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The tall blonde Scanran who had shaved her head only hours before crashed through his men and stood dazed for a moment by the graceful movements of her hips. Kel saw him from across the circle but kept her eyes averted from his. A harsh snarl from his lips knocked the drum circle and singers from the trance that the dance induced.

"We will leave early in the morning, so you'd best get to bed. I'll deal with these slaves." His men began to depart, slowly and reluctantly at first, but another frightening snarl and a violent curse caused them to disperse like leaves in the autumn wind. He turned his eyes blues on to Kel and Kali.

"Do you know what you have just done?" He marched closer to them. The others in the circle tried to stay out of his way, but their chains kept them locked together and their curiosity kept them in the semi circle around Kel, Kali, and the angry Scanran. He leaned closer to Kel to say something, but a whispered 'I can't hear anything, what did he say?' brought him back to reality.

"Disperse slaves!" His voice shook the very trees with its anger and ferocity. As if materializing from the shadow his warriors appeared and drugged the players from the circle. He motioned for one to take Kali away with the other slaves. As the clearing empties, Kel felt her heart beat increase but she kept her Yamani mask firmly in place. Soon the clearing was empty save the Scanran and Kel.

"You were going to be a court amusement. The Protector of the Small…forced to fight on command and loose to whomever the King chose. Now, you will be his whore. I could refuse to say anything, but your carefully staged show will be the talk of all the men and no doubt the court, you'll be in his bed before you even wash the dirt from the road off! Is that what you wanted you dumb chit?" He brought his hand down viciously across her cheek. Kel's head whipped to the side with the force of the blow. She could feel the strength of the hit send waved of shock and pain down her body. Her lip throbbed and half of her face burned, Kel had no doubt she would have abruise in the morning. The Scanran paced the clearing, swearing to himself about dumb girls who couldn't just do what they should and who were better than they ought to be. Kel felt confusion replace her anger. Why did it matter what she did? Kel opened her mouth to speak just as he turned and marched back toward her.

"I will grant you your freedom if you do me one favor." His voice was ruff with anger but it was at the quiet pitch of a whisper.

"What do you want?" The words came out slightly slurred through her swollen lips and cheek, but he knew what she'd asked.

"Kill the King of Scanra." Kel's eyes grew wide.

Neal felt his frustration grow as he watched the old smuggler woman laugh. In her hand was a bottle of red liquid, which she appeared to have negotiated from the previous group that had come through. Neal growled. The previous group had been the smugglers, but the old woman had said that they could cross yet. Raoul had instantly been upset and demanded to know why? First, she had spoken of how busy they were and walked away. Then when questioned again, she had mentioned that the river was flooded. When at last the slavers were fully across the river and on the road, Raoul asked again, this time his words were laced with anger. The old woman's response was slow coming but it resonated with them as something Kel would do.

"The chit will kill the King. She is to be his servant, take that as you will, but if you catch up and save them now…you will destroy a great piece of art. She will have to be crafty and violent, she will have to find the balance of who she is meant to be and who she is." Cackling the woman began to dance in a circle. Her arms were thrown into the air, the bottle still clutched tightly in her wrinkled and worn fingers. When she stopped laughing she walked calmly back into the house, leaving the three of them dumbfounded in her wake.

"The old bird has lost her damn mind." Dom said at last. They had been standing in silence for four or five minuets, to shocked and confused to speak.

"I agree with Dom." Neal shuttered. He agreed with Dom…something must be wrong with the universe, even Dom looked surprised by his admission.

"Shut up!" Neal cried at his cousins raised eyebrow and expression of disbelief.

"I did not say anything, Cousin Meathead." Dom's voice was light and teasing.

"You were thinking it!" Neal retorted

"Thinking what? Think perhaps that you and the old woman should be…." Dom however wasn't given a chance to finish.

"What are we going to do now?" The question came from Raoul, who was standing quietly behind the two bickering cousins. His eyes were locked on the dense green across the forest. His eyes were sad but his hands were clenched tightly together in anger. Neal looked at him, his dark eyes searched over his face.

"The only thing we can do. Trust Kel." Raoul looked at him. The sadness in his eyes grew but he nodded, and then shifted his eyes back toward the forest, he watched the trees intently as if he could see through them, through the thick of time and space, into the future. Finally, he looked away and nodded again.

"That does not mean we are not going to follow." Dom and Neal nodded and started to set up for camp that night. They would cross the river tomorrow.

"Why?" Kel's voice was cracked and garbled. He looked at her for a few seconds before running his hands through his hair and sitting beneath a tree at the edge of the clearing.

"I am the leader of a once powerful and proud group of people. Not the most military minded but we were allied with many other warrior tribes. We believed that the future of our country was in agriculture not war. When the King came into power he approached my father and told him to join the royal forces. My father refused. So the king stole my mother and demanded again, this time with my mothers life as the forfeit. The king must have realized that if he killed her, he would have no control over me, because he killed my father. When I was given the mantle of leadership, he approached me. I turned him down at first but then he reminded me that he had my mother." He stopped. His eyes looked into the darkness of the past, reliving some horrible emotional scar.

"I hate fighting. I want to live in peace with my countrymen and the family I hope to have someday. I have waited for ten years to get close enough to kill him, but he is crafty and watches me carefully. I treated you the way I did so that you would grow angry enough to kill him. Now you may not have the chance. He doesn't trust me, so I cannot help you. If you'd been a court fighter, you would have had free access to weapons. You'll be able to get closer to him but…he will kill you. After he had a girl, he kills her, to prevent someone from turning them against him. You'll only have one chance to get him." He looked at her.

"I will not sleep with him." Her voice was more defined.

"I wouldn't expect it. He will ask you to dance for him first that will be your opportunity. You will be responsible for getting to the meeting point, then I will get you out of the country." He looked sad but hopeful at their new plan.

"What about the others?" Her voice was deadpan. Freedom for her, but not for the others…never going to happen. He puzzled it for a moment, but she spoke first.

"Do you know of the Rogue in Scanra?" He looked puzzled.

"One of them is the King's personal servant. Why do you ask?"

"Then they will be fine." She responded, ignoring his last question. Looking directly at him, she spoke forcefully.

"You will tell me everything you know of the palace, the servants, the city, and the King himself. Then you will tell me about my escape." He nodded and began. It was well into the night before she returned to her wagon. Even though she was tired, she lay in bed for a long time thinking aboutthe next couple of days.

End of Chapter!please review!