Disclaimer: I don't own any of Tamora Pierce's stuff, except for 2 hardcovers and a bunch of beaten-up paperbacks. So I haven't done anything illegal, because this is a fanfic, and you need to have something to be a fan of before you can write the fic. So yeah, all I own are some books from Barnes and Noble and the characters I made up. So *PLEASE* don't steal them. (the characters or the books.)
[A/N: I've said it before and I'll say it again: even though Owen rox, I don't think he&Kel are the best couple. So unless you people who haven't reviewed don't mind them having, as I said, gobs and gobs of little teeny Owens, **REVIEW**!!!]
*Yeah, we're still in the hallway.*
Naimura quickly apologized to the cloaked figure, which only nodded slightly. But when she tried to walk around it, it moved, too. She apologized again and tried the other way, but again it blocked her. She was frightened out of her apathy by this tall figure in a dark cloak. So frightened that she simply turned and ran. but the figure whipped out a gloved and grabbed her arm, so that her momentum brought her back to face it.
Naimura trembled a bit, but stopped moving or breathing entirely as the figure reached up and removed it's hood, and pulled down cloth that covered the lower half of it's face. 'It' was a she, with a long auburn braid and gray eyes. Her nose was round, and it crinkled a bit as she smiled down at the girl. By that time, she had resumed normal respiratory patterns.
"I hope I didn't frighten you too badly. Nobody can ever hear me through this blasted thing." She motioned at the cloth she had pulled off her face. "Your name is Naimura, but I think I heard your friends call you Nai. Do you mind if I call you that? My name is Arcela."
"H-hello Arcela." The girl was still a bit confused.
"I believe Prince Pomp back there said people were looking for you. We must speak before they find you. Will you join me in the lesser wars library?" Nai was still a bit perplexed, but she nodded. The way today had started, and the mysteriousness of this Arcela woman...perhaps she would get an adventure! [A/N: Pomp: self-satisfaction, typical of petty government officials. Has pomp, is pompous. Sorry, too many of my friends asked 'what in the hells does that mean?' for me not to give a little vocab lesson.]
The lesser wars library was hardly ever used. There was a light layer of dust over everything, but neither minded. Arcela motioned for the younger girl to sit down - she was hardly 18 herself - and studied her closely for a moment, a searching look in her eyes. She began to speak, but Nai wasn't sure if she had found what she'd been looking for.
"I watched your duel. What is your history of instruction?"
"Umm, well," she squirmed, unsure of what Arcela would think of the truth. She decided to tell it anyway. "My friends have been teaching me as they learn-" Arcela snorted indignantly, which made Nai blush.
"I won't believe that for a minute. Your friends are first year pages! I told you, I watched that duel of yours. Those were advanced maneuvers you used. And that trick with the disarmaments! Whew, even I couldn't tell that you had planned that. Nai, you had that whole duel in the palm of your hand. The Prince learned to hold a sword before he learned to walk, and he's had the best martial arts instructors in the realm. You beat him so easily! How?"
"I...I..." She was now thoroughly confused, and out of her jumbled brain came no answers. "I just don't know." She looked up at Arcela, and the look in her eyes was painfully honest. Arcela studied the girl's face again, as though Nai's words had revealed something her previous search had not. Finally, she nodded and smiled, sitting down across from her.
"Nai," She said, "I have to admit that I've lied to you. I was one of the people sent to find you. Don't worry!" She added as the little girl flinched, prepared for a scolding, "I spoke to your mother. I'm the third head of the Ninjingri order of Martial Arts. I have something very important to ask you."
Arcela paused, whether for breath or effect Nai didn't know, but she felt it coming, and held her breath for infinite seconds.
"How would you like," Said the woman, eyes shining, "To have an adventure?"
[A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but this is just my style. I like to leave you guys in suspense, no? Really, I don't do chapters in the traditional sense. I more or less to scenes, and if I'm not mistaken, this qualifies as a scene. It was gonna be longer, but that would mean that the plot would go to pot and the fic would be a very short failure. Trust me, you'll like this better in the long run. px2dmx, SunshineX]
