Disclaimer: I disclaim.

A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed. It's fun fun.

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CHAPTER TWO

They sat in the darkness of the forest, having risked a small fire. Nathaniel had returned from hunting nearly half an hour earlier and they feasted on the small deer that he had brought back to camp.

"So there we were, in the palace, and Christo here decided that Crysta should set all the candles in the room on fire-"

Hawk cut Nathaniel off. "No, that's not how it happened! You're trying to blame it on me!" he protested.

"It was your fault. Just like that incident with the turtle."

Sarah grinned. "What incident with the turtle?"

"Now THAT wasn't my fault. That was your fault!" Hawk butted in.

Nathaniel grinned and leaned back against a tree. "So it was."

"Well?"

"Well what, Sarah?" Hawk asked, grinning with feigned innocence.

"The story about the fire.. and the turtle." She turned to look at Nathaniel. "What did you do to the turtle?"

His grin widened, and he shook his head. "No."

"Oh, come on." Sarah pleaded. "Please?"

"No!" he exclaimed, laughing.

"Come on, Nat." She reached towards him to give him a friendly shove. Her hand came within an inch of his skin, and she jerked it back. Strong magic now buzzed through her arm, making it somewhat uncomfortably warm.

There was an uncomfortable silence, then Nathaniel grinned once more. "Nat?"

"Yes. Now tell me about the turtle."

"Actually, it's late." Hawk interrupted. "You should be asleep."

"What?"

"Sleep, Sarah." Nathaniel grinned, nearly identical to Hawk's. "It's late, and we'll be at the palace in a couple days. You need to be well rested then."

Sarah snorted in disgust. "You know, you've spent way to much time with the thief." She retorted, suppressing a small grin.

"Good night, Sarah."

She rolled her eyes and lay down. Despite her protests she fell asleep almost immediately.

When her breathing became regular, Hawk turned and glared at Nathaniel. "What in the name of the Underground was that?"

"What was what?" Nathaniel asked uncomfortably, stirring under Hawk's intense gaze.

"The magic-whoosie thing."

"You know what that is."

"Yes I do." Hawk hissed. "Thus the 'what in the name of the Underground' and not 'oh, by golly gee wiz, what was that?'!"

"I don't want to talk about it, Hawk." Nathaniel whispered, and the rolled over and pretended to be asleep.

"Nathaniel." The half-elf didn't answer him. "Nathaniel."

Hawk sighed in exasperation when his long-time friend didn't answer once more. The thief stood, and walked the few paces to the small fire. Taking some of the earth into his hands, he smothered the fire with the soil.

He sat back against some of their packs while his eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness. He watched the woods, for the first time since his family had been killed he felt a need to protect someone other than himself. Nathaniel was younger than he, though he didn't always act like it- the boy grew up too fast, even faster than Hawk himself had. Sarah. who knew about Sarah? She was strange- it came from living aboveground for so long. The girl didn't belong Aboveground, her mother shouldn't have left her there. Half human- quarter elf and quarter Fae. the humans would never have accepted her as they hadn't all her life.

Hawk shook his head. Quit it, he scolded himself, you're growing too soft. And when that happens, well, you know how that turns out don't you, Christo? Caring about these two the way you do, it's not good.

Hawk put his mind to rest and shifted, finding comfort in his fur and paws. He curled up and hid his face under his left paw, listening intently to the forest around him. He could hear Nathaniel's breathing, and Sarah's somewhat softer breathing. The horses were edgy with the sudden apparition of a wolf. Nothing dangerous was in the forest- a rabbit stirred about fifty paces off, a deer suddenly took flight at the scent of a pack of wolves, a lone owl hooted a lonesome cry.

Cassa. He missed his wife so much, especially at times like these when it was as if he was all alone. He missed her joy, her dry humor, the way she felt in his arms after a day of pain and turmoil.

And Erryn and Treya. His little girls, they were only three years old when- no. He wouldn't dwell on them now. He couldn't afford to become lost in memory once more.

He closed his eyes and fell to sleep. He slept lightly, awakening at any small sound- a habit easily formed in times as dangerous as these.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Sarah awakened the next morning, Hawk was gone and Nathaniel was packing.

"You're awake." He smiled widely. "Here." He tossed her a roll of bread. "Breakfast."

"I don't usually eat breakfast. If it do it'll throw off my whole day." She said, setting the bread aside.

"You shouldn't skip breakfast." Nathaniel answered non-chalantly as he strapped the bags onto the chestnut gelding. "It's the most important meal of the day."

Sarah laughed. "I've heard." She said dryly. "I've had it pounded into my brain since I was a little girl."

Nathaniel sighed and grabbed the roll ands shoved it into her hand.

They stopped, startled by the sudden closeness. They stood, staring at each other for a minute, and Sarah began to feel uncomfortable as the same magic from the night before tingled up her arm from the spot where her skin met his. She swallowed as his face came nearer to her. He stopped just before he would have kissed her, and turned suddenly and returned to his packing.

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Nathaniel berated himself in his mind as he tied his pack to the gelding. He had nearly kissed her! Nearly kissed his queen! They could have his head for that!

He could feel her eyes boring into his back. Self-conscious of every move he made, he stiffly packed more items into the bags.

"Nathaniel." He heard her voice behind him.

"What, Sarah?" He turned, and was startled to find her less then a foot away from himself. He wondered briefly how he had been so involved in what he was doing that his excellent Elven hearing hadn't heard her come up behind him. He only had a moment to ponder that, for suddenly her lips were upon his.