I was just wowed by the reviews and hits this story is getting. As always, it's for the dedicated readers that I write this.

The beginning of summer found Eleni packing her own saddlebags. Lord Padraig had chosen Port Legann as the location for the summer excursion. If nothing else, it meant that they would be traveling south to Legann with Herne and Lord Imrah.

Eleni smiled at the memory of the announcement, not even Herne had known. Now, as she put away enough clothes and supplies for three weeks, she finally realized that she had passed her first year of page training. The smile disappeared when she heard knocking on her door. Eleni had been trying to forget about her second shadow.

When Lady Knight Keladry had asked Eleni to look after her son, she had been honored. That the famous knight was essentially asking her - well, him- to look after her only son was unbelievable! After a week with the boy, however, she found herself asking the gods what she could have possibly done to deserve such a punishment.

With his hazel-green eyes and easy smile, Kyle of Masbolle was an incredibly adorable boy. He had hugged his parents and waved them farewell along with his aunt. The problems arose after his mother and father had departed. Within an hour of the departure, he had begun to cling to Eleni like a lost duckling. Thinking that he would quickly tire of doing so, Eleni said nothing and let him do it.

A week later, the boy had yet to leave her alone for longer than an hour, and was all but attached to her hip. It was only a matter of time before she killed the boy. The knocking persisted. Biting back a deeply acrid curse, she welcomed the boy into her room.

And that's another thing, she reminded herself. He's too tall for his age.

Despite being only ten years old, Kyle was already taller than some of the pages currently living in the palace. Eleni was diminutive in stature to begin with, and she didn't need a younger page to further remind her.

"Are you packing already?" he asked. He looked around the room, panicking. "Should I go pack too? Do you think I'll have enough time? What should I-"

Eleni put up her hand, effectively silencing Kyle. In the recesses of her mind, she wished that Schuylar was that easy to control. Truthfully, she had forgotten that he would be traveling to Legann with the older pages. Lord Padraig had been strangely accommodating when the subject had been broached by Sir Morven. Eleni found it odd that Lord Padraig would want to take the boy along, there were others who could look after him.

The boy was nothing like his mother. Where his mother was one of the most collected people Eleni had ever met, Kyle, at his best, was insecure. There was no telling how much trouble he would find himself in without a proper chaperon. By chaperon, Eleni meant an adult, not a girl who was a single year older than him.

Why did I ever agree to his mother's request?

"I'm sure you still have time to pack," she said, sounding much more calm than she actually felt. "You don't need to bring much, enough clothing and whatever other supplies you think you might need." Eleni went back to her bags, trying to see if she had overlooked anything vital.

"What supplies do you think I should bring? What kind of clothes should I take? What's the weather like in Legann?" His questions were endless, but Eleni's patience wasn't. Just as she was about to verbally bite his head off, Lokejo entered the room carrying a package.

Scared at once, Kyle shied away from him, inching closer to Eleni's side. Theirs had not been the best of introductions, Kyle being scared of the large, dark skinned man as soon as he saw him. Again, Eleni prayed for patience.

"Needed something, Lokejo?" She desperately wanted an excuse to get away from her new shadow.

"Yes, actually." He turned to Kyle and said, "Be a good lad and go pack your bags. Wouldn't want to be left behind tomorrow morning."

Kyle's eyes widen in horror, and he ran out of the room. Lokejo couldn't help but laugh at the boy. Eleni, though she found Kyle to be exasperating, didn't find it funny.

"You know, that wasn't very nice" she said, kicking his shin. "His mother expects me to look after him."

"I'm sure you were going to take care of him." Lokejo patted Eleni on the head and handed her the package he was holding. "Here, chick." He lounged on her bed, watching her look the package over. "I'm pretty sure you have to take off the wrapping if you want to find out what's inside."

"I hate you," she muttered under her breath.

She moved to sit beside him on the bed. After staring at the package for a few moments, Lokejo sat up and took it from her. The plain, black paper it was wrapped was removed, revealing a large box. Lokejo gently placed the box on Eleni's lap.

"Want me to open it for you, as well?" Eleni elbowed him. "Fine," he said through a minor coughing fit. For someone so small, she knew how to hurt people.

"Who's it from?" He didn't respond. "If it's something dangerous, I'll be very upset, Lokejo."

The box was not dangerous, and neither were its contents. Hidden under slips of black silk, sat a delicate figurine, a crow in the middle of flight. Eleni's slim fingers passed over the figure, memorizing the way the amethyst was cut. It was a very beautiful piece. Right next to it was a second crow, this one made of onyx.

"Who sent this?" her voice was a hoarse whisper, overcome by emotion.

"There's a letter at the bottom of the box, chick." He hadn't bothered to look at the figurine, he already knew who it from and what it was.

Indeed there was an envelope at the bottom, stationary and script that Eleni easily recognized.

"Is this from-"

"Just read it already," he insisted. Honestly, for a bird, she sure had a thick skull.

The words so carefully written on the heavily starched parchment were more than Eleni could bare.

My dearest chick,

Words cannot express how proud of you we are. It fills my heart with joy to know that you are doing what your heart compels you to do. Lokejo has written to us, telling of all that you have achieved. Hearing these things from the Tortallan king himself could not make me prouder. Do all that you want to do, my darling chick. I hope that you like your present, I heard tales that such a shiny trinket would please you. The amethyst is from your mother and I, and your brothers sent the onyx one. Think of them as temporary substitutes for us for the time you are away. Happy birthday, my darling Eleni.

Loving you,

Nawat Crow

P.S.

Your mother asked me to relay a message: She expects more letters from her only daughter.

By the time Eleni had finished reading the letter, and reread it twice more, there were more than a few tears staining the parchment. Lokejo had given her a handkerchief and wrapped her in a warm embrace. When she looked up at him, she looked lost.

"They love me so much," she whispered hoarsely. The old fears that had surfaced during her exams were raging within her, calling her a sham, a deceiver.

"That they do, little one." He knew all too well the dark places her mind was taking her.

"What will they say when they find ou-"

"They will say that they are very proud of you." Lokejo placed a finger over her lips to silence her rebuttal. "Yes, chick, they will also be hurt, but I know that everything that you will have accomplished by then will outweigh the deception. They love you. Family forgives each other."

Tenderly taking her face in his hands, Lokejo used his thumbs to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. A tiny kiss was placed on the crown of her head.

"Now," he said, the usual mischievous glint back in his eyes. "Why don't I go get your cake from the kitchens." He gave her a stern look when she tried to protest. "You're going to spend your birthday in the saddle. Trust me, when I say that it's a good idea to celebrate early."

Eleni had to laugh, truly starting to feel better. She'd never know how he did it, but Lokejo always made her feel better with his soothing way of telling her the truth. Perhaps it was fate that he had been chosen to watch over her, perhaps, she was just really lucky. Either way, she loved her dear friend.

What made her really laugh, though, was who was waiting outside of her room. Lokejo had opened the door only to find Kyle, satchel in hand, about to knock.

"Can I help you, young master?" The poor boy didn't know what to say, and settled for nodding his head vigorously. Lokejo looked over his shoulder at Eleni. "Did you wish to speak to Myles?" After the second nod, Lokejo sighed in defeat. Kneeling in front of the boy, he looked him right in the eye. "Either you start speaking up around me, or I'm going to send many, many, many letters to your Ma." That did the trick.

"I wanted to know if he would help me. Please don't tell my mother I've been bad. Please!" There poor boy broke under the intimidating glare. Eleni laughed, she couldn't help it. And the boy was still babbling from fright.

Eleni walked over and ushered him into her room. "Lokejo won't do any such thing," she promised, hoping it would stop his fit of hysterics. "Kyle," she said. "How would you like to help me celebrate my birthday? There'll be cake."

He blushed and nodded. "Would I! Really?" He looked back at Lokejo and leaned in to whisper to Eleni. "He's not really going to tell on me, is he?"

Eleni reached up to ruffle his chocolate brown hair. "No. Now, do me a favor and go get Schuylar."

As the panicky boy ran out of her room, Eleni wondered about her responsibilities. She was supposed keep truth above everything else, to help those in need without fail, and to honor her king.

Well, she thought wryly, I can at least carry out one of my responsibilities. I just hope he doesn't prove to be too much trouble.

"You better go get that cake before they get here," she told Lokejo. "I don't think Schuylar will be too happy if he gets here and sees that there's no cake."

Flicking her on the forehead, Lokejo said one last thing. "Remember that I do all of this because I love you, chick. If no one else believes in you, know that I'll always stay at your side."

I'm actually very upset by this chapter. I lost a large portion of it because of some Internet glitch, and had to rewrite that piece twice. I'm sorry if it's not as amazing as what I originally wrote. It was better the first time...

BTW: A reviewer wrote in that Eleni and Schuylar sound more mature than their years. In late medieval Europe, which is the time frame that TP based Tortall on, the children of the nobility were capable of reading in various languages by the age of ten and were studying philosophy and literature. I apologize if they seem too mature for some of the readers.