Author note:
I know it's late, but hey, it's still Monday!

Review replies:
Me - Thanks for the review. Still haven't had time to do any proper proofing. Maybe next week.

Uncertain Destiny – Thanks, glad you liked it. They'll meet Baird eventually, just not in this book. Possibly the next one.

-10-
Persopolis

Before Inara knew it, the weather had gotten even warmer. Seth had left the morning after the ball, and the other squires slowly began trickling out, while knights accumulated at the palace. They would be there to choose a squire if the five fourth years passed their examinations. There was talk of a royal progress starting that summer. Inara didn't care much either way. She still had two years as a page to finish before she could leave the palace for any length of time. All a progress would mean was less people at the palace for her to run errands for. The more she thought about it, the more she was sure she hoped there would be a progress.

Weeks went by with the same routine until one Monday morning when Inara was putting on her best uniform. Since the ball, she had really begun to fill out, and it was now evident that there was a girl under her page clothes, not a really small boy with long hair. She hadn't seen her mother or father in a while, and she sort of wondered how they'd react.

That morning, someone knocked on her door frantically. Alarmed, Inara went to door to admit two very harried looking pages. Sam and Nick dashed into the room, both dressed appropriately for the day, both looking a sickly green shade.

"I'm going to fail and I'm going to have to repeat the year," Sam told her, his voice near screaming. Inara laughed and shook her head.

"You will not. We went through this last year, didn't we?" Sam nodded in response, but his face didn't look any less green. "And you passed last year, right?"

"Yeah, but… they were easy first year tests! Now it's second year tests!"

"And you're one year older and I'm sure you're one year smarter. Now really, pull yourself together. I can't be the Traitor and the half-breed without you. I'd just be the half breed… and that's no fun."

"Fun! Fun is going out of my mind with anxiety every time they choose to test us?" Sam asked her, a sly grin on his face. Inara just nodded, smiling. "If it wasn't for you I'd probably had given up this mad idea a long time ago."

"I know."

"And I'd be living a nice quiet life… maybe as a scholar."

"I know that too."

"But I'd be miserable."

"Exactly! So, shoulders back, chest out and march! It's time face the examiners."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Sam told her and dashed into her wash room. Inara shook her head and sighed, before turning to Nick.

"And what can I do for you?"

"I don't know… Sam made me nervous… actually, all the boys made me nervous."

"Nick, you're going to be fine. It's ok to be nervous. I've got about a hundred butterflies swimming around in me, but you have to face the examiners if you want your shield."

"I suppose."

"What do you want more: your shield or to walk out of here without it?"

"I want that shield."

"Then there's your answer," she told him, before turning back to the mirror, and fussing with her hair. "You boys need to learn to think more clearly." Suddenly she felt arms around her waist. Nick lifted her off her feet and squeezed her tight.

"You have all the answers, Pup," he told her and dashed out of the room. Inara laughed and shook her head.

"Sam? You ready to go yet?" she called to the wash room. "It'd be really bad if we were late."

"I'm coming. Reluctantly, but I'm coming," he replied, stepping out of the wash room, and falling instep beside Inara. "Nick's right, you know."

"About what?"

"You having all the answers."

"Yeah, right; if that was the case, I would have known how to avoid the black eye Gilyith gave me last week."

"Well, if he passes, he's out of here in a week," Sam reminded her.

"I know, but so are Yancy and Evan."

"Hey, they've got to get their shields too."

"But couldn't they say, fail at least once. Repeat one more year with us?" Inara laughed, she knew she really didn't want them too, but she would really miss Evan.

"I dare you to suggest that to Yancy. He'll probably think you've cracked."

"I suppose you're right… well, we're here. You ready?"

"As ready as I'm going to be," Sam replied, turning green again. "Mithros I hate this."

Inara and Sam walked into the examination room and lined up with the rest of their year mates. Benton grinned at Sam, and laughed when he saw the shade of his best friend's face. Hakim just ignored the three of them, and instead spent time talking to Arwin and Edmond, who seemed just as nervous as Nick was. Off to the side in line with the third years, Corin and Asten were having their own conversation, and Martin would input every once and a while. Most of the pages were fairly relaxed, but you could see tension in each, all at varying degrees.

The first years were called on first for the academic portion of the examination. Each one disappeared into the practice court when his name was called, and each one emerged slightly white, but wearing a cautious grin. They'd passed. Nick grinned broadly as he passed Inara and Sam.

"I knew he'd pass," Sam remarked, as Benton was called as the first second year. He clapped his friend on the shoulder.

"Sure you did. That's why you and the others thought it'd be fun to scare him."

"Ok, ok. I admit, we shouldn't have done that. But his face… he was funny."

"I'm sure," Inara replied, doing her best to stifle a laugh. She didn't want to admit that it might have been funny to see poor Nick scared stiff about the examinations. She sighed and closed her eyes, sinking into thought. Last year there'd been no time for thinking. They'd been too nervous not knowing what to expect when their names were called. This year gave Inara time to reflect. However, no matter how much she tried, she couldn't keep the pressing thought that something was going to happen out of her mind. She didn't know when, or where, or why, but something didn't feel right. The only other thing her thoughts centered on was the mystery of the events that surrounded her page hood for the last year and a half. She still didn't have an answer, and she hated it.

"Your turn next," Sam's voice broke through her thoughts. "They called Hakim in about ten minutes ago. He should be just finishing."

Inara gulped and nodded. Now that it was really her turn, the butterflies in her stomach seemed to get angry. They were swirling and looping, and she wasn't completely sure she wouldn't be sick.

"Can I quit?"

"Haha… no," Sam replied and pushed her forward as her name was called. Inara squared her shoulders and put on her best brave face, even though she was trembling and stepped through the doorway into the practice court.

Her eyes moved swiftly to the front of the room, trying desperately to avoid the gazes of the spectators who'd come. There weren't as many as the previous year, but their presence was still enough to frighten even the bravest pages. She willed herself to look at only Lord Padraig, even though she heard the whispers go up through the crowd. After all, she was the girl.

"Page Inara, are you ready to be tested?" Lord Padraig asked her. Inara did her best not to shake while she answered.

"Y-yes My Lord," she replied.

"Very well," he told her. The man on his left began the questioning. She didn't know who he was, but he was an older sort. Most probably a knight who already knew everything she was supposed to be answering. There were five questioners in total. Three older men, Lord Padraig, and one younger knight. He had to be even younger than her father was, but quite a few years. Inara frowned when he asked her his question. It wasn't a very difficult question, but it took a bit of explaining to get the answer right. What was she supposed to do if a fellow knight committed treason toward the crown and she was aware of it? The young knight took genuine interest in her answer. His sapphire eyes shown as he stared at her, intently listening. He ran a hand through his black hair and Inara saw two of rings on his hand. They were the only jewels he wore, but they were expertly cut and crafted.

When she finished her answer, Lord Padraig told her she had passed, and she could go. She was expected to be back after lunch for the physical portion of her examination. Inara bowed and thanked him and the other examiners and walked as quickly as possible out of the room. She nodded to Sam when he gave her a questioning look. He sighed a bit in relief as his own name was called. As long as Inara passed, he wouldn't have to worry about continuing on without her, but she didn't need to know that.

Inara drifted out into the hall, only to see that Nick and Benton were still standing there, chattering about something. It took a moment for her to realize they were just as confused about the youngest examiner as she was.

"Do either of you know who he is?" Inara asked them. Both boys shook their heads.

"I think I've seen him around the palace a few times. He's definitely not new here," Benton told her. "And from what I heard, he's a very active knight. He doesn't like to sit still."

"I wonder why he's here then," Nick put in, leaning against the wall. "He looked bored during the examinations."

"He did?" Inara asked. "He looked particularly interested during mine. That's a bit weird."

"Did you pass?" Benton asked her. He figured she did, but he wanted to be sure.

"Yeah."

"Maybe that's why he came, and why he was so interested in you. He wanted to see if you'd pass."

"Wonderful," she sighed. "Just what I need; another knight wanting me to fail," she leaned against the wall.

"You knew you'd have to face them."

"Yeah, but I had hoped there'd be less of them," she agreed, and let a small smile grace her lips. "Oh well, I'll just have more people to disappoint when I get my shield."

"Can I throw it up in their faces?" Nick asked her. Inara nodded. She loved how Nick always wanted to protect her in the most exuberant ways.

"So, shall we wait on Sam, Asten, and Corin?" Benton asked the three of them. Inara nodded and let herself slide down until she was seated against the wall. The three pages fell back into a conversation about where they might be going for their summer trip as they waited.

That afternoon the younger pages all faced their training examinations and all of them passed. Inara couldn't tell if she was disappointed or not that she hadn't seen the black haired examiner from that morning. She figured he'd probably want to stick around and see how she did in the second portion. But he seemed to have completely disappeared. Benton was right. He didn't appear to like staying in one place for too long. She excused herself from her friends that evening after supper and drifted around the palace.

It wasn't until Inara went to visit Hikari in the stables that she realized she wasn't alone. She was perched up on the ledge of one of the stalls, talking to her horse when she heard footsteps behind her. Inara swirled and came face to face in the torch light with the man who'd be occupying her thoughts. She knew she'd seen him somewhere before, but she couldn't place it.

"You have a lovely horse. Do you mind if I join you?"

"No, sir," Inara replied. The man was dressed very differently than he had been that morning. His long black hair was pulled into a horse tail. It wasn't straight, but it wasn't exactly curly. He used a worn leather band to hold it back. His breeches looked well worn, and he wore a loose cotton shirt. He looked more like a well worked commoner than the noble man she'd seen earlier that day. Even his rings were gone. He also seemed to be able to read her mind.

"I can't always look pretty," he laughed. "It's Inara right?"

"Yes sir, Inara of Queenscove," she said, blushing and turning away. She must have been staring. She proceeded to start brushing Hikari's main as she dropped into the stall. The man leaned against the door.

"Your father's a good man."

"Yes he is, Sir…"

"You know I'm a knight? Just based on this morning?"

"No sir. Your hands," she told him, blushing a bit. "They have calluses."

"Could have been formed by farming or smithing."

"No sir," Inara continued. "They're in places you'd have if you spent a lot of time holding a sword, sir."

The man laughed and nodded. "I heard you're pretty good with a sword yourself. You can call me Lee for now."

"Sir Lee?"

"Or just Lee. It doesn't have to be so formal."

"Begging your pardon, sir, but Lord Padraig," she began until the man shook his head. "You don't call your friends Sir, or Lords. Most of them are Lords of some sort, aren't they."

"Yes sir," Inara stated. "We're friends, Sir… um… Lee?"

"I'd like us to be."

"Begging you're pardon, sir, but you're a little… um…"

"Strange is probably the word you're looking for. My brothers always tell me that too. I suppose I am."

"But you want us to be friends?"

"I do," he agreed, looking at Hikari and rubbing her nose. Inara frowned and pulled herself back up onto the wall of the stall. She looked from her horse to the man rubbing its nose.

"You said you know my father."

"Yes."

"And Hikari seems to like you. I guess we could be friends," Inara agreed, still slightly wary of this strange man.

"Good. And in the name of friendship," he told her and pulled a small package out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I want you to have this."

Inara frowned and opened the wrapping. It held a small dirk with the emblem of Raven Armory. Inara stared in shock and looked up, but Lee was gone. Inara looked back down at the package. Under the dirk was a note.

One day I'll ask you for a favor, Inara of Queenscove.

I hope that you'll remember this.

Just what she needed, she was now indebted to a complete stranger. She had no idea what she would do when the time to repay him came. She sighed and tucked the dirk into her belt. It was well past the time she should have returned to the palace anyway.

Inara kept the dirk a secret for now. She didn't like thinking about the type of questions her friends would ask her if they knew about her getting a gift from a strange man who went by Lee. All she knew about him was that he was a knight, he was trusted enough to be included on the examiners board, he claimed to know her father, and she was now indebted to him.

She pressed the problem as far out of her mind as she could. She had far more to deal with. One issue being a pacing page in her room. Almost a full week after she'd passed her examinations, Evan had come looking for her with the intention of talking to her, but thus far he hadn't uttered a word. Instead he'd just looked sick to his stomach. He was in a far worse state than Sam had been before their exams.

"Evan? Are you alright?" Inara asked, pulling her knees to her chest as she sat on the bed, staring at him.

"I don't know," he replied truthfully.

"You're nervous about your exams?"

"Yeah, a bit; it's more than that," he told her. "Ok, here goes," he added, pausing in his pacing. He looked like he was about to continue, but he didn't, and just sort of stared at Inara.

"Jesslaw, you're scaring me," she told him. Evan shook his head and sat down on the bed beside her.

"You remember I told you about Desmond of Kennen, right?"

"Of course I do, Evan. He was your sponsor."

"Yeah, well, I just keep thinking that I'm a lot like him. Desmond had a small group of friends, but I was the only one he was close with. He had the gift, I have the gift. And he died just after passing his exams. What if I die right after I pass?"

"Evan…"

"No really Inara. I keep having nightmares. And even if I don't, you're the only one I care about. I can't protect you if I'm not here."

"Evan…"

"I don't think I'm ready to be a squire, pup. I'll probably end up without a knight master, because no one is going to want to take me on."

"Evan!" Inara shouted. Evan jumped sky high and stared at her. Inara smiled gently. "Listen to me. Firstly, you're not Desmond. Tragedy happens, but it's not your destiny. Secondly, I'm not helpless. You need to pass those exams and become a squire. Yancy needs someone to go with him. And thirdly, you're a great page, Evan. You're going to have a knight master. I'm sure of it."

"Inara?"

"Hmm…"

"I wish you wouldn't say those things with such certainty. I'm going to be heart broken if they don't happen."

"Then I'll just have to make sure they happen," she said, hugging him and snuggling against him.

"Sometimes you're a complete girl," Evan laughed at her.

"I know," she giggled. "I won't deny it." Evan just shook his head. "Evan?"

"Yeah?"

"I know I said I wouldn't push the subject anymore, but…"

"You want to know what happened with my Da at Midwinter?"

"If you don't mind?" she told him.

"It's not really all that complicated. Da wouldn't tell me anything more than that he'd had a talk with Lady Keladry. I've no idea what she said to him, but it definitely did something. He did the one thing I never thought he would. He apologized. For the first time in my life, my Da apologized for treating me poorly because I was a boy. He made a real attempt to get to know me, his son. It's not a lot, but it's a step in the right direction."

"I'm glad," Inara told him. "It's a big deal to you, Evan, no matter how much you try to deny it."

"I know. And Inara?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for telling your aunt."

"You have no proof I did that," she laughed, giving him a push. "Now… go get some sleep. You have your exams in the morning."

"You had to remind me?" he groaned, but obeyed her all the same. Inara shook her head. Her friends were odd.

Evan and Yancy extremely talk-a-tive during breakfast the next morning which was the complete opposite of Jasson and Seth's behavior the previous year. Their younger friends allowed them to let off their steam, nodding or shaking their heads and occasionally adding something in response to the endless babble spilling from their lips.

However, as the younger pages predicted, their two fourth year friends had nothing to worry about. All five of the fourth years had passed the examinations. The younger boys and Inara were busy congratulating them over supper when Lord Padraig finally stood. Inara sighed as she listened to his prayer to Mithros. She knew what would follow, and secretly hoped he would forget. To her disappointment, the training master didn't forget. He grinned down at Evan, Yancy, Lorrence, Thorville, and Gilyith, and told them that they should take their new seats on the far end of the hall. There were very few squires there, as most were already at the boarders fighting the Odocoileus who had returned after their winter rest. Inara pouted as Evan clapped her on the shoulder and followed Yancy to their new places.

"You ok, pup?" Benton's voice cut into her thoughts, as she turned back to her friends. Inara nodded.

"I miss them already," she muttered.

"Come on, Narie. Eat the pudding, it'll make you feel better," Corin told her, throwing his arm over her shoulders. Inara glared at him, but she did shovel a bit of the pudding into her mouth. It tasted really good.

Three days later, it was Inara's turn to go searching for Evan. News had reached her that he was packing up his room. Part of her was angry that she'd learned this from a random first year but the main issue was that he was packing. Inara knew he would eventually. Yancy hadn't said anything yet, but they knew he'd been approached by several knights already.

When she reached his room, she found the door was already open. Evan was moving around the room, gathering things up to be moved. Most of his things would be moved by the palace servants but he had to be the one to pack them. Asten was sitting on his bed, talking to the older boy, but once he noticed Inara leaning against the door frame, he gave her a tiny smile and excused himself.

Confused as to why the younger boy was leaving, Evan looked around and spotted Inara. He sighed, biting his lip, and ran his empty hand through his hair.

"You found out?" he asked as Asten disappeared. He definitely didn't want to be there for this.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice? I knew you'd be leaving sooner or later."

"I know," Evan told her. "I'd just kind of hoped."

"Evan, you not being in the palace would have been a dead give away. I would have preferred to hear it from you." Inara walked into his room and started handing items to him. She understood how he felt, but his logic was weak. She wasn't an idiot. She definitely would have known if Evan had mysteriously left the palace. But she wasn't really in the mood to say goodbye either. This was her best friend; the one who'd taken her in line on her first day. Sure they'd had fights, but who didn't.

"I should have told you. I'm sorry," Evan told her, taking the pair of shoes she offered him. "You're right. You shouldn't have had to hear it from someone else. I just thought it'd be easier not to say goodbye."

"No! We talked about this. Sure tragedy doesn't always happen, but what we do is dangerous. Where you're going is dangerous. You don't get to leave without saying goodbye. You don't get that luxury, Jesslaw! You don't get to walk away from me! You don't!" She'd started off just talking, but ended up shouting and crying by the time she ended. How dare Evan think he could just leave like that? How dare he think it would be easier? It wouldn't be easier if he got hurt, or worse. It wouldn't.

Before she knew it, Evan had her wrapped up in his arms, and pressed her into his chest where she sobbed against him. "Shhh. Shhhh. Pup, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm a boy. I'm stupid." He often forgot Inara was a girl. His dad had told him about being a page with Lady Keladry. None of his stories had prepared him for someone who wanted to talk all the time, or someone who was more emotional, or someone who formed deep bonds. Inara may have been a page, but she was a girl first, and Evan was never really sure how to handle that. "Please don't cry, Inara."

"You can't just leave. It doesn't work like that Evan."

"I know that now. I don't think sometimes. You know that," he told her, pushing her back a bit so he could look down into her eyes. She'd become very much like one of his sisters. He smiled at her and pulled her head towards him, and laid a kiss on her forehead. "You can duel me if you want. Kick my butt right in front of my new knight master."

Inara gave him a tiny smile in return. Beating Evan in a duel in front of his knight master might have been a little much, but she liked that he offered.

"Thanks, but I'll pass. He might decide not to take you," Inara told him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Who is he?"

"Who is who?"

"Your knight master, dolt," Inara threw at him. Evan grinned.

"Not not a he," he admitted. Inara frowned. Something was going on. She didn't like when something was going on and she didn't get to know what it was. Her glare was enough to make him smile.

"Lady Keladry asked me to be her squire. I'm sure I'll be seeing you often enough, pup."

Inara squealed and jumped on him, laughing her hardest. "You're mean! You are so, so cruel."

"I didn't think you were going to cry. You're supposed to be a page," he teased her.

"I'm a female page! I am entitled to cry and make boys feel bad."

"Oh, I see how it works," Evan joked. "Alright, your ladyship; help me finish packing."

"No way, Jesslaw. After that stunt, you're on your own," she replied, sitting in his window seat and pulling her knees to his chest.

"And just what are you going to do?" he asked, as he resumed putting things into his bags."

"Supervise."

Evan just laughed and shook his head at her. Inara stuck her tongue out and settled back against the wall, and began asking how Lady Keladry asked him. She was absolutely thrilled that Evan wouldn't be leaving her life anytime soon.

A week later it was time for the pages to leave for their annual summer trip. As usual, Inara had arrived early. No one even tried to talk to her after she glared at poor Nick and threatened to use him as horse feed. Asten offered her a candy though, which she graciously accepted. He always brought them along when they were traveling somewhere. This year, their destination was Persopolis.

About a half hour into the ride, Corin brought his horse up beside her. Inara eyed him for a moment, before turning her attention back to the road ahead.

"What?"

"Did you notice Mistress Bell isn't here?" Corin asked. Now that he'd mentioned it, Inara realized she hadn't seen the old shang woman. Sir Zahir and Master Hakuin were riding at the rear of their party, while Lord Padraig led the column south. The training master did appear to be talking to himself, which was even stranger than the disappearance of their second shang instructor.

"Rumor is she retired just after the examinations ended. Said she was getting too old for it," Asten replied, riding towards them. Nick, Benton, and Sam were behind him. The group was tiny since Evan and Yancy departed. However, Yancy had left Inara a bone with a ribbon on it as a going away present. He was now near the city of the gods with his knight master, Esmond of Nicoline.

"So who's Inara's chaperone?" Sam asked.

"Maybe they decided I don't need one," she volunteered. Each of her friends looked at her as if she'd grown a second head.

"Pup, you need a chaperone more this year than you did last year," Corin told her, shaking his head. Inara glowered at him for a moment before turning back towards Lord Padraig. He was no longer talking to his lap, but rather staring into the distance on their left. Two riders were racing towards them. Inara frowned. "What's this?" Corin asked the group. Asten and Benton shrugged in response as the riders drew closer. The older of the two men the pages recognized instantly as Master Numair. He brought his horse completely up beside Lord Padraig. A small bird hopped off the training master's mount and onto the saddle horn of Master Numair's. Well, that clearly explained things. Or at least it did to anyone who knew that Mistress Daine, Master Numair's wife and another of their teachers, was also a shape shifter.

"Well, there's the answer to who's going to be Inara's chaperone," Benton spoke.

"I still say I don't need one."

Again the boys just stared at her. Corin even shook his head, trying his best not to laugh at her.

"Who's the other?" Nick asked. Inara, Sam, and Benton all shrugged. The second rider had long wavy brown hair that hung to his shoulders. Despite his large height, his face looked like it belonged to a young man of about eighteen or nineteen years old. He was talking as adamantly with Daine the bird as Numair was, as if he'd done so all his life and didn't find it weird at all.

"That's Rikash Salmalin. Mistress Daine and Master Numair's son," Corin told her.

"Wasn't he supposed to still be at the city of the gods?" Asten asked him.

"Must have graduated," Corin told him. "He's like nineteen now, isn't he?"

"Mistress Daine has a son?" Inara interrupted them. Inara was a typical page. She found it hard to remember her instructors had lives of their own to live.

"A daughter too. Sarra – Sarralyn – is twenty. She's a university student. Shape shifter like her ma," Asten told her.

"And she's also been the center of Asten's affections for the past few years."

"What? No she has not," Asten shot back at his best friend. Inara laughed at him. She'd slowly come to realize that her friends were most certainly interested in the opposite gender, they just didn't let her know about it. Well, all of them accept Nick. He hadn't shown any interest accept to ask Inara to dance at the ball the previous month.

Unlike the previous year, Inara's ride to the summer camp was actually uneventful. She was so relieved, as she'd been worried she'd start to feel exhausted once again. By the end of the week long ride, Inara and her friends could see the large Bazhir city of Persopolis in the distance. However as they drew closer, none of the pages were looking at the city. Instead they all stared at the black dot on the horizon. Each and every one of them had heard stories of the black city. Only two people knew the full truth of what had happened that there, but it wasn't like they were the most approachable. King Jonathan always skirted around the topic, while Lady Alanna would actually steer them on the wrong course towards finding answers. For now, the pages would just have to remain content with the stories they'd been told.

Inara's friends had been right about Mistress Daine's purpose on the trip. And in their spare time, she'd even taught Inara a few tricks about how to take care of her things on long journeys. For the first time, Inara realized the Wildmage wasn't at all like the other ladies at court.

Rikash proved interesting to have around. Master Numair held lessons each night, and Rikash would usually accompany him, and give the pages a younger view of the information. During one especially boring lecture, the young man had even shape shifted and mocked his father behind his back to amuse the pages. Mistress Daine had to tell him to stop because the pages needed to learn, but she agreed that Master Numair needed to work on his presentation style.

Since the trip down and back was so long, the actual stay in the area was only to be three days long. The first day they would spend in the city with proper beds and baths. The second and third days were going to be one of the most important of the trip. Lord Padraig wouldn't tell them anything more until the second morning.

The pages entered the city with their instructors and were immediately dazzled by the sites. Only a handful or so of them had ever actually been to the Bazhir city. Inara was trying to see everything at once, and twice Corin had to grab her reins and steer her out of danger. After the second time, he promised that he would let her get run over if that's what she wished. The girl did her best to pay attention after that.

Supper that night was followed by one of the best baths she'd had in her life. Probably due to the fact that riding through a desert for the better portion of the week was not conducive to bathing. Inara slowly began to fall asleep in the giant pool, her head leaned back as she breathed in warm steam.

"Mind if I join you?"

Inara cracked an eye open to see Mistress Daine standing over her. She shook her head and moved a little to the side so her teacher would have room. The woman placed her towel on the ledge and lowered herself into the water.

"So, how's life as a female page?" she asked her. Inara was a little surprised by the question. Not even Eda Bell had taken interest in her in such a way. She wasn't used to being treated like anything other than a normal page by her instructors. "Sorry. Just thought you could use a little girl talk. I never got the chance to know your aunt when she was younger."

"That's alright," Inara replied, understanding a bit better. She'd never actually had girl talk, being the youngest of five, and the only daughter. She wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to say. "I'm doing alright I suppose. It's not easy."

"I wouldn't think it was."

"But you're a warrior, sort of, aren't you?"

Daine laughed and shook her head. "No way; I fight when I need to. I can use a bow, but that's about it. And I'm more of a scout in battles than anything else. I'll leave the harder work to you and your friends."

"You can't use anything other than a bow?"

"Nope; unless you count fangs, talons, or claws," Daine told her. "Why?"

"Well, if you only use one weapon, you'd have to be really good with it, right?" Inara asked, a bit of hopefulness in her eyes. There was something she had to know. Maybe Mistress Daine could tell her.

"Not necessarily, but I've been told I'm a good shot," she said with mock modesty. She smiled and looked across the bath before turning back to Inara. "Do you need help?"

"Not really help. I need someone to tell me if and what I'm doing horribly wrong. My archery teacher always tells me I'm terrible, but I can never change enough to please him. I don't know what's wrong."

"The Bazhir have a practice court on the far side of the main building," Daine told her. "I can meet you there in an hour."

"Really?" Inara said hopefully. The older woman nodded. Inara grinned and hurriedly finished scrubbing before dashing out of the bath.

An hours later, she carried her bow and a few arrows down to the practice court. Mistress Daine was already there, along with Rikash, who was sitting on the rail, watching his mother shoot. Inara watched her for a moment. She was thoroughly amazed. Mistress Daine wasn't just a good archer; she was the best the Inara had ever seen.

"Wow!"

"Don't expect to be that good, young one," Rikash told her, as she came over. He grinned at her and waited for his mother to join them.

"Ignore him. He's just upset he's not as good as Sarra or I."

"Sarra's your daughter, right?" Inara asked. Daine nodded.

"My perfect sister," Rikash sighed, hopping off the railing. Inara giggled a little bit. The boys had told her that most of the court's young ladies were in love with him. Inara didn't doubt it. "I'm off to wash up and find Da," he told Daine, stooping to kiss her cheek. "Night, Ma. Don't let her work you too hard, young one." He waved a hand in the air as he walked away. Daine shook her head at his back and turned to Inara.

"You ready?" Inara nodded in response. She was glad Mistress Daine wanted to be informal. She wasn't sure she could handle being formal that night. "Alright, show me what you can do."

An hour later, Daine had basically told Inara everything she needed to know. Yes, there were some things she needed to work, and even some things that could use just a tad bit of improvement, but for twelve years old, Inara was a decent shot. Not the best. But she could serve as an archer without problems. All that meant one thing, Sir Zahir was never going to lighten up on her. He was determined to make her quit by convincing her she was a lousy archer, when in reality she was no worse than any of the other pages.

That night Inara fell asleep planning just how she would show him. There was no way she was going to quit after surviving two years as a page. Only two things stood in her way: the big examinations and her ordeal.

Author Note:
A little on the short side, but it'll do.

Next Monday: Second to last chapter!

OMG it's almost done.

Oh and one more thing: Titles for the next three books: The Magician's Apprentice, Royal Squire, and The Princess of Sarain.

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