Hello, my faithful fans!! Sorry for the wait, thanks for your patience and I hope this won't have to happen again. Thank you to Alyse for being so sympathetic ^_^ and the thief formerly known as Peat {^_~} for your wonderful idea.

And before I forget

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday dear Vixen!!!!

Happy Birthday to you!!!

That's right, it was our favorite Queen of the Rogue's sweet 16th birthday this past April the 2, please wish her a happy birthday in your reviews, and this one's dedicated to her!

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Kyle stood just outside of the King's tent, hearing General Vanget tell their Majesties that they had to turn back or else. Squire Keladry stood near by, ignoring him as she too listened to what was said.

The General came out a few minutes later, looking very relieved and quickly ordered him men to get ready to leave. The King and Daine followed a few minutes later, drawing him over to the side to talk privately.

"Master Kyle," said the King urgently, making sure no one else could here. "The rest of us other than you and Daine must return to the rest of the Procession. You and she have to stay here to spy out the Scanrans at North watch for us, ok?"

"Yes, sire," replied Kyle, flashing a grin at Daine. He enjoyed working with her and didn't mind staying out in the woods while doing it. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Your hawks will be traded for falcons because they will fit in better there and you must leave at once. Daine has the place marked where you will stay to spy from, and she will travel between you and the fort with information and doing some spying herself, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. We hope to see you back at the palace in a few months, Kyle." With that the King left and mounted his Stallion, motioning for the rest to do the same. Good bye, you two, and good luck!"

"See ya!" Daine called back, slinging a bag over her shoulder and heading for her horse. "Ready to go, Kyle?"

"Yes, ma'am." And with that, they went off.

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Vixen galloped swiftly down the road, Solaris pounding the dirt beneath her hooves. Mouse, Joe, Allie, and many others rode with them. The sound of many horses was like thunder in the air, and Vixen was glad that at least the darkness hid them from view since the noise did not.

'Twang!' Vixen ducked instinctively as arrows began to wiz over head. Allie cried out as one caught her in the leg and others were hit as well. A horse screamed as it was shot in the eye, its rider going down with it.

"Get in the cover of the bushes!" yelled Vixen, getting off her horse and letting it ride off into the woods. "Get to cover and try to find the snipers!" Joe was at her side in an instant and between the two of them they scanned the trees near by and sent some darts at the archers. Dull 'thunk's and short screams told them they had hit their marks as other fighters dressed in dark blue came out from behind the brush, swords and spears flashing as they charged at the disorganized thieves.

"Rally to me, thieves!" yelled Vixen, drawing her own short sword and another dagger. "They're attacking! Rally to me!" With their rough defensive structure they met the thieves in a clash of steel and sparks, blood and sweat splaying everywhere in a desperate struggle to stay alive.

Allie and Mouse stood back to back, both using their gifts and their weapons at the same time. One with a whip and the other a bow, they were a deadly pair to behold and took care of many on their own. Despite her wound, Allie remained upright and didn't falter as reinforcements for the Scanrans showed up, only slightly winded from running and fully ready to fight.

Thieves went down left and right as their ranks were worn away by the better prepared Scanrans. Vixen was sure none of them were going to make it out of it alive when the sound of galloping horses reached her ears and the dark-blue attackers fled the scene, taking their own dead and wounded with them as they slipped off into the night.

"Who's out there?" called a familiar voice as Vixen and her gang rounded themselves up on the side of the road, weapons hidden and grabbing as many of the horses as they could.

"Whose missing, Drew?" called Vixen, stalling the question for the moment. "How many people and horses did we lose?"

"Twelve of the horses and five people, ma'am," replied the young man gravely. "We lost Albert, Alleycat, Tacyon, Barry, and Rati."

"Ratina? How?"

"One of the archers picked her off right away, ma'am."

"No..." Vixen cursed heavily under her breath as she fought tears, the group of horses coming closer at a steady trot now that it was obvious that they couldn't go anywhere at the moment. "Wounded?"

"All but a handful..."

"Who goes there?" commanded the voice again, one of the riders dismounting and looking very familiar at the same time. "And what in the name of Mithros is going on?"

"George?" called Joe, whipping around suddenly at the voice.

"Joey?" the voice replied in surprise. "Is that you?"

"Aye, will you help us? Several have been hurt and others dead."

"Where's Vixen?" George asked, throwing back the hood he wore and walking quickly into the thieves, those who were with him staying mounted and in the background, waiting for his next order.

"Right here," she replied from Joe's side, her face haggard as she had just inspected some of the wounded. "Can we stay at Pirates Swoop for the night or so, please?"

"Aye, lass, and longer," he replied as he helped a wounded man to his feet and picked up another to carry. "Men! These people are friends and need help getting to Pirates Swoop. Do what you can for them so we can reach it quickly!"

"Yes sir!" With the thirty or so men helping what was left of the Rogue raiding party, they quickly reached its safe haven and warm beds.

"What's going on here?" demanded a voice as George directed the men to places to lay the wounded and to show those who were not so they could sleep.

"Glad you're up, laddy bucko," replied George grimly. "We've got work for you Lioness, and now I don't have to go find you." He took her to the side and quickly explained the situation from what Vixen and Joe had told him, keeping an eye on things as he did.

"The Scanrans took over the Rogue???" she whispered fiercely, her temper rising very quickly. "They could over throw the King with that..."

"Why else would they do it?" asked Vixen, walking up tiredly. "Please, my sister and others are hurt and need you healing gift. If you would at least help those on the edge of death..."

"I'll do what I can," said the Lioness, her eyes turning soft suddenly. "Figure out those which are the worst wounded and get them in line first, I'll go get my Squire up and he can help." She disappeared around a door and let Vixen and George to carry out her orders before she got back.

They worked through the night to save as many of the thieves as possible, and without Alanna nearly half would've died or been permanently crippled, Allie among them.

**** The next day ***

George, Joe, Alanna, Squire Neal, Vixen, Allie, and Mouse sat in a circle among the others eating a light meal for dinner, resting after the events of the night before. Everything had long since been explained, and now all they had to do was figure out what was going to happen next.

"Joe, if I remember, you were a really good fencer," said Alanna out of the blue, hoping to get off that dead topic for awhile.

"Yeah," he said with a grin, grabbing his rapier with lay near by. "I do alright by it."

"Alright?" snorted Vixen. "If you had been any worse you and I would both be dead some time ago." He shrugged, then nodded and grinned again.

"How about you try a round against Neal?" suggested Alanna with a wink, "He's not half bad himself and could use a challenge..."

"Great," drawled Neal, getting to his feet, "Another bruiser with a blade."

"Like it would stop you from opening you mouth," retorted Allie, having come across as really not liking the Squire. He just rubbed her the wrong way. "Grind him into the dust, Joe."

"I'll try," chuckled Joe as he got up, "But how about a bit of a wager, Lioness?"

"What you have in mind, thief boy?" she asked, using her old nickname for him.

"If I lose, you can beat the tar out of me in a match," he replied.

"And if you win?"

"You give me good friend here a set of fencing lessons, trust me she needs 'em."

"Hey!" said Vixen indignantly, getting her feet as well. "I do just fine with my pole weapon, thank you!"

"Except for you can't use it in close quarters, remember?" said Joe teasingly, getting some growls and a glare in reply.

"Deal," said the Lioness, her eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter. Joe won the match, Vixen learned to fence some what decently at long last, and the Rogue got a well deserved break before charging head on into the Pirates Swoop Scanran Rogue and completely demolishing it.

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Alyse sat across from Lyssa in her tent with a pie between them as they helped themselves to it, washing it down with bubbly juice and sweet water. "So tell me again why you're still here?" asked Alyse, taking a small bite of apple pie. "You were supposed to leave when we left Mindelan, right?"

"New orders," said Lyssa with a shrug, gulping down some juice. "We're to stop at Corus for three days and pick up new recruits, fresh horses, and more supplies there. After that we're to ride to the same spot as before and set up an encampment there with the three groups of riders who went out before us, me and this other guy in charge of the whole thing plus the input of a nearby fort and fief that we're between."

"Have fun," said Alyse, grinning as she got herself another piece. "I ride North in a few days to go see my new home. My cousins have permission to leave early, and the older one plans to take a certain route so we can meet up with their majesties and give them a message."

"About what?"

"I don't know, she wouldn't tell me..."

"What about the younger one, Elizabeth?"

"She's just looking forward to the complete freedom of being at home again with a few fiefs around full of young guys."

"Oh...one of those types..."

"Yep."

"What's your fief named again?"

"Lynx mountain."

Lyssa spit out the juice she was drinking in surprise and snatched out the paper with her orders on it. "That's the fief we're posted right next to!" she said quickly, scanning through it once more.

"Really? Then I'll be seeing you in a few weeks," said Alyse with a smile as she checked the position of the sun. "I've got to go and pack now, ok?"

"Yeah, I'll see ya later."

"Bye."

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Artman was at the forefront of the attacks on the large raiding party, happily taking his pent up frustration on the savage Scanrans. Eyes ablaze and arms spread out wide, he continued to rain down fire on his enemies and coldly watch them burn. The Scanrans had a few mages, true, but he wasn't too worried about them. They couldn't possibly harm him, a powerful mage from the Brazir Tribes, right? His gift was larger than any others alive, and he made sure everyone who was against him knew it, too. Too bad pride comes before the fall....

In one last spurt of energy, Artman created a blaze of fire that was three stories high and six feet across, spinning it like a whirlwind and the remaining Scanrans. His plan backfired, though. In a desperate attempt to survive, the Scanran mages had created a wind to push it away from them, only to reverse its spin...and send it... right... back... at... him....

Libby had been watching from the medical tent and now came running as fast as she could, trying to remember a spell from awhile ago...she may only have a healer's gift, but even healer's could have special tricks up their sleeves! The shield she was creating around Artman only came into effect as the whirlwind consumed his being, battling the shield to get through to the flesh inside.

His facial hair was singed away, and the rest reduced several inches in length, but his body remained intact as Libby used her power to thicken the shield, giving him more room to breath, and draining her of more of her power. At last it died, having lost its strength and dumped him a few yards from where he had stood, landing hardly on the ground.

"Are you alright, Artman?" cried Libby as she ran to his side, worry etching her face.

"Yeah, I think so," he groaned, not even bothering to move. Some light burns covered his skin where he wasn't wearing clothes (ex: hands, face, feet, etc) and he was going to have to get used to not having a goatee for a *LONG* while.... "Thanks for the help..."

"You're welcome," said Libby brightly, helping him to his feet. "I couldn't let them roast you, could I?"

"I guess not," replied Artman with a shrug, "We'd never get home then, right?"

"Exactly."

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Amanda, Elizabeth, Levi, and Alyse had been on the road for nearly five days when they came out of a narrow ravine that they had been traveling through since early that morning. On their right was a large, grassy field and the other a river winding its way through the woods.

"Do you hear that?" asked Alyse, reaching for her fans. Ronnie tensed up slightly in his pouch beside her, ears erect.

"Hear what?" asked Elizabeth, turning around to look at her.

"Hoof beats," answered Amanda, reaching for her bow. "If its friends, they'll need to know this is the only place to camp between here and Gloversville. If they're enemies, well, I haven't been in a good fight for awhile, and we can certainly take care of ourselves so lets wait and see."

"Great," groaned Levi, reaching for his bow as well. "Just what we need."

A few moments later, a group of people came trotting around the bend, those in the middle covered with cloaks and those on the outside watching warily for anything unusual.

The huge man in the front raised his hand and shed his hood, looking at the trio of sisters in the middle of the road a ways in front of them. "Will you be so kind as to move so that me and my party may pass?" called the man out gently, bowing to them in his saddle.

Amanda smiled as she recognized the voice. "Stuff the pleasantries, Raoul," she called back, urging her horse to trot forward, Levi right behind her. "This is the only place to stop for the night, so unless you want to keep going for another 10 hours take my advice and camp here." She dismounted and walked forward, bowing before the figures she guessed to be their majesties. "Sire, ma'am." Levi stayed back with the horses, taking care of the other two's horses as they dismounted and walked forward as well.

"What are you doing out here, Lady Amanda?" asked the King, removing his hood so she could look him in the eye. "Don't you get into enough trouble at the Procession with out running a muck across my entire country?" His voice held a hint of sarcasm, and she grinned ever so sweetly in reply.

"My fief is in danger," she said quickly, her face set in the sweet grin that was horribly fake. "Reports are coming in of more and more Scanran activity, so we're heading back to be where we're needed the most."

"The sooner we can help rally our people to defend our city, the sooner your boarder will be safe once more," added Elizabeth grimly, fingering the mini-crossbow on her arm. "I'm sure you can't object to that, King Jonathan."

He held his hands up in defeat and quickly gave some commands to the others around him. Tents were set up, horses penned by the river and a kitchen set up for the night. The sisters, cousin, and steward agreed to stay and have dinner with them before going on, they had rooms waiting for them at an inn just up the road or so.

Everyone had just settled down with their food when something occurred to Amanda. "Your majesty, a word?" she said, motioning towards his tent.

"Of course," he agreed, excusing himself from those around him and leading the way there. "What is it you wanted to say?"

"I just remembered something, and since you have been so kind to me and my "family", I wish to give you warning of sorts."

"A warning?"

"You forget," said Amanda with a grin, her eyes fairly sad. "I know of the future and what will happen next up to a certain point."

"What is your warning then?" asked the King, waving his hand impatiently.

"Your general of the 1st group of the King's Own, Glaisdan of Haryse."

"Yes, what about him?"

"His is going to make a costly mistake. He's not fit to lead and you need to replace him before it happens."

The King's face went red as he tried to stop himself from striking Amanda across the face. "Raoul put you up to his, didn't he!" he cried, pointing a finger at Amanda accusingly.

"Are you saying that I lied about that?" cried Amanda back, her temper beginning to rise.

"Absolutely. You always did like turning things against me, and you've done it again! Just because you think you know the future, you think you're so smart..."

"At least I'm not an arrogant, stuck up, pig headed monarch who's got his head shoved so far up his butt that he can't see the world around him," spat Amanda, walking towards the tent door as the venom began to fly. "You truly don't believe me? Then here's exactly what's going to happen, and see if it comes true or not. Late this autumn, he will see the signs of a Scanran raiding party. He'll misinterpret them because of his foolish pride and lead twenty men in the middle of a 3 clan war party in the middle of nowhere. Only one will survive, the rest killed by his stupidity. What do you think of that, sire? Tell me, who would be right then?" Amanda stalked out of the tent, motioning quickly for the grooms to saddle their horses. "Levi! Liz! Alyse! We're leaving."

Elizabeth recognized the hard edge of her voice and nodded for the other two to obey quickly, now was not the time to oppose or question her. They mounted and road off, leaving those behind to wonder what she had said to upset both her and the King so.

"What's wrong?" asked Thayet the moment Jonathan was back at her side.

"Nothing," replied the King, putting on a mask of indifference. "Some gibberish about the future..."

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Jennifer cleaned up from dinner with a few others, putting away any supplies that were left out and making sure she had enough scraps for the cats to eat back in her tent. They were at fief Hannalof, and the King and Queen were expected to be coming in any day now.

Sean was in his tent with a small touch of the flu, and her helpers tonight had been some younger women she had never worked with before, but had been more than excellent in their work. She was just about to close up the kitchen when a pair of guards rushed in, followed by one of the girls who had worked with her.

"There she is!" she panted. "There's the murderer." Jennifer's eyes widened in shock. Her? A murderer?

"What are you talking about?" she asked, holding her hands out in front of her as if to prove they were clean of any crime. "I'd never kill anyone!"

"Don't lie!" said the girl accusingly, pointing a finger at the small cook. "I saw empty that phial of morphine into Lord Ferdinand's soup! Look, it's right here!" The girl pulled an empty bottle out of Jennifer's basket, one that had not been their moments before. "Here's all the proof you need men, any doctor or mage could test it and tell you the same, this phial held morphine, and that's what killed Lord Ferdinand."

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about!" cried Jennifer once more, but they didn't listen to her and threw her into a cell without further notice. A very drunk magistrate was called up and a trial was held within the hour. Her sentence, to be hung the next morning for the death of Lord Ferdinand, head of the Fief of Hannalof.

Between the utter confusion of it all, and being dragged roughly around by guards, Jennifer couldn't help but notice how neatly everything was set up just so it would proceed smoothly and quickly, almost like a scam...

But no one would listen to her, she couldn't even get a message to Sean, and no one in the procession had been altered of what was going on. She was sure of it because many of her friends would've stood up for her honor, had they known what was happening.

Jennifer now lay sadly in the bottom of a dark, damp cell with some straw as her bed and a crust of bread and dirty water as her last meal. In a few hours it would be dawn, and then... She cast that thought from her mind and instead concentrated on ways for her to get out of here, there had to be a lope hole she hadn't thought of yet...

'Jingle-jingle-jingle-click!' She sat up quickly, wondering what was going on as the door opened inward slightly. "Jennifer..." whispered a soft voice, the door opening wider. "Jenny...are you in here?"

"Sean?" She sat up quickly and waves of relief washed over her as his dirty blonde head peeped around the door. "Sean, they're gonna kill me..."

"Shh." He pulled the door closed behind him and handed her a small bundle. "As if I'd let them hurt you." He gave her a quick hug before turning around and facing the wall. "Change into those clothes, and then you must run to the woods where a horse is waiting."

"What about my cats?" asked Jennifer, obeying his orders quickly. She recognized the oversized pants and shirt as his and was comforted by their scent of him.

"They're staying with me until I can find a way to get them to you. Ready?"

"Yeah." She tied her hair back with a leather tie and accepted a small cape from him. It was midnight blue, just the color to blend in with her surroundings. "Where am I supposed to go, though? It's not like I can just go back to Roberto and his family or to the palace-"

"What about your friends in the Rogue?" asked Sean quietly, sticking his head out the door. "Coast is clear, lets go. But they wouldn't mind hiding you, would they?"

"No, they would be more than happy to help, I'm sure..." The pair padded softly down the hall, hiding in nooks when guards or other servants came by and doing their best to remain silent as they went along.

They finally came to a small side door and Sean opened it hesitantly, holding his breath with hope that the doors wouldn't squeak. He was in luck, it slid open noiselessly and the pair slipped out into the dark night without even the moon to show where they were.

Sean lead the way to a side gate of the fief, letting her out it before shutting it firmly behind her and looking at her through the bars. "Go on the path just to your right and follow it until you see a horse and your staff leaning against a near by tree. It's Shadow, that stocky mare you love and use on the cart, ride her all the way to Corus as quickly as you can. It's a four day trip with the Procession, you should be able to make it in two. If you make contact with Roberto after you get settled I'll have all you things sent to you. Goddess bless, and good luck." With a final squeeze of his hands through the bars, Sean was gone in the night, leaving a very scared and worried Jennifer to deal with escaping and her pounding heart at the same time. For the first time in her life, Jennifer was truly alone...

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Vixen, Mouse, and Allie stalked along the hallways, making sure they had gotten every single stinking Scanran and killed him within the building. Ever since Ratina and others hade died at Pirates Swoop by that surprise attack, their policy had gone from spare those who give in and imprison them to take no prisoners period. With an angry pack of thieves that were lusting for revenge, it was not a hard goal to accomplish.

This was their last town with Rogue in it before they hit Corus, the main one of all. Allie stopped suddenly and lashed her whip into the shadows, bringing the head of this squad of Scanrans into the light. They could tell his rank by the gold band on his sleeve, and the scared look in his eyes was enough to make anyone pity him, anyone but the thieves of the Rogue that is.

He opened his mouth to start begging when an arrow silenced his tongue forever, and Vixen glanced to the side to see one of hers standing there with a bow. "Nice shot," she said coldly, motioning for some others to take the body away. "Where's the old head guy of this place?"

"Dead," said a young boy, stepping out in front of her.

"They killed him?"

"In the original attack."

"Who are you?"

"His son."

"Then consider yourself put in charge here, boy. Go order my people a round of drinks and a feast to show your loyalty to the Rogue before we leave for the next town, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am." He ran down the opposite hallway and disappeared behind some doors, quickly giving orders and having things set up.

"What's going on?" asked Joe, seeing Vixen and her sisters for the first time since this raid started.

"We obviously won, are going to do a bit of celebrating, and then are going on, ok?" said Vixen brusquely, wiping the blood off her knives and daggers as she walked into another room of the small inn that was very similar to the Dancing Dove and had a seat.

Joe sighed and shook his head, Vixen had become very detached and unemotional lately, and it was a change that quite frankly scared him. The rest took seats near her and went about cleaning their weapons or talking in low voices about the fight, waiting for her next orders.

The boy came back a few minutes later, beckoning for them to follow him as he handed some drinks to Vixen and her sisters. Vixen downed the strong ale in one swallow and didn't even flinch as she did followed him out of the room. Something had changed alright, and it would take a force greater than the world its self to change her back. It would take...?

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Kyle and Daine sat across from each other with a small fire between them. A small pot lay over the fire, and in it simmered the sauce that they used to dip their chicken in. It was late at night, and soon they would be up again scouting the terrain for more Scanrans that might be coming their way.

Daine put her dish a side and stared at the sky, taking in the beautiful sunset as if it were her last. He didn't know her too well, but he had to admit she did have a nice way of taking just one day at a time.

"Hey Kyle?" came a soft voice. He turned and looked at her, she had that far away look in her eyes that told her she was not there with him at the moment.

"Yeah, Daine?"

"What do you think those rolled-up metal things are?"

"Sir Myles said something about machines that walk and kill on their own, its only a rumor but it could still be true..."

"Then you think the enemy has new weapons we haven't even thought of yet?"

"Its entirely possible. Its happened in other wars before..."

"Hmm."

Kyle turned his attention back to his dinner, it wasn't so bad for forest food either. With some bread and ale they had picked up the other day, it was even better, and Kyle tried to forget about all the work he had to do in his bottle.

"Watch it!" said Daine, taking it away from him after watching him take several long swigs. "Last thing we need is for you to make a habit of drinking ale. You're too young to be doing things like that."

"And how much older are you than I? What, 3 or 4 years? You couldn't possibly be much other than my cousin..." He though back to his days in High school and getting a ride everyday from her when she was a senior.

"Who's that?" asked Daine, lying back down and looking at the stars.

"Well, I haven't seen her for awhile," said Kyle slowly, kicking himself for opening his mouth. "She'd be about, um, 20 or 22, something like that..."

"Why isn't she with you?"

"As I'm sure you've heard, I'm adopted..."

"That still doesn't answer my question."

"Her family's well off, just not enough to take me in," lied Kyle, wishing he could worm his way out of this. "So..."

"The Baron took pity on you and now you're here with him."

"Yeah, I guess so..."

"Makes sense to me."

"But really, how old are you?"

".......didn't your mom ever teach you the two questions not to ask a woman?"

"...darn you.."

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Amanda road through the gates of her small town, waving to those who recognized her and greeting warmly those who stopped her. Alyse, Elizabeth, and Levi were right behind her, all tired and ready to crash in their rooms for awhile before the formal dinner that was to be held that night in their honor of returning home.

"What do you think?" she asked Alyse as they dismounted in the large courtyard.

"Very nice," Alyse admitted. "It's not all fancy and prissy, I like that." Ronnie barked his appreciation from beside her.

"We had it completely redecorated the moment we took over," admitted Amanda with a shrug. "Half the gold that was take off of things was melted and sold to pay for repairs and such the rest of it needed."

An old man walked briskly out the door dressed in a simple leather tunic, shirt and breeches. His boots were old and worn, but by his walk and look you could tell he was someone in charge here. "Ladies." He bowed before the slightly before Amanda gave him a hug and introduced him to Alyse.

"Grandfather, this is my cousin, Alyse. Alyse, this is the steward of my lands in my absence whom we all call Grandfather."

"Nice to meet you, sir."

"It's just Grandfather, Lady Alyse."

"Then I'm just Alyse."

"Would you show her to her room?" asked Amanda, grabbing her saddle bags and slinging them over her shoulders. "I'm going up to my room to change and rest. Let me know when people start to arrive, ok?" Grandfather had insisted upon throwing a small dinner party with all the rich merchants in town for their return as a sign of gratitude.

"Yes, ma'am."

"It's just Amanda, Grandfather!" she called over her shoulder as she went through a door and left the rest behind. Amanda headed up a few sets of stairs and pulled out the key to her room, unlocking it and letting herself in for the first time in almost a whole year.

The floors were all wood, scattered with hand woven rugs here and there and a couch and chairs scattered around near the fire place. Weapon's racks lined one wall, and another was a series of glass panes that could opened and lead to a medium-sized balcony on the side of the mansion. And that was just her main room.

Her bed room, which was covered in dust since she had told them not to bother with it while she was gone, had wooden floors too with a few windows that were covered with simple cloth drapes. She had a double bed in the middle that was not much fancier than those in the town's inn, but was comfortable and completely absent of any frills or decoration. Her dresser and mirror were both of dark cherry wood that were nicely done, and had been kept from original set.

Changing into a worn tunic and pants quickly, Amanda grabbed a small black book and settled herself on her couch, writing about everything that had happened lately up until the very past few minutes...

Elizabeth had gotten a few servants to carry her things upstairs and was now directing them in where her things were to go just across from Amanda's room. Hers was mainly black and scarlet, her two favorite colors in the world. Thick carpet covered the floors, and her furniture was all over stuffed, but ornate. She hadn't changed much from the original, and even taken some things that Amanda had discarded. These unusual patterned wall hangings covered the walls, and her windows were covered by thick, black velvet drapes.

Her bedroom was much the same, with a double bed and those black drapes that go all the way around to shut out all the light. Everything was very dark and ornate, just the way she wanted it. She had a small study going off her main room, unlike Amanda who had a separate one down the hall, and it was the only one that wasn't covered in black and scarlet things. This was mainly wooden floors, a desk that was rarely used, and some chairs for anyone else who was in there with her. It wasn't used often, so she didn't bother making it like the rest of her rooms.

Elizabeth waited until the servants had left before she changed into her gown for the night and began the tedious task of using her gift to make her hair manageable...

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Grandfather took Alyse and Ronnie up to her rooms, showing her other things along the way so she wouldn't get lost later on and wouldn't be wondering around for hours. Her room was right next to Elizabeth's and closer to Amanda's study at the end of the hall. She walked in and let the servants bustle about with her and her dog's things, putting them in their proper places. It was entirely jade green with a light colored wood for her floors and furniture and fans decorating the walls. Plus Ronnie was given his own special corner with a small bed and dishes for his food. It was perfect.

Everything was just as she had asked, a large room that was probably at one a study had been transformed into a room she could do her glaive and fan practice in. Her bedroom was a cross between Amanda's and Elizabeth's. It was nicely done and decorated right down to her last request with more frills than Amanda's, but wasn't nearly as elaborate as Elizabeth's.

She changed into a fresh set of kimonos and began her tour of the mansion with Ronnie at her heals. She first went to Amanda's study and was very surprised. One entire wall was windows, and the rest were lined with a gigantic library that held books from ancient legends to spells to astrology and physiology. It was cozy with a fire and large couches and chairs set up around with a table in the middle. At the other end was a large desk with papers scattered across it. Things weren't overly decorative, but it looked nice enough that other people could be taken up here for private talks over business and such.

Alyse turned around and went the other way, looking over the many levels of the sprawling fief. She went through the kitchens and hurried along the few dining halls for special occasions. Servants would pop up here and there, cleaning and dusting or running errands. She went and checked on Fern, who had been given a very nice stall in the barn next to Black Mystic and Moonshadow.

The fief grounds led to a huge forest on one side and a set of mountains on the other. The path and a huge area of fields went right between the two, and Alyse could stand on one of the higher points of the mansion and see over both for miles around. The fief's back was the mountain., and a good three-foot thick and 25-footwall enclosed the whole thing, making it a fairly good fort at the same time.

[Who knows?] thought Alyse to herself as she stood at one of the highest peaks and surveyed the area, the peace and quiet calming her soul as she absently stroked her dog's head. [Maybe I will find a way to call this place home...]

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Sarah and John had once again made the trip North with Onua when she had to go buy the ponies from the guy in Galla, and it was especially important now that Tortal was having problems with the Scanrans that they have good mounts. If only there hadn't been that one small problem...

"THEY WHAT?!?!?!?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the dealer told Onua, bowing to her politely. "The Scanrans made a raid on our group as we went south to meet you here. We lost a third of the mounts and to make up for it have to sell them at twice the cost."

"TWICE THE COST????"

"We lost three workers and some others as well!! It cannot be helped!" Onua sighed and took out a pouch of coins, quickly counting out the extra money. She was paying a third more than she normally did for less horses than she normally got!"

"I can do 1/2 more than the normal price," she said quickly, regaining her composer. "I cannot pay anymore than that."

"How about 3/4?"

"If it's not 1/2, we'll go to another dealer," threatened Onua, eyes flashing a bit then. She was not one to be haggled with when she was in this sort of mood. "Deal?"

"Deal." The shook on it an exchanged the money for the horses, a very scared Sarah and John quickly tying them up on the line and following her out of the fair grounds.

"How long do you think she'll be like this?" whispered John to Sarah, trying to keep her from hearing.

"As long as things like this keep screwing up my plans," Onua answered for him, her back still facing him. "Of all the times, Mithros, for them to be attacking the dealers, and the ones we need to buy from too!!"

"I take it the King's not going to be too happy about this?" asked Sarah calmly, keeping John between her and Onua.

"Exactly."

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Jennifer had ridden into Corus as dawn on the third day, knowing news of her escape would be reaching those near by real soon. She kept her hood up and avoided Roberto's route to work so she wouldn't risk being seen b him. She reached the Dancing Dove as quickly as she could and flipped the boy by the door to take her horse and stable it for her.

Making her way inside, Jennifer noticed that everyone wore dark blue and she couldn't find Ratina, Vixen, Mouse, Allie, or Joe anywhere. Taking a seat in a far corner that was hidden partially from sight, she kept her hood up and accepted a drink from a passing bar maid. Everyone had light hair and blue eyes, like the Scanrans she had heard about. She was at the right place, wasn't she??

"Hello there." She snapped her head up to see a tall young man with (of course) blonde hair and blue eyes. His right hand he extended to her in warm welcome, the left was hidden in a fold of his cloak. She shook his hand gingerly and nodded in reply, keeping an eye on the hand that she couldn't see. Her staff, with its metal studs and weights, glimmered faintly in the light and she waited to see what would happen next.

He smiled all the more and sat across from her, signaling someone to bring them fresh drinks. "You look like you're waiting for someone," he said softly, eyes flickering with some unknown hope. "Maybe I can help you."

Jennifer didn't like the looks of this guy, but decided to ask him anyways. "I'm looking for Vixen, Queen of-"

"Nothing, at this point," cut in the young man, pulling out his right hand. On it he wore a leather glove, and from the leather glove extended five three-inch claws of pure metal. "She was dethroned recently, hadn't you heard? No? To bad, because it will be your death...." That was the last thing Jennifer heard before her world went dark....

She woke up a short time later next to an old, wheezing man who helped her drink from an old cup. "Thank you," she whispered hoarsely, wondering what exactly they had done to her. "Who are you?"

"I'm Bart," he wheezed back, coughing loudly from the effort. "I used to work here as the bar tender and owner for Queen Vixen and her sister. Then those Scanrans came..." He went off on a round of coughs and was soon gasping for air.

"So it is them?! What happened?"

"Well, a couple months ago, I don't rightly know how long *cough*, they came and over ran the *cough* Dancing Dove..."

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Lyssa was talking with two of Onua's helpers, Sarah and John, when Sean came up, the crate of cats on his back and a few bags in his arms. "Ready?" he asked, not smiling for once.

"Yeah, let me wrap things up here first." She turned back to Sarah and John and said, "I'll be back in a while and then I'll pick out the new mounts for my company, ok? I shouldn't be gone long, just an hour or so..."

"That's fine," said Sarah with a shrug. "We have to go meet someone in town late tonight, so don't be too late or you'll miss us."

"Fine." Lyssa turned and took some of Sean's load, leaving him with only the cats and a small box to hold. "Where are we going, again?"

"To Roberto's house, her former employer and part of her foster family."

"Oh, and you know them because....???"

"She took me along last time to meet them."

"Oh." They walked in silence through the gates to the city and through the streets themselves, weaving their way through the crowds. They soon came to a small house in the middle of everything, it's door shut and no one outside at all. Sean walked up to it confidently and knocked on the door, which was opened by a short, dark haired woman with a smile on her face.

"Sean! How have you been? And where's Jennifer..." He gaze fell on Lyssa and her smile became a frown. "Who's she and where's our Jenny?" she demanded, giving him a death glare.

Sean's face went white. "You mean she hasn't made contact with you?" he asked quickly, staring her straight in the eye. "Can we come in? There's something you need to know." She nodded and moved out of the way, letting them in quickly. They went into a back room where Roberto sat there talking with four familiar people.

"Rob, its Sean. Something's happened to Jenny," said Chelsea flatly, interrupting the conversation.

"Speak, Sean," he said when Sean just sat down and looked at him wordlessly. "We need to know what happened." Of the four people three leaned forward in interest and the fourth stopped one of them from yelling out something.

"Jenny was accused of murder and sentenced to death, so I helped her escape and she was supposed to go and meet up with her thief friends..."

"You sent her to the Dancing Dove?!" one of the people, whom he recognized as the Queen of Thieves, demanded quickly. "Then I can tell you what happened, the Scanrans have her."

"THEY WHAT???"

"Sean, sit down before you have a heart attack," said Lyssa firmly, pulling him back into his seat as she held back her own burst of anger.

"She didn't actually kill the person, did she?" asked Roberto quickly.

"Jenny would never kill anyone," stated Vixen resolutely.

"Yeah, she's too nice to do something like that," added Mouse, one of the other people there.

"She seemed like a real trustworthy person on the Procession," admitted Lyssa, running a hand through her hair. "So what do we do now?"

"We?" asked Vixen pointing the fork she held in her hand at her, "Who are you?"

"I'm Commander Lyssa of the Queen's Rider's and one of Jenny's good friends," said Lyssa smartly, grinning wickedly.

"You have to leave in the morning," Sean reminded her. "I'll let you know what happens ok? You'd better go so you can catch those horse people."

"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me." Turning back to the thieves, she said, "I hope you all can save her, she is a great friend that I'd prefer was alive."

"As would we all," added Sean, nodding his head slightly. "Thanks for your help in getting things here."

"Anytime."

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Vixen, Allie, Mouse, and Joe crept along the sewers of Corus at midnight, using the roughly drawn map George had given them to find their way to the Dancing Dove. Fifty fighting thieves were behind them, struggling through the sludge and trash-filled trench that was the under-ground waste-system used daily by all. Everyone was armed to the teeth and wore outer robes that would be discarded the moment they reached the surface.

"Do we turn right or left?" whispered Allie who was in the lead, holding her lamp above her head to see farther down the tunnels.

"Right," replied Joe, leaning over Vixen's shoulder to double check the scrap of paper that was their only guide. "Follow it until it ends, that should take us straight to the main privy of the Dancing Dove."

"You mean the one on the lower floor?" asked Mouse, scratching her nose.

"Yep," replied Vixen, putting the paper away. "It'll only be a few more minutes now, guys. Just a few more minutes..." The tunnel ended abruptly and above it was a small hole that was quickly widened with a few well- placed blows. Vixen climbed through and helped Joe up after her, quickly going and securing the door as soon as he was up and helping others so they wouldn't be surprised.

When the first ten were up, Vixen took them and snuck outside the door, using Allie and Mouse's gifts to clear the halls before them as they went. Upstairs first, silencing sleeping Scanrans forever with a few quickly thrusts of the dagger or binding them to the beds with gags and blindfolds to keep them still. Joe waited until the rest were out of the hole before going and taking care of all the rooms downstairs, leaving only the main room left...

The two groups met at the bottom of the stairs, hidden from view by a new partition that had been set up. Vixen quickly got them assembled and gave them their last orders. "This is it, guys," she stated, "If we don't take it now, we'll never have the chance to gain our home back again. Are you with me to the end?" Everyone nodded grimly, knowing silence and surprise were paramount here.

Vixen took her place at the front and gave the signal, three short whistle blasts to alert the thieves who had hidden in the bushes just outside the back door. They were going to cut off any who tried to escape through the back, and the front had been blocked off by several crates full of rocks.

She yelled and led the charge around the corner, catching the Scanrans much as they had caught her. Mass confusion followed as her ranks went up against those of the enemy, quickly slicing through those who weren't prepared and clashing grimly against those who were. Blades flashed and blood flowed as the Thieves of Corus battled on for their home.

Scanrans went down right and left as arrows began to fly from the rafters as a few of the nimbler thieves climbed up there and took safe seat from which to shoot from. Vixen darted through the crowds of people, eyes roaming the rooms as she looked for one person in particular, one who very much deserved to die....Xavier.

He had turned her chair into a massive throne covered in furs, and around him stood twenty others willing to give their lives for him. Vixen growled as she began to slice her way through the crowd, heading straight for Xavier like a bloodhound on a trail. She was going to kill him if it was the last thing she was going to do...

Joe followed Vixen closely, taking care of any Scanrans she missed in her fight to reach the former Rogue thief. [This'll be interesting] he thought to himself when the twenty or so body guards spotted them. [Twenty or so to two, oh well. At least if I die I die with Vixen by my side!] He went into the battle with a will, helping Vixen where he could and even saving her back a few times until they were separated in the crowd and he lost sight of her for quite some time.

Xavier waved back his men when he saw Vixen put her short sword through the middle of a Scanran, one less who would be in her way. "Leave her to me," he said confidently, "I am undefeatable, she is only guaranteeing her death."

"Undefeatable?" spat Vixen, yanking a spear out of a near by corpse. "If you remember, I won last time."

"That maybe so," conceded Xavier with a wave of his hand. "But that was merely a battle, and I will win this war. Bring out the prisoner!"

Vixen gasped as Jenny was dragged forward, beaten and bruised as they threw her on the ground before him. Xavier brought out his left had which had been hidden behind his cloak and held the claws near Jenny's throat, quivering as if they couldn't wait to rip it to shreds. "What do you think of the situation now, Vixen," he sneered using his free hand to yank Jenny to her feet. "Call off your men and she lives, don't and she dies."

Vixen saw a someone slip behind him and grinned. "Like hell if you think I'm gonna give up either," she snorted, watching in satisfaction as a whip caught around his throat and quickly snapped his neck. "Thanks, Allie!"

"No problem," replied Allie, going and letting Jenny lean on her. "Come on, lets go get you cleaned up...."

"But we have to go get Bart!" said Jenny, struggling to reach down and grab the ring of keys on Xavier's belt. Vixen took hold of them and took Jenny from Allie, winking at her sister over her head.

"Go for it, sis." Allie grinned and cackled maniacally, throwing her head back. All the Rogue members in the area quickly backed away, only Mouse coming forward to stand with her back to back.

"Ready?" she asked her.

"Ready." Whips cracked and slashed as Allie worked one in each hand and Mouse used her gift plus Jenny's staff (which she had found in a room upstairs) to crack skulls that were close by. They were a deadly duo, and soon those who were left from the original onslaught were gone as well.

Vixen had let Jenny lead her to a small cell hidden from view that had been masterfully added to a room. "Old Bart?" whispered Vixen, helping him sit up. "You're alive."

"Aye, lass," wheezed the old man, "But not for long. They've kept me here to long with this here slash o'mine." Vixen saw a crude bandage under his shirt and decided not to check it out, he knew when his time was.

"Bart, you've been good to us..."

"Dad!" It was Bart's son, Paul. "Dad, you're alive!"

"Just long enough to give you your last set of orders," he coughed in reply. "That's your Queen. You serve her as best you can no matter what. You're in charge of the Dancing Dove now, you here?"

"But, Dad..."

"No buts, son," cut in Bart, the light in his eyes fading fast. "You take care of these sisters when you can, understand?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Good. And Vixen?"

"Yeah, Bart?" She struggled to keep the sadness out of her voice as tears threatened to spill down her face.

"Be a good Queen to these folks, they're all I've ever had and they deserve someone like you. Give George my sincerest apologies, ok?"

"Anything for you, friend."

"VIXEN!! BEHIND YOU!!!" Vixen turned just in time to see one last Scanran solider raise his arm to throw a dirk at her chest. There was no time to move, no time to think, only to sit there and watch in horror...........

Someone screamed out something else as a blur came between her and the blade, taking it in the shoulder as blood flew everywhere. 'Thud!' The person was thrown into her with the force of the blow, and she turned them over in horror to see the face of Joe...

"NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Jennifer waved to her friends (all of whom were there except Joe and Vixen) as she rode out of sight in the evening twilight, hood pulled up and completely re-supplied with everything she would need for the trip to Sarah and John's house. Vixen had given her a letter to deliver to them, and a new pole since hers had been smashed in the battle with the Scanrans.

"Come on, Shadow, lets fly," she whispered to her mount the moment they were out of the city limits, galloping swiftly over the hard packed dirt and letting the breeze blow her hood behind her. Joe would be fine, and Vixen had her home back. She was still wanted for murder, but...maybe now she had half a chance. And that was all she really needed...

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Amanda shook hands with the wizened old man and accepted a hug from his wife, promising to come back and visit sometime with them later on. She had to get home so she could sign some papers for Grandfather, but enjoyed the time she was allowed to spends talking with her villagers and getting to know them.

Jumping on Moonshadow's back, she trotted back to the fief and let it in the courtyard for the grooms to put her up. Striding down the hall, she collided with someone around the corner and fell backwards in surprise. Looking up, she saw an equally surprised Levi standing there who's puzzled face quickly turned to one of joy.

"I've got some you've got to see," he said out of the blue, pulling her to her feet and then down the hall.

"What?" asked a very confused Amanda, trying to get her hand back. "Did I miss something here?"

"I was doing some searching this afternoon while you were gone and found a door behind the curtain in your study."

"Which one?"

"This one." They entered the room and Levi let go of Amanda so he could pull back the window sash at the far end behind her desk and reveal a small door.

Amanda walked up and tried the knob, finding it locked. "I don't have the key if that's what you're trying to find out," she said, pulling out her ring. "I've only got the ones to all the known fief doors plus the gates and a few others."

"I have the key," said Levi, pulling out his father's ring with a flourish.

"Where did you get those?" demanded Amanda, taking them from him.

"I took them from my dad while he was taking his afternoon nap."

"Don't ever do that again!"

"Fine. Let me show you it anyways." He took the keys back and flipped through them quickly, picking one that was old and rusted. Sticking it in the key hole, he gave it a few quick twists and turned the knob, forcing it to creak open a bit.

"Where does this go?" asked Amanda, taking a candle from one of the holders and using it to light the torches just inside the door.

"Follow me and I'll show you." He went off into the dark, ignoring her irritated sigh as she followed close behind. They went up a stair case that seemed to go on forever, continuing to spiral upwards until Amanda thought they must be several stories high. They came to a little room that Levi light the torches in with his flint, casting a soft glow over everything. It was the makings of an old study, with books on a shelf and an old chair near by. There was a trap door in the ceiling that Levi opened, and pulled her up the rickety steps while ignoring her protests.

Amanda was silenced when she saw the view. They were on top of the highest tower of the fief, on a small, 4'x 4' platform of wooden planks that were hidden from the ground. This was even better than the balcony of the other tower because you could see all around and your view wasn't blocked by anything for miles around.

"Whoa..."

"Yeah..." The sun was setting just then, the purple tint beautiful against the clear sky. It was most definitely the most awesome thing she had ever seen. She glanced over at Levi, who's dark hair was highlighted with bits of orange and red from the light.

"This is what you wanted me to see?"

"This is what I wanted you to see."

"..........thanks."

"I see you two have been on a bit of an adventure." Amanda turned around to see Grandfather standing there, leaning on a staff slightly and holding out his hand. "Levi, give me the keys now." Turning to Amanda, he added, "I was going to show you this later this week, but obviously he beat me to it. It was Lord Herman's observatory, he even had a telescope up here and all the books in the room below are of astrology. What do you want to have done with it now that you know about?"

"Have the carpenters make sure this platform is secure and have the maids keep fresh blankets and things for tea or a snack up here," murmured Amanda. "Better yet, just have them keep those things in that extra closet downstairs and give me the key to this place. I'll use it as my private place for when y'all are bugging the heck out of me."

Grandfather nodded and handed it to her, watching as she secured it on her own ring. "Shouldn't I keep a spare, just in case?"

"I'll have one made and put somewhere in the room so that it'll be at hand whenever needed."

"Shall we go down and meet the others for dinner then?"

Amanda sighed and took one long last look around. "Aye, we shall..."

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

"Artman."

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz."

"Artman!"

"ZZZzz *snort*.......what?"

"I think its time."

"...for what?"

"For the babies!"

"...oh. ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz."

"Artman!"

*sigh* "Alright, already! I'm up." He rolled out of bed and crouched on the floor next to Libby, looking at the rabbit impatiently. "It's not doing anything." The next instant a little head popped out of Pinky's rear end.

"See? I told ya so." Libby gently cooed to her rabbit as she gave birth to five more after that, all licking them clean before letting them have her milk. "Oh! Aren't they so cute???"

"I'm going back to bed." Artman had done his part by cleaning the new born bunnies and helping her get them comfortable, he was not staying up a second more than he had to. "G'night."

"Night, Artman." Libby stayed by the bunnies all night long, deciding new names for them and such. There were 4 boys and 2 girls, and she called them Dusty, Blue, Thumper, Rose, and Pinky Jr. Except that was only 5 names so she called the fifth boy 'Iforget' until she could remember the other name she had planed. Each one she put on a special, padded collar with their name written on it before getting up and going back to sleep.

"G'ngiht, Pinky, Dusty, Blue, Thumper, Rose, and Pinky Jr.! Oh, and you too 'Iforget.'" she called softly from her bed.

"Just go to sleep, Lib!" groaned Artman.

"Sorry..."

"Grr........"

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

John was sleeping soundly in his bed for once and it was about midnight when suddenly....

'BANG BANG BANG!!!' He rolled over and fell straight out of bed in a tangle of covers and sheets and would've be hilarious if it weren't 12 a.m. Sarah ran past his room and came back, trying to help him stand up.

"Oh, just go see who it is!" he fumed, finally getting his arms free. "I'll be there is a minute to smack them across the face!" She did as he said and slowly opened the door, surprised to see a small figure completely shrouded in a cloak with a lead-tipped staff.

"Hello....Jenny?" The figure had removed her hood and revealed not some mysterious figure, but a small, scared friend.

"Did I wake you up?" she asked meekly, bowing her head slightly.

"IF THAT ISN'T THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR, I DON' KNOW WHAT IS!!!" cried John from his room, still trying to get his legs untangled. "JUST WAIT 'TILL I GET MY HANDS-"

"John, it's Jenny," interrupted Sarah, going and giving him a look through his door. "The one we knew from school."

"Little short and quiet Jenny?" he asked, sitting up straight. Jenny came and peaked her head in his door, trying not to laugh when she saw him. "Yeah, its her."

"Where've you been?" asked Sarah, leading her into the kitchen. "How did you know where to find us, I should say..."

"The guys at the Dancing Dove..."

"Oh, them," snorted John, finally free of the sheets and blankets. "Yeah, they've caused us plenty of trouble. But anyways, what brings you here."

"Well....IwasaccusedofkillingthisguythatIdidn'tkillandnowthey'reaftermeandIh avetofindsomeplacetohidesoifyouwouldn'tmindhavingmestayforawhile-"

"Hold up a sec here," cut in John, trying to clear his head from all that garble. "Start over and slow down!"

"Oh, sorry..."

"That's alright," said Sarah, handing her a mug of tea with honey in it. "Just relax and take your time."

"Ok. I was cook supper one night..."

****2 hours later****

"I cannot believe you, of all people Jenny, have been through all that," mumbled John, taking another swig of coffee.

"Well, she is the corruptor after all," said Sarah with a smile, bringing back something from before.

"Oh yeah, forgot about that," said John, grinning back, "Corrupted any guys lately, Jenny?"

"Well..."

"She's blushing!" said Sarah accusingly. "Jenny's got a boyfriend, Jenny's got a boyfriend, Jenny's got a boyfriend..."

"Enough with that," said John tiredly. "I guess you want to stay here until this whole mess blows over, right?"

"How about until I find somewhere else to stay or they prove me innocent?" said Jennifer with a shrug, stifling a yawn.

"Sounds good to me," yawned Sarah, not bothering to cover hers, "You can sleep in my room and I'll share John's, ok?"

"Yeah, whatever."

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Alyse stood outside her horse's stall, her and Fern looking each other in the eye. Alyse lost the staring contest and grinned slightly, knowing she would as always. Fern seemed to have this uncanny ability to keep her eyes open forever no matter what...

She pulled out a curry comb and began to brush out her hide, using long and even strokes to make sure she got everything out of her beautiful mare's hide before moving onto combing out her mane and tail and filing the hooves.

Levi suddenly ran by as if his life depended on it, climbing up a ladder near by and hiding in the hayloft above. "What's wrong?" asked Alyse, reaching for her dagger.

"Amanda got a letter from the King and it put her in a very nasty mood. Elizabeth and Dad are trying to calm her down right now, but they're not really succeeding..."

"Oh, that's nothing. What was it about?"

"The message she gave the King when we met them on the road. It has something to do with a book and some event...I was only able to read snatches of it before she took it away and smacked me on the hand for taking it without asking. Mind if I hang out with you for awhile? I'd rather not go back in there quite yet..."

"That's fine," said Alyse, shrugging a shoulder, "I don't care, just don't get in the way."

"You know how to groom a horse?" he asked when he saw what she was doing.

"Yeah. What else would I be doing out here?"

"Well, Amanda likes to come here and write in some little black boon occasionally, and Elizabeth uses the empty stalls for her own devices-"

"You can stop right there," cut in Alyse, giving him a warning look. "I'd rather not hear about that."

"Trust me, neither would I most of the time. Yet somehow word keeps getting around..."

"Enough. I'll make you go back to where the other two are if you don't quit it."

"Alright..." Levi sat back for a minute, watching the clouds through an open window. "So....how do you like it here?"

"It's pretty neat," admitted Alyse with a smile. "Amanda's done great things with this place. The people are happy with their nobles, the servants are more than well-treated, businesses are prosperous and the fields are doing well..."

"But are you happy?"

"Hmm........I guess so. It's not home quite yet, but its getting there..."

"Milady," said a servant, appearing at the door suddenly. "Lady Amanda wishes to see you and Master Levi right now."

"Tell her I'll be up in a minute," replied Alyse, casting a glance at Levi. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah, hang on."

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Lyssa looked at the stretch of forest she, her riders, and the legion of knights assigned to her were to defend. It was about three miles wide and ended just a half a mile before the Scanran boarder. There was the remnants of an old fort that she and her people were supposed to build upon for their fort, and on either side was another fort, and a fief.

The fief they had seen while riding up, and the fort was a mile in the other direction. The General was supposed to be riding up to greet them any second, but in the mean time they might as well start building.

"Alright, people," she called out, getting their attention. "Knights, assemble in squads and start cutting down trees. Riders who can build, go check out that fort and figure out what needs to be fixed. The rest of you, do what those who know what needs to be done tell you to do." After thinking about it, she added, "Those who are willing to hunt for tonight's dinner or want to start setting up tents within the fort, come see me."

An hour later or so, in the middle of supervising everything, Lyssa was told she had to go to the outside of the fort to meet the General. "This is supposed to be a joint effort here as far as command," she told the solider indignantly. "I've got work to do here, and if he wishes to speak to me, he can come find me in here, alright?? Now go."

Lyssa was showing a Rider how to strengthen the walls in one spot when a tall, weathered man walked up with the solider beside him. "Commander Lyssa?" the man said, nodding curtly.

"Yeah, that's me," said Lyssa, not bothering to look at him as she made sure the Rider was following her instructions. "Who are you?"

"General Yorkshire."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Same here. The men said you refused to come outside the walls to meet me..."

"No, I refused to leave those under my command until this particular job is done," retorted Lyssa, turning to him for the first time. "I'm sure you understand how that goes, General."

"Yes, I suppose I do." The General waited politely as two Riders and a Knight came up to give their reports.

"The kitchens and the tents are set up, ma'am."

"Good, now join those sawing the logs into planks for shelters."

"Yes, ma'am."

"The loggers have cut enough logs according to what Commander Richard said, ma'am."

"Cut a few more to be on the safe side and then join the crews building up the walls and the buildings, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"We've got three deer for tonight's meal, ma'am."

"Good, take it to the kitchens and then have those with you check the weapons stock, especially the arrows and spears, and have the builders give you a room in the main building for armory. Find the smithies in the group and have them set up their forge as well, the sooner this place gets its act together, the sooner we can wipe out the Scanrans."

"Yes, ma'am."

"It looks like you have everything under control here, Commander," said General Yorkshire, "If there is nothing you need, I must get back to my fort."

"I do have one question, about the rotation thing..."

"As soon as you're set up, one squad of men will go join the Lynx mountain garrison for a month and two will go to the town right behind you, Hedgesville. These are rotated every month so all the men and women under you can have the comfort of a hot bath and no guard duty every once in awhile," explained the General, pulling out a scroll. "Here's when the meetings are, and I'll have you informed if we can any emergency ones."

"Where are they?"

"My fort or Hedgesville. Maybe Lynx mountain occasionally. If that is all....?"

"Yes, thanks for the help."

"No problem."

Lyssa turned back to the Rider who had finished reinforcing the wall while she had been talking. From here, it looked like he had done a pretty good job...

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Libby and Artman were on the road again and trotted into a small village who needed Libby's healing assistance at a local orphanage. They found the place quickly and dismounted, anxious to be back on the road.

"What is it you needed me for?" asked Libby as she came in the door, removing her sandals and cape an a rack meant for such things.

"Some of our young ones have pneumonia, and none of the healers have enough strength left to heal them. They just lie there gasping for air...." Libby swept passed the lady into the room, checking first one, then another, and another and so on down the line.

"Here," she said to Artman, thrusting a small packet of dried leaves into his hands. "Take this and boil it in a pot of water for awhile. Don't let it boil over, but it needs to be well steeped. Strain it, then pour it in mugs and bring it here. Hurry, I'll use what's left of my gift to keep their fevers down until you return. He nodded and left, guided by another worker to the kitchen where he promptly got to work.

As Libby worked, two of the baby bunnies got loose from the bag she had put them in and hopped over to one of the girl's beds, a small one who especially worried Libby from her lack of response and burning fever.

"Bunny...." whispered the girl as she petted the rabbit, Blue, between the ears. "I wanna bunny for me...." The other bunny nibble gently on her ear, keeping her awake until Libby got back around to her and smiled.

"You like Blue and Thumper?" she asked, pushing the girl's bangs out of her eyes. "If you get better for me, and try real hard to stay awake you can have them."

"Really?" asked the girl, her eyes getting huge.

"Really," said Libby, grinning at her response. "They can even stay with you as I make my rounds, alright?"

"Ok." Libby kept going, slowly putting some of her gift into this child, and some more into that one. Eventually Artman came back as she gave the other women helping her instructions as quickly as she could.

"Give each child a sip or two, then have them breath in the steam from the mug until they start to cough up the phlegm on their own, ok? make sure they don't drink too much, it'll make them sick." Libby took one mug and took it to the little girl with her bunnies personally, giving the girl her full attention as she tried to make her well again. Some of the kids had some rough moments, but eventually everyone was ok.

"Can I really keep the bunnies?" asked the little girl when they were sure they were out of danger and would recover very quickly.

"Yeah, I made you a deal didn't I?" replied Libby, smiling brightly as she gave the lady in charge a bag of the food they fed them and some money to buy them a box and other things. "Be good to my bunnies and don't forget to share them with others!"

"I won't!" called the little girl, waving to them as they rode away to the next town. "I promise, I won't forget!"

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Kyle lay on the ground as he wrestled with the wolf pups, playing tug of war with one of his old, knotted-up shirts and bits of jerky he let them have. Daine had asked another wolf pack to look out for him, and right now the main adult members were out hunting while he waited for a message from her.

Tugger, one of the pups, pulled playfully on his boot as Kyle tried t get free, only finding that two of the others had his other one as well.

"What is this?" he asked, giving them a look, "Pick on Kyle day?"

The pups only reply was to tackle him at once, six or seven of them dog- piling him to the floor. "This is not fair at all..." Kyle rolled over and grabbed his pouch, taking out a few pieces of jerky. Whistling softly and throwing them over into the corner, he got the pups off of him for a few moments, only to have them come back begging for more.

"No," he said, trying to resist those cute faces. "I won't give you anymore. Your moms and dads will be back soon with the food..."

Tugger's sister Sandy put her paws on his shirt and licked his face sadly, giving him the cutest puppy eyes in the world. "Oh, I guess a few more strips couldn't hurt..."

The pups barked happily as he pulled out a few more strips and passed them around, earning him several pink tongues licking his face and hands happily. Kyle laughed and wiped the puppy slobber off with his sleeve, looking up as a hawk glided in over the rest of wolf pack that was coming in as well.

Kyle put out his arm and let the hawk land there, taking the small scroll that was tied around his talons. It read:

'Kyle,

The General has sent me a message saying there have been reports of Scanran activity to the east. I'm too far west to check it out, would you do it when you head back that way? Don't wait to long, there's several towns in that area we need to protect. Thank you.

Daine'

Kyle sighed and got up, quickly packing his things in the only bag he carried before slinging it over his shoulder. "Time to go, guys," he said shortly, picking up one or two of the younger pups to carry for them. "We're going back east a ways, then you're staying in that cave again while I make my report, ok?"

The head wolf looked him in the eye and nodded, showing he and his pack understood. He trotted out of the cave with the wolves in tow, headed for the next spot he would spy from, and the next place he could find to safely spend the night...

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Jenny had been with Sarah and John for a few weeks now, sending messages back and forth to the Rogue and figuring out where all she was to go. Sean's sister, Stephanie, had been in outrage when she heard what had happened and had offered her a spot in her hut if she ever needed it. No one ever came there to visit unless they were family, and they wouldn't say anything to anyone.

It as the night before Jenny was to leave when Sarah was woken up again by someone banging on the door in the middle of the night. She woke up John so he wouldn't flounder around in his covers and wake up Jenny.

"Go answer the door," she said when she peeked out the window to see who it was. "I'll go warn Jenny, its the soldiers again." Jenny had died her hair black and wore all these magicked putties to make her appear to be a lot older.

"What do you want?" demanded John as any other sleep deprived young man might, giving them angry glares. "Some of us around here do have to work in the morning you know."

"Have you see this girl?" asked the sergeant, holding a poster under his nose. "She's been reported to be staying at this ranch with you and that other girl."

"Who's been staying here?" asked Sarah as she came up, glancing at the picture. It was Jenny alright, now all they had to do was get rid of these men and throw them off her trail. "We've just had little old Granny here for the past few weeks and she just left a few days ago, never see that girl before in my life."

"You're sure you've never seen this murderer?" pressed one of the soldiers trying to menace her with his 'superior' look. "She's a dangerous criminal, ma'am. The kind that needs to be hung-"

"Leave her alone," snarled John, stepping in between the two, "We haven't seen anybody, so leave! You've disturbed us enough for one night."

"Hang on a sec," said Sarah, glancing at the words below the picture. "Is that the girl that poisoned the head of that one fief? My friend wrote me recently and said she saw that girl heading north into Scanran..."

"Why didn't you report it?" demanded the Sergeant, getting all up in Sarah's face.

"She did, but they wouldn't listen so I let it drop," said Sarah with a shrug. "Now can we get back to sleep, please?"

"Aye, ma'am. Sorry to have disturbed your-"

'SLAM!!' John sighed in satisfaction from having done that, giving Sarah a quickly hug before going back to his room to sleep. Jenny waited, awake in her room from all the noise that had been made. As soon as it was all quite again, she slipped out to the main room and put a note on the table, going out to the barn to saddle the horse they had given her and galloping away into the night.

The note read:

'Dear Sarah and John,

Thank you for your help, you are true friends for what you have done for me in this tough time. I decided to leave early, after what happened this night its too much for me to even stay another day. Don't worry, I have some luck with me and I'll use it well on the road ahead. It's only a two day ride to Steph's home and from here, I don't know what will happen after that. We'll keep in touch through the Rogue, and don't forget to burn this after you've read it, ok?

Love always,

Jennifer C.'

And with that, she was gone...

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

(A/N: They say that you never really find the worth of something or someone until its almost gone. That's most definitely true in this case.........)

A tear-stained Vixen sat sleeping in a chair beside Joe's bed, her hands clasping one of his and her head resting on the edge of the bed. Joe had not awakened for a month now, and she had refused to leave his side when she had heard the awful news~ he may never wake up at all. The left shoulder wound wasn't that bad, the healer had said it was something else. Something inside him had snapped and it had created a self-induced coma that only he could wake himself up from...

Vixen was awakened by someone humming softly as they stroked her hand, and she looked up to see Joe watching her as he rested on his pillows.

"What the heck was the for?" she demanded, her voice going several pitches higher than normal. "You scared the living crap out of me! Seriously! People do not just~" She was cut off by his hand clamping gently over her mouth a teasing look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, eyes searching her surprised face as he pushed back some curls from her eyes. He removed his hand from her mouth, but she remained silent, contemplating for a moment. "What did I miss?"

"Grandfather died and we buried him with the other thieves who died on our side in the back," replied Vixen, looking like her old self again. "We sent Jenny on her way after she had that night with Sean..."

"They had some fun, did they?"

"No, just dinner with Mouse and Allie."

"And you?"

".............no."

"Why weren't you there?"

"......because." Vixen fidgeted with a blade she pulled out of her sleeve, watching the light dance off the blade. She suddenly became aware of Joe coming closer to her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Vixen?"

"Yeah?"

"I..." She leaned in closer, waiting to hear what he wanted to say. [What that heck?] thought Joe to himself, licking his lips [I've only got one life to live...] He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I..."

They were barely an inch apart when...

*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*

Authors are so evil sometimes. Thankies, Peat! Please, Vixen, don't leave any high-pitched rants on my answering machine since I won't be home until next Monday. Do I have a death wish? Maybe. And one more thing, HAHAHAHA!! Told ya so Vixen, you and Jenny both forgot!! If you have no idea what I mean, its all the better for me! Please review, don't forget to wish Vixen a happy birthday, and have a great day!