AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well I kno I wanted to wait to get this up but I just couldn't help myself that and I had some that was very impatient ..ahem Bookflower.. but that's ok considering she went to the lengths of sending me a PM telling me I should update.

Well once again THANK YOU xxTunstal chickxx for all your help with putting up with me and my awfull spelling and grammar!
also all those who are regular reviewers you all make me ant to just keep posting ne chapters all the time.

THANKS TO EVERYONE!!

PS: In honor of April Fool's Day HIP HIP HOORAY KYPRIOTH!!-cheers-

DISCLAIMER: If I was Tomora Peirce I wouldn't have been saying that I'm not these past 20 chapters now would I. So I am not Tomora Pierce.

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Tory blinked away the comatose from her eyes. She pulled herself up into a sitting position and rubbed her head, "My life is bound to be long and miserable."

"Don't say that my sweet." Jason's blue eyes were thoughtful as he looked at her.

"Oh great now I have you to deal with."

"Fine then I'll leave." he began to fade

"No! wait I'm sorry and I'm just sore in body and mind at the moment Jason." She tried to put a hand on his shoulder but it just passed through an ice cold presence.

He pushed a dark hair from his face, "Very well sweet all is forgiven but you are in a bit of a predicament here."

"I know. How long have I been out." she tried leaning on her good shoulder but it was bruised now.

"Well I was about to grab that branch but for some reason spirits can't get a grip on some things so sorry, but you've only been out over night."

"That's too long."

"Yes it is your Rider friends are moving about the same pace as you though, maybe even slower, because they believe in sleep."

Tory ignored the last comment, "Why are they moving so slow?"

"Well that Domitan fellow says he can barely move, which I believe is an absolute lie I think he just doesn't feel like being in a rush. And Alan--Well the Lioness is keeping him asleep."

"Why?" she said quickly thinking if she forgot to heal anything on Alan.

"Well someone decided to be a hero and try to go and find his lass and, well he got caught. I mean let's face it he's nothing like that Aly, his sister she's some spy I took a bit of a vacation to the copper isles and I think she might out do you with sneaking about."

"She's a spy master Jason." Tory was getting annoyed

"OK, OK. Well keeping him asleep is the only way the Lioness can keep him from arguing and trying to run off to 'save' you from your own stupidity"

"HEY!"

"Sorry, but you shouldn't have gone up against so many you could have been joining me--"

"Get to the point Jason." she was trying to get him to stop being side-tracked

"Right well Alan's been under sleeping herbs as well as constantly being reminded to not let your healing go to waste. You know I had to beg for a week to get you to even look at any of my wounds and him you take on two squads to heal him."

"Great but you know you would have been questioned if I healed you" was all she said but she put her head in her hands only to wince at the movement.

"Yes, but you should probably get moving" Jason's tone turned to worried, "And be careful, I only want to see you on my terms." he placed one of his ice cold kisses on her forehead then faded away.

Tory pulled herself up with one hand onto her feet and lurched forward in uneasy steps thinking curses at her mount for being a 'useless pathetic excuse for an animal of any stature and deserved to be turned into dog meat' being the nicest thing said.

She walked as fast as her tired body could take her all day and even through the night. It was early morning, she was almost asleep on her feet when suddenly she slipped into a washed out area of a river bank. One side of this is if the river was up that high she wouldn't have been hurt from the fall but the bad side, she would have been ble to swim out due to her exhaustion. So she dealt with new bruises and cuts.

She came up over a hill panting and draining her water skin, she looked up and saw Balor's Needle stretching up into the sky and she smiled.

She walked through the palace yards until she was below her balcony only to be faced with another problem-she couldn't use her left arm to climb. Well this she decided wouldn't stop her so she removed a leather tie from her hair and used it to fasten a dagger to her left foot and held another in her right hand using them to pick into the wall as she scaled the wall and swung onto the balcony.

She looked back at the fields below they were empty the Rider's haven't returned but she saw them in the distance on the road. I really am that good I beat them back without a mount and with an injury she gave a weak smile. She turns with her hair still loose and blowing in the wind like her cloak she had built up some magic over the past couple of days that she used to open some of her locking spells. She walked into her room dropping her cloak and falling face first onto her couch and into a deep slumber.

Alan rode towards the the front of the columns, "Please could you go look ma."

"I told you yes already Alan. I'll go find Numair and Thom and between the three of us we should be able to figure out a way in."

Alan looked at her "thank you but I'm coming as well"

"No don 't start this you're going to see Duke Baird."

"Fine" Alan took off ahead of the group heading towards the castle as Alanna went to unsaddle and groom her mounts.

"Sir Alanna, just go we'll tend to the mounts, we hate seeing Alan this worried so the sooner you can relieve him of his worries the better." Kary smiled at the Lioness

"Thank you Captain Crosse" She smiled at Kary placing a hand on her shoulder and leaving in brisk strides towards the castle.
I hate seeing Alan like this too but I don't care who you are I don't think anyone could get back that quickly especially in her condition.but I'll have to send out a search party and figure out a story as to why she's out there. But this is the Abyss i'm talking about, it won't hurt to just check maybe she planned the trek so I'll know where to look for her. I still need to hurry though.

A/N: Please review the next chapter BACKFIRING will please many of you that have caught on to Thom's very pompous, arrogant, etc. attitude (I got his personality from Thom in The Woman that Rides like a Man (#3 in Lioness quartet) )

And for those of you want to know what happens I have the next chapter ready for posting but I might wait a while before putting it up (but reviews could really have me posting it by say tommorrow)

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