Last time on Arelle: "Wait!" she called to him. Kneeling in front of him, she bit her lip. Taking the shawl off her shoulders, she wrapped it around the little boy.

The boy looked up at her, his eyes sparkling with gratitude. She smiled at him again, but unlike last time, this time her smile was genuine.

"To keep you warm," she said.

The woman, Lyrial, as she had called herself, turned and entered the tavern behind her, where Rael assumed she worked. After watching her leave, Rael turned around and sighed, staring out into the forest.

"He was just like me..." Rael muttered.

Akinen turned to him. "What was that, Commander?"

"Don't call me that inside the city!" Rael whispered to Akinen. Akinen nodded apologetically.

"Right, Sir!" Akinen answered quickly.

Rael sighed again. "The little boy was just like me...A poor, Wood-Elf orphan, wandering the cold wooden platforms of Kelethin..." Rael trailed off.

Akinen stared at his Commander and blinked, a bit startled. Rael rarely gave any clues to his past before he had joined the Cutthroats, and to have chosen here and now to talk about it seemed odd.

Rael suddenly cleared his throat, wrapping his cloak around him closely, once again. "But that is in the past...And not to be talked of...at least, not here," Rael said, looking Akinen in the eye.

Akinen nodded, and followed Rael as Rael began winding through the crowds of people again.

**************

"Welcome, sirs," the man said as he stood up to greet Rael and Akinen. Rael and Akinen had just arrived at the Kelethin Rogue Guild...Scouts of Tunare. As they walked in, all eyes in the room had rested upon the two suspicious strangers, wrapped in black cloaks. Many turned back to their work, but one man had stood up to greet them.

Akinen eyed the man suspiciously, but Rael kept a solemn face as the man leaned close to them and whispered. "Might you be the one they call...Master Rael?" the man said, his voice becoming quieter as he whispered Rael's name.

"I am," Rael replied, his face and voice solemn and serious.

"I see," the man said. He turned to Akinen now. "We were expecting you and your second-in-command...but surely, this boy isn't..."

"I didn't come here to hear your opinions on whom I should chose as my second-in-command," Rael said firmly, cutting the man off. "Take me to Zirok."

The man was surprised, and Akinen watched as his face grew red in anger, but he quickly shook it off. "Of course," he hissed through his teeth, turning to the door in the back of the room.

********************

3 hours later...

Rael walked briskly out of the Rogue Guild, Akinen trailing behind him. Rael's face was twisted in anger, and his footsteps were loud and heavy on the planks of wood below him. Akinen opened his mouth to speak, but after seeing his Commander's face, decided it was wiser not to.

"Zirok is a fool!" Rael said once he was outside the Rogue guild. Akinen cringed at the sound of Rael's voice. "He should know he can't take out a guard post!" Rael fumed.

"Comm...err, Sir, please, not so loud!" Akinen said, glancing about at the people walking close by. "You'll draw attention!"

Once they had reached the middle of the platform, away from the Rogue guild, Rael turned to Akinen.

"He is a fool for what he plans to do, Akinen!" Rael said. "A band of Cutthroats taking out such a guard post...that's not what Cutthroats do, Akinen! We don't attack guard posts! What Zirok plans is suicide...and not only for himself, but for his men, as well! If he attacks that guard post, he and his group of Cutthroats are as good as dead!" Rael said.

Akinen laid a hand on his Commander's shoulder, trying to calm him. "You're right, Sir," Akinen said, "but there's nothing we can do about it...it's his decision, not ours."

Rael brushed his hand through his hair, upset. "I know it's his decision. But I can't help thinking about all the lives he's throwing away," Rael said, frustrated. "And then he asks me for my help...asks me to send my men out to die, too!" Rael exclaimed.

"Ha, well, he'll never ask you again after all you said back to him!" Akinen chuckled.

Rael glared at him, but his mouth curved in a smile after seeing Akinen's. "Well, he deserved it! The idiot! Sending his men out to die like that! He should know it's suicide!" Rael said, and Akinen's face turned serious again.

Rael sighed. "It's the power. The power he has over his men," Rael said. "It's gotten to him. He's lost his senses...he thinks he'll be able to slowly take out the Felwithe guards! With one band of twenty or so Cutthroats! It's suicide. Akinen, lad, promise me something."

Akinen turned to look at his Commander.

"Promise me you will never let power run to your head like Zirok," Rael said.

Akinen stared into Rael's eyes. "I promise, Sir."

Rael smiled and clapped Akinen on the shoulder. "That's a good lad. You'll turn out pretty good, I'd say."

"Sir, I'm already twenty!" Akinen exclaimed in exasperation.

Rael laughed at the boy. "Yes, yes, I know," he laughed. "That means you're still just a lad!"

****************

Later that day...

Rael lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He had rented a room in the Inn for he and Akinen to stay in...they would stay yet another day, and then they would return to the forest. Hopefully in one more day, he could convince Zirok to not attack the Felwithe guard post, but in all truth, Rael already knew Zirok was too stubborn to turn back now. He really doubted Zirok would listen to anything he said...they were, after all, in some ways rivals. Of course, Rael really didn't think of Zirok like that, but Zirok definitely thought of Rael like that.

Rael sighed out loud as he turned on his side. He really didn't feel tired at all, which was expected, seeing how it was still an hour before dark. He had hoped to sleep and wake up early...things always seemed better in the morning...but he couldn't sleep with so many things on his mind.

"To keep you warm..."

The voice echoed inside Rael's head. That girl...she had given away her shawl. She wore nothing but a thin dress and shawl, and she had given her shawl away to that little boy! That little boy. He was an orphan...just like Rael himself. Oh, how that little boy reminded him of himself at that age. Wandering Kelethin alone, begging for enough money to buy food. No one had ever given him the shawl off their back. No one had smiled at him with such kindness. No one had ever treated him with the kindness that that girl had treated that little boy with.

Who was that girl, anyway? Could someone like that really exist...someone who would give the shawl off their back to a passing beggar? She had so little, and by the looks of it, was in debt further than she could get out of. And yet, she gave her shawl to that little boy.

Rael felt a pang of guilt inside. Here he was with jewels in his pocket...and quite a stash of his own treasure hidden, as well. And yet, he had never given anything more than a coin to any beggar he had met on the street. How could someone with so little give, when he himself, with all his riches, had never given so much?

He sat up in bed, holding his face in his hands. He felt sick inside...sick with guilt. Grabbing his cloak from the chair by the window, he left his room.

***************

As he left the Inn, he remembered that Akinen had told him earlier that he would be looking around Kelethin a bit. Rael smiled as he thought of the boy...he knew Akinen had been itching as soon as they arrived in Kelethin to go explore the curious city, but he had contained himself until their business was done.

Stopping suddenly, he realized he was in front of a tavern. He had gone there unconsciously, but he knew in his mind that that's where he wanted to be.

It was the tavern the girl, Lyrial, had gone into...the tavern where she worked.

Opening the door, he stepped inside.

"Welcome, stranger! Have a seat!" a girl said, walking up to him and beckoning him to come sit down. He nodded to her as he sat down in a seat, but his eyes darted back and forth across the tavern, looking for Lyrial.

"Looking for something, sir?" she said curiously, seeing him glancing about.

"Ahh, well, that is...yes," Rael said. "I'm looking for the Lady Lyrial."

"Oh, Lyrial? Why are you looking for her? You're not looking for her because of her... err... debts, are you?" the waitress asked.

"No, no. Nothing like that. I just wanted to..." Rael began, but he trailed off. "Umm, actually, never mind. I don't really have anything to say to her," Rael said.

The waitress eyed him curiously. "All right then," she said. "Then...Would you like a drink?" she asked, but she saw he was looking past her. She turned to see Lyrial coming out of the back. She cocked an eyebrow at him, as she watched him staring at Lyrial, eyes following her as she bounded around the room cheerfully, greeting customers and grabbing dirty dishes from the tables.

"Want me to get Lyrial for you?" the waitress asked, eyeing him curiously.

"Hmm?" he said, his attention back on the waitress in front of him. "Oh, umm, no thanks," he said, turning to watch Lyrial again.

The waitress rolled her eyes. "Then how bout a drink, stranger?"

Once again, his attention turned to the waitress. "A drink?" he asked. "Ah, yes, please."

"All right then!" she said, taking off for the bar.

Rael watched Lyrial prance around the room picking up dirty dishes and bringing drinks to customers. Then he saw the waitress who had talked to him lean over and whisper something in Lyrial's ear. Lyrial looked up and glanced about the room. Rael saw them looking at him and looked away, as if he hadn't noticed them.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lyrial bounding down the hallway to him. She was certainly energetic!

"Hey there, stranger!" she said once she was close to him. "I heard you wanted to talk to me about something?"

She was a bit surprised as he stood up, looking at her.

"I saw what you did," Rael said.

"Excuse me?" Lyrial said, surprised and confused.

"For the orphan," Rael said. "You gave away your shawl to that orphan."

"Ahh," Lyrial said, looking away, "I didn't know anyone was watching..." she said.

"Thank you," Rael said.

She looked into his eyes. "Hmm?"

"Thank you, Lady Lyrial."

"Thank you for what? For giving my shawl to an orphan?" Lyrial asked, a bit confused.

"Yes," Rael said.

She paused. "Oook...You're welcome...I guess..." she trailed off, obviously still a bit confused.

Rael reached into his pocket and brought out a small ruby, pressing it into her palm.

Looking down at what he was pressing into her palm, she gasped. "Great Tunare! What..."

"Here," he muttered, "take this."

"No, I can't," she said, pushing it back into his hand and looking away. He looked at her, but she wouldn't meet eyes with him. "I can't, stranger. I don't understand why you would give me something like this...But I can't take it," she said, turning to leave.

"No, Lady Lyrial, please take it. Buy yourself a new shawl. You need it...To keep you warm," Rael said, repeating her words to the orphan boy.

The words clicked in her mind, and she looked down at the ruby he still pressed into her palm.

"Ok," she said solemnly, letting her fingers curl over it. "I'll take it," she said. "But only if I can do something for you in return," she said.

Rael placed his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes. "Very well. Do this for me," he said. "Promise me you will always follow your heart, never give up on your dreams, and never loose you compassion and love for others." Rael said solemnly.

"Promise I'll always follow my heart, never give up on my dreams, and never loose my compassion and love for others?" she asked, a bit surprised at his request. "Now, that's an odd request!"

He smiled.

"Very well, then," she said, smiling. "I, Lyrial Ki'mal, promise to always follow my heart, never give up on my dreams, and never loose my compassion and love for others!" she exclaimed, smiling.

"And you swear that in the name of Tunare, the Mother of All?" Rael asked.

"I swear it in the name of BristleBane!" Lyrial said.

"The god of thieves and trickery?" Rael asked her, skeptic of how an oath swore on the god of trickery would be of any use at all.

"Hey! I prefer to think of him as the god of free-spiritedness and merry-making!" she smiled.

Rael laughed out loud. "You go ahead and think of him that way, Lyrial Ki'mal!"

"I will!" said, faking an offended voice, "and don't you think for one minute an oath swore to BristleBane is no good. An oath is nothing to prank about...when I say I mean to keep that oath, I do! Because I already swore to do those things long ago. And I plan to keep that oath!" she said.

"I take your word on it, then, Lyrial," he said, smiling at her.

"And why is it, stranger, that you seem to know and use my name so well and often, and I haven't the slightest clue who you are or what your name is?" Lyrial asked him.

He smiled. "My name is Rael, m'lady," he said, turning to walk to the door. "And as for who I am... Merely a wandering orphan," he said, walking out of the tavern.

*************************

Blue the Echidna: Can this story get any better? I mean my gosh :) Now I'm interested in this orphan. Hmm.. well keep going!
Amai's Reply: Aww, thank you so much! That made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside ^^ Thank you very much!

Lady Aniviel Greenleaf: Great chappy poor Arelle how they gonna save her now?
Is it really only me and blue reviewing?? this story deserves better than that!!
Amai's Reply: I guess it'll be a while before we figure out how they'll save Arelle, since we're now in *flashback mode* ^^ Don't worry..i'll get back to the main plot PRETTY soon.... As for only you and Blue the Echidna reviewing Arelle, alas, it is so. I think most people won't read Arelle just for the fact that it's so LONG O_o... So, yes, it's just you two, but I really appreciate both of you! ^^ Oh, and Digitaru might come back some day, in which case we'll have THREE people reviewing each chappy again ^^