Ack! Sorry it took me so long to get this up! I had tons of homework, and major writer's block, and yadda yadda blah blah excuses excuses. Anyway, here it is!

A New Traveling Companion

Kel sat at a small table in the common room of the inn, wide-awake for all that the sun had just peeked over the horizon. She was cradling a small cup of fruit juice, mulling over the problems the riddle presented.

"By daylight and silver . . . " she said softly. Then Kel sighed and shook her head. It didn't seem like she would ever figure out what that meant.

"Hello," muttered a voice. Kel jumped and spun around to face Neal, yawning and rubbing his face.

Kel laughed. "You've been training for over eight years and you still can't get up this early?"

Neal made a noncommittal noise and sat heavily at the table. He propped his chin on his hand, staring at her with bright green eyes. "Have you figured it out yet?"

Kel sighed again and shook her head. Neal groaned and banged his head on the table. "We'll never figure it out!"

"What do you mean, they're closing the silver mine?! They can't do that to me!" Ahim's recognizable voice billowed from the back rooms to the common room.

Neal raised his head off the table and stared at Kel for about three seconds. Then, at the same time, they both sprang up from their chairs and ran to the back rooms. Before they could go inside, Ahim came stalking out with a dark look on his face. However, at the sight of them, he forced a smile and said, "Ahh, the young lovers are up and ready for a new day!" He was about to continue but Kel rolled her eyes and interrupted.

"Ahim, what are you talking about? A silver mine closing?"

Ahim's face fell, and he adopted a mournful look. "The silver mine at Cajei is closing! After half a millennium of service, it has been found empty by the best ore-finding mages in Carthak! It's horrible, terrible, un-wonderful news! The Wandering Ram has been a home to the families of the miners since it was built. Since they come regularly, they are the ones who keep it alive!" He kept talking after that, but Kel had blanked his words from her mind.

By daylight and silver . . . that has to be in this silver mine Ahim's talking about! But we can only find it at night . . . she thought.

"Ahim," interrupted Neal, "Where can we find this mine at Cajei?"

"Two hours ride eastward."

"Thank you. You -- and your inn -- have been wonderful," Kel told him. "You can book us for one more night. I'm sorry, but we have to go now. You have the nicest inn we've seen on our . . . um . . . honeymoon."

Ahim nodded, then walked off muttering.

Kel dragged Neal back into their room. Swiftly, she closed the door and paced back and forth.

"Okay," she said. "That's got to be it. It's in the silver mine! It was around five hundred years ago, so we know that he could have hidden it there!" Neal nodded. Kel continued, "But according to the rhyme, it's protected by daylight, so we can only find it at night." She groaned. "The sun has just risen! We have to wait the whole day to get it!"

"You're forgetting something," Neal said. She looked at him. "We may not even be able to find it, let alone get it out. You forget, these things have been hidden for five hundred years, so it's not like they're in plain view. And doesn't it seem a little weird to you that we are able to figure these out so quickly? I mean, it seems like they should be getting harder, but it seems like they're getting easier to find."

Kel shrugged. "Maybe we're just getting better at it."

Neal looked skeptical. "I guess. And just what are we going to do while we're stuck here? It doesn't seem like there's much to do."

Kel shrugged again, and Neal rolled his eyes. "Fine, then, Lady Knight. I'll think of something." He sat silent. Kel smothered a giggle as minutes ticked by and he still hadn't said anything. Finally, he sighed.

"Well, all I could come up with was going for a ride. Do you want to?"

Kel shrugged again, a grin on her face. Neal groaned exasperatedly and hauled her off to the stables.

It took them next to no time to saddle their horses, and they left the stables at a brisk trot. They rode through the forest in silent camaraderie, happy not to talk.

Suddenly, Kel saw a flash of gold at the corner of her eye. Instinctively, she turned her head, but she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. She suspiciously turned forward again. She caught another flicker of gold and whirled around.

"What are you doing?" Neal asked her. "You look like you've suddenly developed a nervous syndrome!"

"I keep thinking I see something, but whenever I look, it's not there!" Kel said.

Abruptly, a small bird landed on Peachblossom's mane. Kel stared.

The bird was small enough to fit in Kel's hand. The feathers were all shades of red, gold and orange, and as Kel and Neal watched, it them fluffed out and chirped. It had a silver beak and silver claws. Small rivulets of fire ran down its wings.

It was a phoenix.

Half a second after the bird landed, Peachblossom reared at the unwelcome contact. Kel grabbed the reins and fought to stay on his back. The immortal took to the air and flew around their heads, crooning an eerie tune. The flames on its back grew until they were streaming off its wings.

Kel quieted Peachblossom. She immediately looked up. The phoenix descended on Kel's left shoulder. Kel only felt a slight warmth, nothing so hot that it would burn her. Her hair didn't catch on fire, nor did her clothes scorch. She looked at Neal with wide eyes.

He stared back. Reaching out a hand to touch the immortal, it piped a tune. He pulled his hand back, rubbing it.

"It's too hot for me to even get close to," he said in tones of wonder.

Kel turned her head to look at it. The phoenix grabbed a piece of her hair and nibbled on it in what she hoped was an affectionate way.

"Where did you come from?" she asked it. It chirped.

"Are you going to stay with us?" Neal asked it. It turned and looked at him, then nestled down on Kel's shoulder and drew close to her ear.

"I guess we should take that as a yes?" Neal asked Kel. She shrugged. The phoenix, jostled by her gesture, fluted an angry melody at her.

"I'm sorry?" she half-apologized, half-asked. The phoenix burbled and drew close again.

"I guess we should give you a name, then," Kel said. She thought for a minute. "How about Byrn?"

The phoenix chirped energetically.

"Are you . . . um . . . a girl or a boy?" Neal asked. The phoenix chirped once.

"I guess that means a girl," said Kel. Byrn fluffed her wings again, closed her eyes, then settled down and looked like she was trying to fall asleep.

"Okay, then," she said.

"I believe this bird is attracted to hot things," Neal said. "That must be why she found me," He finished with a grin. Byrn's eyes shot open. She trilled a long note and held it. A small portion of the cuff of Neal's tunic spontaneously burst into fire. He yelped, but had no trouble beating it out.

Kel grinned. "It looks like you better knock off those bad jokes if she's traveling with us. Maybe you'll finally start making some sense."

Neal winced.

Byrn shifted, and fell asleep as they rode on.

Okay, so there it was! How did you like it? Please review and tell me! and also, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE check out my other stories!!! They're pretty good (even if they're fluffy) and if you like this one, I KNOW you'll like the others!!! And if you do read them, REVIEW!!! It makes me feel special. ;) Au revoir!