Disclaimer: What I said in the first chapter.

A/N: Look, I¡¦m really sorry about the weird symbols and stuff, but I can¡¦t do anything about it. When I go into my story on my computer, it looks fine. (Shrugs sadly) Just use your common sense. And yes, Blackstar, I decided to dedicate this to you, I borrowed your name without meaning to, so I might as well. Thanks for dedicating ¡§Friends No More¡¨ to me! I LOVED it. And I feel that I need to return that KIND KIND deed. I¡¦m really sorry this isn¡¦t a K/N fic, but¡K KEL AND NEAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!! Cleon is a piffle head. Also¡K did I spell Kylaia al J¡¦maa right? I don¡¦t have my SotL books with me right now¡K sorry. And the facts might not all be accurate.

Lioness of God

I was never an early bird. More like a late worm. So when I woke at two hours to midday the next morning, Jade was dismayed and impatient. ¡§Come on!¡¨

She was itching to go. ¡§What¡¦s for breakfast?¡¨ I mumbled.

¡§Eat on the way. Let¡¦s go!¡¨

¡§I need to ¡V¡¨

¡§Hurry!¡¨

I splashed my face with water from a canteen. Gods, I thought. Why did I have to pick a travel companion that¡¦s an early waker?

I swung up on Twilight, who whinnied. ¡§Did you feed her already?¡¨ I yawned sleepily.

¡§Yes, I did, now hustle!¡¨

Mithros.

¡§Umm¡K Ariel? Can I ride with you? I didn¡¦t bring a mount, and it¡¦s ¡V ¡¨

¡§Get up.¡¨

Jade grinned, and swung up behind me. ¡§So, where to?¡¨

I sighed and braced myself for a long day.

* * *

I was falling asleep on Twilight, while Jade was chattering about random things, like what she thought about what happened on ¡§King¡¨ Jon¡¦s Coronation Day, or what the best way to grip a bow was (glaring at me reprovingly). I didn¡¦t notice and didn¡¦t care. Then I realized that her last sentence had been a question.

¡§Wha¡¦?¡¨ I mumbled sleepily.

Sighing, Jade repeated, ¡§Do you think we should stop now?¡¨

¡§Why¡K¡¨

¡§It¡¦s midday, Twilight needs to rest and we need to eat.¡¨

¡§Oh. Of course¡K¡¨

We found a stream and laid a blanket down to sit on. As I bit into my roll, the food revived me, and I was able to think again. Why had Jade seemed so edgy when I mentioned Jocelyn last night? She had mentioned, ¡§Pitiful One.¡¨ Possibly she teased Jade about not having the Gift. But how could that be? I tried to imagine my soft-spoken, gentle instructor taunting Jade. The image would not form. I sighed.

Jade heard the sigh. ¡§What are you thinking about?¡¨ she inquired dreamily, looking up at the clouds.

I doubted she wanted to have Jocelyn brought up again. ¡§Oh, thinking about which direction to go towards, I guess.¡¨

¡§Well, we¡¦re going to Corus, right? We can stop here and head towards there¡K¡¨ She had drawn a map in the dirt.

¡§It doesn¡¦t make a difference to me. I just want to get to the palace,¡¨ I told Jade.

She cast me a dirty look. We rested for a while, and then got back on Twilight.

* * *

It was a week later. We were very near Corus, according to Jade. I still hadn¡¦t found out about her and Jocelyn. I was dying to know, but couldn¡¦t bring myself to ask. It pained me to see her squirm when I used my Gift just to create a fire at night.

Then, it was the night of the thunderstorm. I thought it was odd, how the winds blew that day, and the clouds overhead. ¡§We¡¦ll never reach Corus in time,¡¨ Jade shouted above the howl of the winds. ¡§I know a place where we can stay. Will you let me lead Twilight?¡¨

I shouted a reply back to her. ¡§Yes!¡¨

¡§Great! Here, get on! The river¡¦ll get all muddy. We need to go before we get stuck!¡¨

We were supposed to be heading northwest, but Jade turned east. I decided to let her do what she wanted. Soon we arrived at a dreary-looking place, yet it had an air of pride about it.

¡§Here!¡¨ she shouted. ¡§Let me get Twilight to the stables. You just go on in, and tell them you know Jade.¡¨ Sheets of rain drenched us, and Jade¡¦s voice was nearly inaudible over the howl of the winds.

I dismounted, and ran to what seemed to be the entrance of the building. A tall, fit woman answered my knock. ¡§Yes?¡¨ she asked me. ¡§Would you like some refuge from the storm?¡¨

¡§Please,¡¨ I answered. ¡§And¡K I know Jade.¡¨ I felt foolish to just say it, like that. But the woman seemed to brighten, and she inquired politely, ¡§Is she well?¡¨

¡§Actually, I¡¦m right here,¡¨ came a voice from behind me.

¡§Jade! It¡¦s really you!¡¨ she cried.

I felt like I was intruding on their reunion. I tried to edge away, but then Jade caught me. ¡§This is Ariel,¡¨ she introduced. ¡§Ariel of Landen. I¡¦m accompanying her to the palace. She wants to be a knight. Ariel, Kylaia al J¡¦maa. She¡¦s the Shang Unicorn.¡¨

¡§A knight?¡¨ Kylaia frowned. ¡§They are accepting girls already?¡¨

I swallowed. ¡§I don¡¦t know,¡¨ I answered truthfully. ¡§But I want to try.¡¨ Then I asked, ¡§Shang? This is a Shang ¡V Jade, how do you know Shang ¡V ¡¨

¡§I¡¦m hungry,¡¨ Jade interrupted. ¡§Got anything to eat?¡¨ She walked quickly toward down the hall. ¡§Kylaia, Ariel, come on!¡¨

As the Shang Unicorn caught up with her, I saw Jade whisper something briefly into Kylaia¡¦s ear. She gave Jade a strange look, as if to say ¡§why?¡¨ Jade motioned for her to come closer again, and murmured something else. Kylaia gave her a gaze of sympathy, and smiled warmly. I shook my head. What was that all about?

* * *

As Jade and I lay on our separate mattresses in the darkened room, I whispered, ¡§What were you saying?¡¨

¡§What do you mean?¡¨ was the sleepy answer.

¡§When you were talking to Kylaia on the way to the mess.¡¨

¡§Oh that,¡¨ she mumbled. ¡§I¡K just a second¡K got to¡K remember¡K¡¨ I heard a tiny snuffle, then deep, even breathing. I sighed. She was asleep.

Why doesn¡¦t she ever answer my questions? I wondered. Is she hiding something? Or just coincidence?

In the morning, Jade had to shake me to get up. ¡§Mmph,¡¨ I grunted. ¡§I¡¦m up!¡¨

She just shook her head and went into the adjoining bathroom to wash up. I rolled out of the small cot. Standing up to stretch my legs, I stumbled to where Jade was fixing her raven hair with a navy blue tie. She looked up as I staggered in.

¡§Time for a new day!¡¨ she exclaimed brightly. ¡§I want to show you the¡K¡¨

I closed my eyes and sighed.

Well, that¡¦s my second chapter! PLEEZ review ppls, you know I value your opinions! ;-) And I now how it feels to have your name on someone else¡¦s fic, it makes you feel so proud, so from now on I will post all those who have reviewed! From the third chapter on. Hehe.