This chapter is a little short, because the next chapter is going to be a special bumper-length one for all of the time they're in Innail (unless it gets ridiculously long, in which case I will split it).

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Reprise:

"We need to talk," Cadvan said, his eyes burning into mine.

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"Shoot," I replied, sitting back against the wall and stretching my legs out in front of me.

"What do you mean?" Cadvan asked, sitting next to me.

"It means 'go ahead'," I explained impatiently.

"Alright." He took a deep breath. "It seems to me that you have a lot of anger in you. I think you owe it to me to explain, if you are to travel with me. I should not like to provoke your anger without meaning to," he added with a small, encouraging smile.

I shrugged. "I have no anger," I replied mildly, resting my head on the wall and closing my eyes.

"Kayla, not only did you kill four wers, you continued to hack them to pieces. That is more than fighting." His voice was becoming deeper, darker. "It seemed to me that it was vengeance. What is in your past that you have such anger?"

My jaw set unconsciously. "That's none of your business," I replied raggedly, the flames blazing behind my eyelids.

Cadvan turned my face towards him and I opened my eyes instinctively as I felt his fingers on my skin. I had dreamed of moments like this for so long. I gazed into his face for a second which seemed to stretch out and last much longer than a single tick of a clock. "If you do not wish to tell me I will not ask further, but it may help to talk about it," he said gently, after removing his hand.

I sighed deeply and said, "It's just from Pellinor. I can remember it burning. I have flashbacks sometimes. I guess I got stuck in it."

Cadvan looked at me closely, then took my hand. "I am sorry," he said. "I should have realised." He squeezed my hand sympathetically and stood up. "I will keep watch outside," he explained.

I followed Cadvan through the door and as he sat down, I sat next to him and leaned my head on his shoulder. He sat stiffly, but he let me rest there, and soon I found myself drifting off into sleep.

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The next days were long and filled with an agony of walking, one step after another going on endlessly. When we started to climb the mountains, I explained to Cadvan that I had "heard tell" of a cave and tunnel system reaching right through the mountains. He said that we could search for it for two hours, but if we could not find it we would have to go on because he had little food. I tried to find a likely spot by memory of where Cadvan and Maerad had walked, and thankfully, just as we were nearing the second hour, Cadvan pointed out a small opening and asked calmly if that was what I was thinking of. The mountain lion was already there, and Cadvan spoke to it respectfully, and soon it had agreed to lead us through.

I love the dark, so I did not feel as oppressed as Cadvan, who expressed a longing for the bright, open air after only a few hours. Of course, the best bit was that we were forced to hold hands most of the time, which was great.

By the time we finally left the caves, our food supplies considerably depleted, I have to admit that even I was please to see the light of day. The light of night anyway. The stars twinkled liked diamonds and the whole landscape was dark, pinpricks of light caught and reflected in tiny drops of dew.

Cadvan turned to me with a wide smile, deep shadows cast across his face in the gloom. "Behold the beauty of Annar!" he cried. "Have you memories of it?"

I smiled a little and shook my head. "I rarely went outside the walls of Pellinor," I explained, seeing the tears glinting in his eyes.

"Then you will be happy to see Innail," Cadvan proclaimed cheerfully, letting go my hand and striding forwards. "It truly is beautiful."

His grin was infectious, and it did not fade from either of our faces as I fell into step beside him. "Oh, how I have missed mushrooms!" he sighed. "And roast vegetables, too. Proper bread!"

"Cakes!" I joined in enthusiastically, though I had been without proper food for far less time than he.

"How much further?" I grumbled after my enthusiasm had lessened.

"Two hours, or thereabouts," Cadvan replied. "Not too long."

I scoffed. "Not too long for you, maybe. Flippin' ages for me."

Cadvan told me regularly how long there was to go, mainly because if he didn't I would ask anyway, and at last he said, "You see that big gate there? That's Innail."

"That's not far at all," I said with a smile.

Cadvan rolled his eyes. "You can manage a league, then?"

"Of course," I replied, grinning.

As we arrived at the gate, Cadvan spoke to the gatekeeper, and he allowed us access, expressing surprise as Cadvan announced that I was from Pellinor.

And thus, I entered a School.

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Stay tuned for chapter 8, which will be like 3000 words xD