"Kel!" A voice shouted, disturbing Kels sleep. She hadn't slept well that night, she'd dreamt that Cleon had been in pain, fighting, dying and she couldn't do anything.


"What?" Kel called, pulling her dressing gown on and getting up to open the door.


"He's better," Neal said, "He'll make it."


It was the best news Kel had had. It was now 5 days since Neals arrival and the news, and this was good.


But wait, Cleon was better so, why didn't Neal sound happy? The look on his face told him there was something else.


"What is it Neal? What else has happened?" Kel asked, starting to worry.


"Scanra - they're advancing on us. We're several men down - they're calling out Raoul and the own, and any knights here that have nothing to do. I'm going with my ex-knight master. Will you come too?"


"Of course. I can see Cleon!"


"I'm afraid not," a grim voice in the doorway said. Tracking the voice, Neal bowed as was necessary, but Kel stood gobsmacked.


"By Mithros why not?" Kel demanded.


"You'll be distracted and wont want to fight. You're going down to the South. Theres been a rebellion in Carthak, and the rebels are coming up. 2nd company are there now, and we just got word. They could do with more help so you're going to ride down with a Rider group," the King replied.


Neal gasped. This was not good. Scanra was approaching and Carthaki rebels too? This was very bad. Did Tortall have much hope left?


"I guess," Kel said sadly, not arguing, to Neals great surprise.


"Thank you. You leave tonight," the King said, bowing.


Kel and Neal bowed back, and the King left.


"Whats on your mind Kel?" Neal queried. Kel sighed.


Why did her friends have to know her so well?


"I just hoped to see Cleon and Inners, you know. Nothing big," Kel replied.


"Okay," Neal said somewhat suspiciously. With Kel things were rarely as simple as they seemed.


Neal walked out, to bump into a bloody Owen.


"Owen! Kels room." Neal said, pointing. Owen obeyed, sitting on a chair.


"What happened?" gasped Kel.


"Wait - Kel. I need to heal him first," Neal replied.


As Kel watched bruises and cuts vanished, until Owen was cleaned up.


"Well?" Kel demanded haughtily.


Neal glanced shocked over to Kel. Apparently she did have things on her mind bothering her that she didn't want to share.


"They jumped me, I fought back but there were several, the Dukes dealing with them, they wer-"


"Woah! Wait a sec little man," Neal said, "Who?"


"Scanrans!!" Owen shouted back.


The room rung with silence. Bad. Very bad. Some Scanrans had gotten into the palace.


At that point the door creaked open and Yuki entered, glanced up at Neal, then bowed her head.


"Keladry," she began, voice wobbling.


"What?" Kel asked, horror in her face. This wasn't a good week. And it was going by so fast!

"I have some bad news....."


[D/C: I dont own any of the characters here! Tamora Pierce, the clever woman, created them and owns them and is making lots of money out of them.]


[A/N: Left ya with a cliffhanger there. Al it not as it seems and there are many twists, truth is rare......review please! I would like to have 20 reviews..I hope....]