Blood of Pride

"So Lycia is a federation of territories?" Lyn asked, frowning. "How does that work?"

"Carefully," Adelessa answered, then continued with, "Each territory is ruled by a marquess, like your grandfather. They all answer to Ostia-"

"Which is the best of all the territories!" Serra interjected from where she sat on Adelessa's horse. Erk gave his employer a baleful stare at her interruption, rolling his eyes when the cleric remained oblivious.

Adelessa sighed and just kept walking. It wasn't worth the fight to try to convince Serra that Adelessa was as much a lady as she was and would like to be able to ride her horse instead of being forced off of it. It was easier on everyone this way; besides, she didn't mind walking and it had only been a couple of marks of travel. It helped that the cobblestones that made the road on which they were walking were fairly flat and the road smooth. She and Lyn – and Serra – were at the front of the group. "They all answer to Ostia, which is the ruling territory."

"Why not just have a king, in that case?" Lyn asked.

"This way each region has its autonomy," Adelessa replied. "They may answer to Ostia, but they have their own regional laws, customs, and ways of life."

Lyn looked out and shaded her eyes, squinting in the bright sunlight. "So which city is this?"

"This?" Sain nodded at the city. "This is Araphen. After Ostia, it's the second biggest city in Lycia."

"The second biggest, hm? It does seem awfully busy," she commented as they made their way up to the gate. Beyond the gate lay the city proper; they had been passing by outer houses for the last mark or so. The city rose up a gently-sloping hill, allowing a view of Castle Araphen rising above the many other buildings in the city. Kent was waiting for them just inside the gate; Adelessa had seen him off early in the morning when he rode ahead of the group.

"Milady Lyndis!" he greeted them, his horse trotting over to Lyn's. "We should proceed to the castle. They've prepared supplies for us. The marquess agreed to aid us on our journey to Caelin."

"He's going to help us?" Lyn questioned, her eyes alight at the thought of receiving aid to make it to her mother's birthplace.

"Yes. Araphen and Caelin have enjoyed a strong, unwavering friendship for many years. Once I informed the marquess of our plight, he agreed to lend us his strength."

"That's a relief," Adelessa said. "It will be good to have support to ease our way. What will be provided to us?"

"If we could ask him for some soldiers, the road to Caelin would be that much safer." He heaved a sigh, looking over at Lyn. "I'm truly sorry for the hardships you've suffered so far and that we haven't been more able to prevent these attacks."

"Don't be silly," Lyn told him. "You are so capable, Kent."

"Just Kent?" Sain asked, miming at being wounded.

"Oh, and so are you, Sain," she added with a grin.

Sain popped back up, puffing out his chest proudly. "Of course I am!"

"Kent, a moment, please," Adelessa asked. When he paused, she drew close to him, concerned at what she had remembered. "Doesn't this marquess hold a bias against the plainspeople?" When Kent only looked away, she gasped, "Kent! You didn't tell him!"

"He gave his word," Kent said stubbornly. "He will hold to it."

"I hope you're right," she replied, her worries not assuaged in the slightest even while she followed him into the city. Perhaps this will be salvageable and Marquess Araphen will overlook his hatred of the people of Sacae.

The group had barely made it down the street when Adelessa heard the distressed cry of, "This is terrible! The castle is burning!"

"What did you say?" Sain demanded. He and Kent moved to draw their horses close to Lyn, scanning the now-panicked crowd for trouble.

"Smoke! From the castle!" Adelessa's eyes caught on a man heading toward the group instead of away. She stepped forward, only to realize that she wouldn't be able to intercept Lyn when she slid off her horse and moved toward the man.

"Who are you?" Lyn asked when he waved her closer, taking only a cautious step.

"You!" he called, his hands on his legs as he caught his breath. "You're Lyndis, aren't you?"

"Ah!" Lyn recoiled back when he drew a knife; the recognition of the name in her actions was enough to tell the assassin that he'd found his target. Adelessa tried to get forward in time, but she couldn't move nearly fast enough to protect Lyn from the wicked blade that the man was bringing to bear. The group froze when the man gurgled as an arrow sprouted from his neck. "Wil!"

"It wasn't one of mine!"

Adelessa stared at the man holding a bow, the collar of his rust-colored Sacaean tunic bearing a pin that marked him as a captain of the guard. It was hard to tell the color of his hair beyond that it was dark thanks to a bandana that covered most of his head. He was on a palomino horse, one much like those that Lyn and Adelessa rode. His bow was recurved, different from Wil's longbow. Lyn followed her gaze in time to see him before Kent and Sain rushed to her side. "Milady Lyndis!" Kent said, inspecting her. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said, though her voice shook and she was obviously recovering from the fright. "He… this man saved me." Lyn nodded at the nomad, meeting his eyes.

"May I ask your name?" Kent asked him somberly. He reached out a hand when the nomad turned his mount and made to ride away.

"Wait!" Lyn cried, causing him to stop. "Why did you help me?"

"I thought a Sacaean plainswoman was being attacked," the nomad replied, not turning to face the group. "I was mistaken."

"No, you're right!" Lyn's words made him turn partially to study her. "I am from Sacae – I'm Lyn, the daughter of the Lorca chieftan." She gestured at her clothing; while covered with dust from traveling, the bright designs could still be seen through the offending grime.

"The Lorca?" he asked skeptically. "There were survivors?" He shook his head, cutting off Lyn's answer. "You should leave at once. A fire is spreading from the castle and attackers are wild in the streets. Don't be foolish and waste the life I just saved," he told her, turning away again.

"You're from the castle? What's happening?" Adelessa received a steady, impassionate look from the man. She steeled herself and continued to ask the questions that would let her know how bad the situation really was. "How bad is the fire? Is the marquess safe?"

"The castle is under attack," he said with deliberate patience, "and the marquess has been accosted. The man who attacked you was likely one of the marauders. As captain of the castle guard, it's my duty to rescue the marquess."

"I see," Lyn murmured. She raised her head and looked the man in the eye. "All right then, we'll help you." Both of the Sacaeans ignored the protest of Kent and Sain, intent on their exchange.

"Why?"

"These brigands are after me," she admitted. "If they're attacking the castle, it's because of me." She drew herself up taller. "I can't sit here and let them cause this chaos, not when it's my fault."

Studying her for a moment, the man nodded. "Let's go." He started down the road, matching the pace of the running of those on foot. "I am Rath of the Kutolah. Our tribes may be different, but I will not abandon a woman of Sacae."

"Thank you, Rath!" Lyn grinned wolfishly. "A thousand blessings upon you!"

"And a thousand curses upon our enemy!" he finished, a similar grin making him appear all the more forbidding. He looked forward at the castle, but Adelessa found herself skidding and making an unexpected turn when he made his way for a courtyard and then a residential area. "Once the marquess is safe, my men can move in. Perhaps the secret passageway will work for this."

"Secret passageway?" Lyn asked.

"An underground tunnel leading to the throne room," Rath explained. "There are triggers in the barracks that will open the tunnel. Two are in the main barracks and one is in the smaller storage building to the south."

"Head through the passage to the throne room… and rescue the marquess. Once that's done, can you drive the enemy from the castle?" Adelessa gasped out, looking up at Rath.

"If we can release those triggers, my men and I can handle the rest. There are three triggers. All three need to be released, or the entrance won't open." The group stopped outside the barracks, those on horseback dismounting. Rath tried the door and cursed enough that Florina hid her face in her pegasus' neck, blushing. "The doors are locked and I don't have the keys. The enemy's within. If we don't get inside and finish them, we're stuck."

"So opening these doors has to come first before we can worry about the enemy," Lyn said. She turned to Adelessa, worried. "What shall we do, Aydie? We don't have any keys with us."

"Some of the marauders may have keys, but none are out here. And those doors look too strong to break down easily." When the brunette saw how despairing Lyn looked, she quickly added, "but we could try talking to the people who live around here. Someone might be able to help us. Sain, Kent, Florina – each of you go to a house. Rath, would you mind doing so as well? Lyn and I will go to this one over here," she said. "We'll meet back here to see what we've gathered and see if we've made progress."

Going to the house to which she had motioned, Adelessa barely knocked on the door when it opened, revealing a young man leaning against the doorway. His blonde hair spiked above easy-going but sharp, intelligent eyes. He grinned, his body language relaxed – at least, what she could read of it that wasn't covered by the red cloak that obscured much of his upper body. "Hey! Can I talk to you?" he asked them.

Lyn traded a look with Adelessa, who simply shrugged in answer, and then turned her gaze back to the young man. "We were coming here to talk to you. Who are you?"

"I'm Matthew, a specialist in acquisitions of all kinds," he said cheerfully. Adelessa raised her eyebrows in interest. That he was waiting at the door for us and happens to be a thief…."Would you like to buy my services?" The offer was accompanied by an expectant pause, as if he already knew the answer.

"We don't need a thief to help us," Lyn said, trying to mask her disdain when the thief's grin grew even wider. He didn't even try to argue with being called a thief; instead, he looked away and inspected the other side of the doorframe.

"Really?" he asked politely, glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes. He looked altogether too innocent when he asked, "And how do you plan on opening those barracks doors?"

"What? How did you know about-"

"Bulls-eye!" Matthew chuckled at Lyn's consternation and Adelessa's mix of amusement and concern. "Don't be mad," he soothed, turning to properly face the two. "Hire me. For you, I'll even lower my normal rate." His eyes drifted over to Adelessa, probably because she seemed more willing to listen and consider his offer than the swordswoman next to her.

"We do need those doors opened," Adelessa reminded Lyn. The Sacaean frowned for a moment before sighing in defeat, knowing that she was fighting a losing battle. "All right – you're hired," she said to Matthew. "I'm Aydie – this is Lyn."

"Well, then, we'd best be off," Matthew said cheerfully, squeezing out of the house between the two women. "Good thing I made sure to have my lock picks with me today!"

"Why did you choose to ally yourself with us?" Lyn asked him suddenly, striding forward to walk next to him; Adelessa could tell that she was unwilling to let a crook lead her around by the stiff set of her back and the clipped tone of her voice.

"Hm?" The blonde looked over at Lyn, seemingly unruffled by her obvious agitation with him. "I was watching the battle from up above," he said, jerking a thumb at a window on the upper story of the house they'd just left. "Your group looked like a lot more fun than the dead guy." He grinned widely. "Pretty simple, really."

"That's- you- that's hardly a reason to pick a side in a fight!" Lyn told him, her words laced with a biting tone that more than told what the plainswoman thought of his attitude and behavior. Instead of offending him, the comment seemed only to amuse him more if his continued laughter was any sign. They returned to where they'd left the group, finding that the others had returned from visiting the neighboring houses as well. Adelessa noticed the flash of recognition on Serra's face and turned to look at Matthew; it was only there for a moment, but she was shocked to see a serious, warning – almost threatening – expression that he directed at the cleric from a face that had only been cheerful and easy-going so far.

"This is Matthew," Lyn said to the group, dragging Adelessa's attention from the thief – who now, she suspected, was studying her just as intently as she had briefly studied him – and back to the current situation. "We've hired him to help us with the doors."

"That's good," Sain said. "When I visited, the man in the house had a key, but it doesn't look like it's very good quality. I think it will break if we aren't careful with it."

"Then we'll only use it once, on the south part of the barracks," Adelessa decided. "Wil, Erk, Florina, Sain – you go over there and find that switch. It's a small building, so I imagine there aren't too many enemies down there. The rest of us will search in the main building. Matthew, could you get this door open?" she asked after dismissing the four.

"Certainly!" He kneeled in front of the door, pulling out several tools from underneath the red cloak that concealed most of his torso; Adelessa caught a glimpse of a bright green shirt underneath, but it was quickly hidden again when he moved his arms to begin working on the lock. Concentrating intensely, he made minute adjustments to the thin wire-like tools, positioning them in the lock by feel. A satisfied grin announced that he'd pushed the last tumbler even before he leaned back and said, "There you go – one unlocked door."

"Be careful," Adelessa said to the group, holding the door closed for a moment. "We're only going to have a moment of surprise – maybe not even that – before the men inside regroup and start fighting back. I want to make that moment count. We can't be dallying around with these marauders; the castle is burning and it's necessary to get to the marquess as quickly as possible. Kent, I want you to lead; Dorcas, Lyn, you two follow him. Rath, I'd like you to provide support," she requested, waiting for him to acknowledge that with a nod before continuing. "Matthew, Serra, and I will bring up the rear. Follow Rath – he can best lead us to these switches. Are you ready?"

Adelessa opened the door and darted out of the way of Kent's charge. He had barely cleared the door before Lyn and Dorcas followed after him, their weapons drawn and ready for combat. An arrow sprang from Rath's bow before the nomad had even entered the building. Adelessa waited for a breath's length before going through the door herself, Matthew and Serra on her heels.

Her first impression of the barracks left her greatly impressed; the wooden walls and carpet floors were much warmer and more inviting than the stone exterior had led to believe. The hallway was wide and tall, giving combatants plenty of room to maneuver. Adelessa could see her allies strung along the hallway, each fighting their individual battles. Rath, even while fighting, was purposefully pushing forward to the end of the hallway; Lyn, Dorcas, and Kent both followed him and worked to clear his path.

She jumped when Matthew's voice suddenly piped up right near her ear. "Hey! Unless my eyes deceive me, that's a chest!" Adelessa turned around to scold him for startling her when she saw the two chests sitting in an alcove in the hallway. "Say, Aydie – since we came all this way, what say we help ourselves to a little bit of treasure?" he proposed, his tone carefully cultivated to sound helpful rather than crooked.

"We're not going to take anything from the marquess," she said firmly. "Really, Matthew – stealing from the man we're trying to save?"

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Don't be a bore. If you want to win," the thief wheedled, "you've got to use every means at your disposal." Oh, he read me well, all right."That's an ironclad rule! Yeah, I know stealing's bad – I'm well aware of that," Matthew said, staving off Serra before she could get a word in. "We're saving the marquess, right? This is just an advance on our reward, nothing more. Besides, no one will notice in all this fighting and they seem to be doing just fine without our help."

She had to admit that he made a good case for his roguish actions. Adelessa nodded slowly, unable to deny the logic and pragmatism in Matthew's suggestion; besides, she was curious now what the barracks would have in a chest like that. "Fine," she agreed after a minute. "But just to help with the fight."

"Good – I knew you'd come around and change you r mind." Matthew wasted no time in going over to the chests, taking out his lock picking set again. He grinned to himself, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Treasure time, treasure time," from where Adelessa was standing nearby, watching their backs to make sure that they wouldn't be attacked by an errant marauder. Gleefully throwing open the top, Matthew carefully pulled out a plain white robe, looking disappointed for a moment.

Adelessa leaned forward, feeling her fingers tingle when she reached toward it. "It's an angelic robe," she told him, drawing her hand back and shaking it slightly. She stared at the white, almost gauzy fabric, seeing a faint shimmer play across the folds. "It's supposedly used to give a person a stronger constitution. I didn't realize there were any still around; they were mainly used in the past several centuries. Didn't the church stop blessing them years ago?" she asked Serra, who nodded slowly after a moment to remember if that was the case.

Matthew looked thoughtful, holding it up. "This is good for those of us on the… less robust side." He looked slyly at Adelessa out of the corner of his eye. "Like me, for example."

She couldn't help but chuckle even while she shook her head. "Not until after the battle, remember? What's in the other one?" she asked, eager to see its contents despite her earlier reservations against raiding the chests. Matthew gave her a knowing grin and winked. She glanced up quickly; the fighters had nigh unto decimated their opponents and were pushing the last couple of enemies back to the end of the hall.

Her attention returned to her immediate surroundings as Matthew bent back over and went to work on the second chest, popping it open even faster than he had the first. "Oh, nice," he breathed, reaching down and pulling out a heavy sword. He propped it on the corner of the chest. "An armorslayer! You'll want to give this baby to someone who can wield it properly, otherwise it's a waste of a perfectly good weapon."

"Right – I'll make sure Lyn or Kent gets it when they make it back this way." Adelessa nodded to herself; yes, that would work well if she gave it to one of them-

"Aydie! We've got this switch," Lyn called from the far end; moving for the hallway proper, Adelessa went to see. They'd defeated the enemies over there and Rath was studying the floor. Adelessa felt a thrill of triumph when his horse stepped forward and an audible "clack" resounded through the building.

That moment of victory was sundered quickly by Serra's shrill shriek. Whirling around to the cleric, Adelessa saw that the switch had succeeded in opening up another room. Unfortunately, that room had several startled mercenaries inside – and one was advancing on the defenseless cleric.

"Serra!" Adelessa cried, running forward. She may not have been able to protect Lyn when the assassin nearly succeeded in his attempt on her life, but she could keep Serra from harm. I won't let anyone get hurt, not while I'm in charge of them and not because of any of my shortcomings! She had the brief impression that Matthew was also sprinting to Serra's defense, but he had been further away to start and wouldn't be able to make it to the cleric in time. Shoving the cleric away from her attacker, Adelessa had a moment to see her shocked face and turn to half-face the mercenary before cold fire cut along her side.

A pained cry rent the air as Adelessa staggered back to stand over the downed cleric. It took her a long moment to realize that it was hers; pain screamed from her side and tried to drown out all other thoughts. The sickening feeling of hot blood – her blood – staining her hand as she held it to her side was a shock. She'd been injured before, but not for a long time and not like this. Only another split second passed before she saw that the sword was being raised again for a second strike, her blood gleaming on the metal.

Adelessa froze, staring at the blade. Time slowed to a craw for her; she could see, in perfect detail, the world around her. Not only the sword, but the roughly-shaven man who wielded it and his ruthlessly impassionate face as he prepared to cut her down. Beyond him she could see the last switch tile – it was blue and upraised – and was glad that they'd found the armorslayer only a minute before: a fully-armored knight stood before it, blocking any who might want to trigger it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the rest of the group – especially the angry and horrified Lyn.

But as time started to speed up again, she saw a blur of red and gold run up behind her attacker. A hand covered his face as a knife flashed across his neck, drawing a bloody line across it. He tumbled gracelessly to the ground as Matthew neatly side-stepped the body, his red cloak clean of any blood. The ease with which he completed the action told Adelessa that this was far from the first time he'd killed a man in such a way. Lyn reached her side just as the young woman's knees buckled; Adelessa was vaguely aware that people were talking to her and tried to pull herself out of her daze.

"Use the armorslayer!" she gasped, causing the faces crowded around her to contort in confusion. "It's on the chest – there's a knight, you'll need a special weapon to fight him!"

"She has to be alright if she hasn't stopped giving orders." Adelessa herself smiled at that; she was learning to expect Matthew's wry humor even in tense situations.

"How can you say that?" Sain's voice demanded in return, anger clear in his clipped tones. When did he get here? Did they finish already? "She's bleeding like a stuck pig!"

"It's not that bad," she tried to protest, pulling her hand away from her side and ignoring how sticky it felt. She flinched when Lyn eased her down on the floor, the cut slicing down her ribs at an angle sending a bolt of pain up her spine in protest. That flinch turned into a shudder when she felt magic pouring into her body. It tingled almost painfully, not like the soothing sensation she'd expected from Serra's healing – she knew the cleric was working from the pale blue nimbus she could see around her. The gasp of dismay that followed once the tingling sensation faded didn't reassure her any. "Just go," Adelessa said stubbornly, opening her eyes fully to stare down Lyn through the haze of pain through which she was fighting. "Worry about me after you've opened the passage. The marquess comes first. Use the armorslayer – Matthew, could you get it for her? – and defeat the knight and then come back once you've secured the castle."

"But I can't just leave-"

"It's your duty, Lyndis," Adelessa said, sharper than she meant to. She tried to soften it with a smile. "Go on. It's not that bad – I was just surprised, that's all." Still feeling pain from her side, she grabbed a vulnerary out of her pack. Lyn stood with some misgivings, leaving with her cavaliers to fight the knight. Adelessa could see them cautiously form a semi-circle in front of him – until a red cloak blocked her field of vision. "Hey-"

"You know, that was a damn fool thing to do," Matthew scolded, taking the vulnerary out of her hand. Dipping his fingers in the salve, he deftly applied it to her wound. "Serra, don't tell me your staff doesn't work on more than just bruises!" Adelessa looked down at her side.

"I'm still bleeding?" That wasn't right – she'd seen Serra activate her staff and saw the magic around her. Her wound should have healed over and mended already.

"You think I didn't try, Matthew?" Serra snapped back at the thief over Adelessa's stupefied question. "Whatever happened wasn't my fault!"

"Oh, shut up," he muttered mutinously, ignoring her insulted screech. Adelessa hissed in pain when he placed a pad of cloth over her wound and applied pressure. It only let up for a moment when he drew back; it returned fully when he wound long strips of cloth that Serra handed him around her torso. "There. You shouldn't bleed too badly, at least. Hopefully that vulnerary works quickly." Adelessa earned herself a frustrated look when she started to stand. "Now what stupid thing are you going to do?"

"I can't see what's going on," she said shortly, more worried than angry. Matthew rolled his eyes and moved to the side, offering her a clearer image of the fight that didn't require her getting to her feet. Dorcas had joined in on it and was easily overwhelming the knight with his axe; Adelessa could already see one large dent that hadn't been there the last time she saw his armor. Erk flicked small fireballs at him, leaving a singed smell that made Adelessa wrinkle her nose. Sain and Kent, while not terribly effective, worried and distracted him with their lances. For her part, Lyn was staying back, letting the other three work to wear the knight down. Seeing his vulnerability at the same time as Adelessa did – he extended too much to try to pierce Sain after the cavalier taunted him – she sprang forward and let the specially-made blade sink home deep into his chest.

"Gah! Lord Lundgren," he gurgled, slumping down and then laying still. Rath triggered the switch. With a low rattle, a section of the wall slid away, revealing a dark tunnel into which the nomad quickly disappeared. Adelessa sighed with relief. There it is – the hidden passageway. Good; we can let Rath and his guard take over from here to rescue the marquess.

"Aydie! Take it easy," Lyn said, kneeling next to the tactician-in-training. "It's alright – you can rest now." Adelessa sighed and closed her eyes. Rest does sound good, she admitted to herself, but there's far too much that I still need to do before I can sleep.

"Is anyone else injured?" she asked.

"Nothing that Serra hasn't taken care of already," Lyn reassured her. "We're all fine now."

"Well, that's good," Adelessa said. She frowned and then gave up on just sitting and resting; using the wall as support, she slid up it until she was back on her feet. "I'm fine," she told Lyn when she protested. "Not even too light-headed." Looking out across the group, Adelessa saw that the others were making their way over.

"Back on your feet already – that's our Aydie," Sain said. He almost clapped her on the back before a warning look from Kent made him reconsider the action. He settled for teasing her. "Though next time maybe think before taking on a guy with a sword with your bare hands, all right?"

"Do you even have any martial training?" Kent asked, frowning. Adelessa looked away, unwilling to let him see how much that question stung.

"Kent," Lyn said, her tone telling him to back off in no uncertain terms.

"Pardon me," a soldier said, saluting the group; Adelessa could see him over Kent's shoulder. "Captain Rath asked for me to escort you to our lord Marquess Araphen. Would you please follow me?" Of the group, only Kent, Sain, Lyn, and Adelessa decided to go and have audience with the Marquess; the rest chose to remain outside and keep a watch for any other trouble. The four followed the soldier. Adelessa didn't absorb much from the trip, more worried about the politics of this incident and how they could affect this offered assistance.

"Ah, Rath – you've done well," she heard as they entered the audience room. "What a performance!"

"Sir," Rath said, his quiet voice hardly carrying in the large, ornate hall, "if you have praise, it should be given to this group."

"Hm?" It was then that Adelessa got a good look at Marquess Araphen. A sharply curved nose pointed down over a mouth far more inclined to frown than to smile. Glinting, calculating eyes measured the group. "Who are you?" he asked, shifting forward and causing his regal gray clothing to rustle with the movement.

"My name is Lyndis," Lyn stated, stepping forward. "I'm pleased to see you well."

"Oh… it's you. You're Marquess Caelin's-" He turned abruptly to Rath and dismissed him with, "Leave us, Rath. I would speak with this girl." Rath bowed slightly and excused himself from the room through a side door. "Now… Lady Lyndis. Do you know the identity of those responsible for this uproar?" Already Adelessa found herself on edge; his tone promised nothing but trouble.

"I believe it to be the work of my granduncle, Lundgren," Lyn replied.

"That's exactly right. Which means my castle has been damaged in your family's petty inheritance dispute."

"My-my apologies," Lyn stammered, taken aback by the man's sudden vitriol.

"When I heard that Lady Madelyn's daughter was in trouble, I thought to lend my assistance. I find that I've changed my mind." He sat back in his chair, gazing impassively down at the four who stood before him. "I withdraw my offer."

Surely, Adelessa thought, I'm just light-headed. Surely the marquess didn't just refuse us those sorely-needed troops to escort us to Caelin. Kent's appalled protest ruined that hope.

"Marquess Araphen!" he exclaimed, stepping forward. "You gave me you word, my lord!"

"Your name is Kent, is it not?" When the cavalier nodded, the marquess continued with, "You failed to inform me of one most vital detail!"

"What – what do you mean?"

"This girl does resemble Lady Madelyn, but… I didn't expect to see her so tainted with the blood of Sacae," he said imperiously. Lyn's cry of surprise and outrage was drowned out as he continued to speak. "Don't you feel the marquess of Caelin would be troubled to meet this… nomadic mongrel?" Marquess Araphen asked, looking down his nose at the group.

"You-!"

"Sain! Hold!" Kent held the other knight back from lunging forward with one gloved hand to the shoulder and stepped partially in front of him. "My apologies, my lord Marquess."

"Hm. Your man is poorly disciplined," the man said dismissively.

"Marquess Araphen – please… If you would grace us with your aid…"

"I hear Marquess Caelin is ill and abed. I question whether he will survive to meet this girl," Marquess Araphen said, leaning forward in his seat again. "In which case, his brother, Lundgren, will claim his title. I certainly wish to avoid trouble with the coming marquess."

"You scheming…" Adelessa started, disgusted and furious on Lyn's behalf.

"Aydie!" She stopped when Lyn snapped out her name. "I understand," Lyn said, her head bowed under the venomous words. "Kent, Sain, Aydie, we're leaving. Now."

"Milady Lyndis, we-" Kent stopped, grinding his teeth.

Adelessa held no such barriers on herself; she was no knight of Caelin. "After such insult and conniving, he deserves-!"

"I am proud of the Sacaean blood that runs through my veins," she declared, raising her head and fixing the three of them with a firm stare before she turned it on the marquess. "I will not accept aid from someone who slanders my heritage." Turning on one heel, she walked smartly out of the room, her hair whipping behind her with the motion. Her knights were the first to follow.

"Some grand way to treat those who saved your life," Adelessa spat; she had lingered a moment, unable to let this go. "You barons are all the same." She stalked out herself before he could retort, anger letting her ignore any pain that she might have felt at the agitated movement.

"That was well done, milady," Sain was saying to Lyn once she rejoined them. "The marquess is a lout. Don't worry about it. We're all here for you – isn't that so, Kent, Aydie?"

"I beg your forgiveness," Kent said instead, making Lyn look over at him. "I've been so concerned with getting you to Caelin that I failed to take your feelings into account."

"Is that it? Don't worry about it so much, Kent," Lyn told him, smiling. "You've been putting my safety – the safety of the entire group – before anything else. I've seen that. Hold your head up – you should be proud of how you've acted." Her face turned grave as she continued to walk down the hall. "Though I am worried – is this bias against the people of Sacae common throughout Lycia?"

"It isn't," Adelessa said. When Lyn frowned at her, she continued. "It's mostly just Marquess Araphen. I'd heard bits and pieces around town when I passed through her before – apparently he fell in love with your mother shortly before she ran away with your father. Since then he's hated the plainspeople." She frowned. "I'm surprised that Rath is the captain of his guard, since he's also Sacaean."

"Who knows?" Matthew drawled, making Adelessa jump in surprise. They had just walked outside, out of the main entrance to the castle. She hadn't expected him to be there in the slightest. "The ways of aristocracy are beyond me." He kicked off from where he was leaning against the outer wall of the castle. "The group is this way – we'd best be finding somewhere else to stay tonight."

Adelessa nodded in regretful agreement. "Staying in Araphen might not be a wise course of action. It would probably be better to continue traveling and stop elsewhere for the night."

The group was quiet for a long moment until Lyn spoke again. "The marquess of Araphen – he said my grandfather was sick. We need to hurry!"

"As we approach Caelin, Lundgren's obstacles will be more difficult to overcome," Kent warned. "We can't just rush into any traps he might lay out for us. However, I'm determined to see you through to the end, despite any troubles that may face us."

"I'm with you, too!" Sain said, grinning.

"I can hardly leave you now," Adelessa added, knowing that Lyn would understand.

"All of you… thank you for staying with me," Lyn said, obviously touched by their declarations of loyalty. "It's because of all of you that I…" She took a moment to compose herself, bringing her chin up determinedly. "I will persevere! They will never break my spirit, no matter what they may try!"

"Spoken like a true plainswoman." Lyn turned to see Rath behind the group, his bow on his back and a pack attached to his saddle.

"Rath! What is it? Are you here to see us off?" Lyn asked.

"I overhead the marquess talking to himself," he said simply, his voice hard with anger. "Lyn of the Lorca – proud daughter of Sacae – I would join you. I wish to add my strength to yours."

"Really?" Lyn asked, brightening. Adelessa knew it would make a world of difference to have another person of her nationality around, one who understood their customs and way of life.

"And this… I want you to take it. I have no need for it." He tossed Lyn a pouch; from her startled exclamation, Adelessa guessed it was full of gold. "And if it will help you…."

"But…" Lyn started.

"I cannot take back something once offered," Rath told her. Lyn nodded and tucked the pouch away.

"Rath… I thank you."

Adelessa sighed, though she wasn't sure if it was with relief or not. It was back to watching for assassins at every turn. She took a small measure of comfort knowing that their two newest companions were quite capable. In particular…. When she glanced over at Matthew, she caught him studying her with solemn eyes. She looked away quickly but had the distinct impression that he hadn't taken his eyes off of her. You're no common thief, Matthew, she accused in her head. A common thief doesn't have a stare like that. I'll be watching to make sure you cause no harm to Lyn!


A/N: As always, much love to you wonderful people who leave me reviews! 3 AquaticSilver, patattack, and Tom-Ato13, you all rock my socks! :D You make me want to abandon my NaNo novel (which, incidentally, I'm only two days behind on [from being 5 behind earlier this week x_)))])! Once I figure out how to send cookies through the internet, you will all have some. :3

eeeeeeee, Matthew. 3 I freaking love him~

I'll be doing a lot with him in this fic and the next; some of the fics I read just don't do him justice. There's a lot of potential in his character that lies just beneath the surface in the games. I'll see if I can't draw that out. And I like writing him. :3 Aydie's not so sure about him, though. XD This couldn't end badly at ALL.

Rath's pretty cool, too. Quiet, though.