[UnChArtEd ShaDoWs]





Noin slid warily into the chair, her eyes on the man at the other end of the table. Noin did not recognize him from before. His head in his hands, he looked miserable and defeated. The room was well lit. No one could hide in the shadows. The room was silent for a long while. Only their breathing echoed off the walls.

Finally, the man pushed his chair back and stood. He held his hands behind his back and stared at the wall Noin was facing, so that his back was to her. He hung his head.

"I apologize for any of the pain I may have caused you and your friend." He said. "You see, the war has been becoming increasingly out of hand, and many men would have died if we did not show the Alliance. your opposing force. that we were succeeding in obtaining information, succeeding in suppressing your activity. We never had any intention of causing you or the Peacecraft boy any trouble."

Noin's breath caught in her throat. "You. . ."

"I am the only one who knows his identity. However, the Alliance may soon discover your secret. They have sent inspectors to each of the former guerrilla bases, such as this one, to be sure there is nothing 'sinister' going on. The one assigned to us, Rakael, is a very cruel man, and would not keep your secret if it would save his life. He cares not about the meaning of life, only the meaning of war." The man rubbed his temples. "I want to get both of you out of here. But, with the injuries both of you have suffered, It may not be as easy as I may have hoped. All of us grow tired of the battles we know are coming, and the secrets we are forced to keep.

"You need no place in this war. I tried to make sure they did not injure you further. . . you were very ill."

"I'm fine." She stated.

The man grinned, and a bit of himself came back. "Yes, you may think so, but wait till you go back out into the cold. Then you may not feel so great. What we need to do is find a way to get the both of you out of here without anyone finding out. Most of the soldiers are willing to help. I have begun to devise a plan, so that you will be able to return to your base."

This all seemed odd to Noin. "Why are you doing this for us?"

"Many reasons." He explained. "One of which is very important. You see, years ago, before the Sanc Kingdom fell, I knew its prince. He was a very kind young boy, and over the years I came to owe him a great debt. I knew that one day I would have to repay this debt, as it haunted me day and night for years and years. . ." His smile was wistful. "That day has finally come, and it is the least I can do for him. For both of you."

The door opened, a man came inside. The same man that had brought Noin to the room.

"We will talk again when I have more information." The man said, and gestured for Noin to leave. "Go."

"Wait. . . Will you tell me your name?" Noin asked suddenly, wishing for more before she was forced to leave.

The man froze, then turned away from her. "My name. . . I am Nikolas Aimon, former Captain of the Royal Guard of the Sanc Kingdom."

And she was led away down the hall.