugh from her but realizing she was still wrapped in his arms made her practically jump away.

"But I really am sorry"

"For what, my lovely little lass"

She turned away cheeks slightly pink, "I drained all my gift getting out here, I can barely-yawn- keep my eyes open, and I still can't walk on my ankle

"Well that's not that big a problem." Alan stood up and swept her off the ground into his arms. "One good thing about being a knight is that we had classes on how to carry a maiden back to safety." He said with a mischievous smile.

"Very-yawn-funny Alan but—" she had fallen asleep in his arms.

"There, there lass I'll get you back safe and sound."

A/N: REVIEWS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

I know people are reading this so please let me know what you think so I know which way to make the story go.