I could apologize for the waiting time, or let you get to it. Here you are, boys and girls.


The morning came, and with it came wave after wave of ideas. Eleni had spent the night feighning sleep, trying to think without having Lokejo hovering over her. She didn't want to lie to her friend, so she avoided his curious and scrutinious eyes altogether.

Pride kept her from going to anyone for help, although, the thought had crossed her mind more than once. This was her battle to fight. There was also the horrible possibility that someone else would miss their examination. Eleni was willing to sacrifice whatever it took to recover Kyle, but she would never ask the same of anyone else.

Asking Lokejo crossed mind sometime after midnight, but that idea was brushed aside with determined finality. The note had said to meet at the forest archery grounds. From their unknown vantage point, whoever had taken Kyle would see her and company coming from far away. That would give them enough time to carry out their threat.

Eleni had seen one page die already. To have witnessed death, knowing that the Black God had itched to take her too, had unnerved her a bit. There was no way that she would be the direct cause of another page's demise. She wouldn't be able to carry that on her conscience.

Rising without any help, Eleni made her gave to her washroom. Dumping a washbin of cold water over herself helped steel her for what was to come. She'd have to lie to over a dozen people, but Eleni wasn't exactly a stranger to lying.

Breakfast was an awkward affair. Try as she might, Eleni couldn't focus on the conversation at the table, her eyes too busy wandering the dining hall, searching for a guilty face. Most of the pages were making an effort to eat before their exams, some openly nervous and others doing a better job at hiding their anticipation. Shakinf her head softly, Eleni berated herself for thinking that one of the pages had kidnapped Kyle. They were all much too young to be capable of something so heinous.

If her friends noticed anything off about her behavior, they attributed it to nerves and ignored it. They were all a little off this morning. It wasn't until Varick asked about Kyle that Eleni paid attention to what was being said.

"Has anyone seen him at all?"

Eleni was quick to excuse his absence, "I saw him last night. Said that he was nervous, but that he'd show up." It wouldn't do to have their suspicions aroused and make it look like she'd told someone of his kidnapping.

The boys looked worried, but didn't question her. After all, when had Myles lied to them? No, their friend was completely honest with them, incapable of telling a fib.

Mithros curse it all, she thought crossly.

Claiming that she was going to get Kyle for the examinations, Eleni waited until her friends had left to run for the stables. If she hurried, Eleni could retrieve Kyle in time for the first year examinations and her own. Heroics and pride aside, Eleni didn't want to repeat a year of training because of some thug.

Luckily for Eleni, the stables were cleared of people. Doing a quick onceover of the stalls, ans convinced that she was alone, she dashed for Candy. Eleni shushed her with a hand, afraid that her whinnying would draw attention. She didn't need an audience as she left the palace gorunds.

Once Candy was saddled and ready, Eleni checked the building again for anyone who could being watching. I'm being paranoid, she told herself. Stop thinking and get to the damned archery range, Eleni.

With a disgruntled huff, Eleni spurred Candy into a steady canter. No one noticed the small redhead leave the grounds. No one saw her go through the northern gate and away from where Myles of Pirate's Swoop was supposed to be examined.

Not a soul saw her go. Except for a pair of electrum eyes attached to a worried face.

Where do you think you're going, idiot?

Candy already knew the way, her legs working tirelessly to get her master to her destination. Lungs working to their limit, Candy worked herself up to a breaking gallop. Eleni's uneasiness was seeping into her bones, her apprehension becoming the horse's. Animal could always feel misfortune before people.

The archery range in the forest was abandoned. The Queen's Riders used it regularly, to practice in an unorthodox arena, but today it was abandoned. Strangely, even the birds had fled from the clearing.

That, more than anything, unsettled Eleni. She'd learned from a young age to heed the warnings of animals. If a bird left its roost, she should do the same. However, today she would have to ignore her instincts.

Come fire or water, Eleni would wait out the person who had taken her young friend.

She didn't have to wait long. Whoever had snatched Kyle was lightfooted, but Eleni could hear them all the same. Slowly and steadily, the light steps made their way toward her.

The whistle of an arrow was the only warning that she got. Eleni hadn't thought to hide from their view and had left herself exposed. The mistake cost her precious blood that had begun to bloom on her left arm. They had missed her heart, but they had received a decent consolation prize.

Her eyes distracted by the wound and her head pounding from the adrenaline rush, Eleni failed to see or hear the attacker's approach. It was her second costly miscalculation.

Fair hair in disarray, Pier of Stone Mountain was upon her with a battle-axe, a weapon that the instructors had tried to dissuade her from and failed to do so.

Reflex alone kept Eleni's head attached to her shoulders, not that she was doing much with her head that the moment. Still distracted by the pain, she hadn't thought to draw her weapon. Bravado dissipated, Eleni was quickly realizing what a fool she had been.

There was too much to think about, and Eleni had to keep relying on reflex to avoid the sharp and thirsty edge of the axe. Fear was slowly crippling her, quickly making its way toward her mind, intent on taking full control.

Eleni's heavy breathing. Pier's grunting efforts. Candy's frightened whinnys. And the terrifying whistling of the axe as it made its descent. The din was enough to deafen the poor girl into submission.

The axe was about to make yet another arc when a new noise entered the fray. The distinct sound of metal on metal broke through her thoughts, jarring her into the moment.

"Stay out of it!" Pier's voice cracked as she ordered the intruder back. The young woman had really begun to unravel. "Now!"

Unaware that the battle was at a momentary stalemate, Eleni stared at the two people before her.

Dissheveled and practically foaming at the mouth, Pier looked nothing like the beautiful girl that she had once appeared to be. Her hair looked like she had been ignoring a mirror for days, and with the way her face looked, Eleni wouldn't have blamed her if it were true. Something had snapped inside of the girl, and, from the looks of it, that something had been all that was holding her together.

In stark contrast, Eleni's savior was a literal white knight. Eyes darkened and body tensed, Alex of Tirragen edged his body into a defensive position in front of his friend. His deft hands wielding his sword, Alex was keeping Pier's axe at bay and away from Eleni. If he had any reservations about dueling his former friend, there was no evidence of it in his demeanor.

Alex had stood on the sidelines before, had watched Pier break men, women, children, and animal into capitulation. He wouldn't let it happen again. Alex of Tirragen would redeem himself and his name, here and now.

He was making a stand. Whether it would be his last, remained to be seen.


I am truly sorry about the wait! I fell into a bit of a slump and could type a word. Reviews make me feel loved and inspired!