A/N: Yep. Definitely time to start planning a holiday. Any recommendations?

Aubrey: Here's some more Gabby :)

Disclaimer: I'm not John Flanagan.

Gabby sat with her back straight and kept her fingertips resting on the bench. Kane had been taken away when they arrived at…wherever it was they were, and she'd been taken to a small room. She hadn't heard the door lock but heavy footsteps outside told her the place was well guarded. Besides, she didn't know where to go or what to do if she got out anyway.

They'd removed the gag as soon as she sat on the bench. She'd sat still while they waved their hands in front of her face several times, confirming her blindness. They searched her for weapons and then released her hands before leaving. None of them said a word to her. She was sure she'd cry if she tried to speak to them so she'd kept her mouth firmly shut as well.

The door swung open on its well-oiled hinges. Gabby sucked in a sharp breath as she listened to the footsteps of the newcomer walk to the middle of the room. "What's your name?" a male voice demanded.

"Gabby," she answered. The concept of lying had entered her mind but she decided it'd be best to be mostly honest. Besides, Gabby was a common enough name…and she wasn't famous or important enough to be held hostage.

"Your friend claims you are a healer who should be released. Is that true?"

Gabby swallowed hard. "Please don't hurt him."

"Lovers…" the man's voice trailed off. She could feel his breath on her face as he leaned closer. "You're either blind or a damn good actress."

Gabby clenched and unclenched her hands as horrible memory came into her mind's eye. She pushed it aside and maintained focus. "Where am I?'

She flinched as his hand patted hers. "Safe. Don't worry. We don't torture blind healers. Are you really a healer?"

Gabby felt her heart race faster. "I…I'm trained to be a physician's assistant."

"Trained to be…are you or are you not?"

"I…"

"Who was your last patient? Give me a name immediately or I'll give orders for your boyfriend to be beaten."

"Queen Kineta O'Carrick of Hibernia," Gabby answered quickly. She knew Kane would be angry if she gave away valuable information but at the possibility of his being beaten…she couldn't bare tending him as an intensive patient again.

The man leaned away from her. "Queen Kineta?"

Gabby nodded and realized that if the name was gone she might as well give away everything. "I…acted as a midwife."

"Kineta doesn't have a child. She can't carry one to term."

The man didn't use Kineta's title. That fact didn't go unnoticed and set Gabby's nerves into overload. "Who are you?" she asked unsteadily. "Please…let us go…"

"I'm Jeddrick. You're a friend of Kineta's?"

Gabby nodded. "In a way…I assisted her through a difficult time. And she does have a child…"

"Elizabet, the mute girl they adopted."

Gabby decided to play off that. "I know Elizabet as well. She likes Flynn Masque stories…she's got curly hair…she told me it's blonde…she attaches herself to people she trusts."

The man…Jeddrick…paused for several moments. "Prove to me you're a friend of the royal family."

"I…I don't know how…"

"Who are you? How are you linked to them? You seem too young to be a midwife attending the queen…how did you swing that? Are you a spy of some kind?"

"No!" Gabby insisted. "No…I'm from Araluen. I know the royal family there…Prince Ace, he trains under the head healer who I also trained under…we're friends…I…Princess Scout arranged for me and the man I was with to come here. She's a friend as well…"

"Why did she arrange that?"

Gabby swallowed hard. "So we could get married without disapproval."

"Are you married?"

"No…please, we mean no harm…"

She was crying now. She heard Jeddrick's heavy steps pace the room. "Roscrea was attacked. How do you know I'm not the one who attacked it?"

Gabby took a deep breath. "Why would attackers pursue two horses bearing people who are not royal? You can't ransom us. Nobody would pay."

"So I am to believe a blind Araluen healer knows the royal family of Hibernia…you say you're a friend to Princess Scout?"

Gabby nodded. "Yes."

"What are her parents' names?"

"Ranger Liam and Lady Lina," Gabby answered. Common knowledge…no harm there, she assumed.

"And where can I find Ranger Liam and Lady Lina?"

Now Gabby's mind raced for something besides the truth. She knew well the lives of Liam and Lina. She couldn't betray their home. It could endanger too many people. "Araluen," she answered…vague enough.

Jeddrick gave a long pause. "I know Liam and Lina by two different names."

Gabby bit her tongue.

"They were of the Sunrise Warrior Academy…Gabby, you seem like a smart girl. If you prove to me they trust you then I will trust you."

Gabby realized she'd clenched her fists again. She relaxed her hands and sorted her thoughts. The familiar feeling of calm replaced her panic. "Lady Lina's got a twisted foot from being buried by rubble. She uses crutches to get around."

There was a long pause. "A very select group of people know that, but the information comes easily for the right price. Do better."

Gabby thought harder, trying to find something only those who knew Lina's old life would know. It was difficult, as Gabby hadn't met the woman until all that was well behind her. The memory of treating Lina for a nonexistent injury came into her head, when she'd simply wanted to talk to Lina about marriage. Lina had treated herself while Gabby talked…because she was a field medic among other things. Gabby remembered all the patients that came through their medical wing that had been first treated by Lina in the field, how impressive her work was even though it didn't even qualify her to be a nurse in the medical wing. She was a remarkable field medic but terrible healer…mostly because her technique was repetitive. In the field, basic consistent technique saved lives. In the medical wing, basic consistent technique often did more harm than good. A true healer needed to be able to examine for the smallest of injuries whereas a field medic simply treated the obvious and went onto the next task.

"When she sews stitches she doesn't go down far enough…she sews right to left starting down but only goes far enough to close the wound. She leaves the real healing to healers."

Gabby thought about all of the stitches she'd removed that Lina had put in place. She knew Lina made the mistake on purpose. Lina was always nervous about causing more damage than already done so only went far enough rather than as far as truly needed. Sometimes…most times…it was a good thing. Unnecessary scarring could be prevented and while unsecure stitches didn't provide optimal healing, they prevented healers from having to cut the skin back open to flush out the wound.

"Only a healer would know that…and only someone who knows Nerilina would be able to give that sort of information…wait here, Gabby. I'm going to bring the young man we found to you. Someone will bring you both some food and clean clothes. I'll come back in a few hours to ask more questions. I'm sorry for what grief we've caused but…can't be too careful. By the way, who was the second rider with you two?"

Gabby held her tongue. The sudden shift worried her.

"Alright, don't tell me. Maybe later…but know that Roscrea was under attack and we assumed you were in the group of attackers. My people are the best. They will find her and will try to get information out of her. If she's stubborn and refuses, well, my people are the best."

Gabby frowned but didn't reveal Caitlyn to him. "How long will it take Kane to get here?"

"Not long at all," the stranger Jeddrick promised.

Kane prepared himself to jump the first person that came through the locked iron door of the tiny cell he'd been tossed in, despite knowing he couldn't go through with it. Such an action could put Gabby at risk and, though he was fairly sure he could get out, he couldn't leave without her.

The door opened. A man Kane hadn't yet seen came in with a stern look on his face. "You are a Royal Scout of Araluen, true or false?"

Kane raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you tell me who you are first?"

The man crossed his arms. "You're the prisoner."

Kane remained silent, refusing to give information.

"Fine," the man finally said. "We'll trade. I tell you a piece of information you care about and you answer my questions. Agreed?"

Kane didn't let his expression change.

"The girl you came with. I tell you about her and you tell me what I want to know."

Kane stared hard at the man. "Alright," he agreed. The man may lie but, really, what choice did he have?

"The girl told me her name is Gabby and that she's a healer who tended Queen Kineta. Kineta is an old friend of mine. Now, are you or are you not a scout from Araluen?"

Fair enough. "Yes," Kane answered.

The man nodded. "I'm Jeddrick. Now, this girl, Gabby, she told me your name is Kane. Is that true?"

Kane narrowed his eyes.

"She's in an unlocked room being served a warm meal."

"Yes, my name is Kane."

Jeddrick nodded. "Who are your parents?"

Kane decided to be honest with that question too. "Complicated."

Jeddrick chuckled. "Complicated as in a rebellious Charmer being disgraced on her mission?" Kane swallowed hard. Jeddrick nodded. "Thought so. You look like your mother, Kane."

"Let Gabby go," Kane demanded. He refused to be shaken. "She's done nothing against you."

"So let me get this straight," Jeddrick replied tactfully. "You want me to release a blind girl into a foreign wood where wild animals roam and unfriendly characters are loose?"

"If you hurt her…"

"Don't worry about that, Kane. I've no intention of hurting your fiancé. I'm here to escort you to her. You two will be staying here as guests until it's safe to return you to the castle in Roscrea."

Kane narrowed his eyes. "And where is here?"

Jeddrick motioned for Kane to follow him. Kane obeyed. They walked four doors down the hall and Jeddrick opened another door. Kane expected to see Gabby inside but the room was empty. He looked around at all the chains, trying to figure out what was happening, when Jeddrick said, "This is the room Talia was kept in after a certain weight gain held her execution."

Kane's former confusion was replaced with new uncertainties. "This is the Sunrise Warrior Academy?"

Jeddrick nodded. He shut the door and they walked on down the hallway. "This is what has become of the Sunrise Warrior Academy. Now it's just the Academy of Roscrea. King Sean wanted it to be a type of orphanage and put Kineta in charge of it all. Yudai, you know him as Liam, supported her as a leader. Kineta knew the value of the Warriors and convinced Sean to let her run it the way she wanted. The best of the best soldiers, scouts, archers, agents…you name it. If it has to do with military or national peacekeeping we train the best. In addition to that, we also train and groom students young."

"Child killers?" Kane asked. "That was supposed to be…"

"Our students are either orphans with nowhere else to go or children whose families aren't worth the dirt on our boots. If a child ends up here, there is truly nowhere else for them. And we don't train them the way the Academy did to people like me and your mother. There are no Charmers here, at least not to the extreme Talia was trained. Our children are taught what would eventually give them a prime foundation to be in the king's service…memorization, languages, cultures, creativity…we develop the qualities that are most important to success. The children are only used in the field if no other option is available."

"You send children to battle?"

Jeddrick shook his head. "No, but if one of our agents goes to investigate shady dealings at an inn best to send someone traveling with their child…nobody expects that. And, should our agent be compromised, the child has the skills and tools to travel back here to let us know."

"That's still dangerous," Kane muttered.

"Perhaps, but much less dangerous than the child's former life. We have only lost three children in all these years and two were to a basement grease fire nobody could control. That's a better record than most orphanages, which constantly battle disease."

Kane shrugged. "I guess."

Jeddrick came to another door in a much lighter part of the castle they were in. They were no longer in the dungeon. He opened the door to a small room. Gabby sat on a bench on one side of a table with her hands resting flat on the table. In front of her was an untouched bowl of beef and onion stew with a cup turned upside down next to a pitcher of water.

"Haven't eaten?" Jeddrick asked.

Gabby stood up when he addressed her. Her fingers trembled slightly and her face was lined with worry. Kane couldn't take it. He was at her side in three big steps and wrapped his arms around her body. "Gab," he whispered.

"Kane!" she gasped. She ran her palms up his torso to his shoulders and finally pressed them to his face. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," he promised. Kane kept Gabby securely at his side as he looked back to Jeddrick. "How long will we be here?"

"As soon as it is safe the two of you may leave. I'll even provide you with a guide to Roscrea. As for the third person in your party, she's escaped. We sent trackers after her. If you two can provide us with any information about the girl that would help us to get her here without force, now's the time."

Kane squeezed Gabby's shoulder. "Do you trust them?" he asked her softly.

Gabby nodded. "They've given us no reason not to."

He paused a few more moments before answering. "Her name is Caitlyn," he told Jeddrick. "Her parents are Liam and Lina."

Jeddrick nodded. "Thank you. Someone will show the two of you to beds when they are available."

Once alone, Kane kissed Gabby. "Did he hurt you?" he asked with slight anger in his voice. "If he did…"

"I'm fine," Gabby promised. "Kane, Caitlyn's out there by herself."

Kane kissed her. "I know. Don't worry about her, Gab. Something like this was bound to happen to her sooner or later."

"That doesn't make me feel better," Gabby muttered.