A/N: Wow, okay, chapter 9 already. Just, wow. I can't believe how fast this is going by. Or, it seems fast for me… Anyway, be ready to welcome some new faces once again! I hope it makes sense! And thank you, to those of you who are still reading! This chapter is one part of a two or three part piece that I decided to split up because I realized it would be way too long. Enjoy!

End of Chapter 8: The seven walked back to their rooms in silence, knowing only too well that their day of relaxation was over. Tomorrow the real training would begin.

Discovery

It was long before dawn when Zanen of Auran finally gave up on his fitful sleeping. He rolled out of bed, trusting his Yamani grace to catch him.

THWACK! The second-year blinked in surprise as he fell flat on the floor. That he hadn't expected. Though, as he thought about it, he hadn't quite been himself the last few days. Running into things, stumbling, stuttering…

What's wrong with me?

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Zane had the answer. It was her. Images of that sapphire-eyed beauty flashed in his mind and he had to fight to stifle a sigh. Yesterday, and the day before that, he'd acted like such a stony fool around his charge. She probably thought him just another egotistical boy who thought the world of himself. He shuddered at the memory of the hateful static that had rolled off of her in waves. She loathed him.

She has the right, and you know it another side of the Yamani boy said. Zane shook his head, knowing it was true. But it wasn't his fault that they were who they were. He remembered the agreement that his parents and the Royals of Tortall had reached, and he knew that she had no choice in the matter.

She'll come around Zane assured himself as he rose and strode towards his glaive. At least, he prayed with all his heart that she would.


"I don't understand why we have to do this every morning" Jasson whispered, turning his glaive for an attack. "It isn't as though we don't know each other's every move."

Kira snorted. "What? Do you want to get out of shape so that mother can beat you? Or Lady Knight Keladry? HA!"

Jasson shook his head sadly as his sister blocked his attack. He knew full and well why they practiced every morning together, and it wasn't to stay in shape. It was to keep his dear twin's mind off of things. He quickly tried to halt the direction in which his thoughts were moving, knowing that Kira could hear him. Too late.

The sapphire-eyed girl narrowed her eyes and swung at her brother with such force that he stepped back. "How. Dare. They. Do. This. To. Me." She said, punctuating every word with another lightning-fast blow. She knew there were tears in her eyes and didn't care, attacking blindly in Jasson's direction.

BAM!

Jasson cringed at the sound of the smashing glaives, and wondered how his sister's roommate could sleep through all of this. He saw Sarra in the back of his mind and almost smiled. His mind wandered for a split second…

WHOOSH!

Jasson looked up, startled as his glaive was ripped from his hands. Kira caught it neatly, glaring at her brother.

"What was that? You were wide open!" Jasson heard the bitter tang wrapped around the girl's words and sighed deeply, letting down the barriers around his thoughts. Kira's eyes grew wide.

"Oh" she said, softer this time, with a bit of curiosity. She opened her mouth to say something else, but a soft knock on the connecting door interrupted her.

"Kira, are you awake?" The female page heard Sarra ask in that soft voice of hers. Kira shot a glance at her twin, who had gone tense and slightly pale.

Do you want to leave? The Yamani girl thought at her brother. Jasson nodded quickly, sprinting from the room as fast as his legs could carry him. Kira shook her head and sighed. Sometimes her brother could be just too strange. The light knock came again and the raven-haired girl rushed to open the door for her roommate.

Sarra's face was etched with curiosity as she walked through the door, her suspicious eyes glancing at the door that Jasson had just left through. "I thought I heard voices…" the page began, not looking at Kira.

Kira winced as she realized that Sarra could have so easily heard every word that she and Jasson had said. "It was just Jass, he and I were practicing" The Yamani girl held up her glaive.

"Oh" was all Sarra would say. Kira's face fell. Did she hear us? Kira wracked her brain for everything that she and Jasson had talked about. Their parents, the arrangement…. The raven-haired girl cringed as she realized far too much had been said too easily.

In the name of the Goddess… what did she hear?

There was no other option, Kira had to know. She felt down inside of her for her sapphire blue magic, and sighed. She hated doing this to people, but it was an emergency situation now.

"So tell me more about Scanra" Kira prompted, holding the thread of her Gift with her mind. All she needed to do was get Sarra distracted enough to leave an opening… There!

Sarra closed her eyes, remembering, and Kira literally threw her magic into the girl's mind. It wasn't the most perfect shot in the world, but Kira made her magic sweep into Sarra. Technically, the half-Yamani girl knew that this magic was still beyond her, but it was an emergency after all. She tried to remember what her teacher had said; just think of what you want, and make it happen. Kira closed her eyes, concentrating on what she needed to do.

But nothing happened.

Kira could feel her magic inside Sarra's mind, but it was as if there was a perfectly solid stone wall protecting her thoughts. The Yamani girl furrowed her brow, trying to find purchase in the barricade, feeling around with magical fingers. Nothing worked.

But wait- was that a glint of copper?

Sure enough, a flash of coppery light was coming from somewhere deep inside of Sarra. How odd… it almost looked like Wild Magic! Kira smiled mentally at this. Wild Magic? Surely not! Someone would have mentioned it… said something… wouldn't they?

The coppery fleck told her otherwise. It can't be. She thought, moving closer to the copper. It simply can't be… or could it? No... Impossible!

BOOM!

Kira's eyes shot open as her magic was literally kicked out of Sarra's mind. The Yamani girl blinked in confusion, the sudden brightness of the room startling her. "What-" She began, turning her head.

Sarra stared at her, innocence etched into every one of her features, her smoky blue eyes opened wide. "I said, are you all right?" The Scanran girl asked with true concern in her voice. "You've been sitting like that for quite some time now."

"Oh" was all Kira said in response, as she slid a Yamani mask on her face. Did Sarra just force me out of her mind? Logic said no. After all, the page of Corus knew advanced magic. No ordinary ten-year-old should be able to stop her from reading their thoughts. And yet… Kira shook her head as her thoughts wandered back to that flash of copper. Impossible.

"We should probably head for breakfast now" The Yamani girl mumbled, her mind far away.

She didn't catch Sarralyn's nod, didn't see the look of incredulity set deep within the other girl's eyes. Didn't look up as that girl exited the room. Only one thought ran through her head. Just who is Sarra of Caramein?

If only she knew…

The blonde girl grimaced as she changed into her palace uniform. She'd been told by Alanna that the royal uniform was now mandatory wear for all pages during classes. A frown lined her face as she viewed herself in the mirror. The girl's uniform was just so… feminine! Sarralyn scowled at the lack of a better word and turned her attention back to the task at hand. Hesitantly, the Salmalin child knocked on her roommate's door.

"Come in."

Sarralyn opened the connecting doors, and saw Kira perched on the edge of her bed. Her hair was tied back into a horsetail and her uniform clung to her body like Sarralyn's. The Yamani girl smiled when she saw Sarralyn. She plucked at her uniform.

"These things are absolutely horrendous. They're so unnecessary!"

A wide grin broke out of Sarralyn's face. Obviously, Kira was acting as though nothing had happened and the Salmalin daughter didn't know otherwise. "I know- just think how Paige of Elesmeran feels! She's got breasts and everything along with this!"

Paige of Elesmeran- Page Paige- was a third year, and the only other female besides Kira and Sarralyn among the pages. Paige was thirteen, and a fine example of a young woman. Nearly all the first-year pages had been ogling at her at dinner the night before. Her uniform fit even tighter than theirs, and looked like a dress that had been cut off at the knees. Sarralyn felt sorry for her, but Paige didn't seem to need any pity. She walked with her head high and her eyes clear. Rumor had it that she was the daughter of a Shang.

Kira nodded, getting to her feet. She paused, looking at Sarralyn with a serious gaze. "Just think- we'll end up just like that in a couple of years too."

There was silence for about a second or two, before both girls erupted in laughter and giggles. They remained that way all the way down to the mess hall. Neither seriously thought that they'd be like Paige.

The mess hall was nearly full when Sarralyn and Kira entered it. Many eyes flew to their uniforms again, but Kira was serene as a forest lake, and Sarralyn was too stubborn to care much. They got their food while the other boys around them chattered before settling in with their advisors again. Once more, Sarralyn observed the stony tension between Kira and Zane. She made a mental note to ask her new friends about it.

At the front of the hall, Training Masters Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan and Sir Owen of Jesslaw got to their feet and everyone went silent.

"Good morning!" Keladry called, her voice both powerful and soft at the same time.

"Good Morning!" The majority of the assembled pages shouted back. Sarralyn noted that Jaden of Steel Valley was one of the few who did not, a disgusted look on his somewhat handsome face as he leaned over to whisper something to the boy sitting next to him, who shook his head.

Keladry grinned widely "I hope you all had fun relaxing yesterday!" She said, a twinkle in her sharp dreamer's eyes. "Because today we finally get down to business!"

Several boys groaned in protest, and Sir Owen's shout of "Silence!" echoed off the walls. The protests died away.

Again, Sarralyn had seen, it was Jaden and those two boys that had misacted. As Keladry thanked Sir Owen and went on about the day's schedule, Numair's daughter took a close look at the troublemakers.

There were three of them, all sitting next to Jaden who was the obvious leader. The boy on his right looked vaguely familiar, with the brown hair and dark skin and sharp eyes, but Sarralyn couldn't quite place it. That one was the one who had shaken his head earlier. He reminded Sarralyn of a particular hawk she'd met once, named ProudWings, who'd simply decided that he was simply better than all the rest of the sky's children. Daine used to talk of ProudWings frequently, but one day she'd come home, and refused to speak his name. Numair had explained to his daughter that the hawk had stolen some seed from a farmer and been killed. Sarralyn shuddered at the memory, and turned her eyes on the other boy.

The boy on Jaden's left was a Bazhir. This was the one Nazir had been talking about when he mentioned there was only one other page that came from the desert. Sarralyn stared at the page and understood why Nazir hadn't been enthusiastic about his tribes mate. The Bazhir boy was almost frightening to look at. His skin was dark and visibly rough. His hair was the color of the midnight sky and it reached his shoulders easily.

Suddenly, he turned his head and the weight of his feral gaze fell on the unprepared girl. It felt like he was looking into her, hypnotizing her. Was he using some kind of magic? Quickly, she averted her eyes, but the feel of that stare still rested on her shoulders as she shouted "So mote it be!" along with the other pages. Beside her, Nazir and Gary almost literally inhaled their food and went to grab another helping. Sarralyn smiled and looked down the table. Was someone missing? She counted the number of pages silently.

Nazir came back to the table as she was trying to figure out who the missing one was, and grinned at her furrowed brow.

"It's Emmett, lass. He's meeting with someone about somethin' or another."

Sarralyn's head had snapped up so eagerly at the utterance of Emmet's name that Zane, across from her, cocked an eyebrow. She realized her mistake immediately and thanked the Goddess that Nazir had been too occupied with his food to notice. But at the other end of the table, a certain someone with hair the color of midnight and sapphire eyes did notice, and a dark cloud settled over his world.

"Will Paige of Elesmeran, Kirei of Corus, and Sarra of Caramein please remain in the mess hall after breakfast."

Sarralyn's mouth almost dropped open as Lady Knight Keladry called the names of the only three female pages. At her table, all the boys had gone very quiet. Gary actually paused a moment, halfway through his fourth helping. The Salmalin child fought to compose herself as dozens of other boy's eyes fixed upon her. A quick glance at Nazir revealed the same surprised look that was coming from Gary. Obviously, the female pages were not traditionally held after breakfast.

What could be the problem? If it was her secret that they had discovered, why were the other girls called? Sarralyn's cheeks paled as it hit her; they must have discovered her lie and they were now not only going to dismiss her, but all the other females as well. The girl shot a panicked look at Kira, who's stone Yamani-mask revealed no emotion. A cold sweat broke out on the Gifted Wildmage's brow.

After that announcement, the morning meal seemed to flash by in seconds. Sarralyn pushed her tray away, thinking of an argument for the other girls. It wasn't their fault that she was a liar! Surely they would not punish the others! But as the minutes sped by, the sick guilt grew heavier and heavier in her stomach.

Too quickly, the meal was done. All around her, boys were standing. They were not joking around and chattering as they had been at the evening meal before. Now they were silent, shuffling out of the hall quickly, shooting glances at Sarralyn's table.

Nazir, Zane, Gary, Caidon, and Jasson got up like the others. They hesitated by the table, faces twisting with worry. Sarralyn offered a false smile of encouragement.

"Go- don't worry" she said lightly, her heart shattering. Would she ever see the boys again?

Caidon nodded, custom cheery smile gone from his anxious face, and the others followed him out of the hall. Jasson shut the door behind them with one last, searching look. When they were gone, Kira stood.

Sarralyn took a deep breath, and stood up as well, following the Yamani girl whose life she was about to ruin. The walk up to the front of the mess hall felt like a death march. Her breath came faster as Lady Knight Keladry and Sir Owen's figures grew larger, closer.

"Ladies- thank you for staying after" Keladry said, lightness in her voice. This was odd, Sarralyn thought. Shouldn't she should be harsh, considering that she was about to dismiss them?

"There's someone that you three need to meet." Why was there a sparkle in the Lady Knight's eyes? Beside Sarralyn, Paige of Elesmeran straightened. The Salmalin child looked at the older girl. She remembered that Paige was a third year. Those years were about to amount to nothing…

"Girls, I believe you all know who this is." Keladry gestured to a woman Sarralyn hadn't noticed before. The Gifted Wildmage blinked at this new development, her gaze slanting towards the new figure, a woman, she noticed, for but a moment before her eyes darted back to Keladry.

"Adele is your new Training Advisor."

Sarralyn blinked- was this some kind of trick? The girl took a closer look at the woman Lady Knight Keladry had pointed out. The woman didn't look a day over twenty, her milky skin glowing, full pink lips set in a polite smile. She had a pair of those dainty little hands that the court ladies who sat around sewing all day had, and her long almost-silver- blonde hair fell to her waist. Sarralyn took the entire sight in with a slightly raised eyebrow. Surely this was some kind of joke! The lady in front of her couldn't advise knights in training! Sarralyn opened her mouth to ask who the woman really was, when she turned her head towards Sarralyn, the smile fading from her lips.

The Gifted Wildmage almost screamed. Her eyes! What's wrong with her eyes! She thought wildly as the new lady's gaze remained on her.

Her eyes were an interesting shape, an almost Yamani-almond, but at the same time, much less narrow. But it wasn't the shape of those eyes that made Sarralyn want to run for her life.

There were no pupils to those eyes, nothing to interrupt the deep golden topaz color that spread larger than any normal iris would. In those eyes, Sarralyn saw pain, suffering, hardship and loss. Those eyes looked like they held a world's worth of suffering in them, and Sarralyn could almost feel that pain being transferred onto her. She felt the ghost of tears come to her own eyes as she stared into those golden depths. And that's when recognition washed over her and made her blood go cold.

This woman in front of her was none other than Lady Knight Adele of Dawn's Peak.

Lady Knight Adele of Dawn's Peak was the first Knight ever to be blind. Along with being called the Seer, she was simply called the Lady because of her beauty. Also, she was gifted with the magical Sight, a gift that allowed the user to do any number of fascinating things…

Including seeing through any disguise.

The blonde page's heart stopped as she realized it.

Her secret was out.


So… Sarralyn's been found out already. What will this Lady Knight Adele of Dawn's Peak do with the Salmalin girl's secret?! Review and you'll find out... Eventually…

Staro-dawny Serce- Ah! You've raised some interesting questions. The answer is yes, remember Caidon mentioning his six siblings? Guess how many are girls… and as for the young boy with the Horse Magic, I've got plans for him, don't worry, but you'll have to wait and read to see what they are!!!

Syril Silverleaf- I'm so, so sorry about this. My mother got married and we had to move and a whole bunch of stuff! Anyway, I'm sorry, and hopefully it won't happen again. Still, I can only manage about one chapter every two weeks… Thanks for hanging with me, tho.

Ama-chan 13- Arigato Gozaimasu for reading, Ama-chan!

Miss Lyss- Hehehehe… well, this chapter should have made a few more hints in the direction that you're thinking! Thanks for reading!

The knights who until recently said Ni: There is a good reason that Daine and Numair are so adamant about their daughter becoming a knight… (cough cough… chapter three when Numair is arguing with himself in his head… cough cough…)

As always, Thanks for reading!