Okay so I haven't updated in years! You actually probably could have figured that out for yourselves but anyway I have had a few rough years and have only just begun to read and write again. I just finished the all the Tamora Pierce books again and when I was finished I remembered about this site (yes sadly I had forgotten about it). I have decided to try and finish the work I had already started though I'm not all that sure where I was going with it all… so anyway, here goes nothing…

Decisions

"Tobe!! What in the chaos are you doing here? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Go back home now!" Dom screamed in a whisper, angry yet still cautious and aware of where they were.

The gangly horse touched boy stood frozen, jaw hanging, unable to move, as the shock continued to cloud his brain. What was Dom, a King's Own Sergeant, doing in Scanra?

In the end though it didn't take long for the shock to wear off and Tobe's stubborn personality was soon back in complete control.

"NO! I will not go anywhere! I don't have a home! And its all because of…" He didn't get to finish his outburst for the rest of it was muffled by the hand that had quickly been pressed up against his lips. His outburst had not been in a whispered scream.

"Are you going to be quite now?" Dom asked, Tobe hesitated but then slowly nodded. He was not going anywhere no matter what anyone said, King Maggur was going to pay.

"Look I'm gonna get us somewhere that we can talk safely okay? Just keep your mouth shut until then." If Dom's tone hadn't given it away the forceful grip on his arm did. Dom was very angry. Tobe, needless to say, kept his mouth shut as Dom dragged him away toward the castle.

Dom didn't realize how hard his grip was on the boy, if he did he'd have worked harder to keep his anger in check. He didn't want to hurt Tobe. He just kept wondering over and over 'what am I going to do with a twelve year old behind enemy lines?'

Kel could feel the oddly familiar man's breath on the back of her neck as she began to lead him down the long dark tunnel that would lead them into the depths of the castle. They hadn't gotten far before she felt his hand on her elbow. She stopped walking and stiffened. The man felt the change and quickly withdrew as if he was aware of what she could do, as if he knew who she really was.

"Please miss, can we make a small detour? I have done this a few times and that's tunnel that leads out to the Royal Black Forest, yes?" He indicated to the small opening to their left.

A rather confused Kel turned around until she was facing the rather smelly dark shape of the round faced man. How did he know it was there? It was pitch black and the only reason she knew where she was going was because she had walked through these tunnels for two weeks of nights counting and memorizing every step.

After a few moments of tense silence Kel wondered aloud "Why?"

The man cleared his throat, as if trying to come up with a convincing reply. Not very comforting. Kel's senses went into overdrive and she quickly and quietly moved into a fighting stance.

"Well you see miss, um well, I'm asking you to bend the rules a little bit. You see uh I have a few people waiting in the forest, near the end ol' the tunnel but you see I don't know exactly where the openin is. An I knows that there is a limit to how many people your allowed to take into the tunnels at once so I couldn't bring them with me, the people controllin the front of the tunnels are very strict and these men were very persistent they wanted in and they were all going to come together. There was no changin' their minds m-m-miss." He stuttered to a stop waiting for the reply. He hoped she'd go for his helpless act because, these rebel slaves, he knew, wouldn't react nicely to his learned noble-like stature.

Kel shook her head.

"It's not possible sir, we leave a completely different way they'd have no way of getting back into the forest and it'll be my head on the platter if your seen leaven with more than what they let in." And with that she started to turn around to continue the tour.

"No miss, I believe that I misspoke, you see, these men, they uh, well they don't plan on leavin' miss. You see they plan on takin' the Lord 'imself down. I called 'em fools but they is hardheaded as they come."

Kel slowly turned back to face the dark shape that had just finished speaking. Maybe because it was so dark but whatever that reason Kel did something she normally wouldn't do, she bit her lip, clearly stating her indecision and confusion on her face.

'What am I going to do?'