Title: The Seer
By: Mizu-chan a.k.a Vannila_Fox

Disclaimer: The Song Of The Lioness, all trademark and related indicia are property of Tamora Pierce. ( The Immortals included.)

Author's Note: Now, this is where the adventure starts!

Last Chapter: Jon stood up, and rang his glass. "Attention! Tonight, we will be having a ball. Everyone knows what they are to do. We have important guests, so everyone is to attend after their duties. Ladies, no boy is to punch a guy even if they are rude. However, if it gets too much, be my guest. Just be... discreet about it?" The few handfuls of girls laughed. A few of them attempted to be knights, but only some of them made it to their squire years. Chris thumped Lirael at the back. "You know what that means!" Lirael just groaned.

~~~ "Knock. Knock." "Lirael- are you decent?" Lirael loked at herself in the mirror, gave a loud "Hmph." Audible from outside, and opened the door. Chris looked at her half bare back, and grinned as she tried to put up her hair in a braid. She scowled at him through the mirror and turned her attention back to her hair as he laughed. "I never thought you would wear this dress. I thought you vowed never to don it?" Lirael glowered more. "Someone took my blue dress, and the gray one as well." He laughed harder as she finally gave a sound of frustration, and let her hair down to tie it into a ponytail.

He stopped her and bent down by her ear. "Leave it." he whispered, and handed her a pair of emerald ear bobs. She took them quietly and put them on, ignoring the tingling feeling coming from the side of her face, the side which Chris' warm breath touched. She smiled fakely at him, and walked out. Chris looked at her retreating head of black hair that reached to a few inches above the waist, then ran after her.

Alanna, Buri and Thayet laughed as Baby Faith gurgled happily. Jon, Gary and Raoul smiled and laughed as Gary motioned towards his son and Lirael, and their current situation. "So, when are the mages coming?" Jon loked at the candles and at the door. "Soon. Not to worry, Numair and Daine are with them."

Lirael smiled politely as James of Dolphin Bay, another squire, asked her to dance. She accepted politely and made a face towards Chris when James wasn't looking. Chris just laughed as he took another drink of the punch. When the dance was over, she made her way towards him, but was intercepted by Deirdre. Lirael just stood there, trying to look like she wasn't angry, but failed a few times, causing the three elder men to laugh quietly. Chris wasn't enjoying himself either, dancing with a girl who tried to cling to him. Finally, he almost ran away when the dance ended.

"I'm betting they're going to sort it out by today." Raoul said, but the two others shook their heads. "No way- I bet ten gold nobles they won't." Jon nodded. "Same here." Raoul shrugged, and they went to their wives.

"Lirael." The girl turned around and tried to hide something behind, her, which Chris eyed suspiciously. "What are you holding?" Lirael shrugged, and smiled sheepishly. "Nothing." [Accept the excuse!] The crystal was trying to show her something, but he came. Chris shrugged as well and leant on the balcony rail beside her. "Look- about what I did- I.." But Lirael cut him off. "It's ok." Chris shook his head. "No- I mean, I'm really so- what did you say?" He turned to look at her, but before anything could be said, his lips were claimed.

When the kiss ended, he looked at Lirael, who was looking at the gardens again, with a light blush on her cheeks. "Lirael..." She loked at him and saw that she was frowning worriedly. "I mean- I'm sorry, but If you-" Now it was his turn, and she melted into his arms as the warmth spread through her body. "I guess It's alright, then." Smling at each other and holding hands, they went back in to dance. But before they could reach the ballroom, Lirael gasped and stopped walking. Chris looked at her worriedly. "Lirael- what's wrong?" She shook her head and put her hand into her pocket, drawing out the Dragon clawed crystal. "Is that-?"

She shook her head and looked into the glowing orb. "Oh no. Thank Shakith... we have to go to your father and the King! Someone's going to attack!" Chris' eyes widened as he followed the mysterious girl who ran towards the King's table, frantically. The crowd parted for her as she ran towards the table. "Your highness! Someone's going to attack this ball! Please stop th-" she was cut off by Buri. "How do you know this?" Lirael held out the orb, in which Jon looked into. "Mithros!" He stood up. "Everyone-" But he was cut off as the doors burst open, and six yellow- robed Scanran mages opened the way and held everyone still with spells.

Around fifty or so men, in Scanran colours came in, a large man leading the way. Jon stood up. "What's the meaning of this?!" He roared in Scanran tongue. The man answered back. "War." He held up his hand and let it drop. Everyone screamed, the few ladies ran for cover, the knights, who always wore swords tried to hold them off while everyone evacuated, and the few trained mages cast their spells. Lirael took her sword and started slashing at the enemy. Chris was right beside her, and They noticed the three women guarding an unusually quiet Faith.

Lirael dashed towards them and took Faith from Alanna, who covered her as she ran out with the baby. Putting the young child down in her room, she took her scythe, and put on breeches under her skirt, not taking the dress off. She ran towards the stables, where a few people were. She cast an invisible protective circle around Faith and her horse, Mercury, a white and grey mare. Then she ran back into the fray, slashing at the enemy from behind. They didn't have a chance. They didn't even see the large blade come down on them and on their allies.

Alanna and the rest watched in wonder as the scythe did its work. Kel watched, amazed at the large weapon while she pinned another man with her glaive. Soon, all was over, the other soldiers who tried to flee were captured, and only the large man and Jon was left. Everyone looked as Lirael calmly flicked the blood off the shiny blade with a strong swipe. Jon and the man had been battling without magic, and were both matched. Alanna cut in. "What do you want?" Neal pulled Jon away and started healing him.

The man chuckled, a deep rumbling laugh. "We want your country- but more importantly, we want the Seer. The one who wields the Dragon's eye. King Maggur wants her. Lirael of Ellimere is her name, I think." Lirael, who was wiping her blade clean, looked at him. Everyone cast sidelong glances at her.

Her light green dress was spattered with blood here and there, and torn into shreds at the sleeves. There was a bleeding gash at her thigh, which she earned from someone's double axe. She unconsciously felt her pocket, and breathed as she felt the familliar smooth surface, and the rough dragon's claw. "What do you want with her?" The man laughed. "I cannae tell you that. She is coming with us." With that, he swiftly brought his axe down on an unguarded Neal's back, which was barely blocked by Lirael.

"I'm not going with anybody unless I want to, or I'm ordered by my King." With that, she jumped away, a little hindered by her skirts. "Not fast enough, girlie." she felt the double axe come towards her arm, which she twisted out of. "Netiher are you." She swung the scythe, and while he was busy with it, she drew a throwing dagger out of her bodice, and threw it with her left hand. It hit his chest with a thud. He wore armour. He laughed and attacked, bringing the axe down and cutting half her skirts off. She ran around and pushed the pointed part of the scythe at him, which he couldn't block in time.

His arm was punctured and when he looked at it, Lirael kicked him hard and chopped down on the back of his neck. Then she bowed towards Jon, pale from loss of blood. "Your Highness... for questioning... Alanna... Faith is safe..." She fell, but Chris caught her. "Time for you to rest."

A/N: Long chapter!!!