Ch.4

Yeah! The next chapter is up. This is probably about how far apart the chapters will be (approximately one week), because so much is going on right now. Once school ends I'll be able to write the chapters more frequently, but for now abstain from throttling me *evil giggle*. As I promised this chapter will answer a lot of questions and get into the more interesting stuff. Just to tell you this is pre-Alanna/Liam meeting. I apologize if I get the years/ time periods really off, but this is just a little product of my over-active imagination I decided to post, so as to hone my masterful writing skills *mwahahahaha*. As always I am begging you for reviews. Come on people! It wont kill you! I may get so angry that I'll take this whole fic off. I'll do it! I'm not bluffing! *breaks down into anguished sobs* Anyway, if you reviewed, look for your name below.

Numair's Daine: Thank you! I like Jay's character too, I modeled him after one of my best friends (whose name happens to be Jason, get it Jay - Jason, lol) There will be more of him in the story, I think he's going to be in the whole thing, but I'm not sure yet. Thanks for the comment on my writing style. I worried a lot about trying to write in Tamora's style, but decided against it because when I try to write in a way other than my style, the results are crap. Your comment was very reassuring, it means a lot.

Wow guys! One whole review! Seriously, I'm just going to take this fic off if I don't get any response. I have better things to do than write stuff for you people that nobody reads.

Disclaimer: I do not own much of anything. Elentari is mine, as well as her whole story thingy, but everything else is Tamora's. Please don't attack me, I do not, and never will be so presumptuous as to claim it.

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Elentari stepped into Liam's office quietly. She closed the door then turned around to find her teacher standing in front of the window, studying the tree-covered hills beyond, with his back to her. She stood there, hesitating, wondering whether or not to disturb his reflections.

Liam sighed, and turned to face his student. He studied her for several seconds with sorrowful eyes.

"Come in Elentari. Please, sit down." He said with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.

Elentari cautiously sat in a chair across from his desk. He was usually a pretty jolly man, no jolly wasn't the word, jolly describes fat old men and he was neither fat nor old. No he was more.... merry. The only time when she ever saw him really serious was if something horrible either happened, or was going to happen. In this case she suspected the latter to be true.

Liam sat down across from her and cleared hi throat.

"Elentari, you know that I found you in the forest those many years ago. (she nodded) I have told you of how I came upon you sitting alone, how you told me of the bandits that had kidnapped you. (again she nodded) I took you back to my home, and I have raised you like a daughter. I schooled you in the intellectual arts, as well as the fighting arts, and that has allowed you to train in the Shang order." He paused, looking at her carefully for any sign of emotion. He found none, her face was stone.

"You have learned all that I can teach you, and all that this school can teach you. You are the top of your class, and by far the best fighter in this school, no, don't object, you know that I'm right," he said when she opened her mouth to protest, "Elentari, you are ready to graduate, all your masters agree. That is why, come spring you will be inducted into the Order of the Shang with the your other classmates.

Elentari was frozen. Thousands of emotions were running through her, and she could not sort them. Liam's voice brought her back to herself.

"Elentari, are you okay? Did you hear me?" he asked gently, looking at her with concern.

"Er... yes, sorry, I heard you. I'm just.... shocked, stunned really. I thought that they wouldn't let me because I was too young." She said, biting her lip in indecision. This was what she had been yearning for, to graduate with her friends, to become a member of the order, but it was still a little scary. She had spent almost all her life in this school.

Elentari sighed inwardly, she was moving to a new stage in her life, of course she would be a little scared. Change was scary. She looked up and met Liam's worried eyes. She smiled at him reassuringly.

"I'm happy, truly I am," she said, "I was just a little scared of the change, but I'm over it now. Thank you."

He looked very relieved, but then his face tensed up again.

"Elentari," he said slowly, "There's more. I've never told you this before, but that night, after I found you, I went back to the cave where you had been kept in your captivity. The bandits were indeed gone, dead in another raid. When I searched the cave I found something. It obviously belongs to you, as the chests bear the same crest as the one on the back of the pendant you had been wearing.

He handed her a gold pendant across the desk. She ran her fingers over the beautiful butterfly inlaid in the gold. She didn't need to be a gem expert to tell that the jewels on the front were genuine, and valuable. Emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds twinkled at her in the morning sun filtering in through the windows. Carefully turning it over she found a crest, a coat of arms imprinted on the back. The whole thing hung on a pale blue, silk ribbon.

Elentari looked up at Liam in wonder.

"I was wearing this?" she whispered.

"Yes," he simply said. Then he got up from his desk, and walked to the door connecting his bedroom with his office. He beckoned for her to follow, then disappeared into the room.

Stiffly, Elentari rose from her chair and walked into his room, dazed, as if she were completely divorced from her body. Looking around, she found Liam unlocking another door. Blinking, she realized that it was the door she referred to as the mystery door. She had never been allowed in there, nor had she been told what lay behind it. In fact, she did not think that Liam had ever opened it in her memory. But he was doing so now, why?

Turning to her he said, "I told you that I found something in that cave, well, I'm giving it to you now. It rightfully belongs to you, and I had always planned to give it to you when you came of age and graduated. So I do so now."

He opened the door, and stood back to allow her to enter before him. Grabbing a candle, he followed. At first she stumbled a little in the dark gloom, but when Liam followed her in with the candle he light an oil lamp on the wall, illuminating some of the room.

What she saw was several wooden chests. As Liam lit another, then another lamp, the room came into full focus. She counted twelve chests on the floor. They were sturdy, and of good size. Looking closer she saw that they appeared to be made of sandalwood. Her eyebrows shot up. Sandalwood was expensive, and only the wealthy could afford such luxuries. She knelt down and ran her hands along the smooth wood, then braced her arms, and swung the heavy lid up, letting it rest on it's hinge.

Later, she would notice that the inside cover did indeed carry the same crest as the pendant in her belt pouch, but for now she was dazzled by the heaps of gold coins the box contained.

The firelight from the lamps bounced off the shining pieces, playing across her face in an endless dance. Elentari was frozen. Her mouth hung open as she stared in wonder at the fortune before her. Suddenly, her jaw snapped closed, and she lunged to her feet, and dashing to the other chests, flinging them open frantically. In each one she found the same thing. Standing in the middle of the room, she looked about her at the not so small fortune that Liam claimed belonged to her.

Looking up, she found him standing to the side, leaning on the wall, and staring at her gravely.

"What..... how?" was all she could manage to say.

He sighed and came over to her. Standing before her, she had to look up to see his face. He towered above her, and she was no small thing.

"Elentari," he said softly, "I am sorry that I kept this secret from you, but it was necessary to raise you in a somewhat proper way. You couldn't know until you were ready."

She sunk to the floor, sitting with her knees up to her chest staring into some unknown world. He sat down beside her, soothingly rubbing her back. She cleared her throat.

"I don't understand, how can this belong to me? For my entire life I have been penniless, living off of your good will. I was the orphan, with no parents or family. I don't even know who I am anymore. Is Elentari even my real name?" she asked.

"You are Elentari, take a closer look at the pendant." He said firmly, drawing it out of her belt pouch, holding it for her to see he said, "It reads. 'To my little Elentari on her birthday, from your brother Gary.' Then there is a date here, 'May sixth' it says." Handing it back to her he turned to face her. Seeing tears in her eyes, he took out his handkerchief and gently blotted her cheeks. Then handed it to her to blow her nose. Obediently, she complied.

"I love you little one, no matter who or what you are. Always know that. But you need to find out who you are, find your family." He spoke to her gently.

"Liam, you are my family," she protested, as she began to cry again. He drew her into her arms and held her as she cried into his shoulder.

"I know, and nothing can ever change that. But there is a family out there that misses their little girl, and you miss your family. I know you won't admit it, but you long to have parents, to have siblings, I have seen it. Come now, there's nothing to cry about." He admonished gently.

She drew away and looked at him through teary eyes.

"I don't want to lose you," she whispered.

"Your not going to loose me, I'll always be with you in your heart. I promise you will always have a home, and a place to go with me. And, someday, when you find your home I will come and visit you, I just want to see you happy." He said gruffly. Elentari could hear un-cried tears in his voice. She sighed and hugged him fiercly.

He stroked her hair and murmured, "Elentari, you are noble. I have always known it. It's in the way you walk, talk, act, and breath. This treasure belongs to you, and you must use it to find your place, just don't forget your old teacher."

"Can't you come with me?" she asked with a pleading look in her eyes.

"No little one," he sighed, "I can't. My path follows a different route. At the end of this year I am going to be leaving to go on a quest. I have known for many months that I must go, and that is why I have been so sad. I hate to leave you, but I must. It is my destiny. Your destiny also awaits. I sense that you will do great things, and I must release you to begin doing them. I can not shelter you forever, as much as I'd like to."

"Oh Liam, I'm just afraid that I wont see you ever again after I leave," she cried.

"Nonsense, of course you'll see me. You are a part of my destiny too, it was not chance that I found you in that clearing, and my destiny is not going to so willingly let you go. I promise." He said firmly.

Elentari sighed and looked around her at the treasure she now owned.

"This is really far too much money for me. There is more than enough here for me to buy a castle!" she exclaimed, "You must take some, call it repayment for the five years you raised me." Liam chuckled.

"I could never take any money, seeing you grow up, and being able to love and be loved by you is more than enough repayment." He replied.

"Nonsense," she admonished, " you are taking a chest and that's that."

He groaned comically then dramatically stated, "A true noble, why me!?"

Laughing, Elentari playfully slapped his shoulder, causing him to laugh too. When the humor faded, Elentari sighed.

"Don't fret over this now, we still have the rest of the year. Neither of us can leave until you graduate. I am not going to miss it after all the time I put into training you. When the time comes we will say our good-byes and not be sad. This is merely a new chapter in our lives. Until then be light of heart, and prepare for the test." Liam told her.

Elentari groaned. "While I am looking forward to graduating, the test I dread."

"Good, that means you're thinking about it. Now hurry and get to class, you don't want to miss it." He instructed her, as he pulled her up off the floor and gently guided her out of the room.

"Of no, I'm going to be late!" she gasped as she dashed out of his room. "Good-bye!" she called as she left.

"Good-bye," Liam whispered as he closed the door and locked it again.

Well folks, that's the end of this chapter. Didn't I tell you that some questions would get answered. I'll give you three guesses as to which "quest" Liam is going on. Anyway, review, review, REVIEW!